Recs by Jane Elliot

Title: If You're Gone by sahiya
Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: Elizabeth/Neal/Peter
Categories: angst, hurt/comfort
Length: ~31,000 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
When Elizabeth gets a great career opportunity in San Francisco, she and Peter leave. Meanwhile, Neal is reassigned to Diana.

This fic is chock full of the most lovely pining as Neal tries to cope with the departure of Elizabeth and Peter, while adapting to his new life with Diana as a handler. And while that pining is delightful to read, I have to admit what I love most about it is the friendship that develops between Neal and Diana. It's different than the one between him and Peter, but it's a great relationship and one that is a delight to read.

If you're a fan of Diana and/or of pining, this is the fic for you.

If You're Gone

Title: Copycat by IamShadow21
Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: Gen
Categories: kid!fic, AU, drama
Length: ~10,000 words (if you include footnotes)
Warnings: child in a crappy situation (pre-story)

Review:
An AU in which Neal is an autistic child forced to forge artwork, and Peter is the agent who finds (and rescues) him.

I debated this rec for a while, because the story overall feels very incomplete -- we never find out who took Neal, for example, and while the author really tries to put some foreshadowing of Neal's future in the story, Neal himself isn't fleshed out enough to really make it work (for example, there's no clear reason why Peter and/or Elizabeth would be part of Neal's future). Still, every time I've read this story I've enjoyed it, because the writing is phenomenal and the subject is interesting and, most of all, because the author clearly knows what she's writing about and I have a huge kink for authors who know their shit and express it well.

In short, if you're looking for a story in which Peter is Peter and Neal is a kid and together they build a family, well, this fic isn't for you. However, if you're in the mood for fantastic writing from someone who is clearly an expert in autisim, you definitely want to give this story a try.

Copycat

Title: What Partners Do by cheride
Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: gen
Categories: drama
Length: 10,700 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
Set in season one, Neal slips his anklet. Peter, despite his better judgment, decides to go after him on his own. Some much-needed communication ensues.

This isn't my usual cup of White Collar tea. Elizabeth doesn't make an appearance, for one, and there isn't even a hint of UST. What this fic does offer, however, is Peter and Neal having some long talks about honesty and trust that I always wished had happened on the show but never did. As a bonus, Neal confronts the Kate issue! (I should note that some parts of this story might be considered out of character based on later events, but for S1 it is definitely in character.)

It's hard to say who would enjoy this fic the most. If you like well-written fics with trust issues (realistic ones, not the overly contrived nonsense from the current season) and/or just like it when two characters actually talk to each other, this is a good fic for you.

What Partners Do