"Are you sure you can handle all those stairs?" Peter asked as they pulled up in front of the decrepit apartment building. "I'm sure the Chief could be convinced to put you up in a hotel."

"I'll be fine…" Neal smiled wanly "It's only a couple of months."

"You should be coming home with me right now."

"They have to do all the paper work, evaluations, reviews…" Neal sighed and opened the car door.

"Yeah." Peter glowered at the steering wheel. "It didn't take two months when they brought you down here."

"The situation is more complicated now." Neal unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to struggle out of the car. Peter scrambled out and hurried around the vehicle to help. The younger man waved him off. Once he found his feet he grinned triumphantly "There's the review board, the law suit… and I think they want me to speak to a reporter or two."

"I know." The agent's shoulders slumped slightly "Are you sure you will be alright here for two more months?"

"I'll manage.' He stepped slowly into the building and eyed the staircase that ascended into the darkness above. "You can go, Peter, I'm fine… and I know you have things you need to do."

"I think I'll walk you up…" Peter smiled grimly "I'm not exactly anxious to testify before the board anyway."

"Don't lose your temper." Neal advised as he started the trek up the stairs. By the time they reached his apartment door he was gasping and dissolved into a coughing fit on the landing. Leaning on the wall Neal waved away his friend's awkward move to help. Regaining his breath he placed his key in the lock and opened his door, dreading the wave of cold air that would rush out to meet him, but instead he was met with a wall of warmth. Neal blinked and checked the apartment number before he stepped inside.

"Hey Neal." Jones sat comfortably on his couch.

"Jones?" Neal raised an eyebrow "What brings you to DC?"

"I heard a friend was having a rough time." He shrugged and Neal glanced around for the first time. And froze

His apartment had been… repainted, the worn carpet looked like it had been professionally cleaned, the single bulb in the ceiling had been replaced by a fixture with four bulbs, a large box sat on his dinner table beside several new books and a comfortable looking bed was tucked in the corner of the room.

"What happened to my place?"

"Well… I think Mrs. Ellington was responsible for the deep cleaning, but the bed is a gift from your friends in White Collar."

"Really?"

"Yeah." The young agent looked sheepish "and so is this." He held up a prepaid debit card. "I bought a few basics but I wasn't really sure what you liked to cook so…" he passed the card over with a smile "It's not a whole lot… only about twelve hundred dollars."

"Twelve hundred…?" Neal glanced at Peter trying to regain his footing. The older agent just grinned at him.

"It's from the whole office. We held a poker tournament. Twenty dollar buy in." his grin broadened "The winner was supposed to pocket half the pot, but Hughes said you needed it more than he did."

"Hughes?" Neal was beginning to feel like a parrot.

"Yeah" Jones chuckled "If you want bragging rights as the best poker player in the office back… I think you have your work cut out for you… he's actually scary good." Neal laughed at that. It surprised him how good it felt to have friends that didn't want him to starve.

"Is the box from the office too?"

"Nope." The agent shrugged "That's from Diana and don't ask me what's in there, she was very tight lipped about it. Go on and open it. The curiosity is about to kill me." Neal nodded, anticipation rising as he eyed the box. He pulled the tape away quickly despite the slight tremble in his hands. He gasped as he lifted out several well stretched canvases, underneath he found eleven tubes of good quality oil paints and a similar number of acrylics. Neal stared at the contents of the box as his smile grew a bit damp. Blinking rapidly he straightened his shoulders. He tried to think of something clever to have Jones tell Diana, but…

"Tell her thank you for me, Jones…" he faced the other man "Tell everyone thank you." His cracking voice betrayed how touched he was.

"I will." Jones smiled softly "Hey man, you look done… why don't you get some rest. Peter has to go give his testimony, but how about I stop by later with some takeout? I saw a little place about a block up the way…"

"That sounds great."

"Good." He patted Neal's shoulder carefully "I'll see you in a few hours."

After he was gone Neal studied the bed wistfully, but the need to wash away the hospital smell drew him toward his shower. Peter was still standing near the door with a peculiar expression. Neal sighed. His friend had yet to lecture him about his carelessness.

"Alright… let's get this over with."

"What?" Peter looked surprised

"Whatever it is you want to say." He sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm ready… healthy enough to take it."

"I… don't know what you mean?"

"When you are frustrated you tell me off, when you are worried you tell me off, the only time you get this quiet is when you are really angry so… please. Mozzie has already given me his lecture"

"I'm not angry with you, Neal" the agent stuck his hands in his pockets and studied the painting still on the easel… "Because none of this was your fault."

"Really?"

"Really. Do I wish you had told me how bad things were? Yes. But it wasn't your fault. Now get some rest."

"I'd rather shower first."

"Ok… well I need to go… I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright." Neal watched his friend close the door behind him before he shuffled into the shower. When he settled into his new bed Neal had time to think nothing had ever been so comfortable before he drifted off to sleep.

)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

Peter met his former mentor's eyes as the board filed back into the room. Kramer looked away, dropping his eyes shamefully. The older man swallowed sharply and stared at his folded hands. The negligence claims were serious. At the very least he would be asked to resign and the board had the right to file criminal charges if they saw fit. A small part of the younger agent felt sorry for him… but only a small part. He pictured Neal the way he first saw him when he arrived in DC and Kramer's complete lack of concern and fury seethed through his mind. The vast majority of him hoped they sent him away for years.

Pulling his thoughts back to the present Peter glanced around the room. Diana sat stiffly two seats over from him and she met his gaze with her own intensely livid eyes. Listening to her vivid account four days ago of finding their friend unresponsive and nearly dead had forced him to leave the room to avoid assaulting his old friend, but not before he saw her accusing glare rake across Kramer with a similar desire. Peter shook his head and met Neal's eyes and offered a small encouraging smile. The younger man's statement earlier today, though less graphic than Diana's, had been the most incriminating. Neal had described Kramer's polite indifference not only on the day of his injury but throughout every day before and after. He spoke of asking several times for access to his own accounts and being denied even though many days everyone in the office noticed he skipped lunch.

The clack of a gavel drew everyone's attention back to the board.

"It is our finding that Philip Kramer is guilty of severe negligence in his duty in regards to the wellbeing of Mr. Neal Caffrey, a prisoner in his custody." Peter flinched slightly as they called Neal a prisoner. "We do not believe however that malice motivated his actions therefore we are not recommending criminal charges be brought. Agent Kramer we are offering you a chance to resign and retain your retirement benefits. If your resignation is not on our desk by the end of the day the offer will be revoked and you will be terminated." Kramer did not look up as their findings were read but he nodded

"Thank you sir." He said quietly

"We also find that disciplinary action is advised for all parties under Mr. Kramer's direct supervision." When the chairman finished speaking Peter grinned at Neal and received and small grateful smile in return. The older man could not resist pulling his friend in for a quick hug.

)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

Oddly enough, Neal thought, as he surveyed his apartment one last time, the two months following had in many ways been longer than the previous three and half which had passed in a miserable blur. With his heat paid in advance and money for necessities and a few extras, life had been infinitely easier, but the loneliness was far more acute for knowing he had people who really cared about him. Weekend visits had become a regular event. He spent Saturdays and Sundays exploring the city with whichever friend was in DC that week.

Then Monday inevitably came.

Neal understood, people caring about you didn't mean they didn't have their own lives and they had all given up so much to rush to his side when he was sick, he couldn't expect Elizabeth to leave any more events to her assistants, for Peter to take any more personal days… June had her family and volunteer work to think of and Mozzie… Mozzie had people depending on his planning skills for any number of jobs. He understood that and honestly didn't begrudge it. That didn't make the long work week any less boring, lonely and empty.

It hadn't helped that he was confined to a desk for the duration of his stay in Washington. The official reasoning was that he was still convalescing from his illness, but Neal suspected that it had more to do with no one in the office being quite willing to take him into the field and be responsible for his behavior and his welfare.

He pulled himself back to the empty apartment. His couch, thoroughly sanitized, he had offered as a gift to the young single mother who had moved in on the third floor. His new bed he had shipped to New York, Neal wasn't sure why…He had a bed at June's, but it just seemed like a shame to get rid of such a nice gift. His rickety tables had gone back to the thrift shop yesterday and all that was left were the four suitcases sitting by the door.

A light tap on the open door revealed the building manager. The elderly man smiled at him.

"Thank you, for everything." Neal returned his smile.

"You too…" he shook his head "Glad to see your life is on the upswing."

"Thanks. Me too."

"Always knew you came from better."

"Well…"

"Anyway… I just stopped by to tell you good luck and…" The man grinned a bit mischievously "I honestly hope I never see you here again."

"Well." Neal said "Let's say this if you do… it will be on different terms."

"I could live with that."

As the manager tromped slowly down the stairs Neal noticed agent Kramer ascending. He flinched slightly. He had not expected to see Kramer again before he left. On top of being forced into early retirement the agent had been ordered by the court to cover a substantial portion of Neal's hospital bills. Neal could imagine he was not the former agent's favorite person at the moment.

"Caffrey." Kramer's voice clipped his name

"Good morning?"

"All packed and ready to go?"

"I am." He waited for the shoe to drop… or quite possibly the other man's fist.

"Good." The man seemed uncomfortable "That's good." Silence settled over the room. Kramer studied his feet and Neal studied the top of the other man's head "Look I just came here to say I'm sorry." The older man final blurted out.

"What?" Neal felt like someone actually had hit him.

"I let my past experience with a CI color my view of the situation and I was wrong. When I arrested Tommy twelve years ago I decided not to get that attached to a CI again, but I took it too far. I should have made sure you had what you needed at the very least so… I'm sorry." Neal regained his footing enough to study the man before him. Part of him wanted to be petty, to leave him with nothing, to rip him apart with his tongue, but perhaps the best revenge in this case wasn't revenge at all. He grinned

"I forgive you." He interrupted Kramer's speech.

"What?"

"You made a mistake. Yes, it hurt me, but it was a mistake. Apology accepted." Neal smiled as the agent floundered, he was surprised to find he actually meant it… mostly.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"My wife hasn't even forgiven me yet." He poked at stain on the carpet with his toe. "She said she thought I was a better man than this."

"You are or you should be at least." Footsteps on the stairs turned his attention away from Kramer. Swinging the door open he grinned "Good morning, Peter. Nice of you to drive me back to New York." He tried to assure his friend he was alright by his expression because Peter look like Mount Vesuvius when his gaze fell on the disgraced man before him. "Mr. Kramer here just stopped by to apologize before I left." That got Peter's attention long enough to prevent the imminent explosion.

"I see." He gave his former mentor a curt nod before turning his attention back to Neal, pointedly not regarding his old mentor "Is this everything you are taking back?" he gestured to the bags by the door.

"Yes." Neal lifted two of the bags 'I'll be in the car." He said as he stepped away. Peter grabbed the other two and started to follow.

"Peter" Kramer looked like he want to grab the other man's arm but he stopped and dropped his hand at the agent's thunderous look. "I only wanted to protect you from the pain I went through with Tommy. I'm truly sorry it turned out this way."

"Me too." Peter said coolly as he hefted the bags and started down the stairs without looking back.