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elrhiarhodanTitle: Restoration
Prompt: White Collar 100 - #016: PAINT
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
elrhiarhodan
Rating: R
Characters/Pairing: Peter Burke, Neal Caffrey, Elizabeth Burke (reference to Peter/Elizabeth/Neal)
Fandom: White Collar
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: 300 Exactly!
Summary: Neal takes a step, a small step on the road to better.
Set after Stay. Continues the Danger Series, which is now a single entry on AO3.
THE DANGER SERIES:
TARGET | HUNT | CASE | FILE | BACKGROUND | INTERROGATION | WITNESS | HOME | HOME 2 | FAMILY | FAMILY 2 | TEAM | UNIT | UNIT 2 | PAPER | CLAY | PAINT | INK | CHECK | CASH | CREDIT | LOAN | SAVINGS | GOLD | WIFE | SILVER | GLASS | PARTNER | BACKGROUND 2 | CLUE 2 | TRACK | BOYFRIEND | BOYFRIEND 2 | LOVER | FAMILY 3 | DIAMONDS | CREDIT 2 | WIFE 2 | LOVER 2 | PAINT 2 | FAMILY 3 |
______________
The painting stayed covered on the easel for two days, and Peter took to working with his back facing it, but the unfinished mural on the wall in front of him was a potent, if less visceral reminder of what he had broken in a moment of thoughtless panic. The canvas was gone on the third day.
On the fourth day, after a sleepless night in a bed that was far too empty, Peter went into Obscurity’s main room to find that there was a canvas under the dropcloth. He didn’t quite know what to do. So he made the daily phone call to the NIS in Suitland, got the run-around about Pavel Czerny, busted some functionary’s chops, tried to call in favors and stared at the grey, paint splattered muslin.
Late that afternoon, after hanging up from another pointless conversation, Peter was shocked to find Neal in the room, standing next to the easel. He didn’t say anything as he flipped the dropcloth over. The portrait, the one he had so brutally defaced, was completely restored. No trace of black remained.
Peter didn’t say anything, he was almost afraid that he’d spook Neal, who looked like he hadn’t slept in days. His hair was shaggy and unkempt and there were huge dark circles under his eyes. Neal looked worse than he did after Kate was killed. For the first time since he came back to the safe house, Neal spoke to him directly.
“Tell me why, Peter? Why did you do that to me? Why couldn’t you trust me?”
Peter opened his mouth, but was at a loss for words. He had practiced this speech in his head so many times. He finally found his voice.
“Let me tell you about a man called Pavel Czerny.”
FIN
A technical note - Neal had painted Peter’s portrait in oils, but he defaced it using acrylic paint, which is very easily removed with denatured alcohol. It is a solvent does not affect oil paint.
Prompt: White Collar 100 - #016: PAINT
Author:
elrhiarhodanRating: R
Characters/Pairing: Peter Burke, Neal Caffrey, Elizabeth Burke (reference to Peter/Elizabeth/Neal)
Fandom: White Collar
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: 300 Exactly!
Summary: Neal takes a step, a small step on the road to better.
Set after Stay. Continues the Danger Series, which is now a single entry on AO3.
THE DANGER SERIES:
TARGET | HUNT | CASE | FILE | BACKGROUND | INTERROGATION | WITNESS | HOME | HOME 2 | FAMILY | FAMILY 2 | TEAM | UNIT | UNIT 2 | PAPER | CLAY | PAINT | INK | CHECK | CASH | CREDIT | LOAN | SAVINGS | GOLD | WIFE | SILVER | GLASS | PARTNER | BACKGROUND 2 | CLUE 2 | TRACK | BOYFRIEND | BOYFRIEND 2 | LOVER | FAMILY 3 | DIAMONDS | CREDIT 2 | WIFE 2 | LOVER 2 | PAINT 2 | FAMILY 3 |
The painting stayed covered on the easel for two days, and Peter took to working with his back facing it, but the unfinished mural on the wall in front of him was a potent, if less visceral reminder of what he had broken in a moment of thoughtless panic. The canvas was gone on the third day.
On the fourth day, after a sleepless night in a bed that was far too empty, Peter went into Obscurity’s main room to find that there was a canvas under the dropcloth. He didn’t quite know what to do. So he made the daily phone call to the NIS in Suitland, got the run-around about Pavel Czerny, busted some functionary’s chops, tried to call in favors and stared at the grey, paint splattered muslin.
Late that afternoon, after hanging up from another pointless conversation, Peter was shocked to find Neal in the room, standing next to the easel. He didn’t say anything as he flipped the dropcloth over. The portrait, the one he had so brutally defaced, was completely restored. No trace of black remained.
Peter didn’t say anything, he was almost afraid that he’d spook Neal, who looked like he hadn’t slept in days. His hair was shaggy and unkempt and there were huge dark circles under his eyes. Neal looked worse than he did after Kate was killed. For the first time since he came back to the safe house, Neal spoke to him directly.
“Tell me why, Peter? Why did you do that to me? Why couldn’t you trust me?”
Peter opened his mouth, but was at a loss for words. He had practiced this speech in his head so many times. He finally found his voice.
“Let me tell you about a man called Pavel Czerny.”
A technical note - Neal had painted Peter’s portrait in oils, but he defaced it using acrylic paint, which is very easily removed with denatured alcohol. It is a solvent does not affect oil paint.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-03-14 12:17 am (UTC)Ok, the road to recovery might be long. But Neal fixed the painting. And he gave Peter and opening. And he's willing to listen. (Neal, you're a good man.)
Thank you for this excellent installment, and the glimmer of hope. More please!
no subject
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