Pareidolia

by Indy'sEndymion

There's a new break on an old case of Peter's; Helps explain Neal's history with his father, his dislike for guns, and how he became a confidence man to begin with. Warnings for child sexual and physical abuse nothing in graphic detail ; no m/m slash; rated M for mature themes and situations.

1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own "White Collar". That privilege belongs to Jeff Eastin and the USA Network.

Pareidolia

Prologue

Neal Caffrey smiled as he sat down at a bench in Thomas Paine park. The young man was dressed to the nines, as usual, on this particular Thursday morning. It was early – only 6:30, and the street was just beginning to really come alive. His smile grew brighter and showed the twinkle of the devil in it when he caught eyes with a beautiful redhead. She walked past him and glanced back, grinning at his stunning visage. Neal checked his luxurious A. Lange Sohne timepiece and sipped his coffee before looking up at the swaying of tree branches. It was autumn and the leaves were just starting to change, but still the wind was warm and it was a sunny day.

Past the golden and red leaves he saw a single cloud in the sky – to his delight it looked exactly like a face with a friendly smile. Neal checked his watch one more time and decided it was time to head to the office. Peter wanted the team there early because apparently there was a break in an old case and he wanted to get a jump on it. Neal stood up, straightened his suit, and started walking along Worth street towards the Federal Plaza. It was turning out to be a good day already.