Everyone picked something up on their way back from the FBI office. They gathered in Bryce's apartment for once, Mozzie stocking the fridge with good wine when they arrived.

"How's that for your first big case as head of White Collar?" Peter asked Bryce.

Bryce huffed. "I barely did anything. It's just telling everyone else what to do and trusting them to do their jobs."

Jones let out a loud laugh. "Sounds about right!"

"Now you know why Peter didn't want the job," Diana commented.

Bryce groaned and slumped against the table. "Chuck~"

"You missed your chance to join my team."

"Really?" Bryce raised an eyebrow at Chuck.

"No. But I really don't think you should run from this problem. You have a good team here."

Diana chuckled. "You even have good back up teams! I never thought someone could get Ruiz to take on most of the work!"

"Oh, there's a chance that many of their unsolved cases from decades ago can be resolved by the evidence Ellen gave us. Especially if they use it to turn all the suspects against each other. Ruiz comes out of this pretty untouchable."

"And he owes it all to you," Peter murmured.

"Wait. How do you know what the evidence does? You never touched it?" Sarah questioned.

Bryce laughed. "I learnt the names of everyone in that department by heart before Stanford. It doesn't take much to cross reference them with unsolved cases."

Everyone paused for a moment.

"I am glad you're our boss," Diana commented. "I don't think I could chase you with the gloves off."

"Peter might be able to," Bryce mused. "But he would still be a few steps behind."

"Bryce is very good at what he does. I have learnt a lot from him," Mozzie commented, saluting his glass. Bryce wondered if that was a reference to the caches filled with items he had passed to Mozzie a few days ago.

"Alright, enough talking about work," El said. She placed some cups on the table and filled them with drinks before grabbing some bowls and filling them with snacks. "Let's enjoy ourselves."

"How's it feel?" Peter asked later when Bryce had taken a moment to go out onto the balcony.

"How's what feel?"

"We put your father in prison today, Bryce. And he's not coming out."

Bryce sighed. "I never really knew him. Somehow, that makes me really angry about everything he's done. I'm glad he's away for good. Ellen would be happy."

"She would be."

"I might go put another cork out at the pier tomorrow, for old times' sake."

"I did not expect so many people here," Hughes said when the door was opened to reveal the apartment within.

"Hughes?" Bryce questioned in shock.

"Call me Reece, Bryce."

"Reece, what are you doing here?" El asked.

Hughes looked around the room and frowned. "I actually came to talk to Bryce. I went to see Pratt today." The room tensed. "He's on house arrest but being guarded. If he escapes before trial, I'd like to imagine we'd be able to hunt him down easily."

"How was he?" Chuck asked.

"Furious. He still thinks he can find a way out of this." Hughes turned to Bryce. "It's a good thing you involved Organised Crime in his arrest because he's certainly going to try the whole 'the Agent had something against me'."

"That would involve him actually realising I'm an agent," Bryce chuckled.

"He'll realise eventually." Hughes took a seat at the table and El placed a drink in front of him. "I picked a wonderful successor. No offence, Peter."

"None taken. I'm not ready to leave the field."

"And I am?" Bryce questioned, raising an eyebrow at them both.

Chuck snorted. "You really should be."

"What Chuck means is, that you have a good team here," Sarah said, with a wave at Mozzie and the FBI agents. She glared at her husband, who shrugged. He could make all the references to Bryce's death he wanted since Bryce was actually alive. "You should trust them to have your back."

Bryce wanted to say something in response to that but Sarah was right and he didn't want his agents to think otherwise.

"I also wanted to thank you all," Hughes said, "for helping me get my revenge on Pratt."

The room stilled for a moment.

"What?" Hughes questioned innocently. "He forced me out of my job for trying to do my job. He shouldn't have been surprised that I put his loss in motion. I made sure to let him know that he probably would be free, if he hadn't kicked me from my position."

"The scary part is that you're right. I wouldn't have called Chuck in if I hadn't had to ditch Neal Caffrey," Bryce mused. "And I probably would have tried to do everything myself."

"That would have been a disaster," Peter sighed. "I'm glad I don't have to worry about that."

James Bennet held back a flinch as the door opened and Neal walked in. He sat down across from him.

"So, you're still walking around, free? They don't know you were helping me?"

Neal sighed and placed a file in front of him. "I know you actually don't care about me, dad. Chuck was a test."

"Really? The mousey one? I could take him for everything he owns."

"You really couldn't." Neal's eyes flashed with something dangerous as he smiled and leaned forward. "Chuck went to college with me. He's not as easy to fool as many think."

"College?" James questioned. Neal had left high school and then become a vagrant around New York City. He hadn't the time or money to go to college.

"I went to Stanford. Turns out WITSEC doesn't mind helping to set up those who leave the program." Neal motioned towards the file.

James opened it, seeing the name 'Bryce Larkin' printed next to Neal's photo. Bryce Larkin, who went to Stanford, graduated and became an FBI agent.

"You're head of the White Collar division?"

Neal, no, Bryce grinned. "Took over from Hughes when Pratt had him ousted. Was a busy time of my life but I don't remember you talking about anything other than the box."

That's because James had needed that box. That box that had gotten him arrested. He slammed the folder closed and pushed it back towards Bryce. "You tricked me."

"You tricked me first," Bryce said, pausing a moment later with a frown on his face. "Wow. That actually sounded childish. I didn't trick you. You never looked."

"Why are you here?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I will not be helping you to escape. And that I will shoot you if you come after me or my people."

James had the feeling that he was missing something here. This guy had just threatened him and the guards weren't even reacting.

"Go," he demanded. If he managed his escape, he certainly wouldn't go anywhere near Bryce Larkin and the FBI.

How had he missed the dangerous air around his son? The one that was clearly there now.

"How'd the talk with your father go?" Chuck asked when Bryce arrived at the airport. Bryce groaned and shook his head. "That bad, huh?"

"He's a brick wall. But, telling him about Bryce Larkin let a little of the weight off. Hopefully I never see him again."

"Same here," Sarah commented.

"I would like the chance to punch him in the face," Chuck said. Sarah and Bryce stared at him.

"Really, Chuck?" Bryce sighed.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Chuck frowned and widened his eyes as he stared at his friend and wife.

Sarah sighed this time. "Come on, we're going to miss our plane."

"Be sure to visit! I'm sure June would love to see you again," Bryce said.

Chuck waved as he left, promising to visit again.

Bryce entered the FBI and found that agents moved out of his way and greeted him respectfully. It looked like the news had spread and very few agents saw 'Neal Caffrey' when they looked at him now. It probably helped that he squared his shoulders more and took broad steps, keeping his gaze fixed ahead. A little less 'smile and wave' and a little more 'man on a mission'.

"Wow, Larkin. I never would have imagined that you could look like a proper agent," Ruiz teased as they got on the elevator.

"Ha ha, Ruiz. What do you want?"

Ruiz passed him a folder. "Can you get an agent to look into these guys? If we can find anything in their financials, then we might be able to get them."

"Sure. It's a long shot though. Most criminals learnt from what happened to Al Capone."

Ruiz snorted. "Not all of them. See you in the meeting next Monday."

Bryce nodded him off as the elevator stopped at Ruiz's floor. Then it continued up to White Collar. He stepped out, relaxing his shoulders a little and softening the corner of his mouth into a soft smile.

"Hey, Bryce!" Jones greeted. "What do you have there?"

"List of names that Ruiz wants run. Got anyone who needs the practice?"

"Sounds like good training for Agent Waterfield."

Bryce nodded and looked around the office, spotting the agent behind his desk. "Waterfield! Got a job for you!" He waved the folder and passed it to another agent who dropped it on Waterfield's desk.

"Why don't you bring us presents, Boss' boss?" Diana teased.

"Do you want some mortgage fraud? Because I can get you some mortgage fraud." He actually had a few cases sitting on his desk because he wanted some cases to solve. Anything to feel like he was actually helping and not just sitting behind a desk all day.

"I think I'd rather see what Peter has for me," Diana sighed.

"Probably mortgage fraud," Peter said from where he was standing at the coffee machine. He smacked the machine with his fist. "Or getting us a new coffee machine."

"I'm sure I can convince someone to get us one," Bryce mused, smiling a Neal Caffrey smile.

"Bryce, don't you dare." That was Peter's warning voice.

Bryce sighed. His opinion on the coffee hadn't changed, just because he was an agent. The coffee was terrible here.

Maybe he could get Chuck to ship them a better coffee machine from the Buy More?

Peter slapped a file into Bryce's hands and motioned up the stairs. "I'll meet you in the meeting room. We have a new case and I want your input."

Bryce grinned and followed his 2nd in command up the stairs. Maybe being the boss wasn't too bad after all.