Chapter 7-A Dance
Next Morning
Neal groans hearing the buzzer, "Coming" He yelled walking to the door.
"Can you call next time, I just worked an all nighter" Neal said letting Mozzie in.
"Sue me" Mozzie said holding a coffee tray.
"Thanks" Neal said taking a seat.
"What were you painting" Mozzie said seeing his tools out.
"Nothing" Neal started to say getting up.
"I want to see" Mozzie said walking up to the easel.
"This is a cupcake shop" he said.
"I know" Neal said.
"Meaning?" Mozzie said, Neal shrugged.
"Something with Vicky" he said.
"Why did you come this early Moz" Neal said.
"My sources have confirmed all of Vicky's stories about Drake are true he does have a pattern" Mozzie said.
"She should be a FED" he said.
"I knew she was telling the truth, Peter just wanted to be sure" Neal said.
"I don't blame him, cause you like her" Mozzie said.
"Why does everyone keep saying that" Neal said.
"Deny all you want my advice be careful that's all" Mozzie said to his friend.
5pm FBI headquarters
"When I was following Cortez I noticed it looked like he got smacked a little bit, Drake is known for abusing his staff" Vicky said to the team.
"RJ was actually trying to find a former associate Danny Ronson, he's a soldier for hire. Drake burned him" she said as Jones pulled up the file.
"Heard of him, he's no joke" Jones said, Vicky nodded.
"He was Drake's right hand, the only reason he is alive is because Drake is afraid he will spill the beans to his entire operation" Vicky said.
"How do we find him" Diane said.
"He can be found, but what will make him talk" Peter said.
Vicky looked down at Drake's file, "I can convince him" she said.
The group shot her a look, "He'll be more inclined to talk to someone who hates Drake as much as him than one of the FEDS" Vicky said.
"We'll think about it" Peter said.
"Until Drake kills a member of someone else's family" Vicky said as Neal looked at her.
"I can get him to talk" Vicky said looking at the time.
"Let's get Ronson first, looks like he's in Staten Island" Peter said as Vicky nodded.
Agent Fowler, please escort Ms. Thompson back to her apartment, "We are finished with her today" Peter said, Vicky gets up {she and Neal exchange glances}
Peter looks at Neal, "Back to the meeting" he said.
7pm Peter's house
"Cheers to a long day, productive but long" Peter said.
"How's Vicky" Elizabeth asked.
"Angry one hour, ok the next, but very helpful and bright, she would have been a great agent" Peter said.
"Neal?" She asked.
"Both of them look at each other all googly eyed like that couple from the Notebook, but they barley talk" Peter said.
"I think it's cute" Elizabeth said as Peter's eye's widened.
"Cute? Try supervising that! I feel like a high school teacher supervising detention" Peter said as Elizabeth laughed.
"She isn't Kate who is using Neal, Or Alex and Sara who run back and forth, what's the problem with this" Elizabeth said.
"Neal has two more months he gets close to her he can blow it" Peter said.
"He already is" Elizabeth said.
Vicky's apartment 7pm
"My big mouth with protective custody" She thought looking out the window {doorbells rings}
Vicky opens the door to see Neal holding a file, "I have a file to review with Ms. Thompson" he said to the police officer who nodded {Neal enters}
"What's the file about" Vicky said as Neal opened the file it was blank pages {she laughed}
"I just came to see how you were doing had to think of a way to come in" Neal said.
"Thanks I appreciate it" Vicky said looking at him as they sat across from each other on the couch.
"Productive day" Neal said.
"Yea it was" Vicky said staring at him.
"Bored at home" Neal asked.
Vicky nodded, "I miss the museum" she said.
"Hopefully you can get back to that soon" Neal said as his stomach growled.
Vicky laughed, "I take it you are hungry" she said.
"You must be too having 3 coffees today" Neal said.
"Well um I can cook, I make pasta" Vicky said.
"Ok" Neal started to say.
"You have to help" Vicky said.
"I cook too" Neal said.
"Oh really" Vicky said smiling as they walked to the kitchen.
"Your apartment is really cozy" Neal said.
"Yea I know NY museum curator in a cramped east village apartment brownstone walk up" Vicky said laughing.
"Dad and I when we were in NYC he didn't want to live with Jack, cause Jack is Jack, so he got a brownstone in Willamsburg, Brooklyn" she added going to the fringe.
"I see" Neal said seeing a picture of Vicky and her father at the Lluve.
"No pictures of her mother" he thought.
"Dad was over big houses after mom left" Vicky said as Neal helped her.
"You can grade the cheese and cut the garlic, I'll get started with the tomatoes" she said.
"Our house was small too" Neal started to say as his phone rang "Mozzie" he looks at it turning the phone off.
"Did you want to answer that" Vicky asked.
"No" Neal said.
"Our house was small too, backyard the winters that is when I started teaching myself how to paint and draw" he said.
"Mom worked two jobs so I spent a lot of time by myself" Neal said, Vicky nodded.
"He's not mentioning his dad" she thought.
"Must have been tough" Vicky said.
"Mom did what she had to do, she was dealing with a lot, that I didn't even realize" Neal said chopping up the garlic.
"We never do as kids" Vicky said as they stared at each other.
"Mom is ok, I guess it's been a while since we talked" Neal said.
"Haven't seen mine since I was 21" Vicky said
She walks to the fringe, Neal laughed loudly seeing the case of beer.
"Blue Moons" Neal said as Vicky handed him one.
"I'm a sorority chick remember" Vicky said putting the water on for the linguine.
"And I'm also the cook, thank you for helping, now have a seat, you're my guest" she said Neal waved his hands.
"Alright" Neal said smiling, he didn't remember smiling this much in years.
30 minutes later
"Voila" Vicky said bringing two plates out.
"Smells great" Neal said looking at the pasta and shrimp dish.
"Dig in" Vicky said as they sat across each other on the couch, she watched as Neal ate.
"How is it" she said as Neal made a face.
"Oh no, I thought I put too much basil" Vicky started to say, Neal laughed.
"I'm kidding it's delicious" Neal said.
"Not funny" Vicky said hitting his shoulder she laughs {thunder strikes}
"Whoa" She said looking at the window.
"Looks like it messed up the reception on the radio" Neal said fixing it.
"Classic Rock station, nice" Vicky said.
"Mom and dad were into it" Neal said.
"They have good taste in music" Vicky said finishing eating, she takes Neal's plate walking to the kitchen.
Neal looks at his phone text message from Mozzi. "I know where you are make sure Peter doesn't know" he reads, Neal sighs putting his phone back in his pocket.
"It's really coming down" Vicky said as Neal looked at her she was beautiful even wearing a tshirt and jeans.
"Well April showers" Neal said.
"In June? Global warming" Vicky said.
"Touche" Neal said {silence}.
"Thanks for checking up" Vicky said.
"You're welcome, I know you can take care of yourself. I just wanted to see if you were ok" Neal said {Radio starts to play "The Air That I Breathe by The Hollies}
"Classic" Vicky said recognizing the song swaying to the music, Neal stands up extending his hand.
Vicky smiled taking his hand, Neal wrapped his arms around her waist and Vicky slung her arms over his shoulders. They waddled slowly together while slowly rotating, looking into each other's eyes.
"My heart is beating fast again" Vicky thought.
Neal closed his eyes as their faces leaned against one another, he wanted to drown in her the sensation was making him lightheaded.
Vicky let out a deep breath, she kisses the left side of his cheek softly they look into each other's eyes once more. "Hmm" Vicky moaned as they gave each other a deep hungry kiss.
Neal kisses her neck, Vicky moans again kissing him. She looks back at the front door realizing the cop outside. "Wait" Vicky said as Neal stole another kiss.
"There is a cop outside my door and we are working to bring Drake down. We can't do this now" Vicky said.
Neal looked at his phone buzzing "Peter" the caller ID read.
"Back to reality" Neal said outloud he looked at Vicky's flushed face, they kiss again hungrily.
"Goodnight" Neal said.
"Goodnight" Vicky said {Neal leaves}
Vicky closes the door, she touches her lips. "No" she says walking into the kitchen.
Ellen's apartment
"Thanks for letting me see you, I know it's late" Neal said.
"What is going on you sounded so confused" Ellen said.
"I am confused" Neal said shaking his head.
"This case and this woman involved in it" Neal said.
"I know I should stay away because of the conflict of interest but" he started to say.
"Neal slow down" Ellen said as Neal started to explain
20 minutes later
"You don't talk to anyone about your family Neal and she got you to do that" Ellen said surprised.
"I know it was easy to speak to her, I had the time of my life just spending time at her apartment" Neal said.
"I bet you did" Ellen joked, Neal laughed.
"When I'm around her I feel different, she's different" Neal said.
"But Mozze and Peter are right, I have to keep it professional" he said.
"Neal we all do respect you are far beyond that" Ellen said.
"She sounds afraid and that is why she pushed you away" she said.
"She is so angry about Drake what she did to her best friend her father" Neal said.
"Who can blame her, Neal you need to follow your heart and forget about the past too as Vicky needs to do" Ellen said, as Neal nodded.
