6 - In the Red
"Sara" Neal greeted, surprised.
She ignored him.
"Detective Lewis. This is Neal Caffrey".
The stranger smirked and stepped past him.
"This is a search warrant".
Fuck.
"We're looking for the stolen FAA package".
"Oh. Points for persistence".
Half a dozen men and women followed her and began none-too-gently tearing his flat apart.
"I'm a lot harder to beat than a lie detector" Sara continued, "Nice place, Neal".
"I've seen yours. You've seen mine. We're even" He replied, quickly following her.
"If I snuck in here with a gun, then we'd be even".
She stepped back from the Picasso that or may not actually be real, and ran her hand over the bed frame.
"Mid-19th-century tiger oak?"
"Hand carved".
"Beautiful".
Sara pulled open his wardrobe.
"If I stole the package, you really think I'd keep it here?"
"Why not?" She countered, struggling with the lock.
"Let me help you out with that".
"Thank you".
He unlocked the door and pulled it open.
"How did you con your way into this place?"
Neal sighed and leant against the frame of the wardrobe.
"You are convinced I don't have an honest bone".
"Give me a good reason to think otherwise".
"There's nothing here".
There was a polite cough from the other side of the room.
"Ms Ellis?"
Detective Lewis was holding the FAA package in his hand.
Sara gave him a pointed look.
Neal paled.
"... I can explain that".
Lewis wasted no time in reading him his rights and putting the handcuffs just a tiny bit tighter than necessary.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say-"
"I'm familiar with the speech" He interrupted, "Sara, this is a really bad time".
He heard footsteps on the stairs and hoped to God that it wasn't Mozzie about to walk into a penthouse full of NYPD agents.
"Agent Burke".
Thank you.
"Peter, will you please stop-"
He gave him a sharp look that quite plainly said shut the hell up Neal.
"What's going on here?"
"Neal stole a package" Sara said simply.
Peter sighed, "... Detective, may I speak with Mr. Caffrey, please?"
"Sure".
Lewis stepped away and Sara reluctantly followed.
"Thank you".
Peter pulled him to the side.
"Did you steal it?"
"No" He answered truthfully.
"Mozzie?"
Dammit.
Neal gave a somewhat awkward shrug.
"You realize what-"
"Yes".
"You can't play if-"
"I know".
He looked… disappointed, and that was so so much worse than anger.
They both glanced over at Sara who was scowling in their direction.
"She's mad".
"Yea!"
The 'you idiot' was silently added onto the end of that particular exclamation.
Peter sighed again, thought for a moment, before turning back to Lewis.
"Detective, he's all yours".
Rude.
Neal gave him a betrayed look, but Peter didn't budge, so he continued to pout even as he was led away. The woman responsible for this whole mess didn't look any more forgiving either.
"Sara".
"Hang on".
Detective Lewis paused obediently at the door as she turned back to the FBI agent.
"Peter, just forget it, alright?! He broke into my house again".
Neal gave the man a pleading look behind her back, but he continued to pretend like he didn't exist.
"You know what that is?"
Sara turned the package over in her hands, "... No".
"I think it has something to do with Kate Moreau. And when it comes to her, Neal's judgment is severely lacking".
He was right here!
"Alright. Fine. Why am I involved?"
"I don't know" He admitted, "Look. I understand why you're pressing charges. I get it… But I'm gonna ask you not to".
"Oh, this ought to be good".
"It's an adoption scam" Peter said, nonplussed, "There's a kid... He's caught in the middle of all this. Neal is integral to our takedown".
She tapped the package for a moment.
"... How integral?"
If he didn't show up at the game tonight, then Donovan would go free.
"We can't do it without him".
Neal flexed his wrists beneath the cuffs, wondering if he could slip them if she said no.
"... A kid?"
Peter nodded.
"Yea".
Probably.
Sara sighed, lowered her head, stared at the package, and then made her decision.
"Alright. Fine. I won't… I won't press charges".
Neal grinned, but one look from Peter told him to drop it immediately.
She turned and marched back over to where they stood at the door, Lewis' grip still bruising his shoulder.
"... Uncuff him".
"Ma'am".
A shuffle, clink, and awkward maneuvering later, and he was rubbing sore wrists.
"Excitement and intrigue, huh?"
Sara stabbed a sharp nail in the centre of his chest.
"Don't push your luck, Caffrey. I'm doing this for the kid, not for you".
"Oh, sure, of course" He couldn't help but smirk, "And it's… nothing at all got to do with... soup?"
She blinked, recalled the fortune cookie, tried and failed to bite back a smirk, and then quite deliberately placed the FAA envelope into her handbag.
"No, Neal, it has absolutely nothing to do with soup".
Ouch.
You'd think after getting shot for her, she'd be a little more cordial.
As if reading his mind, her guy drifted down past his open collar, his tight fitting shirt, and buttoned sleeves where the edge of a white bandage was barely sticking out.
"Any chance I could have that package?" He asked suddenly, and her eyes immediately flicked back up.
"No. Why?"
"Well, I mean, I did get shot for you".
"You got shot because you were an idiot".
"I wouldn't have been an idiot if you weren't there".
"You're the one offered to drive me home!"
"Yea, and you're the one who pissed off the mob boss! As far as I see it, you owe me one".
Sara stilled, scowled, and then suddenly spun around to face Peter.
"The same laws about cops don't apply to C.I.'s right?"
"Yea, why-"
*SMACK*
Neal dazedly blinked as he suddenly found himself staring at the hall floorboards.
"Oh, no reason" Sara replied airily, "Just wanted to make sure I wouldn't get six months for slapping him".
He blinked again, barely noticing as she shoved past him to leave the apartment, Lewis smirking as he followed her out.
Neal blinked for a third and final time before slowly turning back.
The penthouse was empty asides from him and Peter.
Peter, who was very obviously trying not to laugh the absolute traitor.
He opened his mouth and Neal quickly raised a hand to stop him.
"Don't".
"But-"
"Nope".
"But you-"
"No".
Silence.
Neal reached up to rub the side of his face that still stung with every word.
"... She slapped you!"
"I know, Peter, I was there".
The FBI agent continued to grin even as he stepped forwards to pat his shoulder consolingly.
"To be fair, you did deserve it".
"I got shot for her!"
"No, Neal, you just got shot. Unfortunately for Ms Ellis, the gunman was aiming for her".
He scowled at the man before placing his hand on the door knob with a pointed look.
"You want me to leave so you can dramatically slam the door shut in my face?"
"Obviously!"
"Too bad" Peter replied, "Cause you're meeting Donovan in two hours. So grab a suit, get yourself an ice pack, and let's go".
