Hath No Fury: Chapter 14
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, except Alanna.
A week later, Alanna walked into the White Collar division carrying coffee and breakfast food, hoping to avoid any awkward situations with Neal. She put her things in her desk and approached Diana and Jones' desks.
"I come bearing gifts of coffee and breakfast pastries." She announced.
"Great to have to back, you were missed." Jones said grabbing his coffee and a bear claw out of the pastry box.
"Have anything useful about Adler?" Peter asked.
"Yes. A few of my colleagues, of the less the legal variety, have done some business with him. Never more than once and each person has done a small piece of a bigger job. Adler's no longer using his name. He's going as Lance D'Vinter. There is a money trail for the name. Only problem is, all funds are paid out of Cayman Island accounts, getting information from them is... difficult. I've been data mining the information, hoping to get a common location for flights, shipments, deliveries, anything really but flights are routed through a different airline every time with different origin and destination points, shipments and deliveries are handled by several shell corporation, which I'm still trying to figure out the paper trail."
"Okay, Diana run his new alias through airports, train stations, or any other transportation hubs. Jones I want to know his purchasing activity. Tread carefully. I don't want him to know we're on to him."
Alanna handed Peter his coffee and a offered up the box of pastries to him. He selected a raspberry danish and smiled at her. "Did you enjoy working from home?"
"I miss the hub bub of the office to be honest. My place's a little too quiet."
"Well, welcome back."
"Thanks. What are you all working on?"
"Cold cases and paperwork. Someone refuses to fill out their paperwork." Peter said glancing at Neal.
Neal who was picking out his chocolate croissant, grinned back, "I'm a confidential informant, not an agent as your always telling me. I leave the paperwork to the agents."
Peter shook his head and went back to his office. Leaving Alanna and Neal standing in the bullpen.
"Hi." Neal said.
"Hi." Alanna said.
"I want..."
"Neal, please don't." Alanna said. "What's done is done. There's nothing we can do to change it."
"Alanna, please stop interrupting me." Neal said exasperated. "Can we be friends?"
Alanna thought back to the conversation she had with El. She looked at Neal, whose eyes were hopeful and determined. "I'm not sure but you aren't going to stop until I give in huh?"
"Nope and you know how persistent I can be."
"Yes, I'm well aware of your persistence." Alanna said getting up to head back her desk.
"Are you going to give me answer?"
"Neal, you can be very persistent but I can be very stubborn."
The next few weeks were busy for the white collar division. A new string of jewel heists were committed and Peter kept the whole team busy. In addition the team was still trying to catch Adler. The late nights were getting to everyone and Alanna sat her desk head in her hands slowly drifting off to sleep when Neal came from behind and tapped her on the shoulder, startling her.
"Damn it Neal."
"Not getting enough sleep?" Neal said worried as he handed her a cup of coffee.
"Thanks. And no. I keep getting phone calls in the middle of the night. There's never any answer and I finally just pulled the line from the wall. But then they started calling my cellphone."
Neal looked at her concerned. "We can talk to Peter. He can put a tracer on your lines. We'll find out who's doing this."
Alanna looked at Neal and smiled. "He already has them on there. Its why I haven't changed my numbers. The caller never stays on the line for more than a few seconds. There's no discernible background noise, no heavy breathing, its just silence."
"But it's just phone calls right?"
"Yea. But I have this feeling like someone's watching me."
Neal frowned. "Maybe you should stay at a hotel? I'm sure Moz could set you up with a place."
"I'm not going to run and hide Neal. That isn't who I am."
"Alanna..."
"Neal, I'll be fine. The first sign it's getting out of hand and I'll call you."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
They apprehended the jewel thieves when they tried to sell their stolen loot. Hughes gave the team a mandatory two days off.
Alanna sat in her living room going through the mail she had neglected the past few weeks. A think manilla envelope was at the top of the stack. Alanna opened the envelope gingerly without a second glance. She slid the contents out and inside she found a neat stack of pictures tied with a perfectly preserved pink ribbon with an embroidered "AS" on each end. Hesitantly untied the pink ribbon and removed the protective vellum and gasped.
Dozen of pictures fell to the ground as Alanna held on to a picture from a time long forgotten. In it she stood next to a tall man with an umbrella, she was clutching a single white stargazer lily, in the background were dozens of mourners. Alanna remembered the day with a heavy heart. It was the day of her mother's funeral.
Alanna picked up the some of the photos that had dropped. There were pictures from various stages of her life from eight until adulthood. One of Neal and her celebrating her win at the school science fair. Another one from when they went to Disneyland for the first time. Alana flipped through the pictures quickly. Her fifth grade play where she played Dorothy. Her eight grade graduation. Neal and her celebrating their first successful heist. Neal and Alanna dancing at the annual Save the Redwood Charity event. Neal and Alanna relaxing in their apartment in San Francisco.
Alanna fumbled for her phone. "Neal?" Alanna hated how her voice trembled. "Can you come to my place? I know its outside your radius, can you call Peter too and tell him to come too. Is that Moz I hear? Bring him."
Someone had obviously been following her for a while, watching her. It made her skin crawl and her hair stand on end. She didn't understand the fascination. Her father was a business man her mother a stay at home mom. There wasn't anything remotely suspicious about her family. Granted she was wealthy but she hadn't inherited the money until a few years ago and whoever was stalking her had been watching her since she was at least eight.
Peter and Elizabeth were enjoying a quiet morning when Peter's cell phone rang. Looking at it he saw Neal's name After a quick internal debate he answered.
"Burke. No Neal, you can't, it outside, okay. I'm on my way. No, stay put I'll pick you up."
"Honey, is everything okay?"
"It was Neal. He said Alanna called him and she sounded scared. She wants Neal and I to go over to her place."
"Oh dear. Let me grab my jacket. I'm coming with you."
Twenty minutes later Peter and El arrived at June's to see Neal pacing anxiously back and forth. He got into the car and gave Peter Alanna's address.
"I know where she lives Neal. Calm down."
"Peter, Alanna isn't one for hysterics. She is scary calm in the face of danger. She faces problems head on and doesn't ask for help. If she's calling me for help and bringing you into it, she's seriously freaked out."
"We'll help her Neal. I promise."
They pulled up to a beautifully maintained highrise building. The trio entered the building, Neal smiling at the security guard.
"Good morning Mr. Caffery."
"Hi Reggie." Neal said distractedly. "They're with me."
"Of course Mr. Caffery."
Neal put his key into the elevator and hit the "PH" button. Peter looked at Neal and he shrugged.
"In case of emergencies. Mozzie has one too."
The elevator doors dinged softly and opened to a beautiful foyer. The trio walked into the marbled foyer and Peter followed Neal as he made his way to the light filled living room.
Peter whistled softly and whispered to El, "This is where you meet Alanna for your usual brunch?"
"It's impressive isn't it. You should see the view."
Before they entered, they could hear Alanine yelling.
"Dammit Coop you find who the hell is stalking me or so help me you are going to find doing business in New York City to be impossible. I don't need an army. I have a direct line to the effin' F.B.I! You know all the players Coop. Find him."
"Alanna calm down." Mozzie said.
"Calm down? Mozzie somebody is stalking me. For years and I never had a clue."
Neal, Peter, and Elizabeth entered the living room to see Alanna and Moz is a face off.
"Lanna." Neal said.
"Neal?" Alanna said turning. Her violet eyes were tear filled and she looked scared. She sniffled a bit and Neal rushed forward, folding her into his arms.
"Hey now, whatever is going on we'll figure it out."
"Neal, you don't understand."
"Lanna." Neal said firmly. "Whatever it is we'll deal with it, together."
"I don't want you to get hurt." She said quietly, her voice muffled by Neal's shirt.
"I'm not going to get hurt Lanna."
"I don't know who's doing this. There's a chance you or Mozzie or Peter might get hurt. I couldn't..."
"Don't go there." Neal said. "We friends, more than that we're family. We're going to take care of this together."
"I can take of myself Neal, been doing it for almost two decades now."
"I know you can take care of yourself, but I like taking care of you too."
"I hate to interrupt, but what's going on?" Peter asked.
Alanna looked up to see Peter and Elizabeth. She shook her head clear and attempted to smile at the couple.
"I received this in the mail." Alanna said handing Peter the envelope and pictures. "No return address, no postmark, no finger prints."
She sat down on the sofa heavily. Neal sat next to her and took a few of the photos from Peter. As he started to flip through them he could understand why Alanna was so alarmed.
Peter sat flipping through the photos. It was obvious the subject of each photo was Alanna. Alanna eating, reading, running, sleeping. Different ages, different places, different seasons. There were pictures of her by herself, with Neal, with other people including – was that Sophie Deveraux?
"Someone's been watching me for a long time and I didn't even know."
El sat next to Alanna taking her hand and squeezed it comfortably.
"Why would someone do this?" El asked Peter.
"I'm not sure. Before today, you've never had any weird gifts, or mysterious phone calls?"
"No, not that I can remember. And the phone calls started after the broker case."
"Twenty years, Peter. There are photos from every stage of my life. There are pictures of me as a kid, of Neal and me, of me over seas after we broke up. Its all there in technicolor. The oldest picture is..." Taking the stack from Peter she quickly flipped through to pull out the photo that had originally been sitting at the top of the stack.
"This one. It was taken at my mom's funeral. This ribbon? I'm pretty sure is the same one I'm wearing in the photo." She said holding up the pink ribbon. "It has my initials embroidered into the ends."
"Are there any gaps?"
"Gaps?"
"We know who ever is taking these pictures has been following you, but the nature of your... profession makes keeping tabs on you difficult, yet he or she has been able to follow you. Let's put the pictures in chronological order. You and Neal can tell us if there are significant gaps."
Alanna and Neal worked quietly together. Alanna laid out the pictures from before she met Neal and after their break up. Neal focused on the pictures from their time together. It was creepy to see her life laid out in front of her. Overall there were exactly two hundred photos spanning twenty years of her life and a significant portion of Neal's.
Alanna looked at the photos critically trying to think about the time, place, and event of each photo.
"Here." Alanna pointed. "There's a gap of about six months. This picture was taken the dat after my 14th birthday, the day before Neal found out someone was trying to adopt me. We ran the next day."
"There's a gap here." Neal pointed out. "This was taken right before we left Vegas. We left in a hurry. Didn't go back to out place. We grabbed our bags and ran."
"What happened?" El asked.
Alanna and Neal looked at each other. Technically the statue of limitations were up. Alanna arched a brow at Neal, who smiled and nodded his head.
"I'd like to preface this with the fact it was Neal's idea."
"I couldn't have done it without you. You're better at math than I am."
"I've seen you solve complex math problems in your head Neal, don't undersell yourself."
"I'm not. You are better at math than I am.
"We get it, you both are good at math. What happen in Vegas?"
"Sorry Moz." Neal said.
"Neal and I were scamming casinos."
"Scamming casinos? How?" Peter said frowning.
"Counting cards, loaded dice, fixing slot machines." Neal said. "Security at the Flamingo caught on so we split. We made enough to get by for a few months."
"Were you even 21? Because neither of you look 21 in this picture."
"I was." Neal said smiling.
Peter and El looked at Alanna. "17. But I dressed the part and I had a fake I.d. We had to eat and I wasn't going to let Neal take all the risk or do all the work."
Peter just shook his head. Seventeen! "Any other gaps?"
"Here. A four month gap after Chicago. Deal went south, and we left because we got made." Neal said.
"And here, right after I left New York. There's almost a 9 month gap."
"Sounds like any time you have to make a quick getaway you loose whoever has been tailing you."
"But how do they find us again?"
Neal looked at the pictures. "The jobs we took."
"What?" Alanna said.
"After Vegas, Marky got in touch with us, remember?"
"Yea."
"He told us about a job in Houston."
"That's were this picture was taken." Alanna said thinking.
"And after Chicago, Hugo had a job for us in Boston."
"You mean somebody offered us jobs, just so they could continue stalking me."
"That's what it looks like."
"But why?"
"Maybe its surveillance?" El suggested. "They're waiting for you to vulnerable?"
Alanna leaned forward and picked up a picture. In it Alanna looked like she was sleeping peacefully except she had ventilator attached to her face. "I don't think so. I was in a medicated coma for six weeks while my body healed. They didn't think I would ever wake up. If there was ever a time I was more vulnerable, I can't think of one."
El gasped as she saw the picture. Peter, Neal, and Mozzie looked at each other. All knew being in a medicated coma was not a good sign. Neal was sure he wanted to know what happened, but his curiosity won out.
"What happen?"
"Its classified, Neal. I'm sorry."
"It could be important."
"I can't tell you specifics. But the general gist is I was sent to retrieve something from some not so very nice people. The intel I received was bad and it was a trap. Things went south fast and if it hadn't been for Elliot, I'd probably be dead. As it was I broke 4 ribs, one of which punctured a lung. Broke my femur and fractured my collar bone. Not to mention various lacerations. I was out of commission for almost a year."
"Eliot. Eliot, wait Eliot Spencer?" Moz asked eyes wide.
"Yea. Eliot taught me how to be a hitter. Well after I pestered him for a few weeks. I learned a lot form him."
"You teamed up with Eliot Spencer? The man is a legend. He's wanted in a dozen countries. He's managed to slip Interpol surveillance not once, not twice, but three separate times. " Mozzie said.
"Yes." Alanna said with a sense of finality.
El could tell there was more to the story and filed that tidbit away to bring up when she and Alanna were alone.
"I know these pictures are creepy but at the same time they're kind of fascinating. What about this one." El said selecting a picture of Neal and Alanna sitting in front of a cafe window.
"Our first date." Neal said smiling. "I finally wore Lanna down. We had dinner and saw a movie. I wasn't quiet ready for it to end so I pulled her into a all night cafe to ply her with caffeine."
"I couldn't sleep when we finally got home. I almost botched the job we had the next day."
"But you didn't and we pulled it off."
"Yea and then slept for the next 24 hours."
"What about this one." El said handing a picture of Neal and Alanna dressed to the nines. Alanna was dressed a knee length strapless empire waist plum gown with delicate beading on the bodice. Neal was dressed in a classic black tux. They made a striking couple.
"Neal was hell bent on making me experience all the high school experiences I missed since I dropped out. This was taken outside the Space Needle. Neal had somehow gotten tickets to Seattle Preparatory High School's prom and surprised me. We were suppose to leave that night, we had just finished a job, but Neal convinced me we could stay an extra night. I didn't know it was because he wanted to humiliate me in front of dozens of teenagers I didn't know." Alanna smiled fondly leaning to rest her head on Neal's shoulder.
"You enjoyed it. How many girls can say their boyfriend serenaded them from the top of the Space Needle?"
Alanna laughed and shook her head. "Sure I can laugh about I now, but then? I didn't have the same self confidence I do now. You totally put me on the spot, literally. I had a spot light on me while Neal's up on stage singing Sinatra's The Way You Look Tonight. Every girl glaring at me because I had the hottest guy in the place serenading me. It was definitely memorable."
Neal wrapped his arm around Alanna. "We had a good time together, didn't we."
"Sure whenever you weren't making flirting with every girl within a ten miles radius."
"I did not flirt with every girl."
"Neal, your natural state of being a flirting. You can't help yourself. You see a woman, young, old, black, white, asian and you turn on the charm and she's weak in the knees."
Neal pouted. "I do not. Tell her Peter."
"Sorry partner, I'm going to have to agree with Alanna here. Although to be fair I don't think you realized when you do it."
"True. Like I said, Neal's natural state of being is flirting. Its okay, I got over it a long time ago. And I'm sure any girl you data will eventually get over it too." Alanna said patting Neal's arm patronizingly. "Why do you think I made you work so hard before I agreed to go with you?"
"Work for it." Neal said with a gleam in his eye.
Alanna recognized that gleam and scooted away from Neal. "Don't Neal."
Neal pounced and Alanna jumped up from the sofa and took of running down the hall.
"Damn it Neal. You know I hate being tickled. Neal! Neal stop!"
El, Peter, and Mozzie looked at each other and smiled. Neal hadn't been this playful since Kate's supposed death. There was a lightness there where only sadness and guilt had been. Each had determined Alanna was good for Neal. Intellectually she could match him witty retort for witty retort. She didn't seem to as affected by Neal's charm as most of the female populations. And she was very direct when it came to dealing with Neal when he was doing something stupid.
But Neal wasn't the only one affected with Alanna's presence. Alanna had helped to fill holes in everyone's life. She had given Diana a sparring partner and an ally in a field dominated by men. Jones got a conspirator in his prank war with Neal. Although Neal didn't know Alanna was helping him, only that Jones' pranks had gotten more sophisticated. Peter got a technical analyst that could match anyone else the bureau had to offer and a pseudo daughter, much like Neal had become his pseudo son. El got a shopping buddy, a young woman to mentor, and a pseudo daughter. And Mozzie gained a friend and an ally to keep Neal out of jail.
Neal chased Alanna into the hallway and trapped her between a linen closet and the laundry chute.
"Neal, don't you dare come any closer."
Neal smiled mischievously, faked left and caught Alanna when she bolted to the right to the try to bypass him. His hands when directly to her side and his fingers danced up and down her sides.
"Neal." She laughed. "Sto-oo-p."
Neal ticked for a few more minutes before stopping. With both hands on her waist he looked down at her. Alanna tilted her face up.
"Neal?"
Neal leaned in and kissed her softly. Alanna resisted for a second before kissing him back. After a few seconds? Minutes? Neal pulled back.
"Stay with me."
Alanna's brain was a bit addled by Neal's kiss. "What?"
Neal smirked, he loved he was still able to get Alanna off centered. "Stay with me." He repeated. "I don't want you to stay here by yourself."
"Neal, this building has twenty-four hour security. I live in the penthouse eight floors off the ground."
"Please, Lanna. I need to know your safe."
"Neal, I don't think June needs another house guest."
"She already knows something is wrong. I'll tell her about the photos and the phone calls and she'll make you stay at the mansion."
"Alanna narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't."
"I would and I'll tell El I don't think its a good idea for you to stay here by yourself."
"Your going to sic June and El on me!"
"Yes. So back a bag for a few days."
"Neal, its been eight months since this whole thing started. I don't think its going to be resolved in a few days."
"So pack for a few weeks."
"Neal."
"Pack." He commanded and dropped a kiss on the crown of he head.
Alanna huffed and went to her room to pack. She could deal with drug traffickers, mob bosses, gang bangers, and skeevy con men but June and El? Combining forces? No thank you, those two together were an unmovable force who knew what they wanted and how to get it.
Neal re-entered the living room to see Mozzie, El, and Peter pouring over the photos.
"See anything interesting?"
"You have been all over the world?" El said. Holding up a candid of the two of them in front of the British Museum and another one of Alanna falling off a camel.
"Yea, Lanna's never been one to stay in one place for long. So we moved around a lot. We've been to every continent except Antarctica."
"I don't think Alanna should say here by herself. I'll call Hughes and set up a safe house."
"Not necessary Peter. Lanna's going to stay at June's with me."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "You got her to agree to stay with you."
"He threatened to sick June and El on me. He's not playing very fair." Alanna said carrying several plates.
"I though you were packing." Neal said.
"I got hungry so I made a sandwich. And then I figured you'd all be hungry so I made more." Alanna said putting plated down in front of everyone. "Grilled cheese with avocado and turkey for El, turkey cranberry for Mozzie, Deviled ham for peter, and peanut butter and jelly for Neal. Beside I hate packing." Alanna said pouting.
"Oh, no." Neal said. "Don't think because you made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I'm going to pack for you."
"But I made it with your favorite jelly." Alanna said. When she saw Neal wasn't going to budge, she brought out the big guns.
Peter, El, and Mozzie looked as Alanna eyes got bigger, her lower lip jutted out in a pout, and water began to fill her eyes.
"Please, Neal?" She sniffled.
Neal tried to look away but then Lanna tilted her head and Neal was a goner. "Fine. I'll pack for you."
"Yay! My suitcases are in the linen closet. Finish your sandwich and then you can pack." Alanna said as she stood up to get the drinks for everyone.
"You just caved like a guy on diet who's been given a milkshake."
"Did you see her? Could have said no if she turned the Look on you?"
"That was the Look?" Peter said incredulously.
"That was a level one Look. There are three levels and by level three I guarantee you will be willing to anything she wants to get her to stop with the Look." Neal shuddered. "I'm out of practice. She use to have to use a level two to get me to do her packing."
"And what's with the PB&J? I figured it'd be to plebeian for you."
"Don't mock the sandwich. It's my favorite." Neal said taking an enthusiastic bite. He had to stifle a man. It was a delicious as he remembered. Neal was so focused on his sandwich he didn't notice everyone staring at him.
"You never order it when we eat the Deli near the office."
"That's because they use commercial jelly. Lanna makes her own jelly." He said distractedly.
"Neal? It's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It isn't going to solve world hunger or the U.S's dependence on foreign oil." Alanna said setting a glass of milk in front on him, she set glasses of iced tea in front of everyone else, she even handed Mozzie a bendy straw."
"I haven't had one of your sandwiches in years. Let me reveal in the awesomeness."
"You make your own jam?" El said
"Yea, it's one of the things I use to do with my mom before she died. My mom and I would make all sorts of jam and jelly through out the year. It one of the few clear memories I still have of her."
"That's wonderful Alanna. So is it strawberry or raspberry in Neal's sandwich?"
"Pomegranate actually." Alanna said.
"Of course, Neal would never eat something as common as strawberry jam." Peter said smirking.
"So good." Neal replied polishing off the rest of his sandwich. He opened his mouth.
"Yes, Neal, I'll make sure to pack some so you can have it at Junes. As long as you get to packing."
"Fine." He said getting up and leaving for Alanna's room.
"And stay out of my intimates drawer."
"Hey, you're the one who wants me to pack for you."
"Typically boy." Alanna said getting up. Louder she called, "I mean it Neal."
"Too late." Neal called from inside her room.
"NEAL!"
Peter, El and Mozzie laughed as they enjoyed their sandwiches and iced tea.