Hellooo!
Thanks for all your comments, I truly appreciate them! Now I have to say this story is almost over. I planned it to be as if it was an episode of the series, of course I took a lot of creative liberties LOL but in my fantasy world, this could have been the first episode of Season 5... which starts on October 17th! so that's another reason why this has to end soon and it is hard to keep on track of my story having so many spoilers floating around - now the Dutchman is coming back to help Neal and all... so, anyways!
Chapter 14
Even after hearing Calloway make that call to the marshals, Neal was not going to June's, he almost took off running to Sara's hotel room but he had something else in mind before that. On his way, he texted Elizabeth "Get ready for sushi tomorrow night" and a wink face. He hoped she understood the message which meant that Peter was gonna be free soon.
Tomorrow was going to be Peter's trial at 4 pm and it was all looking pretty good.
"Hi Mozz, it's me. You can retrieve the video now and please email me the link once you upload it to the cloud. I'm meeting Shepard in one hour" said Neal on the phone on his way to meet Sara and Shepard at the hotel bar.
"Did you do it?!" asked Mozzie in shock
"Of course" said Neal
"Agh, you know no boundaries! You actually exchanged fluids with a fed!" said Mozzie truly disgusted.
"Ssshhh! Mozzie! Shut up, I did not, I managed to escape… barely" and then he chuckled.
"I'm never letting you touch me again" said Mozzie in a very serious tone
"Mozz, you know you can't resist me. Now did you get the ring?" said Neal ignoring his friends crazy retorts.
"Not yet but I'm close"
"When?"
"Geez, relax ok? I'll get it, it's just not that easy… Tomorrow I think"
"Perfect, have it for sure tomorrow alright? Please?"
Mozzie just sighed "Fine"
"You're a hero Mozz. Thanks" and then Neal hung up with a big smile on his face
Now that he was free again, Neal made quick detour to Peter's house. When he knocked on the door and agent Blake opened it, he just grinned "Hi there Blake! Excuse me" and he went past him to find Peter. Blake just stood there speechless debating on what to pull out first, his gun, his cuffs, his cellphone or just saying hello back. Caffrey was unbelievable.
Finally, Blake came back to earth and yelled "Caffrey! Stop right there! You should be arrested!"
"Oh didn't you get Agent Calloway's call? I'm due tomorrow for my anklet reinstatement but tonight, I'm just on GPS monitoring with my watch" said Neal lying about the watch of course and looking at Jones who just looked at him quizzically and nodded.
"Yeah, yeah. It's ok, Blake. Caffrey, come on in" said Jones and then came closer to Neal and just whispered "How?" and Neal just shrugged and smiled. Jones had to admit that his admiration for Neal had grown 100 points. Not that he didn't admired him already but making Calloway take the target off his back seemed mission impossible, of course, not for Neal Caffrey.
Peter was in the kitchen when he thought he had heard Neal's voice so he popped his head around and his eyes almost went off their sockets when he saw the younger man standing there, surrounded by FBI agents and smiling.
"Peter!" and Neal took long strides to go and genuinely hug Peter.
Peter hugged him back and questioned him with his eyes and Neal ignored him and with a very chirpy voice just said "I've missed you, partner. Ready for your trial tomorrow?"
Peter didn't understand any of it but this time he had to trust Neal and his wicked ways to be doing the right thing.
"Um, yeah… Josh called this afternoon and explained a few things. He is coming tomorrow morning to talk further" answered Peter
"That's great, Josh is a great lawyer. Oh I could take the stand!" said a very excited Neal
Peter laughed "yeah right"
"I'm serious Peter. There's nothing I would enjoy more than getting to finally run this two man con" said Neal whispering the last part
"Yeah I'm sure you would but it's not a good idea, Neal"
"Why not? Who better than me to make you look like a good cop?" said Neal smiling
Peter sighed and not wanting to but having to, he said "Because to make me look good, you would have to make your father look bad"
"Oh"
"Yeah"
Neal put his hands on his pockets and looked down for a while
"Thank you, Neal. I truly appreciate everything you're doing for me" said Peter putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"I can do it" Neal said looking up
"No Neal, you don't have to. I have enough witnesses already ok?"
"Peter, I said I'll do it. I have to" said Neal with a lot of determination on his voice but pleading with his eyes, as if begging Peter to let him do it.
Peter knew that when Neal had that look, the same look he gave him when he insisted on counterfeiting whisky to catch Ellen's killer, there was no way of stopping him so he just nodded and pulled him in for another hug, patting his back roughly.
Neal did everything in his power to not burst into tears right there. Peter was more of a father to him than James would ever be. Blood was just a liquid in his veins.
"I'm very proud of you, Neal. I'll tell Josh tomorrow" finally said Peter pulling apart and messing with Neal's hair in a way that only a father would do to his kid.
Neal just smiled "I'm not Satchmo, stop it" he said almost shy at the affection Peter was showing in front of so many strangers.
"You're right. Satchmo listens to me" teased Peter
Neal smiled feeling better "I gotta go. Please say hi to Elizabeth. See you tomorrow Peter" he said going for the door.
"Neal…" called Jones "What happened?"
"You did a great job, Clinton. It was pretty easy since she was, um, half way there" winked Neal
"What?!"
Neal laughed "that's a story for another time. See you on court, Jones"
Meanwhile...
Sara was already sitting at a corner table in the hotel's bar, engulfed on her phone, checking work-related emails probably. Neal slid next to her on the booth and hugged her giving her a peck on the cheek.
"Hi there" smiled Sara "where've you been? I didn't hear from you all day"
"Oh you know, I was busy with stuff. Oh by the way, I'm not a fugitive anymore and I went to say hi to Peter" said Neal happily
"Really? And how did that happen?" said Sara with disbelief
"I'm that good" said Neal leaning in for a kiss
She accepted the kiss but pushed him a little with a hand on his cheek "Neal… what did you do to take Calloway off your back? No matter how handsome and seductive Jones can be, I'm sure something else had to happen"
Neal had no exit route. He had to be honest with Sara. He now understood how Peter felt every time he had to fake-cheat on his wife.
"Sorry to interrupt, lovebirds" came Shepard's words saving Neal from the gutter.
Sara whispered to his ear "you will tell me later…" and then "Hi Miss Shepard! Please take a sit"
"I'm not staying, I wouldn't want to steal so precious moments you have together before you leave, Sara" said Shepard sounding actually sincere
Neal had an I-know-something-you-don't smile and Sara just frowned.
"I have the evidence on video, I just need your email address. Also, I think Calloway and Pratt were linked somehow so you might wanna drop that one too when you meet her" said Neal
"You think?" asked Sheppard
"Yeah, she was trying a little too hard to be cool about it when I hinted at it" said Neal
"Wait, you met with Calloway?! When?" asked Sara
"Yeah, I had to. Jones was in danger of getting blamed for everything and Calloway would walk unharmed" said Neal being very careful on his words
Shepard frowned "So this evidence I have here…"
"Oh it's good enough to make her cooperate" finished Neal in a rush "Let's just say it makes her choose between right and wrong. Right, to testify on behalf of his best agent making her look good as an exemplary leader sticking up for her team and wrong, to let herself acquire a reputation of a bad girl who hangs around the big bad wolf" said Neal grinning
Shepard, smart as a whip, caught the meaning on Neal's words and chuckled "Caffrey, you're going to be in deep trouble but I guess that's none of my concern. I hope your good looks and charm get you out of this one" she said winking and giving Sara a look of mischievousness.
Sara just didn't understand any of this and she kept looking back and forth on them "Ok, what's going on"
"Oh, nothing sweetie. I'll explain later" said Neal with a smug smile then to Shepard "Please dig a little more on Pratt's connection, I'm sure there's something"
"Will do. Good luck Mr. Caffrey and… congratulations" she said smiling and leaving Sara very confused
"Sooooo, wanna go use some of that vanilla-scented bubbles on the tub?" said Neal obviously trying to change the subject
"You're not getting nowhere near me if you don't tell what the hell happened right just now" said Sara crossing her arms over her chest
"Sara, before you hear this, you have to know that there are some things that need to be done in order to protect those who are innocent and good"
"Cut the crap, Robin Hood. Spill it"
"I, um… had to…"
"Neal!"
"I had to replace Jones' on his mission with Calloway" said Neal in one breath and holding it expecting a slap or something but what came next was not what he was expecting…
Sara started to laugh hard "You had to kiss Calloway?!"
"Um, yeah… and she, well, got a little carried away" said Neal taken aback.
"How carried away?" this time Sara was not laughing
"Well, let's just say that I had to take her hand out of the cookie jar" said a sheepish Neal
Sara had a mixed look of disgust, anger and disbelief. "Whore" she said under her breath.
"Sara, I'm sorry"
"Oh Neal, don't be"
"You're not even remotely upset?" Neal asked with disbelief
"With Calloway, yes. With you, no"
"Hhmm"
"What? Were you expecting me to break out into a jealous tantrum?"
"Well, it wouldn't hurt"
"Oh Neal… do you know how many sleepless nights I would have had if I got jealous from every woman that wanted you? Plus, you did it for Peter. I know you wouldn't mind me doing something similar"
"The hell I wouldn't!" answered Neal
Sara laughed and just said "Neal, you're the one flirting all the time with every woman that walks by, not me. I think there's nothing you have to worry about"
"I don't flirt with everyone!" Neal defended himself
"Don't get me started. You do it in my face!"
"I do not!"
"Want me to remind you about Alex for example?"
Neal kept quiet this time. "Alex is just a friend"
"Well, according to the French dictionary, Alex would fall into that amis-amants category, wouldn't she?" said Sara turning serious now
"Sara, don't say that. It's different, you know it" said Neal grabbing her chin and looking into her eyes
Sara sighed, she did know… "Yeah… let's not talk about this right now, we have to celebrate your successful plan" and kissed him briefly.
Neal couldn't wait for tomorrow. He would close the deal with Sara and put an end to this amis-amants thing.
"I booked my flight for tomorrow night" said Sara in a small voice
"What?! Why so soon? You can't leave so soon" said Neal desperate
"It's better this way, my job here is done. Seems like Peter is going to be out soon and they're expecting me in the London office already" explained Sara matter-of-factly
"Sara, please stay for one more night" Neal felt like every ounce of happiness that he had drank over the past few hours was being drained out of him right now
Sara just looked at him with tears in her eyes and she couldn't take it anymore. It had been weeks of bottling so much emotion "I don't want to leave you, Neal" she said with a choked voice
"Then don't. Stay with me" said Neal sweetly, drying one single tear that had dripped from her right eye with his finger.
"I can't" she said now sobbing "I have to do this, for me. Please don't forget about me, Caffrey"
Neal looked at her. Such a strong woman, who deep down was just so afraid at being taken care of, so afraid of being loved. So much in need of running away to avoid emotional intimacy. So much like him… Neal realized that Sara was just as afraid as him, of being forgotten and abandoned, betrayed.
"Come here" he said and cuddled her against his chest rocking her and kissing her temple "How could I forget about you, Repo? It's me who pleads for you to not forget about me"
"I won't. Promise" she said looking up and smiling
"Good. But I have a little something for you to hold you down to your promise in case an idiot with British accent comes near you" said Neal reaching inside his jacket and pulling a small red velvet pouch.
"What is this?" asked Sara curiously pulling the strings on the small bag and pulling a long golden chain with a golden hexagonal locket attached to it.
"Um, it was Ellen's. She left it to me with the key that held the map of the evidence box"
"Neal, I can't. You should keep it" said Sara feeling very touched at his gesture
"Open it" he said
And she did… when she saw the contents, she gasped and then laughed "Oh my God, Neal! Did you do this? It's amazing!"
"Yeah, I just thought that if Ellen kept in there the map that would lead me to recover my past, now I could keep in there the painting that leads me to my future" he said.
The locket contained a miniature replica of Raphael's 'Saint George and the Dragon' painting, done by Neal himself. It was a true work of art. Even when it was a miniature, the details and quality was amazing, Sara thought. It was an incredibly romantic gesture and Sara was out of words "Neal, this is… wow"
"Do you like it?" asked Neal
Sara just threw herself at him, wrapping her arms on his neck and kissing him with everything she had. "I love it! I mean, it is truly a piece of art, I don't even know how you did it, it's amazing!" said Sara still admiring the piece. She knew Neal was talented but this was over the wall.
"I'm glad you like it. That painting has been some sort of compass in my life, always crossing my path. It was Kate's favorite… but it's funny how it led me to meet you as well and now I'm just hoping it will keep me close to you somehow" said Neal putting the locket around her neck and placing it right on top of her heart.
Sara felt so much for him right now… "I love you, Neal"
Neal smiled "I love you, Sara"
Aaaawww... this last two lines are pretty much the most fictional part of my story. For a man like Neal, it is unlikely to be expressing his feelings so openly. I don't think it could happen on the show ever. Oh well, Jeff Eastin knows what he's doing...