White Collar - "Best Guarded Secret"
May. 2nd, 2011 02:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tj_teejayTitle: Best Guarded Secret
Author: TeeJay
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
whitecollar100 Prompt: #44 Secret
Genre: Gen
Characters/Pairings: Peter, OFC, OMC x2
Word Count: 300
Rating: PG
Summary: It was probably his best guarded secret, and now they knew. It was going to be a nightmare.
Author's Note: This is kind of an inside joke between![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
afiawri and me. And for some strange reason, I still wanna break out in giggles.
Disclaimer: White Collar, its characters and its settings belong to Jeff Eastin and USA Network. And, guys? Your characters are not only welcome, they're wonderful. I'm just borrowing, I promise.
"Excuse me, we're looking for Hubert."
The young FBI agent looked up at the odd couple, maybe in their early 60's. Visitor's badges were clipped to their clothes. The accent clearly indicated they were from one of the southern states, maybe Texas. The woman was nervously wringing her hands.
"Come again?" Agent Bottler asked.
"Hubert," the woman repeated. "Hubert Pretzelman. We were told he works here."
Agent Bottler frowned. "I'm sorry, but I don't recognize that name. I don't believe there's anyone working here with that name."
"But we were told he works here," she repeated.
"And you are?"
The man now spoke up. "Mr. and Mrs Pretzelman."
Ah. That made sense. The woman fumbled in her purse and produced a photo, which she held out to the FBI agent.
"This is Hubert. You don't recognize him?"
Agent Bottler took the photo and did a double-take. He was ten, maybe fifteen years younger, but the resemblance was unmistakable. He cleared his throat before he asked, "Could I have that photo for a moment? I will be right back."
Mrs. Pretzelman looked a little unsettled, but then nodded and confirmed, "Certainly."
"Please wait here." Agent Bottler gave the couple a last look and then went up the stairs to Burke's office, carefully knocking on the door.
Peter looked at him through the glass wall, beckoning him in. "Bottler, what have you got?"
"I—uhm, I'm..." he stammered.
"Come on, out with it."
Bottler hesitantly handed Peter the photo. "See the couple down there? They just showed me this photo, asking for Hubert Pretzelman."
"Hubert Pretzelman?" Peter frowned, then it dawned on him. He pointed at the familiar face. "This is Hubert Pretzelman?"
"Yeah."
"And who are they?"
"They say they're his parents."
"Well, looks like Neal has some explaining to do."
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Author's Note Addendum:
I think I have to explain this a bit more, but I didn't wanna spoil the surprise. This came about whenafiawri and I discussed that there are still fans out there who don't think Neal Caffrey is his real name and is just another alias (which we both don't agree with). Here's part of that conversation: ![[info]](https://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=3)
afiawri: I understand the in-universe arguments for an alias, but the writers always struck me as the types not to make Neal so deceptive at his core. Or smart enough not to give fans some dorky name from his past to hate. :) Either one.
tj_teejay: And, uhm, dorky name? You mean like Neal's real name being Herbert Pretzelman or something?
afiawri: Funnily enough, the name the jumped to my mind was Hubert. (That or Eugene.) Though I never would've come up with Pretzelman, wow. =)
tj_teejay: Hubert is a good one too. Eugene sounds too undorky, if you ask me. So, who's going to write a drabble where it's revealed that Neal Caffrey is really called Hubert Pretzelman?
Author: TeeJay
whitecollar100 Prompt: #44 Secret Genre: Gen
Characters/Pairings: Peter, OFC, OMC x2
Word Count: 300
Rating: PG
Summary: It was probably his best guarded secret, and now they knew. It was going to be a nightmare.
Author's Note: This is kind of an inside joke between
afiawri and me. And for some strange reason, I still wanna break out in giggles. Disclaimer: White Collar, its characters and its settings belong to Jeff Eastin and USA Network. And, guys? Your characters are not only welcome, they're wonderful. I'm just borrowing, I promise.
+-+-+-+-+
"Excuse me, we're looking for Hubert."
The young FBI agent looked up at the odd couple, maybe in their early 60's. Visitor's badges were clipped to their clothes. The accent clearly indicated they were from one of the southern states, maybe Texas. The woman was nervously wringing her hands.
"Come again?" Agent Bottler asked.
"Hubert," the woman repeated. "Hubert Pretzelman. We were told he works here."
Agent Bottler frowned. "I'm sorry, but I don't recognize that name. I don't believe there's anyone working here with that name."
"But we were told he works here," she repeated.
"And you are?"
The man now spoke up. "Mr. and Mrs Pretzelman."
Ah. That made sense. The woman fumbled in her purse and produced a photo, which she held out to the FBI agent.
"This is Hubert. You don't recognize him?"
Agent Bottler took the photo and did a double-take. He was ten, maybe fifteen years younger, but the resemblance was unmistakable. He cleared his throat before he asked, "Could I have that photo for a moment? I will be right back."
Mrs. Pretzelman looked a little unsettled, but then nodded and confirmed, "Certainly."
"Please wait here." Agent Bottler gave the couple a last look and then went up the stairs to Burke's office, carefully knocking on the door.
Peter looked at him through the glass wall, beckoning him in. "Bottler, what have you got?"
"I—uhm, I'm..." he stammered.
"Come on, out with it."
Bottler hesitantly handed Peter the photo. "See the couple down there? They just showed me this photo, asking for Hubert Pretzelman."
"Hubert Pretzelman?" Peter frowned, then it dawned on him. He pointed at the familiar face. "This is Hubert Pretzelman?"
"Yeah."
"And who are they?"
"They say they're his parents."
"Well, looks like Neal has some explaining to do."
+-+-+-+-+
Author's Note Addendum:
I think I have to explain this a bit more, but I didn't wanna spoil the surprise. This came about when
afiawri and I discussed that there are still fans out there who don't think Neal Caffrey is his real name and is just another alias (which we both don't agree with). Here's part of that conversation: afiawri: I understand the in-universe arguments for an alias, but the writers always struck me as the types not to make Neal so deceptive at his core. Or smart enough not to give fans some dorky name from his past to hate. :) Either one. tj_teejay: And, uhm, dorky name? You mean like Neal's real name being Herbert Pretzelman or something? afiawri: Funnily enough, the name the jumped to my mind was Hubert. (That or Eugene.) Though I never would've come up with Pretzelman, wow. =) tj_teejay: Hubert is a good one too. Eugene sounds too undorky, if you ask me. So, who's going to write a drabble where it's revealed that Neal Caffrey is really called Hubert Pretzelman?This conversation was a while ago, but somehow I just remembered it and thought this prompt would fit perfectly to explore the Hubert Pretzelman story a little further.
==> You can now read on how the saga continues: The Secret of Hubert Pretzelman
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no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 03:46 pm (UTC)Thank you! :)
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 03:55 pm (UTC)Personally, I tend to agree that Neal Caffrey seems most likely to be his real name. Just... lots of reasons why it feels more right. But oh, there are certainly hilarious possibilities to be considered if it isn't/i>. *gigglefits*
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 05:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 05:08 pm (UTC)I really like the name Neal Caffrey, and I'd hate it if it wasn't his real one.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 05:11 pm (UTC):D
Loved this! So cute. :-)
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Date: 2011-05-02 05:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 07:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 07:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 07:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 08:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 08:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 08:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 08:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 08:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 09:26 pm (UTC)Also, you say "Eugene," and my mind immediately goes to Flynn Rider (dunno if you've seen "Tangled?"). Which is kind of funny, since Flynn and Neal definitely have a few things in common.
But I just can't imagine Neal by any other name. He wouldn't be Neal (literally, heh). So I hope they don't ever make it into just his most elaborate alias. (And, even if Neal Caffrey weren't his real name, I'd rather not know what is--because I think having it as a perpetual mystery would be much more intriguing, in a good way. XD)
no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 12:15 am (UTC)I love the name 'Neal Caffrey'--but I'll admit that I still wonder if it really is Neal's name!
no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 02:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 02:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 02:35 am (UTC)Yes, I'm over 20, and still watch princess movies. And I like them. X3no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 02:43 am (UTC)And I went into Tangled feeling superior because I was 'just watching because Zachary Levi is the male lead's voice' amd because I'd promised my sister I'd take her, but that was one amazingly magically good princess movie and I was laughing and cheering along with everyone else in the theater. XD
nonsequitur
Date: 2011-05-03 07:47 am (UTC)Sorry, lol... I know it's all about Hubert...I mean Neal... but I just fixated on them.
This been bugging me for a while: I think Neal sounds about right -'cause "Neal" is not all that sexy a name choice IMHO - But, I could bet "Caffrey" is probably something he came up with. That, or the whole thing is an anagram for something important to him, since the show likes those so much... and Neal is pathologically incapable of telling the whooole truth and nothing but the truth.
If it is his real name, then he has no relatives, never went to school... - Peter (FBI) hasn't been able find anything about him before his 18th birthday - Or maybe now that Peter knows about his father (does he?) he can dig deeper in season 3? Plus what he told Mozzie... I'm crazy curious!!!!! @__@
Sorry for blabbing so much... *going back to lurker mode*
no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 08:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 08:59 am (UTC)But it's not. It's Hubert Pretzelman! ;o)
no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 09:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 09:01 am (UTC)Re: nonsequitur
Date: 2011-05-03 09:11 am (UTC)I'm sure the actual show will dig deeper on the parent front. It would definitely make for some good storytelling if done right. And you're right, if Neal changed his name, it makes perfect sense that Peter couldn't find anything from before he was 18. Stay tuned, though. I'm gonna post a follow-up to this soon.
And feel free to de-lurk and blab any time. Any comment makes my day, especially if it's fanfic feedback.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 12:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 01:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 03:20 pm (UTC)LOL,
Zachary Levi did an awesome job, too, with Flynn's voice.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 06:06 pm (UTC)LOL. Aw, be proud. You know a good movie when you see one.
And yes, Zachary Levi did fantastic work with that movie. <3 Liked him much better for Flynn than I did for whoever he played in Chipmunks 2.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-25 11:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-25 08:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-25 08:36 pm (UTC)