Note: takes place sometime after Neal comes back in season 4, Peter's still working evidence

oOo

Agent Clinton Jones had expected to see a lot of things when he volunteered to go search the last room of the shabby house, they'd busted. He had expected to see stolen art, forged bonds, maybe even an illegal weapon or two, what he hadn't expected was to see a lone Neal Caffrey. The con-artist was singing gleefully with his hands hanging above his head and was most defiantly drugged up to his gills.

"Caffrey?" Jones said slowly, his mind still trying to register the sight.

Neal opened his eyes and his smile became larger, "Jones! Old buddy, old pal! I knew you'd find me! Although I have to admit I was expecting Peter," something that Jones could only identify as disappointment flashed across the younger man's face.

"Peter's still down in evidence," Jones explained and Caffrey nodded.

"Ya, but I figured…." He trailed off, the words dying on his tongue. "Never mind, he sent you to get me and that's good enough!"

Jones gulped, him finding Caffrey here was a complete accident, but he didn't have the heart to say so, "of course kid, after all what would we do without you're insane ideas."

Neal shrugged, a motion that caused the shackles and chains binding him to clang loudly.

Jones shifted uncomfortable, and stared at Neal.

"So um….you gonna pick that?"

Neal's brow furrowed in confusion, "Pick what?"

"The locks."

"The locks," Neal mumbled his eyes faraway and half closed. "What loc—Oh! Those locks!" Neal looked up towards his hands and then shook his head, "Nah, I can't."

Jones smirked, "I thought you could pick anything."

"I can," Neal replied confidently and Jones waited for the allegedly that never came. "I mean I can usually, but they took my tools." Neal frowned at this, but continued. "They were seriously really thorough. I mean usually I keep a spare paper clip or whatever in my shoe, but they took my shoes." Something that might have been a pout followed this statement, before Caffrey continued. "Then of course I went for the one in my hat and then I got caught…." Neal paused here for a moment and Jones gulped, instinctively checking Caffrey for injuries, Neal didn't seem to notice.

"And then?" He pressed, looking up into Neal's eyes.

"And then?" Caffrey's eyes flew open. "And then they took my hat too!" This time the conman most defiantly did pout and Jones barked out a laugh.

"It's not funny!" Caffrey screamed. "It was a nice hat! And I needed it! It had…it had…." He trailed off, searching for a word. "It had stuff inside it."

Jones struggled not to laugh again, only Caffrey could be drugged and still avoid incriminating himself.

"Alright Neal whatever you say," with that he reached for the radio on his vest. "Listen um, Neal Caffrey is here." Startled panicking sprouted from the radio and Jones groaned, thinking that perhaps he shouldn't have led with that sentence. "No, no, he wasn't aiding and abetting he um…." Jones glanced back over to Neal, who was once again singing. "He appears to be a hostage. I mean I'm talking chained up and drugged, the whole works." Quick orders and Jones nodded, "right will do."

He turned back towards Neal.

"Alright Caffrey listen I'm just going to go and—"

"No!" The word was flung from the con's lips so fast that Clinton jumped.

"Woah easy there buddy I—"

But Caffrey clearly wasn't done, "no, no, no, you can't leave. They might come back!"

"Who might come back?" He questioned staring.

"Them," the word was spoken as if it had all the answers.

Jones groaned, "who Caffrey?"

"The ones who took my shoes and hat!" The younger man frowned. "They also took my jacket." A bigger frown, "But not my handy dandy anklet, nope, they kept that on." He glared at the small device, "said that it would draw a crowd if they cut it."

Jones sighed and looked down at the con; clearly the young man was in no state to answer questions.

"Listen Neal, I really need to leave and get—"

"Please don't," this time it was whispered and the agent almost missed it. "I mean I know you don't like me very much, but please don't leave."

Jones winced and awkwardly shifted from one foot to another, "what do you mean Caffrey of course I like you?"

"Don't con a conman," Caffrey replied. "Everyone else said yes, you said no."

"Wait when did—"He began, but Neal cut him off.

"Sara said yes, Peter said yes, even Diana said yes, but you said no." Neal stared up him, eyes wide and far too open. "Why did you say no?"

"Caffrey I have no idea what you're talking about."

"YOU SAID TWO MORE YEARS! WHY DID YOU SAY TWO MORE YEARS?!" The words were flung away from Neal's mouth and it left Jones staring at him in shock.

"This is about the commutation hearing?" Jones said flabbergasted. "Neal that was months ago."

"You said no," Neal just mumbled back. "You don't like me."

"No, no, Neal I like you fine, I just thought that you did a crime and that you had to pay the price for it. How do you even know that?"

"Mozzie may have planted a bug on you," Neal mumbled half heartedly, and the fact that the conman was selling out his friend, showed just how drugged he was. "I told him not to, but he did….and he told me…" He stared up at Jones again, "please don't go. Peter wouldn't go. Last time Peter broke the law for me."

Jones decided to unhear that last bit and with a sigh, decided to once again call back up.

After a bit of shouting and cursing, he sighed and slide down the wall next to Neal.

"Alright, I'll stay." He stared over at the con worriedly, "but since I can't go grab something to pick those locks and the others are busy you're gonna be here a while."

"Okay," Neal muttered and said nothing.

Jones glared at the door and cursed under his breath, staring at Neal. The men downstairs, while probably all good men weren't all that concerned over the well being of a con, most of them still probably thought Caffrey was in on it and just got cut out of the deal.

Jones sighed and continued to stare at Neal, the thought hadn't left his mind either and he felt almost guilty over that fact.

"Listen Caffrey," he said slowly, picking his words carefully. "Why are you here? What did you do?"

"Nothing!" Caffrey said quickly and the honesty in that word took Clinton off guard. "I promise! I didn't do anything! They wanted me to, said that they would hurt me if I didn't….." Caffrey's brow furrowed here. "Although they haven't come back like they said they would…which is weird." He trailed off for a moment, before continuing. "But I swear I didn't do anything illegal! You can't tell Peter that I did! I can't go back to—"

"Wow easy there," Jones put his hands on the small man's shoulders and tried to calm him. "I believe you, you're not going anywhere….well except maybe a hospital."

"No needles," Neal said seriously. "Don't like needles. They stuck a needle in me, big needle, huge needle, said it was to stop me from fighting."

It was then that Clinton noticed the small cuts on Neal's hand and he smirked, "you fought?"

"Course I fought," Neal sounded insulted. "What kind of guy gets kidnapped and doesn't fight."

"Right yes of course silly me."

Another round of silence, surrounded them, before Neal broke it.

"Where's Peter?"

"What?"

"Where's Peter? Why haven't you called him? If he was really looking for me you would've called him."

"Oh I just—"

"You weren't really looking for me were you?" The words were quiet and sounded almost hurt. "I just so happened to be an unexpected bonus."

"What no Neal of course—"

Caffrey glared at him and Jones sighed, "No…no Neal we weren't looking for you. We weren't even aware you had gone missing."

"Oh," the word was quiet and soft. "Oh I just thought. Peter always finds me and I thought—"He gulped and what looked like tears began to form in his eyes, Jones bit his lip.

He really wasn't good at heart to hearts, better than Peter, but still not very good.

"Listen Neal, we would've found out and you would've been fine, trust me."

Neal gulped and blinked rapidly, "don't think so. They were going to come back."

Jones winced and tried not to imagine what would've happened if he hadn't arrived with a team when he did.

"It would've hurt worse this time."

At those words Jones frozen, "worse? What do you mean—"

He was cut off by Caffrey coughing loudly, and specks of red flying from his mouth Jones stared.

"Oh ya," Neal stared at the red. "I forgot, they came already, punches hurt."

Jones eyes widened, blood from the mouth was never good. It usually meant internal bleeding at he stood up suddenly, dashing for the door.

Neal's eyes widened and he screamed, "No stop! Where are you going?! You said you'd stay!"

Jones bit his lip and continued to run out the hall, all the while phoning for an ambulance, Neal's screams followed him.

"I'll be good! Come back! You said you'd stay! Please I'll be good! You'll say yes next time! I'll—"The words stopped suddenly and Jones froze, but he needed help now and no one would listen to him over radio.

"I need help with the hostage now!" He screamed into the room of agents, the word hostage got everyone's attention and they stared at him. "He has internal bleeding and I'm pretty sure he just lost consciousness. I've already phones for a bus, but it's gonna take a while, and I need help now!"

He watched with satisfaction as agents began to scramble to help him, and briefly wondered if this was what Peter felt like when leading a team, before pushing the thought away and racing back to Neal.

The younger man had indeed lost consciousness, and Jones gulped when he saw the bits of blood around his wrists, meaning that the man had fought to escape when Jones had left.

"I'm so sorry man," Jones said softly, as he knelt next to Neal, checking for a pulse. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when he fingers found one. "Come on Caffrey, Neal, I need you to wake up."

He didn't move.

"Neal, come on dude," he begged. "What would Peter say if he saw you sleeping on the job like this?"

Still no movement and Jones's heart began to beat fast and hard.

"Neal, please," he shook the man softly, and tried desperately to awaken him.

He heard feet pound into the room and he ordered quickly, "Get the restraints off him."

Quickly an agent set to work picking the locks, it took him way too long, before the locks disengaged and Jones caught Neal, carefully.

Neal chose this moment to wake-up and he cried out in pain as he tried to push Jones away.

"Easy Caffrey, calm down," Jones said softly.

Neal blinked slowly, "you came back?"

Jones winced at the disbelief in the young con's voice, "of course I came back man, your part of the team."

"Oh," Neal stared at him in wonder, before it quickly turned to panic at the sirens in the distance. "I told you I didn't do it! I promise! I swear don't—"

"Caffrey stop! Caffrey! Neal!" Jones cried rapidly, trying to steady the flailing man. "Neal, it's just the ambulance!"

Neal stared at him, vulnerable and scared, "promise?"

"Of course."

Neal relaxed, "good."

Paramedics rushed into the room and quickly began to secure and move Caffrey, it would've been easier if the con would let go of Jones's arm.

"Listen Caffrey I need you to let go of me okay?"

Neal's grip on Jones arm tightened.

"Neal please, these men are going to help you."

"They have needles," Neal hissed. "The hat thieves had needles too."

Jones frowned, "Neal, please I'll be there too, I just need my arm back during the trip to the hospital."

"Promise?" There was that word again, spoken with too much vulnerability and fear.

Jones nodded, "yes I'll be there the whole way. Heck I'll walk you right into the hospital."

Neal sighed, "okay." Then after a moment asked, "will Peter be there?"

"Course he will."

"Good."

With that Neal closed his eyes and despite the protests of the doctors, fell into blackness.

oOo

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