I had to thread a narrow line with Sara’s mistrust – she has known Neal for a while at that point, but even in canon Sara has trust issues and in this AU, it’s even more profound, so I think it works. (I think it could have gone both ways – she could have given him the benefit of the doubt, but didn’t.)

I really enjoyed bringing Sara closer to the dark side of the grey area. Even in canon, we she’s not particularly concerned about the means she uses to “get things done”, and I think that resonates well with Neal’s disregard for the rules, although Sara’s morals and her common sense keep her more or less grounded to the right side of the law. But it was fun to explore that side of her, especially in these settings where her sister’s murder and her job as a PI strengthened that tendency.

Thank you for your review and I’m glad you enjoyed the story :)