HOW FAR

Summary: "He did have that plane ready awfully fast…" When faced with life's greatest trials, what would you do for a friend? Peter, Neal, Mozzie, Diana and Hughes must find their own answers to this question as the knowledge of the U-Boat treasure surviving the fire comes to light. AU to On Guard, earlier posted on collarkink as a response to a prompt.

CHAPTER 2

It's over.

It's more of an instinct than anything else when Neal lifts Diana's phone from her outside of Peter's office – if you lose your phone or money, get a new one ASAP, because you never know when you'll need them.

When he realizes what he has done, he freezes in his tracks – and almost turns around to give it back and apologize. But Diana is already in Peter's office, and Neal simply can't enter that place again. The phone feels heavy in his pocket, and Diana will be pissed when she finds out. But, suddenly, that doesn't matter anymore.

Nothing matters anymore.

A mere week ago, everything was so simple. Neal wouldn't go as far as to call it perfect – but it was good. Better than good. He had his apartment at June's, several friends, a promising relationship with Sara – most importantly, he had Peter's friendship and trust. But then came the treasure: the accusations, the suspicion, the promise of wealth and freedom…

And in five short days, because of one stupid mistake, Neal has lost it all.

Everything that he had, everything that he cared about – it's gone.

It's gone.

Suddenly, when measured against all the other things, losing the treasure feels almost insignificant. And it's only now, when Peter hates him and when he's about to lose even his restricted version of freedom, that Neal realizes what he could have figured out earlier if he had given it enough thoughts – that no matter how big the score, sometimes, it just isn't worth it. Knowing that – knowing that he has thrown away his life for something that didn't matter –

The worst thing about it? He should have seen this. He should have known better.

And on top of everything, Peter wouldn't listen; wouldn't even give him a chance to explain –

Neal's eyes start to burn. He blinks, desperately trying to at least preserve his image in front of his colleagues, even if it matters little now –

It's over.

With a heavy heart, Neal decides to leave Diana's phone at her desk – but then he stops and gives himself a pause. He beats down the despair and grief and forces himself to think rationally.

His friendship with Peter is finally over. His deal is finished; he's going back to prison and he's probably looking at a very long sentence. That means this would be the perfect moment to cut and run. However, the chances of him escaping are not very high, and Neal doesn't want to get caught again; that would only make things even worse. He feels sick when he realizes that right now, his best shot is probably to grab at the last favor that Peter has offered him, take the chance with the system – and confess.

Except he can't, because that would mean to point out Mozzie, and Neal simply can't lose both of his best friends in one day.

But maybe…

Maybe there is another way…?

Think, damn it!

Neal's eyes widen when he suddenly sees a solution. And Diana's phone is the perfect mean.

But first he needs a private place where he won't be overheard. And it has to be somewhere where he'd naturally go, in case someone's watching him, so the interrogation room is out of question –

A minute later, Neal is relieved when he finds the men's bathroom completely deserted. He carefully closes the door, pulls out Diana's phone and dials a number from memory.

Nothing.

Quietly cursing, he tries it again – and then another one when he doesn't get an answer.

Still no reply.

"Damn it, Mozzie," curses Neal when he dials the first number again. He knows he doesn't have much time. Diana might discover her phone missing any second, and when she does, she is bound to connect the dots back to him. Then he will truly be screwed.

Like he wasn't already.

Trying both numbers again and failing, Neal curses again and dials a third one.

"This is New York's City Sewage treatment plants and Waterworks – "

"Cut the crap, Moz," says Neal sharply. "I'm calling from Diana's phone."

"You mean you just burned three perfectly fine – "

"It doesn't matter now!" snaps Neal. "Look, we've got a really huge problem…"

"What happened?" asks Mozzie.

Neal swallows. "Moz… Peter knows about the treasure."

o – o – o

Neal clenches the sink in impatience: "Look, I don't have time for this. Just get rid of anything incriminating AND get the damn alibi!"

"You really think that I'm – "

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?" exclaims someone from the door.

Neal turns around and his stomach churns.

Diana.

He was so distraught that he has forgotten to lock the door. Damn it!

One look into Diana's face gives him all the answers that he needs. She knows about the treasure, and she has just overheard him at the worst possible moment.

Neal hangs up and takes a step back. He realizes fully how bad this must look. He still tries, though.

He raises his hand in defense. "Diana, it isn't – "

"I don't need an explanation about this, Neal," says Diana icily.

Yep, he's screwed.

"And I can't even describe how utterly disgusted and sickened I am with you right now," continues Diana, and Neal starts to feel ill. "But if you give me my phone now, I'm willing to pretend this didn't just happen and I'll let you confess, because for some reason Peter believes that there is something worthy and salvageable in you after all – though right now, I honestly can't see why. Now give it to me – "

A new chill is seeping into his back as he considers her words. It sounds simple. She just wants her phone back – but he can't give her that. He can't risk that she'll call back and Mozzie will pick up, thinking it was still him.

"No," says Neal.

In his last desperate act, Neal looks down at his hand – and before Diana can stop him, he starts erasing Mozzie's numbers from the phone in his palm.

o – o – o

"Stop it!"

The moment Diana realizes what's happening, she grabs Neal's wrist and tries to get her phone back. Neal tries to pull away, but Diana's grip could just as well be made of iron. She didn't graduate the FBI academy by smiling at her instructors.

"Give it to me," grits Diana furiously.

Neal tries to keep the phone out of Diana's reach as his fingers are quickly running over the keypad. Diana tries to use her other hand to get the phone, but Neal blocks her efforts. They start to struggle.

Neal can tell almost immediately that if Diana wanted, she could best him. He's leaving her too much space, too many options. His only luck is that she's too careful not to hurt him, and she doesn't want any harm to come to her cellphone.

"Caffrey…"

He sees the resolve changing in Diana's eyes, and his stomach churns in anticipation of a blow or a punch – but he needs to finish what he started –

And then Diana completely lets go of him and takes a step back.

Not believing his luck, Neal's shoulders relax in relief. Subconsciously, he easies his hold on the phone. He's almost done anyway –

In an extremely fast move, Diana yanks the phone out of Neal's hand, and Neal cries out in surprise.

A millisecond of dread - if he wasn't fast enough, if Diana finds anything –

Then he realizes Diana's grasp of the phone isn't firm enough.

They both watch the phone fly through the air and then land on the tiles with a crack when the battery falls out.

Silence.

For a few seconds, they stare at each other in complete shock.

Then Diana makes a few quick steps and picks up the phone, while Neal looks at his wrist that's throbbing with pain.

He tries a few experimental moves. It hurts, and there might be bruises later – but that doesn't matter now. Diana picks up the phone, puts the battery back and turns it back on.

Neal swallows and waits in anticipation.

He thinks, he prays that he's made it. At least something could work out in this whole fucked-up day – right?

A few moments later, when she's done probing the phone, Diana looks at him.

"Congratulations, Caffrey," she says bitterly. "You've succeeded for now – but you've only postponed the inevitable, because I will find out who you called; it will just take some time."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Neal can't help but feel some small measure of relief, knowing that there is no way that Diana would be able to trace this to Moz. Part one of his mission accomplished, then.

"You leave me no choice now," says Diana after a moment of silence. "I'll go to Peter, we'll go to the warehouse and catch whoever you called. Whatever you've hoped to achieve with this, it won't work."

Oh no.

"Diana, please, do you really have to do that?" asks Neal before he can stop himself.

Diana's incredulous look completely matches his feelings.

"Are you serious?" she asks in disbelief.

No. "Yes." Neal takes a deep breath before he continues. "You can go to the warehouse, and maybe you'll find someone there… or maybe not. But I'm asking you not to – "

"So now you're asking me," says Diana flatly, but her tone leaves no place for doubts just how seriously pissed off she is. "After all this – you know, you really have some nerve! Why in the world – "

"Because I'll confess," interrupts Neal decisively. Diana's eyes widen in surprise before they narrow in suspicion. "You don't have a warrant yet – but you won't need it if I lead you to the warehouse." He shuts down the part of him that screams that this is probably the stupidest decision he has ever made. He swallows before he continues. "Arrest me, charge me – just forget about that one phone call that I've made. Let's keep things simple. Please."

Please, don't involve other people into this. Please, don't tell Peter.

"Who did you call?" asks Diana at last.

Neal hesitates. "Someone who never should have been involved in the first place," he says at last.

"I'm not in a mood for your games, Caffrey," says Diana harshly. "Who did you call, and why?"

"Does it really matter if I confess?" asks Neal. "There's no need to complicate this. Let it go, Diana," he says softly.

He can tell that she isn't convinced.

"I don't get it," says Diana at last. "Why did you do it? How could you do this to Peter? You were friends; you have taken risks for each other – and then you'd throw that all away for some kind of score? You must have known you would get caught. I've never pegged you down as stupid, which means you had known the risks and did it anyway."

Maybe because this isn't as it seems, Neal would have said if it was Peter asking. "Maybe the temptation was just too high. Maybe it was a moment of temporary insanity. Or maybe old habits are really too hard to break sometimes."

"Old habits," says Diana flatly, but Neal can hear her boiling anger. "You broke Peter's heart, and you blame it on insanity and old habits."

"If you have better explanation, feel free to share," snaps Neal before he can stop himself.

Diana shakes her head in disgust. "Then I guess you've always been just a thief… and we were all naive when we expected that to change."

"That's also an option," says Neal in a calm voice. He locks the hurt away and concentrates on the matter at hand. "But if you tell Peter about the phone call, it will hurt him even worse. You really want to do that?"

A pause.

"No," answers Diana slowly.

"Then don't tell him," says Neal softly. "Don't tell him, Diana. For Peter's sake."

It is a sick attempt at emotional blackmail, and it's also a very weak and bad attempt. Which is why Neal is truly surprised when after a long hesitation, Diana nods and says: "Fine."

She puts away her phone. "I will leave this bathroom and go back to my work. Right now, I won't tell anyone about this last case of "temporary insanity" here," she says icily, "but I better see you telling Jones a certain address really soon, or I might change my mind."

"Thank yo – "

Neal barely registers the fast movement before he feels stinging pain in his cheek.

Unconsciously, his hand flies to his cheek and rubs it, while he stares at Diana in shock.

Diana has slapped him.

Diana has slapped him.

"Now listen, Caffrey," says Diana with hot rage. "I don't think we will be seeing each other for much longer. But I'm warning you - if you ever try to manipulate me like this again, prison will seem like a safe haven after I'm done with you."

Then she turns around and walks out of the bathroom, loudly slamming the door behind herself.

Neal stares at the closed door, his emotions in turmoil. He has a really bad feeling that whatever he does now, there is no way to fix all this.

He turns to the mirror and sees the pink imprint that Diana's hand has left on his face.

It is like the last straw – suddenly, Neal feels his façade crumbling, and he desperately clutches the washbowl with both of his hands, trying to regain some small measure of control and blink back the hot tears that are forming in his eyes.

It's his own fault…

But he never asked for this.

However, the moment of weakness lasts less than a minute. Then Neal lets go of the basin and turns on cold water. He washes his face, gently massages his cheek and just breathes, until he calms down and gets his smooth and collected visage back in place.

More or less.

He checks his image in the mirror again, runs a hand through his hair and decides that while far from perfect, it will have to do.

Time to fulfill his promise to Diana.

He won't go to Jones, though. This situation is bad and awkward enough as it is, the least he can do is spare Jones involvement in this mess.

Neal takes a deep breath, straightens himself and makes his way into Reese Hughes's office.

o – o – o

Elizabeth is just taking a pause from discussing a young pair's marriage when she gets a call from Peter.

"Hi honey," she says with a smile as she picks up.

"Hey hon," comes Peter's shaky answer.

And then…

Nothing.

"Peter?" asks Elizabeth after a moment of silence. "Honey, what is it?"

"Nothing," says Peter at last. "I just – I wanted to hear your voice."

"Well, that's sweet," says Elizabeth with a soft smile, before her expression turns serious. "But it's not the whole truth, is it? You rarely call me from work just to "hear my voice". So, what's going on?"

Silence.

"Peter?" asks Elizabeth with a frown.

Nothing.

"Peter! Are you there?"

"… Yes."

"Are you all right?" asks Elizabeth, now becoming deeply worried. "Peter, you're scaring me. What's wrong? Were you injured? Are you okay?"

"I'm… I'm fine," says Peter, but he sounds anything but.

"Is it Neal?" asks Elizabeth the next logical question. "Did something happen to him?"

And that's when Peter's silence breaks – and soon, he tells her the whole story in a wavering voice.

He tells her how Neal saved Jones's life yesterday, and how Peter got suspicious because of how quickly he had the plane ready; how Peter then went to the gallery and asked the guard about anything unusual that happened in the last few days. He explains how he asked them for their cameras' footages from the time gap after El brought in the scrap of the painting and before the scrap was tested – and after seeing his badge, they gave them to him.

With a sinking feeling, El listens as Peter describes how he watched the footage and noticed Neal entering the building; then how he pulled Neal's anklet data and carefully studied it; how he discovered the art in the warehouse and confronted Neal.

And despite the obvious evidence, Neal denied all of it, and now Peter had no choice but send him back to prison.

Elizabeth's heart constricts.

"He – he really did it?"

"Well, of course he denies it," says Peter emotionlessly. "But yes. He stole the art, and he was going to run with it."

"Oh Peter…"

Elizabeth falls into a chair as she tries to process the news.

Yvonne comes through the door and quietly calls: "Elizabeth, can we continue?"

"Wait a second, honey," she says to the phone and then covers it with her hand. "It's Peter, he… has a situation," says El to Yvonne with a forced smile. "Please, umm… could you keep them occupied for a while? You could start discussing the food with them. Tell them a little about the possibilities… I'll be back in five."

"Of course," says Yvonne immediately and disappears again.

El takes a deep breath and tries to remember where they dropped off. "Okay hon, I'm back… And you're really sure that Neal did it? I mean, he has been set up before… Have you actually given him a chance to explain?"

"What is there to explain, El?" asks Peter in frustration. "I know he stole it. The evidence – "

"I guess the evidence looks bad," says El reluctantly. "I'm just saying, honey, that you're taking this like a personal betrayal – and I understand why, but you need to remain impartial. At least let Neal tell you his side of things."

"Why, so that he can tell me more lies and deceptions?" retorts Peter angrily.

Elizabeth takes a deep breath. She knows that behind Peter's outward anger is hidden deep pain of a breaking heart, which is why she speaks gently and doesn't take insult at his snapping. "I'm so sorry this has happened, Peter. And if you say that Neal did it, then you're probably right. I guess I just don't want for a day to come when you'll wonder if perhaps you missed something. … Please, talk to him. Even if he truly did all this, then at least you will have the answers and would be able to move on."

"Elizabeth…"

There is silence.

"All right," says Peter at last.

"You're a good man, Peter Burke," says El softly. "And I'm really sorry it has come to this."

"I'll talk to him. I'll give him the chance to explain," says Peter in an almost even voice. "I will listen to the truth or lies, whatever he gives me… But it ends there, El," he says hardly. "I won't help him get away with this. I won't."

"Do what you have to," says El quietly. "I love you, honey."

"Love you, hon."

Then Peter hangs up.

El makes an inward sigh. She feels she should really be with Peter right now – but the wedding plans can't wait for tomorrow. Still, she decides that, as soon as possible, she'll get out of here.

Damn you Neal!

She still hopes that somehow, this is a mistake; that there is more to this story, that maybe Neal didn't betray them and that her two boys could be reconciled.

Is it a fool's hope or could it actually happen?

The thing is – Elizabeth honestly doesn't know.

A/N: This chapter, as well as the rest of the story, has been beta'ed by November Leaving. Thanks for your help :)

How Far is completed and has 9 chapters in total. I'll be posting a chapter every day or two.

Reviews are very much appreciated!