Shadows from the past

by Pikatchoune

Post season 6, beware of spoilers! The FBI caught the Pink Panthers even so not everything went as planned. Neal did not survive the take down. Two years later, a thief starts targeting great European museums. What if Neal was not really dead? Mostly canon, but started before the Finale aired, so some parts are AU. Rated T for safety.

3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Neal didn't get a chance to answer. The door opened behind him and what he heard made his blood run cold.

"Neal?"

Diana's voice was unsure, full of incredulity. Neal saw the life he had built over the last two years crumble in an instant. His perfect identity, the one no one was could burn, just collapsed like a house of cards. Slowly, the former con man stood up to face the woman who had been a colleague and a friend for such a long time in New York.

"Hello, Diana."

That was all he could say. For once in his life, he was lost for words. Diana was speechless, unable to grasp this impossible truth. Neal was alive, he lied to everyone. To Peter and Elisabeth, who had a child while mourning a friend. To Mozzie, who was way too overwhelmed with sadness and grief to have just played a role. To Jones, who didn't show his true feelings, but miss the CI greatly. To herself, who lived with her guilt from that fateful day. Without realizing what she was doing, she slapped the young man. A reaction that expressed her grief and her sadness of having been lied to for so long.

The sound of the slap rang in the interrogation room, forcing Julie to react. The Captain was on her feet in seconds, standing between her suspect and the woman who hit him.

"Mrs., I don't know who you are and where you come from, but in my precinct, no one slaps a suspect!"

"I think I deserved it," Neal murmured.

Diana turned her gaze from him to the woman.

"I'm Diana Berrigan, I work for Interpol. This man is Neal Caffrey. He supposedly died over two years ago and he is probably guilty of the heists we're investigating."

That being said, Diana turned her heels and left. The Captain started smiling. The case seemed to be closed.

"I guess we'll have a lot of things to discuss, Mister Caffrey."

The criminal's eyes were as cold as ice when he answered.

"I'll speak only to Agent Berrigan."

Behind the façade, Neal was praying, hoping his friend would believe him. Appearances worked against him, but he was innocent. He just had to convince Diana that he was telling the truth, and find whoever had committed those crimes.