2 Chapter 2

In the entrance of the women's prison, FBI Special Agent Peter Burke walked up to the receptionist. A year had passed since Lexus had heard the news and Peter was finally coming for a visit.

After leaving his weapon and everything else at the desk, he was buzzed through the door. He walked down the hall of cells. His head hung low. He couldn't believe he was there, nor could he believe it had taken him a year to come and see her.

The sound of his footsteps reached her ears. She stopped tossing the ball. Peter's footsteps stopped just before her cell where she couldn't see him. She could almost sense that he was about to speak when she said...

"If you're here to tell me about Neal, I already know." She was sitting on her bed. Peter could hear the sadness in her voice. On the wall across from her was the typical prison tallies.

"You know what happened to Neal?" Peter asked.

"A guard heard it on their radio and told me... a year ago."

"Why would a guard tell you about Neal?"

"Why would you wait a year to tell me that he died? He was the only one who tried to help me. I only wish I knew why."

"Because you meant something to him," Peter replied.

She meant something to the man and she didn't even know it.

"How could I have meant something to him, Peter? He was supposed to help me get out from under Adler's microscope. It never happened. By the time he finally cracked my codes, Adler had already taken me with him. I didn't get away from him until two years later. Do you know what it feels like to have every moment of your life monitored by three different types of recording equipment? Those devices were sewn into my clothes since before I could walk," Lexus said. She covered her mouth when she realized she probably said too much.

They remained in silence for a moment after her outburst

"You didn't try to escape when you heard the news," Peter pointed out.

"Why would I with a three months left on a six year sentence?"

"Oh, maybe go to the funeral."

Lexus scoffed. "That'd be the first place you'd look. But I would have returned to my cell before anyone realized I was gone, unlike someone I won't mention," she said as if all of a sudden, Neal's name was taboo.

Peter sighed. He couldn't believe he was putting himself through this for a second time.

"I'm prepared to offer you the same deal."

"You sure you trust me?"

"Neal was good. Maybe even the best. But he was a con artist."

"So am I," Lexus answered.

"But not by choice, Lex."

She remembered hearing those same words from Neal all those years ago.

"Lexus, you need to go. You weren't made for my world," Neal said. They were sharing a hotel room since he didn't want to leave her alone for her safety. She was younger than he was and had never been on her own before.

"You can't just send me away, Neal. You said you'd tell me what my father was keeping from me. And don't say it was all a lie just so I'll leave," Lexus said. "I know you better than that."

He just looked at her, trying to make her believe he conned her the whole time.

"Lex, I want you to be safe and that won't happen if you stay with me."

"I don't need 'protection' Neal! I need honesty. I've been lied to and kept under surveillance my whole life. Tell me what I need to know and I'll leave. Otherwise you're stuck with me," she said giving him and ultimatum.

Lexus was so deep into her memory that she hadn't heard Peter calling out to her.

"You want me to be on a leash? I can't put myself through that anxiety again, Peter. And how could I be of much use to you with three months to go?" Lexus asked.

"You're the next Neal Caffrey. The Bureau wants you. And since I'm the only one who was even remotely capable of controlling someone like him, they want me to be your handler," he said.

She appeared to be thinking about it before she said, "What would my radius be?"

"Two miles."

"Make it four and we might have something to talk about," she bargained. "Also, I think I'd like to have his old place if you could arrange that. He had something of mine that was going to answer some questions I never got an answer to."

"I'll draw up the papers and see you tomorrow," Peter answered. He left and she started tossing the ball again.