Title: Thanks with chocolate chips
Fandom: White Collar
Rating: PG
Length: 400
Summary: Tag to 1x07, for wc_rewatch


"Honey, I did not lie to the FBI. There was just a lot of milk and cookies and pleasant, distracting conversation while Neal slipped around the back."

"If you open the door a crack for me, I'll throw it wide open for you."
- Jewish saying on repentance (slightly rephrased)


Elizabeth wasn't expecting guests. Peter had just left for work, and she had settled down with her morning cup of coffee to go over invoices when there was a knock on the door. For a moment she considered ignoring it, but Satchmo, nestled comfortably by her feet, gave her a reproachful look.

How did he know? "I don't see you running to the door," she told him.

But she got up to answer the door anyway.

Peter's CI was standing outside, a big smile on his face. "Morning, Elizabeth."

"Neal!" She blinked. "Is everything... is everything alright?"

She looked worriedly up and down the street.

Neal followed her glance. "Yeah. Yeah. Everything's fine." But it was obvious Elizabeth hadn't asked just for the sake of polite conversation-making. The question-mark still hung over her. "I'm not on the run."

"Good. So why are you here?"

Neal held up a little white box, tied with an overflowing red ribbon. A red sticker on the side said "The Greatest Cake".

"We need to work on branding," he said with an apologetic shrug as he handed it over. "Go on, open it."

"You really shouldn't have. I mean, this-" Elizabeth said as she opened it, and inhaled the scent of fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies. "Wow."

"Made only with the freshest ingredients," Neal added a bit of salesman spiel. "It's a little token of my appreciation."

Elizabeth looked up from the cookies. "For what?"

"For being there for me."

"I-" Elizabeth wasn't sure what to say.

"For believing me. Without you," Neal continued, "Peter wouldn't have listened to me."

Elizabeth instinctively defended her husband. "Oh, he would-"

"He wouldn't," Neal corrected, his words insistent.

Elizabeth looked like she was about to argue, but then decided not to. Neal was probably right.

"So..." Neal added after a few silent moments ticked by, "I guess I'll get to work, before Peter gets too suspicious."

After Neal had run off, Elizabeth returned to her desk - she put down the box and tried a cookie. Soon there were only crumbs left of Neal's token of appreciation.  Satchmo once again gave Elizabeth a look of consternation, but Elizabeth ignored him.

"The Greatest Cake" indeed made the most amazing things. Maybe she'd give them a call next time she needed a cake.