WARNINGS: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR 4x16
A/N: So, I really thought there was going to be Peter in this chapter. And then I remembered how hard it is for me to find his voice. And then... there was Mozzie? I know he's not Peter. But I love him too. So take Mozzie and know Peter's in the next chapter, for REAL this time. Which, I should have up in just a few days.
As always, Thanks so much for the reviews and the alerts. They make my heart happy, like whoa. :)
All errors are all mine, and no I won't share the credit for them.
Disclaimer: Still not mine, sadly.
Elizabeth woke to a tangle of small limbs and a mess of dark hair tickling her nose. She sighed softly as she looked down at the boy, fast asleep at her side. "So. Not a dream then." She smoothed his hair off his forehead and eased herself away from his sleepy clutches.
She softly padded her way to the bathroom, hoping to get a shower before Neal woke up. She turned the water on as hot as she could stand up and stepped gingerly under the spray. Letting the water beat the stress of the last day out of her shoulders and back, she spent more time with her head on her arms against the wall then she did actually getting clean.
With a sigh she shut off the water and pulled back the curtain, only to yank it shut again quickly. "Neal! Honey... .what are you doing?" The child was sitting on the closed toilet seat with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands.
"Waitin'."
"Well, ok." Her hand shot out of the shower and grabbed the towel off the bar. "Can you wait outside for minute, buddy?"
"Oh. Yeah. Sorry Liz'beth." She heard the door snick shut behind him and peeked around the curtain before pulling it open again.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, she almost tripped over the boy, sitting cross legged in the hall. "Liz'beth?" He lifted his head to show off sad blue eyes. "Why'm I still little?"
She reached down and helped him to his feet. "Well, kiddo, I don't know." She squeezed his hand. "But we're gonna try and find that out today, ok? Mozzie is going to come stay with you for awhile." She smiled. "Because I have to go get your surprise that I promised you."
Neal grinned, "I fo'got about my suprise!" And just like that the worry vanished from his small features and he tugged away from her, clamoring down the stairs as fast as his legs would take him. "Come'n Liz'beth! I'm hungry again!"
Breakfast was easier than dinner had been with her limited kid friendly grocery's. Scrambled eggs and toast met no resistance when she scooped it onto Neal's plate. "Ok Neal. We're going to give you a bath," she looked at the clock "and give Satchmo a walk. By that time Mozzie'll be here." She shook her head as he gave up trying to scoop up his eggs with his fork and used his fingers to force the stubborn things into the utensil, holding them there until they made it to his mouth.
"M'kay" he mumbled around his mouthful before swallowing. "An' then my surprise?"
"Yep. And then your surprise." She sipped her coffee as he finished eating. When he laid the fork down beside his plate with a tiny burp she stifled a snort. "Excuse you, Mr. Polite. Are you all done?"
Neal had the good graces to blush. "s'cuse me!" He slid off the dining room chair with a small thud and came around to grab her hand. "Can I have bubbles? Mozzie gave me bubbles." He climbed the steps on all fours, his hands and feet thumping quickly.
Kneeling beside the tub, El made quick work of Neal's hair and skin before adding bubbles to the water and standing up, "I'll be right back, I'm going to go give Mozzie a call and make sure he remembers that he's coming, ok?"
"k" Neal smiled around his beard of bubbles. "Hurry though, before I get pruny." He held a foot out of the water for her inspection. "Dn't like being pruny."
El laughed and left the bathroom, leaving the door standing open. She went down the hall and grabbed her phone, thumbing her way through her contacts. "Hey Mozzie."
"Is he still fun sized?" was her greeting.
"Yep, and none too happy about it. Guess we're still going to need that babysitter."
"I'll be there." And with that he hung up.
El peeked her head into the bathroom and smiled at sight of Neal piling bubbles on top his head. She had a sudden unbidden image of adult sized Neal doing the same thing and the smaller version frowned at her as she snorted back a laugh. "W's so funny?"
"Just thought of something amusing." She stepped into the bathroom and helped him to his feet before turning on the shower and rinsing the bubbles from his small body. "Mozzie's on his way, though, so we better hurry!" She wrapped him in a towel and lifted him from the water.
Carrying him down the hall to the guest room, she set him on the bed and grabbed the plastic bag off the floor where she had dropped it yesterday. "If you don't get big soon, we're going to have to go shopping again!" She tousled his wet hair before digging out a clean pair of underwear and shorts. "Luckily, these were too cute for me to pass up yesterday." She pointed to the little lizard at the cuff.
Neal eyed her warily and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, liz'beth. Verdy t'ute." He slid off the bed and dropped the towel.
She knelt down beside him and helped him into the clothes. "Look how cute you are!" She beamed.
He turned to face the mirror. "Absolutely adorkable, Liz'beth." He pulled at the light blue cotton polo that was buttoned to high against his throat, eyeing the little lizard that adorned the left cuff of his shirt too.
She laughed "You look great, Neal. I promise. Just like a little boy should." She patted his shoulder. Let's go walk Satch before Mozzie gets here."
After adding socks and sneakers to Neal's outfit, El clipped the leash to Satchmo's collar and they headed out. Neal ran happily ahead of her, clearly enjoying the bright morning sunshine. She watched as he sought out the beauty in both rocks on the ground and birds in the sky equally. As they came back around the block towards the front door he actually stopped, and with his delicate little fingers, brought a rose to his nose from a neighbors bush and sniffed. Satchmo wasn't sharing in the boys rare patience and leaned eagerly on his leash towards home.
As they approached the House, El caught glimpse of the figure on the porch, managing to hide in the small patch of shadow in the corner. "Mozzie" She nodded to him as she opened the door.
"Mrs. Suit. .." He stopped abruptly when Neal wrapped himself around his leg.
"Mossie!"
The sight of the little boy, all elbows, knees, and familiar grin, managed to tug a smile from his lips. "Hello little Neal." He patted the child on the head. "Good boy. … Nice shorts."
Neal ducked out of his reach and smoothed his hair. "Imma boy, Moz. Notta dog." He ignored the jab at El's clothing choice.
El bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Speaking of dogs, Neal, will do you me a favor? Go get Satchmo's food bowl down for him?"
"Yup! C'mon Satchmo!" Neal took the dogs collar in his hand and walked him towards the kitchen.
Mozzie shook his head as he watched them walk away. "How's he doing?"
"He's fine.. I think. Why?"
"Well.. I didn't want to tell you this yesterday over the phone. But when you mentioned his grown up guilt getting the better of him I put two and two together and... I might know what has to happen in order to fix this." Mozzie took a breath and looked at his watch. "But we can talk more about it when we're all here. Speaking of which, you better go. There's someone waiting for you."
El looked intrigued but just nodded. "Neal!" She yelled. A few seconds later he came bolting in from the kitchen. "I'm going to go get your surprise now. You be GOOD for Mozzie, ok?" She tipped his chin back and he met her gaze. "I'll be right back. ok? And if you need me, I'm just a phone call away." She knelt down and pulled him into a hug.
His little hand patted her back as he returned the hug before pulling away and nodding with a brave face. "I'll be ok, Liz'beth." He turned and moved to the couch fiddling with the TV remote with both hands.
El straightened again and looked at Mozzie with a serious expression on her face. "Take care of him."
Mozzie nodded and then grimaced a little as the high pitched laughter of Spongebob erupted from the television. "Go." He ushered her to the door and locked it behind her before turning to his tiny charge. "Uh no no no, buddy, Do you have any idea the subliminal messages in that show? You're little mind is corrupted enough." He flipped off the TV and stood in front of it as Neal started to protest.
With an exasperated sigh, Neal dropped the remote beside him. "Whatchu wanna do then, Mossie?"
"Well, they have to have some board games or something... around here... somewhere. " Mozzie glanced around, for the first time in his life, uncomfortable with the idea of snooping.
"Upstairs, hall closet, middle shelf." Neal piped up. He scooted off the couch. "They have puzzles!" He was on the stairs before Mozzie realized he should go with him. He chuckled to himself as he watched his friend climb the stairs like a dog.
When they reached said closet in the upstairs hallway Neal pulled the door open and stretched his arm as far as he could. "Can't reach, Moz. liddle help here?" A beat. "Can't believe m' shorter than you."
Mozzie came up behind him and reached over his head with a chuckle. "Well, we have puzzles; garden scene. Space scene, castle... fairies... oh, here's one." He held up the box with a grin. Van Gogh's Starry Night adorned the front. "And it should challenging enough for your nimble little brain."
They made their way back downstairs and Neal dumped the puzzle over the dining room table before sorting the edge pieces back into the cover with great concentration, his little tongue poking out from between his lips. Within 10 minutes his deft little fingers had fit together all four corners and most of the bottom line.
"Hey, Neal?" Mozzie leaned forward on his arms.
The little boy answered without looking up. "Yeah, Moz?"
"You've had that little statue for almost 10 years... why now?"
The little boy looked up with weary eyes much too old for his face. "I member feeling like..." He stopped and frowned. "Like maybe something was broken that I din't know how to fix. And I had to run away. But I couldn't run away and... I dunno." He looked down at the puzzle again. rotating a piece over and over in his fingers.
Mozzie reached out and stilled the boy's fingers with his own. "It's ok Neal. I get it." He tugged the piece away and slipped it easily into the puzzle. "But you never have to be so alone. I'm not just your partner, you know. I'm your friend too. I'd even go so far as to say I'm your friend first."
Without a word, Neal slid off his chair and came around the table. He wiggled his arms in a classic move that could only mean pick me up. Mozzie hesitated for only a second before hoisting him up onto his lap. He was instantly rewarded with arms wrapped around his neck.
The little boy hung on tight and Mozzie instinctively rubbed circles between his shoulders. "I'm sorry, buddy. I should have been there. I didn't know."
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