Note from the Phoenix: Wow...Neal's background story has really gotten out of hand. This was not what I was originally intending for this story. I was also hoping to get to the 'present' by the end of this chapter...however the final show down between Robert, Neal, and Daniel made this chapter like 17 pages long and I think that's just much too long. So I'm breaking it into two chapters. After that we'll get back to the problems at hand! Although the past will be important to solving the present day case, I swear! I hope you are enjoying my view on Neal's past.

PS- I changed the rating from T to M because I realized that since there is going to be some violence and adult themes during the chapter after this one that it would be best to be safe.

White Collar: The Eye of Sita

Chapter Thirteen

"It's beautiful, Neal, near perfection."

"Thank you."

"You've come so far, so quickly." Robert beamed. "I wasn't this good until I was in my twenties."

"You probably didn't have as good a teacher as I do." Neal chuckled.

"I was classically trained," Robert smiled "which isn't much help when it comes to forgeries."

"I want to get this one right, what can I do better on it?"

Neal had brought his latest painting on an easel into Robert's study for inspection. Robert's macular degeneration forced him to bring his face close enough to the painting to almost touch it. He studied the forgery of the Monet water lilies that Neal had brought him. Neal had the real painting to study, it was one of the ones he'd taken from Paris. It was his favorite from the stolen works and he was determined to forge it.

"Monet is not easy to forge, he had such an easy flow to his hand." Robert said. "You're still a little too stiff. This might sound crazy, but try a few glasses of red wine before you work next time, might help loosen your arm. Don't press so hard around the edges of the contrasting colors, let them work together. Other than that it is a masterpiece. I'm sure I could fool some buyer into taking this one if we age it."

"No, I'm going to destroy this like I did the others. I'll start again tonight."

"How many times have you painted this one?"

"Tonight will make nine. Practice makes perfect, right?"

"Confidence makes perfect, Neal, confidence."

"I know I can do this."

"That's the spirit." Robert laughed. "Try the wine and I bet this next one will be good enough to make even you happy enough to test it out on the market. Do you have a buyer in mind?"

"I don't want to sell it." Neal smiled mischievously. "I want to donate it to the Art Museum in Paris."

"Bold choice for your first forgery, I love it."

"If I put it in the hands of the people who knew the painting best and it passes then I'll know I'm ready."

"You'll be ready, Neal. You're the best I've ever seen and more than I could have ever hoped for. I'm proud of you."

Robert reached out and tousled Neal's hair affectionately. Neal cherished Robert's approval of his work, he knew it wasn't something that was easily won. Robert reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver lighter. Neal smile and took the lighter, he flicked the flame on and lit the corner of the Monet that he had just finished and let it burn. The painting had taken him close to three months to complete but it only took minutes to destroy.

"The best evidence is no evidence." Robert said seriously. "Never confirm any accusations of guilt, don't deny them either, that's just as bad. When asked questions it is best to just keep your mouth shut and smile."

Neal flashed Robert a well practiced bright smile.

"That's perfect, I might even believe you're innocent."

A month later Neal was busy in his studio working on his next attempt at the water lilies. He had the original Monet on a easel next to the one that he was working on so that he could compare. He was getting to a point where he could nearly do the painting from memory alone. Lost in the creative process Neal didn't even notice Daniel coming into the studio.

Daniel slunk over silently and playfully jabbed Neal in the ribs. Startled by the sneak attack Neal jerked forward. His paintbrush gouged an inch long trough through the still wet oil paint. With the colors mixed there would be no repairing the damage if this was going to fool the Paris Art Museum. Neal turned a murderous glare on Daniel.

"Damn it, Daniel." Neal snarled. "Now I'm going to have to start over, do you have any idea how expensive this antique canvas is, not to mention the paint?"

"Sorry, I forgot how pressed we are for money." Daniel rolled his eyes.

"You've cost me a month's worth of work."

"It's been almost two years and you're still staring at that damn painting." Daniel sighed in exasperation. "How many times have you painted those ridiculous water lilies?"

"I'm not good enough yet."

"Good enough for what?"

Neal didn't answer, he'd had this argument with Daniel too many times before. He picked up the half finished Monet off the easel and tossed it unceremoniously into the corner. Neal knew that Daniel had ruined the painting on purpose. Daniel didn't approve of forgery, he thought it was pointless when there was plenty of real stuff to steal and sell.

Doing his best to ignore his surrogate brother Neal got another canvas and began to prepare it for another attempt. Once again Neal started to outline where the water lilies were going to be with light strokes. He'd had half a bottle of wine today and it did help loosen his muscles for better painting. Neal stopped when he heard the sound of a steel ball rattling around inside a spray paint can. He looked over his shoulder and found Daniel holding a can of spray paint with a bright smile.

"Come on, Neal, let's go show the world something original." Daniel smiled. "Show me you're still a real artist and not some breathing copy machine."

"It's two o'clock in the afternoon."

"So?"

"Not really the right time for tagging."

"You need to get out of this house and enjoy the outside world, Neal. All this painting is no good for you, I think the fumes are starting to rot your brain."

"Please go away."

Daniel made a noise of exasperation. Neal went back to his painting, knowing that Daniel would eventually give up. As the years had passed they had started having different views on their career paths. In two months Neal would be eighteen and he wanted this painting to be done by then.

Neal suddenly felt a cold metal contact against his temple. He glanced at the weapon and was mildly irritated that Daniel had taken his father's police issue out of the drawer where he kept it. He had a collection of guns nearly three hundred strong, but this was the only one he kept on hand.

"You know that gun is loaded, right?" Neal asked calmly.

"I know you can't resist a marksman challenge." Daniel said as he lowered the weapon. "Let's go down to the range. See if you can out shoot me."

"You know I can."

"Well prove it to me one last time and I'll never bother you in your studio again. However, if I win..."

"Not likely."

"If I win you have to get out of this dank studio and come out to a bar with me, find you a girlfriend."

"I have a girlfriend, in fact I have three...sometimes four, depending on Cindy's mood."

"Those aren't 'girlfriends', Neal, those are fiends with benefits." Daniel complained. "They are less than that, they are 'acquaintances with benefits'. Do any of them even know your real name?"

"No, of course not."

"And you don't see something wrong with that? What about romance, what about love?"

"I don't have time for love," Neal said dismissively "I barely have time for sex."

"There is something deeply wrong with you...I mean that."

"If you want to be good at something you have to put time into it." Neal said as he went back to outlining one of the water lilies. "And I want to be the best."

"Like Caffrey?" Daniel asked darkly.

"Exactly."

"Neal, you don't want to be like him." Daniel said firmly.

"Of course I do. He's everything I want to be. He's not just another member of the herd like the rest of the cattle that you meet every day on the street."

"I don't understand you, Neal." Daniel sighed. "How can you want to be almost sixty and so alone that you need to pick orphans up off the street for 'company'? You take this business too seriously. We should just plan one final score and then get lives, real lives."

"This is my life."

"Neal..."

"I don't want to hear anymore, Daniel." Neal snapped. "I don't want some 'one last score'. I don't want the money, I want the adventure, I want the lifestyle, I want to have my work hang in the Louvre. Why can't you understand that?"

"Because I know you can do better than just being Caffrey. You take too many risks. I don't want you ending up alone or in prison. The path you're on now you're going to end up both."

"I don't see you looking to make an honest living so don't talk to me about risk."

"I'm happy to take what I can get and stay quiet about it, but you seem to have a pathological need to flaunt your work."

"I do not."

"Are you going to sign that Monet?" Daniel asked knowingly.

"Get out." Neal growled.

"Nea..."

"No, not another word. Stay out of my studio! I don't want to have this conversation with you again."

"I just want what's best for you..."

"You need to let me decide what that is."

"I'm sorry...you're right. Just please think about it. I'm not going to visit you in prison."

"You won't have to, I won't get caught."

"Once you sell a stolen piece of jewelry or even a painting the evidence is all but gone. What you're doing...that forgery is little more than a rope around your neck, eventually it will hang you."

"At least I'll die doing what I love."

It had been three months since Neal's last argument with Daniel in his studio. In those months Daniel had become increasingly distant. He spent most of his time out of the house and sometimes days would go by where Neal wouldn't see him at all. Determined to finish the Monet Neal had not really had time to talk to Daniel about it. He wanted the painting done in time for his eighteenth birthday.

This morning was that day, and he only had a few hours left of work to do on the painting before it was done. It was nearly nine o'clock and Neal was still in bed. Daniel had always pounced on him at dawn on his birthday. This morning he hadn't even heard Daniel attempting to pick the new locks. Eventually giving up on Daniel Neal sighed and got out of bed.

Getting dressed Neal went to Daniel's bedroom, but he wasn't there. Neal went down stairs and started roaming the large house looking for his friend. Robert was at the breakfast table and smiled warmly when he caught sight of Neal.

"Happy birthday, Neal. You got up late this year."

"Where's Daniel?"

"I don't know. He didn't come home last night."

"Again? I'm worried about him."

"Daniel is just getting ready to leave the nest, Neal. He doesn't have the same ambitions as you do, he'll be fine."

"It's not like him to forget my birthday, for some reason they've always seemed to be so important to him in the past."

"I'm sure he'll be home soon." Robert assured. "Come over here, I have something special for you this year."

"I hope it isn't behind a complicated lock," Neal smiled "I have until midnight to put the finishing touches on my Monet."

"No lock this year."

Neal came over as Robert got to his feet and offered him a small black lacquer box. Neal took the box and opened it. He furrowed his brow as he looked at the small heap of ashes that the box contained.

"No evidence is the best evidence." Robert smiled warmly.

"What is this evidence of?"

"Your former life."

"I don't understand."

"Your birth certificate, driver's license, school files, foster papers, medical history, all of it. Everything is gone, as far as the world is concerned you never existed."

"Wha...why would you do that to me?" Neal asked terrified.

"It's okay, Neal." Robert said softly and handed Neal a leather bound folder. "I got you a new identity."

Neal put down the box of ashes and took the leather folder. Opening the thick folder Neal found a full identity kit, passport, driver's license, birth certificate, even a new social security number. Shocked Neal wasn't sure what to say. On the one hand he knew it was an honor, on the other he'd just had his name taken from him.

"Everything is real, bulletproof. Right now your past is blank, but we'll get some of the background type papers later."

"'Neal Caffrey'." Still stunned Neal read the new surname out loud.

"Happy first birthday Neal Caffrey."

"I...uh..."

"I'm sorry." Robert apologized. "I should have asked you first, I guess I thought you'd be expecting this. This new identity not only entitles you to my estate, but erasing your past was the only way to get your finger prints out of the system."

"My fingerprints?"

"Taken when you were placed in the foster system. I've been working on this since I first brought you in. New identities are easy, erasing old ones takes a lot more work. I'm sorry if I've upset you."

"No." Neal said quickly. "No, I am honored. Thank you."

"I couldn't love a son of my own flesh and blood more than I love you."

Neal flushed slightly as he smiled. Robert still looked slightly nervous, something that Neal could never remember him being. Truly grateful for everything his mentor had done for him Neal shook off his reservations of leaving his old surname behind. He embraced Robert briefly before stepping back and smiling.

"Hello," Neal held his hand out "I'm Neal Caffrey."

"Good to meet you." Robert smiled as he shook Neal's hand. "How does the name feel?"

"It feels...right."