Disclaimer: White Collar belongs to Jeff Eastin, USA Network et al. This is for fun, no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's note: * = quote from 6.01 – Borrowed Time
Borrowed Time
"But it doesn't have to be."*
Only a few words but they hit Rebecca like a blow. Hit her harder than admitting to herself that Burke is probably right and Neal being kidnapped may have been her fault. As a matter of fact – knowing Booth she is darn sure it is her fault. But so are many other things. What breaks through her defenses is not Burke pointing out her being responsible – she has no use for guilt, never had – but offering her absolution.
"I'll fix this for you."*
It is something no one has ever done for her before.
Her parents had been firm believers that you only learned by cleaning up what you messed up – literally as well as figuratively. She never went to one school long enough to get picked as a teacher's favorite. The supervisors at MI6 expected her to handle mistakes on her own. So basically all her life she has been taught to trust only in herself and that looking for help was weak. All her life she has trained herself to not care who gets hurt through her fault. And here was Burke, offering her to make everything all right.
She cannot stop thinking about it.
Sitting in the holding cell Burke's words keep repeating and repeating themselves in her head.
"I will, however, offer you an opportunity."*
An opportunity. He had done what no one had ever done and given her an opportunity: To do something good. Not for personal gain but for someone she loves. And it is...
Deep down, she thinks, she has always known that people like her either end up behind bars or dead. And she is pretty sure she can break out of any prison, eventually. Or even that a breakout might be staged for her. She has a very specific skill set, after all … and if people with power find themselves in need they always find justification to ignore the rules. So up to today she has regarded her situation more as 'biding her time' than an endpoint.
Now though … what else can there be, after this?
She is glad she gets to see Neal one last time before they move her. Neal, the love she never hoped to find. She doesn't think he gets EVERYTHING she's trying to tell him, doesn't have it in him to understand why she thinks this is as close to a happy ending not only they but SHE will ever get … and she loves him all the more for that.
She did something good and Burke made everything all right. Now there's only left to ensure no one from her past or future will ever threaten Neal to make her do what they want.
"Both of us would do whatever it takes for the people we love."*
Rebecca doesn't intend to live as she makes a grab for her guard's gun.