Neal took a breath to steady his nerves and then he plastered on a bright smile as he walked into the bedroom. "There's my girls! Your mom said that I'd find you guys in here."
He glanced at the television and saw that the girls were watching Ice Age 3. However, they both flew towards him after he walked into the room. He kneeled down and scooped both girls up into his arms and hugged them tightly. Neal was heartened by the fact that the girls would run to him when they were obviously scared.
Elizabeth smiled softly and lightly squeezed his shoulder. "I am going to give you a little privacy. I could use a cup of coffee and something to snack on. I'm glad that you are okay, Neal."
He smiled sadly looking up at Elizabeth. "Thank you for being here with my daughters. Jade told me that you helped get them out of the house safely. I appreciate it more than you know, Elizabeth."
"It was my pleasure, Neal. They are wonderful little girls. I definitely see a lot of you in them," said Elizabeth. She quietly slipped out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She glanced at the door for a moment before continuing down the hall.
Neal pulled back from the hug and looked at both of the girls. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing that his daughters were safe and sound. "Are you two okay? Mommy said that you had a pretty big morning."
Sofia nodded and said, "We're okay, Daddy. It was scary before June showed us the secret door. I thought…I thought something really bad was going to happen to us."
She stopped herself from commenting any further knowing that Isabella still didn't really have any idea what had almost happened to them today.
Isabella nodded in agreement although at the time she had less of an idea of what was going on. She just knew that they were in danger and it had terrified her.
Neal stood up with both girls in his arms and had a seat on the bed. He set one girl on each of his knees and said, "I bet it was pretty scary. I'd be scared too if that happened to me, but there is no reason to be scared anymore. You two are safe here."
Isabella's eyes were heavy because she was exhausted. She'd long passed her naptime but was in no condition to sleep. She nodded a little and said, "I don't like bad men. They are mean and bad. And we had to hide in the closet."
Neal smiled slightly and caressed her back. "I know they are but no one is going to hurt you, angel. I promise."
She looked up at Neal's face as if she was considering whether or not to believe him. She held up her little hand and asked, "Do you pinkie swear?"
Neal chuckled softly and nodded. He hooked his pinkie around hers and said, "I pinkie swear that no one is going to hurt you. I'm not going to let anything to you or Sofia."
"Mommy, too?" asked Isabella.
"Mommy, too. I love you guys so much. I am not going to let anyone hurt you," Neal promised.
Isabella seemed to relax more and yawned tiredly. She clutched onto his suit jacket as her eyes got heavier. "Okay Daddy."
Neal glanced down at her sleepy face and said, "I think it is time for someone to get a little nap. Sofia why don't you let me put Isabella down for her nap and then we can get a snack with Elizabeth."
Sofia nodded and said, "Okay. I'm gonna go find mommy."
She hopped off his lap and walked out of the room.
Neal lifted Isabella up and put her in the center of the bed. He tucked her in once she was settled. "Nap time for sleepy little ones."
Although Isabella was snuggled comfortably beneath the down comforter she protested, "But I'm not sleepy! I don't want to take a nap."
Neal had to suppress a smile that was forming. He knew very well that she'd be asleep in a matter of minutes. However, he kicked off his shoes and had a seat on the bed with her. "Well, then you don't have to take a nap. We will just watch this movie. What is it?"
Isabella yawned a little and said, "Ice Age 3. Manny and Ellie have a little baby elephant and they have to keep her safe."
Neal nodded and said, "Like me and Mommy have to keep you and Sofia safe."
She giggled and nodded, "It is my faborite movie. I always wanted a daddy and now I gots one."
Neal paused for a moment feeling the guilt settle into the pit of his stomach again. He smiled gently at his daughter, "You have a daddy now and I'm not going anywhere. I promise. This looks like a very good movie I think that I'll watch it with you. I've never seen Ice Age before."
Neal settled in watching the movie with Isabella. However, in less than twenty minutes the girl's breathing had evened out and she was fast asleep with her thumb firmly planted in her mouth. He picked up her teddy bear from the floor and tucked it under her arm.
Jade stood in the doorway with a small smile on her face. She'd come in to see how Isabella and Neal were doing. It was no secret that the little girl was still shaken up from the morning adventure. She whispered, "You two look absolutely adorable. I wish that I had my cell phone so that I could take a picture of this. It deserves to be in a scrapbook of some sort. If I scrapbooked, but I don't."
Neal slipped his shoes back on and met Jade at the door. "Well, I think she was scared of going to sleep alone. I figured I'd stick around until she dozed off. It didn't take long at all. Although, I see she still sucks her thumb."
"Isabella only sucks her thumb when she's stressed out. I think today qualifies as stressful for all of us but I know that she felt safe enough to go to sleep because you were here with her. She's getting attached to you already," said Jade.
There was a time when she didn't think that Neal would ever meet Isabella let alone have a bond with her. However, in just a few short days she could see that the girls were as attached to Neal as he was to them. It made her wonder what the future held for their family if they could ever escape Adler.
"You think so? I could tell from Sofia's face that she wasn't buying a word I said. I sort of felt like a failure when it came to her, but she was nice enough not to voice her concerns in front of Isabella. She's a good big sister," said Neal.
"That's just because Sofia is old enough to sort of understand what is going on. She's not a baby anymore, Neal. I think we have to be as honest with her as we can be about the situation."
He shook his head, "I'm supposed to be able to protect my children. I shouldn't have to figure out a way to tell my little girl that some maniac might kidnap her because I conned him in the past. I mean does this end up with them going into witness protection like I had to as a kid?"
The last thing that Neal ever wanted was to be anything like his father. However, at the moment he was feeling more and more like a letdown to his family. His mistakes from the past were putting them in danger. The scenario Jade used to warn him against was now playing out and he hated to say that she'd been right.
"You are not your father, Neal. And you aren't alone in taking risks that put us all in danger. I've got just as many enemies out in the world. Maybe more. They just don't have a face and a name to put with me because I'm a thief and you're a conman. I'm pretty sure if the people I've ripped off knew who I was I'd be on the run with the girls for the rest of my life."
"You warned me about the risks of being a conman. You told me what I'd be giving up and…I kept going anyway. I'm in this situation because of my own pride and greed," said Neal.
Jade reached out and lightly caressed his cheek, "Neal, stop it. It is a thrill thing. Sometimes it's the only thing that makes us happy, baby. How many jobs have I pulled because I needed a shot of adrenaline or I just wanted to prove that it could be done? It is the nature of the business we're in. It doesn't mean that those situations don't come back to haunt us. I mean if you hadn't asked Alex to tip me off I'd be awaiting trial, right?"
Neal took Jade into his arms and kissed her passionately. He loved that she understood him and never tried to make him feel bad for who he was. It reminded him just how much Jade had always loved him and how deep that love went.
Elizabeth walked back to the room to tell them that Peter was on his way up. However, seeing the kiss she quietly made her way back up the hall and pretended she hadn't seen a thing.
"I promise that I am going to make this right, Jade. I won't let anything happen to you or the girls," Neal promised.
Jade frowned deeply and put her hands on her hips, "Don't do anything to get taken away from the girls. They know you now and I don't want you to leave a Neal sized hole in their lives if you get sent to prison."
Neal put his hands on her hips and pulled Jade's body back against his. He quirked an eyebrow and asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Neal Caffrey. If anyone knows just what kind of man you are it is me. Don't go after Adler. Let Peter and the FBI do their job," said Jade, her voice was quiet yet determined.
Neal's eyes searched hers and in a quiet voice he said, "I'll give Peter two weeks. If they don't have Adler by then…I'll do this my way."
"Fine, but before you do anything…we talk about it."
"Why?" asked Neal.
"They're my daughters, too. If you're going to go after Adler then I want to know what you're doing and how I can help and don't try to tell me that you don't want me involved because I already am. The moment he tried to kidnap one of our daughters I became involved," Jade explained.
He drew her into a hug and kissed her cheek. "You have my word that I'll run any plans by you before I do anything."
Jade nodded slightly and pulled away from Neal with a small smile.
Neal noted the awkwardness in the smile and realized it was because of the hug and the kiss. "What's going on?"
"How do you do that?" asked Jade. She broke the lock he had on her eyes. Jade hated that he could see through her.
"Do what?"
"How do you make me forget that you are a complete bastard that has a girlfriend in my living room? One that I had to hide my paintings from because I don't need her investigating me," said Jade, as she took a step back. She needed physical distance between her and Neal or he'd draw her back in like a fly into his web.
"Sara is a great person and a good friend but she is not my girlfriend. We didn't have any labels on our relationship. That was at her request…not mine," said Neal.
Jade asked, "Are the two of you sleeping together?"
Neal cocked his head to one side and saw the jealousy brewing in Jade's expressive eyes. She'd never really been able to hide anything from him. Much like he couldn't hide very much from her. "I care about Sara, but I love you. It is simple as that, Jade."
"Do you love me? Or do you love our family? Because those are two very different things, Neal. Everything is crazy right now. This isn't the time for you to be making life altering decisions. Sara could be the love of your life. I'm smarter than I used to be. I'm not about to pull into the street until I know there are no other cars on the roadway.
She turned on her heels and walked out of the bedroom and into the living room where Peter was standing holding Elizabeth in her arms. Jade held back a groan realizing that a FBI Special Agent from the White Collar Crimes Division was standing in an apartment under one of her aliases. That meant Veronique Gray was now burned as an alias.
However, she was grateful for June keeping Sara and Elizabeth occupied out on the terrace while she got all of the stolen artwork off of the walls and into an apartment 6 floors beneath them. Jade was a firm believer of having more than one safe house in close proximity. She used the studio apartment in this building as a place to stash her stolen artwork and jewelry. That definitely came in handy today.
Jade sat down in one of the two tufted club chairs in the room. She didn't want to chance Neal sitting next to her. Besides she needed to keep an eye on Sara because the woman was obviously conducting a mental investigation.
Sara was cautiously eying the mostly bare walls. Her initial hunch about those paintings being stolen had been spot on. It was obvious that Jade had removed the stolen work while June acted as a diversion. She shook her head realizing that Jade was a thief much like Neal.
Neal walked into the living room and had a seat on the tufted sectional couch that anchored the room. He knew that Peter needed a moment with Elizabeth.
Neal did a quick glance around the room and smirked slightly at the remaining paintings. Jade hadn't had time to get rid of all of them. The ones left behind were ones that she'd painted as forgeries. However, one over the fire place caught his attention. It was one of the first paintings he'd forged as a young man. It would never pass muster if it was scrutinized. However, it was a pretty damn good copy of Van Gogh's Starry Night.
Sofia had a seat with Neal on the couch and asked, "Do you want a cookie, Dad?"
Neal smiled and accepted one of the cookies. "Thank you."
Peter said, "When we couldn't find any of you…we started to think the worst."
She smiled softly at her husband. "I was starting to think the worst when I couldn't get in contact with you. I had no clue if Adler had decided to go after you."
"The bastard used some sort of radio and cell jammer in a two block radius around June's house. We couldn't get any calls in or out unless they went through the tele-command post that we set up outside the radius. I didn't get any of your voicemails until I left the June's house. You don't know how good it was to hear your voice, El."
Elizabeth shook her head. She was taken aback by Adler's apparent reach.
"I have some news that concerns…well everyone in this room. Hughes has made the decision that it is too dangerous to leave all of you out in the open. Instead we're going to move everyone to a safe-house in upstate New York. Hughes, Diana, Jones, and myself will work security. I've called in two other trusted agents, Cruz and Westley. We don't know how many moles Adler might have in the FBI feeding him information."
Sara looked at how Neal was bonding with the little girl she could only assume was his daughter. She raised a hand and asked, "Excuse me, just what do you mean by everyone?"
Peter said, "Well, I mean everyone. Adler might come after any of you as a way to get to Neal. Even Elizabeth might be in danger because of my connection to Neal. He could see it as a good way to have leverage over a special agent. I mean, what wouldn't a man give to get his wife back safely?"
Elizabeth gently squeezed Peter's hand. She knew how deeply her husband loved her. She didn't want to think about the lengths he'd go to for her safe return if Adler did manage to kidnap her.
"I know that none of you are prepared to go into a safe house. Hughes has teams in place to take you to your homes to retrieve enough clothes and essentials for a few weeks at the safe house. They'll bring you back to the Bureau and from there we'll transport everyone in two vehicles up to the safe house. Any questions?" asked Peter.
Sara glanced at Neal and then looked to Peter. "Will there be wine?"
Later that night everyone was under lockdown at the safe house in Albany. It was a moderately sized property the White Collar Division had seized when they took down the head of a fairly well known hedge fund. The bureau sometimes kept properties like these for safe houses. This one was certainly coming in handy tonight.
The 6 bedroom, 4 and ½ bathroom house was just big enough to accommodate the number of protected witnesses.
Jade walked into the kitchen and got herself a glass of wine. She and Neal were in a weird space and right now that wasn't good for Sofia and Isabella. Jade watched June standing at the stove and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help? You shouldn't be cooking for all of us on your own."
June smiled at her. "I don't mind cooking like this. I used to cook for huge crowds when Byron was still alive. He'd have lots of people over and I always enjoyed cooking for everyone. It makes me feel useful in my older age."
"Are you sure there isn't anything that I can do to help? I feel a little useless around here myself," explained Jade.
The older woman was no fool. She knew that Jade was attempting to avoid Neal and under the circumstances she couldn't blame her. "I could use your help peeling potatoes for the mashed potatoes. I've got two roasts in the oven and I'm working on homemade biscuits now."
"Well, it smells absolutely heavenly in here. I am starving. I didn't have much of an appetite earlier today. I guess I should cut up all of the potatoes for the crowd that we are trying to feed tonight," said Jade.
Jade went to the sink and quickly washed her hands. She collected a huge bowl, a knife, and an unopened 10lb bag of Russet potatoes. She got set up at the island in the kitchen and started peeling the potatoes.
June asked, "You wouldn't prefer a peeler?"
The younger woman shook her head and said, "I grew up using knives to peel potatoes. A peeler will just slow me down. I used to peel sacks of potatoes like I was in the military."
"Big family?" asked June rolling out the dough for her biscuits.
She nodded and said, "I had a pretty big extended family when I was a kid. We all lived on the same block. As the oldest I always got tasked with peeling potatoes or dicing up veggies. Anything that required a knife I got stuck with while my mother and aunts cooked."
"Sounds like a pretty nice childhood," said June.
She shook her head and said, "You'd think that, but not really. The good times were sandwiched between a lot of bad times. I think that is why Neal and I latched onto one another. We were looking for…something to ground us."
"Seems like you and Neal were close for a very long time," June noted.
"We were just kids. You grow up over the years and things change. Sometimes you don't even know why."
Jade settled into a comfortable silence and made quick work of the 10lbs of potatoes. She wondered if that'd be enough food to feed everyone: Neal, Jade, Sofia, Isabella, June, Peter, Elizabeth, Sara, Mozzie, Hughes, Diana, Jones, Lauren, and Westley.
June frowned at the potatoes and said, "There is another bag over in the pantry. I think we'll need them as well."
"I was just thinking the same thing. I'll go get the bag."
She walked over to the pantry and grabbed the second bag of potatoes and came back to the island.
"Are you doing okay?"
Jade looked up and smiled at the older woman. "I'm worried about Neal."
June walked over and had a seat next to Jade. "Well, if it makes you feel any better I am worried about Neal, too."
Jade smiled softly and said, "Well, at least I don't have to worry on my own. Thank you again for letting me and the girls stay at your house. They really enjoyed themselves. Sofia was so excited by the fact that her dad would be there when she woke up in the morning. Not to mention you saved all of us today."
"That is something you do not have to thank me for. It was my pleasure, Jade. You are Neal's family so you are my family, too. Neal has made an impression on my life," June confessed.
"Neal tends to have that affect on people. He is charming but beneath all of that charm are genuineness and a loving heart. Neal is the kind of man you can count on when the chips are down. Unfortunately, in our short lives the chips have been down quite often."
June chuckled softly. "I know that feeling well. Neal is a lot like my Byron. He was a good man…with a good heart, but he couldn't stay straight to save his life. Even though we went through a lot of bad times I never regretted my time with Byron. The only thing I hate was that it was cut short."
"I'm so sorry. I can't imagine losing someone after being with them so long. I'd imagine that sort of pain never really goes away."
June gave her a knowing smile. She heard the quiver in the young woman's voice. "I get the feeling that you understand that pain all too well. You still love, Neal…don't you?"
Jade fell silent staring out at the peeled potatoes in front of her. "Doesn't matter anymore if I do or don't. I just want to make sure that he is part of Sofia and Isabella's lives. They are all that is between us now."
June chuckled and shook her head. "I'd believe you more if your eyes weren't glassy with tears. Being this close to Neal breaks your heart."
Jade nodded slightly and blinked trying to ward off any tears. "Being around Neal is hard. I always manage to get sucked in by the charm and the good heart. He makes me forgive him for things I shouldn't forgive him for. I'm scared that being this close to him again is going to destroy me in the long run."
"Would it be so bad to reunite with Neal? Maybe you two can have that family you always wanted. Neal loves those girls."
Jade smiled bravely. "But does he love me? Family is a dream that died when I left for Rome. Neal doesn't love me the way that I love him. I don't think he ever did. I was never enough to make him truly happy. Neal was always searching for something more. He had a hole in his heart that I just couldn't fill. Kate did that for him."
June said, "Kate's gone."
"Kate isn't just a woman he fell in love with. She's a symbol of everything that was ever wrong with my relationship with Neal. I am always going to be waiting for him to find someone better. Someone he loves more than he loves me. I didn't run off to Rome to punish Neal. I ran to save me from myself."
June quirked a confused eyebrow at the young woman and asked, "What do you mean? Save yourself how?"
"I knew that Neal's relationship with Kate was going to end badly and when it did he'd look for the familiar. Me. And despite how mad I was with him I knew that the moment he walked back into my life and wanted me back that I'd take him because I love him with all of my heart and soul. I had to put as much physical distance between us as possible."
"Why'd you come back to New York?" June asked curiously.
"I wanted to be back in the States…this is my home. But more importantly I thought that I was strong enough now. I thought that enough time had passed that Neal would no longer be able to pluck away at my heart strings. I was a fool. Because the moment I saw his face I realized that he still has that hold over me. I love that man. And I realized my time in Rome was a farce. I didn't have any relationships. I convinced myself that I was this modern woman that didn't want a man. I pretended that I didn't need a man in my life. Men flirted with me but I was never interested."
"I've come to know Neal very well and I know that he's not the same young man that you left behind. He's changed for the better, Jade. I've watched the metamorphosis that he's undergone while working with Peter at the FBI. I think he's at a place in his life where he understands what really matters in the world. I don't think he'd make the same mistake twice," said June.
"The other night it was just like old times. I was feeling down and confused. Neal was right there to take it all away and make me feel better. It worked. We ended up in bed, which is where we always end up. If we can't do anything else right…making love we do right. The whole time he never mentioned Sara. He's in a relationship with this woman and he didn't say a word. I'm back in the same place I was with Kate. I'm the also ran in this race. I know he doesn't do it on purpose but it breaks my heart every time," whispered Jade. Tears began to slide down her cheeks.
June handed Jade her handkerchief and smiled sadly. "Oh, sweetheart, you youngsters think that you can control your heart, but you can't. I think Neal cares about Sara a great deal, but sometimes if you can't be with the one you love…you love the one you're with. Neal loves you, Jade. He just didn't know that you were back in New York. He didn't know that he had an opportunity to make things right."
Jade dried her eyes with the handkerchief. "I just want this case to be over so that I can go back home. I can drop the girls off with Neal on the weekends and then maybe this lump in my chest will go away."
"Neal loves you, Jade. Of that I am absolutely sure. I see the way he looks at you. I hear the guilt in his voice when he talks about you."
"That's just it. I don't want Neal to be with me because of guilt. To be honest I think that is why he married me in the first place. I was pregnant with Sofia and I didn't have any real support from my family. And as soon as he found out that we were having a little girl Neal just lit up in a way I've never seen him before. Sofia being born changed his life…she changed him. I will never doubt his love for our children. But I don't want him to make a commitment to me again just for their sake. It isn't fair to any of us."
June said, "This sounds like a very specific fear…"
Jade took in a deep breath and sniffled. "This afternoon while we were at my place Neal suggested that I move to the city. He wants us to find a place and live together as a family."
"What's so wrong with that? I am assuming that you are a part of this family he is talking about. This could be a new start for the four of you."
"When he said it my heart skipped a beat. My first thought was to say yes. But before I said anything Neal kept talking and I realized what he really wanted was more time with the girls. And why shouldn't he want more time with them? He hasn't seen Sofia since she was little and he doesn't know Bella at all."
Neal stood in the doorway listening to the two women talk. He backed away from the door silently and went back into the living room
Peter saw the look on Neal's face. "Is everything okay in there?"
Neal shook his head and said, "No."
