A/N thanks for your reviews and support.

Fangtasia21: thanks for your review my friend. Keller. He's not a criminal technically.

Diverges slightly from White collar canon.

Neal's POV

When the deal with Adler went down he and Mozzie had to flee the country. They fled to France and began to burrow down. Small jobs here and there to make ends meet. His one regret was that Kate didn't go with them.

She didn't want to run from the states. He knew he couldn't stay. As big as New York was he wouldn't be able to stay away from the CIA forever. They would eventually find him.

So they parted ways with the hopes of meeting again. Neal took to everything Mozzie taught him. His forgeries became better and better under the careful guidance.

He went to museums to study paintings. His careful gaze noting everything. Later he would forge them based on memories. Some were good. Others were not. Mozzie carefully tutored him in how to make them better.

After three months of being in Paris he noticed that he was being followed on his way back from the museum. A brown haired man in a grey suit had been following him for half a block. It wasn't much but he knew he had to be careful. If this man was a fed he couldn't lead him back to Mozzie.

Neal slipped down one of the alleyways. He had learned all of the in and outs of the city in case he had to bolt. The quick footsteps behind him made him glad that he did.

Mozzie always seemed paranoid about things but he was right about some of it. Neal knew about it from experience. Life as a vigilante and as a CIA agent had shown him things. Time to put them into action. FBI wouldn't be able to keep up with him. Old injuries or not.

He was halfway up the side of a building and hid himself in the shadow of a window. It wasn't much cover but it would allow him to observe his follower.

The follower wasn't wearing a suit that he expected of the FBI. Instead was one of the more common CIA. The slight differences in fitting could only be caught by one who knew. It seemed Beckman didnt waste any time.

The man glanced around looking for him. It seemed the person wasn't very clever. If they were then they would know to look up.

Neal almost moved back when hazel eyes shot up to his hiding spot. It was as if the man was looking directly into his soul. Though he highly doubt the other could see him. The shadows hid him well.

After a long stare down the other moved away. Neal held his position for several moments longer to see if the man doubled back. When he didn't Neal carefully climbed down.

It had been a close call. Now he needed to leave Paris. There was no telling what trouble this agent would cause him.

He made his way back to the apartment he shared with Mozzie. The elder wasn't there so Neal left an encrypted note. Those encryptions were getting better as well. Things he learned briefly from the agency were refined by the conman.

When he felt eyes upon his back he froze. They weren't eyes of a watcher but of someone who meant harm. Carefully he positioned himself so that he could ward off any attack.

A familiar chuckle revibrated through the room chilling him to his core. He knew that chuckle. It was one that he had not heard since their last encounter when he was sixteen; well over seven years prior.

The chuckle was from Ra's Al Ghul the leader of the League of Shadows. There last encounter had been the most pleasant of the encounters he had with the man.

A promise between them that Ra's would not interfere with his work as Nightwing. That Nightwing would do the same in return.

That promise had stood even when he joined the CIA. He never shared what he knew or participated in any mission that he might cross paths with the League. A promise was part of his honor. If he made one he would do everything in his power to keep it.

He turned to face the Demon's Head blue eyes clashing against grey. The grey eyes widened with recognition. A small smile crossed the man's face.

Ra's said doing a once over on Neal, "When I came here, I certainly didn't expect this. There were rumors of a new forger working with an old one. For it to be you however."

The man trailed off. Grey eyes searched his. As with all of their interactions it felt as if the man was looking into his very soul.

Neal remembered all his interactions with Ra's with clarity. In the beginning the man seemed mentally unstable. He would jump from one extreme to the other. Two to three times a year he would attack Gotham and try to convince Bruce to come back to Nanda Parbat with him.

Then when Richard turned 13 all activity from the man suddenly stopped. It was as if he suddenly dropped off of everyone's radar. Having just had a falling out with Bruce, he didn't put much thought into it.

A year later Ra's and the League resurfaced. Most of their kills were criminals that had evaded justice. They stayed away from cities such as Gotham, Star, and Metropolis for the most part.

When they met in Gotham two years had passed from their return. Ra's at the time seemed far calmer than anytime they met before. That night they had come to an agreement. Nightwing was coming into his own at the time. He didn't want an enemy of the League. So he took the olive branch offered.

Ra's warned him that night that a man could not live by two names. At the time he didn't really understand what the other was trying to get at. It wasn't until he left Gotham to join the CIA did he truly understand.

Richard and Nightwing's lives were closely intertwined. Some days he didn't know who he was. Was he Nightwing or was he Richard Grayson?

When he left he realized that he truly wasn't living as either. The CIA gave him a purpose and an identity. One that allowed him to truly live.

That was what Ra's had meant when he said that a man could not live with two names. They needed that one to be who they are.

There was a twitch of his lips as he replied, "When I disappeared I never expected to run across you, Ra's. What are you doing here?"

Neal's eyes trailed to the man's hip where a familiar sword lay. The very sword that he clashed against in his early teens.

Ra's answered calmly, "I was here for you and your friend. Really, young Grayson a thief?"

Neal glanced around remembering why he had come. He had to leave before his follower caught up with him. While he could get away from Ra's if he wanted to Mozzie could not. He would not leave his friend to the League.

Neal said moving towards the door, "Not here, Ra's. Follow me."

The Demon's Head raised an eyebrow but did as he was told. As he passed by one of the windows he saw a brown haired man in a suit on the street. He didn't fool the man for long it seemed. They would have to move quickly.

Ra's commented lightly as they moved out onto the street, "You seem to be avoiding someone."

Neal froze as he heard movement to the side of them. When it turned out to be a cat they began moving again.

Neal said quietly, "I don't know who he is but he's been following me. That's why I'm leaving now rather than wait for my partner. He's after me so he'll leave my partner alone."

Ra's commented amused, "You have changed from the boy I knew. The young Grayson I knew would have faced his unknown opponent in fight. Wouldn't be a thief either. What happened to you?"

Neal said with a tired look back at the man, "You know I left Gotham. That was the start of my changes. It was then I realized that you were right. A man cannot live by two names. I was nearly destroyed by it."

Ra's didn't say anything else as they went further into the street. Once they were far enough away Neal stopped. He had to put more space between him and the CIA agent. Fighting Ra's however was not something he could realistically do. If it was back before his deaths then possibly but not now.

Ra's ordered calmly not turning to see if he obeyed, "Follow me. Your watcher won't be far behind us."

Neal knew if he ran he would have the League and the CIA after him. One he could handle. Two would be a nightmare. So he followed curious to see what Ra's had to say.