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hb-writes · 2 years

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What Makes a Family

Summary: Alice had sworn to Neal that if they ever ended up in trouble like this, she would erase the FBI kidnapping handbook from her mind. She'd forget about him and she’d do whatever she had to in order to get herself out of harm’s way, out of Matthew Keller's way.

Characters: Neal Caffrey, Peter Burke, Matthew Keller, & Alice Burke (OC)

Request (from anon): B) 20. Alice and Neal 🤍🤍

Content Warnings: angst, kidnapping/ hostage situation, guns, found family feels

Here’s the AO3 link if you prefer to read over there.

White Collar (Alice Burke) Masterlist

Angst Celebration Masterlist

Please take a moment to tell me what y'all think! Reviews and comments are always appreciated. 😌❤️

Alice could barely keep her head up but she followed Matthew Keller’s movements as best as she could. She kept her eyes open, her gaze purposely diverted from Neal’s face though some part of her was desperate for his guidance, the comfort of eye contact.

She didn’t want Keller to think they were communicating anything, like they were in cahoots. Alice figured it would be better for them if Keller thought they weren’t on the same side. Then he couldn’t use them against each other.

As the seconds stretched on, it grew more difficult for Alice to focus on anything. She could feel herself being pulled towards sleep, exhausted and dizzy now that the knock on her head had settled in and the initial adrenaline had subsided.

It was tempting—the idea of sleep, the idea of slipping away for a bit. Maybe she’d be lucky enough to wake up at home. Maybe she’d learn this was all just a dream—more like a nightmare, really. Whatever it was, real or dream, both seemed possible the more fuzzy Alice’s mind became, some part of her figured they were safe for now.

She felt certain Keller wouldn’t hurt them. Not yet, at least. He seemed to be more interested in talking for the moment, more amused by playing with them—enjoying the sport of it. Alice knew he was getting more from it than just that, focused as he was on hers and Neal’s reactions, but she could tell he wanted to savor it. He was drawing out toying with them and collecting the limited, overly calculated words Neal and Alice had been giving him as answers.

Neal was better at it. He’d taken the lead more and more as Alice's focus slipped. She hadn’t spoken for a few minutes when Keller asked her something directly, and it was no more than a whimper and ragged breath that finally left her lips in response. That was all she could muster, her mind distracted by the throbbing on the left side of her head.

“It wasn’t a rhetorical question, Miss Burke,” Keller said as he stepped toward her.

The inquiry had been a calculated one. Keller expected a proper answer. He had envisioned the girl’s protests, actually, imagining that his words would make Alice Burke a bit more cognizant, a bit more engaged in their conversation. Keller had thought the threat to Caffrey’s life would bring Alice back from the delirious haze she was steadily slipping into.

He grasped Alice’s chin with one hand while tapping her cheek with the other. “Hey, c’mon, kid. Eyes on me.”

Alice’s eyes fluttered open and her blinking gaze latched onto Neal as Keller tipped her face to his. The moment’s connection, and seeing Neal tied to a chair on the other side of the room, reminded Alice of where they were and who had ahold of her.

She jolted in her chair, her breath catching in her throat. She forced her eyes open the rest of the way, shifting them to focus on Keller’s face and lips, straining to decipher the words that she could barely hear. She couldn’t focus, her mind returning to things that were no longer relevant. Nothing outside of this moment was relevant, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the stupid weatherman.

Conrad Murray had promised her clear skies and sunshine. Alice remembered that. She’d watched the broadcast with a bowl of cereal in her hands and Satchmo’s head in her lap while her aunt and uncle moved seamlessly through their practiced morning routines. They were in a hurry to get out the door on time, but Alice had the day off from school, so she lounged in pajamas.

Clear skies and sunshine, the man had promised.

Alice had assumed the sun meant it would be a good day, and truthfully, it had been. She’d taken Satchmo to the park. Then she’d sat out in the back garden with a book. It had been just the type of relaxing day she’d needed, the perfect day off to rest and recharge before her beach weekend with a few friends from her dance classes, the ones with wealthy parents who had houses out on Long Island.

It had been a good day, but the night was giving her trouble. She supposed she couldn’t blame the weatherman for this. He could barely predict the rain, let alone this. No one could have predicted this.

But Alice had been prepared for this. She had never really thought about it, but she was as familiar with Matthew Keller as she was with their local weatherman. More familiar, probably. Keller’s face had been seared in Alice’s mind long before she ever met him. She could recall his crimes and mannerisms and tells more easily than she could recite calculus formulas or her Spanish vocabulary lists even though she didn’t spend hours studying him. All she’d done was listen to Neal’s stories with rapt attention and somehow, it had made itself a permanent home in her mind.

When Neal finally broke down and started telling Alice about the infamous cases, the information delivered in small doses under the guise of casual confessions over their dinners and chess games, Alice thought it was because she had manipulated him. She thought it was because she had used a certain charm to get her way, to break Neal down and get what she wanted. Alice had been convinced that she knew these secrets about the bad people her uncle shielded her from because she’d been able to exploit the criminal mastermind into telling her things she had no business knowing. She thought she had bested Neal. And her uncle, too.

What Alice didn’t know was that everything she knew about Matthew Keller had been shared with her only because Peter Burke had already okayed it. Her uncle had encouraged Neal to share it with her, to make her really understand the danger, to give her a healthy sense of fear so it wouldn’t be some cautionary tale doled out by her overprotective FBI uncle, but cherished insider information pried from the clever guy Alice had come to worship a little bit.

This way, the information would be precious to her, special and unforgettable like a secret shared between friends. It would be something she had cleverly snuck past her uncle—finding out about the cases Peter always kept away from her.

Alice caught Neal’s nod, slight as it was, and swallowed hard. There was a granting of permission nestled in that barely perceptible movement—permission and encouragement and a small plea all wrapped up in one—and Alice knew she didn’t have a choice. She had made a promise to Neal and she’d made it over and over again. She had sworn to him that if they ever ended up here, in the custody of Matthew Keller, she would erase the FBI kidnapping handbook from her mind. She’d do whatever she had to in order to get herself out of harm’s way. And she’d do it without thinking about him.

The handbook may have been useful in another context, with another person wielding the gun, a different person asking the questions, but Alice couldn’t expect Matthew Keller to be like a normal kidnapper or a normal criminal because he was neither. Keller was a killer. He would not hesitate to end her life if it was his best move. He would not be bothered by the fact that she was so young, completely unfazed by a bit of humanizing eye contact or by her identifying with him in some way.

Alice was good at relating to people, but Keller wouldn’t be swayed by her relating to a piece of him. That might even be the type of thing that would make him more likely to end her life, sensing the weakness of connection in himself and severing it before it could do any damage to his chances of success.

Alice’s head lolled to the side. Keller’s hand reaffirmed its grip on her chin, righting her. His eyes searched for her gaze as she allowed it to drift. She hoped he hadn’t noticed the communication that had passed between her and Neal, that her fatigue and lack of focus were enough to mask it.

Alice flinched when Keller lifted the gun in his hand and he smiled, chuckling a little.

“Oh, so you are with me?”

Alice nodded, or she tried to, any movement she could muster limited by his hold and the pain in her head.

“Alright, which is it, then?” he asked and Alice searched her mind for the question that seemed too far away now, like it had been asked days prior rather than a minute ago.

“I don’t care,” she mumbled.

Keller laughed at that, turning towards Neal with a smirk on his face before turning back to Alice. “Is that right? You don’t care what happens to him?”

Alice shook her head. “Why should I?”

Keller dropped his hold, stepping away from her, the gun in his hand used to gesture as he spoke. “Neal, this girl does not like you,” he said, laughter dancing around his words.

“She’s a kid, Keller.” Neal shrugged. “Just jealous because—”

Alice’s eyes focused across the room, hardening a bit as they found Neal’s face. “I’m not jealous.”

Keller’s eyes moved back and forth between them. He hummed. “Well now, one of those wasn’t the truth...” he said, “and I’m starting to think it was the first one.”

Neal snorted, pulling Keller’s eyes from Alice. “It’s not, if the kid’s made one thing entirely clear it’s—”

“Shut up, Caffrey. Let her speak for herself,” Keller answered. He lowered himself to catch Alice’s eyes again. “Actually, you can prove it. Actions speak louder than words and all that...You know how to shoot a gun, right, Miss Burke?” He continued on without giving Alice time to answer, waving the gun around in his hand as he spoke. “Yeah, I figure an FBI kid like you...your uncle probably has you at the range, what, probably three, four times a year at least? Maybe more if you took a liking to it.”

Alice kept her mouth shut. Keller didn’t need to know that she had only been to the firing range the one time, proving she could at least manage a weapon if needed. He didn’t need to know that she hadn’t liked it. He didn’t need to know that her uncle hadn’t pushed the subject after that. He probably wouldn’t have believed her anyway.

“Good,” he said, taking her silence as confirmation. “We can clear this up easy, then. You're gonna shoot our friend Caffrey over there. Shouldn’t matter since you don’t care about him. Do that and I’ll let you go—completely unharm...” Keller gestured to the growing knot on her head as he revised his offer. “Well, not harmed any further, at least—when this is all said and done.”

Alice almost faltered. Everything inside of her screamed like an alarm at Keller’s words. Actually doing what he was asking of her was taking the ruse too far, but Alice steeled her face and her voice anyway. She willed what came from her mouth to come off as collected and unbothered. She tried to recall when there had been a time that she would have willingly sacrificed Neal to save herself. In those early days, she would’ve done just about anything to get him thrown back behind bars and away from her family, but it was so far from their current existence that she struggled to reach for it. Neal was family now, just as important to her as Peter or Elizabeth were.

And this was different. This wasn’t putting a man in prison. This was harm beyond anything Alice could imagine bestowing on another person, but if she played it right, it was also an opportunity. It was a risk, but this was a chance at gaining control. If she could get the gun...

“Fine.” Alice opened her hand and twisted her palm toward the gun, the motion limited by the rope securing her wrist to the chair. “Give me the gun.”

Alice focused her attention on Keller. She focused on his voice and his movements. She focused on steadying herself while he watched her, but she couldn’t do it all at the same time. Alice felt like pieces of her were just floating away every time she centered her mind on a single thing and she didn’t have enough hands to pull it all back and keep herself together. She couldn’t do it.

“Yeah,” Keller snorted and smirked at her. “Nice try there, sweetheart.”

He considered Alice for a moment as she sat there bound to the chair. He could see everything she was trying to hide from him—the dilated pupils, the taut muscles she couldn’t quite relax, her flushed skin, but he didn’t comment.

He was enjoying himself.

“I’ll help you aim the gun, kid,” he offered. “All you have to do is pull the trigger.”

She opened her mouth to speak, the words and confidence she had just before not coming so easily now that the task had conditions, variables she couldn’t control.

“Do we have a deal, Miss Burke?” Keller prompted. It was only a second or so that Alice hesitated, her gaze trained on Keller as she fought against the lump in her throat, but it had been long enough that Neal cleared his throat, saving her.

“You really do wound me, Ace,” he said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I once considered you family. Guess that was my mistake, trusting a kid.”

Alice closed her eyes and swallowed, taking in another bit of Neal’s permission. Neal had said what he said, but through the sarcasm, through the acting, he’d meant something else entirely:

You shoot me—wound me. It’s alright, Ace. We’re family. Do what you have to do. Get yourself out of this. I trust you.

"Alright, Caffrey. Shut up. I'm thinking we blow out your knee cap," Keller said. "You ready, Miss Burke?"

Alice nodded, though the movement was somehow separate from her because every part of Alice was screaming no. Every part of her knew she wouldn't be able to do it. She wouldn’t be able to hurt Neal. She wouldn’t be able to keep her promise and save herself, but it was already in motion and Alice felt like she was going to pass out, overwhelmed by the sensations running through her.

Keller moved behind her chair, holding the gun out and lowering himself until he was at her level. Alice trembled as she opened her fingers again, stretching her hand wide enough to accept the gun. She whimpered when the metal pressed against her clammy skin, a wave of panic passing over her before she could control it. Alice swallowed down a sob and tried to grab for the gun, but Keller shifted away before she could fit her hand around the grip.

“That’s what I thought.” Keller let out a chuckle, his breath hot on Alice’s ear as he placed the barrel of the gun to her temple. “You two think I’m stupid?”

Alice leaned away from the gun and whimpered when Keller righted her by setting a firm hand on the back of her neck.

“Keller,” Neal cautioned, though his interjection almost seemed to go unnoticed.

Keller continued to press the gun to Alice's skin as he started up talking again.“She comes to your apartment twice a week to play chess," Keller said, rising to his full height and stepping away from Alice. "She gets coffee with Mozzie on Tuesday afternoons. And you expect me to believe this—” Keller pointed the gun back and forth between Alice and Neal. “—little show?”

“Now, here’s the thing,” Keller said. “I need you, Neal. I don’t like it, but I do. But her?” he said, pointing the gun back at Alice. “I don’t need the damn kid. And I think you know I have no problem with—”

If it was just Neal and Keller there alone when the sirens first sounded, growing louder with each passing millisecond—the impending promise of safety for Neal and Alice and a promise of something less desirable for Keller—if that was the case, Neal would have made some cocky comment, but they weren’t alone and Keller still had the gun pointed at Alice, so Neal stayed quiet.

They all did—quiet and still, almost as if they were all just waiting to see how it played out. Alice and Neal were waiting on Keller to make his move, both of them hoping he’d just give up and run. It was the safest move, but Keller was waiting for some sign that it wasn’t just a fluke, that the sirens weren’t coming for them.

After less than a few seconds of delay, while the sirens grew louder and closer, it was clear they were the intended target. Keller was the intended target. And he had no choice but to do what was best for him—run. There were no words, no flashy shows or threats as Keller slipped through the back door leaving Neal and Alice alone while the full force of the NYPD and the FBI closed in around them.

Alice’s body was racked almost immediately with a fit of sobbing that could barely be heard over the sounds of the sirens and the movements of the SWAT team as they made their way through the building. Neal watched her fall apart from a few feet away, all of the pent-up emotions washing over her and all he could do was sit by.

Alice was only half-conscious of them suddenly being surrounded by men with guns. She didn't move, even after being released from her bindings, but then Neal was in front of her—standing there safe and whole, less bruised and battered than she was even. Alice stood up on numb feet, scrambling for him as Neal reached out to pull her to his chest.

“It’s alright, Ace,” he said, holding her tightly as things settled around them. He spotted Peter and Diana and Jones over Alice’s head after a minute or so. “I got you. And look, Peter's here.” Neal tried to shift his hold on Alice, preparing to hand her over to her uncle's arms as he came closer to them, but Alice wasn’t budging. She clung to Neal, holding him like he'd slip away if she let him go.

Peter paused for a moment when he reached their side and Neal gave him an apologetic frown. Neal knew Peter would want to check Alice over for himself and make sure she was alright, but he gave a report anyway as he tried once again to hand Alice over. "She's alright, Peter. A concussion and maybe a broken rib or two, but she's—"

Peter crushed both Neal and Alice in his hold, holding them there for a moment before pulling out of the hug to observe the angry bump on Alice's head. “You need to go to the hospital, Al,” he said. “We’ll get checked out and get you back home, alright?”

Alice swallowed and nodded. She had stopped crying, but she was still holding onto Neal, her hand clasped in his. Peter kissed her forehead before waving over one of the paramedics. The young man started assessing Alice immediately and she reluctantly dropped Neal’s hand as he guided her to sit.

Satisfied Alice was settled, Peter turned back to Neal. "What about you?"

"Me?" Neal asked. "Peter, I'm fine. I—"

"You're going with her to the hospital," Peter decided. "Elizabeth will meet you both there and—"

"But, Keller—" Neal started. Now that the threat was gone, now that Alice was safe, part of his mind was racing with possibilities and follow-ups. It would be best if both he and Peter stayed to deal with the next steps, but Neal didn't want to leave Alice alone for the ride to the hospital either.

Neal saw something in her break. She was quiet now, seemingly subdued while the paramedic checked her over a few feet away, but she’d need comfort if all that she was pushing aside came back...when it came back. Neal knew it was only a matter of when. And when it happened, Alice would need her family. She would need Peter and Elizabeth. She wouldn’t need to see him and be reminded of the ordeal she’d been through.

"No,” Peter’s casual musing interrupted Neal's thoughts. “No. You know as well as I do Keller's long gone. I need to stay and wrap this up, but you two go in the ambulance and I’ll be along as soon as I can be. And don’t bother arguing, Neal. You'll need medical clearance either way."

Neal shook his head. "I'll get medical clearance, but Peter, listen." Neal lowered his voice as he caught Alice's gaze trained on them, watching them over the head of the paramedic. "I really think she needs her family right now. She's been through a lot and...I should...I can stay here so you and Elizabeth can—"

"Neal?" Peter interrupted, a laugh nearly coming to his lips despite the seriousness of all that had just happened. "You are family." He clapped a hand down on Neal's shoulder. "And right now, she doesn't need me or Elizabeth. She needs you."

White Collar (Alice Burke) Masterlist

Angst Celebration Masterlist

#white collar #white collar fanfic #white collar fanfiction #neal caffrey #neal caffrey fanfic #matthew keller #Peter Burke #platonic fanfic #familial fanfic #alice burke #found family #hb.writes angst #500 follower celebration

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ejzah · 10 months

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#white collar fanfiction #white collar #neal caffrey #sara ellis #neal/sara #whump #light angst #another us #chapter 4 #au #ejzah fanfiction

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cosette141 · 2 years

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My FanFiction Masterlist (multi-fandom) | cosette141

Fic titles will be linked to AO3.

Word count total (all fics): 705, 550 Fandoms I've written for (plus # of stories): (69) Once Upon A Time (Captain Swan) (31) Psych (13) White Collar (3) Chuck (3) Danny Phantom (3) Leverage (12) Pokémon (2) Avatar: the Last Airbender (2) All my stories are rated T or lower, including stories that have whump. I never write anything of that nature that wouldn’t be shown in the show itself. (Stories noted with a * before the title and a + after the word count are currently unfinished and in-progress. Fics highlighted in blue means they're fairly recent.) *I never abandon fics ☺️

-.-.-.-. all fics below the cut! -.-.-.-.

Once Upon A Time (all Captain Swan)

Multi-chapter fics:

*Lost and Found (Begin Again Sequel) - 70k+ (in-progress) (Begin Again sequel) Emma had felt lost nearly her whole life, and Killian had lost everything he’d ever found. That is, until they found each other. With the Crocodile dead and Cora turned good, it seems happy endings have returned. However, new crises arise, threatening the budding family between them and Henry. But this is a family that always finds each other… and they have yet to fail. CS, Anti-Neal

Hell to Pay - 44k (tag to the Underworld arc) We followed Emma's perspective when she found and rescued Killian, but we didn't get to see much of Killian's. This story will follow Killian's perspective from the moment he sacrifices himself to when he is rescued. Slight divergence from canon: when Emma does find Killian, Hades doesn't let her rescue him so easily. CS H/C (lots of whump, but just as much comfort!)

Begin Again - 40k (s2 "Manhattan" divergence) No one breaks a deal with Rumplestiltskin, and Emma finds herself facing the wrath of the Dark One. What if Neal didn't come back for Emma in NYC, but instead, Hook showed up to kill Rumplestiltskin early? No one has ever saved Emma before, and Hook has never been able to save anyone at all. It's time for them both to tell a different story. Together.

Don’t Let Go (Because I Can’t Hold it Back Anymore) - 24k (canon divergence for s4 episode "White Out") Rather than Emma and Elsa trapped in the ice cave, Emma is trapped with Killian. They have to keep warm and stay awake as they fight the frigid cold, or their first quiet moment together may very well be their last. h/c

Dreamshade - 13k (s3A, "Good Form" canon divergence) Instead of David getting hit with the poisoned arrow, it's Hook. Now it's up to David to get Hook to Dead Man's Peak before Dreamshade takes Hook's life, and maybe learn, perhaps too late, that Hook is far more than just a pirate. h/c Captain Charming

How You Remind Me - 14k (S3b, NYC Serenade canon divergence) When Hook tries to convince Emma to drink the memory potion, she takes it and shatters it. Hook has a much, much harder time trying to get Emma’s memories back.

A Gentleman Never Tells - 9k Right after saving Henry in Neverland, Pan puts Emma under a Sleeping Curse that only romantic love can break. Hook's kiss wakes her, but in the confusion of the moment, it appears to everyone else, including Emma, that it was Neal's kiss that woke her. As the group celebrates and Hook empties his flask alone, he can't help thinking it is better this way. **(Will be adding another chapter for a Henry reaction at some point)

Echoes - 5k (tag to Echo Caves scene) "What we have with her is unique. But it's not what I wanted. I want another go at it; I want to have another baby." All Emma's life, she's been haunted by the paralyzing fear of never being wanted. Now, her worst fears have come to light. Emma is breaking, and it's up to Hook to put her pieces back together.

*On the Other Hand - 3k+ (in-progress) (tag to s4 episode "The Apprentice") After two hundred years without a hand, Killian gets it back... and then loses it again in the same day. I felt like we missed out on a lot of the emotional component of this, so this is my attempt to encompass that, as well as make him feel better about it.

*Killian Jones vs. the Modern World - 2k+ A collection of different moments throughout seasons 2-6 of Killian experiencing modern world things. A collection that has obviously been done before, but I just love these so much haha. Most of these will be Captain Swan and I'm sure Captain Charming and Cobra as well!

OUAT Oneshots:

It's Called Trust - 7k (season 2 "Tallahassee" canon divergence) Emma forgets that handcuffs cannot hold a pirate.

Firsthand - 6k After getting her hand broken in Neverland, Emma is struck with the realization of just how debilitating Hook's life has been since losing his hand. In more ways than just physically.

Moment of Truth - 4k After Killian learns he killed David's father, the secret is eating him alive. So, with a load of courage and even more rum, he brings himself to tell the truth. And he prays he won't lose the love of his life… or his best friend in the process. (S6 canon divergence where Emma doesn't find the ring and doesn't pressure Killian into proposing) for Angsty August 2022, CS, CC, h/c

Lullaby - 3k (True Love story, s3B canon divergence-ish) Emma is cursed with a Wakeful Curse, and needs True Love's Kiss to save her life. When Killian tries, and the kiss doesn't work, all hope seems lost. Or is it?

A Snowball’s Chance - 3k After Emma rescues Killian from Hades in the Underworld, David and Snow tend to some of Killian's physical wounds, and end up healing emotional ones. (aka, Snow and David acting as parental figures for Killian) hurt/comfort oneshot

What’s in A Name - 3k (tag to the CS movie) After rescuing Emma from the castle, David, Snow, Marian and Emma and Killian retire for the night. Except, to the other three, Emma and Killian were still Prince Charles and Princess Leia. So, they decide to fall asleep together to protect their fake story, and maybe find that not all of it was for the cover. CS cuddling

Come Back to Me - 3k (tag to s3B, "Kansas") When Zelena drowned Killian, Emma nearly lost him, and she panicked. So… what if they needed to revisit that moment for information about Zelena… and Killian has the opportunity to see Emma's reaction to his near-death? (shamelessly plotless oneshot for the sake of feelings) h/c, CS

*Untied - 3k+ (s2 divergence) Emma felt the hair on the back of her neck rise with instinct. The darkness of the night didn't help with the ominous feeling. This trailer wasn't here before Tamara showed up to town, and it was a small town. It wasn't from here. Emma picked the padlock, pulled it off, and yanked open the door. And there, tied to a chair, was Hook. CS h/c

Every Part of Me - 3k (tag to s4 "smash the mirror: part 1") Emma's powers are out of control, and her worst fears have been realized: she's hurt Henry. It's Killian's turn to give it a try, and he finds Emma in the woods. He's determined to calm her down and help her embrace who she is, no matter the cost to himself. h/c

The Only One Who Saves Me - 2.5k (CS movie divergence) Killian gets his dashing rescue, and Emma is no longer the only one who saves her.

The Day that it Doesn’t - 2.5k “You and I. We understand each other. Look out for yourself and you never get hurt.” “Worked out quite well for me.” “Yeah, until the day that it doesn’t.” Today, Hook learns, as he steers his ship away from shore with a horrible empty feeling in his chest, is that day. He decides to once and for all give up his crusade in order to be a part of something, and takes a moment to hope that Milah understands.

Take My Hand - 2k They've all hit him with the low blow at some point. Both enemies and friends have threatened either seriously or jokingly to "take the other hand." What they didn't know was that the words affect Killian more than he lets on. Late one night, after yet another dig from one of them, Emma learns just how badly it does. And maybe, how she can fix it.

What Loneliness Sounds Like - 2k After hearing her mother's secret in the Echo Caves, Emma feels more unloved and unwanted than she ever has before. Only to make matters worse, she's in Neverland, land of the lost and abandoned, and she can suddenly hear music playing. (this was an alternate ending for my other fic "Echoes", but it can be read as a standalone)

Fall - 1.5k (Set in S3 in Neverland) In the midst of trying to find Henry, Emma finally falls apart, and Hook holds her together. And suddenly, they're both falling, somewhere they promised themselves they'd never fall again.

As You Wish - 1.5k After Killian gets his heart back, Emma starts acting strange around him, and he finally realizes why. Oneshot (the title's not a princess bride reference! xD)

Operation: Poptarts - 1k Henry was mostly happy that Killian had moved in with him and Emma. His only reservation was that Killian won't stop throwing out his poptarts. S6 Captain Cobra

In Hindsight - 1k (tag to s3 CS movie) "I'm not sure her parents approve of me." "Given the lengths you've gone to save her, they'd be crazy not to." "I hope you remember that." After Killian and Emma's adventure, David does remember the conversation he and Killian had around the fire, and David has something to add to it. CS/Captain Charming

Airport insecurity - 1k (post-wedding) Killian and Emma are going on their honeymoon, and Emma chooses a very special country to spend it. But their trip includes getting through airport security, which poses a bit of an inconvenience for Killian.

The Emma Button - 1k "What is that thing?" "It's a device used for... talking... I don't bloody know. I press the Emma button and she answers usually." My take on why Killian decided to refer to Emma's speed dial as "the Emma button."

Good - 1k (missing scene/tag to "New York City Serenade") A conversation between Emma and Killian about her broken heart. And maybe the hope that it will mend, sooner rather than later.

Psych fics

Multi-chaptered:

Space - 53k Now that Juliet knows Shawn's secret, she tells him she needs space. Unsure of what to do, Shawn decides to find some space for himself. But when Shawn stumbles into trouble and ends up missing, will his friends figure out he's in real trouble before it's too late?

Hero Material - 35k Shawn never had a good relationship with his father, and when he learns the truth about his parents' divorce, Shawn doesn't know what to think of the man anymore. But when Shawn and Henry end up stumbling into real trouble, it's going to take a lot more than forgiveness to save them.

Shawn Walks Into A Bank - 30k Gus was always hounding Shawn for not taking Psych checks to the bank and being "responsible." So it's just Shawn's luck that the one time he goes... so does a crazy gunman.

Oneshots:

Coming Clean - 3k Shawn can't handle lying to her anymore now that they started dating, and he decides to tell her the truth. (alternate way of how Juliet finds out.)

Breaking the Cycle - 3k Henry sighed and looked at his broken-down truck, then to the miles-long stretch of empty road. And then… he looked to the bike. Henry let out another sigh, and with heavy reluctance, muttered, "You said you have two helmets?" - Henry is forced to drive Shawn's motorcycle, and learns a few things from his son for a change.

Saved by the... Bullet? - 2k We all knew it would happen one day. Carlton Lassiter finally shoots Shawn Spencer. (not slash)

Taking Bullets - 2k Gus learns once and for all what lengths Shawn is willing to go to protect his best friend.

Worth Staying For - 2k It's Christmas Eve night and something is bothering Shawn. Juliet is determined to find out just what. Shules. A little fluff and a little emotional h/c all wrapped and tied with a little bow.

The Flip Side of a Penny - 1.6k In "The Greatest Adventure in the History of Basic Cable," Uncle Jack left Shawn for dead without a second thought. "I can see now why Uncle Jack wasn't probably the best role model," Shawn had told Henry. "Why didn't you ever tell me when I was a kid?" Just a flashback to Shawn's childhood, touching on why Henry never did.

Shots - 1k Tag to "Juliet Takes a Luvvah", where Maddie comes back into town to stay with Henry after he was shot, and where Shawn unfortunately walks in on them. Henry has a feeling that Shawn isn't quite okay after what happened, and he isn't, but not for the reason Henry thinks.

Prodigal Son - 1k (Flashback oneshot) Karen Vick has heard plenty of amazing things about her new partner's son, Henry Spencer's prodigy-in-the-making. But when she finally meets 11-year-old Shawn Spencer, he isn't at all what she expected.

Fresh Air - 1k A beautiful moment between father and son over a fishing trip. Beautiful, terrible, I've heard it both ways.

Sentiments, Semantics, He Would Have Heard It Both Ways - 1k Shawn Spencer is dead, and someone is taking the news harder than they ever could have expected. (Shawn/Desperaux friendship) deathfic

Leverage Fics

Multi-chaptered:

Hanging Out - 27k While Eliot and Hardison are on a job in the woods, Eliot gets badly injured. Now with bad guys on their tail, Hardison needs to step up, or they're both as good as dead. Damn, Hardison hated outside. Hardison/Eliot brotherly friendship. h/c Eliot whump

The Longer Way Down Job - 15k On the way down the mountain in The Long Way Down Job, Eliot and Parker don't make it down so easily. When an avalanche strands them far from help, Eliot and Parker have to keep warm and stay awake. But even the ones who do what the others can't... can't last the frigid cold forever. Eliot/Parker sibling friendship. h/c

Sometimes Bad Guys... - 11k On a brisk night in Amsterdam ten years before the Leverage crew formed, Eliot Spencer - freshly ex-right hand man of Damien Moreau - stumbles into helping an injured thief. But quickly he wonders who really saved whom. (Past Eliot and Parker AU)

Oneshots:

The Count On Me Job - 5k The gun fired. Shock stopped Eliot's heart as the bullet whizzed half an inch over his shoulder. "You missed." Eliot drawled with a grin. The mark, however, was smiling too. Eliot's grin faltered. The mark smirked and said, "Did I, though?" Eliot turned to see Parker standing behind him with her hand to her shoulder, crimson slowly seeping under her fingers.

The Carsequences Job - 3.5k Parker’s crazy driving finally gets the best of her when she decides to go for a dangerous joyride in the middle of a torrential rainstorm. But what could make that worse? Oh, right. She decided to take Eliot’s car. Parker h/c

It's the Thought That Counts - 1.6k When Eliot gets hurt and can't cook Thanksgiving dinner, the team gives cooking a try. It's the thought that counts, right?

A Different Kind of Feeling - 1k A night off, an ice cold beer, and a game on TV... nothing could ruin Eliot's moment. That is, until Parker appears with something to tell him. Eliot/Parker (sibling-like pairing, not romance!)

Under the Surface - 1k In the episode "The Big Bang Job," Hardison almost drowned and Eliot didn't go in after him. I felt like Hardison needed an explanation from the hitter and our boys needed a serious bonding moment. Here's my take on how that could have gone.

The Mother's Day Job - 1k Parker shows Sophie some appreciation on Mother’s Day, in a very Parker way.

Sparky - 1k Parker gave Eliot the nickname "Sparky" a long time ago. And tonight he finally learns why.

The New Territory Job - 1k During a job, Hardison gets hurt after taking a step out from behind the safety of his computer screen. But he quickly finds that the blow to his pride stings far worse than the one he took to the head.

No Stabbing Wednesdays - 1k When Hardison enacted the "No Stabbing Wednesday" tradition, he wasn't expecting it to be a problem during a job that required a certain thief to stab something.

White Collar fics

Multi-chaptered:

*As the Smoke Clears - 65k+ (in-progress) (spoiler alert for season 1 and beginning of season 2!) After the plane explodes, we see Neal fall apart and Peter hold him back, then two months go by unseen. Here are the events that took place after the explosion. H/C (on hiatus as of 12/05/21. I do plan to be back to this one when I get back into WC!)

Taking Trust Into Account - 49k When a five-year-old crime becomes Neal and Peter's new case, Neal's past catches up with him; not only had he been involved in the crime, the criminal he framed for it has a grudge. Can Peter connect the dots before Neal's consequences cost him his life?

Cat's Game - 15k Peter chased Neal for two years before he arrested him. But just because Peter didn't catch him for two years doesn't mean he didn't get close. One night in a museum outside of the city, Peter and Neal nearly find an end to their long-time game of cat and mouse... and their lives. (Past Neal & Peter story) No slash

Chuck fics:

Multi-chaptered:

Chuck vs. the Bullet - 26k What's worse than being shot? Being shot, and needing to hide it from an overprotective sister who also happens to be a doctor. Chuck gets shot by a Fulcrum agent, and to protect his cover, needs to hide that fact from Ellie... which is easier said than done. Especially since she's not about to let him get away with it... and neither is Fulcrum. hurt/comfort (Ellie finds out story)

*Ellie vs the Truth - 3k+ (in-progress oneshot collection) After Ellie learns Chuck's secret, there are many other secrets she begins to learn, and Ellie starts to piece together all the events that didn't quite make sense after Chuck met Sarah. (A collection of oneshots where Ellie finds out about things Chuck had to keep secret from her)

You Might Find A Better Place to Play - 1.6k Bryce comes back to help with another mission, and the last night before he leaves LA, both he and Chuck suddenly aren't answering their phones or comms. Sarah tracks Chuck's watch to Castle, but when she gets there, all she hears is gunfire. Oneshot

Danny Phantom fics:

Multi-chaptered:

To Be A Hero - 22k Danny has always known the consequences should he be captured by the Guys In White, but now Tucker is going to learn firsthand just what the stakes are for his superhero friend and what it really means to be a hero. (not slash) h/c

Oneshots:

Going Ghost - 4k My take on the moment Danny turns on the ghost portal and becomes half-ghost… as well as an alternate way for Sam and Tucker to find out. Friendship

The Other Half of a Hero - 1.6k Three weeks after the accident, a fight with Skulker leaves Danny with his first major injury. Sam and Tucker begin to realize the full extent of Danny's new life. h/c

Avatar: the Last Airbender fics:

Multi-chaptered:

*Hello, Zuko Here - 19k+ (in-progress) What if when Zuko was rejected by the Gaang in the Western Air Temple, Zuko didn't accidentally burn Toph when she found him? This is a slightly altered way of Zuko joining the group, and his struggle to both gain their trust and begin to feel he deserves it when he does. Book 3 seemed to fly through the emotions and character stuff, so here's my attempt to slow 'em down.

Oneshots:

Here - 1k After Zuko joins the Gaang, he realizes he's finally found a place where he belongs.

Pokémon fics:

Multi-chaptered:

Jump and Fall - 13k (Contestshipping fic) May saved Drew’s life on Mirage Island, and Drew doesn’t like owing debts. So when May ends up getting lost and hurt before a Contest, Drew has the chance to pay back the favor. And maybe find that some things are more important than ribbons.

Oneshots:

What Matters Most - 6k It's Ash's first chance to win a League championship, but when it comes to the final match, Pikachu is feeling worse and worse. Oneshot. Friendship. Ash & Pikachu

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wantonlywindswept · 1 year

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Skybird abandoned sequel ficlet

for @lucdarling <3

So Skybird is a fic I wrote many many many years ago, back when fandoms were still on Livejournal and we had writing kinkmemes (which were honestly only like 50% kink/smut tbh) where you could post story ideas and invite people to write something on that idea. I had been on an Inception kick and was current up to like, 2.5ish? seasons of White Collar, and found this prompt:

Arthur and Eames adopt a kid and raise that kid into Neal Caffrey.

Thus began a descent into a fevered writing fugue that involved far too many hours of researching art and resulted in 30k words of fic written in the space of a month.

This is a snippet of what had been the vague idea of a start of a sequel to that fic. Looking back at it, it’s actually a surprisingly coherent/self-contained little story intro, so I don’t mind posting it. Unedited b/c I cannot be bothered, please have pity and remember that this was written *checks* thirteen years ago jesus god i am so fucking old

---

They tricked him the first time.

Neal came to his senses by way of a hand slapping across his face, jolting him out of a bleary haze. He squinted up through the gloom of the—basement? cellar? something underground, at the very least—into angry brown eyes that stared out from two cut holes in a ski mask.

Neal resisted the urge to groan.

Amateurs. And even worse: clichéd amateurs.

“What do you know?” demanded the blurry figure. Male, middle-aged, hint of a foreign accent covered up by years of playing at New York posh. Unfortunately, the question held no ground with Neal, not without context. He could think of a hundred—a thousand, really—things that he knew, locations and names and numbers and faces and plots and conspiracies, all of which he was fairly certain he wasn’t going to talk about.

So he collected that information and buried it away, pushing it into the furthest reaches of his mind as he affected a serious expression.

“The earth revolves around the sun,” he replied, nodding decisively.

The punch to the mouth was hard and disorienting, but disappointingly predictable. It also made Neal realize he was sitting tied to a chair as it tipped dangerously beneath him.

“What do you know?” the man gritted, grabbing a handful of Neal’s hair and yanking his head back, pressure put on the exposed line of his throat. Neal let out a huff of exasperation.

“It would help if I knew what you wanted, wouldn’t it?”

The man scoffed and dropped his head.

“You know what we want.”

“I really don’t,” Neal replied mildly. He craned his neck around as the sudden whir of power tools echoed through the stone room, trying to catch a glimpse of the noise. He knew that noise. He knew it like he knew New York, like he knew the feel of lockpicks in the dark. That was the sound of a drill, and it was going through a Class TXTL-60 grade safe.

“Robbery?” Neal asked, perking up instantly. “Where are we? Some old bank vault? An old heiress’ abandoned wealth?” He waggled his eyebrows. “I’m going to go with the heiress.”

“Shut up,” the man snarled, and this time the punch sent Neal toppling back onto the floor, the chair and all his pressure on it landing atop his bound arms. His head smacked against the floor and he bit his lip against the pain, the room spinning and a low rumbling in his ears.

“What is that?” a new voice asked. Also male and younger, maybe twenties, rough and unpolished. He walked upside-down into Neal’s line of sight, wearing the same boring black outfit that every small-time thug had grown attached to ever since Hollywood decided to buy stocks in ski masks.

“This wasn’t in the plan,” Middle Age snapped, because apparently Neal wasn’t the only one hearing things. The younger man just spread his hands as the noise grew louder, looking around the room in a decidedly nervous fashion.

“Don’t look at me, I had nothing to do with this,” Twitchy declared. Middle Age snarled and stalked over to Neal, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and hauling him up, chair and all.

“What have you done?”

“Bees,” Neal replied at once, a little groggily. “Thousands of honey bees migrating—”

And then the far wall smashed in because there was a bulldozer driving through it, and at the wheel of the bulldozer was Arthur.

“Huh,” Neal said blankly, even as he was dropped back down. The chair stayed blessedly upright this time as both Middle Age and Twitchy grabbed for their guns. Arthur leapt out of the bulldozer in a smooth motion that was almost inhumanly graceful, a pistol in each hand and a murderous look on his face.

Two shots took out Middle Age and Twitchy. A third, aimed at a point Neal couldn’t see, stopped the sound of drilling.

“Pѐre,” Neal sighed as Arthur strode toward him, relief warring with embarrassment in his chest. But when he looked up he saw the guns still in Arthur’s hands, and a look on his face that sent a shiver down Neal’s spine.

The look on his face was wrong. It was all wrong. His eyes were cold and his face was a blank mask and he wasn’t Neal’s father. He was something else, something inhuman and wrong and bad and he wasn’t Arthur.

“No—” Neal struggled to scoot back, to break free, to do anything to escape the implacable force moving toward him. But all he could do was stare, helplessly, as the not-Arthur came to a stop in front of him. He squeezed his eyes shut as one of the guns rose, turning his face determinedly away.

“Wake up, Neal.”

Neal’s eyes snapped open in understanding just as the bullet entered his skull.

#lucdarling #skybird #god that fic is so old it predates my tumblr tags #white collar fanfiction #inception fanfiction #i have never again reached the frenzy of writing that skybird inspired #that was a solid month of just WRITING #frenetically slapping words onto paper #doing research on art and both media in question #think 'huddled in a cave gnawing on a bone' kind of vibes #it was great!#extremely unsurprised that i did Not do well in college that semester #(or any semester tbh but that was an entirely different problem)#the fic was posted in snippets on LJ #as you did at the time #so there was a lot of interaction in comments and stuff #eventually i shoved the whole thing onto AO3

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altankatt · 1 year

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I hoped for an Easter Egg here.

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/altankatt/part-11-chapter-20

#Jeff Eastin #Matt Bomer #Tim DeKay #White Collar #white collar fan fiction #white collar fanfiction

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autla · 1 year

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#fanfiction #dc #batfam #batman #DC comics #miraculous ladybug #white collar #danny phantom #ao3 #crossover #maribat

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sohotthateveryonedied · 2 years

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trinity of making batfamily fans shoot on sight

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indecisivecosplayer · 17 days

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I never understood why there was so many (amazing) White Collar / Batfam crossover fics on ao3. Then I watched White Collar.

I understand now.

#dc #batfam #white collar #neil caffrey #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #crossover #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #damian wayne #batman #ao3 #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction

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original-missif · 1 year

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I've started watching White Collar and Neal 100% knows Sophie Devereaux I can feel it in my bones that they've met and have a history of grifting together this man is a jack-of-all-trades kinda criminal stuck working with the FBI and I can just tell Every Time Sophie did a job with him Neal reminded her of Nate

#i love him already #Neal is like if Nate and Sophie had a son and he grew up to be the worlds greatest grifter/mastermind #he's even an art thief #it's like this was fanfiction about Sophie and Nate and their criminal child #i must know more about Kate Moreau so I can implement it into me leverage lore #white collar #neal caffrey

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whatsagirltoblogabout · 7 months

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Opposite of an Intellectual

“The opposite of an intellectual… you really think you could do that, Caffrey?” Jones asked, reading through the cover description.

“Do what?” Neal responded, blinking at them in confusion. Instead of the overly innocent smile that would usually accompany a question like that from Neal, his face was just blank curiosity. It seemed that for once the con man wasn’t messing with them; he just hadn’t been paying attention.

“Be the opposite of an intellectual,” Diana repeated for him with an incredulous chuckle.

Neal’s brows furrowed lightly in confusion. ‘What’s an… intellectual?” he asked, seeming to struggle to recall the word.

Diana scrutinized him, but despite all the years she had spent working with Neal Caffrey, she couldn’t find a single tell that he was lying. By all appearances, Neal Caffrey genuinely did not know the word ‘intellectual.’

“On second thought, that’s kinda scary,” Jones decided, taking an unconscious step backwards. “Please stop.”

Neal finally broke, giving them a devious grin and a theatrical bow. Diana had to admit, seeing firsthand how convincingly Neal could become someone diametrically opposed to his actual self was a bit terrifying. The short demonstration had left her heart pounding and breathing slightly shallow.

“Remember this the next time you doubt me,” Neal warned cheerfully, winking at them before sauntering away. Diana and Jones looked at each other once he was gone.

“That was scary, right?” Jones asked.

“Yeah,” Diana confirmed, “that was definitely scary.”

Then an idea hit her. “I wanna see Peter’s reaction!”

#white collar #white collar fanfic #neal caffrey #diana berrigan #clinton jones #my fics #why am I like this #it's not exactly what I was talking about earlier - no abs unfortunately #but the idea for this came to me while brushing my teeth and I thought might as well write it you know?#so here's this #my first publicly posted white collar fanfiction #and it's exactly 250 words that I wrote in 15 minutes after being struck by inspiration while brushing my teeth #seems about right #of course my life is chaotic like that #I do eventually plan to post stuff to AO3 #but I want my first wc fic on there to be the multichap that I'm working on #so until then this lives here on Tumblr #go easy on me please I wrote this in 15 minutes in the middle of the night #not to dox my timezone but this was literally written from 12:05 - 12:20 AM #so yeah anyway #I made a thing #hope y'all like it #girlwriting

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operationmorewhitecollar · 2 years

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October Drabble Prompt

Welcome to October and a brand new drabble prompt!

We've been getting so many drabbles with this challenge and we love it. Thank you to all the contributors and please keep them coming!

So, for the month of October, our prompt will be "Unexpected."

Will it be a case taking a strange turn, surprising declarations, or maybe Halloween shenanigans? Whatever it is, tell us all about it in exactly 100 words (or exactly 200 if you prefer a double drabble). We can't wait to see what sort of unexpected adventures await our White Collar friends!

Also, although this was conceived of as a fiction challenge, we sure do love art, too, and AO3 accepts art, so heck, we say if these prompts speak to you and make you want to draw something, or maybe if you read one of the drabbles and think a nice piece of art would enhance the fic, we'll be glad to see it in the collection!

Oh, and if you're sharing your creations here or on other socials, don't forget to tag us and use the hashtag(s). We're looking forward to all the unexpected things!

#DevelopingDrabbles #WhiteCollarDrabbles #fan creations #white collar fanfiction #AO3 collection #drabble #double drabble #fanfic #white collar tv show

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hb-writes · 2 years

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You Got It, Boss

Summary: When Elizabeth is taken hostage and Alice is left safe, the girl blames herself for her aunt's disappearance. Peter only wants to protect her, to make sure she gets what he thinks she needs, but what Alice really needs is a little control and a sense of agency.

Characters: Peter Burke, Diana Berrigan, Satchmo, & Alice Burke (OC)

Request (from anon): 89 for Peter and Alice, if that’s okay?

Content Warnings: angsty-ish, kidnapping/ hostage situation, guilt, fear of the dark

Here’s the AO3 link if you prefer to read over there.

White Collar (Alice Burke) Masterlist

Angst Celebration Masterlist

Please take a moment to tell me what y'all think! Reviews and comments are always appreciated. 😌❤️

Peter sat as still as he could manage after Diana left him. After a few minutes of cautious whispers, nothing more than a soft click sounded as she pulled to door closed and he was pleased to find Alice had slept through it. His leg was cramping, the tingling growing painful and incessant. Peter tried to ignore it.

He tried to ignore the restless energy buzzing on just the other side of the bedroom door, too. His agents were doing everything they could to locate Elizabeth. Neal and Mozzie were doing everything they could, but Peter couldn’t help the nagging inkling there was something else he should be doing. Peter had been at Alice's side for a little over thirty minutes now and he itched to be on the move. He couldn't stop himself from believing that there was some other way he could be useful besides being holed up in the hotel room the bureau had acquired for them. Certainly, he shouldn’t just be sitting there while commercials advertised discounted cruise line trips. That was what the doubt told him, at least. The anxiety. But Peter knew that was just the overwhelming concern for his wife talking. He felt like he could be doing more. A part of him ached to go back to the living room of the hotel suite where the other agents were busy combing through evidence, solving the puzzles—finding his Elizabeth—but there was something holding Peter there at Alice’s side, some part of him certain that he was right where he needed to be.

And even if he had some real reason to head out into the suite, Alice was finally asleep, leaning into him. Peter didn’t want to risk waking her now that she was finally resting, her eyes closed rather than tracking him with that newly dull, numb stare of hers. They both finally had a reprieve from her tired focus that refused to sleep or blink or waver. Peter wasn’t ready to risk losing that just yet.

He wasn’t surprised Alice was having a tough time allowing herself the rest. The girl was stubborn, just like her mother. He remembered his sister being the very same way. She was just like him, too, he supposed—they had both had to learn it somewhere.

And because the girl was exhausted and scared and confused, Alice was even more stubborn than usual, the fight to stay awake in her more desperate and raw. She had clung to wakefulness as if it was the only thing keeping her safe. Well, she clung to that, and to her uncle. Alice was still clinging to Peter, even in her sleep.

Peter was glad Diana’s interruption and the issuance of her request hadn’t woken his niece. He knew Alice would say she was ready to be interviewed again if she was asked. And Peter knew it needed to happen, but he wanted the girl to rest for a bit. He knew she needed it, a reprieve, and that was why he had stayed put for as long as he had.

Physically, his niece was fine. She had sustained no serious injuries. Elizabeth had made sure of that, sacrificing herself to make sure that their niece was safe. And an EMT had checked her over at the house. They had assured Peter that his niece had been well enough before they moved her somewhere safe while Peter worked the case, but something wasn’t right. And Alice wasn’t fine. Not really.

Peter had felt as much ever since the agent at the door gave his report, informing him that Alice had been struggling since being brought to the hotel, her periodic screams bringing the young woman into the room only to find the girl had been startled awake by a nightmare rather than any real threat.

She hadn’t been fine when Peter set her in the back of an agent’s car a few hours ago to take her to the hotel, either. He’d known it deep in the pit of his stomach, but he hadn't had a choice then. And despite the genuine smile that had ghosted Alice’s lips when Peter led Satchmo into the hotel room, she hadn’t been fine then either. She still wasn’t now, not after sitting with her pillow shoved up against her uncle’s side and her treasured Satchmo squashed up between them. The dog’s head had been diligently set on Alice’s stomach the whole time, leaning eagerly into her absent head scratches as she watched her uncle, all three of them completely ignoring the muted television on the other side of the room when she was still awake.

Peter had stayed when Alice’s breathing finally deepened and her eyes fell closed, wanting to make sure the restless sleep stuck, a sigh of relief overtaking him when he realized she’d been quiet for close to fifteen minutes.

That’s what Peter was after, her getting some sleep. A part of him knew he should have woken her and let the team interview her again, but some part of him just wanted to protect her, to spare her the recollection if it wasn’t needed. She’d already given a detailed report, her descriptions and recollections littered with observations he’d taught her to focus on. If it hadn’t been their Elizabeth that he was searching for, Peter would have allowed a certain pride to swell at that. She’d done well, given the circumstances.

And he knew Alice was struggling with Elizabeth being the one taken. It was Alice who had been followed home. It was Alice who had left the door unlocked. It had been Alice they were after, but she was well and safe thanks to Elizabeth’s intervention and she was making herself sick about it now—almost as though she was trying to compensate for that fact, struggling against the sleep she desperately needed because of her guilt. Part of Peter felt the same way, as if there was something he could have done to prevent it, like he should have been doing something more now.

Neal and Mozzie were doing what they could. They’d spared Peter the details, but he knew their odds were better than the bureau, so aside from scouring the city block by block, there was nothing useful Peter could really do but wait. Or wake Alice to go through the sequence of events again, but Peter didn’t feel ready for that. He didn't feel ready to put Alice through those short, but traumatizing hours again. He'd read through the report of her first interview and the things she'd told Diana and Jones. In between what Alice had said, he'd sensed the helplessness she'd felt as she was safely trapped in the closet while Elizabeth was hurt— questioned and taken. He could read all she wasn't saying between the lines. It was no wonder her earlier attempts at sleep had been plagued by terror. It was no wonder Alice was clinging to him now.

But she was safe now. She was asleep. It couldn’t hurt to check on what the others had come up with in the other room for a few minutes.

“Alright, Satch,” Peter whispered. He scratched behind the dog’s ear before easing himself off the bed, stretching as he glanced at the clock. It was nearly three in the morning. “You’re on Al watch for a bit.”

Peter pointed the remote, clicking the device off. The television screen went blank before he reached for the lamp on the bedside table.

“No!” Alice’s hand clasped around Peter’s, stopping him before he could turn the switch. She sat up, the grip on his hand so tight Peter could feel the half-moons of her fingernails pressing into his skin. “Please don’t turn out the light.”

The words and the accompanying gesture didn’t match the picture Peter had formed in his mind of his niece over the years. It seemed to him as if something had taken over her, fear taking possession of the brave, strong girl he knew and gripping her tight. Realization clicked into place for Peter. Despite the hour, the room had been blazing with every light when he arrived. The television had been loud, the sound nothing more than background despite the fact that Alice wasn't watching it. It all made sense now. Alice was afraid of the dark. Afraid of being alone. Peter couldn’t blame her.

For a moment, Peter was transported back well over a decade, back to the days when the girl had been terrified of the dark. In those days, Alice coming to stay at Uncle Peter’s apartment meant the light over the stove stayed on throughout the night so she remained bathed in its glow even while tucked into her makeshift bed on the sofa. They still left the light on over the stove every night even though she was now a teenager, a vestigial yet enduring habit that warmed them all—him, Alice, and Elizabeth—the three of them bathed in the yellow glow of nostalgia any time they ventured to the kitchen between the hours of 9 pm to 7 am.

“Hey, there,” Peter said, squeezing Alice’s hand once, her grip relaxing a bit as he did it. “I thought you were asleep.”

“You got up,” she mumbled, pushing herself up to sit against the headboard, shivering though she wore a sweatshirt. Peter was warm with just his dress shirt, sleeves sloppily rolled to his elbows, but Alice tugged at the blankets bringing them with her toward the headboard.

Satchmo groaned at the displacement.

Peter sighed as he lowered himself to the edge of the bed again. “Kiddo, it’s late.”

Her eyes moved to the clock. Peter was right. Alice never stayed up this late. They had stopped enforcing a bedtime long ago, partially because the girl had rarely needed one. She put herself to sleep early most nights, shutting off the devices and lights earlier than Elizabeth and Peter more often than not. The last time she’d seen 3 AM was when they were due to JFK by 6 AM for a flight.

Peter glanced at the paperwork he’d left in the chair by the door. “And I should—”

“You could work in here,” she said. “I don’t mind the lights.” The truth was, that Alice needed the lights. She hadn’t turned them off since entering the room and had no intention of doing so, not after the hours she’d spent secured in the dark closet in her bedroom. She didn’t blame Elizabeth for doing it—the quick thinking act of locking her away there had saved her, but she couldn't escape the fact that it had affected her. And that time alone in the dark had allowed Alice to come to the conclusion that this was all her fault. She hadn't come straight home after school. She'd met some friends at the park first. And she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings when she headed home—walking there completely absorbed by the music in her headphones. She had come back through the door without locking it. And she knew better.

If only she'd followed the rules, even one of them...If she'd come home on time—before Elizabeth arrived home—or if she'd paid attention on her way home or if she'd remembered to lock the door, they wouldn’t be here. They would have spent the night at home watching a movie and eating pizza, like they did almost every Friday night. She would've convinced Peter to let her sample the bottle of wine her aunt and uncle were sharing. She would've ganged up with Elizabeth to bully Peter into watching yet another rom-com. And by now, she'd be in her comfortably dark room, fast asleep.

“You need to get some rest, kiddo.” Peter scratched the dog’s head. "Satchmo, too."

Alice shook her head. “I can’t,” she said. Satchmo crawled up between them again, resting his head in Alice’s lap as she idly smoothed a hand over his fur. “Please stay?”

Peter looked towards the door for a moment, the bright light spilling from beneath it.

“You can interview me again,” she said. “Wouldn’t that help?”

Peter sighed. “You already gave an interview, Al. Right now, you need—”

“But Diana said—”

“Were you putting on a show this whole time?” Peter set his hand on the light switch once again, though a part of him knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. He’d never get away with putting out the light and telling her to go back to sleep now.

Alice scrambled towards him, desperate to keep things just as they were with her uncle close and the lights on. She pushed his hand away from the lamp, but still held it even when he'd given up on the light.

“I’m not tired."

Peter sighed, reminded of when she was just a baby and how getting her down for the night had always been such a grand production that had her parents taking her on late-night walks around the block just to get her down.

“Al, kiddo,” Peter said, wiping a tear she hadn’t meant to allow to escape away from Alice's cheek. “I need you to get some rest. We’re going to find Elizabeth and we’ll bring her home and in the meantime, you—”

“In the meantime, I can help.” Alice grabbed Peter’s hand, moving it away from the light switch as he reached for it once again. “Please.”

Peter sighed, knowing that he was going to let her win this one. He was going to let Alice decide what she was ready for and what she wasn't, let her have a little control over what she could control. Peter dropped Alice's hand and moved across the room to the door. He put his head through, speaking to someone on the other side. A moment later, he cracked the door just far enough for Diana to make her way inside.

Diana sat down on the edge of the bed and gave an encouraging smile to Alice, her hand reaching out to pat Satchmo before glancing over her list of questions. Peter lingered by the door watching them for a moment before picking up his paperwork.

“If it’s too much, you let Diana know."

Something clenched in Alice’s chest as Peter shifted and put his hand on the doorknob. “Where are you going?”

“To give you two some privacy.”

“Can't you stay?” Alice reached out her hand to Peter. "Please?"

The FBI agent in Peter knew the answers Alice gave could be different if he stayed, but the uncle in him figured they wouldn’t be. The guardian—the parent—in him instinctively knew that his niece wouldn’t lie when it mattered. She wouldn’t spare herself a lecture over details of a testimony when Elisabeth’s life was at stake. If there was anyone on the earth who loved El as much as Peter did, it was their niece.

Peter sighed and nodded, moving back across the room to take her hand. It wasn’t protocol, interviewing a girl in a hotel bed with her dog and her uncle for company, but Peter would throw protocol out the window if it could make his girls well and safe.

Peter allowed Alice to pull him back into the spot beside her on the bed as Diana scooted back to give them some room. Alice sat up straighter on the bed, closing her eyes and taking another deep breath as Diana looked back to the questions. Peter watched his niece, waiting for some sign she was ready to proceed. Peter squeezed her hand. “You ready, kiddo?”

Alice opened her eyes and nodded, squeezing Peter's hand in rebuttal, hoping beyond hope that between the three of them, they'd be able to uncover something they’d missed the first time through—some detail that might help them find Elizabeth. Some detail that would help bring her back to them.

"Alright." Peter nodded before turning to his protege. “Be gentle with her, alright Diana?”

“Of course.” Diana gave him half a smile. “You got it, boss.”

“And if I get the slightest hint any of this is too much, I’m calling this off.”

Alice didn't have it in her to smile. She probably wouldn't be able to muster it until they found Elizabeth, but she met her uncle's eyes and nodded.

"You got it, boss."

—

White Collar (Alice Burke) Masterlist

Angst Celebration Masterlist

#white collar fanfic #white collar fanfiction #White Collar #Peter Burke #elizabeth burke #satchmo #diana berrigan #alice burke #500 follower celebration #hb.writes angst

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