White Collar 1. Chapter 1

**A Little Hope Goes a Long Way**

**Chapter 1**

Florence, Italy

May 2003

'Whoa, what a rush!' Matthew Keller screamed as he swept into the apartment he shared with his partner in crime

'That was totally unnecessary' said Neal Caffrey, as he came in behind him, obviously angry and upset

'What, he's just some insignificant security guard' said Keller shrugging

'He could be dead, Keller! We just left him there, bleeding' said Neal, visibly distressed

'So what? We got what we came for' answered Keller as he looked over the loot they had just lifted from the Uffizi Gallery

'It's not worth killing someone over, nothing is' continued Neal as the realization of what had just happened dawned on him.

'You're such a fucking bleeding heart, Caffrey' said Keller

'He's somebody's son, maybe somebody's husband or father...' Neal continued as he made his way to his room

'You're kidding me, right?' asked Keller

Within minutes, Neal had thrown some clothes in a bag and was back in the living room.

'Keep it!' he said to Keller, as he pointed to the jewelry they had just stolen. 'I'm done with this. I didn't sign up for guns – I told you that. You're on your own'

'Whatever, Caffrey. You're such a wuss. Go, I don't care' said Keller, waving him off

Neal never looked back as he slammed the door behind him.

WCWCWC

(6.10 years)

'Aw, not again' said Sara as she turned to sit up in bed

'It's okay, I'll get him' said Neal, putting his arm out to hold her back as his feet hit the cold floor

Neal walked the few steps to the baby's room and with the moonlight coming in from the bedroom window, he could see Liam standing in his crib, wailing and putting his arms out to be picked up.

'What's the matter, baby? Is it your teeth again?' asked Neal as he lifted him out of his crib and pulled him to his chest

Liam grabbed Neal's naked neck, making his dad squirm in pain and shoved his head in the crook between Neal's neck and shoulder as the intensity of his wails began to slowly decrease. Neal could feel his hot cheek against his cool neck and he pressed his young son closer to him as he tried to soothe him

'Bobo, Liam?' he asked, soothingly

'Bobo, bobo' Liam repeated through his muffled cries

'Sara, where's the teething gel?' asked Neal as he moved from Liam's bedroom to the bathroom

'It's in the medicine cabinet' she answered, half asleep 'and there's a teething ring in the freezer'

At 20 months, Liam was getting the last of his teeth, the second molars. The blunt teeth were slow and painful to push through and he had been having trouble sleeping the last couple of nights as he woke in pain.

Neal made his way down to the kitchen, making a detour to grab a t-shirt from the pile of clothes in the hamper in the hallway. It was January and the house always seemed colder in the dead of night. He turned on the light over the stove, glancing at the time as he made his way to the refrigerator. Two forty five – it was going to be a short night and he had to be at his desk by 8 o'clock. Liam had begun to calm down as he let Neal apply some teething gel on his gums right on the spot that was obviously causing trouble. Neal made his way to the couch in the family room, settling Liam on his knees and handing him the icy teething ring. Liam looked up, his face red and wet from the tears and put his head on Neal's chest letting himself be comforted as he began to suck on the cool ice. Neal grabbed the blanket that was lying nearby and covered them both as he held his infant son close to him, letting his head drop on the back of the couch.

Hope had not experienced this much pain when her teeth had come in and this howling was new to Neal and Sara. It had been going on for close to a week and they had been taking turns getting up with him during the night. Luckily, tomorrow was Friday, and with any luck they would be able to catch up on their sleep throughout the weekend.

Neal had been employed at Finch and Johns as an art authenticator for close to two years. He loved his job – it afforded him the excitement of being in close proximity to invaluable works of art without having to do anything illegal to get his hands on them. His employer also allowed Neal to take quite a bit of time off which Neal used in order to do some freelancing with the White Collar Division and to work on producing some art in his studio in the basement of their home. Sara, for her part, had returned to work at Sterling Bosch when Liam was about six months old and she enjoyed the balance of the two very distinctive parts of her life: Sara Ellis, fearless insurance adjustor and Sara Caffrey, loving wife and mother of two.

Hope had welcomed her baby brother with open and loving arms – after all, she was not a baby herself but a grown-up five year old when he was born. She was a terrific big sister, looking out for Liam and making sure he was safe but as of late, she seemed to be resenting the extra attention he was getting from Mom and Dad and she had begun to act out in order to get her fair share of the limited time her parents had for the two of them. This new attitude was really ticking Neal off, especially since he spent so much time with his daughter in the studio, showing her the basics of art and making time to take her to art classes as well as the soccer practices she loved so much.

Sara woke to find Neal's side of the bed empty and cold and she walked over to the next room to wake her daughter up for school. By the time Sara and Hope made it down for breakfast, it was almost seven o'clock and they found the boys flopped out on the couch – Neal lying on his back with his mouth open and Liam lying across his stomach, chest to chest and sound asleep.

'Neal' Sara said gently as she walked over to the couch to rouse him 'It's almost seven'

'What?' he uttered as he came to, realizing where he was. 'Aww, seriously? I never made it back to bed'

The sound of his voice woke Liam who looked up at his mom and put out his arms to be picked up.

'Mama' he said with a smile

'Oh, now you're all smiles' she said as she picked him up. 'You want to go on the potty?' she asked as she stuck her hand inside his diaper noticing it was dry.

'Potty' he repeated as he struggled to be put down and began to run towards the bathroom at the front of the house

'Hope, can you sit him on the potty?' asked Sara, noticing Hope lurking nearby

'Why is it my job to put him on the potty' she answered, in what was fast becoming her usual snarky tone of voice

'Just do it' said Sara, giving her 'the' look that left no room for negotiation.

Neal struggled to get up from the very uncomfortable position he had slept in most of the night and held on to his wife as he stretched his back.

'Your turn tonight' he said and it almost sounded like a threat.

Friday night was synonymous with dinner out for the Caffrey clan. After a long week of work and school for Hope, they enjoyed sitting together as a family and being catered to, having a meal that no one had to prepare. Of course, as Liam grew and was more and more mobile, it was important to stick to family friendly restaurants, certainly not the type of restaurants Neal and Sara had frequented before they had kids. But this was a sacrifice they were willing to make until the kids got older and learned to appreciate fine cuisine.

Tonight, they were sitting in front of chicken fingers and fries and trying to make the best of it. Hope had been particularly testy the last few days – in direct correlation to Liam's need for extra attention and she began to tease her brother mercilessly as she picked fries from his plate in an obvious attempt to get him going.

'Hope, stop that; you have your own fries' said Neal for the third time

'What is your problem?' added Sara, turning to their daughter 'He's your little brother, he didn't do anything to you'

'It's always 'Liam this and Liam that' answered Hope in a most un-sisterlike tone. 'He always gets everything and I get nothing' she added, crossing her arms against her chest in an act of defiance

'That's not true' explained Neal, patiently 'I'm taking you to the dome for your soccer practice tomorrow and we spent all evening yesterday in my studio'

'But he's always crying and wanting to be picked up' she argued

'Liam is not even two yet and you're almost seven. Do you want to be picked up?' Neal asked, tickling her in an effort to break her foul mood

'No...' she answered, laughing despite her resolve to remain annoyed

Sara looked up at her husband. He had such an amazing way with the kids, always knowing the right thing to do to keep the peace whenever Hope acted up. Hope had her faults but she was mostly a very easygoing child; she was headstrong like her mom and knew what she wanted and of course, she was as smart as a whip but she had also inherited Neal's gentle, loving nature and you could usually bring her around by playing to her soft side, her desire to love and be loved. And Neal had figured that out from the very first few months of her life...

Saturday rolled around and Liam seemed to know it was a down day because he slept through the night to everyone's relief and amazement. Neal got up and began to make his way down to the kitchen while Sara lounged in bed – Saturday brunch was always his job and usually consisted of pancakes and bacon and eggs or whatever Hope had requested before bed the night before. He popped his head into Hope's room, spying her reading a book as was her routine when she woke up early in the morning.

'You want to give me a hand with the pancakes?' he asked

'Okay' she answered, following her dad towards the staircase.

'Can we put blueberries in them?' she asked as her foot hit the first floor landing

'Sure, if you want to' her dad answered as he ruffled her hair

'Dad...' she whined, seemingly annoyed

'What, you're too big for me to ruffle your hair now. Next thing you know, you'll want me to stop grabbing your nose'

'Never' she said, laughing

Sara made an appearance as the fragrance of bacon and pancakes wafted up the stairs. She was carrying a smiling Liam who ran to his dad for a hug as soon as his mom put him down.

'Poppa' he squealed

'Hey buddy' said Neal, scooping him up. 'You hungry for the pancakes Hope made?'

They settled around the kitchen table as Neal dished out bacon and eggs all around. Suddenly, his phone vibrated indicating a text – probably Peter reminding him they were having lunch later. He glanced nonchalantly at the screen as Sara and the children continued to munch and chit chat about the day ahead.

'Your daughter sure loves fries' it read

Neal looked at the number that the text had originated from but didn't recognize it; it wasn't from anyone he knew. He re-read the text and decided to call the number – this was too weird, had someone been spying on them at dinner the night before? And if so, why?

The call didn't go through – the number was out of order.

'What's the matter?' asked Sara, seeing the strange look on his face.

'Nothing, just a weird text...' he answered

'Dad, are you taking me to my soccer practice?' interrupted Hope as she shovelled a mouthful of syrup laden pancakes in her mouth

'Sure... and don't talk with your mouth full' Neal answered, instantly forgetting about the strange message.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

'Daddy, what _is_ this?' asked Hope as she held up the contraption in her hand

'What are you doing with _that_?' Neal asked, taking if from her hand and examining it

He hadn't looked at or touched his anklet in a long time and although it had been a permanent part of his anatomy for the better part of four years, it suddenly looked foreign to him.

'I found it on the floor in your closet' said Hope, innocently

'And you were in our closet because...' Neal trailed, letting his daughter finish his sentence

'Mommy sent me to get some shoes for her and I found it' said Hope, matter of factly

Neal made his way to the bed, anklet in hand, and Hope followed him, sitting on the edge as she studied her dad's face. Neal gave her a sideways glance, noticing she wasn't about to let this go without an explanation – she was smart and pushy, just like her mom.

'Well, a long time ago, I had to wear this on my ankle' explained Neal

'Why?' asked Hope, frowning

Neal took a deep breath. He had never hidden anything from Hope and he had no intention of lying to her when she was asking such a direct question but having to share the least illuminating part of his life with his offspring was not something he'd been looking forward to doing.

'Well, when I was younger, I did something very stupid. I copied some bank bonds and pretended they were real' said Neal, quietly, trying to find the right words for a seven year old to understand

'What are bank bonds?' she asked, as always curious to learn about every new thing that came her way

'They're sort of like money and people usually buy them to save for a rainy day' he answered

'Why did you copy them?' she asked, prodding him to continue

'Because it seemed like fun at the time and I could make some money by pretending they were real' Neal said, avoiding her eyes.

Hope just looked up at her dad, confused

'But doing that is illegal and I ended up going to jail' he added, looking straight into his daughter's eyes to emphasize what he was saying

It was the first time he had discussed this with Hope although he had always known the day would come when he would need to come clean about his indiscriminate youth to his children. After all, it was a matter of public record and he didn't want them finding out from another source.

'You went to jail?' she repeated

'Yeah. That's how I met Uncle Peter. He worked for the FBI and he caught me and he put me in jail' Neal said, relieved that he was able to explain this part of his life in his own words

Hope was staring, totally captivated by what she was hearing. This was her Uncle Peter, her godfather and her dad's best friend and it was strange to imagine that their relationship could ever have been anything but that of close friends.

'But because I knew a lot about art and forgeries, he let me out to help him catch bad guys instead of leaving me in jail. But when you do something bad, you have to pay for it so I was punished by having to stay near Grandma June's house and I couldn't go wherever I wanted. They put this tracker on my ankle and that way Uncle Peter always knew where I was. In case I got into more trouble' he added finally

'So, a tracker can tell somebody where you are?' she asked

'Yeah, I wore the tracker on me all the time and Uncle Peter had a monitor that told him where I was. And that way, I couldn't go places or do things I wasn't supposed to do because he could always find me' Neal explained

'Did it hurt?' asked Hope, suddenly concerned

'No' Neal laughed 'It just went around my ankle like a bracelet around your wrist'

'Uncle Peter and your mom helped me to understand that I couldn't keep doing bad things so I stopped and then after a while, I didn't have to wear it anymore' Neal continued

Hope took the anklet and placed it around her foot. It hung loosely and she took a few steps dragging it along as she went.

'You know, Hope, I'm not very proud of what I did back then but I stopped and now I'm happy to do a job that helps to catch people who do those bad things' Neal said, finally

Hope put her arms around Neal's neck as she spoke 'Me too, Daddy'

WCWCWC

'So, another season of soccer begins' said Jeff Mason as he sidled up to Neal by the indoor soccer field

'Hey Jeff. Yeah, used to be soccer was just for summer but nowadays...' Neal pointed to the dome they were in

'Yeah, they've got them playing all year round. So is Hope trying out for a striker position again this year?' asked Jeff

Jeff and Donna Mason were neighbors and had become friends ever since the Caffreys had moved into the White Plains neighborhood six years before. Olivia Mason was Hope's best friend and had been since they were little girls. They did everything together and not a weekend went by without one or the other spending time at the Caffreys or the Masons, often staying for dinner.

'She seems to have a mean kick, that's for sure. Olivia going for goalie again?' asked Neal, keeping the casual conversation going

'Yeah, why anyone would want to stand in front of someone coming at her with a speeding ball is beyond me but...' Jeff went on

Neal laughed. He had learned to enjoy suburban life, the easygoing predictability of it all, the warmth and love he felt every time he walked into their house, sharing it all with Sara who also struggled at times with domesticity and most of all seeing his children develop and grow into wonderful young people. The verdict was still out on Liam's personality but he was an easygoing and usually calm toddler in direct contrast to how he had been the last few days. Hope, on the other hand, was very fiery and headstrong like her mom and could not be pulled into any direction she didn't want to go in and at a very young age, she had begun to show that fierce temperament.

He watched as Hope made a run up the pitch on the left side, dodging a couple of the girls from the opposing team and turning slightly to get her right foot on the ball as she let it rip right by her best friend who was flying through the air in an attempt to block the shot.

'Whoa!' yelled Neal as his daughter did a happy dance on the field.

Saturday usually meant errands and play dates for the kids and Neal and Sara often spent time with Peter and Elizabeth one on one or sometimes as a foursome. Neal had arranged to meet Peter for lunch since they hadn't seen each other all week. Neal had put in a full week at his job at Finch and Johns and he hadn't made it into the White Collar Unit so they had some catching up to do.

Neal walked briskly into the restaurant, slightly breathless, and spotted Peter sitting near the back. He was looking relaxed and Neal made his way over, flustered at being late – which he hated with a passion. But being late seemed to be the status quo now that they had two kids as well as their schedules to juggle.

'Sorry' he said as he pulled up a chair 'Hope's soccer practice went a bit over and I had to drop her off at home before coming over'

Peter smiled. He never got enough of 'domestic Neal' so different from the man he'd met years before, the suave, debonair Neal Caffrey who never had a hair out of place. Now, his buddy sat across from him, hair slightly disheveled, wearing jeans and a polo shirt under a sensible, warm winter jacket and yet Neal looked happier than ever, more fulfilled and complete and Peter smiled at the thought that he had contributed in a large way to this transformation.

'So, how are things?' Neal asked as he grabbed the menu on the table

'Oh, you know same old, same old' answered Peter, noncommittally

'And Elizabeth?' Neal asked

'She's good, she's good. Busy, as usual' explained Peter, who was interrupted by the waiter, ready to take their order

'So, any new and exciting cases?' Neal asked as the young man walked away to order their meals. Even though he wasn't often at the White Collar offices anymore, he enjoyed hearing about any new capers especially if they involved art heists which always got his blood pumping.

'Well, we're working on that theft at the Adonis Gallery last week' answered Peter

'Oh yeah? What was taken from there?' Neal asked

'Some jewelry on display – pretty small stuff, really' answered Peter 'What about you?'

'You would _not_ believe what I had in my hands this week' said Neal, suddenly becoming animated, his eyes dancing in that way they had when he got to see a treasure up close.

Peter looked on, expectantly. Like Neal, he was an art lover of sorts – or more of an admirer. Neal loved art from deep within his soul; Peter admired its value both artistic and monetary.

'A Rodin!' Neal stopped, for full effect

'Really? Which one?' asked Peter, taking a bite of his Eggs Benedict

'The Cathedral!' Neal said with a flourish 'It's beautiful – the lines are exquisite and I just couldn't put it down. You can see the tool marks on the hands, it's just awesome...'

'I didn't realize it had been missing' said Peter

'Yeah, since 2010 – it disappeared from the Musée Rodin in Paris and it turned up in a private collection in Copenhagen just last week. Isn't that wild?' explained Neal, excitement obvious in his voice

'Incredible' agreed Peter as Neal's enthusiasm began to rub off on him.

'So tell me, are we still on for dinner next weekend?' asked Peter 'Our place, remember?'

'Yeah, I'm not sure we've got a sitter yet' answered Neal as he sipped his coffee

Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrating in his shirt pocket and instinctively reached for it. It must be Sara needing him to pick something up on the way home.

Peter looked on as Neal grimaced, then frowned.

'What is it' he asked his best friend

'It's another weird text' Neal answered absentmindedly as he plugged a number into his phone

'Again, out of order – probably some burner phone' he muttered under his breath

'You want to tell me what's going on?' asked Peter becoming concerned at the sight of Neal, obviously disturbed

'Last night we went out to dinner and Hope was acting up, grabbing fries from Liam's plate and stuff and then early this morning I get a text from some unknown number that said...'

He scrolled down to find the earlier text so he could relate it accurately to Peter 'Your daughter sure loves fries' he read

'I thought it was just some joke but I just got another one' Neal said as he continued fiddling with his phone. 'Hope sure has a mean right kick'

Peter looked at Neal quizzically.

'This morning, I took Hope to her soccer tryouts and she scored a mean goal with a swift right kick. I don't like this Peter... Is this someone's idea of a joke?'

'Did you see anyone suspicious at the soccer dome?' asked Peter

'Peter, it was packed... it's tryouts. And I wasn't looking for anything suspicious' Neal answered annoyed at himself for not having been more aware of his surroundings

'Look, it's probably someone's idea of a sick joke – not exactly threatening stuff' said Peter, trying to reassure Neal yet sharing his concern

'Can you run these numbers for me anyway?' asked Neal

'Sure, no problem' answered his ex-partner

Neal forced a smile but this was not sitting well with him, not in the least.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Mozzie took his job very seriously when it came to being a loving uncle to Neal and Sara's children. He had been the first to be surprised when Neal asked him to be Liam's godfather almost two years ago but he had been thrilled to be trusted with that all important responsibility and he truly enjoyed spending time with the toddler whenever he could. It had been Sara's idea originally and she had insisted that Mozzie was just the right person to watch over their newborn son – their miracle baby.

Over the years, the trust factor between Sara and Mozzie had continued to grow and they had finally arrived at an understanding: Mozzie knowing that Sara would never stand between him and Neal and Sara certain that Mozzie would never ask Neal to do anything that would endanger his family. This arrangement suited them both just fine and Neal was thankful that two of the most important people in his life had learned to live in harmony.

It hadn't always been that way. In the early years, Sara and Mozzie had argued constantly as the older man tried everything to keep the couple apart and disrupt their intimacy. If he was honest with himself, he would have to admit it was purely a case of jealousy; Neal's attention was turned towards Sara and her feminine wiles and this did not sit well with Mozzie in the least. The truth was that Mozzie didn't want to share Neal with anyone and he was convinced that neither one of them could ever be happy living a conventional life.

When Sara got pregnant with Hope and started living at June's, Mozzie had begun to see the transformation in Neal as his excitement grew in direct proportion to Sara's belly at the prospect of becoming a dad. After that, he and Sara had had a serious heart to heart, at Neal's urging, and had found a way to co-exist in Neal's world for the greater good.

Now, the conman was an integral member of the Caffrey family and was welcome into their home whenever he felt the urge to visit, which was frequently.

The front door opened and Mozzie waltzed in going straight to the back of the house where he could hear Hope and her little friend giggling as they played.

'Uncle Mozzie!' Hope called out as she spotted him, running to give him a big hug

'Hope!' he responded, hugging her back

Sara looked up briefly from her computer screen at the kitchen table and gave him a fleeting hand wave as Mozzie proceeded to follow Hope into the family room where she and Olivia had set up to play.

'Oh, wow vintage Barbie!' Mozzie exclaimed as he picked up the doll and began examining her. 'And Midge! And Skipper! Where did you get these?'

'Mommy bought them at a garage sale' said Hope, seemingly unaware that these dolls were anything other than just... dolls

'These are worth a fortune!' Mozzie continued excitedly as he scrutinized each one, realizing they were circa 1955 originals – but then again, nothing of value escaped Mozzie's eagle eye.

'Forget it Mozzie, I know what you're thinking' said Sara as she began to tune in to their discussion

'I'm just saying...' he began

'I know what you're just saying' she responded, cutting him off 'Do you want a glass of wine?'

'Yeah, sure. Actually, I came over to see if I could take Liam out for a while. It's cold but gorgeous out there and I thought I could take him for a walk and pull him on that sleigh Neal bought for him'

'That sounds nice, Mozzie. He'll probably be up from his nap in the next half hour or so' said Sara, standing to get her guest the promised glass of wine

'So where's Boy Wonder?' asked Mozzie

'He's out having lunch with Peter. He should be home any minute' Sara answered

She looked up at Mozzie and realized he was waiting for something...

'What?' she asked, staring at him 'Moz, do you want to stay for dinner?' she finally asked to which Mozzie nodded enthusiastically with a huge smile on his face

WCWCWC

The building at West 48th and Pearl that housed the offices of Finch and Johns was virtually empty on this Sunday afternoon as Matthew Keller made his way to the fortieth floor. He had been casing the joint for about a week and knew exactly where his old friend's office was located and he made his way quietly and without incident.

What was Caffrey trying to prove anyway; he was still a two bit criminal just like him - even if he was masquerading as a family man and law abiding citizen. He didn't deserve all this – a beautiful wife and kids, a great job, a house in suburbia. He had grown up just like Keller had; with no one to watch over him and left to his own devices. Why should he have this terrific life when Keller had to go begging from job to job just to get by? Neal owed him and Keller had just the way to get Neal to make amends for leaving him high and dry all those years ago.

He made his way to Neal's desk and sat behind it looking around at the plush offices. Turning on his computer, he glanced at the picture on Neal's desktop: there she was, the beautiful Miss Ellis and two carbon copies of the two of them all smiling at the camera like they all deserved to be happy. He easily made his way into Neal's e-mail account and within minutes he had cracked his password and was finishing up what he had come to do.

He smirked as he walked away – who's smug now, he thought.

WCWCWC

Meanwhile, back on Meadowbrook Street in White Plains, scenes of sweet domesticity were playing out. Neal sat at the kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee and keeping an eye on his daughter who was busy finishing up her homework. Sara had taken Liam over to June's for a visit and the house was unusually quiet as the child sat with her backpack on the table, various books and papers spread out around her.

'Daddy, it's not fair. Liam gets to go out and visit Grandma June and I have to sit here and finish my stupid homework' she complained as she put the tip of her pencil between her teeth – as she had seen her dad do so many times before.

'Well, that's how life is when you're almost seven years old. You have certain responsibilities' said Neal, holding back a grin at his own response

'You can choose to get your homework done now and we can all watch a movie tonight as a family or you can go out and play now and then sit here and work while the rest of us eat popcorn and watch TV after dinner' Neal continued watching his daughter compute the options.

Spending time with Hope was always a hoot for Neal. She was smart, too smart and most times having a discussion with her was more work than talking to an adult. She had a thirst for knowledge, for life and she always surprised him with her many questions. As a child, Neal had had all the same questions but no one to guide him through and help him figure out the answers and he had come to some pretty shaky conclusions leading to a life of crime. Ever since he had found out he was going to become a father, he had resolved to be there every minute of every day for his children, guiding them down the path of life while letting them develop their own personalities and draw their own conclusions about the world around them.

Hope sighed deeply and returned to the paper in front of her.

'Alright, I've finished math' she finally said, turning the paper for Neal to inspect.

She hated math and saw absolutely no use for it in her life, present or future. Hope loved reading, loved words, the sound of them, the look of them on paper. It seemed like a natural extension of her love of writing, drawing and painting. Anytime she had a pencil or paintbrush in her hand, she was happy – free to create, doodle, draw, paint... and _this,_ made Hope Ellis-Caffrey very happy.

'So, you ready for your spelling?' Neal asked as he went through the stack of papers on the table to locate the list of the words of the week

Hope nodded as she grabbed a fresh piece of paper.

'Oh, we've got words in 'ck' I see' said Neal, perusing the list

'If you're going to make the 'ca' sound, why would you need both a 'c' and and 'k'?' asked Hope, seemingly mystified. 'It seems like overkill' she added, as if she couldn't understand why the powers that be hadn't thought of that before.

Neal stifled a smile once again at Hope's use of the word overkill (where had she heard that one, he wondered). 'Well, if you had just a 'c' it might sound like an 's' in certain words like 'celery' he explained, always so patient

Hope shrugged at this. 'Alright, Dad, hit me' she added

Neal did a mental eye roll; sometimes his daughter was just a baby and other times, she sounded like a teenager.

'Alright, here we go: luck' he said

Hope pulled out her tongue and bit down gently as she began to write on the lined piece of paper in front of her.

'Pocket' continued Neal

Hope stared ahead for a moment while she recalled the words she had studied on the blackboard at school. Finally, she began to write as little lines formed on her forehead, indicating she was concentrating. Neal smiled as he watched her struggle.

'Tracker' he said, finally 'That's one we were just talking about yesterday' he added

Hope nodded and wrote, once again.

'Two more' said Neal 'and here's a hard one: locket'

'That's easy Daddy, it's like pocket but with an 'l' Hope said, rolling her eyes

'And bucket' he said finally

As she finished, he could see her continuing to write on her piece of paper. Hope had quite of bit of Neal in her and she loved to sign anything she wrote using her hyphenated name for more drama.

She finally added a little flourish at the end of her name and passed the paper over to her dad for correction.

'Hope, why do you keep doing that?' asked Neal, pointing to the 'E' in Ellis-Caffrey. Hope always wrote a backwards E as she wrote her name, a habit she had gotten into back when she had started printing at age three.

'It was cute when you were little but you're going into Grade 2 next year and your teachers are going to think you don't know how to print a simple 'E' he added, exasperated

'It my trainmark, Daddy' she said, with confidence

Neal frowned, obviously not understanding what she meant.

'My trainmark!' she said louder 'you know, my individual way of doing it' she explained, her voice growing a little more impatient.

'Oh, your trademark' Neal corrected

'Whatever, it's my way of signing my name and nobody can stop me' she said, defiantly as Neal laughed softly.

Oh yeah, she was a doodle alright - and she sure was a free spirit.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Peter Burke arrived at the office early on Monday morning. There was something special and unique about Mondays, he'd always thought – the promise of a new beginning, perhaps a new case that would get his juices flowing. He made it up to his office, greeting the few staff who had arrived early as he climbed the few steps to the mezzanine.

He wanted to run those phone numbers for Neal before he got going with his day. Although the texts Neal had received were disturbing, they certainly weren't of a threatening nature but he could see that his friend was concerned so he settled in to follow up on the two phone numbers Neal had given him.

'Well, you were right' Peter said into his phone as he swayed back and forth in his office chair. 'There both burner phones – out of commission now and impossible to trace'

'Alright' Neal sighed, somewhat disappointed 'Thanks for checking, Peter. Hopefully, it's just somebody's idea of a practical joke and that's the end of it. I hate thinking someone's watching us and seeing our every move'

'Okay, buddy. Take care and we'll see you Saturday night' said Peter, signing off

'Sure thing, Peter' answered Neal. And with that he fired up his computer and began his busy day.

WCWCWC

Samantha Jennings had been a school teacher for over ten years and she loved her pupils, every one of them – well almost every one. September to December was always the most difficult time of the year as the children became accustomed to her expectations and usually by the time January rolled around, they were all pretty well settled into their daily routine. This year, she was teaching grade one and she had been working hard with her students on reading skills as well as basic math.

Olivia Mason and Hope Ellis-Caffrey sat side by side in Miss Jennings class. They both enjoyed school and were curious about life in general so almost anything Miss Jennings taught was interesting for them, be it reading, which was Hope's favorite subject or science which Olivia favored. Either way, the two girls stuck together like birds of a feather, took the school bus to and from school together, went to recess together and always had their lunch together.

Miss Jennings sat in her classroom as the students worked in groups and re-read the e-mail that had been handed to her by the school principal to make sure she had the details right:

_Miss Jennings,_

_Please note that Hope's uncle, my brother, Matthew Caffrey, will be picking her up at 12:30 today to take her to a doctor's appointment. He will be providing you with proper identification upon his arrival. Please release Hope into his care._

_Thank you._

_Neal Caffrey_

It was already quarter to twelve and the lunch monitors were making their way into the classrooms as the children pulled out their lunch boxes and settled in to eat. Samantha Jennings walked up to the grade six student who was supervising her class at lunch.

'Kate, you know Hope Caffrey, right?' she asked of the twelve year old girl

'Sure, she's over there with the dark hair and blue eyes' answered the young woman

'That's right. Well, her uncle is picking her up at 12:30 so you can let her go with him when he arrives, okay?' said the teacher as she left for a well deserved break

'Alright, Miss Jennings' said the student

Olivia and Hope enjoyed having lunch at school. There was something exotic about bringing their lunch in a special box full of unique treats they had talked their moms into buying at the local grocery store. Every day, the girls compared lunches and some days, they put everything in a pile in order to share, pot luck style, which is exactly what they were doing on this day.

'Your mom makes good chicken salad sandwiches' Olivia was saying as she took a big bite

'That's my dad - he makes the best sandwiches. My mom... not so much' Hope said knowingly as she dipped a nacho chip into some salsa Olivia had contributed to the spread.

The girls chatted, giggling as always and once lunch was over, they headed to the back of the class to dress for some outdoor playtime before resuming class at one o'clock. Kate was directing traffic, sending the children out as they were ready and Hope was lagging behind as she struggled to do up her new boot laces.

'Come on Olivia, out you go. Hope will catch up with you outside' said Kate as she shooed the last of the children out towards the playground.

'Hurry, Hope. I've got to get back to my class' Kate called out as she turned to leave practically walking right into the stranger entering the classroom.

'Hi' he said, smiling 'I'm here to pick up my niece, Hope Caffrey'

'Yes, she's right over there' said the young student pointing in Hope's direction. 'Your uncle is here, Hope' she called out as she hurried out of the classroom.

Hope looked up towards the door. What was that Kate had just said? And who was that man standing there looking at her.

'Hi Hope' said Matthew Keller 'I'm a friend of your daddy's and he asked me to pick you up and bring you to him. He's stuck at his office and I'm going to take you over there right now'

'I'm not supposed to go with strangers' said Hope, keeping her distance from him. But he was standing between her and the door and she couldn't quite get past him.

'But I'm not a stranger, see I know your daddy, his name is Neal Caffrey and your mom's name is Sara Ellis – how would I know all that if I wasn't their friend' insisted Keller as he finally reached out to her gently tugging on her coat lapel.

Hope looked into his eyes and instantly knew this was a bad idea. She pulled away with force and began to run towards the door of the classroom. She could see Olivia out in the playground waiting for her. If she could just make it out into the hallway, she could find a grown-up and tell them that there had been a terrible mistake. But just as she made her move, she felt a wet cloth over her mouth and all of a sudden, everything went black.

WCWCWC

Neal sat at his desk, finishing up his report on the recovered Rodin. This was definitely not the most glamorous part of his job, he thought. Just as he had disliked writing reports after a case was wrapped up at the White Collar Unit, these reports were no less tedious. He thought ahead to the upcoming evening, the familiar routine of Monday night in suburbia. He had a fleeting thought for Liam who seemed to be feeling better and sleeping more which meant more sleep for him and Sara. Maybe he would even have some quality time with his wife... If he played his cards right, he might even get lucky and he smiled to himself as he imagined settling into bed with Sara for an early night.

He heard his phone vibrating on his desk and looked down to see who was texting him. Unknown number, he read, as he anxiously picked up his phone, hoping it wasn't another in the series of bizarre texts from the anonymous weekend caller.

'Your daughter is really very lovely' he read as his eyes widened in fear.

This was getting really creepy.

He looked at the time, realizing it was already past 4:30 and he immediately called home. Sara would be home by now to greet Hope as she got off the bus. He just needed to be reassured that Hope was indeed home and then he was going to hightail it over to Peter's office to get to the bottom of these strange texts.

Sara's phone went to voicemail, sounding alarm bells for Neal who began to quickly gather his things so he could get home as soon as possible. As he reached the first floor of his office building, his phone rang and he began to breathe as he saw that Sara was calling him.

'Sara, is everything okay?' he asked as he made his way out onto the street

'Neal, Hope wasn't on the bus. I'm on my way to the school to find out what's going on. Mozzie's with Liam' explained Sara, calmly. Not having had the benefit of reading those texts, she did not seem overly alarmed – in her mind, Hope had probably just missed the bus and was waiting patiently in the office to be picked up.

But Neal knew, instantly, that Hope wasn't going to be at the school and he tried to keep his breathing in check as he spoke: 'I'll meet you at the school' he answered as he hailed a cab.

He sat in the taxi, staring into space, and he somehow knew that the unimaginable had happened - someone had taken Hope and he needed to get Peter and the FBI involved immediately before the trail got cold. Not waiting for evidence to the contrary, he picked up his phone and dialed the familiar number.

WCWCWC

Hope woke to an unfamiliar taste in her mouth. As she came to, she could feel her head pounding and her stomach growling. She forced her eyes open, noticing that the room she was in was dark and dingy; the only light came from a very small window and a single bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling. She was lying on a bed with her head on a pillow and a blanket covering her and she could see her coat and boots by the side of a small chair nearby. As she was getting her bearings, she heard a door opening in the distance.

'Hi Hope!' she heard as the same man she had seen at school walked into the room carrying a tray with juice and a sandwich.

'I thought you might be hungry so I brought you something to eat' said the man, smiling.

Even a six year old like Hope could tell when someone's smile was deceitful and she turned away from the man not wanting to look into his face.

'I'm your uncle Matthew and you're going to be staying with me for a little while' he said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

'You're not my uncle' answered Hope, defiant as she began to sit up and take in her surroundings.

'Well, you can call me Uncle Matthew; like I said I'm a friend of your dad's' Keller explained, hoping to placate the child and keep her from becoming too upset.

All he needed was a few days for Neal to run some jobs for him and then he could disappear with some well deserved loot and start his life again. Let Neal suffer for a few days wondering what was happening to his daughter – it served him right for being so smug.

'You said you were taking me to his office. You lied to me! I want to go home' cried Hope as she kicked him, surprising him and sending the tray flying with juice spilling onto the concrete floor.

'Well, I can't take you home just yet, Hope' said Keller, his patience evaporating as he tried to right the tray and minimize the mess she'd made.

She was turning out to be more of a handful than he had imagined and he stared her down, hoping to intimidate her.

'I need your dad to do a few things for me and then _maybe_ I'll let you go home' said Keller with a chilling look that further frightened Hope.

At this, Hope threw herself on the bed and began to cry softly.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The cab pulled into the parking lot of Ridgeway Elementary School just as Peter was arriving with Jones and Diana. Neal threw some money at the driver and ran towards the door Peter was holding open for him and he sprinted the short distance to the school office where he could hear muffled voices growing louder as he got closer.

As he entered, he was aware of several people standing around but his eyes immediately went to Sara who was sitting in a chair looking straight ahead. She bolted upright the moment she heard Neal enter the room, making her way to him and staring at him intently as she spoke.

'She's not here, Neal' she said, with panic in her voice and a look of terror in her eyes

Neal nodded as he drew her close and he could hear Peter's voice behind him, introducing himself and taking control of the scene.

'I'm Peter Burke, FBI' he was saying as Neal turned to take stock of who else was in the room

'Joyce Miller, school principal' the woman was saying as she shook his hand

'Dempsey' Peter said, nodding towards the man who was standing beside her. Peter recognized the police lieutenant from some cases they had collaborated on in the past. He seemed to have responded in record time and he had two officers with him, ready to carry out any orders he barked at them.

'I called NYPD' said Mrs. Miller, visibly shaken 'It's our protocol for this type of incident'

Sara winced at the word – this was not an 'incident'; their beautiful little girl had been taken away against her will while she was supposed to be in the safety of her Grade one class.

'Mr. Caffrey works for the FBI' said Peter and we're putting in place our protocol for kidnapping of FBI family members but we certainly would appreciate NYPD's cooperation on this' he said as he spoke to the police officer.

He was sounding so professional, Neal thought, knowing just how hard this must be for Peter having to handle a case involving his much loved goddaughter. He, on the other hand, was trying to keep his wits about him and not totally lose it in front of everyone. He was in shock but he had to keep it together – for Sara and most importantly for Hope. He knew all too well that in the case of child abductions, the first few hours were critical – more than that and the child could be anywhere in the world.

'Jones, let's start with an Amber alert' Peter was saying as he reached into his wallet with shaking hands and took out Hope's new school picture which she had been proud to give him just a few weeks before. 'You can use this for now, it's recent' he added, his voice breaking ever so slightly.

Jones nodded and disappeared to carry out the task as Diana made her way over to Sara, still standing there, motionless. She took Sara's arm and directed her over to a nearby chair, pulling her down with her as she took the seat beside her.

'Who were the last people to see Hope and at what time was she last seen?' Peter asked as everyone took a seat to try to piece together the last few hours.

'We received an e-mail this morning from Mr. Caffrey's verified account – we have a protocol about that too and parents know that they must communicate with us using the e-mail addresses they've provided to the school' explained Mrs. Miller

'Can I see it please?' asked Peter

The woman made her way to her desk and produced the piece of paper, handing it to Peter who took the time to read it before placing it in Neal's outstretched hand.

Neal read the short e-mail as his eyes grew wide, noting that the e-mail seemed to have emanated from his work address and he shook his head, indicating that he had not sent the message.

'What does it say?' asked Sara

'That Hope has a doctor's appointment and can leave at 12:30 with her Uncle Matthew Caffrey' answered Peter leaving Sara to gasp at the realization that this had been carefully orchestrated.

'You mean she's been gone for over four hours!' she exclaimed, as her voice broke and she let out a sob.

They were interrupted by the arrival of three women who entered the office together, one a woman in her late thirties, pretty with blonde hair that Neal recognized immediately as Miss Jennings, Hope's teacher, a second older woman who Neal knew worked in the school office and a third, much younger girl who couldn't be more than fifteen years old.

Peter proceeded to piece together the events of the afternoon: the school secretary had gotten a mere glimpse of the man admitting that she'd been distracted by a couple of emergencies, including a child who had injured himself, when the abductor arrived in the office. She was able to give a very cursory description of the man – height, coloring but little else. She had directed him to Hope's classroom since she had a written permission form to release the child.

Miss Jennings had not laid eyes on him but she sat with Kate Forman, the young grade six student who was crying softly as she realized her role in what had transpired. Despite reassurances from the teacher that she had acted as she'd been instructed, the young girl was inconsolable as she sobbed softly, adding to the drama of the moment.

Peter was a pro and despite his feelings for the victim and her family, he was managing to keep his wits about him, mentally ticking each and every step of the protocol for child napping – particularly as it pertained to a family member of an FBI employee.

He knew he would have to keep Neal in check – the ex conman was never one for following rules at the best of times and in this case, he knew Neal would fight him at every turn if he didn't agree with his approach. He braced himself for this perfect storm of circumstances and proceeded to set up a command post in the Caffrey's family room. Neal and Sara had a land line and it was impossible to know which method the kidnappers would eventually choose to contact the family, which Peter knew was inevitable at some point.

He knew he would need support from the team if he was going to have any hope in hell of getting his goddaughter home safely – people to carry out the legwork, communications experts, and someone to help support Neal and Sara through this ordeal. Add to that his own feelings that the little girl he so loved was in danger and his need to make sure Neal didn't do anything stupid in his desperation to get his daughter back, and it was definitely a volatile mix.

Elizabeth arrived, just as Mozzie was taking Liam over to June's. Everyone agreed that he would be safe there and Peter asked for help from NYPD in providing surveillance on Riverside Drive just as a precaution. Neal and Sara's lovely home, usually so warm and inviting had become an FBI command post and it was nowhere for a toddler like little Liam to be.

Peter had brought in extra staff to see to food for everyone, to keep the logistics of the case in check and Elizabeth had been given the all-important job of staying with Sara, keeping her informed of developments without alarming her and seeing to her every need.

The motley crew of twelve or so sat around the Caffrey's family room as they watched the news, Hope's kidnapping being the top story. Her beautiful smiling face flashed on their television screen and Sara began to sob as Neal sat at her side, arm around her, looking intently at his daughter's face as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

WCWCWC

'So, I need to know everything' Peter was saying as he sat with Neal, in the quiet living room away from the ever-growing operation in the family room at the back of the house.

'You know it all, Peter' said Neal, hands shaking 'I got three texts all together. Here's the last one I got at 4:37'

He took a deep breath 'I knew then...' he started, unable to finish

Peter looked at Neal's phone and made a note of the last text message as well as the number it had originated from as he prepared to have the number checked out knowing full well he would find nothing. But due process was due process.

'Neal, look at me' Peter said wanting to be able to gauge his partner's reaction. 'Do you have ANY idea who might be behind this?'

He noted just a small flutter in Neal's eyes, but he knew his friend too well and he held his gaze as he waited for his answer.

Neal shook his head but his eyes said something else and realizing he needed to share even his slightest suspicion, he spoke:

'I – I don't know, Peter. But this is just the kind of sick thing Keller would do just to drive me insane. And the Matthew thing in the e-mail...' he added as he let his voice trail

'I thought Keller was still in jail in Budapest' said Peter as he rose to verify the information at the command post at the back of the house.

Neal followed him in, anxiously looking over his shoulder as Peter logged into the computer to check the status of Matthew Keller's incarceration.

Peter finally looked up and said loudly for everyone to hear: 'Listen people, we have a possible suspect. Matthew Keller was released from prison three weeks ago. I want everything we can find on his movements since then. Any known associates, where he's been the last few days, anything. Go, go'

Sara looked on in horror; she knew all too well what Matthew Keller was capable of. He was ruthless and nothing would stand in his way if he wanted revenge. She also knew how he despised Neal for making something of his life and she wondered to what lengths this sick animal would go to make that point.

She turned to look at her husband and saw something there, something he hadn't shared with her. Suddenly, she was moving towards him, eyes wild and face contorted.

'You knew something was going on' Sara stated more than asked as she searched Neal's eyes for some sort of explanation

'No... Well, not exactly. I - ' Neal was trying to explain but he was having difficulty stringing a coherent sentence together

'On the weekend, I got two texts that were strange and I – '

'This is your fault' she screamed, losing it, as she began hitting Neal with her closed fists 'You and your fucking past. All these nasty human beings gravitating around us'

She was breathing haltingly, eyes fierce and unfocussed as she continued to strike him repeatedly on the chest with increased force. Neal just stood there, taking it, not trying to defend himself, not holding her back or trying to placate her but just taking thump after thump as if it somehow would help assuage his guilt at not having done something sooner. Tears started streaming down his cheeks as he watched his wife continue to hit him, blaming him for what had happened to Hope, rebuking him for not sharing his suspicions with her, scolding him for his shady past and its likely role in this nightmare.

'Sara, Sara' said Elizabeth, intervening and pulling a sobbing Sara away from her shell shocked husband

Sara took a deep breath, then another as she turned to look at Neal, tears streaming down his face.

WCWCWC

Hope woke as the door closed in the room she had been locked in. She looked around and noticed some sunlight coming in from the small window on the back wall. Someone had left some toast and juice on a tray and a cardboard box by the bed. She rose tentatively, wiping her nose and face to remove the tears that she had fallen asleep crying and she began to move around the room.

Nothing else seemed to have changed. She made her way to the box peeking in, curiosity getting the best of her and she began to remove some of the items she found there: a stuffed toy, a book and at the bottom, a sketching pad and some coloring pencils. She sighed as she realized her captor was trying to keep her entertained so she wouldn't give him any trouble.

She grabbed the tray of food and threw it violently against the wall as the loud noise reverberated in the empty room. He might be able to keep her here against her will but he couldn't make her do anything she didn't want to do.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Hope sat defiantly on the bed and waited for 'Uncle Matthew' to return. She knew her little stunt would probably force his return and she drew satisfaction from having some, albeit minute, control over the situation. Sure enough, he walked in within moments, surveying the mess she had made and clicking his tongue in disapproval.

'Hope, Hope, Hope. You can fight all you want but it's not going to change anything. You still have to stay here until I say you can go so I think you should be thankful for these little distractions and make the best of them' said Keller, trying to provoke a reaction.

Hope looked at him defiantly. She was headstrong, her daddy always told her so, and she was not going to let this scary man get the best of her. Her dad and Uncle Peter would be coming through that door any minute and she just had to be strong and not show him how scared she really was.

'You have to eat' Keller said, as he began to clean up the mess

'I don't **have** to do anything' Hope said, mustering up all the courage she could gather

'Fine, have it your way' said the man, turning to leave 'but you're going to get awfully hungry'

She _was_ hungry, starving in fact, but she was even angrier and she wanted to mess with this man's plans for her in any way she could.

She stood and made her way to the small window by the far wall. It was no more than one foot by one foot, not even big enough for her to crawl out of and besides it had bars on it. She dragged the small table that was in a corner of the room and she climbed onto it so she could get a look outside. Her face came flush to the window and she could see people's feet walking by but just their feet and she craned her neck to see further along the street spotting a number of stores and buildings. Wherever she was it was fairly populated, but she recognized none of the landmarks.

She made her way to the box of toys and picked up the sketch pad and pencils. She began doodling, trying to relax and not panic. Her parents had always taught her that there was a solution to every problem – you just had to let your mind roam and it would come to you.

WCWCWC

Morning dawned and there had still been no word from the abductor. There was movement in the Caffrey household but the level of activity had subsided overnight as everyone waited for something to break in the case. Sara had fought sleep but had eventually agreed to sit with Elizabeth in the living room and she had nodded off somewhere around four in the morning.

Neal handed Peter a cup of coffee and made his way to the living room to check on his wife. He had not slept but he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep that up indefinitely; eventually, he would have to rest if he was going to contribute in any significant way to the search for their daughter.

He watched as Sara slept, her head lying on the back of the couch and Elizabeth stirred and rose, signalling Neal to take her place next to his wife.

He sat quietly, setting down his cup of coffee and gently placed his arm against the back of the couch, lightly touching Sara's hair and causing her to open her eyes as she took in her surroundings.

'I was hoping it was just a bad dream' she said, ever so softly as she looked at her husband

Neal shook his head sadly and pulled Sara into him, smelling her hair and feeling her body melt into his.

'I'm sorry about last night... those things I said' she began, her voice uneven

Neal just held her close saying nothing.

Sara pulled away to look at him, seeing the sadness and worry in his eyes.

'It wasn't fair. Of course, this isn't your fault; you didn't ask for any of this. You're a good man, Neal Caffrey, a loving husband and a terrific dad' she said as she touched his cheek with her warm hand

'I should have told you' Neal said finally, looking away. 'They were just these innocuous looking texts and I thought it was a joke and I...' Neal stopped suddenly as he broke down, crying, letting Sara take him against her and run her hand through his disheveled hair.

'Shh, shh. Stop, stop. We have to be strong; we have to get through this, for Hope. She's out there, somewhere, and she's scared' said Sara soothingly

'If it is Keller' Neal finally said, regaining his composure 'I don't think he'll hurt her. He just wants to make a point, drive me insane, that's the way he is - '

They were interrupted by a commotion as Peter bustled into the living room, carrying Neal's phone.

'Your phone, it's ringing' said Peter, handing the cell to his buddy. 'Take a deep breath'

'Hello' Neal said, monotone

'Caffrey, it's nice to talk to you. It's been a while' the all-too-familiar voice spoke

'Keller' Neal answered, non-committal, trying not to show any emotion or fear despite his pounding heartbeat

'She really is a lovely little girl' said Keller 'feisty though, like her mom'

Neal took in a deep breath, trying not to react to his goading.

'I want to talk to her' Neal said, finally as he glanced over at Sara, eyes widening

'All in good time - ' Keller began

'No, I'm hanging up right now if you don't let me talk to her' said Neal, taking a calculated risk

'Sweetheart, your daddy's on the phone' said Keller with mock concern and Neal could hear some movement, perhaps a gag being removed from his daughter's mouth.

'Daddy!' she said finally, her voice shaking and slightly breathless

'Hope! Hope! It's okay, baby, it's okay. Are you hurt?' Neal said, trying to keep his voice calm

'No' she said, simply

'We're gonna find you, okay. You just hang on and we'll come for you – ' Neal managed to say before being cut off abruptly

'That's all you're getting, Caffrey. Now listen, I have a mission for you. Check your phone and do what I tell you if you want your little muffin back in one piece'

Neal disconnected the call, staring blankly at everyone who had assembled around them in the living room.

'Sorry sir, nothing' said Blake as he popped his head in from the family room where they had been monitoring the phone call.

Everyone returned to their post, Diana running things in the back room and Peter and El sitting in the living room with Neal and Sara, waiting... waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Neal continued staring at his phone. What kind of sick game was Keller playing? He said he had a mission for Neal – did he want him to steal something for him, arrange a meet, get him out of some mess he'd gotten himself into – only time would tell.

Within a few minutes, Neal's phone came alive with a text message. It had three words: 'I want this' and an attachment: a photograph of a Gauguin that Neal recognized immediately.

Neal stared at the photograph as Peter waited patiently for him to say something.

'He wants me to steal a Gauguin' he said finally

Peter listened intently, then finally said:

'Neal, this isn't the way. We can't negotiate with kidnappers, you know that. You have to let us do our job' Peter said insistently as he struggled to keep Neal on an even keel

'Your job? And what exactly is that Peter?' Neal lashed out, speaking loudly 'Sitting around here waiting while Hope is going through whatever the hell it is he's putting her through?'

'You know that's not how it is Neal. We've got people out there, scouring the streets, checking out leads - ' Peter began

'Leads? What leads, Peter? We have _no_ leads' yelled Neal, letting his emotions get the better of him

Sara reached out to touch his arm and Neal pulled back a little more violently than he meant to as Sara took a step back.

Neal took a deep breath. 'Right now, we have a chance to get Hope back if I do what he asks. He's been in jail for the past year, he needs money. He's probably lined up a buyer for this painting and then he'll go away and crawl back into the same hole he came out of'

'That's not how this works, Neal. We can't let guys like Keller lord things over us, we're the FBI. If we cave in to his demands, that'll be a clear message to every crook out there that all they have to do is abduct someone who's got links to the bureau and we'll roll over and give them whatever they want'

As he spoke, Peter's voice became louder, his emotions creeping into the mix.

Elizabeth and Sara looked at each other as their husbands faced off, both adamant about their positions. They looked from one man to the other as each stared the other down. Suddenly, Neal broke away and walked towards the front door, grabbing his coat as he went and slamming the door behind him.

WCWCWC

Hope sat on the bed, wiping tears, her stomach growling as she absentmindedly continued to draw on the sketching pad she was holding in her lap. She looked down, she had been idly drawing the room, the bed, the table, the door, the window... she added shading for perspective as she'd been learning to do while she watched her dad work in his studio.

The window... Maybe she could draw what she saw outside, she thought. If she could find a way to get 'Uncle Matthew' to take her out, maybe she would be able to get a message to someone. She made her way to the window, dragging the table with her so she could climb up on it. She noticed it wasn't quite as bright out and she wondered what time it was. She began her sketch, noticing the names of the stores in her line of sight and craning her neck to try to see a street sign but none was visible from her vantage point. She spied a small sign across the street that read 'post office' in front of a type of general store. The sign was on a cute little post with a design of a horse on top, something she had never seen before and she struggled to reproduce it on the piece of sketching paper. It was beginning to get dark outside and she heard the now familiar sound of a key in the lock as she jumped off the table, sitting on it and stuffing the sketch she was drawing between the sheets of paper in her pad just as Keller stepped into the room.

'What are you doing over there?' he asked, suspicious

'I'm drawing' she answered rudely as she quickly began a new sketch from her vantage point of the room

'Well, get away from that window' he admonished sternly as he made his way into the room, carrying food once more

Hope got up, putting the pad down on the bed and took the bowl of chili he handed her. She looked down at it, then back at Keller and in one swift movement, she threw the contents of the bowl in his face.

WCWCWC

Mozzie stood up from his lotus position as he heard noise coming from the door to his second favorite hideaway: Thursday. He could see Neal standing outside trying to break in using his lock pick set.

'What the...' he said, opening the door

'Next time, tell me where you're gonna be, Moz. This is the third safe house I've checked' Neal said as he barged in.

'Sorry, I just couldn't stay there with all those suits. I thought it would do Hope more good if I meditated and sent her some positive vibrations' said Mozzie as he put a hand on Neal's shoulder guiding him in

Neal just smiled at his buddy.

'Anything new?' asked the older man

'Yeah' said Neal 'It's Keller and he wants me to get him a Gauguin in exchange for Hope'

'Any Gauguin?' asked Mozzie

Neal shook his head. 'Le vase de fleurs – he probably has a buyer overseas'

'And what does the Suit think about this?' Mozzie asked already surmising the answer

Neal just raised his eyebrows in response.

'Aw, and you disagree' said Mozzie

'This is Hope, Moz. If I need to steal something to get her back, I'm gonna damn well steal it. Are you in?'

'Does the government conspire against the masses?' he said in response

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Night fell on White Plains, New York and Neal had not returned home. Sara was sick with worry; her husband was off somewhere likely planning and/or carrying out a heist, she was separated from her son who was miles away in Manhattan and her daughter, well, she had no idea where her little girl was sleeping for the second straight night. Elizabeth brought her a cup of tea and tried to get her to sit but to no avail. Sara paced as Peter and his team came and went with reports of... nothing. Except for an eyewitness who had given a vague description of a van seen leaving the school grounds, they had nothing new to report. Agents were scouring the area but Sara knew, as did Peter, that Hope could be miles away by now, possibly even out of the country.

Hope lay on the bed crying softly. She tried really hard not to cry when her abductor was in the room not wanting to give him the satisfaction. But he only came in and out sporadically, usually to bring her some food which she was determined not to partake of. She held on to her stomach as she heard it gurgling; she hadn't eaten since lunch the day before and she was starved. Her self-imposed fast seemed to be having the desired effect though; Keller was becoming increasingly upset at her resistance and he'd started asking her what she wanted to eat so he could cater to her particular tastes. She could sense that something was about to happen – her captor seemed nervous and she wondered if whatever he had been asking for in exchange for her return was about to materialize. She knew her mom and dad would be so worried about her and that they would be doing everything they could to bring her home. She thought of her baby brother and she sighed deeply – she regretted having been mean to him and she resolved to be extra nice when she got home.

She took out the sketch she had been working on so diligently one last time, making sure all the details were right. Finally, she carefully folded it up and stood, walking over to the chair where her winter coat lay and she placed it in her pocket.

Neal and Mozzie sat at the safe house going over the floor plans of the Museum of Modern Art. The Gauguin that Keller had demanded was part of an exhibition which was beginning the following week; that meant the painting was probably still in the basement of the museum in the holding area where paintings were prepared for display. That made it a little bit easier for the duo. Neal had investigated many thefts at the MOMA and he knew the layout well. He was confident that, although Peter disagreed with what he was about to do, his friend would not rat him out or try to interfere with his plan. He knew he could pull this off and that if everything went according to plan, he would have his little girl back home by tomorrow.

WCWCWC

It was a clear night with a full moon which made moving around easier for the two men but also made them more visible, more vulnerable as the moon shone on the freshly fallen snow. Mozzie had commandeered a non-descript van and was in position a block away as Neal made his way to the back entrance of the museum. It was the staff entrance and it was not connected to any alarm system that Neal knew of since it led to the offices and work areas of the museum. Once inside, he would have to deactivate the alarm which led to the holding area where paintings were stored on their way in or out. He wouldn't have much time and he worried that he might have difficulty locating the particular painting he was looking for. The Gauguin exhibit was to feature 50 or so of the artist's works so he would have to move fast in order to find the coveted painting.

He took out his lock pick set noticing his hands were shaking – a very unusual occurrence for the ex-conman; but then of course he was somewhat out of practice and it wasn't every day you stole something so you could get your daughter back from a kidnapper. He was making some progress when he became aware of a presence lurking behind him.

'Neal'

He froze as he recognized the familiar voice. He took a deep breath and turned.

'Are you sure you want to do this?' the man asked, his voice calm, his face in the shadows

'Are you here to arrest me?' Neal countered, searching for his friend's eyes in the dark

'No' the other man said, simply

'Then I'm sure I want to do this' countered Neal as he returned to his unlawful task

'Be careful' came the response

Within minutes, Neal was able to locate his target and he managed to slip out of the museum before setting off any alarms. Mozzie was waiting and they high tailed it back to the safe house to prepare the 'parcel' for delivery in the morning.

WCWCWC

It was almost two in the morning when Neal finally made it back home. He wanted to check in on Sara; she would be worried about his disappearance since earlier in the day and he wanted to get a couple of hours of sleep before his six o'clock meeting with Keller.

The house was quiet but there was still a minimum of activity: three agents sat sipping coffee in his kitchen as they monitored the case, coordinating the ins and outs of agents and constantly on the ready should a phone call from the kidnapper come in on the land line.

Peter was sitting up on the couch in the living room, his head back, eyes closed. He looked exhausted and Neal was reminded of how devoted a friend he was. Although he and Peter had disagreed about so many things over the years, he knew the older man always had his best interest at heart and more importantly that he always had his back.

'Any news?' Neal asked, more for form than anything else. He knew that if there had been any developments, he would have been the first to hear

Peter just shook his head, sadly.

'Successful day?' Peter asked walking the fine line between friend and lawman

Neal shrugged ever so slightly – plausible deniability and all.

'I finally convinced Sara to go lie down' added Peter 'We gave her something to take the edge off; she's been crying all afternoon'

Neal sighed. He had the benefit of doing something to occupy his time and his thoughts but his wife had been sitting here all day wondering where Hope was and wondering what he was up to.

He made his way upstairs and saw her lying form on the bed, breathing evenly and he was relieved to know that she was getting some respite. He quietly removed his clothing and slipped in beside her under the covers, wanting so badly to take her in his arms and yet reluctant to disturb her much needed sleep. He resisted, choosing instead to scrutinize her face, her beautiful face that, even in sleep, now appeared strained and tense. Sara was his rock and over the years they had developed the all-important skill of being an effective tag-team. Whenever she was down, he would rise to the occasion and vice-versa enabling them to get through some tough times, together, coming out the other side, unscathed.

He couldn't quite believe what was happening and his mind wandered to Hope, his beautiful little girl, so strong yet so fragile. Once again, he thought of how his criminal past had played a role in this, chastising himself for having ever laid eyes on Matthew Keller. He shook the thought immediately reminding himself that all he could do now was make things right for his family.

He was up again by five o'clock and Sara still hadn't stirred. He left a note on the pillow and headed back out into the early morning.

WCWCWC

Mozzie dropped Neal off two blocks from the meet site. Neither he nor Neal wanted to do anything to challenge the very clear instructions Keller had given them. Hope's life was at stake and Neal wasn't ready to do anything that would annoy her kidnapper. Neal made his way on foot heading north towards the abandoned warehouses on the East River; he didn't know the area very well but he had been there on a couple of cases and he made his way carefully reminding himself that if all went well, he would have his daughter back in his arms in a matter of minutes. He walked briskly as he carried the sketch tube containing the painting over his shoulder. It was early, not quite six and the sun was just coming up over the winter horizon. He stopped at the spot which Keller had identified and he waited, looking around for any tell tale signs of his impending arrival. He couldn't hear anything but he knew Keller was already there, staking the place out and probably watching him from a safe distance.

'Caffrey' Neal heard finally

He turned towards the sound of the voice. Out of an abandoned warehouse came Keller with Hope next to him. He was holding her tightly by the scruff of the neck, so tight that Neal could see her feet were barely touching the ground. His instinct was to run towards her but he held back as he noticed the gun in Keller's hand.

'Hope!' he called out seeing his daughter off in the distance

'Daddy!' she responded, her voice strong

'Put the tube down and back away' said Keller

'No. Let Hope come to me first' said Neal with a calm that belied his pounding heart

'Uh uh' said Keller 'I'm calling the shots here Caffrey'

He waved the gun in Hope's general direction urging Neal to follow instructions. Neal reluctantly put the painting down and put his hands up indicating he was unarmed.

'Come on, Keller. I did what you asked, now let her go' said Neal taking a tentative step towards them.

Keller pointed the gun a few inches from Neal's feet and fired off a warning shot

'DADDY!' screamed Hope, desperate

'It's okay, It's okay' said Neal, trying to reassure her as his heart pounded in his ears

Neal continued backing up as instructed and Keller, still holding Hope tightly made his way towards the parcel instructing the little girl to pick it up.

Neal was approximately twenty feet away from them and he toyed with the idea of running towards Keller and ambushing him but the speed of his legs was no match for a speeding bullet from a gun pointed directly at his daughter.

'We're not done, Caffrey. I have one more errand for you to run for me' said Keller with a sick smile on his face

'NO! That wasn't the deal, Keller. Let her go, she's just a little girl' Neal's voice began to break as he spoke triggering a sick and twisted laugh from Keller. He smiled impishly, pleased with himself – he had Neal right where he wanted him: desperate and frantic.

Hope made a misguided attempt at kicking her captor and without missing a beat, Keller picked her up by the waist and began dragging her away as she kicked and screamed leaving Neal desolate and hopeless. As Keller continued to back away, Neal saw his little girl deliberately put a hand in her coat pocket and gently drop what looked like a piece of paper. He watched it float down to the ground as Keller continued to back away, eyes on Neal, walking towards the vehicle that was likely hidden by the side of the building Keller had appeared from. Within seconds he heard a car motor start and begin to fade as Keller drove away, out of sight and taking his precious daughter with him.

Neal ran to where Hope had been standing. There was a folded piece of paper on the ground in the snow and, hands trembling, he bent down to pick it up.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

'She's telling us where she's being held' Neal said as he and Peter examined the drawing for the umpteenth time

'Alright, let's go over everything once more' said Peter, trying to re-focus on the sketch to capture all its elements.

They had already begun to make a list of all the recognizable landmarks in the drawing but despite her talents, Hope was a soon to be seven-year-old and she was lacking in the refinement of a more mature artist. They could clearly see a Sears pick-up outlet as well as a CVS drugstore. There were thousands of each of those stores so that information in and of itself would only be helpful when they narrowed things down. Peter already had the Harvard crew making a list of all Sears outlets within a 50 mile radius and cross-referencing with CVS stores. He figured that it was a safe bet that Keller was within an hour of New York considering he had met with Neal a few hours before.

Hope had drawn street lamps – the more old fashioned type with a round globe sitting on a cast iron post. It was definitely not downtown Manhattan, that was for sure.

Sara hovered, glancing at the sketch and pointing out small subtle details. Hope was an artist and both Neal and Sara knew that art was in the details; if Hope went to all this trouble she had definitely given them all she possibly could.

'What's this over here?' Peter asked pointing to the small sign Hope had so painstakingly tried to copy

'It says 'post office' and that's some kind of animal on top of the pole' said Neal, as he struggled to make out the image

'Looks like a horse to me' added Sara 'Look at the tail'

'Could be' agreed Neal, nodding

'And here' she continued pointing 'it's like an outdoor café that's been closed over the winter months – see the chairs stacked up there'

'Too bad there's not a name on that café' said Neal, stepping away to run a hand through his hair

'She did amazingly well' said Peter

Sara sidled up to Neal and he put his arm around her

'She did – God, I'm proud of our kid' said Neal, pulling Sara in tightly

'How long before we get a cross-reference on those stores?' asked Sara, beginning to grow impatient

'Anytime now' answered Peter as he took a sip of coffee – his fifth already today

It was 10 in the morning and Keller had not yet been in touch with his next set of instructions but Neal had no intention of following through on them. He had to agree, grudgingly, that Peter had been right; Keller was going to keep him jumping through hoops just to torture him and Neal was done with that. He wanted to concentrate on this new lead, compliments of Hope and try to locate her through the well thought-out message she had managed to get to them.

The sketch had energized everyone and had provided renewed optimism that they would ultimately locate her. It had now been 48 hours since the kidnapping and this had been the first significant break they'd had on the case. The fact that it had come directly from the victim herself – a seven-year-old no less – was astounding and Peter and Neal could only theorize that Keller had no idea who he was dealing with and how smart and brave their girl was.

Jones strode in and made his way to the trio hunched over the island in the kitchen, still scrutinizing the drawing.

'Peter, we've got 14 locations within a 50 mile radius where there's both a CVS drugstore and a Sears outlet of some sort on the same street. The Sears outlets vary a lot though – some are within a post office, dry cleaners, any type of business really, so it's hard to know just from the address.'

'Alright' said Peter, taking control 'I want teams to all 14 locations and I want visuals on all of them. Be discreet. Keller is roaming around one of those areas and if he spots anything, he could panic'

WCWCWC

Following the meet with Neal, Hope and Keller had made their way back to the abandoned building he was holding her in. He was getting really pissed off, now. He rubbed his leg where a nice bright bruise was forming from the decisive kick she'd administered. He looked down at the Gauguin, smiling. Now, all he had to do was arrange for a meet with his fence who would get the painting to his client in Berlin. Despite what he'd said to Neal, he didn't have a particular mission for him – he was just having a really good time toying with his ex-friend's emotions, watching him squirm and knowing he could make him do almost anything in order to get his precious little girl back.

He wanted to keep him hanging a little longer just to prolong the agony – then he would text him some inane instructions just to keep him on the hook. He wanted to hole up for just a few days longer until the painting disappeared and then he would take his ill-gotten spoils and flee the country once more. Two million should keep him going for a few months, he thought.

Hope still hadn't eaten and he didn't want a kid dying of hunger on his watch. She was a real little spitfire and she was beginning to grate on his nerves, daring him at every turn, refusing to cooperate. Maybe if he picked up something she particularly wanted, she would eat, he thought as he made his way back to the locked room to check in on her.

He wasn't expecting what he found when he got there.

WCWCWC

Hope looked around the room, thinking back to the precious few seconds when she'd seen her dad. He had looked so upset and she had wanted so desperately to run to him and let him take her in his arms and whisk her away. She hoped that he had noticed her dropping the sketch on the ground – she couldn't know for sure. She'd been busy trying to distract 'Uncle Matthew' so he wouldn't notice what she was up to. Now, she was looking for some other way she could drive her captor crazy. She had noticed that he was reluctant to hit her or harm her physically but she couldn't be sure he wouldn't, eventually.

Hope looked longingly at the tray of food – toast and juice again – and it was becoming increasingly difficult to resist. She had noticed that her refusal to eat was really getting her kidnapper's goat and she had to play that card, somehow.

She didn't have much to work with but she decided that a finely sharpened pencil would have to do.

WCWCWC

Matthew Keller could hear noise coming from the locked room and wondered what the little brat was up to this time. He opened the door, bracing himself and took in the mess she had made. The table and chair had been thrown violently against the wall and had broken into several pieces and the pillow Hope had been lying on had been ripped open and the feathers strewn all over the room. She had somehow managed to rip the mattress open and had made a mess of its contents, with foam and coils all over the place.

Hope stood in the middle of the room with a defiant grin on her face as her insides shook uncontrollably. She knew she had pushed him to the limit and she braced herself for what might be coming. Anything was better than letting him think he could get the best of her.

'Why, you little bitch!' said Keller, taking in the mess. He took a deep breath. She was turning out to be more trouble than she was worth. He grabbed her roughly and directed her to her coat and boots.

'Get dressed. I have an errand to run and I obviously can't trust you here alone' he said in a harsh voice

Hope did as she was told – she smiled to herself as she realized she had another chance to get out there in the world. She pulled on her boots and noticed her hands were shaking as she tried to tie the laces.

'Aww, look at this Hope' said Keller, regaining control of the situation and attempting to intimidate the child

'Here's a picture of little Liam' he said as he showed her the image of her little brother on his telephone. 'Isn't he cute? Do you like being a big sister, Hope?'

She continued to look at him fearlessly.

'It would be really too bad if something happened to him, don't you think?' he continued. 'Your mommy and daddy would be so sad if both their children disappeared'

'Don't you touch my brother' she finally said, as she could no longer contain her anger.

She lashed out at Keller, trying to strike him as he grabbed her wrists and squeezed hard, making her wince despite her best intentions.

'Now you listen to me, you little brat. We are going to meet with someone and while we're there if you so much as look sideways at anybody, your little brother is going to have a terrible accident. Do you understand what I'm saying?' he spat at her vehemently

Hope's eyes began to well up and she nodded silently.

'Now move, and keep your mouth shut' he added as he pushed her out of the room.

Hope sat in the van next to her kidnapper and looked around, silently. Now that she was outside again, she could see tons of details she had not been able to spy from her small window. She wished she could have a 'do-over' on her sketch. She noticed a street sign as Keller turned left off the street he had parked on - Park Street although she thought that sounded like a very common street name.

She sat in silence, looking around - if only she could figure out where she was, she could try to send a message somehow. She knew that New York City had 5 boroughs and she was pretty sure they were still in New York but she didn't know where they'd come from or where they were going.

She knew that she lived in White Plains but geography wasn't her thing and she continued to look around for some telltale signs. Suddenly, Keller turned onto a bridge and she saw the sign 'Throgs Neck Bridge'. It was huge and she looked out the window admiring the view. As they came off the bridge, she saw a sign for Queens and she remembered that that was one of the boroughs but she still didn't know where they'd come from.

It took forever and Hope examined the clock in the van, figuring out how much time it had taken them to get where they were going. Maybe math was good for something after all she thought as she mentally calculated the 38 minutes that had passed since they'd left. Finally, Keller pulled into a shopping centre parking lot and stopped the van.

'Now listen' he said sharply 'We're going into this store and you're going to hold your Uncle Matthew's hand the whole time, do you understand?'

Hope nodded.

'Keep your hat on – I don't care how hot it is in there. Got it?'

Again, she nodded, looking down.

She thought back to that terrific advice from her mom: 'Never give up; there's a solution to every problem' and she stepped out of the van taking the monster's outstretched hand.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

It took a few of hours to get visuals on all of the 14 locations the FBI had cased. By late afternoon, the photographs began arriving and the crew started organizing them by location, spreading them out onto the Caffrey's large dining room table. Armed with copies of Hope's drawing, each team scrutinized a set of photographs desperately looking for similarities.

Neal and Sara hadn't eaten all day and they finally gave in, munching on pizza as they went around to each of the teams, making sure none of them missed some obscure element in Hope's drawing. After all, they knew Hope best of all and could help interpret her drawing, if need be.

Although Peter had hoped it would be more obvious at first glance, it wasn't clear cut which locations were worthy of closer examination – mostly because Hope had drawn a picture and not taken a photograph. Her vantage point had been very limited, that much was clear and she had done her best to sketch the most telling elements, at least from her very limited perspective. However, her drawing gave no insight into the distance between the various landmarks or the actual layout of the street she'd been scrutinizing.

It was agreed that Sara, Neal and Peter would have the ultimate say in which of the locations were placed in the elimination stack. Some of the photographs had obviously been taken in large urban areas, nothing like what had been depicted in the drawing and some just didn't look right. The trio had begun removing the most obvious, making absolutely certain before they dumped a location in the rejection pile. The last thing they wanted to do was accidentally eliminate the one location they were so desperately searching for.

For the young parents, doing something, anything, felt good. They were feeling energized. Liam had been brought over for a visit and the two of them had sat and played with him for about an hour while they waited for the recon crew to return. The toddler seemed content, not too perturbed by his change of routine, and Neal and Sara had taken turns holding him tight, feeling him against them where they could keep him safe, at least for the time being. They only wished they could do the same for their daughter but neither one of them was going to give in to their fear; they were confident they were on to something.

At around three o'clock, Keller sent Neal a text, telling him to go to a post office on the Upper East  
Side and pick up an envelope for him. Peter and Neal discussed it and considering how innocuous the request was, they agreed that Neal should carry out the pick up if only to give him an in for an eventual face to face with Keller. Neal believed with all his heart that the drawing would lead them to Hope but he wanted to keep all his options open.

So, he headed out, alone, and returned with an envelope about an hour later. The package was opened and inspected by Peter's team – the contents were cut paper and nothing else proving what they had suspected all along, that Keller was just toying with Neal by making him run around doing pointless jobs.

They had eliminated 8 of the 14 possible locations by the time Peter's phone rang at around five o'clock – a call from the local police in Queens.

WCWCWC

It was approximately two thirty in the afternoon when Keller waltzed into the Wal-Mart, trying to appear laid-back as he held the little girl's hand. After all, there were plenty of men and women walking around with young children and they were no different. Hope was cooperating, at least for the moment, and as soon as he made the exchange, he would have the prize money in his hands and the pressure would be off.

The store appeared fairly crowded for a mid-week afternoon and the twosome walked casually throughout the store as Keller slowly made his way to the appointed meeting place – aisle 18. He was a few minutes early and they strolled casually around the store, pretending to look at items here and there as they went.

Aisle 18 was mostly cereal, coffee, granola bars and the like and Hope began to salivate as she perused all the offerings. The longer she put off eating, the worse she felt and she was actually starting to feel weak, her head swimming when she got up too quickly. That, plus having food dangled in front of her nose, was turning out to be more temptation than the six-year-old could handle.

'I like cereal' she said, quietly as Keller continued to survey the immediate area looking for his fence

'What?' he asked

'Cereal. I like it and I'll eat it if you buy me some' she said

'Yeah?' he groaned

Hope looked longingly up the aisle where she could glimpse boxes of Alpha-Bits, Cheerios and her all-time favorite cereal Captain Crunch (which her dad only let her eat on special occasions). She could hear him saying 'Hope, it's all empty calories, eat your granola!'

Keller became aware of a man coming towards them and, recognizing the signal they had agreed on, he glanced up the aisle noticing it was a dead end. The aisle didn't lead anywhere and you had to backtrack if you wanted to get out and continue on to the next row. He figured he could let Hope out of his grasp for a minute and do his business while he continued to keep an eye on her. That way, he could keep her out of earshot at the same time; no sense in letting Hope overhear anything she didn't need to.

'Alright, go get a box of cereal and make it fast' he said abruptly as he let go of her hand, suddenly distracted by his meet.

Hope let go and made her way a few feet down the aisle. She could hear Keller muttering something to the other man as her eyes trailed up and down the large display of cereal boxes and she began to make her choice. Right by the multitude of cereal choices, she spotted several random displays hanging off hooks on the various shelves: cheese graters, spatulas even shoe laces. Suddenly, something caught her eye, just to the left of her field of vision.

'Child and pet tracker' she read

The hermetically sealed plastic container held a small two piece device that had a cute little dinosaur on it. All of a sudden, she was brought back to her conversation with her dad about the ankle tracker she had found. She wondered if this was the same kind of thing. It didn't look the same but she continued reading the label as she became aware of Keller glancing her way.

'Hurry up, Hope, I'm almost done here' he barked

Without a second thought, Hope grabbed the item and pushed it deep into her coat pocket as she lifted her other hand to grab a box of the coveted cereal.

Suddenly, Keller was standing beside her, grabbing her wrist once again and pulling her roughly towards the main aisle. The painting tube he had carried into the store was no longer slung across his back and he was holding a large envelope which he hastened to stick into his inside coat pocket.

'Let's go. We're done' he said, harshly as he pulled her towards the cash register

'Wait, I have to go pee' said Hope, squirming for effect

'You can go pee when we get back' he replied, sternly

'No, no, I can't wait' she whined loudly as he put her hand to her groin area, holding it there

A woman who was walking past gave them a cursory disapproving glance as Keller furtively looked around to see where the washrooms were located. He pulled Hope towards the restrooms and glanced around to see if anyone was coming.

He nudged the door to the ladies washroom open and called out: 'Anybody in here?' A quick glance around confirmed there was no one there and he could see there was no other way out of the room – no other door or window. What could the kid possibly do in a bathroom, besides pee, he wondered.

'Alright, go, you have one minute and I'll be standing right here' he muttered

Hope stepped into the washroom and immediately pulled out the tracker she had just lifted from aisle 18. With some difficulty, she opened the hard plastic packaging and began to examine the two parts of the apparatus in her trembling hands. Her dad had explained that Uncle Peter always knew where he was because he could track him with a monitor. This thing looked a bit like the baby monitor they had in Liam's room, she thought trying to make sense of the contraption.

She began to panic. How did this thing work?

'Tracker - Place on child' said a sticker on the back of one of the pieces – it had a hook that you could use to hang it on a bag or a backpack; 'Monitor - Keep for yourself' read the other. Luckily, this thing appeared idiot-proof (and six year old friendly). Without hesitation, she placed the first part of the set back in her pocket while she lay the rest of the package on the counter by the sink. She began to look around, spotting a white board on the back of the door along with a marker held up with Velcro. Suddenly, she had an idea.

Matthew Keller stood by the bathroom door growing impatient. Hope had been in there long enough, he thought. Just as he was about to peek in and call her out, a woman came up, placing her hand on the door.

'Sorry, out of order' he said as he smiled at her

The woman sighed and walked away, pulling her young child behind her just as Hope stepped out, looking relieved.

'Alright, that's enough now' he said, as he led her out of the store.

WCWCWC

Todd Winston was a high school sophomore. He loved sports and he had an uncanny interest in politics and current affairs. He sat in the lunch room at the Wal-Mart store on Mirtle Drive and glanced up at the flat screen TV that was always tuned to CNN. He was thankful that he had an afternoon off a week so he could make some spare money with an extra shift. Of course, cleaning the washrooms and restocking the shelves was nothing glamorous but it did give him enough cash to indulge in another one of his passions, video games. He glanced up at the television screen, looking at the photograph of the little kidnapped girl, once again. She'd been on the news for days now and they still hadn't found her, poor kid.

The timer on his phone went off, indicating his break was over and Todd made his way to the back of the store to tackle the most odious of the jobs he had – checking the washrooms and wiping down the counters. People were such animals in public places; they made messes and didn't care who had to clean them. He opened the door to the women's washroom gingerly, calling out to see if anyone was inside. Clear. He closed the door, preparing to grab the marker that hung by the whiteboard in order to write down the last time the bathroom was inspectd for cleanliness but it wasn't there.

When he turned around, he stopped dead in his tracks.

WCWCWC

'Neal, we've got something' Peter said as he hung up the phone, his eyes sparkling

Neal looked up, eyes wide despite the lack of sleep and continuous worry

'Let's go' said Peter as he led the way

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It took them almost an hour to make their way to the Wal-Mart out in Queens. All they knew was that police had found something that had a link to their missing person's case. Neal sat, fidgeting, unable to concentrate as Peter navigated the bridge in rush hour traffic.

'And you're sure it's not a... a body' Neal said, barely keeping his wits about him

'No, Neal, there's no body just some sort of evidence they want us to see' answered Peter, trying to sound reassuring

The police officer he had spoken to had not wanted to give any details over the phone requesting that Peter make his way there as soon as possible. The interminable drive ended as Peter finally pulled into the parking lot of the Marigold Shopping Mall. He had barely slowed down to park when Neal jumped out of the car sprinting to the store entrance with Peter following close behind.

The men were directed to the back of the store where they could see a police parameter had been set up to keep customers from going past the hallway leading to the washrooms. Neal and Peter exchanged puzzled looks as they made their way to the police officer who was obviously in charge of the scene.

'Peter Burke, FBI and this is my partner, Neal Caffrey' said Peter, extending his hand

'Sergeant Brady' said the man

'We're not sure this is anything but considering the sensitive nature of the case, we thought you should take a look' he continued as he led the two men into the ladies washroom.

'One of the employees came in to clean at about three o'clock this afternoon and he found this' said the man pointing to the large mirror that covered the whole back wall of the room.

Neal's eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight of Hope's name scribbled on the bottom of the mirror, the only part she could likely reach with her short stature. She had written her full name and he recognized her familiar handwriting along with her tell-tale backwards E. Underneath her name was the word 'park' and the number '38'.

'It might just be someone who saw the name on the news and is playing a practical joke...' said the police officer

Peter looked at Neal who was standing there with his mouth open, totally flabbergasted

'No. It's her. It's definitely her' Neal said, staring ahead, mesmerized

'You sure?' asked Peter

Neal nodded. 'The 'E'; it's a running gag with Hope. She called it her 'trainmark'. Neal smiled, a very small smile as he thought of the conversation he'd had with his daughter just a few days before.

Peter looked at him puzzled.

Neal just shook his head. 'Never mind. She was here, Peter. And she's trying to tell us something – I'm just not sure what'

'Can we talk to the staff who found this, please?' asked Peter who was instantly led away to an office nearby

The manager of the store, a short, stocky man who went by the name of 'Chuck' sat behind a desk and a young, red haired kid was seated nearby against the back wall of the office when the duo entered.

Neal and Peter remained standing, too pumped to sit as Peter began his questioning.

'What's your name?' he asked the young man

'Todd Winston' said the young man, meekly

'And you're the one who found the washroom like that?' Peter asked

'Yeah. I have to go in every hour and check the cleanliness of the washrooms' answered Todd, nervously

'How did you know to call the police?' asked Peter

'Well, it's been on the news all week. Everybody knows that name – and when I saw it, I thought it was somebody's idea of a sick joke. But then, I got to thinking about that little girl and I thought I should at least report it before I cleaned it up'

Peter turned to the store manager who was just sitting there, overwhelmed by the events that had overtaken his usually quiet suburban store.

'You have cameras in the store?' he asked

'Yeah, sure. A couple of dozen at least' the man answered

'We need to see all the footage from this afternoon. Is there somewhere we can set up?' asked Peter, totally focussed now on the task at hand

'Sure, we have a TV in the staff lunch room' he said, standing to direct them

The footage was fuzzy at times, but with some detective work Neal and Peter were able to piece together a probable sequence of events. At around two thirty, they saw Keller arriving pulling Hope along with him. They could be seen meandering through the aisles for about five minutes or so, finally making their way to aisle 18 where it became more difficult to ascertain exactly what went on. The camera angle was all wrong and they saw a second man's feet enter the aisle and at some point, Hope's feet disappeared from the frame for about two minutes. They saw Keller and Hope re-emerge with something in her hands and observed them making their way to the back of the store where the washrooms were located. Keller could be seen putting his head through the partially opened bathroom door then letting Hope in. Of course, there was no footage of what had happened in the washroom. Finally, they saw the twosome leaving the store at 2:48 after going through cash 13 with their purchase which appeared to be a box of cereal.

It was strangely reassuring for Neal to see that Hope was okay, still in one piece, acting very much like Hope always behaved and yet it made him incredibly sad not to be able to reach into the monitor and grab her to bring her to safety.

He thought of Sara, waiting at home, and he picked up the phone to give her a quick progress report.

'Tell me it's not bad news, Neal' said Sara, her voice shaking as she answered the phone

'No, no. It's okay. Sara, Hope was here at the store today. We have footage of her and of Keller. We think he was making his exchange' Neal explained, slightly out of breath

Sara gasped.

'How did she look?' she asked, finally

'Fine, we can see her going down an aisle and leaving with a box of cereal. We're still going over all the footage and I'll call you as soon as I know more. Sara, don't worry – we'll piece this together and make some sense of it, okay. Just hang in there. Love you' he added, just before hanging up

Todd Winston was visibly shaken up. He hadn't figured on being part of anything this dramatic and he wondered if he could have done anything else to help the little girl. He stood in the washroom with Neal and Peter, re-enacting exactly what had happened when he'd come in at three o'clock that afternoon.

'Was there anything else you noticed when you came in?' asked Neal 'Anything that was left behind?'

He thought of how smart Hope had been in leaving that drawing behind and he wondered if she might have tried to do the same thing again.

'No. Well, yeah. There was some stolen merchandise on the counter but I just threw it out' Todd said finally

'What kind of stolen merchandise?' asked Peter, suddenly interested

'I don't know, some pet monitor or something' said Todd vaguely. 'The package had been opened and it was sitting on the counter when I came in'

'Where did you put it?' asked Neal

'Right here' said Todd, reaching into the garbage bin right by the sinks

He shoved his hand through the litter, bypassing the many paper towels that were thrown in the receptacle and pulled out the small package as Peter and Neal took in the sight of it.

'And this was on the counter when you came in at three o'clock?' asked Peter

'Yeah' said the young man

'And it hadn't been there before?' asked Neal

'No' came the answer

Neal looked at Peter.

'No, it can't be' Neal said, under his breath as he began to examine the item

'You think Hope left this behind?' asked Peter staring at his best friend

'It's just too much of a coincidence. Peter, Hope found my anklet on the weekend and we had a talk about my past... Anyway, she was asking questions about the logistics of it – you know, how it worked, how you knew where to find me'

'And you told her I could monitor you with your tracker?'

'Yeah. She wanted to understand; you know Hope, she's so curious'

The men continued to study the small opened package. It was called a 'Child and pet monitor' and one of the two pieces, the tracker was gone leaving behind the monitor. The men looked at each other wondering if they dared to hope that the child had taken the tracking portion with her.

'Neal, I know she's smart but...' Peter began

'If we hadn't just talked about it a few days ago, I might agree, but Peter...' Neal let his voice trail

Photographs of the scene were taken and Peter and Neal left shortly after 6:30 to study the evidence and make sense of it all.

Because of the sensitive nature of the discovery, Todd and the store manager were warned not to discuss particulars with anyone. The last thing they wanted was to have things leaked to the press. A headline like this would alert Keller to what Hope had been up to and put her in further danger.

The Harvard crew was still busy with the analysis of the various site photographs when Neal and Peter returned to the Caffrey home. Sara, relieved to see Neal, buried herself in his arms, holding on for what seemed like minutes before she was finally able to regain her composure and get down to the business of discussing what had happened. She had missed him and she didn't want him to wander away from her like he had the night before.

Diana and Jones sat with Peter, Neal and Sara and began discussing the day's events. They studied the packaging and the monitor itself – it had come with instructions that Hope had certainly not had time to read. It was a stroke of luck as it was that she had taken the tracking portion of the contraption, if indeed she had, but Sara and Neal were convinced that was exactly what had happened. The bad news was that the tracking device only extended to 600 feet – not much of a radius. That meant that they would have to be in close range in order to get a signal. The monitor beeped when it came within 600 feet of the tracker and it got progressively louder as the distance was bridged between the two parts of the apparatus.

They began to discuss strategy - driving around the areas that had been identified, hoping Hope's tracker had been activated. They still had a half dozen possible locations and that would take some time. Then, there was the fact that the tracker had to be activated by a tiny button on the back – they hoped that their daughter had figured that out.

'So there was the word 'park' on the mirror' said Jones as he studied the photographs from the scene

'Yeah, do you suppose that she's telling us she's _near_ a park?' asked Diana

'I guess we need to have a look to see if any of these locations are close to a park' said Peter

'And what about the '38'?' asked Sara 'That could mean anything – an address maybe?'

'Possible. Whatever it is, it means something to Hope' said Neal, trying to get into his daughter's head.

'She didn't have much time to do all this and she must have been terrified that Keller would come in to the washroom and discover what she was doing' he added, becoming worried

Neal's phone vibrated indicating an incoming text and he and Peter exchanged looks as Neal reached for it on the table.

'Stay tuned for a meet tomorrow' it read

WCWCWC

Hope sat surrounded by the mess she had made of the now familiar room she was locked in. Keller had told her that she had to deal with things the way they were and that she would have to spend the night on the floor since she had destroyed her room. Hope didn't care. She sat with a large bowl of Captain Crunch and milk and smiled as she enjoyed the sensation of the cereal taking the edge off her hunger. She hoped that her dad and her Uncle Peter had gotten the message she'd left. If so, they would find her soon because of her trusty tracker. Uncle Peter always found her dad, he'd said, and now he would find her.

She took the blanket and spread it out on the floor then made her way to her coat taking the coveted item in her hand. She could see the little red light flashing indicating it was activated and she pressed it deep into her palm as she rolled her coat up to make it into a pillow. Then she lay on the blanket, her hand clutching her lifeline and she put her head down on her make-shift pillow and went to sleep.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Neal had wanted to start driving around to the various locations immediately and he had worked hard on convincing Peter. But neither man had had any significant sleep over the past three days and it seemed like folly when they could get a good night's sleep and start fresh in daylight. Many of the landmarks were small details, more difficult to observe in the dark, anyway.

Neal finally relented, seeing the look of relief in Sara's eyes. As worried as she'd been about their daughter, she was also concerned about him. She hadn't asked for confirmation, but she suspected he had carried out a heist at a local museum the night before, leaving him vulnerable to all sorts of consequences, legal and otherwise.

They lay in bed, clinging to each other as if they were both afraid of drowning. They could see snow falling gently outside their bedroom window and their body heat and the cosy, comfy comforter enveloped them, keeping them safe and warm.

'It isn't right' said Sara, her voice shaky yet soft

'What?' asked Neal, his arms enfolding her

'We shouldn't be lying here, in the safety of our bed, when our little girl is out there somewhere fending for herself'

'I know' Neal answered, nodding gently

Sara sobbed quietly as Neal pulled her in even closer.

'She's gonna be okay, Sara, she's strong' Neal said as much to convince himself as anything else

'We don't know that for sure. He's a crazy man – he could lose it and hurt her' she replied

Neal knew that this was a possibility from the start but he was hopeful that even Keller would draw the line at hurting an innocent child.

'She's so smart' Neal marvelled, his voice low 'Look at what she's done. She's given us the only two solid leads we've had on the case'

'She's clever like her daddy' said Sara, smiling weakly

'And brave and fearless, like her mom' Neal added

'I guess she got the best of both of us, huh?' said Sara as she pressed a kiss into Neal's chest

'Remember the night she was born' said Neal, wistfully 'She kept us waiting 'till she was good and ready'

'She always does' Sara added, her voice breaking and the tears continuing to flow

The silence of the room enveloped them with its intimacy and warmth and they drew ever closer, Sara pulling Neal into her.

'Thanks for staying home' she added, softly 'I was so worried about you last night'

'I'm here, I'm not going anywhere' Neal whispered into her hair 'We're going to find her, I promise'

It took a very long time but they eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep, all the while never letting go of each other.

WCWCWC

Hope woke up, freezing. She was lying on the blanket, her head on her coat with nothing to cover her up. She hadn't heard or seen Keller since the night before and she could see a little bit of daylight coming from the small opening which had become her window on the world. She wanted to go home in the worse way. She missed her mom and dad and Liam and she missed her room, the comfort of her home, her friends but mostly the warmth of her parents' arms. Heck, she even missed homework. She sniffled, trying to be brave but despite her best intentions, she began to cry softly as she shivered.

Why hadn't they come for her yet? Maybe they never got the message she left in the washroom. The thought of not having been able to connect brought tears to her eyes and she reminded herself that she needed to be strong if she was going to find her way home. She looked down at the tracker in her hand and squeezed it tight.

WCWCWC

Peter and the rest of the team arrived at the Caffrey home at 6:00 a.m. ready to begin their day. Neal was busy making coffee, preparing thermoses for them to take along and Sara was taking a much needed shower before they started their day.

It was Thursday morning and Hope had been missing since Monday at noon. Luckily, she'd been spotted twice during that period, on Wednesday morning by Neal himself and later in the day on the surveillance tapes. She didn't appear to have been physically harmed in any way although there was no way of knowing her emotional state.

The group sat and planned their day, debating the significance of the word 'park' and the number '38' as they sipped coffee and munched on muffins Jones had brought along. The word 'park' seemed like a no brainer and they were primed to look for any sites that had a park nearby. The '38' was more of a mystery. It could be an address but if that was the case, why wasn't the number followed by a street name?

Neal had been mulling that very riddle over and over in his mind since he'd awakened at about four in the morning. He tried to put himself in her place: at the time she'd written it, she was in the store. Had she seen that number somewhere? Was she interrupted as she was about to write down something else? He had spent the last hour on his computer, googling all things measurable or described by numbers: quantities, phone numbers, house addresses, distances, time... The list went on and on.

They had now narrowed down the possible sites to six locations and Peter began discussing strategy, suggesting that they begin the day by going in teams of two to the six sites – a first drive through to detect any of the landmarks. They desperately needed to bring the possible locations down to a more manageable number. His hope was, that upon arrival at one of the sites, the area Keller was hiding Hope in would become obvious at which point they could embark on a more thorough search of the vicinity.

The other trickier element was trying to lure Keller away from the location at the appropriate time. It was too dangerous to storm a place with an armed Keller on the other side of the door. They needed to get him away from his hideout so they could be free to search the area for Hope.

Keller had texted Neal, saying he wanted to meet, but he had yet to give him a specific time and place. With any luck, they would have time to identify the hideout location before Neal met with him; they also had to pray he didn't take Hope with him to the meeting.

As always, the ex-con's mind was in creative mode, looking for some unexpected twist Keller wouldn't see coming. Having worked with him, he'd gotten to know Matthew Keller, his weaknesses, his tells and Neal wanted to take full advantage of this knowledge.

'What if we went on the offensive?' Neal said, thinking out loud

'What are you thinking?' asked Peter

'What if I contact him and tell him I want to offer something to sweeten the deal?' Neal asked, an idea forming

'I could tell him I've lifted another piece for him – play to his ego by showing him just how desperate I am to get Hope back'

Peter and the rest of the crew listened as Neal continued:

'Chances are he wouldn't bring Hope along in those circumstances. It would be too risky; he's already taken her out in public twice as it is. Plus, he doesn't think we have the slightest idea where he's keeping her so he wouldn't see it as a risk to leave her behind at the hideout. And he wouldn't be afraid of an ambush since he thinks he has the leverage of being the only one who knows where she is'

'I don't know, Neal...' Peter began

'Look, Peter, I know this guy – he's greedy. I can't see him saying no to an offer of another piece of art he could fence, especially if he thinks I'm doing it out of desperation. That's exactly where he wants me'

'And we lay in wait for him at the meet site?' asked Diana

'And arrest him' said Peter

'Once we know Hope is safe' Sara interjected

Neal nodded.

'It just might work' said Peter, finally

'But, step one is finding out where she is. Let's get going on the first recon. And be careful! Keller is in one of those neighborhoods you'll be driving through and if he spots us, all bets are off'

WCWCWC

The six sites were all over the map, literally: two in the Bronx, one in Queens, one in the general Westchester area and two on the outskirts of the main boroughs.

They agreed to meet at noon after the first drive through and teams of two were formed with Sara paired with Jones, Diana with Blake. Neal and Peter made up the third team with each twosome set to hit two of the locations.

Peter and Neal headed out to the two furthest locations first. Neal held the monitor in his hand as they left, just in case they got lucky right off the bat.

It took them an hour to arrive to the outermost area they had targeted. It was in the Oakwood neighborhood of Staten Island, not too far from the water front. They drove through the area immediately spotting the CVS drugstore on the main strip. The Sears pick-up location was further up the street and was located inside a Spic and Span dry cleaners with a very small sign on the outside of the building. Neal began to look at possible vantage points where Hope would have been able to see both those signs at the same time and he couldn't see how that was possible. The stores were on opposite sides of the street which added to the unlikelihood that this is what Hope had spied from wherever she was watching.

Add to that the fact that there wasn't a park in sight and that the monitor was silent in his sweaty palm and Neal just wasn't feeling it.

'I don't think this is it, Peter' Neal said, shaking his head 'It just doesn't have that feel I was getting from the drawing. I think we're looking for more of small town kind of street'

Peter sighed.

'All right, well we can always come back if we need to' he said as he turned the car around, heading to the next location.

WCWCWC

Matthew Keller rose on Thursday morning wondering if his little brat had done any further damage to her living space. They had been squatting in this abandoned apartment building he'd cased out for three nights now and the accommodations left a lot to be desired although he had set up a decent living space for himself just outside of the room where he was holding Hope.

He was getting fed up with the whole caper. He had his money and he'd seen Neal squirm – his mission was almost complete. He hadn't yet decided how this was going to play out – he wanted to give it another twenty four hours to get the painting out of the country and himself distanced from the whole thing. He was hoping, as a bonus, that Neal would be identified as the thief and he had a few little crumbs he was planning on leaving so the local police would come to that conclusion.

He thought he'd let Neal squirm for most of the day and call him out at nightfall, one last time. Of course he wouldn't hand him back his kid just yet. He'd meet him on his own this time, keeping him guessing as to the state of his little princess.

It would be so easy to finish her off while she slept, he thought, smiling spitefully. It was an awfully tempting option – one that would totally devastate Neal for the rest of his life – an interesting proposition.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

It was just past eleven o'clock when Jones and Sara made the approach on their last scheduled stop, in the Bronx. It was a small-town type of neighborhood, with older buildings and stores that had probably been standing for over sixty years. Sara was sitting in the passenger seat, eyes glued to the rolling sights as they continued towards the address they had for the drugstore. The snow had fallen overnight and everything looked bright and new, none of that dirty slush that inevitably appeared as time went on. They took a turn onto Carleton Street which seemed like the main drag; stores, some restaurants and older apartment buildings lined the street and they spotted the CVS drugstore with its large sign, off in the distance.

Jones drove by slowly as he and Sara examined the layout of the street, noting a little further up, the sign for the Sears pick-up point. It appeared to be housed in some general store and there was a small but obvious sign on the front of the building announcing to all that they could pick up their Sears purchases inside the building. Sara craned her neck as they drove by, noticing the quaint street lights that adorned the whole length of the street – cast iron posts just like the ones Hope had drawn. This definitely got her attention as she continued observing landmarks lining this part of the street. As they continued, she spotted a sign for 'Jackie's Café' which seemed to be a going concern with people coming in and out carrying coffee and assorted bags of food. She noticed the outside sitting area, closed for the winter, with chairs stacked up just as they had appeared in Hope's drawing.

'Stop' she said suddenly as Jones slowed down

'Turn up here on - ' Sara stopped mid-sentence as she looked up at the street sign: Park Street. It was a street not a park, she realized suddenly.

'Jones, I think this is it. Go back' she said, excitement in her voice

Jones did as he was told making a right turn onto Park and going once around the block to return to where they had started.

'I want to get out' said Sara 'I need to check that post over there'

'I'm not sure that's a good idea, Sara. You don't want to get spotted' he said, realizing Keller could be anywhere in the vicinity

'I'll be careful. Look - ' she said taking out her sunglasses and pulling up the hood of her parka. 'I just need to have a better look at that post. Please.'

Jones took a deep breath and parked just out of sight, letting Sara out and she began to slowly make her way up the street, looking like every other pedestrian taking a lunchtime stroll. She walked by the café, glancing inside as she went and took the two steps to the platform leading to the entrance to the General Store. Up close, she could see the little sign with the words 'Post office' and she made her way noticing the snow that had accumulated overnight on top of the post, the freshly fallen snow that seemed to be covering something, just out of sight. She walked nonchalantly, pretending to bump into the post as she went and she watched as the snow fell to the ground revealing a small cast iron horse, tail blowing in the wind.

She took a deep breath and made her way back to the car, barely keeping her wits about her as she climbed in, pulling out her phone and pressing speed dial.

'We found it' she said, breathless

WCWCWC

Jones had insisted they meet up with the others a few miles away to discuss strategy and Sara had to agree it was the wise thing to do although it took all she had not to jump out of the car and start searching the surrounding buildings for Hope. It was killing her to know her baby girl was so close by and that she couldn't reach out and just grab her.

They chose a non-descript greasy spoon called 'Bert's Diner' which was right off the main highway and Jones and Sara parked, making their way inside. Diana and Blake were the first to arrive, followed closely by Neal and Peter who drove up from the other direction. Jones and Sara had taken a table away from everyone at the back of the restaurant and had ordered sandwiches all around. Sara spotted Neal as he stepped out of the car and stood to greet him as he ran towards her.

He searched her eyes, noting her smile.

'Are you sure?' he asked, trying to contain his excitement

She nodded, enthusiastically as she threw her arms around his neck.

Peter knew he would have a rough time reigning them all in now that they were so close to their goal but he also knew they had to tread carefully from here on in if they didn't want to put Hope in any unnecessary danger.

'Guys' he said, taking his place at the table 'I know we all want to run out there and start checking every building but we have to be strategic. Keller is a dangerous criminal. If he finds out we know where they are, he could panic and he could hurt Hope'

He stopped for dramatic effect as Neal took in a deep breath, trying to calm his breathing which was suddenly off the charts. He grabbed Sara's hand and squeezed, hoping to centre himself and regain his composure.

Their sandwiches arrived and everyone fell silent while the waitress placed their plates in front of them.

'We cannot start flooding the area with agents and cars – not until we get Keller away from there, are we clear?' he asked as he waited for everyone to acknowledge what he'd just said

'The first thing we need to do is see if we can get anything with the tracking monitor. We believe Hope has the other part of this thing and I think one or two of us should drive by – Neal, put your hand down – and see if we can get anything on the monitor'

'But, Peter - ' Neal began

'Forget it Neal, it's not going to be you - '

Sara opened her mouth to speak.

'Or you' continued Peter 'It's just a quick drive by up the street. I want to see if that thing starts beeping. That'll be confirmation that we're in the right place and that we've been reading all of Hope's signals right.'

'Secondly, we have to get busy on setting up a meeting with Keller. Neal, are you up for that?'

Neal nodded as he sighed heavily.

'Give us an hour so we can set everything up then I'll need you to contact him and tell him you want to meet. You have his envelope and you're ready to do anything to get your daughter back. See if he bites when you offer him another painting. Try to get him to agree to meet with you somewhere in Manhattan. If he agrees, that'll take him away for a good couple of hours. And ask him to bring Hope and see how he reacts'

Neal nodded but was having trouble containing himself.

WCWCWC

Neal and Sara sat in front of their third cup of coffee as Blake and Peter hovered nearby, calling things in and planning for the next phase of the operation.

'You okay?' Sara asked, looking at her husband

'I will be, when this is all over' he answered as he swallowed hard

Neither one of them had touched their meal despite the fact that they had been running on fumes for the past three days.

'Neal, she did great. It was so obvious we were in the right place when we got there. She got everything right. And it _was_ a horse' she said, smiling

'The sign on the café is really high which leads me to believe she's coming at it from a very low vantage point, maybe a basement somewhere. Oh, and what she saw was Park _Street_ – there's no park in sight' Sara continued

Neal took it all in, marvelling at his daughter's courage and cleverness, finally exhaling before giving in to his uncontainable anxiety.

'I can't stand this waiting' Neal said suddenly, standing and beginning to pace

'Neal' she said pulling him back down 'We're almost there. Please, you can't lose it now'

Neal nodded and took another deep gulp of air, hoping to regain his self-control. They could see Jones and Diana returning and all four of them ran out to the parking lot as the junior suits exited their vehicle.

'The signal was loud and clear' said Diana, clutching the monitor in her hand

WCWCWC

The roadside restaurant, which was off the beaten track, had morphed into some sort of command post as FBI vehicles began arriving and preparing to invade the small community they had targeted. It had barely been 30 minutes and Peter had managed to assemble 12 cars and 25 agents to do a building to building search along the quiet street.

It would be a delicate operation. They had to make sure Keller left, alone, to go meet Neal – otherwise they had no way of getting to Hope. There was no way they would be able to make a move on Keller if he had Hope with him; it put her in too much danger.

The plan required agents at both ends: in the Bronx, to carry out the search for Hope and another team to be lying in wait for Keller wherever he eventually would ask to meet with Neal. Peter could see the tension mounting in his partner and he hoped that Neal had what it took to see this through without falling victim to his emotions which he could see were ready to spill over at any moment. He hoped there was enough left of the old Caffrey to pull this off without making the kidnapper suspicious.

Neal's phone rang as they gathered once more inside the restaurant and the men exchanged nervous glances.

'Is it too early?' asked Neal as he looked up at Peter, worried

'Try to buy me an extra 30 minutes to set up' said Peter as Neal rose to take Keller's call outside with Peter in close pursuit

'Keller' Neal said into his phone as he struggled to keep himself in check

'Do you have my package?' asked the kidnaper without any preliminaries

'Yes' answered Neal

'I want to meet' said the thug

'Keller, I want my daughter back' Neal said, his voice rough

'Hey Caffrey, take it easy, all in good time' answered Keller

'I'll do anything you want' said Neal, desperation in his voice. 'I lifted a Renoir from the exhibit at the Clarkson Gallery last night. It's yours, just let my little girl come home'

Keller was beyond thrilled. Neal was totally losing it and he knew that when Caffrey let his emotions cloud his judgement, he became reckless and impulsive.

'A Renoir! Very impressive' Keller said as he took in this new information. 'Bring it to the meet; make it the lobby of your office building in an hour' he said, greediness rising within him

'I want to see Hope' said Neal, praying he would refuse to bring her

'Not today, Caffrey. You bring me that Renoir and we'll see what we can do. An hour' Keller repeated

'I need a little more time' Neal pleaded

'Okay, 90 minutes. Don't be late' said Keller, hanging up

Peter looked at Neal as he finished the call.

'If he's at his hideout, he'll probably need to leave in about 30 minutes to make it to Manhattan in time' Peter said 'That gives me time to get everyone mobilized and ready to move'

'You did good, Neal' he added as he touched Neal's shoulder

Peter turned towards the army of agents that was beginning to assemble: 'Jones, I need a couple of unmarked cars in the area right now. See if you can spot Keller leaving for his meet'

WCWCWC

Hope had spent most of the day, drawing and reading, in between bouts of crying. Even the half eaten box of Captain Crunch that lay beside her no longer held any appeal. She had not seen her kidnapper all day and as time wore on, she was becoming despondent, afraid that she would never be found.

The book he had left her was a Hardy Boys mystery which she had already read. She was an insatiable and precocious reader, with a skill level way beyond her years. She had been reading since she was three years old and she loved the sound of words and the look of them on the written page. She read out loud, since there was no one to talk to, and every once in a while she would think of her mom and dad, her little brother, her friend Olivia and she would start crying all over again.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Keller paced the small space he had been calling home for the past few days, rubbing his hands in glee. He had no idea he could push Caffrey this far; his ex-partner was actually ready to hand over another invaluable painting all so he could see his precious daughter. This was definitely not the Caffrey he had known all those years ago.

He had to be smart about this, though. He had chosen Neal's office building for the meet for a couple of reasons: he needed a place that was far enough from his hideout to avoid detection, he wanted to be in a public place so Neal wouldn't try anything and finally he just wanted to push Neal's buttons by creating this lovely memory for Caffrey to have every time he walked into work.

He had debated ad nauseum the pros and cons of dragging the kid along to the meet. She was his insurance chip so having her along was like walking around with a shield, insulating him from capture. But she was also a wildcard and he would not put it past her to try something especially once she got a glimpse of her dad. And taking her out was risky – he'd been lucky enough to avoid detection twice but he didn't think he should chance it a third time. He mulled it over, once again. He had to get going in a few minutes if he was going to make it to Manhattan at the appointed time.

He looked over at the small bottle of chloroform that lay on the table by the old armchair. That was probably best, he thought – knock her out while he was gone to keep her from causing any trouble.

He couldn't wait to be rid of this kid; she was turning out to be just as annoying as her dad.

WCWCWC

Peter had put Jones in charge of the operation back in the Bronx starting with a couple of unmarked cars in strategic locations around the street to see if they could spot Keller leaving for his meeting with Neal. Better yet, they were hoping to see from which building he would emerge and most importantly, if he was alone. Once he was safely out of sight, they could begin 'Operation Hopeful' as the case had been dubbed.

Diana was to coordinate activities at the other end, in downtown Manhattan, specifically in the lobby of the Finch and Johns building. Her job was to make sure everyone was in position to arrest Keller as soon as they got word that Hope had been found. The lady suit had been dispatched along with a dozen or so agents who were setting up in strategic places around the lobby. The local authorities were providing backup and the FBI had agents all over the area. Her team included Blake who was to play a major role in the sting.

Neal and Sara were being kept well away from the site until such time as the operation began. It was unwise to have either one of them anywhere near where they could be spotted by Keller.

WCWCWC

Hope looked up as she heard the key turn in the lock once more. She wiped her face and quickly hid her tracker in her coat pocket as she resigned herself to another face to face with this monster she was learning to despise. He came in, hiding something behind his back as he started to make his way towards her and she recoiled, knowing full well this did not bode well. She barely realized what was happening before it was too late.

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'We have eyes on Keller' said the voice coming from Jones' walkie talkie 'Walking north on Carleton and he's alone'

Jones was parked on the side street by Jackie's Café and he looked up, spotting the man as he continued up the main drag, walking at a quick pace as he flagged down a cab. Jones had been entrusted with the tracking monitor which sat next to him on the seat, droning on at a regular albeit soft beep. The agent picked up his phone to report the development to Peter, who was still at Bert's Diner along with the rest of the fleet, waiting for word before they could descend on the small town street.

Peter had informed the local police of the operation and had obtained their reassurance that the FBI would be given free reign and any support they might need in recovering the missing girl.

'He just got in a cab and took off going North' reported Jones

'Alright, we'll be there in five minutes. Assemble the men who are already on site and start deploying people. Follow the plan we laid out' said Peter, his voice clear and decisive

He turned towards Neal and Sara and nodded, a small gesture but one that held so much meaning and they were up in a flash, following Peter as he made his way to the car.

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Matthew Keller got out of the cab a block away from the offices of Finch and Johns and made his way to the lobby. He had a spring in his step. He was about to get his hands on another valuable piece of art and he was going to enjoy watching Neal's desperation once more. He knew Neal was too smart to come with anyone especially if he ever wanted to see his precious little girl again. He was holding all the cards and he walked in with confidence as he spotted Neal sitting on a bench in the lobby, his back to him with his signature fedora and a painting tube across his back. Keller smiled devilishly.

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Neal and Sara drove to Carleton Street in the back of Peter's SUV. The short drive seemed to take forever as they both absent mindedly looked out the car windows just keeping it together. They were minutes away from finding their little girl and they hoped that when they finally found her, she would be unharmed.

Jones was waiting in front of the little café when Peter drove up, minutes later. He was followed by six other vehicles, each of them with a pair of agents ready to start going door to door. Peter was determined to have his goddaughter back in her parents' arms by the end of the day and nothing was going to stand in his way.

'Here, Caffrey' said Jones, handing him the monitor which was beeping, the most beautiful sound Neal had ever heard

'What do we have so far?' asked Peter as Jones began to give him the lo down on which of the buildings had been searched. Many of the buildings were small businesses that had apartments on the second floor. There were also two apartment buildings and one of the two appeared to be abandoned.

Neal's instincts were screaming to start there and he took Sara's hand as he began to walk in that direction, followed closely by Peter. The building hadn't been empty long; it still had that lived in look with names appearing on the directory and although the lobby was bereft of any furniture, it still looked reasonably clean. It had four floors which looked to each house six to eight apartments. The monitor in Neal's hand kept beeping and seemed to have increased in intensity since they had entered the building although Neal wondered if it was just his imagination. Peter had signalled four of this team to follow them in and he began to deploy them in methodical fashion as was always his way, making certain to search every inch of the building. Like Neal, he had a feeling about this place and he began to try to orient himself in relation to the street; if Hope was being held in a room that could see out onto Carleton Street, she had to be where there was a window facing south.

He continued, barking orders as he directed his men to that side of the building. Neal remembered Sara's comment about the café sign and her theory that Hope had to be sitting at a low vantage point.

'I want to start with the basement' he said to Peter as he searched for the stairwell leading down. There was an elevator, which was still in working order but it did not go down to the basement so they began to search the lobby for the staircase to take them to the lower floor.

The monitor continued at a good, steady pace in his hand as he took the first few steps down, followed by Sara and Peter.

The layout of the basement was such that there was a laundry room to the right immediately when you came off the stairs. There seemed to be fewer apartments on this floor due to the space occupied by this large room as well as an electrical room which was right across the hall. They could see four other doors and all three of them, began calling Hope's name, loudly and repeatedly.

If she was within earshot, she would be hearing them as they called out at full volume stopping every few seconds to see if an answer could be heard. All four doors were locked but that wasn't going to hold them back.

Peter kicked in the door to the first apartment and the sheer adrenaline rush he was feeling brought down the door in one swift kick. The apartment had a large living area where a few boxes remained as well as some garbage bags. An old couch had been left behind and sat in the middle of the room. Further inspection yielded two other rooms, both empty and looking out onto Carleton Street.

The beeping continued, seemingly louder and more insistent.

They moved on to the apartment next door, Neal leading the group as he took off like a bat out of hell to the next target. Peter had radioed in for two more men to join them in the basement and had a team of paramedics standing by. He had a feeling, confirmed by the rapid beep of the monitor, that they were oh so close and he was beginning to worry that Hope was not responding to their continuous calls.

Neal was the first to arrive at the door of Apartment 3 and gave a convincing and authoritative kick as the lock began to budge; a second jolt was necessary to finish the job and as he glanced inside, he knew this was it.

'Peter!' he screamed to his partner who was following close behind.

Sara followed Peter in, taking in the scene. A ratty old armchair sat in the middle of the room. There was a cooler with food right by the chair, a transistor radio and a heater which was plugged into a nearby outlet. A bed was set up in the corner of the room.

'Hope! Hope!' Sara called out in desperation, becoming increasingly alarmed that her daughter was not answering. She had to be close by.

Neal had thrown the monitor aside as he became convinced Hope was behind one of the two closed doors leading off the main room.

Peter and Neal each took a door with agents following and kicking them down without hesitation.

Sara sat looking at both doors in horror, now absolutely terrified of what they would find there.

'Hope!' shouted Neal as he spotted her lying on the floor of the small room. She was surrounded by an absolute mess, the remnants of a mattress which had been totally ripped apart, some broken furniture and a small blanket where she lay partially covered, her winter coat draped across her body.

Neal ran to his daughter's side with Sara close behind and they both fell to the ground by her, Neal checking her vital signs while Peter screamed orders into his walkie-talkie.

Sara looked on in horror, unable to breathe, let alone move as Neal cradled their daughter in his arms, checking her pulse and seeing if there was any obvious sign of trauma in her body.

'Neal, look' said Peter as he lifted a piece of cloth from the ground. The scent of chloroform wafted in the air, confirming that Hope had been drugged.

'Hope! Hope! Look at me, baby, look at me' Neal was saying his voice shrill as he held his daughter in his arms

The movement and the sound of his familiar voice caused Hope to open her eyes and blink.

'Daddy, you came' she said in a whisper

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'Copy that' Diana was saying into her phone as she signalled the agents who were flooding the lobby of the downtown Manhattan building.

'So Caffrey, let's see this little treasure of yours' said Keller as he approached Neal who still hadn't moved from his seat on the bench in the lobby at Finch and Johns.

The man turned, removing his hat and gave Keller a rueful smile.

'You're under arrest, Keller' said Blake as the surrounding agents made their presence know, flooding the lobby and grabbing the man

'You'll never find that little girl!' said Keller in one last attempt at controlling the situation

'She's already safely in her parents' arms' said Diana as she proceeded to cuff him

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The emergency room of Calvary Hospital in the Bronx was relatively quiet when the ambulance carrying Hope Ellis-Caffrey pulled up. She had slowly begun to regain consciousness to the relief of both her parents who were riding along in the ambulance with her. She lay staring at them both, her eyes going back and forth from one to the other as she smiled and blinked, unable to believe she was finally free of the clutches of her abductor.

Sara and Neal, on the other hand, had their eyes riveted on their daughter, making sure she wouldn't disappear suddenly as she had before.

They kept asking her over and over is she was cold, if she was hurt, if she was in any pain and Hope kept shaking her head at every question even though it had been asked several times before. She kept trying to sit up but she had been properly secured to the stretcher to ensure her safety. She wanted to be in her mom and dad's arms and she continued to struggle as they reminded her to just stay still for a few more minutes.

She was rolled in followed by her Uncle Peter, Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Mozzie who all paraded in one after the other with a huge look of relief on their faces.

The nurse at triage asked everyone to stay back while they took her in for an examination but there was no way on God's green earth that Neal and Sara were letting their daughter out of their sight. A brief explanation of the situation was enough to give them both the green light to follow their little girl to the back of the emergency room.

The threesome was taken to a small examination room which barely had enough room for the stretcher and one chair but that was no deterrent as they all squeezed in, Neal still holding Hope's hand.

'Are you in any pain, sweet pea' he asked for the umpteenth time

'No' she said weakly 'just dizzy'

'That's okay. It's just the drug that he gave you. You'll feel better soon' said Sara, trying to sound reassuring

'Did he hurt you?' Neal asked again

She shook her head 'No, he was just mean'

Neal let out a nervous laugh at this as he ran his hand through her hair. She looked so tiny on the large stretcher and he thought she might have lost a bit of weight although he couldn't be sure.

'Do you have any idea how proud Mommy and I are of you?' he said, tears filling his eyes

Hope just looked up at him, her wide blue eyes fixed on his.

'You are such a brave girl' added Sara, kissing her forehead

The door opened to the small cubicle and a young woman entered, dressed in regular clothing with a stethoscope dangling from her neck.

'Hi, I'm Dr. Hopkins' she said, gently 'This must be Hope'

Neal and Sara moved away as best they could in such a small space to give the doctor better access to their daughter.

'How are you feeling?' asked the doctor, gently

'Fine, but my head hurts' said Hope, her voice raw

'Hope, can you sit up for me. I'm just going to listen to your heart and lungs, okay? asked the doctor, patiently

Hope had been to the paediatrician's for annual check-ups a number of times so she struggled to sit as Neal held her up and the doctor proceeded to take her pulse rate and listen to her lungs.

'We think she was drugged with chloroform' said Neal 'There was a rag nearby'

He took out the evidence bag which contained the rag and handed it over to the doctor.

'We'll make sure this gets properly analysed' she said, taking it from him

The doctor continued with a cursory examination of Hope, her blood pressure, a check of her eyes, ears, throat and a full going over of her body from head to toe in case there were any hidden injuries.

'Was that your stomach?' she asked, smiling as she heard a gurgle

Hope nodded again 'I'm hungry' she said to everyone's relief

'Well, I think we can help with that' she said as she prepared to leave the room, momentarily. 'How about some jello?'

'Do you have red jello?' Hope asked

'I'm sure we do' she said, laughing

Neal and Sara let out a nervous laugh at seeing their daughter seemingly back to her old self.

'Can I go home now?' asked Hope. It had been a long three days and she longed for the warmth and safety of her home in White Plains.

'As soon as the doctor says' answered Sara, smiling at her girl

'I know I'm not supposed to, but I ate a whole bunch of Captain Crunch' said Hope, confessing to what she knew was a no-no

Neal and Sara laughed as they looked at her serious face, trying to reassure her that, in this situation, that was just fine.

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'Are you sure you're going to be okay in here? It's not often we give you the option of sleeping in our bed' Sara was saying as they tucked Hope in

'No, I'm fine' she said

They had finally made it home and she had been reunited with everyone she loved at a celebratory dinner where, as the guest of honor, she got to choose the menu: pizza. Olivia had come over as had Grandma June, Uncle Mozzie and of course Uncle Peter and Aunt Elizabeth. Hope sat amongst all those she loved, smiling and looking relieved albeit, very tired.

'Alright then' said Neal 'If you need anything, we're right next door, okay?'

Hope nodded. She was obviously exhausted from her ordeal and after a nice hot meal and a warm bath, she was ready to climb into her favorite pajamas and slide under the warm blankets.

'Hope, when you left your message in that store, you wrote the number 38. What did that number mean?' asked Neal

'You're kidding?' she answered, not believing that her brilliant clue hadn't been deciphered.

'You're always telling me how important math is so I figured out that it took us 38 minutes to drive from that place to the shopping centre' she explained

'Ah, that's what it was!' said Sara 'That was a brilliant clue, Hope. We just didn't figure it out'

Hope just rolled her eyes at their perceived ineptitude and shrugged, letting herself melt into the warm bed.

'Good night, sweetheart' said Sara, kissing her forehead

'Sleep tight, sweet pea' added Neal as he gently tugged at her nose, eliciting a small, sleepy smile from his little girl.

Whereas the house had been full just a few hours ago, it was now just the four of them, finally reunited in the cocoon they called home.

Neal and Sara tidied up and prepared for an early night, themselves having had very little sleep since early in the week. They checked on Liam, who was sleeping soundly and took one last glance into Hope's room before making their way to their own room and falling into bed, exhausted.

It was just past midnight when Neal heard small footsteps running down the hall towards their room.

'Daddy?' said Hope, breathless

'Hey, what's the matter?' asked Neal, sitting up and spying Hope's silhouette in the doorway of their bedroom

'Can I change my mind and come into your bed?' she asked making her way to his side of the bed and putting out her small arms for him to pick her up

'Of course you can' said Neal, his voice waking Sara

'Hey, you want to come in with us?' she asked as Neal moved over, making room in the centre of the bed which was still warm from where his body had been pressed against his wife's

She nodded, grabbing her mom's hand and letting Neal tuck her in, the comforter up to her nose.

'Is that better?' he asked, his arm around her

'Yes, much better' she answered, clutching her mom's hand

Neal and Sara exchanged glances in the dark. It would take time for Hope to regain confidence, to learn to trust that most people she would meet in life were trustworthy; that the world was full of kind and helpful people. They prayed that she would return to being a fun loving, happy child without a care in the world but they knew it would take time and lots of reassurance to bring her to that point.

They were roused at six thirty by the sound of Liam who was singing at the top of his lungs in his crib. When he woke early, he would often break into some song which no one could recognize but sounded like some show tune he must have heard his dad humming at some point, most likely before he was even born.

'I'll get him' said Hope, excited

Neal and Sara lay back as she ran out of the room towards her little brother's crib, struggling to help him out. They could hear her talking to him as he gurgled at the sight of his big sister.

'Do you have a dry diaper, Liam?' she was saying

'Good boy, do you want to go on the potty?' she asked, taking his hand

'Potty!' he answered

Neal and Sara suppressed a laugh as they heard the exchange; thrilled to have their family whole once again.

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'So, what do you want to do today?' asked Neal as he moved around the kitchen getting breakfast organized for the family

'Can we go to your studio and paint?' she asked

'Anything you want' said Neal as he handed Liam his sippy cup of apple juice

'Daddy, can I have some Captain Crunch for breakfast?' she asked, pushing her luck

Neal just looked at her, raising an eyebrow 'That's just empty calories, Hope. Eat your granola'

La fin


End file.
