Note from the Phoenix: Well everyone my surgery went very well. I am in some pain, but that is to be expected. I have some really great drugs to get me through it! Hopefully my writing still makes sense while I'm on pain killers. :) The evil gallbladder has been defeated!

White Collar: The Eye of Sita

Chapter Four

Neal had tried to catch Peter at the elevator, but he noticed the door closing to the stairwell and decided that Peter was not in the mood to talk further. Feeling helpless Neal just hoped that Peter's odd behavior didn't have anything to do with the hidden Nazi treasure that he and Mozzie were still sitting on. Neal was still hiding the manifest from Mozzie to try to buy more time on making a decision on what to do. He knew that every day he stalled the risks of being caught became greater, but he wasn't ready to just leave.

"Sometimes I wish the art had just burned."

Not in the mood to just hang around the empty hotel room waiting for Peter to come back Neal left for the Smithsonian. The Museum of Natural History was a lot larger than Neal had thought it would be. As he made his way towards the gem display he stopped to look at a model of a full grown Right Whale that was suspended from the ceiling. At 45 feet long the model was impressive.

Neal walked past a myriad of displays of taxidermied animals, including a skeleton of a rearing horse with a skeletal human trying to tame it. Glancing at a display of humming birds he marveled at how the feathered jewels rivaled real cut stones in color and shine. Although the animals were fascinating Neal was really more interested in the gem collection held at the Smithsonian.

Coming to the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals Neal found what he was looking for. With his hands held behind his back to reduce temptation Neal walked among the glass display cases of both natural and set gems. The DeYoung Pink Diamond glittered tantalizingly in the high intensity light of its case. Neal studied the well cut gem and the way the light played off of it.

"Just breathtaking." Neal smiled to himself.

Neal recognized the next display as a 75 carat emerald that once served as a belt buckle to Abdul Hamid II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The hefty green emerald now sat in a brooch surrounded in brilliant diamonds. A set of large diamond earrings worn by Marie Antoinette caught Neal's attention. Neal quickly lost track of time as he wandered through the rows of emeralds, sapphires, rubies, pearls, and diamonds of every color. Each gem had a story to tell.

However, the gem with the most interesting story of them all was the famous Hope Diamond. The door to the Hope Diamond display room was closed. Walking up to the door Neal read the sign that informed guests that the Hope Diamond was currently being taken out of temporary setting 'Embracing Hope' and being returned to its classic Cartier designed setting. The diamond would be open to viewing tomorrow.

"I can wait, I would rather see it in its original setting."

An overhead announcement let Neal know the museum would be closing in fifteen minutes. A secondary door to the Hope Diamond display room opened and to Neal's surprise Sara stepped out with an older gentleman. They looked like they'd just had a very intense discussion. Sara assure him of something and he thanked her. Neal stood in his place and waited for the older man to leave.

"Sara?"

"Neal?" Sara asked in surprise as she turned around.

Sara looked around anxiously before approaching. Neal briefly wondered what it was about DC that put all his friends on edge. Sara looked as radiant as ever as she walked up to him. They had an awkward moment where she stepped in close enough for a kiss, but then backed away and flushed in embarrassment. Neal smiled and put his hands in his pockets. He wasn't really sure where their relationship stood at the moment either.

"What are you doing here?" Sara asked.

"I could ask the same of you."

"Business." Sara explained. "And you?"

"Pleasure."

"I see." Sara said suspiciously. "I didn't realize that Peter let you take vacations. Let alone so far outside your two mile radius."

"Don't worry," Neal pulled up on his pant let briefly to give Sara a glimpse of the black anklet. "I'm still wearing it."

"So I take it Peter is here somewhere."

"He's at the Federal Building."

"It must be really important to get him back to DC." Sara noted.

"Do you know anything about the circumstances under which Peter left for New York?"

"Not really. I just remember hearing through the grapevine that it would take a herd of wild horses or a court order to drag him back here. He made a lot of enemies here."

"It's hard to imagine Peter with enemies."

"It's hard to imagine him setting you loose on DC, but here we are."

Neal smiled and gave her a slight bow in defeat. The conversation stalled until another guest at the Smithsonian in a hurry to leave bumped into Sara and forced her to stumble forward a step. Neal was quick to close the small gap between them and caught her around the waist. Neal suddenly found his eyes locked on hers. Unable to pull away he risked leaning in and engaging her in a kiss that was a little too passionate to be appropriate for the public setting. The pair were like two magnets, they could resist one another until they got too close and then the attraction became too great to over come.

"I'd invite you back to my place," Neal offered "but the DEA has it bugged."

"My hotel is just across the Mall." Sara smiled.

Neal offered Sara his arm and she accepted. They managed to walk calmly to Sara's hotel room, but the instant the door was closed she pinned Neal against it with an aggressive kiss. When she released him from the kiss Neal laughed and ran his hands down her curved sides as she yanked his shirt out of the waistband of his pants. It had been nearly two weeks since they'd seen each other in New York, and if Neal's memory served him correctly what had supposed to have been a dinner out had just as quickly degraded into tearing at one another's clothing.

Not about to complain Neal pulled Sara's sandalwood scented hair to the side so that he could reach the zipper that ran down the back of her dress. Sara took a few steps back towards the bed with Neal following her. She worked at the buttons down the front of Neal's shirt after loosening his tie. Neal slipped her dress off her shoulders and kissed a trail up the side of her graceful neck.

"We really need to stop meeting like this." Sara muttered as she took a hold of Neal's belt.

"We do?" Neal smiled as he pulled away. "I'll stop if you want me to."

"Shut up."

Sara grabbed Neal's tie and yanked him into another lascivious kiss. Taking over the lead Neal guided her backwards over to and then down onto the bed. Although she always started off as the aggressor Sara became more submissive and open to slowing things down once they got started.

An athletic hour later the pair was exhausted and settled in together to enjoy the peace of afterglow. Laying on his back with Sara curled up against his side Neal smoothed out her hair. With her ear against his chest Sara listened to Neal's heart as it slowly returned to a regular rhythm. Neal wasn't sure he was in love with Sara, but he was sure that he loved making love to her.

"Thank you."

"That's what I like about you, Neal, you're always so grateful. As if you couldn't have any woman you wanted."

"I don't want just any woman." Neal smiled.

"Flattery will get you everywhere."

"I noticed."

Neal braced himself as Sara punched his shoulder in mock retaliation. They laughed and wrestled for a moment before settling back down. Sara played with Neal's anklet with her foot as they laid together. Sometimes Neal got the feeling that she enjoyed the fact that he was a captured felon and wondered just how many 'bad boys' she'd brought home to Daddy to annoy him.

Looking around the nice hotel room Neal caught sight of the clock on the wall. He hadn't realized how late it was. Rolling out of bed he started to collect his scattered clothing. Sara didn't seem as interested in getting up and stayed tangled in the sheets. Reaching into his jacket pocket Neal pulled out his phone and noticed that he hadn't missed any calls.

"You and that damn phone." Sara groaned.

"Sorry." Neal muttered sadly.

"Neal? What's wrong?"

"It's eight forty-five, the Smithsonian closed over an hour ago."

"So?"

"Peter doesn't know where I am, worse yet he doesn't seem to care."

"Awe, poor Caffrey, feeling neglected by your handler?" Sara teased as she sat up. "It's no fun anymore being bad if Peter doesn't yell at you?"

"It's not that. I'm worried about him." Neal said seriously as he started buttoning his shirt. "He's being acting strange ever since he got the call to come to DC. Has something happened here recently? Something I should know about?"

"Why are you asking me?" Sara asked defensively.

"Well, why are you here? You said it was business."

"I can't tell you."

"Of course not." Neal said in irritation. "No one can tell me anything."

"Neal, I'm sorry..."

"It's not your fault." Neal admitted. "I'm just frustrated."

"You think Peter's hiding something from you?"

"I know he is."

"Well...are you hiding something from him?"

Neal didn't answer right away. More and more he was becoming concerned that this was all connected to the treasure. Peter wouldn't want to believe it at this point. Neal had gone to great lengths to convince him that the art was simply gone. However he also knew that Peter hadn't let go of the idea that he was being lied to. Peter was a smart man, he was going to figure it out sooner or later. A point that Mozzie had been repeating ad nauseum lately.

"Neal?"

"I have to go. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'm the one who has been too busy to make it to that dinner you keep promising me."

"How about tomorrow night?"

"For what? Dinner?"

"Yes, an actual dinner where we actual go out and eat something."

"We'd better met at your bugged DEA hotel so that we behave."

"Sounds like a plan, how about six?"

"It's a date."

"It's probably best not to use that word." Neal smiled. "Every time we try to have a 'date' something seems to interrupt it."

"Good point. Dinner then."

"Peter and I are staying at the Cherry Blossom hotel, room 514."

"Fancy."

Finishing with with his tie Neal leaned in and gave Sara a good-bye kiss. He felt guilty slinking out of her room so quickly, but he was worried that Peter hadn't even tried to call him. Sara's hotel was on the opposite side of the Mall from where he was staying, about a half hour walk.

Neal wasn't sure what he was expecting to find when he arrived at the hotel, but seeing Peter sitting on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table calmly downing what appeared to be his fifth beer was not high on the list. Neal furrowed his brow and walked up to Peter. Taking a long pull at his beer Peter looked up at Neal. Counting the empty bottles on the table Neal found that it was actually Peter's sixth.

"Hey, Neal." Peter greeted casually. "How was the art?"

"Um...just fine. How was the office?"

"Everything I remember it being." Peter said darkly.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Neal asked cautiously.

"Your tie is on backwards."

Neal didn't understand at first. Peter reached up and pointed at Neal's tie. Looking down Neal realized that Peter was right, in his hurry to get dressed he had tied his tie so that the label side was out. Feeling increasingly uncomfortable Neal reached up and undid the tie. Peter didn't seem to care.

Looking around Neal saw the black case that Peter had taken to Art Crimes sitting on the floor just inside the bedroom that Peter had claimed. Unable to take the stress of not knowing what was inside Neal thought about the best way to get a look inside. He headed into the bathroom and spotted Peter's toothbrush.

"That'll work."

Neal picked up the toothbrush and washed it off well before putting some toothpaste on it. He turned on the water and rubbed the brush against his palm to make the brush look used. He washed his hand off and dabbed some toothpaste on the corner of his mouth to complete the picture.

"You know, Peter," Neal came out of the bathroom with the brush in hand "I was thinking..."

"Wha...what are you doing?" Peter demanded.

"Brushing my teeth." Neal shrugged.

"With *my* toothbrush?"

"I told you I forgot mine."

"So...you...I...wha..." Peter sputtered incoherently.

"What? I'll wash it."

Beyond speech Peter stared at Neal in horror. He put his beer down and got to his feet, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Neal asked innocently.

"Down stairs to get a new toothbrush." Peter snarled. "You're disgusting."

Neal smiled to himself as Peter stormed off to go get a new brush. Throwing the brush away Neal headed directly into Peter's bedroom and grabbed the case. The combination lock was easy enough to open. He held the slide catch open and found the tightest wheel and set it to zero before looking for the second tightest wheel. Flipping through the numbers and going back and forth between the tight wheels he was able to feel out the combination.

Opening the case he pulled out the cylindrical art protector and opened it. The cylindrical case was empty, but a quick sniff told Neal that there had been a fresh oil painting in there recently. It was a small case, it would have been a small painting. Neal furrowed his brow in thought as he put everything back where he found it. He recalled how anxious Peter had been to get him out of his apartment in a hurry and had a thought. Getting out his phone he called Mozzie.

"Hey, Neal." Mozzie answered. "How is the Capital of the Conspiracy World treating you?"

"Mozzie, are you at my apartment?"

"How did you know that?"

"You always raid my wine when I'm out on assignment."

"Good point. Yeah, I'm here."

"Go over to my easel. On the floor you'll see a stack of paintings leaned against the wall. There should be a painting that is twelve inches by eighteen there of a town at sunset. It should be right up front."

"Nope, the Water Lilies are up front."

"Look in the stack."

"The painting isn't here, but behind the Water Lilies there is an empty canvas stretching frame that size here."

"Damn it." Neal growled.

"What happened to the painting?"

"Peter stole it."

"Wha..."

Neal hung up the phone as he heard Peter opening the door. Going over to the couch Neal collected the empty bottles up to look like he'd spent the short time cleaning the place up. Peter didn't seem to suspect anything. Neal tossed the bottles away and turned to Peter.

"Find a new brush, Mr. Squeamish?" Neal teased.

"I got you one too." Peter tossed a packaged toothbrush at Neal. "The color should remind you which one is yours."

"Orange. Cute."

"It's a color I want you to think about really hard before you pull a stunt like that again."

"You'd send me back to prison for stealing your toothbrush?"

"Maybe."

"Come on, Peter...what's a little theft between friends?"