sheenianni | White Collar Fic: (Ir)reversible

Title: (Ir)reversible
Author: sheenianni
Fandom: White Collar
Characters/Pairings: June Ellington
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Season 6
Word Count: 750
Summary: In her life, June has seen the aftermaths of enough cons to know that they’re often ugly and messy.
A/N: Written for the Lightning Round of

runthecon for

turtlebaby_02’s prompt “What you don’t know”.

I tag

sinfulslasher with the prompt “break you gently”.

___________________________________

There can’t be any sadness in their goodbye.

Both of them smiling, Neal gives her a hug and a kiss on her forehead, says “love you” even as he walks out of the door. June takes a longer sip from her glass, the only visible reaction to Neal’s departure. He trusted her with his secret and she can’t betray it now, not to Mozzie nor to anyone else.

Mozzie is drinking here with her, unaware of the full extent of Neal’s plan.

When June gets the call that Neal has been killed, she shows the world only her pain and conceals the mixture of anticipation and dread.

A week later, a postcard from her “nephew” finally sets her at ease. Neal’s plan worked out; everybody is safe.

Now all June has to do is keep playing her part.

* * *

At the funeral, she stands still as a statue while she watches Elizabeth Burke as she buries her head in Peter’s jacket; watches Peter’s shoulders shake with silent sobs, watches Mozzie’s deathly pale face, watches Sara, the FBI agents and the thieves and crooks in the shadows.

When Cindy pulls her into a hug, June lets her tears flow freely. A moment later she dabs at her eyes with the handkerchief, maintaining the illusion of her dignity while she’s surrounded by grieving people.

They’re doing this to them. Neal by faking his death, June by being his accomplice and keeping his secret. They’re hurting the people they care about and June doesn’t know if this is truly necessary, if this is the only way to keep everybody safe.

Yet she can’t be sure that Neal is wrong, and in this come and go world, she’s long ago learned how to lie with a frown and deceive with a smile.

She won’t betray Neal’s confidence.

* * *

Neal never told her how long this would last. And maybe June doesn’t want to know.

Mozzie spends a day at her home and they spend the night drinking before he disappears who knows where.

The Burkes don’t stay in contact. It’s something of a relief. June has accepted Neal’s reasoning for secrecy, but everyone’s raw from Neal’s death and she never enjoyed rubbing salt into open wounds. She’s willing to keep up the lie, she’d do it to protect them and protect Neal, but she knows what they’re doing is cruel, if (maybe) necessary.

June guiltily indulges in the messages from Paris; she relishes in Neal’s words and draws comfort from the knowledge that her friend is safe and (somewhat) happy.

In public, June grieves. In private, she plots a trip to Paris and waits for a signal that it’s safe.

* * *

She should have known her friends would come to her in this time of sadness.

Her daughters, providing support even if they don’t quite understand why. People she met when she worked with charities; those who remember her back from the days when she still used to sing; conmen and thieves who might not have liked Neal but understand the pain of loss. All of them there, all of them offering a shoulder to cry on.

One day, June meets Ford in the park. Warrant or no warrant, he makes it clear he doesn’t worry about being arrested. They go out dancing like he promised her those two years ago; they drink wine, reminisce, laugh and cry a little, and in the morning they maybe kiss and maybe do even more.

Ford leaves eventually and June understands, because she never wanted any of her friends to get caught.

Several months after Ford’s departure, she finally gets the okay from Neal. The next day she books a flight to France and prepares for a trip abroad.

* * *

They hug under the Eiffel tower and walk through the streets of Paris until they come to Neal’s apartment.

They talk long into the night. June tells Neal all about Mozzie and Peter, about the Burke’s baby and the pain their deception have caused, about a plan that worked almost all too well. The Panthers’ trial is nearing its end, all of Neal’s friends have remained safe and the con is almost over.

The next morning, they’re taking breakfast at Neal’s balcony when June finally asks him about the future.

“I don’t know, June. We’ve killed Neal Caffrey,” says Neal seriously.

June smiles at him. “Indeed. Now, let’s figure out how to bring you back.”

THE END

Current Mood: sleepy

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

kanarek13

LOVE ♥ The character and your take on the prompt, allowing us to see the events through June's eyes - d'awwww, so much love *sigh*

And now they can find a way to fix it for Peter, El and Moz ♥ \o/

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White Collar Fic: (Ir)reversible

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