Everything belongs to Jeff Eastin and others, I am just going crazy waiting for the new season and trying to keep myself entertained. This will certainly become AU one the fall eventually comes...
White Collar –Burden of Proof
Chapter 1
Neal looks at the door where his father has fled, for a moment he can't think of what he should do. Part of him wants to run after his father, arrest him or beg him to stay, punch him or ask him to make everything better. Part of him wants to curl up in a ball and pretend none of this is happening. Instead he calls Diana, tells her James has just left his apartment. Let them try and apprehend him, if he's not willing to confess it's a waste of time to pursue him. Instead Neal has another idea. He has a box of evidence sat on his table implicating several high profile figures in the justice system of bribery and corruption and worse.
If he's going to be playing poker he needs to know what cards he is holding, he needs to sit and read through the papers, but not here. He starts packing the papers back into the box, just as he is finishing Mozzie arrives.
"I see the box arrived safely. This calls for a celebration" Mozzie gloats, he goes to grab a wine bottle and glasses. He stops when he sees Neal's face.
"What?" Mozzie asks with dread.
"James killed Senator Pratt." Neal tells Mozzie quickly, wanting to get it over with.
"What?! Why?" Mozzie asked
"It was self-defence, but that's not the worst part." Neal told Mozzie, who stands there holding the bottle and empty glass.
"He used Peter's gun and now Peter's been arrested for Pratt's murder. It doesn't look good." Neal tells Mozzie bleakly.
Mozzie actually puts his glass and the unopened bottle down, a sign of how shocked he is.
"Where is James?" Mozzie asks looking around as if half expecting him to emerge from the bathroom.
"He left. He made it clear, we're on our own." Neal tells Mozzie as he grabs a bag from the wardrobe and shoves a few personal items into it.
"Oh Neal, I'm sorry…" Mozzie starts to tell him but Neal cuts him off as he closes the bag and grabs the box.
"Not now Mozzie, Calloway isn't going to let me keep running around now that Peter's in custody." Neal tells him.
"Wait, you're running? Neal, is that a good idea?" Mozzie asked doubtfully. He knows his question probably sounds pretty ironic considering how many times he has advised Neal to do this exact thing.
"I won't be able to help Peter from in Prison." Neal tells him heading for the door.
"Wait what about your anklet?" Mozzie asks, concerned that his friend is not thinking clearly. Neal has always had a tendency to leap before he looks. Mozzie had grown to rely on the Suit to keep Neal's more reckless impulses under control, without him it was up to Mozzie to keep Neal out of prison or worse.
"Peter or Calloway still has it, they didn't get a chance to put it back on me" Neal told him without looking back. Mozzie is forced to either follow or watch him leave and he is scared what his friend will do if Mozzie is not there to talk him out of it.
June is downstairs, having a cup of tea. She stands up as Neal and Mozzie come hurrying down the stairs.
"Neal darling, is everything alright? James went rushing out of here like the building was on fire." She tells them, looking at Neal with concern.
To her surprise Neal comes over and gives her a hug.
"June, I have to leave. The FBI will be here soon, asking questions, looking for me. I'm sorry for bringing trouble to your house." He tells her in a choked voice.
"Darling, what's going on? Can I help?" She asks worried now. Neal shakes his head choked.
"Goodbye." He tells her and makes for the front door. June looks at Mozzie totally thrown.
"Don't worry, I'll look after him." Mozzie assures her before following Neal out.
Mozzie catches up to Neal who is standing taking a look at the house.
"You'll be back." Mozzie tells him.
"Maybe." Neal says smiling at his friend sadly, taking a quick look back at the place that had been home for the past few years.
Mozzie gestures to his cab.
"The FBI knows about the cab." Neal reminds Mozzie, who smiles knowingly and goes over to his cab number and rips off the top layer revealing a brand new number underneath. Then he opens the boot and presses a couple of switches so that the number plate and cab number on top of the cab change too. Even under the circumstances Neal can't help but smile in appreciation.
"Very James Bond." He tells Mozzie who smiles in appreciation of Neal's appreciation.
"So where are we going?" Mozzie asks as he pulls out.
"Head to Brooklyn." Neal orders. Mozzie drives, glancing back at his friend frequently. He never trusted James and he knows Neal was suspicious of him, but even so, he was Neal's father, knowing he was a murderer, being betrayed by him had to be messing with his friends head. Neal stares out the window not saying anything for a few minutes. Mozzie hears him make a noise.
"What?" Mozzie asks.
"Nothing. It's just…we just crossed my radius." Neal tells him quietly.
"We could keep going, leave all this behind. The Suit will be fine. Probably." Mozzie tells him, though he knows Neal will never abandon Peter.
"I can't let Peter take the fall for James." Neal says quietly. Mozzie grips the steering wheel tightly and doesn't look back. He knows Neal won't be talked out of it, he just hopes Neal doesn't end up taking the fall instead.
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