![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elrhiarhodanTitle: And They Called It "Puppy Love"
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
elrhiarhodan
Fandom: White Collar
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Diana Berrigan, Theo Berrigan, Neal Caffrey, Peter Burke (Implied Peter/Neal, Peter/Elizabeth/Neal)
Word Count: ~2600
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: Excessive schmoop. Also: Puppies!!! Babies!!! Babies and puppies!!!
Beta Credit:sinfulslasher, theatregirl7299
Summary: A timestamp for Origin Story, or How Much is that Doggy in the Window. Worried about him, Diana takes Theo for a visit to Neal at his apartment on a Friday night after work. Neal isn't home, but there's a blue-eyed puppy hiding under his bed.
Author’s Note: Written forangelita26, as part of my Timestamp meme. She asked for a story where when Neal gets stressed or sick, he reverts back to puppy form. Perhaps it happens when an unexpected person is around to see it (Diana, maybe?)
__________________
They were fighting again, but about what, Diana wasn’t sure. She could see it in every line of Neal’s posture, in the tightness of Peter’s jaw. The pre-operation meeting this morning was all but overwhelmed by the unspoken currents of anger between them.
Regardless, the take-down this afternoon was a stunning success. Neal came through like he always did, but not without a few heart-stopping moments along the way. It wasn't the first time that Diana wondered why it was always this way with the operations where Neal was involved. Other cases were dull, routine; agents barely ever needed to draw their guns. The most likely danger came from paper cuts. But with Neal, there was always some excitement, some chance to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
And despite the risks to her blood pressure, she was intensely glad that Neal had decided to stick around after he had finished his sentence. It made life interesting.
Back at the office, the team went through the usual wrap-up procedures. The suspects were processed and interviewed and eventually shipped over to the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where they’d be held until they made bail or went to trial.
Diana was packing up and about to head home, looking forward to the weekend and some quality time with Theo, when she noticed Peter not talking to Neal. He’d said goodnight to agents and staff, thanking them for their good work today as he passed by. When he got to Neal's desk, he stopped, looked at Neal, who was doodling something on a blank SF-255 form, then continued out the door without saying a word. Neal sat there, eyes focused on the paper, jaw clenched, fingers so tight around the pencil that the skin was colorless.
She thought about saying something, but rejected the idea when Neal deliberately put down the pencil, crumpled up the paper and looked up, his face bleak. He must have realized that she was watching him, and he smiled, a broad grin that didn’t fool her for a minute. She was about to ask him what was wrong when her cellphone buzzed with an incoming text – from Theo’s babysitter (it was Moz’s day off) – and by the time she looked up, Neal was gone.
It was time she was, too.
Her baby was now officially a toddler and he bounced and tumbled and ran to her as soon as she got home. Joshua, the fill-in for Mozzie, chased after her little man with a smile. “Sorry he got away from me.”
“That’s okay, no worries.” She picked Theo up and swung him high. His giggle was infectious and she laughed too, her son’s bright eyes and wide smile made her heart full.
Diana paid Joshua, told him that she’d need him again in a few weeks and after he left, she fed Theo, fed herself and tried to lose the cares of the day. It wasn’t all that hard as Theo clapped and laughed and banged away on some strange but compelling handmade musical instrument that Mozzie had given him.
Despite her baby's infectious happiness, Diana couldn’t quite forget about the pain in Neal’s eyes, the anger in Peter’s. She didn’t really want to know what was going on between them. Clinton had joked that it was like being caught in the middle of a marital spat and Diana had the feeling that the joke wasn’t that much of a joke, or that far from the truth.
Now that Neal was a free man, what they did outside of the office was their own business and Diana wasn’t the type to judge or interfere. Except that Neal was a friend, Peter was a friend, and she hated seeing either man upset. Maybe being a mother made her more sensitive to these things.
It was June and it was still light out, and Theo was squirming and chatty and could probably use some fresh air. Neal’s place was a twenty-minute walk from her apartment – not that far on such a nice evening – so that if he wasn’t home it really wouldn’t be a wasted trip. She and Theo had visited Neal’s place more than a few times over the past year, often stopping by in the evenings. Sometimes Neal was alone, sometimes Mozzie was with him, sometimes Peter. And sometimes both men were guests. She didn’t figure that Peter was at Neal's apartment tonight – not with the friction between the two men. And it was Friday, which meant that Elizabeth was on her way home. As for Moz, he'd hinted that he was heading out of town when he told her he couldn’t babysit. She didn’t want to know the details.
She picked up Theo and asked him if he’d like to go see ‘Uncle Neal’.
Of course he did, squirming and shouting, “Unka Nee! Unka Nee!”
Diana wasn’t quite sure why her son loved visiting Neal. Unlike Mozzie, Neal wasn’t particularly good with infants. In fact, Peter was (in her own private opinion) better with small humans, despite his initial awkwardness.
But Theo adored Neal, he was fascinated by him. Diana supposed it was because Neal was still very much a child at heart, with boundary issues and impulse control issues and as much a raging ball of id as any toddler.
It was close to eight by the time she rang the bell at the Riverside mansion, and June herself answered the door. The older woman had a heart of mush when it came to babies and Diana couldn’t bring herself to deny her the chance to coo over Theo.
“Such a beautiful, beautiful boy, but who’s got your nosie?” June tweaked the facial feature in question as if she’d stolen it.
Theo giggled and tried to grab at June’s own nose.
Eventually, her son tired of the game, took care of his business, and June smiled as Diana changed Theo’s stinky diaper right in the middle of the elegant parlor. A maid appeared with a bag and took away her son’s toxic waste.
“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry, my dear. I had three of my own, and believe me, this room’s seen a lot worse.” June ruffled Theo’s curls. “I guess I should let you go up to see Neal before the little one needs his own bed.”
“Have you seen Neal this evening?”
“I heard him come in, but I didn't see him. Is everything all right?”
Diana didn’t want to share any of Neal’s private problems with June, so she just said, “We closed a difficult case this afternoon. Neal was in the thick of things. I want to make sure he's okay.”
June smiled, understanding just what Diana wanted her to understand. “Of course he was. And you’re a good friend to check up on him, with Moz out of town. Though, I'd have thought that Peter would have stopped by, too.”
Diana shrugged and pretended ignorance. “I'm pretty sure that Elizabeth’s home tonight.”
June just nodded.
A sleepy Theo heavy in her arms, Diana climbed the three flights up to Neal’s apartment, having second thoughts all along the way. But she didn’t turn back and Neal’s door was partially open, as if in invitation. She knocked first and listened. Neal didn’t answer, but there was a strange sound coming from the apartment. She knocked again, softly calling out, “Neal?”
Thinking of all the embarrassing things she could be interrupting (and things that she shouldn’t expose her baby boy to), Diana turned around and was about to head back downstairs when she heard that sound again. It wasn’t any sound she’d associate with, well, sex (either solo or not). It was lonely and sad and raised the hair on the back of her neck.
But it didn’t make Diana wish she had her gun instead of her baby in her hands. She pushed the door open and carefully stepped into the apartment, calling out for Neal again.
Neal still didn’t answer, but something made that sound again. It was now loud enough for Diana to identify it – a dog’s whimper. She wondered if June’s pug had snuck into the apartment and gotten stuck somewhere. Theo shifted in her arms, now sound asleep, and she put him on the only baby-safe surface – the middle of Neal’s (thankfully) made bed – and went looking for the dog.
It didn’t take long to find it. That sad whimper came from under the bed and Diana knelt, expecting to see the pug's smushed-in nose, lolling tongue and bulging eyes. Instead, she found a puppy.
For the moment, Diana didn’t question the strange dog’s presence in Neal’s apartment. She held out her hand, hoping to coax the frightened animal out of its hiding place.
“Come on, come on out, no one’s going to hurt you.” She patted her hand against the floor. To her amazement, the puppy seemed to listen to her. It licked her hand and then scooted out, blinking and shivering and whimpering, its black coat covered in dust. It – or make that – he wasn’t a particularly handsome specimen, but he had the universal appeal of all puppies – outsized paws, floppy ears, big pleading eyes. Big blue eyes, the likes of which Diana had never seen on a dog before.
They reminded her, of all things, of Neal’s, and she had to laugh. Trust Neal to get a pet with matching eyes. And then she got annoyed. Neal should be home, caring for his dog – not going out and leaving the poor creature to fend for itself. Diana’s maternal instincts kicked in and she picked the puppy up, cuddling it, talking to it in the same nonsense tones she used with Theo.
“Come on, let’s see if we can’t find some fresh water for you. Maybe some food, too.” Holding the dog, letting the beast's head rest against her breasts, she walked around the apartment. It was really quite strange, there was no sign that a dog actually lived here. No water and food bowls, no toys, and when she opened the cabinets, no actual food either.
Maybe the puppy didn’t belong to Neal? Maybe it was June’s? She was about to take the dog downstairs when her son let out a sleepy, snuffling noise and sat up. Diana didn’t hesitate, she dropped the puppy on the bed and went to pick Theo up. Except that Theo saw the puppy and the puppy saw Theo and it was a moment of perfect magic as the last of the evening light streamed through the windows and skylight. Diana grabbed her smartphone and started taking pictures of the two small creatures investigating each other.
Eventually, both puppy and toddler tired, and in a moment of absolute adorableness, Theo fell asleep again, his head pillowed by the puppy's stomach. The last of the summer evening light faded and Diana realized that Neal was probably not going to be coming home anytime soon. She carefully lifted Theo up and, even in his sleep, his little hands reached for the still-sleeping puppy.
As she carried him out of the apartment, she looked back at the bed and smiled. The nameless dog seemed right at home and she hoped that it wouldn't create too much of a mess. Ah, well - if it was Neal's dog, then he deserved whatever he found when he got home.
“Did you have a nice visit?” June was waiting at the foot of the stairs.
“Neal wasn't home.” Diana tucked Theo into his stroller. “But there was a puppy up there – is it Neal's?”
“A puppy?” June sounded more concerned than surprised.
“Yeah - a little black puppy with blue eyes. Looks about four months old. I'd say he's part-Lab.” Diana pulled out her cellphone and showed June some of the pictures. “Is it Neal's?”
The older woman smiled, but Diana thought she saw something else under that expression. “No, the puppy doesn't belong to Neal. I agreed to watch it for a friend - he must have gotten out of his crate and snuck upstairs.”
Diana nodded. “Well, you might want to rescue it, and Neal's comforter and sheets. I left it sleeping on top of the bed.”
“Thank you, my dear. I think I will.”
June was kind enough to help Diana down the front steps with the stroller. “Tell Neal I stopped by and that I'll see him on Monday.” As Diana walked home, she figured that Neal had gone over to the Burkes to make peace with Peter. At least she hoped he had.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
June wasn't sure what she'd find when she entered Neal's apartment. She looked over at the bed and sighed in relief. Neal was asleep, stretched out on top of the covers, naked as the day he was born. She stroked his forehead, pushing the curls from his eyes.
He woke, a worried expression on his face. “It happened again, didn't it?”
“Yes, my dear. Are you okay?”
Neal sat up, casually flipping the comforter over his nakedness. He shrugged in reply.
“What triggered it today?”
“Peter and I had an argument.”
“You two argue all of the time.”
“This was a bad one.”
“He called you a criminal again? Accused you of breaking the law?” June couldn't keep the outrage out of her voice. After all they'd been through, to regress back to that was appalling.
“Oh, no - nothing like that.” Neal sighed. “Peter wants me to move into the house in Brooklyn. He wants to make our relationship public. I told him he'd commit career suicide if he did. It got ugly.”
“Ah.” June understood. “Peter hates living in the shadows. He's proud of you and he loves you. He wants the world to know that.”
Neal looked at his hands, his face bleak. “I know that. But I've already dragged his career through the mud more times than I care to count. I don't want to do it again.”
June knew that there was no advice she could offer that would make Neal feel better. But she could give him some truths. “You and Elizabeth are the most important people in the world to Peter. Don't let your fears stop you from doing what your heart tells you is right.”
Neal smiled. “Do you think moving in with Peter and Elizabeth is the right thing to do?”
“If it makes you happy, it is.”
“I can never tell them the truth, though.”
June nodded. “About – ” She gestured vaguely at his nakedness. “No, I don't really think you can.” She couldn't begin to imagine how Neal would explain his transformation into a puppy. She'd seen it happen with her own eyes, the day after Mozzie had been shot.
“At least it doesn't happen too often anymore. I can manage the stress better these days. Prison was useful for some things.”
“That's what Byron used to say.” June shook her head, trying to dispel the memories of her late husband’s own transformations. “Anyway, I’m just glad it happened here, where you were safe.”
“Me, too. It’s a pity that Diana will never know how fortuitous her timing was.”
June had to agree. “Nothing like falling asleep with a baby to make you feel secure and loved.”
FIN
Author:
elrhiarhodanFandom: White Collar
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Diana Berrigan, Theo Berrigan, Neal Caffrey, Peter Burke (Implied Peter/Neal, Peter/Elizabeth/Neal)
Word Count: ~2600
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: Excessive schmoop. Also: Puppies!!! Babies!!! Babies and puppies!!!
Beta Credit:
sinfulslasher, theatregirl7299Summary: A timestamp for Origin Story, or How Much is that Doggy in the Window. Worried about him, Diana takes Theo for a visit to Neal at his apartment on a Friday night after work. Neal isn't home, but there's a blue-eyed puppy hiding under his bed.
Author’s Note: Written for
angelita26, as part of my Timestamp meme. She asked for a story where when Neal gets stressed or sick, he reverts back to puppy form. Perhaps it happens when an unexpected person is around to see it (Diana, maybe?)They were fighting again, but about what, Diana wasn’t sure. She could see it in every line of Neal’s posture, in the tightness of Peter’s jaw. The pre-operation meeting this morning was all but overwhelmed by the unspoken currents of anger between them.
Regardless, the take-down this afternoon was a stunning success. Neal came through like he always did, but not without a few heart-stopping moments along the way. It wasn't the first time that Diana wondered why it was always this way with the operations where Neal was involved. Other cases were dull, routine; agents barely ever needed to draw their guns. The most likely danger came from paper cuts. But with Neal, there was always some excitement, some chance to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
And despite the risks to her blood pressure, she was intensely glad that Neal had decided to stick around after he had finished his sentence. It made life interesting.
Back at the office, the team went through the usual wrap-up procedures. The suspects were processed and interviewed and eventually shipped over to the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where they’d be held until they made bail or went to trial.
Diana was packing up and about to head home, looking forward to the weekend and some quality time with Theo, when she noticed Peter not talking to Neal. He’d said goodnight to agents and staff, thanking them for their good work today as he passed by. When he got to Neal's desk, he stopped, looked at Neal, who was doodling something on a blank SF-255 form, then continued out the door without saying a word. Neal sat there, eyes focused on the paper, jaw clenched, fingers so tight around the pencil that the skin was colorless.
She thought about saying something, but rejected the idea when Neal deliberately put down the pencil, crumpled up the paper and looked up, his face bleak. He must have realized that she was watching him, and he smiled, a broad grin that didn’t fool her for a minute. She was about to ask him what was wrong when her cellphone buzzed with an incoming text – from Theo’s babysitter (it was Moz’s day off) – and by the time she looked up, Neal was gone.
It was time she was, too.
Her baby was now officially a toddler and he bounced and tumbled and ran to her as soon as she got home. Joshua, the fill-in for Mozzie, chased after her little man with a smile. “Sorry he got away from me.”
“That’s okay, no worries.” She picked Theo up and swung him high. His giggle was infectious and she laughed too, her son’s bright eyes and wide smile made her heart full.
Diana paid Joshua, told him that she’d need him again in a few weeks and after he left, she fed Theo, fed herself and tried to lose the cares of the day. It wasn’t all that hard as Theo clapped and laughed and banged away on some strange but compelling handmade musical instrument that Mozzie had given him.
Despite her baby's infectious happiness, Diana couldn’t quite forget about the pain in Neal’s eyes, the anger in Peter’s. She didn’t really want to know what was going on between them. Clinton had joked that it was like being caught in the middle of a marital spat and Diana had the feeling that the joke wasn’t that much of a joke, or that far from the truth.
Now that Neal was a free man, what they did outside of the office was their own business and Diana wasn’t the type to judge or interfere. Except that Neal was a friend, Peter was a friend, and she hated seeing either man upset. Maybe being a mother made her more sensitive to these things.
It was June and it was still light out, and Theo was squirming and chatty and could probably use some fresh air. Neal’s place was a twenty-minute walk from her apartment – not that far on such a nice evening – so that if he wasn’t home it really wouldn’t be a wasted trip. She and Theo had visited Neal’s place more than a few times over the past year, often stopping by in the evenings. Sometimes Neal was alone, sometimes Mozzie was with him, sometimes Peter. And sometimes both men were guests. She didn’t figure that Peter was at Neal's apartment tonight – not with the friction between the two men. And it was Friday, which meant that Elizabeth was on her way home. As for Moz, he'd hinted that he was heading out of town when he told her he couldn’t babysit. She didn’t want to know the details.
She picked up Theo and asked him if he’d like to go see ‘Uncle Neal’.
Of course he did, squirming and shouting, “Unka Nee! Unka Nee!”
Diana wasn’t quite sure why her son loved visiting Neal. Unlike Mozzie, Neal wasn’t particularly good with infants. In fact, Peter was (in her own private opinion) better with small humans, despite his initial awkwardness.
But Theo adored Neal, he was fascinated by him. Diana supposed it was because Neal was still very much a child at heart, with boundary issues and impulse control issues and as much a raging ball of id as any toddler.
It was close to eight by the time she rang the bell at the Riverside mansion, and June herself answered the door. The older woman had a heart of mush when it came to babies and Diana couldn’t bring herself to deny her the chance to coo over Theo.
“Such a beautiful, beautiful boy, but who’s got your nosie?” June tweaked the facial feature in question as if she’d stolen it.
Theo giggled and tried to grab at June’s own nose.
Eventually, her son tired of the game, took care of his business, and June smiled as Diana changed Theo’s stinky diaper right in the middle of the elegant parlor. A maid appeared with a bag and took away her son’s toxic waste.
“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry, my dear. I had three of my own, and believe me, this room’s seen a lot worse.” June ruffled Theo’s curls. “I guess I should let you go up to see Neal before the little one needs his own bed.”
“Have you seen Neal this evening?”
“I heard him come in, but I didn't see him. Is everything all right?”
Diana didn’t want to share any of Neal’s private problems with June, so she just said, “We closed a difficult case this afternoon. Neal was in the thick of things. I want to make sure he's okay.”
June smiled, understanding just what Diana wanted her to understand. “Of course he was. And you’re a good friend to check up on him, with Moz out of town. Though, I'd have thought that Peter would have stopped by, too.”
Diana shrugged and pretended ignorance. “I'm pretty sure that Elizabeth’s home tonight.”
June just nodded.
A sleepy Theo heavy in her arms, Diana climbed the three flights up to Neal’s apartment, having second thoughts all along the way. But she didn’t turn back and Neal’s door was partially open, as if in invitation. She knocked first and listened. Neal didn’t answer, but there was a strange sound coming from the apartment. She knocked again, softly calling out, “Neal?”
Thinking of all the embarrassing things she could be interrupting (and things that she shouldn’t expose her baby boy to), Diana turned around and was about to head back downstairs when she heard that sound again. It wasn’t any sound she’d associate with, well, sex (either solo or not). It was lonely and sad and raised the hair on the back of her neck.
But it didn’t make Diana wish she had her gun instead of her baby in her hands. She pushed the door open and carefully stepped into the apartment, calling out for Neal again.
Neal still didn’t answer, but something made that sound again. It was now loud enough for Diana to identify it – a dog’s whimper. She wondered if June’s pug had snuck into the apartment and gotten stuck somewhere. Theo shifted in her arms, now sound asleep, and she put him on the only baby-safe surface – the middle of Neal’s (thankfully) made bed – and went looking for the dog.
It didn’t take long to find it. That sad whimper came from under the bed and Diana knelt, expecting to see the pug's smushed-in nose, lolling tongue and bulging eyes. Instead, she found a puppy.
For the moment, Diana didn’t question the strange dog’s presence in Neal’s apartment. She held out her hand, hoping to coax the frightened animal out of its hiding place.
“Come on, come on out, no one’s going to hurt you.” She patted her hand against the floor. To her amazement, the puppy seemed to listen to her. It licked her hand and then scooted out, blinking and shivering and whimpering, its black coat covered in dust. It – or make that – he wasn’t a particularly handsome specimen, but he had the universal appeal of all puppies – outsized paws, floppy ears, big pleading eyes. Big blue eyes, the likes of which Diana had never seen on a dog before.
They reminded her, of all things, of Neal’s, and she had to laugh. Trust Neal to get a pet with matching eyes. And then she got annoyed. Neal should be home, caring for his dog – not going out and leaving the poor creature to fend for itself. Diana’s maternal instincts kicked in and she picked the puppy up, cuddling it, talking to it in the same nonsense tones she used with Theo.
“Come on, let’s see if we can’t find some fresh water for you. Maybe some food, too.” Holding the dog, letting the beast's head rest against her breasts, she walked around the apartment. It was really quite strange, there was no sign that a dog actually lived here. No water and food bowls, no toys, and when she opened the cabinets, no actual food either.
Maybe the puppy didn’t belong to Neal? Maybe it was June’s? She was about to take the dog downstairs when her son let out a sleepy, snuffling noise and sat up. Diana didn’t hesitate, she dropped the puppy on the bed and went to pick Theo up. Except that Theo saw the puppy and the puppy saw Theo and it was a moment of perfect magic as the last of the evening light streamed through the windows and skylight. Diana grabbed her smartphone and started taking pictures of the two small creatures investigating each other.
Eventually, both puppy and toddler tired, and in a moment of absolute adorableness, Theo fell asleep again, his head pillowed by the puppy's stomach. The last of the summer evening light faded and Diana realized that Neal was probably not going to be coming home anytime soon. She carefully lifted Theo up and, even in his sleep, his little hands reached for the still-sleeping puppy.
As she carried him out of the apartment, she looked back at the bed and smiled. The nameless dog seemed right at home and she hoped that it wouldn't create too much of a mess. Ah, well - if it was Neal's dog, then he deserved whatever he found when he got home.
“Did you have a nice visit?” June was waiting at the foot of the stairs.
“Neal wasn't home.” Diana tucked Theo into his stroller. “But there was a puppy up there – is it Neal's?”
“A puppy?” June sounded more concerned than surprised.
“Yeah - a little black puppy with blue eyes. Looks about four months old. I'd say he's part-Lab.” Diana pulled out her cellphone and showed June some of the pictures. “Is it Neal's?”
The older woman smiled, but Diana thought she saw something else under that expression. “No, the puppy doesn't belong to Neal. I agreed to watch it for a friend - he must have gotten out of his crate and snuck upstairs.”
Diana nodded. “Well, you might want to rescue it, and Neal's comforter and sheets. I left it sleeping on top of the bed.”
“Thank you, my dear. I think I will.”
June was kind enough to help Diana down the front steps with the stroller. “Tell Neal I stopped by and that I'll see him on Monday.” As Diana walked home, she figured that Neal had gone over to the Burkes to make peace with Peter. At least she hoped he had.
June wasn't sure what she'd find when she entered Neal's apartment. She looked over at the bed and sighed in relief. Neal was asleep, stretched out on top of the covers, naked as the day he was born. She stroked his forehead, pushing the curls from his eyes.
He woke, a worried expression on his face. “It happened again, didn't it?”
“Yes, my dear. Are you okay?”
Neal sat up, casually flipping the comforter over his nakedness. He shrugged in reply.
“What triggered it today?”
“Peter and I had an argument.”
“You two argue all of the time.”
“This was a bad one.”
“He called you a criminal again? Accused you of breaking the law?” June couldn't keep the outrage out of her voice. After all they'd been through, to regress back to that was appalling.
“Oh, no - nothing like that.” Neal sighed. “Peter wants me to move into the house in Brooklyn. He wants to make our relationship public. I told him he'd commit career suicide if he did. It got ugly.”
“Ah.” June understood. “Peter hates living in the shadows. He's proud of you and he loves you. He wants the world to know that.”
Neal looked at his hands, his face bleak. “I know that. But I've already dragged his career through the mud more times than I care to count. I don't want to do it again.”
June knew that there was no advice she could offer that would make Neal feel better. But she could give him some truths. “You and Elizabeth are the most important people in the world to Peter. Don't let your fears stop you from doing what your heart tells you is right.”
Neal smiled. “Do you think moving in with Peter and Elizabeth is the right thing to do?”
“If it makes you happy, it is.”
“I can never tell them the truth, though.”
June nodded. “About – ” She gestured vaguely at his nakedness. “No, I don't really think you can.” She couldn't begin to imagine how Neal would explain his transformation into a puppy. She'd seen it happen with her own eyes, the day after Mozzie had been shot.
“At least it doesn't happen too often anymore. I can manage the stress better these days. Prison was useful for some things.”
“That's what Byron used to say.” June shook her head, trying to dispel the memories of her late husband’s own transformations. “Anyway, I’m just glad it happened here, where you were safe.”
“Me, too. It’s a pity that Diana will never know how fortuitous her timing was.”
June had to agree. “Nothing like falling asleep with a baby to make you feel secure and loved.”
Tags:
- character: diana berrigan,
- character: june,
- character: neal caffrey,
- character: peter burke,
- character: theo berrigan,
- genre: friendship,
- genre: post-anklet,
- genre: schmoop,
- genre: transformation,
- pairing: peter/elizabeth/neal,
- pairing: peter/neal,
- type: fan fiction,
- white collar,
- written for: timestamp meme,
- year: 2014
no subject
Date: 2014-07-24 06:01 pm (UTC)Of course June would know just what Neal is.