DISCLAIMER: WHITE COLLAR IS NOT AT ALL MINE. I DONT OWN NEAL CAFFREY, PETER BURKE OR ANY OTHER RECOGNIZEABLE CHARACTERS.no matter how many 11:11's i wasted on that wish...THE ONLY CHARACTER I OWN IS LENA.

A/N: Im trying to update about once a month, atleast right now, but winter break is next week. As much as I hate to admit it my school comes first if I want to get anywhere in this world. Enjoy the story...

###Loft###

The tension in the room was mild, it could probably have been sliced with a knife.

"You know Lena under any other circumstances i would have been happy to see you; but under these not so much. Lena, you broke out of your boarding school when I gave you strict direct orders to stay behind those walls. Do you not understand that to the FBI you're fair play? They dont care that you're only 16" He was about to continue when he was cut off by the teenager sitting on his couch.

"Dad, it's not just my fault. You should have realized this wasn't going to work my whole life, especially now when you're confined here with a tracker and a radius. I needed to see my father; and obviously my first attempt at getting your attention so this was plan b, and its a shame i wasted so many art supplies to give the bonds and painting away"

"I saw them Lena, congratulations your art caught my attention. It also caught the attention of the FBI, this is why I put you in a school halfway across the country under an alias. They're investigating the forgeries."

Lena was about to ask how the suits as her Uncle Mozzie called them got a hold of her pieces but she didnt have time before there was a knock on the door...

In hushed voiced between the muttered curses Neal ushered his daughter into one of the many hidden rooms around the loft. After she was safely tucked away he proceeded to may his way to the door, desperately hoping it was anyone but Peter

but things weren't exactly in his favor today...

"Hello Peter"

Peter looked skeptical as to why it took Neal so long to answer the door "Neal, took you a while to answer the door"

"I was changing clothes Peter, not all of us enjoy watching television in a suit."

"Okay Neal, I just stopped by to show you the bonds and the Rubens. See if you noticed any other kind of signature other than LC, since you claim to not know what that means."

"Well Peter I'd be happy to take a look"

Neal and Peter proceeded to inspect the artwork, forgeries or not they were still art. Neal noticed a few things that were different but for the most part it was dead on to what the original looked like.

"This is expertly done Peter, the only real flaw is that the covering this man was wearing is supposed to be a mixture of blue and green to create a sort of sea color but here its more of a teal"

"Meaning...?"

"Meaning Jane Bonds was either rushed for time or missed it, one second I just want to look at one more thing"

With that Neal was on his was to the closet that lead to the room where his daughter was hidden from everyone.

"You messed up the colors Lena, if you didnt do that it would have stayed under the radar"

"Yes dad, I can hear. I was pressed for time theres only so much I can do in a boarding school, and Jane Bonds? Did they really give me your nickname?"

"Not the time for that Lena, I've got to go lie to Peter"

A short time later Neal emerged from the closet with a UV black light, Peter's face was a mixture of suspicion and confusion "I don't even want to know Neal, lets just finish here I promised El that I would take her to the new cafe by the house"

Lena couldnt help but silently laugh from her observation room at her fathers antics and the suits confusion.

"I just want to check and see if you missed something at the lab, they're professionals but they dont know what to look for"

He inspected the painting and found nothing, but that wasn't a surprise he just wanted to see if she did as he taught her and hid it well and small enough. She did, it was a blessing and a curse she knew these things. Eventually Peter was getting ready to leave, not soon enough according to Neal. As he was leaving he turned around though, apparently one last thought on his mind. "Oh and Neal, did any of your friends give you any information?"

"It seems most of the fences and con artists have heard of Jane Bonds, but just like us nobody's seen her all they have is that she is indeed a she" Peter nodded and left. That was one problem avoided, atleast for now.

He was just standing, running his hands through his hair and across his forehead not quite sure how to proceed with this whole mess of things. Hundreds of scenerio's running through his head when a voice interrupted him

"Dad"
Neal turned around to see Lena slowly walking towards him to many emotions running through her face to be completely readable. "What is it Lena?"

"You weren't kidding, the FBI knows, they know everything. Am I going to jail?"

"No, Lena I wasn't kidding" A large sigh echoing through the room "They don't know everything; As far as they know you're in your early 20's. Ill figure something out. Dont worry"

"Peter doesn't give up Dad, I am totally screwed"

"Lena, watch your mouth."

"Sorry"

At that moment Mozzie decided to stroll through the door like he lived there, and lets be honest most of the time he did. He was carrying bags from what was assumed to be a grocery store when he spotted Neal and Lena standing in the middle of the room. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Uh...Neal, isn't she supposed to be in a boarding school in Missouri under an assumed name? It's not safe for her to be here"

At what seemed like the same time Neal and Lena responded

"You dont think I know that Moz?" and

"Glad you're happy to see me Uncle Mozzie"

"So there is a good reason she's here? And Lena, happy to see you, yes. Happy to see you here, in New York, in the loft. Not so much. So Neal, why is she here?"

Neal let out a large breath, he knew this was going to take a while to explaini. "Well Moz, I'm sure you've heard of the new con-artist in play, the 2 expertly forged bonds and the Rubens?"

"Yes, of course, this girls an expert nobody knows who she is only that shes a she and in her 20's. Her paining would have sold well until the suits got it. Wait, Neal are you on that case? I would love to meet her!"

"The FBI assigned Peter the case this morning, since no alias's were found shes being called Jane Bonds" He didn't have time to finish when Mozzie cut him off.

"They gave away your nickname? Now thats just wrong"

"Moz, focus. This girl wasn't going to forge again even if she wasnt caught"

"Neal, how could you possibly know that?"

"Because I have known her since she was born Mozzie, her parents wanted a better life for her."

Mozzie still didnt understand what Neal was saying and Lena sat on the couch watching the pair, listening intently. She decided to add her own little piece to the puzzle "The only discrepancy in the painting was the color of the cloth, and they found the signature, LC" Her voice coming out calm but shaking slightly. Neal turned to face Mozzie to catch his reaction just as he was about to speak.

"But how would you...LC. Lena Caffrey. Lena are you saying you forged those"

"Surprise?"

"But why would you do something like that? Lena you know your father wanted something better for you, theres a reason that when he was sent to prison he put you in a boarding school in Missouri."

Neal spun to face his daughter as he heard a sniffle, as a child she hadnt cried much that was typically the reason he could bring her on cons with him, that she was calm and could follow direction if needed, but as proven now she was still a child.

With tears threatening to fall Lean looked at the two men who were currently looking at her and spoke without hesitation "I wanted my family. I missed my father, I mean sure the girls and teachers at Westbrook were great, its a great school; but its not my father. I just wanted to come home"

Within seconds Neal was at her side hugging her tight saying "Im sorry, Im so sorry" in her ear slightly above a whisper. Showing a side of Neal that Mozzie had not seen since the young girl had been sent to Westbrook 5 years ago.

A/N: Thanks for reading guys! :D Its AU and OOC, but hey it has to be, nobody knows how they would act if he had a daughter.

PLEASE REVIEW. I appreciate the reviews, favorites and alerts; but reviews are constructive 3 they also prove to my mother im doing something useful lol

Enjoy the Holidays everybody!

-Cia Rosalie