I Believe In You

Prelude / Drowning

Neal had not been on Peter's good side ever since he had pulled a heist with Mozzie in order to catch a thief they had been chasing for a couple of weeks and weren't getting any closer any time soon.

Neal had stolen a small but valuable painting from a gallery. The thief had planned to steal it for several weeks. Neal and Peter knew this. The initial plan was to catch him red-handed, but they did not know, when the caper would go down. So Neal took matters in his own hands. He was far better than their thief. Plus, he had Mozzie. So the painting was in his possession in no time. He wanted to use the item as bait and contacted the thief to arrange a meeting.

They met in a park at a large pond.

Neal wanted to see, who the thief was first, before he would bring Peter into the picture. Little did he know that Peter already knew he was up to something and had followed him.

Unfortunately, the thief was extremely desperate and violent.

He immediately attacked Neal, tackling him on the small pier that led out onto the lake. The impact took Neal by surprise and he hit his head hard on the planks, his thoughts grew hazy, his limbs sprawled out, his body slack.

„Thought you could mock me like this? I planned that heist for so long and you just waltz in like that! Why? You wanna mock me, Caffrey?" The thief was raging. Fueled by anger, he suddenly picked Neal's slack form up and hoisted him over his shoulder. All Neal could do was groan.

The criminal walked all the way to the end of the pier. „Let's see how you can swim."

And with that, he slid Neal from his shoulders and let his rag-doll form fall into the lake. He chuckled when Neal did not resurface.

The laugh died in his throat though when someone pulled at this collar hard, yanking him backwards. „FBI. You're under arrest." Jones bellowed as he slapped a pair of handcuffs on the criminal, just as a big splash could be heard.

Peter had hastily shrugged out of his suit jacket and disposed of his shoes, diving after Neal.

Jones handed the thief over to some waiting agents and peered onto the lake, waiting for Peter to resurface with Neal.

And he did. The young man did not look well. Peter had him in one arm and using the other to swim towards Jones. Neal's head was bent backwards, lying limply on Peter's shoulder. He was pale, there was blood running down his right temple, his damp curls plastered around his handsome face.

„Is he breathing?" Jones shouted over to Peter.

„I don't know. Help me get him up." Peter tried to hoist Neal out of the water as much as he could. Neal's head was tipping forward, his chin touching his chest. Jones reached down and grabbed him under his arms, pulling with as much strength as he could muster, lying back himself and therefore draping Neal across his chest. Damn, he was heavy. Jones rolled Neal off of him and onto the pier as Peter climbed up the ladder onto the planks. Both men now trying to detect a sign of life.

„He's not breathing!" Peter said panicked, almost choking on his words.

Jones tipped Neal's head back, the young man's mouth now hanging open a little, whilst the agent started with chest compression first. He pushed once and Neal immediately started to cough up water, expelling of the murky liquid as Peter rolled him onto his side, patting his back. „You're okay. You're okay..." Peter kept repeating like a mantra. Utterly glad his friend was okay. But also furious that his consultant had deceived him, committed a crime and endangered himself.

Neal stayed in the hospital for all but half a day before he released himself, much against the advice of his doctors.

Peter had visited him once, making sure he was getting better. But stayed away after that. He was still too angry. What was he thinking? Why did his consultant always have to be so reckless?

El wanted to visit Neal in the hospital but heard that he had signed himself out. She told Peter about it, who decided that if Neal could be up to no good, almost drown and decide to release himself from the hospital, he might as well start making up for what he did and come to work with him.

He texted Neal that he would pick him up in the morning. The thief had an accomplice and they had a lead.