Author's Note: The Bible mentioned in the last chapter was used by Neal simply as a sense of comfort. He was just looking through it and ended up falling asleep like that. I also thought that it might help him deal with the stress he's going through.

The next morning found Neal Caffrey staring up at the ceiling. He dimly remembered yesterday's events and wished that he didn't. They were sending him back to jail after all of the things he had done to help solve the many White Collar cases. It was absolutely preposterous.

His body felt like it was on fire and his sinuses were clogged. This is just friggin' great, Neal groused as he sat up slowly. The room spun around him and he sat still for a few minutes before standing up.

The thirty-two year old wobbled to the bathroom shakily and climbed into the shower. The warm water felt heavenly as it ran over his freezing skin and he sighed gratefully. It took Neal close to an hour before he was able to convince himself to get out of the warm water and he still sighed reluctantly when he stepped out of the shower.

He was just wrapping the towel around his waist when the bedroom door opened with a creak. Neal jumped in surprise and took up a wary stance. What the hell? His still sleep-muddled mind asked itself slowly.

A familiar dark haired head poked through the doorway and Neal sighed in relief when he realized that it was Elizabeth. "You know it would be nice to have some knocking skills." Neal observed trying his best to sound casual as he leaned against the door frame for support.

El made to move over to him, her motherly instincts going into overdrive, but Neal held out a hand in a 'don't come any closer' gesture. For a minute she looked slightly hurt, but then she realized that the only thing the ex-con artist was wearing was his bath towel. A bright red blush crept up her neck and into her cheeks.

"I thought you were still in bed, I didn't realize that you were…" El knew she was rambling but she couldn't help it. There was the sound of shuffling footsteps before one of the drawers slid open with a scuffing noise. Then the bathroom door shut.

Five minutes later a fully dressed Neal came out of the bathroom with an amused expression on his face. "I'm decent." He announced as he plopped down onto the bed. The usually stylish young man's hair was disheveled (he hadn't bothered messing with it to much) and his clothes were a major downgrade from their usual standard.

The sweatshirt that hung off of his lithe frame made him look skinnier than he really was.

"That makes me happy, you should try being decent more often." El replied in a friendly banter, grinning when the younger man flashed a quick look of mock-hurt her way.

"Says the woman with the worst timing." Neal replied, the clogged sinuses making his voice sound strange.

Elizabeth grinned as she reached forward to feel his temperature. "Are you hungry? Need anything?"

The younger man shook his head in a 'no' and she started to walk towards the open door.

"El?" Neal's voice sounded small as he looked over at her.

"Yeah Neal?" Elizabeth stopped and looked back at him. The expression on his face was tearing her to pieces and she cursed the people in charge of this new operation.

"Do I still have to go?"

Elizabeth winced inwardly as she tried to find a good way to phrase her response. "When you're better. This is just wrong Neal."

"You're telling me."

"Just get some sleep honey." El gave him a quick (parental) kiss on the forehead and tucked him into the bed. The reserved expression on the young con man's face told her that he had been hoping she would say the opposite.

Three days later Neal found himself standing in Hughes' office the only difference this time was that the older agent was holding his tracking device, Candy. Yes, he had nicknamed the device Candy.

Who wouldn't want to walk around with Candy all day and every night?

"We need you to keep an eye on Danchien while you're in their Caffrey. Get into his inner circle- they (the higher ups) don't care what you have to do to get in that circle. This will be difficult Neal and between you and me, I want you to let me know if anything starts to go wrong so that I can get you out of there." Hughes was watching the younger man with a sense of sadness. Neal hadn't done anything to deserve this. Hell, the kid had done the exact opposite.

Neal nodded slowly, his face molded into a careful mask of neutrality. He had dealt with Danchien before and it hadn't ended very well between them. The young man shuddered as he remembered their last encounter. Neal had watched as the man he'd conned so successfully was cuffed and led off to a fifteen year sentence in prison.

Danchien had attempted to con Neal before the younger man had retaliated. The other man had every reason to hate Neal.

"You have about twenty minutes until they pick you up…" Hughes trailed off uncertainly.

Neal nodded and looked back at Hughes with a glint of an unfamiliar emotion in his eyes before turning around and walking out the door.

Peter was waiting for him and when Neal looked up, their eyes connected.

Scared, wide blue eyes met the calmly worried brown eyes of the federal agent. Neal licked his dry lips and glanced away before looking at Peter again. The older man got the silent message and went over to his younger partner.

"You holding up ok?" The deep voice was full of concern.

Neal swallowed hard and his eyes seemed to tear up a little. "I'm fine." The typical response told Peter that the young man was anything but fine.

Peter reached forward and fondly mussed the ex-con's hair, ignoring the half-hearted protest with a grin.

"I made it so that I can come see you twice a week. You're not going to be in there completely alone, regardless of what they've led you to believe."

Neal's eyes filled with a sense of satisfaction. Guess they do care a little bit after all, he thought with a small grin. He had already known that Peter and the rest of the team cared but he hadn't been so sure about the rest of the FBI.

"Can you tell Mozzie something other than I was put back in the slammer for an assignment?" Neal asked, knowing that Mozz wouldn't appreciate being told that Neal was working undercover in jail.

"Sure thing, maybe I'll tell him you took up a career in cat burglary." Peter answered with a smirk.

"That is the latest trend."

"You would know."

Neal smirked as he walked forward, moving slowly down the hallway. The glint in his eyes is the only thing that shows the other agents around him that he's scared. Scared of going back into that hell house of a prison and terrified of meeting up with an old enemy.

The younger man stopped suddenly, closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. Inhaling deeply, Neal stays where he is for minute before moving forward. He did his best to ignore the concerned glance that Peter shot his way.

Neal knew that he needed to keep his newly applied façade on or else he wouldn't last a minute in the place he was headed. When he reached the last door, the one leading to the police car with a seat reserved especially for him, Peter pulled out a set of cuffs. A flicker of defiance flashed across the emotionless blue eyes but Neal complied by putting his hands out.

One Special Agent Peter Burke was forced to load his best friend into the car from hell and watch while it drove away.

Author's Notes: Yes Matt Bomer really did name the tracking device Candy... anyways, like it/hate it? Leave me a review!