Picking Up the Pieces: Chapter 3
White Collar Fan-fiction
Warning: Major Character Death
"Neal, are you sure this is the best idea?" Elizabeth whispered hesitantly.
"No. But I don't know how else to explain it to her. Besides, she doesn't have to know I'm the thief."
"That's not my only concern. And why are you using thief anyway?"
"Do you really want me to explain a confidence man to a three year old?"
"Probably Not."
Elizabeth walked over to the bed and sat down next to Hannah.
"Aren't you going to bed?" Neal asked.
"I wouldn't miss this story for the world."
Neal regarded Elizabeth warily for a moment, unsure how her presence would affect his storytelling. Then he pulled the chair in the corner towards Hannah's bed and turned to Hannah.
"Are you ready for a story? It's a long one, but I promise it's a good one."
Hannah nodded enthusiastically. Neal grinned at her, and began:
"Once upon a time, in a kingdom not so far away, there was a good man and a thief. The good man worked hard to find the thief. But the thief was very crafty. He didn't want to be caught. He hid in palaces and mansions all over the kingdom, as he continued to take things that were not his to take. Although the thief was quite clever and had many plans to throw the good man off, but the good man learned about the peasant girl that the thief was in love with. So he found the peasant girl for the thief. But the peasant girl couldn't help the thief when the many castle guards found him. And the thief was sent to a castle dungeon as punishment for his crimes.
This would have been the end of the story, but the thief was still in love with the peasant girl. And the peasant girl came to visit him in the dungeon. She wanted him to run away with her. But he could not because he was in the dungeon. So, he used a disguise to trick the guards in the dungeon into letting him out of the dungeon. But when he escaped, the peasant girl had disappeared. In despair, he went back to the cottage they had once shared. There, the good man found him. While the good man did not approve of the thief's actions, he understood that the thief had done what he had done out of love.
The good man kindly told the thief that he had been foolish and would be sent back to the dungeon. But the thief had other ideas. He offered to help the good man find other thieves. After some consideration, the good man agreed. And after that, the good man and the thief worked together and became very good friends."
Neal paused. He wanted this to be the end of the narrative. He didn't want to explain the eventual death of the peasant girl or the good man. Why, of all of them, did the thief survive, he wondered to himself. He unconsciously clasped his hands and began wringing them together. Elizabeth watched him anxiously before suggesting, "Neal, why don't we tell Hannah more of the tales of the good man and the thief another night? She looks like she's going to fall asleep on us anyway."
Neal looked at Hannah and saw that she was fighting to keep her eyes open. He conceded to Elizabeth that she was right, and they both kissed Hannah goodnight. Then they walked out into the hall.
"Neal, you don't have to tell her the whole story."
"Yes, I do. She has to know. She doesn't need to know all the details. But she has to know how good a man her father was. And nothing will prove that better than the whole story."
"I don't think anyone respects that more than I do, but try to remember, you're emotionally invested in the story. And that's going to make it harder and harder to tell. And Neal, her calling you daddy isn't something that I was hoping for either. But it's also not the end of the world. You don't have to try so hard. You are helping to raise her after all. And between the two of us, I have no doubt she will know how great her father was."
"Mozzie told you, huh?"
"You were acting odd around me all evening; I thought he might offer a reasonable explanation."
"Wait, you knew this whole time, and you still let me tell the story?"
"I told you, I wouldn't miss that story for the world. And I meant it. I know you think I thought it was a bad idea, but it's actually a really good idea, in theory. Just not necessarily in execution. Most of my concerns about you telling the story don't concern Hannah. They concern you. Look at your hands."
Neal looked down to see that he was still wringing his hands together. Elizabeth then took his hands with hers, "Neal, you don't have to do this."
Neal gripped Elizabeth's hands tighter and sighed.
"I'm not doing this because I feel guilty. At least, it's not the only reason. She needs to know."
"In that case, we'll continue the saga tomorrow."
"Will you be okay if you keep listening to the story?" Neal asked.
"Perhaps not, but we'll still be here for each other."
Warning: Major Character Death
"Neal, are you sure this is the best idea?" Elizabeth whispered hesitantly.
"No. But I don't know how else to explain it to her. Besides, she doesn't have to know I'm the thief."
"That's not my only concern. And why are you using thief anyway?"
"Do you really want me to explain a confidence man to a three year old?"
"Probably Not."
Elizabeth walked over to the bed and sat down next to Hannah.
"Aren't you going to bed?" Neal asked.
"I wouldn't miss this story for the world."
Neal regarded Elizabeth warily for a moment, unsure how her presence would affect his storytelling. Then he pulled the chair in the corner towards Hannah's bed and turned to Hannah.
"Are you ready for a story? It's a long one, but I promise it's a good one."
Hannah nodded enthusiastically. Neal grinned at her, and began:
"Once upon a time, in a kingdom not so far away, there was a good man and a thief. The good man worked hard to find the thief. But the thief was very crafty. He didn't want to be caught. He hid in palaces and mansions all over the kingdom, as he continued to take things that were not his to take. Although the thief was quite clever and had many plans to throw the good man off, but the good man learned about the peasant girl that the thief was in love with. So he found the peasant girl for the thief. But the peasant girl couldn't help the thief when the many castle guards found him. And the thief was sent to a castle dungeon as punishment for his crimes.
This would have been the end of the story, but the thief was still in love with the peasant girl. And the peasant girl came to visit him in the dungeon. She wanted him to run away with her. But he could not because he was in the dungeon. So, he used a disguise to trick the guards in the dungeon into letting him out of the dungeon. But when he escaped, the peasant girl had disappeared. In despair, he went back to the cottage they had once shared. There, the good man found him. While the good man did not approve of the thief's actions, he understood that the thief had done what he had done out of love.
The good man kindly told the thief that he had been foolish and would be sent back to the dungeon. But the thief had other ideas. He offered to help the good man find other thieves. After some consideration, the good man agreed. And after that, the good man and the thief worked together and became very good friends."
Neal paused. He wanted this to be the end of the narrative. He didn't want to explain the eventual death of the peasant girl or the good man. Why, of all of them, did the thief survive, he wondered to himself. He unconsciously clasped his hands and began wringing them together. Elizabeth watched him anxiously before suggesting, "Neal, why don't we tell Hannah more of the tales of the good man and the thief another night? She looks like she's going to fall asleep on us anyway."
Neal looked at Hannah and saw that she was fighting to keep her eyes open. He conceded to Elizabeth that she was right, and they both kissed Hannah goodnight. Then they walked out into the hall.
"Neal, you don't have to tell her the whole story."
"Yes, I do. She has to know. She doesn't need to know all the details. But she has to know how good a man her father was. And nothing will prove that better than the whole story."
"I don't think anyone respects that more than I do, but try to remember, you're emotionally invested in the story. And that's going to make it harder and harder to tell. And Neal, her calling you daddy isn't something that I was hoping for either. But it's also not the end of the world. You don't have to try so hard. You are helping to raise her after all. And between the two of us, I have no doubt she will know how great her father was."
"Mozzie told you, huh?"
"You were acting odd around me all evening; I thought he might offer a reasonable explanation."
"Wait, you knew this whole time, and you still let me tell the story?"
"I told you, I wouldn't miss that story for the world. And I meant it. I know you think I thought it was a bad idea, but it's actually a really good idea, in theory. Just not necessarily in execution. Most of my concerns about you telling the story don't concern Hannah. They concern you. Look at your hands."
Neal looked down to see that he was still wringing his hands together. Elizabeth then took his hands with hers, "Neal, you don't have to do this."
Neal gripped Elizabeth's hands tighter and sighed.
"I'm not doing this because I feel guilty. At least, it's not the only reason. She needs to know."
"In that case, we'll continue the saga tomorrow."
"Will you be okay if you keep listening to the story?" Neal asked.
"Perhaps not, but we'll still be here for each other."