Neal's Support System

When I started writing the Caffrey Conversation series, I wanted Neal to feel less alone than he did in White Collar canon. I set out to give him stronger relationships with his coworkers, and to show him as part of a family.

It wasn't easy! Neal tended to be a loner who got by using his con artist skills. Those skills make him likable, but they also act as a shield, keeping interactions at a surface level and hiding his true self.

In the first stories of the series I had two ideas in mind for Neal's support system. The first was to build a gradual growth of trust between Neal and Peter -- in contrast to the big swings of trust and distrust in canon. The second was to give Neal an ally named Henry Winslow -- someone who's neither criminal nor law enforcement, and therefore isn't involved in the kind of tug-of-war that exists between Mozzie and Peter.

This year I'm continuing my tradition of posting a Caffrey Conversation story in late December. This is the fifth year! "In the Driver's Seat" goes back to an early point in the series. It overlaps a bit with "Choirboy Caffrey," filling in some blanks in December 2003. I enjoyed the opportunity to return to a point in the series where my two ideas for Neal's support system were in their infancy.

The story starts with Neal's first day on the job, and Peter's still trying to figure out how things are going to work with this new consultant. Peter's about to go on vacation, and worries how Neal will do without supervision. Meanwhile, Neal's getting to know the White Collar team, and slowly winning over key members of the group.

And then there's Henry. There have been many reveals about him through the series, and it was a blast from the past to return to a point when Peter -- and the readers -- don't know who Henry is. It was tempting to include spoilers, with the assumption that most readers already know everything by now. However, I saw the early stories are still getting new readers, and that convinced me not to spill his secrets.

In this new story Neal shares memories about his childhood and teen years, so we see elements of the support system he's had, and the challenges he's faced.

Another aspect of his support system is his relationship with June and Byron Ellington. We know from canon that June is a long-term friend for Neal. Byron, however, is dying. He has important lessons to share with Neal, and limited time to do so. His example and advice resonate through later stories, but I have a soft spot for returning to points in time when Byron can be present.

"In the Driver's Seat" shows Byron struggling to keep his spirits up, and Neal has opportunities to help. It's a moment for Neal to see that he can be part of someone else's support system.