Chapter Description: One week before Christmas, the Caffreys decide to plan a movie night. It will not be as simple and straightforward as that sounds.

Winston-Winslow NYC offices. December 18, 2006 - Monday morning.

When Angela arrived at the Winston-Winslow offices right before the lunch hour, Neal glanced longingly at the exit. If he'd just wrapped up his conference call a few minutes earlier, he might have escaped the latest round of his cousin's increasingly frequent visits to coordinate their upcoming Christmas vacation.

"She's back," he warned Henry, who was sitting across the conference room table from him.

"We could close the door and pretend we're not here," Henry suggested, but it was too late. Nirmala had already greeted their frequent visitor at the reception desk and pointed her in their direction.

Angela meant well, of course. This was the last time their Caffrey grandparents would host Christmas before selling their home and downsizing, and therefore the whole family wanted this celebration to be perfect.

Neal had read about middle children being the peacemakers, but he hadn't really grasped it until he started spending time with the cousins. Henry, by virtue of being the oldest, always assumed he should be in charge. Angela, as the baby of the family, was used to being indulged and getting her way. Having grown up in WITSEC, Neal was new to the dynamic and simply tried to end the arguments so they could move on.

Today, Angela was fretting about the entertainment. What would they do to keep such a large group happy? No matter what she mentioned, Henry could think of one person who wouldn't like it.

Finally Neal said, "We're going to be in a food coma after the feast you've described. Why don't we just watch movies?"

Angela and Henry stopped bickering and looked intrigued. Their grandmother was a former actress, and she would absolutely love a movie night.

"How do we pick the movies?" Angela asked.

"Have everyone nominate a favorite," Neal suggested.

"Ask them to describe why it's a favorite and why we should watch it," Henry added.

"Bonus points if it's a holiday movie," Angela said, getting into the spirit.

"Bonus points?" Henry asked. "How are we scoring the entries?"

A few minutes of arguing later, Neal spoke up. "Neither of you can set the scoring rules. It's obvious you'd game the system to win. We should leave it up to our hosts. They'll decide what has the most weight. Then the movies selected can be a surprise to all of us."

"One of us needs to buy the DVDs," Henry pointed out.

"We'll each chip in, but we'll select someone who can't be bribed to tally the scores and make the purchases," Neal countered.

Henry nodded. "Do you want to ask him, or should I do it?"

"Who?" Angela asked.

"Peter," Neal said.

###

The morning had been filled with visitors to Peter's office. The news was spreading that he'd officially resigned from the FBI, and several people wanted to hear about his new job and wish him luck.

It was almost enough to make him change his mind. Between the people he used to work with in White Collar, and a handful of well-wishers from his current team in Organized Crime, he could convince himself things weren't so bad.

Then he got back from lunch and read the email from Human Resources.

Not from his boss, whose office was right down the hall. No, it was a formal, impersonal note from HR.

When Peter made his decision on Friday to accept the offer from Winston-Winslow, he'd made a point of telling his boss — Assistant Director William Croft — in person before giving written notice. Since Peter was already scheduled to take the week of Christmas as vacation, he had offered to make his last day at the Bureau three or four weeks out, instead of the typical two weeks, to allow time for a smooth transition to his replacement.

William had declined the offer. Therefore Peter's last official day with the Bureau would be Friday, December 29. But given his vacation plans, his last work day would be the end of this week.

As a manager, Peter knew that on an employee's last day at the Bureau, they met with their boss for a final debriefing, where they turned over their laptop and case files. That was followed by an exit interview with HR. Usually the employee left early on their last day, around mid-afternoon.

The email from HR set the time for his exit interview as 9am on Friday. It also said William had decided no debriefing was necessary.

Peter tried to convince himself that it wasn't meant as an insult. He hadn't been in his current role very long, and the boss probably felt there wasn't much to cover. But the man could at least have had the decency to tell Peter that in person.

It felt like a slap in the face.

He told himself to ignore it, and he focused on completing as many administrative tasks as he could, so he wouldn't leave his replacement in a lurch.

When he took a break to check his inbox, he saw an influx of canceled meetings. Most of his team members were ending their weekly check-ins, not even bothering to catch up with him one last time for final instructions and turnover.

Another slap in the face.

"Busy?" asked a familiar voice.

He looked up to see Tricia Wiese. She'd been his second-in-command at White Collar before she made a pivot to the Behavioral Analysis team.

"Not too busy for you," Peter said.

Tricia closed the door to his office before taking a seat. "How are you doing?"

"I'm frazzled," Peter admitted. "I know I made the right decision. I considered it from every angle, and turning in my resignation took a major load off my mind. I slept better the last few nights than I have in months. And yet..."

"Buyer's remorse? It's not unusual when someone makes a big decision like changing jobs. And you've been at the Bureau for more than a decade. That's a lot to walk away from."

"Are you going to try changing my mind?"

"No. Just offering a friendly ear. If you want to vent about the reasons you're leaving, or brag about the new job, I'll listen. I promise no judgments, and no sharing what you say to anyone else in the Bureau." She paused. "And maybe I'll ask for a reference."

That last part surprised Peter. "I thought you were happy in the Behavioral Analysis team."

"I am, but at the same time, I know my opportunities for advancement are limited if I want to stay in Manhattan. Moving to D.C. isn't in the cards for me. My husband just got tenure at the university, so we're committed to staying here."

Peter took her up on the opportunity to vent. He described the frustration of having every idea he brought to his team shot down, of their refusal to make any changes, of the lack of support from his boss.

Then he talked about the new job he'd accepted, touching on both his hopes and his fears. What did he know about working in the private sector? Was this too big of a change, going from a team that refused to budge to a company that was perhaps too willing to cross lines?

In the end, he talked himself around to where he'd started. He'd made the right decision. He'd been collaborating on cases with Win-Win for nearly three years, and he knew what he was getting into.

Tricia congratulated him and offered to chat again anytime he wanted.

By 4pm Peter was struggling to find the motivation to stay at the office. What was the point of hanging around until 5:00, when it was clear that so many of his colleagues were happy to be rid of him? He was on the verge of shutting down his laptop when his cell phone rang. It was Neal.

Peter smiled. Working with Neal again would be a highlight of his new job. "Is this a work call or personal?" he asked.

"Personal," Neal said. "Are you up for a small holiday project?"

Peter made notes as he listened to Neal's proposal. Reviewing the movie list would definitely keep his mind occupied with something more pleasant than his last week at the FBI. "It's a tight turnaround," he warned. "I'll need the list of movies soon if I'm going to buy them before Christmas. In fact, one of the criteria I'd recommend is that the person nominating the movie already own a DVD they could bring with them."

"That would be a convincing argument that it's truly a favorite," Neal agreed.

They chatted a little longer, and then Peter headed home. The conversation with Neal meant that he walked out with a satisfied smile, and he enjoyed the surprised reactions of Organized Crime team members who had seemed to delight in making him miserable.

Not today, Peter thought. I'm going home happy.

###

Henry left the office early, enjoying some comp time after the long hours he'd worked earlier in the month. At home, he surveyed their collection of DVDs. There were many favorites, but in truth he'd decided on one the moment Neal suggested movies for their holiday entertainment.

When Eric got home, Henry described the movie challenge and then pulled Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from their DVDs.

Eric shook his head.

"You love this one," Henry protested. "You said you watch it every Christmas. How can you not pick it?"

"I do love it," Eric agreed. "It's a Vasquez family tradition for the children to watch it on Christmas, but as we grow up we find our own favorites. There's one movie in particular that I turn to for comfort."

"I never noticed," Henry said, feeling concerned.

"Maybe because I haven't needed comfort from other sources since we got together."

Now Henry smiled. "Okay, what's the movie?"

"You love surprises. I'm not going to tell you."

"Fine," Henry said. "Then I won't tell you mine, either."

Eric walked to the collection and immediately picked up the movie Henry had in mind. "This one."

"How did you know?" Henry was certain he didn't watch it more often than their other DVDs.

"When you refer to a movie while explaining that you wouldn't change a single thing you've suffered in your past, because everything you endured led you to me, you can't expect me to forget it."

It was exactly the memory Henry had in mind when selecting this movie. "That was nearly a year ago."

"It doesn't matter," Eric said. "The memory is etched on my heart." Then he pulled Henry into a kiss.

###

"On three," Angela said. When she counted to three, she and Michael each picked up a DVD from their collection.

When she saw what her husband had selected, Angela laughed. "No way. Everyone will think that's my choice."

He glanced pointedly at the movie in her hands. "They'll think we swapped."

"Should we?" she wondered aloud.

He put an arm around her and pulled her close. "No. It makes it clear why we were attracted to each other. Anyway, this is for your family. They already know you and love you for who you are."

"True," she agreed.

"And the fact that it's a family event is why I didn't choose this one." Michael picked up another movie. "That was the tiebreaker."

Angela smiled. "Yes, Young Frankenstein might be a bit risqué for a Christmas party."

"We could watch it tonight, though," Michael suggested.

"I'll make the popcorn!"

###

When Sara was ready to leave, Neal wasn't in his Win-Win office. She checked her phone to see if there was a text from him. Maybe he'd left early and she'd missed the message.

A text arrived while she was checking, and it said: Meet me in x-room

That was short for the Win-Win transformation room, a place filled with clothing and makeup the employees used for undercover work.

Sara wondered if Neal had a surprise planned for this evening. Their courtship had involved disguises, and that fun didn't have to end now that they were married.

In the transformation room, Neal wore a sailor uniform — white slacks and matching shirt with a broad, square collar featuring a blue stripe. Did sailors still wear those? Her mind associated the attire with movies from the era of Gene Kelly. Regardless, Neal looked dashing.

Then he told her about the need to bring a favorite movie to the upcoming holiday gathering.

"You don't own any DVDs," Sara said, immediately grasping the challenge.

"Fortunately Win-Win has a collection here." Neal directed her attention to a shelf she hadn't noticed before. It was partially hidden by the racks of clothing. "Henry picked movies to get us in the right mindset for pretending to be someone else."

Sara looked at the titles. "I sense a theme here. Lots of con artists."

"One of the films came to mind a few years ago when I was picking an alias." He spread his arms, displaying the sailor outfit to advantage. "And this evening it inspired a night on the town."

"Shore leave." Sara smiled at the idea. Then she gave him a stern expression. "You better not have a girl in every port."

"Only you," he promised.

She returned her attention to the shelf. "Which movie is it?"

"It's already hidden away in my desk, so I'll remember to take it with us for Christmas."

"In other words, you're not going to tell me what it is." She selected items of clothing from the racks. "Then I'll do the same. Aunt Celeste has a copy of the movie I have in mind, so you won't be able to sneak a peek early. We can play our parts and give hints between now and Christmas." She darted behind a screen to change into a pair of high-waisted palazzo pants and a filmy white blouse. She added a few accessories and then sat down for the next step.

"Let's start with the basics," Neal suggested as she styled her hair. "My movie is set in the 1940s."

"Mine, too," Sara said.

"My character is Nick. He isn't technically the main character, but he has a big role."

"And he's in the Navy," Sara noted.

"Right. And you are...?"

"Elizabeth. Let's go with her nickname: Litzka. I'm definitely the main character."

"Setting?" Neal asked.

She considered, then shook her head. "No, that would give too much away."

"Ditto," Neal said. "You know my profession. Let's hear yours."

"I'm a writer for a magazine." She finished with her hair and turned around. "Do you have a love interest in your movie?"

"A nurse."

"Uh-oh."

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"In my movie, the other woman vying for my love interest is a nurse."

Neal smiled. "I see. And tell me about your love interest."

"He's in the Navy." Sara stood up. "Shall we?"

"This is going to be fun," Neal predicted. And he was right.

###

"Picking just one will be a challenge," El said as she pulled the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice off of the shelf.

"I was certain you'd go with that one," Peter said.

"Tempting, but it's a mini-series, not a movie."

Peter picked up Home Alone, and he studied the cover.

"Is that your choice?" El asked after he'd stared at the movie for a couple of minutes.

He wasn't sure. "It speaks to me at the moment. I've felt a bit isolated in my job, but I'd rather put that behind me instead of using it for inspiration."

"At least you picked a comedy. In the movie the boy outwits the bad guys and is reunited with his family."

"True. It has potential with that happy ending. I'll keep it in mind as an option." He put the DVD back on the shelf and picked up an Indiana Jones movie.

"That's a promising smile," El noted. "Thinking of your nickname?" Early in his FBI career he'd been called the archaeologist because he kept digging until he found answers.

"Tempting, but I wouldn't be surprised if Joe picks this one." Peter's brother Joe was a big Harrison Ford fan.

After an hour of discussing movies, El said, "I've decided. Tomorrow I'll write my note about why it's a favorite."

"What did you pick?" Peter asked.

"I can't tell you."

"But I'm going to read and score all of the nominations. I'll see what you selected."

"You shouldn't see the selections from anyone else until you make your own choice. Have you decided on your movie?"

Peter shook his head. "No. But it doesn't matter. They're counting on me to be impartial, so even if I nominate a movie, I wouldn't select it."

"But what if yours is the clear winner?"

"All the more reason for me not to participate in the nominations."

Satchmo bounded over to remind them it was time for his evening walk, and that brought the topic Peter's nomination to an end.

Or so he thought.

A/N: It's good to be back with another holiday-themed story!

This story takes place immediately after Breakaway by Silbrith. That's the story in which Peter decided to accept an offer to work at Win-Win. It is purely a coincidence that Silbrith was writing the story while I decided to look for a better job. Peter's dissatisfaction with his role at the FBI has some basis in my experience, but I actually liked my boss. I'm happy to say that my new job is a much better fit for me, and leaving behind the stress of the old job did wonders for unblocking my writing!

The Win-Win transformation room was introduced in my story Full Circle.