In New York, Neal convinced himself that keeping Peter in the dark about the Braque painting was the correct course of action. This isn't a big issue. He routinely keeps secrets from others. For years he hadn't told Henry anything about his years in Europe. He shielded Mozzie from the truth about Klaus's character. Neal believes that it is in Peter's best interest not to know anything about how he and Klaus stole the painting that is now speculated to be the key to the location of a hoard of plundered paintings. He fully intends to return the Braque anonymously after he's uncovered its secret. So why, now that he is in Paris and preparing to put his plan into action, does he agonize about it so much?
Warning for minor spoilers for the Caffrey Conversation AU.
I found myself suffering along with Neal. I didn't expect him to be so tormented by executing what had been routine in his former life. But as I wrote Echoes of a Violin, I discovered that Neal's conscience was giving him fits, not leaving him or me alone.
It's a situation I don't think canon Neal would have had any problem with. In Season 5 he tampered with evidence and stole items to appease a blackmailer without displaying much if any remorse.
But the Neal of our series is a different man and so is Peter. Both of them have a level of trust in each other that was rarely visible in canon. Instinctively Neal knows that Peter would disapprove of his actions. He realizes that if Peter ever finds out, he will not only be angry but hurt that Neal didn't confide in him. That weighs heavily on Neal.
Peter has been trying to instill in Neal the value of teamwork. It's a constant theme that he has also requested Diana include in Arkham Files. Neal doesn't recognize how successful Peter's been. He attributes his discomfort to a pesky conscience, but not being able to discuss the Braque painting with the team members will become an increasing irritant.
Neal's initial decision was made with the best of intentions, but the repercussions were not taken into account and will become more serious unless he reconsiders.
Echoes of a Violin on Archive of Our Own
Echoes of a Violin on FanFiction
No comments:
Post a Comment