I have no excuse for the time delay, other than real life. I am back and writing again!

As always, I own nothing.

Chapter 6

Neal hesitated as he reached the door to his apartment when he heard voices on the other side. Although he couldn't hear what was being said, he could almost feel the tension radiating from the other side of the door. Taking a deep breath to gather any remaining courage he walked in and took in the scene.

Peter stood leaning against the sinking he kitchen area, a beer in his hand looking like he as near needing a second. Mozzie was sitting at the table swirling a glass of wine like it was the most interesting thing he's ever seen. Both looked at him as he walked through the door, taking his time closing it as he fruitlessly tried to delay the inevitable conversation he knew would be taking place.

"Hey," he called out lamely, inwardly cringing as the normally quick witted con man was at a loss to come up with anything more interesting.

His greeting was met with silence as the three men quietly assessed each other. Finally Mozzie broke the silence.

"Not that I don't enjoy the silence, but why are you two acting like you lost another U-boat full of priceless artifacts? Wait, you didn't lose a U-boat full of priceless artifacts? Because if you did..."

"Mozz it's okay!" Neal assured sensing the beginning of a long Mozzie rant, "it's just been a really long day."

Peter snorted at Neal's words. Long day?

Neal rolled his eyes at Peter and continued on, feeling safer talking to his friend.

"There is a new lead in Ellen's murder and it is complicated."

Now it was Mozzie's turn to roll his eyes.

"Complicated? When is anything involving the suits not complicated? It's a wonder they get anything done over there."

Neal opened his mouth but found he couldn't form the next words. Peter noticed and decided to take over.

"Mozzie, do you know anything about a Damon Taggert?"

Peter watched Neal carefully while speaking and caught how is shoulders stiffened at the mention of his former tormentor. Mozzie on the other hand looked like a gaping fish as he processed what Peter asked him.

"Taggert? I have heard of him. What foster kid hasn't? He was like a real life boogeyman...stories were passed around how he would go all Hansel and Gretel on unwanted kids. Kept me from running away a few times I'll admit. What does he have to do with anything?"

Mozzie didn't notice the surprise on Peter's face or the tension in Neal as he spoke on about the stories he heard as a child about Taggert and the rumors of what happened to the children unfortunate enough to cross his path.

Peter was surprised that Mozzie was not aware of Neal's connection to Taggert, however that surprise was only temporary as he was starting to realize that Neal's true long con did not involve money or paintings, but to erase his past from everyone, including himself.

Mozzie was deeply engaged in telling a story about a victim in Washington whose young body was found in multiple places when Peter finally had to stop him.

"Mozzie, we get it! The Taggert case is mandatory study for all agents, and I don't need to hear the more colorful descriptions of what that man is capable of. What I need to do now is find him. We know he is in the city. We believe he killed Ellen. We need to stop him before he disappears again."

"I don't get it," Mozzie began, his eyes moving back and force like he is trying to figure out a complicated puzzle, "how is Ellen connected to Taggert. It doesn't make any sense."

Peter and Neal watched as Mozzie stood from the table and began pacing the floor of the tiny apartment. After a few minutes he stopped.

"Taggert is said to be an expert forger."

"That is true," Peter confirmed. Mozzie continued as if he hadn't heard him.

"Taggert is the best. Literally. If he would have stayed out of the monster business he would be the most well respected forger in the world."

Peter nodded his head, knowing what Mozzie was saying but letting him work through it. Neal stood still as a statue waiting for Mozzie to piece everything together.

"And since Ellen was involved in some way with Taggert, then that means…" Mozzie stopped pacing as his face turned impossibly pale. He turned to face Neal, looking at him like he was seeing him for the first time.

Neal was not able to look at Mozzie. He knew Mozzie would figure it out. He knew Neal better than anyone and had seen him at his more vulnerable and embarrassing moments. He knew he made small mistakes early on that may have hinted his true past, but no one had ever put the pieces together as Mozzie seemed to just do.

"Neal, please tell me you never worked with Taggert. Please tell me you never helped that man," Mozzie pleaded.

Neal was momentarily shocked and slightly offended at the conclusion that Mozzie drew about his past with the man, but it was understandable as sometimes fact is stranger than the most outrageous conspiracy theory.

But as he opened his mouth to answer he found he couldn't. He DID work for Taggert, didn't he? He did learn everything about forging documents to paintings from the same man who left him for dead. Why wasn't he back in jail?

The next thing Neal knew he was being pushed into a chair and Peter was in front of him telling him to breath and that everything would be okay. He looked at Peter confused because everything wasn't going to be okay. He left this behind and now it was coming back to haunt him. Both of his lives were colliding and he didn't know if he could handle that. A decade of trying to escape, only to be reminded that he will never escape.