TITLE : Don't You Forget About Me
AUTHOR'S NOTES : Not a part of "The Hunter Chronicles". Just a story written for those asked what happened next after "When You're Gone". A sequel of some sort, without the supernatural bits. (You might want to read that one first to understand what's going on...or not, it's up to you.) My version of a character(s) reboot. Idea sprung from a question, can Mozzie ever really betray Neal? And to what extent?
DISCLAIMER : I don't own any of the recognizable characters. They belong to Jeff Eastin, White Collar writers and USA Network.
SUMMARY : Alex comes back from Brazil with Mozzie as a different woman. Neal is not too happy about it, but Mozzie is. Now, Neal is faced with two choices : win Alex back, or set her free and let her be happy...even if it's not with him. (Neal/Alex/Mozzie, with some Peter, El, Diana and Jones) [AU/OOC]
WARNING : Usual warning apply. Contains an abundant amount of Alex Hunter. If you're allergic to her, you might want to stop reading now. But if you think you can bear with it, I think I wrote Alex in a way that is bearable to even the non-NeAlex shippers. Contains some mild language.
CHAPTER ONE
Neal Caffrey stared blankly on the wall of the briefing room. The Harvard crew had already left and all that remained inside were Neal and his partner, Peter Burke. Peter noticed his friend's silence and gave him a worried look. He tapped him gently on the shoulder.
"Penny for your thoughts." Peter whispered into Neal's ear.
Neal turned to look at his friend, his musings interrupted. "I don't think my thoughts would be worth that much to you at the moment." he replied with a weak smile.
"Something wrong?" Peter asked him.
Neal stared at Peter briefly, unsure on whether he should tell him what was on his mind. "Just thinking." he finally answered.
"Yeah, I can see that. Your brain was off some place else during the debriefing." Peter scoffed. "We just closed one of the biggest insider trading case of the year. That's another gold star for your file. It's very unlike you NOT to gloat." he teased Neal.
"It's nothing, really." Neal told him.
"'Nothing' usually means 'something' when it comes to you, Neal." Peter said.
Neal hesitated again. "I'm just worried about a friend." he finally answered.
"Who? Mozzie? Come to think of it, I haven't seen the little guy around for a while. El's been asking about him." Peter said.
"And normally, he would have visited her everyday..." Neal paused again. He look into Peter's eyes. "...If he were here." he continued.
Peter stared at him. "If he were here?" he asked. "Where else would he be, Neal?" his tone, irritated. "Jesus, I ask you a simple question. Why is it always so difficult to get a straight answer out of you? It's like pulling teeth-" he paused for a while, and then looked at Neal. "He didn't go back to Detroit, did he?" he asked.
"What? No!" Neal answered.
"But he did leave town, right?" Peter pressed.
"He didn't just leave town, Peter..." Neal started. "...Mozzie left the country." he revealed. Neal stopped Peter before he could say another word. "Before you get mad, I want you to know that it was my idea." he confessed.
"Oh, well, hell Neal! If you put it that way, I don't see any reason why I should get mad!" Peter said sarcastically. "Damn it, Neal! I told you that the investigation isn't officially closed yet. You call Mozzie and you tell him to take the next available flight back here." Peter ordered him.
"That's just it, Peter." Neal said. "I can't contact him. He's on stealth mode. I tried everything, believe me." Neal tried to convince him.
"What about that pigeon? That seem to have worked before." Peter inquired.
"Who? Estelle? Come on, Peter. She's not as young as she used to be. And even if she is, I doubt that she can fly 5,081 miles to deliver a message to Mozzie." Neal told him.
"5,081 miles?" Peter repeated.
"Rough estimate, yeah." Neal replied.
"Neal, where the hell did you send Mozzie?" Peter asked.
"He's in Brazil, alright! I sent him to Brazil." Neal answered.
"What the hell is he doing in Brazil?" Peter asked again
"I asked him to find a friend for me." Neal admitted.
"A friend? You mean Alex?" Peter deduced.
Neal nodded. "She's in trouble. Or at least she WAS in trouble. And there's a possibility that she's STILL in trouble, I'm not exactly sure." he told Peter.
"Alex IS trouble!" Peter said frustratedly. "Every time she returns in the picture, she brings you nothing but problems." he added.
"Hey, take it easy on her. She's helped us a LOT in the past! More than you'll ever know." Neal said that last part softly, almost in a whisper. "Look, Peter...you may not be her biggest fan, but Alex has been there for me. She has saved me numerous times, even if there were times that she needed me and I wasn't around to help her. I figured, it was time to I did something for her in return." Neal revealed.
"So you sent Mozzie to Brazil to help her?" Peter asked him.
"Would you rather that I went there myself?" Neal asked pointing to his tracking anklet.
"Good point." Peter told him. "Alright, tell me from the beginning, what happened to Alex this time?" Peter leaned back into his chair and prepared to listen.
Neal told him about what happened at the incident in Porto Alegre. He informed Peter about Adler's and Rietcheck's involvement in the brutal fate Alex suffered month's ago. He saw the Peter's face changed expressions as he listened to the gruesome details.
Peter stared at Neal quietly, his expression lacking mirth. Neal was right, he wasn't Alex's biggest fan. But that didn't mean that he wanted anything bad to happen to her. Sure, she was a criminal, but she didn't deserve the things that was done to her. In Peter's eyes, she was just another victim of senseless cruelty caused by greed.
Finally, Peter spoke."When was the last time you've heard from Mozzie?" he asked Neal.
"Several weeks ago...he left for Brazil a few days after we found Elizabeth." Neal answered. "I lost contact with him after that. I kept calling him on his burner phone, but he wouldn't answer. That's not like him. Something must have happened." he added.
"Several weeks? And you're only telling me this NOW?" Peter questioned him.
"I figured, after everything that has happened...I have no right to ask you of anything." Neal replied.
Peter leaned closer to his partner. "Neal, we've been through this. I'm your friend. You can ask me for help ANY time." he assured him.
"I'm asking for your help now. Help me find Alex and Mozzie." Neal implored him.
"You're really that worried about them? I mean, Adler's dead, Keller and Rietcheck are both in prison..." Peter pointed out.
"Doesn't mean that no one else have tried to hurt them." Neal replied.
"Alright, I'll go ask around discreetly. I'll check with our affiliates in South America." Peter said. He looked at Neal reassuringly. "Don't worry, Neal. We'll find them." he added.
"Thanks, Peter." Neal replied.
A few weeks have passed, but Neal and Peter still haven't found any leads regarding Mozzie and Alex's whereabouts. They kept hitting one dead end after another. They found out that Mozzie did land in Porto Alegre like Neal had said, but they couldn't pinpoint exactly where he stayed. They also tracked down the hospital where Alex was treated, but her files, including all the information regarding her and her condition has mysteriously vanished.
Neal realized how valuable Mozzie has been to him in the past, with his ability and contacts to find anything and anyone. Now, it was Mozzie who needed to be found and they're at a loss. As hard as he tried, Neal couldn't get the worst case scenario out of his head. He kept thinking that Mozzie and Alex could may very well be dead.
Each day that passed, Neal started to lose hope little by little. Until one early morning came when they finally got a decent lead. Apparently, Mozzie had been spotted by one of his old 'associates'. The guy gave them the address of the place that Mozzie was allegedly staying at, a townhouse in the northwestern part of Brooklyn. Neal and Peter immediately went to check the place out.
Peter parked in front of a three-story brownstone. He and Neal slowly got out of the car and walked up the front steps.
"Here it is. 1012 Pacific Street, Boerum Hill. Nice place. Do I even wanna know how Mozzie can afford a house like this?" Peter asked.
"We don't even know if Mozzie really IS here. It's all based on hearsay." Neal replied, stopping in front of the door.
"But what if he IS here, Neal? That would mean that he's BEEN in town and didn't notify you. That would mean you've been worried sick about him, all the while, he was here, living the good life." Peter pointed out.
"That would mean that he had abandoned Alex in her time of need...think what you want, but the Mozzie I know would never do that." Neal said in defense of his old friend.
"You sure about that?" Peter asked.
"Only one way to find out." Neal answered, as he stepped forward and rang the doorbell. Neal went speechless when the door opened.
"Yes? Can I help you?" They were greeted by the familiar face.
Peter nudged his friend. "Hey, looks like YOU were right,buddy!" he gloated.
Neal remained silent as he stared at the person who greeted them. There she stood in front of them. She looked different, but in a good way. Her beautiful face armed with a radiant smile, her eyes with a cordial gleam. She was a bit thinner than the time they saw each other last, but she looked fit. And her thick hair was shorter, now shoulder-length. A warm shade of strawberry blonde, softly tousled, with bangs swept slightly to the side, light spiral curls that lie along her cheeks, outlining the frame of her face.
"You changed your hair." Neal said to her, once he finally found his voice. It took everything in him to resist the urge of grabbing her and pulling her into a tight embrace.
"I'm sorry...do I know you?" the woman asked, looking puzzled.
"Nice try." Peter answered. "Where is he?" he asked her.
The 'woman' was about to say something when he was interrupted by a familiar male voice coming from inside the house. "Who's out there, Saab?" the 'voice' asked.
"Oh there he is." Peter said. He looked at Neal. "See? They're both here. Nothing to worry about." he told him. "Wait a minute, did he just call her 'Saab'?" he asked softly.
"Oh! You know my husband?" she asked.
"HUSBAND?" It was Neal's turned to be surprised. He studied Alex, and he knew it wasn't an act. She really had no idea who they were. What the hell is going on? he asked himself.
"Just a moment." she told them. She turned her head and spoke. "Ford! There are men out here to see you!" she called inside.
"Ford?" Peter asked, his eyebrow arched.
"Yes, Sanford Stone. He goes by 'Ford'. Wait...I thought you knew him?" she inquired.
Just then, a man stepped out of the house. A man familiar to all of them. The same man they've been looking for for quite some time now. The man looked at Peter, and then Neal. If he was surprised, he did a damn good job at hiding it. He gave Neal the 'I'll explain later' look and signaled him to be discreet. Neal nodded.
"Hey, it's you guys! What a surprise! Please come in." he greeted them and let them inside the house.
Neal and Peter stepped inside the house and walked into the simple, yet elegant living room. There was an awkward silence for a while, until Mozzie spoke first.
"So, what brings the two of you here?" he asked, maintaining a casual tone.
"Well, we were in the neighborhood...so we decided to drop by for a visit. You don't mind do you?" Neal replied, playing along.
"What? No! Don't be ridiculous! Friendly faces are always welcome here." Mozzie answered.
Peter just stared at the two, looking quite befuddled. Then, he turned to Alex, who looked even more confused than he was.
"I'm sorry, not to be rude or anything, but who are you?" she asked. She turned to Mozzie. "Ford? Care to explain?" she asked.
"Oh, forgive me, dear. I was distracted." said 'Ford'. "It's been a while since you saw each other last, but you've met 'Nicholas Halden'." he told her, as he pointed to Neal.
"Oh! Nick Halden...the actor." she replied. "I'm so sorry. My memory has been on the fritz as of late." she continued. She looked at Neal and smiled. "Of course, I remember you, Nick. You're Ford's best friend. You were the best man at our wedding!" she said.
"Yes, dear. Yes, he was." Mozzie answered, earning a glare from Neal. Mozzie then turned to Peter. "And this one here is-" he tried to speak before he was interrupted.
"Agent Peter Burke." Peter introduced himself, not giving Mozzie a chance to lie about him.
Alex looked at him quizzically. "I don't get it. Agent? You're Nick's agent, you mean?" she asked.
"No, ma'am. I work with the FBI." Peter answered, earning another confused look from Alex.
"Nick is using him for research. See, Nick here will be playing one of the leads in the film adaptation of my book, 'The Dentist of Detroit'." Mozzie covered.
"Oh, how nice!" she said. "Will you be playing 'The Dentist'?" she asked 'Nick'.
"No, I'll be paying the part of Neal, the young, intelligent FBI agent with a hair trigger temper, hot on the heels of 'The Dentist'. Spoiler alert, I'll be the one who ends up catching him." Neal replied, looking at Mozzie.
Alex chuckled. After another awkward pause, she spoke again. "Oh, where are my manners? I'll go get you some refreshments. Excuse me, I'll be right back." she told them before retreating to the kitchen.
"Okay, she's gone." Neal said. He glared at Mozzie again. "Moz, talk fast. What the hell is going on?" he asked.
"Yes, please, Mozzie. Do explain yourself." Peter urged him.
Mozzie looked around to make sure that Alex was out of ear shot. "Alright, alright." he said. He looked at Neal. "I went to Brazil, just as planned, right? When I arrived at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Alex wasn't in her room. The only way I could get the staff to release information was to pretend that I was her next-of-kin." he started to explain. "The nurses told me that she needed to be rushed back to the operating room...something about tiny multiple blood clots that formed inside her brain." he revealed.
Mozzie saw the look of fear in Neal's eyes when he mention this. He continued his story. "I gave the doctors permission to operate on her. They used extraordinary measures to bring her back...but not without consequences." he said.
"Meaning what?" Peter asked.
"When Alex woke up, she wasn't Alex Hunter anymore." Mozzie answered. "She had what the doctors called 'dissociative amnesia'. As a result, she suffers from a 'psychogenic fugue state'. She has no memory of being Alexandra Hunter. But she remembers herself as someone else." he elaborated.
"Wait, how come she remembers you?" Neal asked.
"That's the thing. When she woke up after the surgery, she remembered herself as 'Saab' and me as 'Ford'." Mozzie replied.
"And who, pray tell, are 'Saab' and 'Ford'?" It was Peter's turn to ask.
"Saab is Isabella Stone, my 'wife'." Mozzie answered.
"You mean, Ford's wife." Neal corrected him.
"Well, seeing as I AM 'Sanford Stone' and 'Sanford Stone' is Saab's husband...that makes her MY wife." Mozzie argued.
"You're not making any sense, Moz." Neal told him.
"I am making PERFECT sense...you're just not keeping up!" Mozzie shot back.
"Alright, back it up...tell us more about these ' Saab' and 'Ford' characters." Peter urged Mozzie.
"Well, Ford and Saab Stone were once our aliases..." Mozzie paused and looked at Peter."This is all OFF the record, Suit!" he reminded him. "Anyway, we needed pseudonyms for a job we did years ago-" he began to say before Neal interrupted him.
"Whoa, whoa! You worked with Alex? Years ago? How come I didn't know of this?" Neal asked.
"You were rotting in prison, I figured you didn't need to know. I mean, why wave sandwiches in front of starving children's faces, right?" Mozzie answered. "Right...where was I? Oh yes! Alex and I needed fake identities for a job. The mark was very distrusting and paranoid, so we had to get our stories really straight. I came up with the best of the best, foolproof cover ever. And I mean the most fail-safe, extremely detailed, all bases covered, free-from-plotholes, legend of all legends, most perfect cover of all." he bragged.
"Great, Mozzie. You're the Da Vinci of aliases, we get it. Continue." Peter ordered.
"Yes. When Alex woke up in the hospital, she remembered herself as Isabella, and me as her husband, Sanford. She knew all the details of our lives together, only as 'Saab' and 'Ford'. When I tried to tell her about her true identity...you know, jog her memory a little bit...she slipped into a state of catatonic stupor." he explained. He looked at both Neal and Peter."It was all very scary. The doctors said that I can't force her to remember things. She needs to do it on her own terms, at her own pace. The only thing left for me to do...and that goes the same for you two as well, is to play along." he concluded.
"And what did the doctors say about her chances of recovery?" Neal asked him.
"They said that the chances of a complete recovery is probable. They basically said that there are other alternatives to a complete recovery. She MAY remember who she was again. She may not. She could revert back to being Alex Hunter in a matter of time. Or she might retain the memories of both Alex and Saab. If that happens, then both personas would have to fuse together as one identity." Mozzie explained.
Peter was about to ask something, when 'Saab' came back to the room carrying a tray of snacks.
"Here you go. Have some cinnamon and nutmeg French muffins I baked earlier. And I made a fresh pot of coffee. I hope you like Italian roast." she said.
"Oh, don't mind if I do." Peter replied, reaching for a muffin. He took a bite and moaned."This is delicious! You made this?" he asked.
"Yes. It's an old family recipe from Betty Crocker." she chuckled. She turned to Neal. "Coffee, Nick?" she offered.
"Thank you." Neal said, finding the whole thing very odd. He stared at Alex and remembered first time he asked her for coffee. She poured a whole pot of the steaming liquid onto his lap, reminding him that she's his 'associate', not his secretary. That was also the LAST time he ever asked Alex for coffee.
Her cellphone rang and she looked at the caller ID."I need to take this. I'll be back." once again, she excused herself for the room.
Mozzie observed her from a distance as she talked on her phone. "Look at her. She looks so innocent. And in a way, she is. Not haunted by the ghosts from her past. Unburdened by the memories of sins from another life. Free from the responsibilities that dogged her from the yesteryears. She gets to wipe the slate clean and start over again, so to speak. I almost envy her." he pondered.
His musings earn him suspicious looks from both Peter and Neal. However, before one of them could say anything, 'Saab' reentered the room.
"That was work. I have to go." she announced. She leaned in to kiss 'Ford' in the lips.
"Wait, I thought you didn't have to work till after lunch?" 'Ford' whined.
"Oh, honey, that was Steve. Lori called in sick earlier today and he needs me to take over her tour this morning. I'm still free for lunch, though." she told him.
"Where do you work?" Peter asked her.
"I'm a docent at the Brooklyn Museum. It's only part-time, but I'm really enjoying it." she answered. She turned back to her 'husband'. "YOU stay out of trouble while I'm gone, Mister." she joked.
"A man loved by a beautiful woman will always get out of trouble." 'Ford' replied.
"Have I told you lately how much I find you a lot sexier when you quote Voltaire?" she smiled and leaned in to kiss him again, with more passion this time. This made both Neal and Peter cringe.
She finally pulled away from 'Ford' and gave Peter and Neal a smile. "It was really nice meeting you." she told Peter. She turned to Neal."Good seeing you again, Nick." she said, before she turned around and headed for the front door.
Neal observed Mozzie as he followed Alex to the door with his eyes. He'd seen that look before, that look in Mozzie's eyes. And it made Neal feel very uneasy. They both watched as she put her coat on and wore her hat. She blew Mozzie a goodbye kiss before she left.
"Wow!" Peter said to break the awkward silence. "Alex working in an art museum. It's kinda like unleashing a mouse inside a cheese factory, isn't it?" he joked.
"Oh, please! Alex has a degree in Art History and World Literature. She used to be an archivist for the National Archeological Museum of Florence, and a curator for Tate Modern, long before you met her, Suit. She is way too overqualified for this job." Mozzie told him. "I only allow it because it keeps her from getting stir crazy inside the house." he added.
"ALLOW?" Neal repeated. "She doesn't do anything unless you approve it?" he asked.
"She trusts me implicitly." Mozzie answered, with a smirk on his face.
Just then, Peter's cellphone rang. "Excuse me." he said, stepping away from the two.
Neal continued to stare accusingly at Mozzie, which made him feel uncomfortable. "What?" he snapped at his friend.
"You think I don't know exactly what you're doing, Moz?" Neal asked.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Neal." Mozzie tried to deny.
"She's a clean slate. Like a blank canvas, just begging to be painted." Neal replied. "And you want to be the artist. You can turn her into anything and anyone you want. Paint your masterpiece." Neal accused him.
"Now, you're just talking out of your ass." Mozzie replied.
"Oh, come on! A strawberry blonde, with a penchant for Voltaire...sound familiar, Moz?" Neal asked him. "I've seen how you look at her. I know that look. I've seen that look in the mirror, when I was with Kate. I felt that need to take care of her and felt responsible for her...for bringing her into this kind of life-" he said before Mozzie interrupted him.
"Stop comparing her to Kate!" Mozzie snapped back. "'Saab' is so much more!" he said.
"Don't you mean Alex?" Neal asked."It's more than just pretending for you now, isn't it? You're really falling for her." he said. "You're living a lie, Moz! The sooner you realize that, the better off you'd be." he warned his friend.
"I can keep this up for as long as I want to, and THAT is what's pissing you off!" Mozzie pointed out.
"Yes! Damn it, Mozzie! You should have told me!" Neal exclaimed.
"And you would've done...what?" Mozzie quipped."Tell me, what could you have possibly done, Neal?" he asked his friend. Neal didn't say anything."That's right. Nothing! You would've done NOTHING." he said.
"You can't keep her...not like this!" Neal told him.
"Wrong! I can! You wanna know why? Cause I'm the only one she has left." Mozzie pointed out.
"She still has ME!" Neal corrected him.
"She doesn't even remember you." Mozzie reminded him.
"Oh, you just give me time." Neal challenged him.
"I don't think I will." Mozzie said, moving closer to him."You have cost me enough already. Adler's millions. Billion dollars worth of treasure. Hell, I got shot and almost died because of you. I think that's more than enough. You can't take any more from me than what I am willing to give you. And that includes my WIFE. There's no way in hell that I'm going to let that happen." he hissed.
"Alex is NOT yours to keep, Mozzie." Neal told him
"I am 'Sanford Stone', husband of 'Isabella Stone'. Good luck proving that I'm not." Mozzie taunted him."You see, Neal, when I said that is was the 'perfect cover'...I really meant it." he gave him a sinister grin."So, do us all a favor. Go back to your pseudo-Suit life. Stay away from me...and most of all, stay away from Saab." he whispered in a low voice.
"If you think I'm just going to stand back and let you get away with this, Moz...then you'd be wrong." he said.
"And if you think I'm going just sit idly by and let you screw everything up for me yet again, then you'd be sadly mistaken." Mozzie replied.
Peter came back into the room before Neal could say something. "Neal, that was the office. We have to go now." Peter informed him, as he waited by the door.
Neal walked towards Peter, and stopped in front of Mozzie."I trusted you, Mozzie. I trusted you as my friend, to bring her back to me." he whispered.
"Every betrayal begins with trust. Have I taught you nothing, Neal?" Mozzie chastised him. "We have to distrust each other. It is our only defense against betrayal." he added.
"Tennessee Williams. Nice touch. Don't worry, I won't make the same mistake twice." Neal said before joining Peter.
"Oh, Mozzie..." Peter called out. "I almost forgot. Elizabeth's been asking about you." he said. "I think she misses you." he added, before exiting the house with Neal, leaving Mozzie alone inside the house.
END OF CHAPTER ONE
FOOTNOTES :
*Quick Recap : In "When You're Gone", Alex played a big role in helping find Elizabeth, without Peter's knowledge. Hence, Neal's line to Peter, "...She's helped us a LOT in the past! More than you'll ever know."
*I wrote this after I saw a question posted on Twitter, on whether the fans would ever accept a Mozzie/Alex pairing. It just got me thinking...
*I am NOT a medical expert...all the things I wrote about 'dissociative amnesia' and 'psychogenic fugue state' are solely for dramatic purposes. Don't take it as facts.
*I realize that this was a huge deviation from Mozzie's regular character, but even he himself has admitted to being 'Machiavellian'. But I do understand if some people don't like this version of Mozzie. I, however, find it entertaining.
*Thank you for taking time to read this chapter. If you liked it, please feel free to leave a comment.