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"And...cut! That's a wrap!"
Matt groaned softly as he stretched out the minor kinks in his neck and back. Another day as Neal Caffrey was over. He loosened his tie as he made his way to his dressing room.
"Hey, want to get a drink?" Tim asked, catching up to him.
"Sounds good," Matt said. "Meet you in a few." As he changed, he couldn't help but remember the two days he'd spent in Neal's world, when he couldn't drop the persona. He gratefully slipped on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers and hung up the suit as carefully as Neal would have.
There was a light tap on the door. "About ready?" Tim asked.
"Yeah," Matt said, opening up the door. He grabbed his jacket, shrugging into it as he and Tim made their way to the soundstage door. He was quiet as they walked to a local bar and grabbed seats.
"You with me Matty?" Tim asked after they gave the bartender their orders.
"Yeah...just thinking," Matt said.
"About what?"
Matt hesitated, even though he'd wanted to talk to Tim about what had happened since he'd come back. He was granted a short reprieve when their drinks came.
"Matt?"
Matt let out a breath. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like to meet Peter Burke?" he asked. "Actually meet him?"
"Well, in a way, I meet him every day," Tim said. "We're finding out things about him with almost every script."
Matt shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant," he said. "I mean meet him, face to face."
"Like he was an actual person, not a role," Tim said.
"Exactly."
Tim thought it over for a few minutes as he nursed his drink. "I think it would be a bit of a shock, seeing a fictional character in real life," he said. "Especially one I'm playing. I'd have to wonder how close his life is to what was written." He studied his friend for a moment then asked, "Why?"
"Because I've met Neal Caffrey," Matt said, fiddling with his glass. "Had to be him for two days." His mouth quirked in a grin. "But I got some pointers on picking pockets from him."
"When was this? Supposedly?"
"When we were filming Gloves Off," Matt said. "I have no idea how it happened but I woke up in Neal's loft...wearing the anklet."
Tim frowned a little, as a memory came back. "Wait a minute," he said then gave his friend a pointed look. "I was wondering why you looked startled when Props took off the anklet."
"That was Neal," Matt said, sounding a little relieved.
"You...switched places...with Neal Caffrey?" Tim questioned as if he wanted to be sure he was getting it right.
"Looks that way," Matt said. "I spent two days pretending to know the first thing about mortgage fraud and embezzlement. You can imagine my shock to find him on the terrace when I got..." He shrugged. "Home."
"I bet," Tim said. "So, what happened?"
"We talked," Matt said. "Kate, Fowler, Adler, the explosion...all true." He paused, taking a sip of his drink. "Then we spent a few hours refining my technique."
"Your technique?"
Matt dropped his hand to the side for a few seconds then brought it up, holding Tim's wallet. "*That* technique," he said, putting it on the bar.
"So, how'd you get back from...wherever you were?" Tim asked, replacing his wallet.
"No idea," Matt said. "I went to bed and woke up in my apartment."
"What? Neal was on the couch?" Tim asked, huffing a laugh when Matt nodded. "I can't imagine him giving the bed to anyone," he said. "*Sharing* a bed on the other hand..."
"Well, one thing I learned about him is even though he's an incorrigible flirt, he's actually almost celibate," Matt said. "He hasn't really had that kind of company since Sara." He studied the other man for a moment. "So you believe me," he said.
"Honestly, I'm not sure," Tim said. "I mean, you have to admit it's unbelievable. Fictional characters just don't exist in real life."
"I know," Matt said. "I can hardly believe it myself and I lived it for two days."
"Is this why you've been a bit off the last couple weeks?"
"Yeah," Matt said. "I find myself reading over the script, wondering if Neal would *really* do this or say that."
They were quiet for a moment, listening to the soft murmurs of conversation around them. Both glanced at the other end of the bar as two men seated themselves. It was Matt who recognized them. "Neal..."
"Hmmm?"
Matt nudged him. "Look," he said, nodding at them. Just then, one of the men looked at them, froze for a second then grinned before sliding over a few seats to sit by Tim.
"Tim, Neal Caffrey," Matt said, enjoying Tim's obvious confusion, matching Neal's grin.
"Peter!" Neal called, waving the other man over.
Tim started almost violently when the man joined them, seeing someone who was identical to him in every way, from the style of his hair to the mole at the base of his throat.
"Well, I'll be damned," the other man said, looking intently at the two of them. "He *was* telling the truth."
"Would I lie about something like this?" Neal asked but before Peter could respond he added, "Don't answer that."
"Because it's exactly the kind of story you'd make up," Tim said.
"Great...*two* Peter Burkes," Neal grumbled but he smiled.
"Well, if he's anything like you," Peter said, indicating Matt. "Then it's two Neal Caffreys. Lord help this city."
"You know I didn't actually *do* any of the things Neal's done, right?" Matt said, raising a brow.
"You *did* learn to pick pocket," Neal pointed out.
"That was to make the role more believable," Matt said. "Cuts down on the camera tricks."
"So, does he lift your wallet like Neal does to me?" Peter asked Tim.
"He picks everyone's pocket," Tim said.
"Not everyone's," Matt said. "Mostly yours. Like I did earlier."
Peter went still for a moment then sighed. "Neal, my wallet, now," he said.
"How did...? Never mind," Neal said, handing it over.
"Three years, Neal," Peter said. "With you lifting my wallet at least once a day."
"Too predictable?" Neal asked.
"Too predictable," Tim and Peter said at the same time.
"Wow, stereo," Neal commented.
"And my badge," Peter said, holding out a hand.
Neal's eyes went wide. "I don't have it Peter," he said, radiating innocence.
"Neal..."
"Seriously Peter, I don't have it."
"Matty?" Tim asked, seeing his friend with the same - identical - look of innocence.
Slowly, Matt reached into his jacket pocket and removed a slim leather folder and handed it to Peter.
"Wow, you've been practicing," Neal said, impressed. "I didn't even see you do the lift."
Matt shot him a look which both Tim and Peter caught.
"You did the lift and slipped it to Matt," Peter said. It wasn't a question.
"Not exactly," Matt said. "He made the initial lift and I got it from him."
"You picked Neal's pocket?" Peter asked, his skepticism plain. "I didn't think anyone was that good."
"Moz is," Neal said.
"Besides Moz," Peter said.
"Well, I *did* learn from the best," Matt said.
"Thanks," Neal said, pleased.
"His ego's big enough so I'd rather you not do that," Peter said wryly.
During this exchange, Tim had remained silent, still processing the fact that Peter Burke - his character - was sitting beside Matt. Add to that, Neal Caffrey - Matt's character - was sitting beside *him*. "Question," he said. "How did you know we'd be here?"
"We didn't," Peter said. "We just wrapped up a case and, since El's in San Francisco right now, we decided to get a drink. You?"
"Just finished shooting for the day," Tim said. He sipped his drink then said, "How about we move to a table so we're not talking across each other."
Tim seated himself across from Peter and Matt was across from Neal and as Neal settled into his chair they heard a soft thud. Matt frowned a little and said, "Wait. Your anklet. Still green?"
Neal hitched his pant leg, seeing the steady green light. "Yeah. Why?"
"It just brings up the question," Matt said. "Are we in your radius or is this *our* New York or yours?"
"If we're in ours, he's on monitoring status," Peter said. "So it wouldn't matter if he was outside his radius." He held up a finger at the same time as Tim did and they reached for their phones.
"What?" Neal asked, looking the question at Matt.
"Tim's calling his wife," Matt said. "Peter probably had the same idea."
The question of which New York they were in seemed to be answered when Peter scowled at his phone before putting it away.
"Peter?"
"Says to make sure I dialed the right number," Peter said.
"Will El be worried if she doesn't hear from you?" Tim asked when he completed his call. "I know you call each other at the end of the day when she's gone."
Peter looked surprised that Tim knew that then apparently reminded himself that, in a sense, the other man was *him*. "She probably will," he said. "But I can tell her the battery died."
"You two don't lie to each other," Tim said.
"Would *you* believe this if it wasn't happening?" Peter asked. "*I* barely believe it."
"You seem to be taking it well," Tim said.
"It's either that or have hysterics," Peter said.
"Agent Burke wouldn't have hysterics," Matt said.
"He'd try to figure out the puzzle," Tim said. "And I know how much you like puzzles."
Peter regarded him as he sipped his beer then asked a question that Neal had asked Matt. "So you know everything about me?"
"Not *everything*," Tim said. "The highlights, I guess."
"And when did you start being me?" Peter asked.
Tim thought back to the pilot, what his Peter had been doing. "When you were at the bank, trying to get evidence on the Dutchman," he said. "Diana came to give you word that Neal had escaped." Peter nodded as Tim recounted the events that led to Neal's recapture.
"Personal life?" Peter asked.
"You like Heisler beer, doing the NYT crossword, you and Elizabeth have no kids, she has an event planning business - Burke's Premier Events - and you live in Brooklyn. You didn't have the courage to ask Elizabeth out until she held up a sign with "I heart Italian" on it."
Peter nodded, sipping his beer. "And Neal's life is the same?" he asked with a look at Matt.
"Pretty much," Matt said. "Kate, Adler, Fowler, the plane exploding..."
"The U-boat?" Peter asked.
"Yeah, " Matt said as Neal looked a little uncomfortable.
"Cape Verde?"
"It was Puerto Rico for us," Tim said. "But yeah."
"This isn't a case, Peter," Neal said. "And they aren't suspects so I think interrogating them is unnecessary."
"I don't mind," Tim said. "He never really stops being an agent."
Peter gave a slight shrug. "My question is, am I the way I am because that's the way you play me or do you play me that way because that's the way I am?"
"Wow, Peter, that's very...existential of you," Neal said, sipping his wine.
"Tell me you haven't wondered the same thing," Peter said.
"Not really, no," Neal said. "You know me. I tend to avoid deep introspection."
"You're not as shallow as you want everyone to believe," Matt said, almost casually.
Neal gave him a look that was a little irritated. "That is *so* not fair," he said.
"I've been you for more than four years," Matt said. "I have a pretty good idea of how you are. Besides, it's not like I'm likely to forget what we talked about."
Peter tilted his head a little as he looked at Neal and the others could almost see his mind working. "Matt had the anklet those two days," he said.
"So did I," Neal said.
"It was a prop," Peter said. "And you didn't run, even though you could have."
"Obviously not," Neal said.
"Why?"
Neal didn't answer right away as he looked calmly at his partner. "I've run before and you've caught me," he said. "There was no reason to think you wouldn't again."
Peter nodded but Tim and Matt could tell he didn't completely accept the answer Neal gave.
"You know he won't let it go," Matt said to Neal. "He's just put it on the back burner."
"I have for now," Peter said.
"Matty?" Tim asked, brows raised.
"Yeah, I know why but it's not my place to say," Matt said.
"Thank you," Neal said with exaggerated relief then sobered before adding. "He might be able to figure out why."
Peter shrugged a little. "I *am* the foremost expert on Neal Caffrey," he said.
"Not necessarily," Neal said, tilting his head at Matt.
"Point taken," Peter conceded.
Tim glanced at his watch. "As fun...and as strange as this has been, Matty and I have an early call tomorrow," he said then added as Peter reached for his wallet, "*Our* New York, remember? Besides, the price of a few drinks is nothing."
Peter nodded in acknowledgement and thanks. "If you're ever in *our* New York, we should do this again," he said.
As Neal and Peter left, Matt looked at his friend. "So..."
"Okay, I believe you," Tim said. "Kind of hard not to, considering the last couple hours."
"Bit of a shock though, wasn't it?" Matt asked as as they left.
"You could say that," Tim said. "I can imagine how you felt when you saw him on the terrace at June's."
"Shocked, relieved, unnerved..."
They were quiet for a while, just enjoying each other's company. "So why *didn't* Neal run?" Tim asked finally. "He had the chance and no one would have known."
Matt sighed, wondering briefly if he had any obligation to keep the confidence of a fictional character. "It came down to his not wanting to steal my life," he said. "Like he told me, he's stolen a lot of things but never that. Not someone's life."
"He *does* have a sense of honor," Tim said. "One that Peter may not agree with at times but it's just as strong."
"So what was your impression of him?"
"Neal or Peter?" Tim asked.
"Either, both..."
Tim thought a moment. "Neal's about what I expected," he said. "Your characterization seems spot on. As for Peter...well..I can't say I was surprised by anything. I think Peter and I were too busy watching you and Neal for me to get a real sense of him." He regarded the other man for a moment. "Did you *really* pick Neal Caffrey's pocket?"
Matt grinned a little wickedly, reached into his pocket and withdrew a wallet, handing it over. Tim stopped short when he opened it and saw who's it was. "Matty..."
"Hey, at least I didn't lift his credentials," Matt said.
"And how will you get it back to him?" Tim asked.
"You can just give it to him," a voice behind them said wryly. They turned to see both Neal and Peter.
Tim handed Neal his wallet back. "No charges, right?" he asked.
"I'll let it slide," Peter said. "Besides, it'll do him good to know there's someone out there who's as good as he is."
"Not to mention you probably have no jurisdiction here," Neal said. As the two men turned to leave, Neal hesitated. "Hey, any hints on what's going to happen?"
"Wish we could tell you but..." Tim said, spreading his hands.
"You know writers," Matt said. "Always making last minute changes."
Neal shrugged, smiling. "Worth a shot," he said.
Tim waited until they were out of earshot then asked, "You wouldn't tell him about his dad?"
"Couldn't really," Matt said. "We don't know where *they* are on the timeline."
"Good point," Tim said as they continued walking.
They arrived at Matt's building and gave each other a brief hug before parting. "See you tomorrow," Matt said.
"As long as neither of us trade places," Time said, a little amused.
"It would be your turn," Matt said. "I already did."
"Night, Matty."
"Night Tim."
As Tim went on his way, he had to wonder: would *he* be able to do what Matt had done? Fool everyone into believing he was Peter Burke? He thought so but kinda hoped he'd never find out.