Title: Contemplations of a Conman

Author: sg_lab

Fandom: White Collar

Rating: G

Summary: An exhausted Neal contemplates the last few days

Spoilers: By the Book 2x04. A missing scene set before the last scene in the episode.

Character(s): Neal Caffrey

Genre: gen

A/N: I was planning on writing a Neal, Mozzie fic but couldn't get Mozzie to appear so it's just Neal and his thoughts.

Disclaimer: Neal doesn't belong to me. Probably a good thing because Jeff Eastin and Co. do a very good job with him.

Neal walked up the stairs in June's house to his room. It was a slow trek keeping all his concentration on not tripping and falling breaking his neck on the landing. But it wasn't easy; Neal was exhausted. Two days of no sleep and one of those long nights spent worrying, scared to death if he were honest with himself.

Jones had been kind enough to drop Neal off home a few minutes ago soon after everything with Navarro had been handled. He had considered waiting on Peter but then decided he was not up for anymore of Peter's 'words of wisdom'.

Gina had been taken home by another agent and Mozzie somehow slipped out on them again. At least this time Neal was reasonably certain his friend wasn't off to find more trouble to get into.

His stomach ache had at least faded, and after drinking a half a bottle of water in one go; the parched feeling in his mouth was gone.

Making it into his room he closed the door behind him. Looking around he considered simply falling down on his couch but finally decided he wanted out of his clothes and into a clean pair of pajamas.

Entering his bathroom he considered the shower for half a minute before deciding drowning in the shower was not his preferred way to go and changed into his pajamas.

Neal exited his bathroom walking back into his room towards his bed. A part of him wished Moz hadn't slipped away; Neal was itching to chew out his friend for worrying him. But the truth was he would simply receive a look of disdain at the hypocrisy of his words and possibly one of Mozzie's ever ready quotes he stored in that deceptively clever brain of his.

Yes Peter, I get it. He thought to himself. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he understood what Peter was trying to tell him. Of course that didn't mean Neal was about to turn over a new leaf. He knew just as sure as he figured Peter did, the next time Neal saw a short cut, he was going to take it.

Neal sat down on the edge of his bed pulling his feet up and lying back down on his soft pillows. Releasing a breath he could feel the tension leave his body allowing him to finally get some sleep.

The End