Chapter 29

Liam put down his phone and stretched out on the bed. The prospect of having lunch with his sister brought a smile to his lips. The last few days had been rough, not only did he have a huge exam coming up but things were heating up on the basketball court and he'd been trying to curtail his social outings to keep from bumping into Todd Greenway. He had no regrets about his decision to break it off with the flamboyant young man and yet he missed him - he missed his laughter and his enthusiasm, to say nothing of his perfect bubble butt.

'So, why is she in Watertown?' Josh repeated a second time. 'Hello? Earth to Liam?'

'What? Sorry, what did you say?'

'I asked what your sister was doing in Watertown.'

'She's visiting her boyfriend's family. Actually, he's her fiancé.'

'How old is she, anyway?' Josh asked.

'She's turning twenty-four in March' Liam answered although it was obvious his mind was on other things.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where Liam's head was at but Josh persevered, trying to keep his buddy's mind focussed on something other than his recent breakup.

'Have you two always been close?'

Liam glanced over in his direction. 'What?'

'I said have you two always been close? You really need to get your hearing checked, buddy.'

'Yeah, yeah' Liam replied absentmindedly. 'Ever since her accident, we've been even closer.'

'What happened?'

'Almost four years ago, she was home from university for study break and she got hit by a car in front of my dad's school.'

'Wow! Was it bad?'

Liam nodded. 'Real bad. She was in a coma for weeks and she suffered some brain damage and had a bunch of broken bones, her pelvis, her leg, her clavicle, some bruised ribs. She was a mess. She was in the hospital for five months.'

'That's rough.'

'Tell me about it! It really shook up our whole entire family. I think she's still doing speech therapy.'

Liam refrained from sharing what was probably the most significant repercussion of Hope's accident: his dad's fall from grace into the hopeless pit of alcohol abuse. Instead, he remained focussed on Hope and her recovery.

'She's amazing… she's so strong. She's a lot like my mom. But she had to quit school and it's taken her all this time to heal properly. She still has one surgery to go - something to do with her eyes I think… you know plastic surgery.'

'That must have been so scary.'

Liam nodded. 'It was. At first, we weren't even sure she was going to make it. We didn't know how the brain injury would play out. In the end, she practically had to learn to talk all over again. But it brought us a lot closer together and she has this terrific guy in her life so that helps.'

Liam had been sitting up on the edge of the bed as he told the tale. He let himself fall back on his pillow and grabbed a book, intent on doing a little reading before turning in for the night.

'So, when do I get to meet her?' Josh asked.

Liam's mind was already wandering once again.

'All right, I give up, Caffrey!' Josh said loudly intent on getting Liam's attention. 'Is this about Todd?'

'What? No!' Liam said, a little too quickly.

'Well, maybe a little' he admitted after Josh stared him down. 'I didn't think I'd miss him this much.'

'Breaking up is tough even when you're the one who initiated it. And I get it, the guy sure knew how to fill a room.'

Liam chuckled. Todd was definitely a big personality: big hair, big voice, big presence. And his sudden absence had left a gaping hole in his life. Since their last tête-à-tête, Todd had managed to respect Liam's wishes and stay away. They'd bumped into each other twice, in class, and on both occasions, Liam had managed to steer away from him and sit across the room so neither one of them would be tempted to stare at the other. Despite that, it had been painfully awkward and he knew it was especially hard on Todd, considering the breakup hadn't been his idea in the first place. Just to add to the drama, he'd heard from one of their mutual friends that Todd was in a funk, depressed and withdrawn, since they'd parted ways.

'Just try to remember why you broke up with him in the first place' Josh reminded him. 'All that annoying stuff that used to drive you crazy, how he'd show up unannounced and how he'd call you hotcakes in front of everybody and totally embarrass you. Let's face it, the guy had no filter. He was not the guy for you.'

'I know' Liam sighed. 'Just for the record, it was hotstuff not hotcakes - that's what they serve at McDonalds, you goof.'

Josh laughed. 'Whatever. It used to drive you nuts.'

'Well… I kinda miss it at the moment' Liam grudgingly admitted.

'I could start calling you that if it makes you feel better' Josh said, blowing Liam a kiss.

Liam reached over for his sneaker by the side of the bed and threw it in the direction of his roomie, practically hitting him in the head.

'Hey, watch it!' Josh said, throwing it back. 'Just don't go wallowing in self-pity. If you give this guy even a nod or a smile, he'll be back pestering you and you'll never get rid of him. Just… ride it out, Caffrey. Anyway, we've got another away game on the weekend, that should help you stay focussed.'

'Yeah, right… focussed' Liam repeated listlessly.

WCWCWC

Jesse Davis tiptoed into the darkened house and made his way to the family room, his temporary digs, intent on pulling open the hide-a-bed and crawling in under the sheets. It was late and he was exhausted. But more than anything, he was pleased as punch with the little transaction he'd just completed with Frankie Catalano. It had been an easy payday and if he could find his way back into the Raphael after hours, he'd be looking at another few thousand bucks to line his pockets before he finally left New York for good.

He'd need Caitlin for that little caper but he was pretty confident that she could be manipulated and if his luck held up, he anticipated an easy score. Sure, she'd be angry and disappointed when his duplicity was finally revealed but he was pretty sure that, with time, she'd see things his way; after all, they were blood relatives and nothing was more important than family.

He was relieved to find the house quiet. It seemed everyone was in bed which suited him just fine. He wasn't in the mood for another lecture or a confrontation with the man of the house. He found Neal Caffrey to be a royal pain in the ass: principled, haughty, arrogant, holier-than-thou — pretty well everything Jesse despised in a human being. He hadn't appreciated the way the man had stood up to him, threatening him like he had. But Jesse felt things were under control now that he'd hinted he was prepared to share the explosive information about Neal's past with his sweet, innocent foster daughter. He'd known men like that before; in the end, their ego and their pride always stood in the way. They could talk the talk but when push came to shove, he had no doubt Caffrey would cave, keeping his mouth shut about Jesse - anything to protect the lily-white image he'd cultivated for the benefit of his foster daughter. Either way, he only needed to hang on a couple of more days; soon, he'd be in the wind with his bank account nicely padded until his next little gig.

He reached over to turn on the lamp and let out a loud gasp as he spotted Neal sitting there in a nearby armchair with a grin on his face.

'What the fuck!' he shouted. 'You just about gave me a freakin' heart attack. What are you doing, sitting here in the dark?'

Neal stared back, his hands on the chair's armrests, looking perfectly composed. 'I was just… meditating' he said with a mischievous look in his eyes.

'Well, you should give a guy some warning if you're going to sneak up on him.'

Neal smiled glibly; he had the guy just where he wanted him: flustered and vulnerable.

Jesse threw his coat on a nearby chair and began to remove his shoes, throwing them in the corner of the room.

'What?' he said arrogantly as he looked at Neal sitting there, motionless. 'You just gonna sit there and watch me strip?'

Neal smiled, self-assured. 'I've been sitting here wondering if you were coming back to get your stuff.'

'Why?' Jesse said with a goading smile. 'I'm not going anywhere.'

'I told you, you had two days to get your shit together and get out of my house.'

Jesse stared back, defiant. 'And I told you I'd leave when I was good and ready.'

Neal crossed his legs, a sign he wasn't going anywhere and he rested his hands across his chest. 'Well, apparently you didn't get the memo. It's time you leave Caitlin alone. She's been through enough.'

'Caitlin is just fine. She's tough. And I told you, she's not going to believe a word you say once I tell her that you're nothing but some lowlife, common criminal.'

'It takes one…' Neal began, trying to remain calm.

Jesse took out a wad of cash from his jeans pocket and threw it on the bed, returning to the job of undressing. He pulled off his sweater.

'So, I see you had a productive night' Neal said.

Jesse laughed. 'You could say that.'

'So Frankie liked those Cartier cufflinks, huh?' Neal said, his voice steady.

For the first time since he'd walked in, Jesse flinched and his smile disappeared momentarily.

'And I hear you made a killing with my wife's pearl earrings, my wedding gift to her. I have to say, you've got a discriminating eye, those things cost me a fortune.'

'I don't know what you're talking about' Jesse said, looking away.

'Oh no? What, you think I won't turn you in?'

'I think you've got some weird twisted saviour complex and you're prepared to take a hit so Caitlin can keep thinking the sun shines out of your ass. I think you'll do just about anything to keep your image intact… Mr C' he said with arrogance.

'You're wrong' Neal stated with a mocking smile. 'I think you underestimate just how much those cufflinks meant to me…'

Jesse laughed menacingly. 'Fine. Why don't you turn me in then and I'll just go upstairs and get Caitlin so we can tell her all about your secret life as a conman and a criminal informant for the FBI.'

'Ex conman' Neal corrected flippantly as he got to his feet. 'And Caitlin doesn't care about that.'

'I doubt that very much. She's put you on a pedestal and you don't strike me as the type who takes very kindly to being thrown off your perch. Too much of a do-gooder, too… narcissistic. Caitlin will be furious when she finds out you kept this from her. She's got you pegged as a martyr, the guy who saved her. Right… some martyr! I didn't know they had a cell block for saints at Sing Sing.'

'Look, Jesse. Here's the thing' Neal began with feigned patience. 'Caitlin is part of my family. I love her and I'd do just about anything to keep her safe and happy. And that includes keeping her away from a scumbag like you. No matter what. You used her to worm your way into our home, you sat at my table and ate my food, you stole from me and now, you're planning on stealing from my gallery, maybe even some of your own sister's art - all so you can make a few quick bucks.'

Jesse continued to stare defiantly as Neal spoke.

'But you know when all is said and done, I really don't care about any of that. All I really care about is Caitlin. When you finally decide you've used her enough and you walk away, you're going to leave her disillusioned and hurt, all because she was too trusting to see what was right in front of her in the first place. And Sara and I will be left to pick up the pieces because you'll be onto your next mark… because that's all she's ever been to you, a mark.'

'She'll never believe you' Jesse said, taunting him. 'Blood is thicker than… happy foster families.'

'You know what, Jesse. Both you and Caitlin had a rough childhood, I'll grant you that. You had a mom who struggled with alcohol and drugs, you were kicked around the foster care system like a football, you had to adapt to a new home every few years… and none of that is right. Believe me, I know all about it. But there's a fundamental difference between you and Caitlin. You decided to let your heart turn to stone and to steal from a system you thought had robbed you of everything. But Caitlin, she's a loving, caring soul and she chose to open up her heart, to give life a chance and she's going to go on and do amazing things with her life while you sit back and rot in jail.'

Jesse was shaking his head as Neal spoke. 'Again, point, game, match to me' he said, calmly. 'I think you're bluffing. Once Caitlin finds out the truth about you, how you lied to her and deceived her, she'll spit on you and she'll never want to have anything to do with you again.'

'You don't know your sister at all, do you?' Neal said with self-assurance.

A sound was heard coming from the kitchen and Caitlin appeared in the doorframe, staring at the two men.

'C-C-Caitlin!' Jesse said, stepping forward in an effort to salvage the situation. 'Are you all right?'

She ignored him and started walking towards Neal in silence.

'I was worried about you' Jesse said. 'Caitlin, I found out some stuff about this guy… you really need to know.'

Caitlin kept on walking, stopping as she reached Neal. She tucked her arm around his back and he brought his arm around her shoulder, holding her steady.

'I can't believe you did this, Jess' she said, her voice trembling. 'I trusted you, I vouched for you and you lied to me… you used me.'

'What are you talking about, sis? This guy's a phoney, he's been lying to you since the day you met him. He's a conman, that's what he does for a living and he's conning you right now.'

Caitlin took a shaky breath. 'You have no idea what Neal and Sara have done for me. They took me in after I'd been horrible to them, they gave me everything, food, shelter, clothes, spending money, everything I needed. They treated me like a daughter and they never asked for anything in return. And still, I kept acting out, pushing them away, trying to get them to throw me out… and they wouldn't do it. They just wouldn't give up on me.'

Neal stood in silence, watching her face as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Jesse stepped forward, his arms extended. 'Come on Caitlin, he's nothing to you, just some do-gooder who's trying to manipulate you. I'm your brother. You and I, we're two peas in a pod.'

Caitlin gasped. 'Mr C's right, I'm nothing like you. You go right ahead, ruin your life if you want to. But you're not ruining mine' she said, looking up at Neal. 'And you're not hurting my family. Not anymore.'

Neal squeezed her shoulder.

'Get out of our house, Jesse. I don't want you here' Caitlin cried.

'Come on sis, you don't mean that. You and I… we're family. These people, they don't know us.'

'What are you talking about? I hear from you once a year, a phone call. Neal and Sara… they've been there for me every single day for the past five years. They were there when I was messed up on drugs, when I was sick, when I was angry, when I was sad. They pick up the pieces when Mom pops into my life every few months and tries to mess it up. They were there when I graduated from high school and I know they'll be there when I graduate from university and Mr. C will walk me down the aisle someday and hold my babies in his arms and they'll call him grandpa. That's what family is Jess.'

Neal felt his heart swell at the sudden outpouring of emotion from his foster daughter, saying things he'd never heard her say before.

Caitlin took a deep intake of air and turned to look at Neal. 'Please make him leave, Mr. C' she moaned as she buried her face in his chest.

'You heard what she said' Neal said, looking at Jesse with daggers in his eyes. 'Take your goddamn blood money and get the hell out of my house and don't ever come back.'

He cradled Caitlin in his arms, her face still snuggled against his chest. He could feel her trembling, the sobs beginning to take root.

Jesse had been staring ahead in shock but now that Neal had spoken, he began to move, grabbing his belongings and throwing them into his bag. It took but a moment to pull everything together and then he was standing right in front of them, leaning in to speak to his sister.

'You're making a big mistake, Caitlin' he murmured. 'These people will never know you the way I do.'

Neal stared him down and Jesse turned to leave. Neal could feel Caitlin's body shaking against him as he watched the young man leave.

Jesse got to the front door, noticing Sara sitting on the second step, face in her hands. He glared at her, opened the door and slammed it shut behind him.

WCWCWC

Sara had been waiting upstairs for Neal to come to bed. After he and Caitlin had talked things out and they'd all had dinner, the two of them had discussed how things would play out when Jesse eventually returned.

After Mozzie's phone call, Sara had decided to make herself scarce and had crawled up to bed to wait for Neal to finish dealing with the situation. She knew this had the makings of an explosive confrontation but this was between Caitlin and Neal and she needed to take a step back and let them handle things as they saw fit.

Nonetheless, she was still inquisitive Sara Ellis, insurance investigator, and fierce, protective mamma bear and when she'd heard the front door open and the sound of voices floating from downstairs, she'd tiptoed down the stairs, perching on the second step from the bottom with her ears attuned to what was happening in the family room.

Even though she had no sightline into the family room from where she sat, she could hear every single word and she could easily imagine Neal's face with every word he spoke. The way his eyes danced when he was being cocky, the tension in his jaw as he grew passionate about what he was saying, the fire in his bright blue eyes when he was defending someone he loved. As the confrontation wore on, she remained on high alert for any signs that the discussion was degenerating and was devolving into acts of aggression — from either man. Neal wasn't a violent man, far from it, but he was human and if he was pushed, he would retaliate, that much she knew. More worrisome was the prospect that Jesse might physically attack Neal or worse yet, pull out the gun she knew he was carrying.

Caitlin's safety and wellbeing were also on her mind. She knew the young woman was somewhere nearby, taking it all in. As the war of words escalated, she fought with herself to keep from barging in and interrupting. It was obvious Caitlin wasn't in the room - which meant she was hiding somewhere, listening in just like she was - and Sara regretted not having stayed behind to be with her while she listened in on the nasty confrontation.

The words were harsh, the accusations bitter on both sides and she could only imagine how her foster daughter must be feeling as she listened to the two men she loved arguing, knowing that sooner or later she would have to side with one of them and renounce the other. Not that Sara had any doubt that Caitlin would eventually come to see the truth about her brother; it was inevitable. But still, hearing the betrayal from his very own lips would leave her wounded and she prayed that she and Neal would be up to the task of putting her back together again.

She'd cringed when she'd heard Jesse taunting Neal, accusing him of lying to Caitlin and conning her. She knew that would hurt Neal most of all and that he would worry Caitlin might believe Jesse's twisted words and think he'd planned to deceive her all along. Sara could hear the emotion in Neal's voice as he spoke and she feared that, once this was over and done with, Caitlin might not be the only one who would need to be put back together again.

When Sara heard Caitlin's voice and realized the young woman had entered the conversation, she'd held her breath. She'd immediately picked up on the hurt and disappointment in her voice and she hadn't been able to keep from smiling as she heard Caitlin describe what her foster parents meant to her. The sound of Caitlin sobbing had tugged at her heartstrings and she could only imagine Neal with his arm wrapped around their girl, holding her up as she began to fall apart.

The sound of Caitlin's shaky voice as she'd asked Jesse to leave had been heartbreaking. Not only was she asking him to leave the house, she was also banishing him from her life for the foreseeable future. No matter how angry and hurt she was with him, the loss would be devastating for the young woman who'd already lost so much.

Sara waited patiently for the conversation to wind down so she could go in and put her arms around Caitlin, around Neal, to let them know she was there for them and that they would get through this together.

As a family.

Like they always did.

TBC