Author's note: After what happened in "On the Fence", I was so mad at Mozzie, I felt like strangling him. Since I couldn't really do that, this little fic was born instead. Originally I thought it would be a one-shot, but as always, it just started to grow and grow, so now I'm looking at two or three chapters. Apologies to any Mozzie-fans who might think I'm being too evil to him :DD

As always, huge thanks to my incredibly awesome betas, Aspen Starlight and AwesomeQueenoftheLab for all their help! :) If you like the story, don't forget to leave a review! ;)

Timeframe: Set right after the end of "On the Fence".

Mozzie vs. his Worst Nightmare

Chapter 1

Mozzie never thought this day would come. The day when Neal would keep secrets from him, and, even worse, would lie straight to his face. Especially about something as important as the manifest! How did they get to this point? How was this possible? It was truly one of Mozzie's worst nightmares - the thing he was most afraid of ever since Neal cut the deal with the Suit - that the Feds would tame him, cut his wings, and eventually turn Neal into one of them. Mozzie shuddered at the thought.

But that's exactly what seemed to have happened. Mozzie had waited for too long, just watching helplessly as his only friend slowly changed. Then when the treasure fell into their laps, it had seemed to be the perfect opportunity to turn Neal back from the "dark side." Mozzie had been completely sure that Neal would be grateful for this opportunity to just disappear and live the life he always wanted...

So how come Neal seemed less than thrilled every time they were talking about running away, and then lied to him about the manifest being at the Suit's, endangering their whole escape? It was almost as if he didn't want to... No. Mozzie didn't even want to finish that thought; it was way too terrifying.

He was so disappointed and hurt at the moment that he didn't even want to see Neal. However, he had no other choice. When Neal revealed that he did get the manifest from the Suit's safe after all, Mozzie had just stormed out of the room, wanting to get as far away from his traitorous friend as possible, making the mistake of not taking a look at the manifest. But since he needed to know which items were on it so he could start fencing the rest, he had no other choice but to go back and get the list itself. Or at least memorize it.

He waited until June's house went completely dark, and only then did he let himself in. He didn't want to run into anyone, and he really hoped he'd be able to avoid Neal as well. He just had to sneak into his room very carefully and take a peek on the manifest. Should be easy enough.

He made his way up the stairs to Neal's room with silent steps, but he paused when he noticed that Neal's door was slightly open. He fought back the urge to curse when he heard Neal's voice, followed by that of a woman. His first thought was that it must be Sara, but when he listened more closely, it sounded like it belonged to a more mature woman. Not June, though, as the voice was definitely unfamiliar. He quietly moved closer to the door and peered in through the crack, trying to look around. He finally spotted Neal sitting on his couch, hunched forward and talking to...

Mozzie did a double take. It looked like Neal was talking to his TV. Or, rather, to a redheaded, very stern-looking older woman on his TV screen, who was wearing a military uniform, of all things.

"You've let this situation get way out of control!" The woman on screen raised her voice in anger. "Do you have any idea how much time and effort it cost the CIA to establish a cover for you that would work just as well in the criminal underworld as in the FBI?"

"Yes, I do." Mozzie saw Neal lower his head.

"So, then, how is it possible that he not only stole the contents of the U-Boat, but also started to sell them? And you haven't done anything to stop him?"

"I'm sorry. I had no idea about what he was planning. But General-" Neal started to protest.

"No buts, Agent Larkin!" the woman cut him off. "As useful as he was before, Mr. ... what name is he using now?"

"Haversham," Neal answered, his voice almost a whisper.

"Mr. Haversham has become a liability. His recent actions appear to have compromised your cover and endangered the whole mission. He has to be stopped." She paused for a moment, before continuing in a less harsh manner, "I know it must be hard for you. You've established a connection with him... perhaps it's better if Colonel Casey takes care of it-"

"No," Neal cut in. "I'll- I'll take care of it."

"Are you sure?" the woman questioned.

"Yes." Neal stood up, and Mozzie caught the cold, determined look on his face.

"Fine," the woman said. A second later, the TV screen went black.

He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Who was this person, and what did he do to Neal? Because this man couldn't be the real Neal Caffrey! That wasn't- that wasn't the Neal he knew!

He wanted to move, but he felt like he was completely frozen in place. He saw the man he considered his only friend walk over to the bookshelf and take out a small case from behind the books, then set it down on the coffee table and open it. Mozzie was horrified as he recognized the contents of the case. As he watched the man take out a gun and a silencer and start to assemble them, Mozzie felt the world starting to spin around him, then everything went black. The last thing he felt was his knees hitting the floor.