The Third Time

Neal:

The third time it happened Neal was better prepared. He'd been unfortunate enough to end up a hostage of a very jittery mortgage broker who had taken to a little fraud on the side. Then a lot of fraud after he got away with it a few times. But everybody gets caught eventually. Neal knows, has learnt his lesson the hard way.

Not unlike the Neal of four years ago Benjamin Watts of Gramercy Park had gotten used to a lifestyle he was ill-equipped to maintain. Neal also knows that all cons come to an end. They aren't reality, they never were. Neal tells this to Benjamin as he swings the .45 back and forth between the pretty blonde bank teller and a mother with her young son crouched low by the cashier desk. He knows Peter and Jones can hear, are listening in from the van. Knows he's revealing way too much of his own state of mind than he would normally allow, but he can't con Ben out of a con. His best bet to get everyone out alive was to tell Ben the truth and hope his assessment of him was right, that he didn't want to hurt anyone. He was just a desperate guy, who wanted a better life. Not unlike Neal, who's spent the last ten years trying to erase the first eighteen. There's no hope for him, his whole childhood was a con, so doesn't see why his adult life should be any different. Ben has a chance though; all this is just a bad decision that got out of hand, he can still turn things around. Neal even offers to show him the way.

A con mans life, he explains in broad terms to his audience of gunman, hostages and FBI agents, is lonely. Attachment to others is fleeting. Or others attachment to him was at any right. Not even his own mother wanted to stick around. He committed his first punishable crime at the grand age of eight and hasn't looked back, in fact it was feeling strange to be part of something as solid and stable as White Collar. He's worked with others, Mozzie and Alex mostly, but when pulling a heist, they all bring something to the table, work separately towards a common goal. White Collar is different, the comradery and team ethos infectious. Trust and friendship go hand in hand. The feeling of family at the core.

"I have friends now. I have people in my life that care about me." Neal holds out his hand. "My friend's name is Peter. Put the gun down and I'll take you to him. He'll help you just like he helped me. I swear he's your best chance to get out of this."

The second Ben puts the gun down Neal feels an overwhelming sense of relief. He was pretty sure Ben wasn't going to shoot them all as he threatened, but that didn't stop him being happy and surprised his instincts were correct.

Peter enters first through the door, and Neal's prepared for the yelling. It's Peter's usual way of expressing concern. He doesn't disappoint. Next Neal knows by now comes the gentle hug, or hair ruffle, both if he's feeling particularly generous. As predicted Peter claps him on the shoulder and pulls him close, but what surprises Neal is the smile, Peter looks… Proud. Neal's not used to such a look being aimed his way, from anyone. Impressed, most definitely, but the only one who's ever really been proud of him is himself. Proud of his achievements at least. It throws him slightly, so much Neal feels a nervous smile turn up his lips. Peter sees, he has to, but he doesn't comment, instead he tells Neal he's earned the gelato Elizabeth's made for him. Neal doesn't question why Peter's wife has taken to wanting to feed him, but doesn't complain. He likes the spontaneous way Peter shows he cares, makes him feel like someone worth sticking around for. He also likes Elizabeth's gelato.

Peter:

They listen from the van, can do nothing else. Swarming in could get everyone killed. Neal's talking and as usual he's doing a good job. After several minutes Peter sends Jones and Diana to organise the agents and NYPD outside the bank. Peter stays, turns off the recorder and just listens, because Peter starts to believe this is not a con. This is real. And Neal had been exposed enough through his work with them, had endured more than his fair share of torment and tragedy for such a young life. It didn't need to be shared around the office like something juicy to talk about while the coffee percolated.

Of course, he knows Neal's an excellent liar, but there's something in his tone, in the hesitancy of his words when he speaks about the friends he has, the family he's found that feels real. A little of him hopes it means Neal really does want a more stable life. Wants to be a different person from the one he grew up to be. Peter isn't arrogant enough to believe he and Elizabeth are all it's going to take for Neal to truly go straight, but they are a damn good start, paving the way, showing him he can be more, more than an outsider reliant on his own lies and deceptions to get by.

The gun goes down and Peter launches out of the van. Walking through the doors he finds Neal looking rattled but in one piece, and for once he doesn't want to ball him out or make him feel bad. He's proud of Neal and makes sure this time he tells as well as shows it. For words can be lies to Neal and although Peter will teach him to trust words eventually, for now he takes Neal in a hug to prove just how proud he really is, smiling brightly promising him ice cream. If he and Elizabeth are the key to Neal staying out of jail then he has a bigger job ahead of him than he ever realised.