I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE OC'S.
~~Flashback Dream~~
I sat in my mothers lap across the table from my dad who was wearing the orange jumpsuit that he often wore before he got good enough not to get caught. I was playing with the toy bus that my mom brought along to keep me entertained but I was more excited to see my dad, I loved my dad, I was a daddy's girl and always was.
"What do you have there?" My dad asked leaning down some on the table to be level with me as I was sitting on my mom's lap.
"A bus..." I said putting it on the table making it roll on the table.
"Do you know that song?"
"The wheels one?" I asked excitedly.
"Yeah, you want to sing it with me?" My dad asked, I nodded singing it with my dad as he would roll the bus around the table.
"Matthew...business." My mom said as I looked up to her seeing her wiping her eyes, she always cried when we visited my dad and I hated that it was always adult things or business when we visited my dad, I wanted to play with him like any other child would with their dad.
"Look, I will get out of her, I always do..."
"What about money? I don't have any money to take care of Sarah..." She said crying more.
"We have money...I have a box at the bank that I always have loaded with money, jewels and a gun...it's for us, for our daughter that way if we get split, we can always go back to the bank and communicate that way..." My dad explained.
"What bank?" She asked confused about this whole thing.
"OneWest on 7th street...box 376. They will ask you a simple security question, it shall still be what our baby girls favorite song is...Sarah, what's your favorite song?" My dad asked.
"London Bridge!" I said excitedly.
"You want to play?" My dad asked.
"Times up." Security said as they entered the room, my dad looked up to them then back to me.
"Five more minutes?" My dad asked.
"Not this time Matthew, you got to serve dinner tonight." Security said as my dad nodded before looking back at me making eye contact with me, I was really upset we couldn't play.
"Next time, I promise...I love you Sarah." My dad said reaching over ruffling my hair. My mom stood up setting me down onto my feet, I walked over wrapping my arms around my dad's waist for a hug.
"I love you daddy." I said as he leant over kissing the top of my head before my mom grabbed my hand and led me out of the room, I kept looking back at my dad who was obviously upset and my mom was literally dragging me out of the room not wanting to go.
~~End Dream~~
I shot up from my laying position out of reaction from how stupid I was not thinking about the bank, Neal sat up only a few moments after I did when he realized I had sat up.
"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Neal asked concerned running his hand through my hair.
"I just had a dream about when I was a kid..." I said looking over to him making eye contact with him.
"Was it bad?"
"No, but I know how we can get a hold of my dad." I said smirking.
"I'll call Peter." Neal said flinging the blanket back, I ran my hands through my hair getting out of the bed moving to the couch as Neal had the phone now up to his ear pacing the room, I could hear the phone ringing from where I was.
"Hello?" A groggy male voice said on the other side.
"Peter, about Keller..." Neal said looking to me, "Sarah knows how to get a hold of him..." Neal said.
"I'm on my way over..." Peter said a little less groggy.
"What time is it?" I asked, it felt like only 15 minutes of sleep because the dream didn't seem that long to me.
"It's 5 AM, you want some coffee?" Neal asked.
"Sure...sorry Neal..." I said feeling bad about waking him up at 5 AM on a Saturday because of this random burst of knowledge I remembered.
"No worries...I don't need sleep..." Neal said jokingly as I watched him as he was making the coffee before turning the pot on to start brewing.
"I should go down and wait for Peter so he won't wake June." I said looking over to Neal.
"I'll come with you..." Neal said as he escorted me downstairs where I leant against the wall staring out the window, Neal sat on the arm of the couch only momentarily before he walked over stepping behind me wrapping his arms around my waist feeling warmer from his body heat. "So, what was your dream about?" Neal asked softly.
"A time when my dad was in jail, I was about Olivia's age, maybe a couple years younger than that..."
"What was he like as a father?" Neal asked as I looked down at my feet pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
"He was a good father besides being in and out of prison, that was until I was old enough to pull my own weight in these criminal activites and I did because I thought that would make my dad love me more and thought that would give my dad and I more bonding time...little did I know that he was just using me for his own good, he didn't care about me..." I said.
"I'm sure he loved you...I know I do enough to compensate for him...what made you realize this?"
"He left my mom for this lifestyle, he said that she was getting sloppy and my mom didn't want to continue it when I got to Olivia's age because like any mom, you don't want your child involved in this type of activities. My dad left, he would randomly show up at our door step 'to see me' he would say but he never spent time with me until I got to about 10ish when I was able to understand what he was doing and became helpful..."
"Since he wasn't around you helped him because you thought he would stay if you helped him and that he will love you again like you were when you were younger?" Neal asked.
"Yeah...this continued, the crimes got bigger and bigger as I got older until I got to 18 and pregnant, I did that last crime with him where he promised me the half of the billion dollars that we were going to embezzle to help put towards raising Olivia. When I didn't see that money, I knew it was another scam my dad had planned using me to his advantage and I believed him. I just thought I could trust him, I always wanted to trust him but I was stupid to believe I could trust him, why should I trust a criminal?" I explained.
"You didn't know better, he's your dad and one always wants to trust their dad, criminal or not...you were looking out for yourself and for your future kid...we all hope that our parents will do what is best for us and sometimes we don't get that..." Neal said.
"I'm afraid that I'm doing the same thing to Olivia, I am trying my best to keep her out of this...it has ran in my family thus far and I tried my best to not get arrested and that failed. I'm a bad parent..." I said feeling tears threatening to come out.
"Your a great parent...Olivia loves you, she is healthy happy little girl that loves life and didn't know about your criminal ways until now..." Neal said as I felt the soft lips of his mouth pressing against the skin on my neck.
"Your supposed to say that because your my boyfriend..." I said chuckling a tad.
"I say it because it's true." Neal said as I saw Peter come into sight.
"I still don't believe you..." I said smiling.
"Your lucky Peter is here..."
"Why?" I asked turning to look at him before he stepped out from behind me opening the door.
"I would tickle you until you believed me." Neal said.
"Tickle me? That seems really tough of you..." I joked as Peter walked into the open door that Neal was holding open.
"Thanks for waking me at 5 AM on a Saturday." Peter said.
"Sorry, it just hit me in a dream..." I said.
"It's fine..." Peter said as Neal shut the door.
"Let's go up to my loft so we won't wake anyone." Neal said as we all quietly walked up the stairs so we won't wake June nor Olivia. We went into Neal's loft where we shut the door behind us before Neal went to the coffee pot pouring three cups of coffee.
"Tell me how we are going to get a hold of Matthew?" Peter asked.
"He has a box at the bank, that is if he has kept it over the years where my mom and I along with his criminal partners were able to reach him, not sure if he has changed the security question but I remember where it's at...he checks it once a week and it was usually on Monday's he checks it..." I said.
"Alright, why don't you write a note to your dad leaving it in the box for a meeting next weekend at the docks? Within the weeks time we can set everything up, prepare you for this confrontation." Peter said.
"No, she is not going to do this confrontation by herself." Neal said joining Peter and I at the table setting down all the coffees before he slid into the seat across from me.
"Why not? He's my dad, I think I can handle him..." I said sipping my coffee.
"Well, it might be the safest...your dad has gotten a little more violent and more extensive crimes over the years..." Peter said.
"But still, like he would hurt his daughter..." I said rolling my eyes.
"It will just be on the safe side though..." Neal said.
"What exactly would happen?" I asked.
"Well, you will meet him and talk to him enough to get us in position then we will come in and arrest him." Peter said.
"What will I talk to him about?" I asked.
"Anything...you will have a monitor in your ear where you can hear us and we will be able to hear you...we will take your anklet off so he won't be suspicious but it will be put back on afterwards." Peter said.
"Alright..." I said nodding nervous of having to come face to face with my dad after 8 years of no contact with him.
"Let's write this note to your dad." Peter said as Neal got up grabbing a piece of paper and a pen handing it to me so it'll be in my writing. Neal, Peter and I negotiated over every sentence, we wanted it straight to the point but yet something that was how I would write or speak. Afterwards, I read it out loud getting Neal and Peter to nod their heads in approval before I begun to write another copy of the letter for us to keep.
"I'll take this and put it in a safe spot, Neal escort her to the bank to make sure there is no disturbances or problems." Peter said.
"Will do..." Neal said smiling as he walked Peter to the front door and came back up to his loft where I sat there staring at the letter in front of me re-reading it as I drunk the coffee that was still in my cup. "You okay?" Neal asked coming back into the room.
"Scared...nervous..." I said stone faced.
"Why?" Neal asked sitting in the seat Peter was in.
"I haven't seen nor talked to my dad in 8 years, wouldn't he be suspicious that I just suddenly wanted to come in contact with him?" I asked.
"Maybe, but maybe not...especially if he has missed you and if he wants to see his grand-daughter...your doing this for her and to protect yourself...I will be here for every step of the way..." Neal said as he rested his hand on top of mine.
"I know this is for good but I always worry..." I said smirking a tad.
"We all do..." Neal said.
"What do you worry about?"
"Worry that you won't love me anymore...worry that I can go back to jail..." Neal said saying a few other worries he has.
"Where does the time go from when your a kid being a free spirit, not worrying and having fun to when we are sitting around discussing our worries at 6 AM over a cup of coffee." I said getting us both to chuckle.
"We grew up way too quick..." Neal said smiling.
"We did..." I said, we spent the next hour or so drinking coffee and talking about fun times we had when we were kids and teenagers. Olivia walked into the room rubbing at her eyes trying to wake up. "Morning Olivia." I said cheerfully, Neal turned around to see Olivia.
"Morning, what time is it?" She asked.
"It's 8 AM, you want some breakfast?" Neal asked.
"Yes." Olivia said.
"Why don't we go get a doughnut or something on the way to the bank?" Neal asked.
"Sounds good..." I said going into the closet that Neal and I put the clothes that I had packed in last night grabbing an outfit for Olivia and for myself. I gave Olivia her outfit letting her go change as I went into the bathroom changing out of the outfit I was wearing yesterday into the new attire walking out seeing Neal already changed. "How'd you change so quick?" I asked.
"I changed in the closet." Neal said smiling.
"You didn't have to, you could of waited until I got out to change..."
"That wouldn't of been fun..." Neal said chuckling as I walked over to the bed sliding on my shoes when Olivia walked in dressed handing me her dirty clothes, I took into the closet putting them into one of the now empty duffel bags.
"Why do we have to go the bank?" Olivia asked.
"I have to money into my account." Neal lied.
"Oh." Olivia said as Neal grabbed his wallett and cell phone that was on the night stand and I went and grabbed the hand written letter that was folded into an envelope with 'Matthew' written on the front of it. Neal grabbed Olivia's hand as we walked out of his room and down the stairs out of the house heading to the bank first. We stood outside the bank, Neal held onto my daughters hand and I was more nervous with her being here not knowing if my dad was here or not but I couldn't let her stay at home.
"Are you okay?" Neal asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine...just nervous and scared." I said.
"Why mommy?" Olivia asked.
"It's nothing Olivia." I said looking down at my daughter, I felt Neal grab my hand with his free hand.
"I'm right here, I won't let anything happen." Neal said smiling, with his smile I felt a little more confident and less nervous about this whole thing. We walked up the steps into the bank, we walked up to an employee that we assumed would be able to help us.
"How may I help you?" She asked.
"I want to get into one of your safety boxes." I said.
"What box?" She asked leading us to a computer stand.
"376." I said.
"What is Matthew Keller's daughter's middle name?" She asked.
"Jaden." I said confidently, even though my dad changed the question as he should every year but the fact he kept it involving me was ironic.
"Alright, are all three of you going in?" She asked looking at Neal and Olivia that was standing beside me. I turned to look at Neal momentarily before I turned back to the lady.
"No, I can go in by myself." I said.
"You sure?" Neal asked, I turned to look at him nodding.
"Yeah, it won't take long..." I said.
"Okay..." Neal said as he grabbed a sucker from the bowl handing it to Olivia, "Don't eat it now, but save it for later." Neal said winking at her as he led her over to a couch while the employee led me to the safety boxes, she walked out after she unlocked 376 pulling it out setting it on the table for me. I walked over to the table staring at the box letting out a breath looking to the door expecting Neal to walk in at any moment but he didn't. I looked back at the box opening it seeing the gun my dad always keeps in the box, a few newspaper articles, no money was in it and I saw a photo pulling it out seeing a family portait of my dad, mom and I. I then pulled out the one newspaper article seeing it was my moms obiturary, I looked up not wanting to believe it but I had to look at it again and I didn't make a mistake. I wiped my eyes of tears that were escaping, I took the obiturary out along with the family portait to show Olivia, at least she will be able to know what her grandparents looked like and I can tell her stories. I put the envelope into the box where the front with the word 'Matthew' was face up so when he opened the box he will see it. I put the box into it's slot locking it before walking out of the vault type room seeing Neal leaning onto the back of the couch looking down at the brochure that my daughter was reading.
"It's done." I said as I stepped in front of them.
"What'd you grab?" Neal asked.
"A couple of things, we'll discuss it over breakfast." I said as they stood up and we walked out of the bank heading to a doughnut shop buying a few doughnuts sitting down at a table setting the newspaper article and picture down on the table.
"Is this a family portait?" Neal asked grabbing it to look at it.
"Yep, I was 5 in that picture." I said smiling.
"Olivia is a splitting image of you when you were a kid." Neal said.
"I want to see." Olivia said sticking her hands out with glaze all over her fingers, I reached over wiping the glaze off her hands before I let her hold it because I didn't want to ruin the picture. "Is this grandma and grandpa?" She asked.
"Yep..." I said as she handed the picture back.
"What is the newspaper article?" Neal asked wiping his mouth.
"My moms obiturary." I said trying not to let tears out.
"I'm so sorry..." Neal said.
"I didn't know...it's just so shocking." I said.
"What is an obiturary?" Olivia asked.
"It's an article talking about a persons life that has passed away." Neal explained.
"Grandma passed away?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah." I said.
"Okay." Olivia said, I didn't expect her to fully understand it nor would I expect her to really care since she never had a relationship with her. Neal wrapped his arm around me resting his hand on my shoulder pulling me into his embrace feeling his lips pressing a kiss on top of my head.
Monday-
Peter's Point of View-
I went to work to begin planning the set-up to get Keller this weekend, I had to start getting my paperwork together for the big meeting that afternoon awaiting Neal to come in to tell me if they put the letter at the bank yet but I knew he would be late considering he probably would walk Sarah and Olivia to Olivia's school then walk Sarah home then he would head to work. I was brought out of my paperwork when a knock came to the door, I looked up seeing Jones standing in my doorway.
"Yes Jones?" I asked.
"We have a bank robbery in progress at the OneWest bank." Jones said instantly knowing that was the bank Neal and Sarah was supposed to go to this weekend, I hope they didn't wait until now to go.
"Let's go." I said jumping up grabbing my coat following Jones out grabbing Diana on the way heading to the bank seeing all the witnesses and hostages were already outside of the bank. "What's going on?" I asked stopping a cop.
"We were too late, the robbery is over with...the only thing he left was a letter, we are sending in a bomb and drug squad to make sure it won't trigger a bomb nor have any drug contents." The cop said.
"We have any idea who it is?" I asked.
"We are still collecting stories and sketches from the witnesses." He said as I turned around to Jones and Diana.
"Jones, call Neal and tell him to get down here ASAP and for him to bring Sarah." I said.
"On it." Jones said pulling out his phone walking away.
"What do you want me to do?" Diana asked.
"Start talking to the witnesses." I said as I waited until they were able to bring this letter out, I paced around afraid that this was Keller's work and I was a nervous wreck until Neal and Sarah arrived to the scene.
"What happened?" Sarah asked.
"A robbery, all the robber left was a letter...waiting for them to make sure it isn't a bomb or have drug contents." I said.
"You don't think..." Neal begun.
"I don't know, did you drop the letter off here?" I asked.
"Saturday." Sarah said.
"It's possible." I said when both squads came out yelling that it was clear, I ran in letting Neal stay outside with Sarah to examine the letter seeing Sarah's name on it. I grabbed it bringing it out of the bank and brought it up to Sarah. "It's for you." I said handing her the letter.
"Are you going to open it?" Neal asked.
"Do I have to right now?" Sarah asked.
"Nope...when your ready." I said smiling, she nodded. "Neal, walk her home to make sure she gets home safely and meet me back at the headquarters." I said.
"Okay." Neal said wrapping his arm around Sarah walking her back to his place.
"What is this about?" Diana asked.
"I'll explain more at the meeting later today...collect everything we need and meet me back at the office." I said heading back to the office to collect data and adding another charge to Keller's file seeing Neal walk in, I signaled him to come up to my office. Neal walked up the stairs and into my office and sat down across from me. "Has she opened it yet?" I asked.
"Give her time, she is still emotional about this whole thing...she got arrested which is still on her mind, communicating with her dad again after 8 years and finding out her mom died Saturday, it's been rough..." Neal said.
"Your right, will you be able to get her to open it by this weekend?"
"Absolutely..." Neal said smiling.
Sarah's Point of View-
Neal walked me home after having to run to the bank to see the results of my dad robbing yet another bank and all he left was this letter addressed to me. I stared at it the whole way home not knowing how to feel nor if I even wanted to open it.
"Are you going to open it?" Neal asked as we walked into his loft.
"Probably not now...I can't..." I said.
"When your ready, you will open it...I'm here for support if you ever need me..." Neal said wrapping his arms around my waist holding me close to his embrace, I felt comfortable and felt as if I didn't need to worry about anything and felt that everything would be okay. Neal seemed like he was on top of everything and knew the best for every option. Neal kissed the top of my head as I felt his fingers playing with the tips of my hair.
"Okay..." I said.
"I got to get to work...are you going to be okay here by yourself?" Neal asked.
"I won't be alone, June is downstairs..."
"Right, I feel bad leaving you...tonight, me and you go out and June can watch Olivia."
"Alright..." I said smiling.
"If you need anything, call me...I love you." Neal said leaning in kissing me passionately before he left again before I could say 'I love you' back to him. I walked over starting a pot of coffee, I leant against the counter staring at the letter my dad wrote back that I was holding in my hands waiting for the coffee to finish brewing pouring a cup carrying it over to the table sitting down as I let out a breath.
"What better time to read a letter than when I'm alone?" I thought to myself out loud, I figured that way Olivia won't be involved in this, I didn't know what my dad included and Neal won't have to be a part of it for that reason alone. I loved Neal being around during these moments but I think that reading this from my dad would be better when I was alone since my dad is my past and I don't want Neal wrapped up in my past. I opened the envelope pulling out all the contents seeing the wad of money being held together by a band that read '$1,000' on it knowing it was $1,000 in $20 bills. There was a 4 x 7 sheet, but felt more like a photo paper than an actual sheet of paper, that read: 'This money is for you to help raise my grand-daughter. I know you don't trust me, you shouldn't trust Neal as well Sarah.' I was confused to how he knew I knew Neal, it was until I flipped the sheet over seeing the photo that the note was written on seeing a surveillance photo of my dad and Neal working together during an art theft, one of many that my dad did. Tears stung my eyes not wanting to believe this photo but it must of been true because this photo didn't look photoshopped nor tampered with. I wiped my eyes knowing what I had to do and couldn't believe I had fallen in love with Neal. I thought I could trust him and believe him but I find out the truth, why would he hide this from me?
Neal's Point of View-
I walked back to the FBI White Collar headquarters not being able to think of anything besides Sarah. I walked by a bridal shop stopping staring in at the dresses smiling trying to imagine Sarah wearing one then walked by a jewelers seeing couples inside shopping for a ring which was giving me the idea of wanting to propose to Sarah at tonights date with her. I walked into headquarters seeing Peter up in his office, when he saw me he signaled me to go up to his office which I did.
"Has she opened it yet?" Peter asked.
"Give her time, she is still emotional about this whole thing...she got arrested which is still on her mind, communicating with her dad again after 8 years and finding out her mom died Saturday, it's been rough..." I said.
"Your right, will you be able to get her to open it by this weekend?"
"Absolutely..." I said smiling.
"You truly do love her huh?" Peter asked.
"I love with her with my whole heart and I love Olivia as she was my own daughter." I said.
"Great to hear that...Neal Caffrey has changed..." Peter said as it went silent for a moment.
"How'd you know it was right to ask Elizabeth to marry you?" I asked.
"Your thinking about-"
"Yes." I said interrupting Peter.
"You just have that feeling in the pit of your stomach...are you serious about this?"
"Yes...I can't imagine my life without her." I said honestly.
"At lunch I will go with you to pick out a ring." Peter said as he smiled as well.
"Thanks Peter." I said standing up walking down the steps to my desk searching rings on my computer trying to get a good idea of what ring to get her. At lunch, Peter took me to where he bought Elizabeth's ring and we looked at every ring in the store until I picked the right ring for her. I couldn't help but to smile everytime I looked at the box, we went back to the office where I went to my desk sitting down opening the box staring at the ring that was in it smiling hoping that she would say yes. I left work early since I couldn't focus stopping by the local store picking up a bouqet of flowers to surprise her with them. I went home and ran upstairs not seeing Olivia in her guest room so I went into my loft not seeing either of them anywhere in my room, nor Olivia's backpack.
"Sarah? Olivia?" I asked with no response, I went into the closet checking the safe spot not seeing them nor the empty duffel bags and seeing all their clothes gone. "Sarah? Olivia?" I asked again hoping that they will respond again, I went to the dining room table seeing the envelope with Sarah's name on it and a photo of me with her dad. "Shit!" I said flipping it over reading the message: 'This money is for you to help raise my grand-daughter. I know you don't trust me, you shouldn't trust Neal as well Sarah.' I knew right then that Sarah and Olivia were gone, I don't know how much money Matthew gave them but I sure as hell know that Sarah had run for good this time. I angrily threw the flowers against the wall before I turned around running my hands through my hair growling angrily through my gritted teeth picking up the photo ripping the photo in half pissed at myself for not telling her the truth, pissed at her dad for doing this to us, and pissed at Sarah for running again, I thought we could work anything out and especially after everything we have been through.