Characters: Kate & Keller

Rating: PG

Length: 600

Summary: Set pre-series, Kate and Keller are waiting for Neal.  Prepared for the fan_flashworks 'Stuck' challenge, and the wc_women_fest '12 in 12' challenge

A/N: The first thing that came to mind for this challenge was finishing up the previous challenge, on which I got majorly stuck, but that was too meta even for me.  The second was fridge magnets.  So, ficcing it is...

"He's not coming."  Keller said.  He scanned the fenced compound in front of them with his binoculars.

Kate held out a hand for the binoculars.  "He'll come."

They were both sitting on a hilltop across from the target of their latest con, waiting for Neal.

The mark was a rich kid, too rich than anybody should be, living off his parent's inheritance.  He was about their age, so Kate and Neal had spent the past couple of weeks integrating into his group of friends.  They were supposed to be fun and rich, and Neal had used the opportunity to go through Keller's cash reserves like water.  Kate had never seen so much money thrown away.

Keller grumbled, but Neal said it was for a good cause.  The safe they were after held priceless jewerly.  It paid to spend twenty, thirty grand to get in.

And he was right, it did pay off.  Barely two weeks in, and their mark had invited them to his next party.  Loud music, everybody getting drunk, and the loot so close they could touch it.

All had gone according to plan: Kate had slipped the key off the mark's neck and Neal had slipped unnoticed upstairs to hit the safe.  Kate had gotten out, Neal hadn't.  Yet.

Kate figured he still hadn't gotten through the safe's defenses.  Neal had assured them it wouldn't take more than fifteen minutes tops.  They were already waiting triple that.  It was possible he'd misjudged, it would just take a bit longer to crack the safe and then he'll show up, grinning as usual.  Kate hoped that was the case, she didn't want to think of the other possibilities.

Unluckily for her, Keller was there.

He glanced down at his watch.  "Maybe he got caught."  The owners had live-in security, and though they've seen no sign of special activity, the risk remained.

"Neal never gets caught."  It was an axiom.  A truth Kate lived by.  Neal laughed in the face of danger, there was no way he could get caught.

Keller snorted.  "He's going to get *us* caught."

Kate shook her head.  She focused the binoculars on the second floor.  The safe was supposed to be in the northern wing, second window from the right.  Even if she could see something in the dark, the shades on all the windows were drawn.  She wished she knew what Neal was doing right now.

Keller snuck her a sly look.  "Maybe he decided to spend the night.  I noticed quite a few pretty girls there," he leered at her.

Kate wasn't sure what to say to that.  She knew Neal well enough to realize it was a possibility.  And still, he knew they were waiting for him.  He wouldn't go off without finishing the job, not now.

"Or maybe.." Keller continued, though Kate really wished he'd shut up, "Maybe this was your plan all along."

That caused her to put the binoculars down.  "What do you mean?"

Keller wasn't smiling anymore.  "Caffrey cleans out the safe and meets you someplace else.  You're going to cut me out?"

Kate's eyes flashed in anger.  The nerve.  "That's ridiculous."

She held his gaze, unblinking, until he backed down.

"Maybe Caffrey decided to cut us both out."

Kate didn't even dignify that with an answer.  Neal wouldn't cheat on his friends, no matter how big the haul.  She couldn't say the same about Keller.

"I hate to be there the day you realize who the real Neal Caffrey is."  Keller shot her a look, then chuckled.  "No, scratch that.  I'd love to be there."  He put a hand out for the binoculars, and she handed them over.

"It's all a game to him, you know," he continued, back to scanning the compound.

It *was* all a game to Neal, but Kate preferred that over Keller's do or die approach.  Because one day, the game would be over.  Once they had their fun, and had enough money put away to last them a lifetime, they'll be able to leave this life behind.  Kate knew the day would come.