Chapter 2

"Oh, Junior says Hi." Sara said after they both watched Gibbs disappear into the director's office.

Tony looked at her for a moment. He grinned. And he bit his tongue. He wanted, very badly, to ask how Neal got the name Junior. But, this was not the time or the place. "So, what's going on with you two?"

Sara looked at him for a moment. That was exactly what she wanted to talk to Tony about. She wanted to see how Tony would think Neal would react. And, she wanted to run it by Tony because. As law enforcement, he would be able to understand her reasons, maybe better than most. But this was not the time or the place.

Sara shook her head. "We'll talk about that, too."

"Oh…okay?" Tony said. Now, he was even more unsure what it was Sara wanted to talk about. But, he felt pretty sure he was not going to like it.

"Call me when you get off work." Sara handed him her card. "I'm at the Adam's House."

"Their restaurant is amazing." Tony replied. "I've eaten there several times."

Sara smiled. "Good, call me and I'll meet you there."

Tony showed up at the restaurant a little after 7:30 p.m. He had taken the time to go home and shower and change clothes. He didn't like the idea of carrying biologics into an eating establishment. He didn't think Sara would find the idea very appetizing either. He spotted the beautiful red head at the same time the host was asking him how many were in his party. He gestured and said he would be joining the red head. The host then lead him to her table. She laid the wine list on the table and said their waitress would be there shortly.

"Great ambiance." Sara said looking around at the pictures on the wall and the subdued lighting."

"Yeah." Tony said and sighed. "My dad likes it."

They immediately placed their wine order. The bottle and two glasses appeared seconds later.

"Oh, you…." Sara looked at Tony for some sort of clue. She had not heard Tony talk about his dad and Neal never mentioned him. So, she was not sure if she should peruse the subject or not. Tony's face was giving her no clues, whatsoever. She stopped herself.

Tony looked at her and smiled a week smile. "My dad is a conman."

Tony saw Sara's reaction. He laughed and shook his head. "Not one of Neal's caliber. But, Dad has been married 6 times…that I know of. Some of the marriages were so short that he forgot to tell me who my new step-mommy was." Tony sighed. "He has no money. But, he acts as if he does. He married these girls. Then when they find out the truth, they up and leave him. His longest marriage was to my mom. His shortest was to some 20-something bimbette swimsuit model. That lasted 3 days. In the in-between times he comes to me and asks for money. He knows that my mon left me a trust that I had access to when I turned 35. He thinks he knows how much money is in there and he thinks he deserves a part of it. So, he tries to guilt me into giving him loans. Loans he never intends to repay."

The waitress come and took their orders for the appetizer and the main course. She walked away before they began to talk again.

"Wow." Sara started. It never occurred to Sara that Tony might be well off. He was a civil service worker. She knew, even agents, didn't make a great deal of money. But, she had never considered things like inheritance and trusts. She wasn't sure why it would even matter. "I…I'm sorry."

Tony shrugged. "He was an absentee, neglectful father. I didn't fit into his international playboy lifestyle. Most of his wives never even knew I existed."

Sara shook her head. "That's sad."

"The house staff raised me. And then, when…when I was old enough, he sent me off to the RIMA, to get me out of his hair." Tony stated.

"RIMA?" Sara said as she shipped her wine and waited for their appetizers.

"Rhode Island Military Academy." Tony replied. "Senior didn't even pay for that. Mom's dad did. Grandpa saw how neglectful senior was of me. Plus, grandpa never liked Dad too much. He took the initiative and took care of me."

"Senior?" Sara asked.

Tony grinned. "Yeah, I'm a Junior, too." He paused. "I know you didn't come here to hear about my sad life."

Sara smiled at him. She took his hand and squeezed it across the table. "We all got our family drama. I'll have to tell you mine sometimes."

Tony looked at her for a second. "What is going on, Sara?"

The Insurance Investigator sighed. "I like that. Direct." She sighed. "Okay. I've…I've been offered a job in London, England. More responsibility, better pay, a furnished flat and a driver, if I want. I just…."

"You haven't told Neal.: Tony stated.

Sara shook her head. "He had a case. A couple of weeks ago. He…I posed as his wife. We were tried to lure a multi-millionaire out of hiding. So, we went about spending his money, in a major way."

Sara paused as their appetizers arrived and neither spoke as they dived into the warm food.

Sara took a sip of wine before she spoke again. "Anyway, We spent his money, in a major way. We bought planes, cares, statues, wine collections, jewelry furs, all that stuff."

"Behind Peter's back?"

Sara nodded.

"He had too have been…."

She nodded. "He was beyond mad. We had only spent it on paper. But, we had to return everything and…." She shook her head.

"You got a little taste of his life, and you kind of enjoyed yourself?" Tony surmised.

Sara looked at him a little surprised. But, she nodded. "Neal told me he could give me that. I told him I don't go anywhere I can't come back from. If I…that's something I could not come back from."

"And very time you cross that line, it gets easier and easier do it the next time." Tony finished her sentence.

"I didn't' think you guys got tempted." Sara stated.

"More than most," Tony admitted. "The things we come into contact with that are illegal is astounding. It is tempting to…. If you're asking me what to do…" Tony started.

Sara shook her head. "I just…I operate a little south of legal at times. But, I tell myself it is all for the good. And it is, and I can always come back from it because it's the job and it does come out okay in the end. But, Tony," She shook her head again. "I just I got caught up in all that. I got too close. It was a big taste of Neal's world. And, it was pretty damned sweet. It scared me." She finally admitted.

Tony nodded. He understood completely the lure. He had had to live the life many times, going undercover. And he had sometimes found it difficult leaving some of the luxuries of the life behind.

"I just…." Sara paused as their entrees arrived.

"I understand, trust me." Tony replied after the waitress had left the table. "Going undercover, you have to immerse yourself in the life to be convincing. I've been under for months at a time. You become…accustomed."

"But Tony I wasn't in for months. It was just a few hours. Maybe a day…that's…." She shook her head again. "I just…I don't want Junior to think I'm leaving to get away from him. But, with the timing of it all…."

"A long-distance relationship is out of the question?" Tony asked.

Sara looked at Tony for a moment. She had considered it. But, it would be so one-sided. And she didn't know how long that one-sidedness would last.

She sighed. "For how long, Tony. I don't know…I can't trust him to stay out of trouble. And if he was to be free and come to London. There is just so much he could do… and the law is so different. The jails are…well, I don' know how the jails, the prisons are there. But, I highly doubt that there are C.I. programs. Or that Neal would be eligible for them."

"You're getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you?" Tony replied.

"What do you mean?"

"You're assuming Neal can't stay out of trouble." Tony pointed out. "He hasn't ways been a conman. You know."

"Do you know how I became acquainted with Caffrey?"

Tony shook his head.

"He stole a Raphael. I was assigned the case. I searched for him…for years. And I almost had him. I had 3 digits of the zip code. But…but, nothing came of it."

"He said you two had quite a history, that you testified against him in court."

"I did. He was killing my average. Just as is the case with the current thefts."

Tony grinned and shook his head. He was really enjoying the food and the company was great too. "Did you get your Raphael back?"

Sara grinned, also. She nodded. "Neal, he's not the same man who stole that painting."

Tony didn't say anything. He knew Sara was not finished. He just sipped his wine.

"The man who stole that painting was…he was so arrogant in the courtroom. He was…he didn't care. He didn't care about anything, it seemed. And the Neal I have come to know…that Neal cares a great deal."

The federal agent nodded. Neal had matured a lot. They both had. They both had turned into people who cared about others. It seemed in spite of their upbringing, not because of it.

"I just don't know how he's going to take me leaving." Sara said. "This job, it's…it's too good to let pass by. I have always loved London. I got the chance to visit in college." She sighed. "It just couldn't have come at a worse time in our relationship. Neal is…I just don't want him thinking I'm leaving to try to get away from him. That this, latest incident with Peter had scared me." She paused, again. "Though, to be quite honest, it has scared me. It's scared me a lot."

TBC