Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Spoilers: Countdown (S03E10)
Warning: After watching Countdown, I felt the need to hit something. Or someone...
Laying Blame.
His mind was reeling. Everywhere there was chaos. A million agents were scattered all over the living room. He was aware that they were trying to talk to him but his mind refused to comprehend what they were saying. It was just noise. A lot of noise. Scanning the kitchen he could make out the fallen chair and the up turned pot of spaghetti. She must've had tried to fight, and they must've had hit her on the head to subdue her…
"Peter." He was snapped out of his numb state by that voice. Peter turned around to find Neal Caffrey staring at him. His blue eyes were wide open with surprise, his hair unkempt, cheeks flushed, and sorrow and guilt were etched on his youthful face. His mind took in the details of Caffrey's haggard appearance, but his eyes were only seeing red. How dare he? After all the trouble he had caused, how dare he stand in front of him; look him in the eye; talk to him?
"He took my wife" Peter said through clenched teeth. You took my wife.
"Peter, I'm sorry." Neal said, walking up to his friend and laying a hand on his shoulder. In one fluid motion Peter jerked the hand away and shot out his own fist, hitting the unsuspecting con man square in the jaw. Neal staggered back, as much from surprise as from the impact of the blow. He blinked through the tears of pain and stared at the man in front of him, shocked. But Peter wasn't done yet.
"Stop lying you bastard!" He grabbed Caffrey by the collar and shoved him away with all his strength, watching him fly across the kitchen and hit the wall with a thud with a grim satisfaction.
"Don't." He warned two agents away who looked like as if they were about to interfere. Peter walked over to where Neal had slumped, on the floor. He grabbed a handful of the con man's curls and jerked Neal up into a sitting position. "Now you listen to me." He growled softly, bending down to look him right in the big blue eyes, the eyes that had conned him into trusting a thief.
"You made this mess happen and you clear it up. If anything happens to my wife…" He broke off, unable to continue, but his grip on Neal tightened.
"Peter…" Neal choked out, his hands struggling weakly to get Peter's off his collar. Peter let go suddenly and stood, turning away as the con man slumped back to the floor.
He started to walk away but stopped when he felt a hand grip his leg.
"Peter…" Neal's voice broke but his grip tightened. Peter turned around to see him getting on his feet again.
"Neal, just don't talk OK? I don't want to hear it." Peter cut him off as soon as he opened his mouth to speak.
"No!" Neal suddenly snapped at him, shoving him back lightly. Peter looked at the man in surprise, his previous anger coming back with a vengeance. But Neal didn't back down. "No Peter! You can hit me, hate me, call me whatever you like, I deserve all that. But you have to listen to me!" Neal looked at him, blue eyes shining with tears, begging him.
"Why should I listen to you, Caffrey? So you can feed me more lies?" Peter yelled, not in the mood to take pity on the man right now. "Well, let me inform you that I don't care for you or your bloody lies!"
"I don't want to lie to you Peter!" Neal shot back at him, tears running down his cheeks his nose bleeding from the punch. "Just hear me out."
"OK what do you have to say for yourself?" Peter relented, the sight of the young man crying thawing out his anger a bit. "And don't tell me you are sorry, no more lies."
"I AM sorry Peter. I never meant for this to happen. I am sorry it did, Peter." Neal gazed up at the man who had given him a second chance at life, who had made him feel like as if he belonged; and hoped that he could understand the sincerity of his words.
"Neal, you want my forgiveness you can help get my wife back." Peter snapped at him. "Now cut the crap and tell me where the treasure is."
"I don't know where it is Peter…" Neal started but was cut off.
"Bullshit!" Peter lashed out banging his fist on the wall. "Neal I'll strangle you with my bare hands…"
"I don't know where the treasure is", Neal raised his voice, "but Mozzie does."
"Then call him and tell him to give it to you." Peter pulled out his phone and held it to Neal, having a hard time keeping his anger in check.
"He's gone Peter."
Peter's head jerked up at those words. Mozzie had run? With the treasure? And Neal hadn't?
"Dammit!" Peter swore. "I don't care how you do it but you have to get Mozzie to give you the treasure." Peter growled at his CI. "Keller's ransom is the treasure Neal. If we don't give it to him…" he trailed off, voice breaking and eyes filling up with tears.
"I'll get you the treasure in three hours, Peter." Neal vowed, reaching out to comfort his friend. "Mozzie will give it up when he finds out that Keller took El. I promise Peter, just three hours."
"No, no more promises, no more empty words." Peter said, rubbing his eyes. He wanted to believe Neal, he really did. But experience had taught him that whenever he did, Neal conned him. "Just get it done." He gave a weary sigh and walked out of the kitchen.
Neal looked at the phone in his hands and rubbed his jaw. It felt like as if it was broken; Peter sure did have a good arm.
"Sir?" Neal looked up to see a paramedic standing at the door. "Agent Burke said you were hurt and needed help?"
Neal smiled sadly. Despite all the times that he said otherwise, Peter did care after all…
Author's Note: Yea so this was my frustration expressed in words... God why did they have to leave us with a cliff hanger that mean? :'(
REVIEW and you'll make me feel better... ;)
To Sara- A Neal gal: I'm soo sorry I made your heart ache! I don't know why I beat Neal up, I also am a huge Neal fan...Guess I was just feeling pretty low. I could write a comfort fic for you if it would make you feel better? :)