Chapter 10
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It has been over a week since Edith's funeral, during which time Mike has gotten his cast off, and it is the night before Mike goes back to work. Neal on the other hand is on his second case since being back, his first one having involved an innocent agent that was on the run from the US Marshals.
With Neal being his brother Mike has walked in on a lot of strange things, but even for him walking in on Mozzie rubbing a file on his head in strange.
"Do I want to ask?" Mike asks, just walking inside the apartment, holding dinner than he brought for him, Mozzie and Neal.
"We made an FBI file." Neal explains to his brother, like it isn't a big deal, "Did you get the chicken?"
"I got everything." Mike answers, "Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you meant to solve cases not create them?" he asks, as he puts the dinner on the bench.
"Alex is in trouble. The NYPD is closing in and the only way we can contact her is by making a case." Mozzie explains.
"You're putting the FBI on Alex's tail?" Mike asks, sounding shocked and angry.
"Only so I can get close enough to talk to her, unless you have her number." Neal says to his brother.
"No. Ever since last time I saw her she only calls via unknown numbers." Mike says, walking over to his brother.
"Then the file it is." Neal says, showing it too his brother.
"I don't know if it's done at the FBI but at Pearson Hardman people often scribble on the front of files trying to get their pens working." Mike tells his brother.
"Yeah, that's a good thing to add." Neal realises, "And once that's done I'll just slip it in with Peter's other files, and we'll be good to go."
"Is there anything I can do?" Mike asks, as he wants to help.
"Not right now." Neal tells him, as Mozzie gets up and walks over to the food.
"Okay. I guess we're eating on the couch." Mike comments, noticing all the stuff on the table.
"Yep." Neal confirms and he, Mike, and Mozzie, who is carrying the food, walk over to the couch and coffee table where they sit down and enjoy their dinner.
Ever since he returned to work a few hours earlier Mike has been torn between it feeling really good to be back. Having heard several interesting rumours Mike is heading to Harvey's office to see if they're true.
"Harvey." Mike says, walking towards him.
"You're back." Harvey says, failing to hide how glad he is about that as he's felt rather lost without Mike, not that he'd ever admit that, even to himself.
"And happy to be here." Mike admits, telling the truth as he was starting to go a little stir crazy at the apartment, especially since Neal started to work cases again, "So? How was it?" Mike asks, as they walk into Harvey's office.
"How was what?" Harvey asks, pretending to be confused.
"Punching Tanner. It was awesome, wasn't it? Tell me it was awesome." Mike comments, and considering how sad was last time Harvey saw Mike he is very glad to hear the happiness in his associate's voice.
"What are you, in middle school?" Harvey asks, turning to look at Mike, "I'm in the middle of a trial"
"A mock trial." Mike says, giving Harvey a look.
"Mock trials are for children. The adults are doing an in-house trial run." Harvey explains.
"Okay." Mike says, with a laugh, "Mock trial, trial run. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to." Mike comments, causing Harvey to give him a look, "Not potato." Mike quickly says, as they walk out of Harvey's office and down the hallway, "What do you need me to do?" Mike asks.
"What he needs you to do is help me." Louis says, walking up to Harvey and Mike and handing Mike a piece of paper.
"What's this?' Mike asks.
"You've been drafted." Louis reveals.
"Okay, what round?" Mike asks, as he opens the envelope.
"Excuse me?" Louis asks confused, causing both Mike and Harvey to look at him.
"Sports metaphor. Oh, it's not tennis. Sports." Mike says, using the piece of paper to hit Louis's shoulder.
"You've been assigned by the judge to help me in pretty boy's trial." Louis reveals.
"Oh, look at that, he thinks I'm pretty." Harvey says, with a smirk
"He'd be right." Mike says, before he can stop himself, causing Louis and Harvey to look at him, Harvey looking quite smug, "Wait, what judge?" Mike asks Louis, in an attempt to change the subject.
"His honour Daniel Hardman." Louis reveals, "I'll see you in court, sweet tits."
"No, no, he can't." Mike objects, as soon as Louis starts to walk away.
"He can." Harvey reveals.
'I'm not…."
'You are…"
"Harvey…" Mike starts object once more.
"Listen, Louis is devious, confidence, and intelligent." Harvey informs Mike.
"You forgot ugly, lazy, and disrespectful." Mike says.
"Now is not the time to quote The Breakfast Club." Harvey tells Mike.
"Oh, you mess with the bull, you get the horn." Mike quotes
"Stop it. This trial is no joke. Jessica's going against Muhammad Ali. She better be able to beat Joe Frazier, and Louis is no Joe Frazier." Harvey says to Mike.
"Okay, I get it. You want me to help Louis think outside the box." Mike realises.
"Exactly." Harvey says with a nod, "Now, how would you come after me?" Harvey asks curious.
"Well, first of all…" Mike starts to say.
"Don't tell me, tell Louis. Because you and I are not discussing this trial, during this trial." Harvey reveals, before walking away, but he only gets a few steps before he turns back to Mike, "Oh, and you were right."
"I know." Mike says, "About what?"
"Tanner." Harvey says, pretending to punch something, "It was awesome." He says with a grin, causing Mike to laugh, before turning away, "Mike." He says, causing Mike to turn back around, "You really think I'm pretty?" Harvey asks, with a grin.
"Don't let it go to your head." Mike says, giving Harvey a half grin, before walking away, "Welcome back Caffrey." Mike mutters to himself, before heading to his cubical, knowing that he is going to have a long day, and not even realising that he called himself Caffrey instead of Ross.
After a long day of working and preparing for the trial run Mike is finally arriving home. As he walks in the apartment Mike sees no sing off his brother, or Mozzie, and judging by the fact that there is no open wine, or used glasses, Mike guesses that they haven't been home yet, though there is a lot of recording equipment on the table he suspects that they were working on the music box code at some point.
Getting to the table Mike puts down all the files that he has to work on, in the small space there is, and as he does he sees a note,
I won't be home too late. I'll try not to wake you.
Hope you had a good day.
I'll say hello to Alex for you,
In his brothers handwriting.
Once he reads the note Mike walks over to the sink, pulls out the lighter from the draw, and sets the note on fire, before dropping it into the sink where it burns up. After the note is burned Mike opens the fridge, and grabs out the left overs from the night before and sets up himself up with his dinner of cold left overs while getting started on work.
After a long night of work Mike has gone up early to get to work and as he grabs his breakfast out of the fridge, a can of red bull, Mike looks over to his brothers bed and realises that it seems like he didn't come home last night.
Grabbing everything he needs Mike heads to the door and when he opens it he sees his brother just about to do the same.
"Long night?" Mike asks, his brother, when he sees him.
"Oh yeah." Neal confirms, "In fact I've got to get changed and then get back to the FBI."
"Fun." Mike says, sounding sarcastic, "Did you see Alex?"
"Yeah. She's doing okay. She said she'd catch up with you in a few days." Neal explains to Mike.
"Good. That's good." Mike says, sounding relieved.
"How was your first day back at work?" Neal asks curious.
"Good, but complicated." Mike admits, "We're doing an in house trial run for Harvey's fraud trial. Louis is playing Tanner, and I've been drafted by him, and my job is to make him think out of the box, make him think like Tanner would."
"Good luck." Neal tells Mike.
"Thanks. I got to go." Mike says, before giving his brother a quick hug, before leaving.
After the morning he has had Mike is very much looking forward to going to lunch with Mozzie. So, he ends up leaving ten minutes earlier than he has to, partly to get away from all the tension at the firm.
"Hey Moz." Mike says, as walks up to his friend, who is waiting at their usual waiting place.
"I can't do lunch today. I have to go to an antique shop." Mozzie explains.
"And you couldn't call?" Mike asks, as the two of them start to walk.
"You know I don't like to call." Mozzie explains.
"I'm probably going to regret asking this, but why do you need to go to an antique shop?" Mike asks curious
"About the music box. I'm getting help with the code." Mozzie says.
"Oh cool, I'll come." Mike says as he wants to be more involved.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Mozzie tells Mike, looking concerned.
"You mean you don't think Neal will like it." Mike corrects, "I told him, and I'm telling you, I'm not a kid anymore and you two need to stop treating me like one." Mike says, "Besides it's an Antique Shop, what's the worst that can happen?" Mike asks Mozzie, with the Caffrey grin.
"You are way too stubborn." Mozzie tells Mike.
"Does that surprise you, I grew up with you and Neal." Mike comments.
"Good point." Mozzie realises, "Come on Kid." He says, and the two of them head to where Mozzie was going.
A little while after they meet up Mike and Mozzie are walking into the antique shop that Mozzie has a friend who can help with the code in the music box.
"So who is this guy?" Mike asks, as they walk in.
"And old friend, someone I just know from around." Mozzie explains.
"Do you trust him?" Mike asks curious.
"As much as I trust anyone." Mozzie admits, ringing a bell as he walks past.
"Oh! Mozzie, Mozzie!" A Japanese man says, walking out from the back.
"Konnichiwa, my friend." Mozzie greats, "This is my friend, Mike."
"Konnichiwa." Mike greats.
"I have something very intriguing for you." Mozzie says, before speaking Japanese, and because of the time he has spent around Mozzie, Alex, and Neal Mike can understand parts of what they are saying, "Oh yes." Mozzie says, after a laugh, "It is. Um, can you make a copy?" Mozzie asks curious.
"Oh. Of course." The man says, before speaking more Japanese before heading back into the back.
As the man heads to the back Mike and Mozzie look around.
"I've got my eyes on you." Mozzie says to a stuff squirrel.
"Really Moz? It's a stuffed squirrel." Mike comments, giving his friend a look, though he is amused.
"It's staring at me." Mozzie objects.
"Your paranoia is getting way out of control." Mike informs him, shaking his head in amusement.
"It's not paranoia if it's true." Mozzie comments, and as he does the door opens and Neal walks in. "This is a surprise." Mozzie comments.
"Yeah, it is." Neal says, looking at his little brother, "What are you doing here?"
"Moz and I were going to do lunch. We came here instead." Mike explains, "What you doing here anyway? I thought you'd be at work."
"Let just say my day opened up." Neal comments.
"How did your black-on-black affair go?" Mozzie asks curious.
"I found Alex." Neal reveals.
"That's good." Mozzie says.
"She has no idea how to solve the code." Neal explains.
"Which is bad." Mike realises.
"And I got benched by Peter." Neal reveals.
"What happened?" Mike and Mozzie ask together.
"I had Alex steal the box from Diana and donate it to the Russians." Neal explains.
"Really?" Mike asks, giving his brother a look.
"You're trying to draw him out." Mozzie realises, and the look Neal gets on his face confirms that Mozzie is right.
"Neal, what the hell?" Mike asks his brother, there being an undertone of anger in his voice as he cannot believe his brother is being so reckless.
"Fowler brought the explosives that blew up Kate's plane." Neal explains, sadness in his voice.
"Oh, Neal." Mozzie says, sadly as Mike hugs his brother.
"Thanks Mikey." Neal whispers to his brother, as they hug.
"I'm here for you, Neal. Always, just explain your recklessness first." Mike requests.
"I'll try." Neal says, as Mike's phone goes off.
"Great." Mike says, sarcastically, as he checks his phone.
"Problem?" Mozzie asks concerned.
"Louis." Mike says simply and thanks to all they have heard that does explain things for Neal and Mozzie, "I've got to go." Mike says, "I'll get dinner." Mike tells Neal and Mozzie.
"Thanks Mikey." Neal says, and Mike heads out, leaving just Neal and Mozzie.
A few seconds after Mike leaves Akihiro walks back out from the back.
"Oh." Mozzie says and Akihiro starts to speak Japanese, "Oh, excellent. He can help us." Mozzie tells Neal
"Two-parter." Akihiro says.
"Two-part code." Mozzie says.
"Interesting idea." Neal comments.
"We can each take half. As they say, divide and conquer." Mozzie comments, before once more speaking Japanese.
"Brilliant Mind." Akihiro sys, while saying several other things in Japanese.
"Akihiro, you flatter me." Mozzie says, with a smile, "What he said was…." Mozzie starts to say.
"Yeah. Yeah. I heard him." Neal comments and Akihiro once more speaks Japanese to Mozzie.
"Oh, yeah. Okay. Sure." Mozzie says, lifting up the divider to head to the back, "Um, are you okay?" Mozzie asks Neal concerned.
"Yeah, Moz. I'm fine." Neal says, not even sure that he's telling the truth, "I'm gonna head home." Neal says.
"Ja ne." Mozzie tells Neal.
"Ja ne." Neal says, and Mozzie heads out the back.
Once Mozzie heads to the back Neal hesitates for a moment before heading back, grabbing a gun, and leaving out the front.
It has been hours since Mozzie, Mike, and Neal went to the pawn shop and the three old friends have had a late dinner together, before Mozzie headed home. It has been a little while since Mozzie left and ever since Mike has been working on his paperwork while Neal is out on the terrace.
Having just finished the last of his paperwork Mike has packed up his stuff and headed out onto the terrace where Neal is just standing and drinking wine as he stares out at the city.
"You're not okay, are you?" Mike asks his brother, as he walks up to him.
"I…." Neal starts to say, and Mike just gives him a look, "No, I don't think I am." He admits, and Mike just puts his arm around his big brothers' shoulders.
"Peter will find Fowler, you said it yourself, he's the best." Mike tells his brother.
"Fowler's been hiding for months." Neal reminds Mike, "I couldn't handle it if he got away. I want him to pay for what he did."
"He will." Mike tells his brother, "Neal, I know how much you loved, Kate, I watched you two fall in love after all, so I can't even imagine how much you're hurting right now." Mike tells his brother, "But you're not alone Neal, I'm here. So's Moz, and Peter, and June. We'll all help you. Peter found you, he'll find Fowler too."
"I guess." Neal says, looking distracted, and having no idea what else to say the two brothers drift into silence.
For a while Mike and Neal stand in silence and just watch the city.
"I got to get up early in the morning to go try to convince Donna to testify." Mike tells his brother, "You going to stay out here much longer?"
"Yeah, I think so." Neal says, "Night Mikey." Neal says and Mike squeezes the arm he has around his brother, before heading back inside, though he pauses near the door,
"Neal." Mike says, causing Neal to turn back around, "Try not to do anything stupid, okay." Mike tells his brother before heading back inside, not waiting for an answer.
Just like Mike told his brother he got up early the following morning, and was glad to find Neal sleep, so that he could go talk to Donna. After talking to Donna Mike headed to the office where they had the morning session of Harvey's in house trial run.
It is lunchtime and to Mike's surprise Harvey suggested the go to the hotdog cart together to get lunch.
"Isn't this technically collusion?" Mike asks curious, though he is really glad to be spending more time with Harvey, as they walk outside the building.
"Only if we talk about the trial." Harvey tells Mike.
"No trial talk, got it." Mike comments, looking amused.
"There are still plenty of things we can talk about." Harvey says.
"Oh?" Mike asks, but before Harvey can answer Mike's phone starts to ring, "I better get that." Mike tells Harvey, so he pulls his phone out of his pocket and answers it, "Hello." Mike says, and pauses while the other person speaks, "Moz, calm down, slow down, you're not making sense." Mike says, and Harvey can hear the worry in his voice, "He did what?" Mike asks, sounding both shocked and angry.
"Mike, what's wrong?" Harvey asks.
"I'll be right there." Mike says, before hanging up, "Sorry Harvey. I've got to go." Mike says, before turning away,
"Mike wait." Harvey says, reaching out and grabbing his arm, "What's going on?" he asks concerned.
"I can't get into it; I just need to go." Mike tells Harvey, as after what Mozzie just told him he has to get to his brother, as soon as possible.
"What about the trial run?" Harvey ask.
"It doesn't start again for an hour; I'll be back by then." Mike says, before running off leaving Harvey standing confused, concerned, and alone.
Having hurried as fast as he could Mike gets back to the apartment in record time, even for him, and he walks in to find Neal hitting bullets across the room.
"Neal?" Mike asks from the door, not walking in until Neal knows he's in the room, his childhood self-preservations sense showing itself once more, even though he knows Neal would never hurt him.
"Mike?" Neal asks confused, looking over at his brother and as he does Mike can see the pain and guilt on his brothers face so he just walks over and hugs him, as he does they both hear Mike's phone go off with a message tone, which they both ignore, "What are you doing here?" Neal asks, as they break apart.
"Moz told me what happened." Mike says, as they break apart, and Mike pulls out one of the other chairs and sits down.
"I don't even know what you must be thinking of me right now." Neal says, as he is pretty sure that his actions, among other things, would make his little brother ashamed of him.
"I'm thinking, you're human, and hurting, and you made a rash decision." Mike tells his brother, "It doesn't make me think any less of you." Mike says, as his phone once more goes off.
"It should. I almost killed Fowler, if it wasn't for Peter I would have." Neal admits, looking at him.
"If you were a killer Neal, Peter wouldn't have been able to stop you. You stopped yourself, Peter just gave you the push." Mike says, as his phone once more goes off.
"You give me way more faith than I deserve." Neal informs Mike.
"No, I don't, I give you exactly what you deserve." Mike tells Neal, and the two brothers drift into silence.
"Fowler didn't kill Kate." Neal says, breaking the silence after a couple of minutes, though it wasn't complete silence as Mike's phone went off several times, "I almost killed him, and he didn't kill her."
"Who did?" Mike asks his brother.
"I don't know." Neal says, "But I need to find out."
"I'm sure you will." Mike says, as his phone goes off once more.
"You really should check that." Neal tells his brother so Mike pulls his phone out his pocket to check.
"It's nothing important." Mike lies, putting his phone down on the table, "Neal, I know it might be tempting, but getting revenge outside the law isn't the answer."
"I think you might be right, but I don't know." Neal admits, as Mike's phone goes off once more, this time, before Mike can grab his phone Neal picks it up and reads all the messages, "Nothing important huh?" Neal asks, once he reads, giving his brother a look.
"Nothing's more important than you." Mike informs his brother.
"Mike, I know how much you love your job. I'll be okay, go." Neal tells him.
"Neal..." Mike starts to say.
"Mike, I promise I won't try to kill anyone else while you're at work, go." Neal tells his brother.
"Neal….."
"For me." Neal says, before his brother can say something, "Go, I'll be okay."
"But…" Mike starts to say.
"Mike, I'll be okay, go. Please." Neal says, as he doesn't want Mike to risk getting fired because of him, and once more Mike's phone goes off again.
"Fine, if you need anything I'm just a call away." Mike says, before grabbing his phone and heading out, feeling bad about leaving his brother.
Having hurried back to his office, with his phone going off a few more times, Mike hurries towards the library where the trial run is happening. To Mike's surprise Harvey is waiting outside.
"Is everything okay?" Harvey asks, when he sees Mike, managing to perfectly hide the fact that he's bene worried about Mike since he ran away from him.
"No." Mike answers, and Harvey gives him a look, "I'll explain later." Mike assures Harvey, "Promise." He says, "We should get in there." He says, as he really just wants to get this over with so that he can get back to Neal.
"Yeah, we should." Harvey says, wondering what has happened to Mike and the two of them head into the library.
It's been a little while since Mike left and Neal has gone to the bathroom to clean up a bit, and just as he returns to the living room he hears a knock on the door so he walks over to answer it, finding Alex on the other side.
"Hi, Neal." Alex greats, "Can I come in?"
"Sure. Come on in." Neal says, letting Alex into the apartment, "Wine?"
"Always." Alex answers and Neal grabs Alex a glass and pours Alex a glass of wine too. As Neal pours the wine his phone starts to ring.
"Are you going to answer that?" Alex asks curious.
"No." Neal says, noticing Peter's name on the caller ID.
"Is the target officially off my back?" Alex asks curious.
"Whoever wants the box knows you don't have it now." Neal explains.
"Well, it'll be nice to stop prowling around rooftops for a paycheck." Alex comments, causing both of them to chuckles, "What about you? Did you get what you need?" Alex asks curious.
"I found Fowler, but I still don't know who killed Kate." Neal explains.
"And the code?"
"Moz will crack it." Neal says, believing that completely.
"I chased that music box for a long time, Neal. I almost feel guilty I brought in you." Alex admits, telling the truth.
"On come on. I forced my way in." Neal says.
"True, but that's just…" Alex starts to say.
"What we do." Neal finishes.
"It's kind of sad. It's all coming to an end." Alex says, reaching into her bag and Neal takes a step back, but as he does the door burst open and Peter and Diana, both with their guns drawn burst into the room.
"Freeze. Hands where I can see them!" Peter says and Alex turns to face Peter, showing that she just has a book, and a pen in her hand.
"My number." Alex says, ripping a piece of paper out of the book, "Give it too Mike too. From now on, I'll answer it." She says, handing the paper to Neal, "See you around Neal." Alex says before heading to the door.
"I thought we sent you to Italy, Alex." Peter says, before she can leave.
"Snuck back in." Alex says.
"You are quick on your feet. Like a cat." Peter comments, "That sliver around your neck… Spanish, by chance?" peter asks curious.
"Don't know." Alex lies, "See you around." She says, before leaving.
"You want to explain the guns?" Neal asks, once Alex leaves.
"Someone killed Akihiro Tanaka." Diana reveals, "We though they were headed here next.
"Why?" Neal asks.
"Surveillance tapes at the antique shop. Paused on your image." Peter explains.
"I wasn't there alone." Neal says, horror filling his voice, as he knows that both Mozzie and Mike would be in danger now too.
A little while after she broke into Neal's apartment with her gun drawn Diana is making her way through Pearson Hardman. After everything that has happened in the last few days the thing that has shocked her the most is Neal telling her not only where to find his brother, but the name he goes by.
Arriving at the library, where she'll apparently find Mike Diana sees a redhead woman walking up to the stand that they have made.
"Can I help you?" The mock judge, Daniel Hardman, asks.
"Agent Diana Berrigan, FBI." Diana explains, showing her badge, "I'm here…"
"Diana?" Mike asks, cutting her off before she can say anymore and seeing him she walks over to the desk he is sitting at.
"Mike, Neal told me where to find you. I'm here to take you into protective custody." Diana reveals, to the shock of the room, all of whom heard everything she said.