Even before Neil finished speaking, Castle already knew what he was trying to say.
For someone like Neil Caffrey, who had grown up in the Witness Protection Program, the idea of family was something almost too heavy to bear.
Neil had barely known his father—after his dad was framed by corrupt NYPD officers, Neil hadn't seen him since he was five years old.
After coming of age, he arrived in New York to make a living, where he met Mozzie—who taught him the tricks of the con game and the finer points of art forgery.
It was through Mozzie that Neil was introduced to Vincent Adler, the man who helped him transition from a petty con artist into a top-tier master forger and securities fraud expert.
Even Kate Moreau, his current girlfriend, had been someone he met while working under Adler.
Had Castle never interfered with fate, Neil would have been doomed to follow his original path:
After Kate was blackmailed by Agent Fowler, she would have broken up with Neil under duress. Neil would have been forced to wear an FBI tracking anklet, working under Agent Burke in the White Collar division. Just when he and Kate were about to escape and start a new life, her plane would have exploded—killing her instantly.
But because of Castle, everything changed.
From the moment Castle rescued Kate from Agent Fowler, to using Adler's capture to secure Neil's full pardon, to looting Adler's Nazi treasure submarine, to finally wiping Neil's record clean and making him a legal shareholder in Skyfleet Airlines—Castle had been there, every step of the way.
Even though Neil wasn't fully aware of all the disasters Castle had helped him avoid, he still deeply appreciated everything Castle had done for him and Kate.
That's why—whenever Castle needed anything—Neil was always the first to show up.
With Mozzie having left for Argentina, Castle was now Neil's only real best friend in New York.
In fact, the reason Neil had come to Castle's estate for Christmas was to discuss something important with him.
But before he could bring it up, Castle's adorable son, Alex, had completely stolen his and Kate's attention—making them both seriously consider having a child of their own.
So, as Neil finally voiced his desire to be a father, Kate's eyes welled up with tears.
But before she could say anything, Neil continued:
"Actually, I came here today to get your opinion on something else, too. But after seeing Alex, I think… I think it's time I gave Kate a reason to settle down."
Sean, who had seen all sorts of conflicts during the Cold War—even going toe-to-toe with KGB operatives back in the day—was probably the only person present who didn't care what Neil wanted to talk about.
Meanwhile, even Alexis looked intrigued, curious about what her art history professor wanted to ask her father.
Castle himself raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, buddy, spill it. What's on your mind?"
Neil didn't hesitate:
"You know Kate and I have been kind of aimless lately. We're financially secure, but just sitting around doing nothing feels... empty. So, after some discussion, we're thinking about opening an art gallery in New York."
"You know how much we both love painting, and this would give us something meaningful to do. Plus, it would be a way for us to put our artistic knowledge to good use and keep ourselves occupied."
"And now that I think about it, if Kate and I do open a gallery, we'd finally have enough stability to start a family. Our child could grow up surrounded by art from day one."
"What do you think?"
Castle was stunned.
He had not expected that.
In Castle's mind, achieving financial freedom meant you should just enjoy life.
And Neil Caffrey? The legendary master art forger? Opening a gallery?!
Would anyone in the art world seriously buy from a gallery owned by one of history's greatest art forgers?
The art world's curators and procurement managers were all extremely well-connected. Would they really be comfortable buying from Neil Caffrey, knowing his past?
Now, if Neil was planning to re-enter the forgery business and use the gallery as a front for money laundering, Castle could understand that.
But judging by Neil's expression, he was seriously considering running a legitimate art business.
So, Castle had to think carefully before responding.
This was important to Neil—Castle needed to provide a real, thought-out answer rather than just joking around.
Meanwhile, Sean—having no interest in his son's discussion—simply grabbed Alexis and the baby Alex, wheeling the stroller over to a shaded area of the lawn to protect his grandson from the sun.
Kate, on the other hand, tightened her grip on Neil's arm, looking at Castle with hopeful eyes.
Neil clearly valued Castle's opinion.
And Kate, having known Neil for years, could tell that—if Castle supported the idea—Neil would fully commit to it.
For once, Castle didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he took a few minutes to seriously consider Neil's proposal.
Finally, he looked at Neil and asked:
"Buddy, I need to know something. Are you planning to open a real gallery, or is this just a cover for something else?"
"Because, honestly, you have zero reason to go back to your old life. You're completely free now—there's no need to reconnect with your past."
"I need to know what kind of gallery you're talking about before I can give you my honest opinion."
Castle's blunt honesty actually made Neil relax.
"Rick, I know what you're worried about. You think I might use this as a front for money laundering or selling stolen art, right?"
"I can assure you—I'm not."
"I just want to open a legitimate gallery. Something Kate and I can pour our passion into."
But then, Neil grinned.
"Of course… if we do open a gallery, it would give us a legal avenue to offload some of those 'problematic' paintings, wouldn't it?"
Castle's eyes narrowed slightly.
He knew exactly what Neil was referring to.
Neil wasn't talking about the Nazi-looted paintings they had taken from Adler's submarine.
Those had already been sold—Sean had handled them discreetly through underground channels, transferring the profits into a private offshore account in the Cayman Islands for Castle.
No, Neil was referring to a different stash—
The priceless artworks Castle had acquired from Adam's house and the hidden vault beneath Trinity Church in New York.
Castle had zero expertise in classical Western art.
So, after acquiring those paintings, he had asked Neil and Mozzie to authenticate them.
Which meant Neil knew Castle had a secret stash of high-value masterpieces—ones that couldn't be openly sold without raising eyebrows.
A gallery would give them the perfect legal avenue to gradually move some of those pieces.
Castle chuckled.
"So… you're telling me it's a 'legitimate' gallery… but one with certain advantages?"
Neil smirked.
"Come on, Rick. I never said I was completely done with the game."
Castle shook his head with a grin.
"Fine. Let's talk logistics, then."
______
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