Neal and Peter had been working and pushing through cases a lot more recently, so I figured why not bring him lunch? At least this way I knew he ate one solid meal during the day. They were working on one case for a few weeks and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about it.
I walked through the glass doors, gently placing a brown paper bag in front of Neal's computer screen. His eyes follow the bag, eventually looking up at me.
"Figured you could use something with substance instead of coffee."
"It's like you read my mind." He muttered, opening the bag.
"Well, in case you didn't know by now, I am part superhero." I joked. Peter and Jones approached, sweet smiles on their faces.
"What do I need to do to get a fancy lunch like this?" Peter questioned, looking at Neal's lunch.
"You need to be 6'0'', with blue eyes and brown hair, have history with a tracking anklet, and be quite the charmer." I rolled my eyes and grin at the reply.
"You guys are hilarious, don't quit your day job. What's the case about?"
"We need to go undercover at a karaoke bar. This is important, do you know anyone who can sing?"
"Definitely not me or Savannah. We jam out in the car but we are nowhere near professionals." I glanced at Neal, his eyes finding the statue across from him very interesting. "Neal can though."
"No I can't." He interjected, his eyes finally leaving the object.
"Oh, yes you can. June and I beg to differ."
"You and June talk about my voice?"
"Well when she has her windows open and you leave the terrace doors open, it isn't that hard to hear you."
"I can't imagine what else that poor lady hears." Jones muttered, watching the conversation unfold. He thought I didn't hear him. Ha.
"Inappropriate and irrelevant. If you want someone to sing and sing well, Neal is your best bet. Not to mention, he's also very easy on the eyes which could help, too."
"Cooper has a point. Caffrey is our best shot." We all looked at Neal, a look of consideration on his face.
"Okay, okay fine. I'll do it."
"Haley, you're more than welcome to join us in the van if you'd like." I was surprised, why not?
"I'll bring the coffee."
♔♔♔
"So...are you excited?" I asked as I sat down on the couch next to him, Finn resting his head on Neal's lap.
"I think I'm more nervous. I don't think I've ever sang for a con before."
"Well from what I've heard in the past, even you quietly singing in the shower when you think I can't hear you, you have nothing to be worried about. You have a killer voice, embrace it." I told him as I ran my fingers through his hair.
"Thanks, Haley."
"Of course. Sometimes you just need somebody to give you a hug and say, 'I got you.'" Neal let out a breath, gently resting a hand on Finn's head. "I got you, Neal Caffrey." I reassure him, a cheesy smile on my face.
"I appreciate that, Hales. I got you, too." He replied, elbowing my arm.
"I know you do." I rested my head on his shoulder. "I have a question for you."
"Shoot."
"Thanksgiving is close and I know you usually go to El and Peter's but my parents wanna know if you wanted to join us? Maybe eat dinner at one and then dessert at the other?"
"Sounds great. I'd love to."
"My mom adores you. I'm sure my dad thinks you're pretty cool, too."
"It'll be fun. We'll get to see your family and my unofficial family."
"Family doesn't always have to be blood related, you know."
"I know. I'm glad I have them."
"Did you ever think of looking for your mom?" Neal shrugged.
"Sometimes. Then I remember how things with my dad turned out."
"Neal, your dad killed a cop, and then Senator Pratt. Your mom is someone completely different. I'm not going to push you to do anything. But I like I said, I got you."
♔♔♔
"Okay, he's up next." Peter had said, leaning back in his chair.
"I'm excited." I chuckled, my leg bouncing up and down. We watched on the monitor as Neal stepped up onto the stage.
We come into this world unknown
But know that we are not alone
They try and knock us down
But change is coming, it's our time now
Hey everybody loses it
Everybody wants to throw it all away sometimes
And hey, yeah I know what you're going through
Don't let it get the best of you, you'll make it out alive
"Is there something that Caffrey can't do? I'm feeling a little outnumbered in the talent department." Jones muttered.
"He always wanted hand-to-hand combat. You have that, he doesn't." Peter had a point, Jones simply shrugged.
Oh, people like us we've gotta stick together
Keep your head up, nothing lasts forever
Here's to the damned to the lost and forgotten
It's hard to get high when you're living on the bottom
Oh woah oh oh woah oh
We are all misfits living in a world on fire
Oh woah oh oh woah oh
Sing it for the people like us, the people like us
"You know, I'm surprised Caffrey has never serenaded you before, Haley. He seems like quite the romantic." I glance at Diana and laugh.
"He is romantic, he just hums or quietly sings to himself. I don't think he ever had to con anyone by singing."
"Not that we know of."
They can't do nothing to you, they can't do nothing to me
This is the life that we choose, this is the life that we bleed
So throw your fists in the air, come out, come out if you dare
Tonight we're gonna change forever
"Wait a second, is he wearing a bedazzled bow tie?"
"June gave it to him. She said Byron wore it to impress people on a few occasions and it worked wonders."
"Caffrey doesn't need sparkles to impress, he walks into a room and half the women are drooling over him."
"You have a point there."
Everybody loses it,
Everybody wants to throw it all away sometimes
Oh, people like us we've gotta stick together
Keep your head up nothing lasts forever
Here's to the damned, to the lost and forgotten
It's hard to get high when you're living on the bottom
"Holy shit." I mumbled. Boy, did he have a voice.
"You weren't kidding about him, Haley."
"He even surprised me, to be quite honest. I didn't think he'd go that hard at it. I thought he'd be a little more miserable doing it."
"Well, his girlfriend is here, he wants to impress you." Diana teased. I laughed and rolled my eyes at her remark. I couldn't help but grin. The van door opened, all of our heads turning to see Neal.
"Nicely done, Neal." His cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he closed the door behind him.
"Yeah Caffrey, I hate to admit it, but you did sound pretty good."
"Thanks guys." Neal rested his arm around my shoulders, smiling due to all the love he was getting.
"Now we wait and then we move in."
♔♔♔
"You absolutely killed it tonight!" I exclaimed as we walked through the door, Finn instantly greeting the two of us.
"I will admit, only to you, that it was fun."
"You looked like you were having the time of your life up there. It was nice to hear a full song this time, too."
"Well maybe I should sing for you more often."
"Oh, you most definitely should." I gently pressed my lips to his, resting my hands on his shoulders. "Now, why don't you give June her bow tie back, get changed into something comfortable, and then we can get a bite to eat."
"Sounds perfect." He took off his jacket and started working on the bow tie when my phone rang. It was my sister.
"Hello?"
"Hi Auntie Haley!" I hear Meghan yell. I couldn't help but chuckle and smile as I heard her voice.
"Hi, sunshine! Where are you guys up to?"
"We're coming up to see dad."
"Sounds like fun. What's the occasion?"
"Wait, you don't know?" I furrowed my brows. What was she talking about?
"Sam, what are you talking about? What happened?"
"Dad had a heart attack."
"Sam, take me off speaker now." I glanced at Neal, a worried expression on his face. I grabbed a pen and a post it and wrote something down so he wasn't lost.
My dad had a heart attack.
♔♔♔
"Why am I always the last to know? Sam was halfway up here when I found out!"
Neal watched as Haley argued with her mother. Truth be told, it hurt him to see her that way. Neal sat with her dad in case he woke up. Haley's sister and her husband took Meghan to get something to eat. You could feel the tension in the air. Neal twisted his watch in an attempt to move time, it wasn't working.
He heard someone clear their throat, but no one else was in the room. He looked up at Haley's dad, his eyes slowly opening. Neal got up and filled a cup with water, gently placing it on the cart in front of him.
"Thank you." His voice was hoarse, his eyes tired. Neal gave him a small smile.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better than before. I thought I was going to die." He took a sip of water. "Is Haley here?"
"Yeah, she's outside. Do you want me to get her?"
"Not yet. I want to talk to you for a second." Neal's heart pounded in his chest. What did he want to talk about? "You're not in trouble or anything." Both men let out of chuckle, Neal also letting out a quiet sigh of relief. "I wanted to thank you for looking after Haley...for taking a bullet for her, for protecting her."
"I would do it again in a heartbeat. I don't know what I would've done if he hurt her. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself."
"Haley is extremely careful about who she trusts, so you must mean a lot to her if she trusts you." He exhaled, his eyes lining with tears. "If she trusts you, I trust you. My wife and I already see you as family...and I don't want to force you to do anything, but if you did want to marry her, you have our permission. I don't think I've ever seen her this happy, to be honest with you. I want to make sure she's is good hands."
Neal's eyes filled with tears, nodding at what her father had said. "That means a lot to me, it really does. Thank you." Haley's father extended his hand, shaking Neal's hand firmly.
"Protect our girl."
✰✰
After spending a lot of time at the hospital, we got back home. I tossed my keys onto the table, slipping my shoes off.
"Hales, do you wanna talk?" I pulled out a chair and sat down, letting out a deep breath. "Okay, forget if you want to. Come on, talk to me. It's me." Neal sat down across from me, leaning forward, resting his forearms on his legs.
"I hate that I'm the last know. What if, God forbid, he didn't make it, would I still be the last to know? I am drowning here!" Tears had flooded my eyes, my voice breaking.
"No, no, no, don't cry," Neal muttered, pulling me into a tight embrace. "I hate it when you cry."
"I don't know what I would've done if he didn't make it. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself."
✰✰
Truth be told, Neal understood that feeling. It had almost been a whole 6 months since the situation and he found himself saying something similar to her dad earlier. He was apart of the FBI, but he had a new job: to protect their girl.
And, damn right, he was going to do that.