Preparations

From K:

Is there any chance you might write more of the spy twins on your 'Spies vs Cons'? I'd love to see them trying to explain their jobs (and each other) to either Mozzie or Peter or Sara(h), or possibly all four.

Author's Note: So, a second instalment of the Twin Spies universe. In this one, Neal's also a CIA agent and Neal Caffrey is his active cover.

Neal ran a hand through his hair and tried to figure out how to explain this. He was under orders to do so, so there was no getting out of it but, he had no idea how to breach the subject.

"Come on, Neal," Sara said as her finger stilled after tapping a waiting rhythm onto the table for the past few minutes. "You called us for a reason, what is it?"

When Neal didn't respond, Mozzie spoke;

"Neal, I'm sitting in the middle of Fed Central because you said you had something to say and could only say it here."

"Yes, and thank you for coming, Moz." Neal meant it too, even if the little man looked ridiculous in his brown shaggy wig, sunglasses and fisherman's hat.

"Just Moz?" Peter questioned in amusement, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, thank you all for coming," Neal said. This he could say easily. "I know my request was a little strange," Sara snorted and Mozzie barked 'hah!', "Okay, really strange. But I have a reason."

"We guessed as much," Sara responded.

"Neal? Are you okay?" Peter asked, "you don't normally have trouble saying whatever you want."

"Ouch, Peter," Neal joked, holding a hand over his heart and he added theatrically, "you wound me."

"The Suit's right," Mozzie said, "should I be checking you for signs of external control? Brain parasites, maybe?"

"No thank you, Moz" Neal responded in a sigh. He had to tell them eventually, so he silently told himself to 'cowboy up'. He had a mission. "Sara," he turned to her, "you recently recovered a gemstone box and I need you to hand it over to me."

"Neal?" Peter questioned in a confused tone.

"Is this a hold-up of some kind?" Sara demanded to know.

Mozzie sat back silently and watched them.

"That box is worth millions and recovering it is a huge win for Sterling Bosh!" Sara said, shooting out of her chair. "I'm not handing it over to anyone."

"Please, just listen," Neal said, holding up his hands and motioning for her to calm down. "That box contains a rare, well; I guess you'd call it a battery."

"What?" she questioned in a confused tone.

"You haven't been able to get it open, correct?" She nodded. "That's because it only opens when a specific tone is played. The battery inside is used to power a device known as "The Narcissus"."

"Wait, that new weapon that's making waves on the black market?" Mozzie questioned, drawing all the attention. "The one that's supposed to paralyse all targets within range?"

Neal nodded. He was surprised but, Mozzie had already shown that he had access to high-level information just through his black markets businesses. And the device was making waves.

"It was originally developed in order to stop riots without harming anyone," Neal explained, "but, it was stolen and sold on the black market. Sara, the person you recovered that box for is the fence for the device. The person you recovered it from is a CIA agent." Which was impressive but, the agent would have shot her if they didn't recognise her from Neal's descriptions back when they were partnered together in 2005. Thankfully, they did and they contacted Neal in order to handle it.

"And how do you know this?" she demanded to know with her head held high and her arms crossed against her stomach. A moment later she backtracked and said, "doesn't matter. I'm not handing it over to a felon."

"Harsh," Mozzie commented.

"She has a point though," Peter said. He turned to Neal. "And there's something you haven't told us."

Neal smiled, his head tilted towards the ground as he shook his head. Of course Peter would notice.

"You won't be handing the box over to Neal Caffrey, convicted bond forger and confidence man." He paused for a moment before adding, "you'll be handing it over to Danny Larkin, CIA agent." He didn't know if they would figure it out from just that but, his heart was thudding all the same.

"Who?" Sara questioned.

"You, isn't it?" Mozzie questioned. Neal's silence was all the answer he needed. "You have an unholy alliance with dark side."

"Neal's a CIA agent?" Peter questioned in disbelief. He glanced between Mozzie and Neal as if one of them was going to announce that it was a joke. "The CIA doesn't hire criminals."

"No," Neal responded, "but they do create them sometimes. And I was with the CIA before I came to New York."

Sara's mouth had dropped open slightly as she tried to process this. She reminisced over the time she had chased him and the times when they were together. There hadn't been any hints in Neal's behaviour that he was a, her mind stumbled over the words, federal agent.

Neal could see that his friends were having trouble with this. Peter was staring at him curiously and his eyes were darting to the wall of his office, no doubt he wanted to get on the computers to look into Danny Larkin's existence.

Mozzie had frozen entirely and he was staring at the wall in front of him, not even looking at Neal.

Neal wished he was done with this. But, he was only getting started.

"I'm sorry I never told you before now," he said, "but, it was important that I keep the secret."

"That's understandable," Mozzie, of all people, was the one who said that, snapping out of his daze as Neal spoke. "You probably have many enemies who would be willing to hurt us for information."

Neal nodded stiffly. This was not the reaction he had expected out of his bespectacled friend. He worked for 'the man' and really expected Mozzie to denounce him on the spot.

"Mozzie?" Sara questioned, just as confused.

"You believe him?" Peter asked and then paused as he thought about what he said. He sighed. "Of course you do."

"There have been things that never added up," Mozzie explained. He gave Neal and apologetic glance. "No offence. So I had hints that Neal might not be all con."

"Or the best con you ever met," Neal responded automatically, not really ready to give away his titles of conman and thief. But, he was willing to give up his 'felon' title, at least in front of these three. So he pulled out his CIA badge and passed it to Peter.

"Huh," was all Peter could say.

Neal gave them another few moments to absorb this. Sara seemed to have moved from stunned to slightly interested while Peter seemed to be adjusting now that he had the CIA badge to analyse.

"There's more," he hesitantly added.

"What could top this?" Peter questioned rhetorically, knowing he would find out in a few moments.

"Oh, are you going to take us to your spy base?" Mozzie asked, "are we going to see your spy gadgets? Do you have an evil plot to undercover?"

"No, no and not really."

"'Not really'?" Sara questioned.

"See, um," Neal sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "The box was supposed to be delivered to another agent, who was going to take it to be analysed. He's kind of mad that you stole it."

"I didn't steal it!" Sara defended herself, "I was doing my job! Maybe this agent should have stepped forward instead of sending you." She grumbled that last part but Neal heard her.

"He couldn't," Neal responded, "not without me explaining some of this to you. 'Cause, his name is Bryce Larkin." Pause. Now, he expected Mozzie to get it.

"Any relation to 'Danny Larkin'?" But, no; Peter asked. He seemed quite interested in all this, sitting back and listening to the secrets of Neal's hidden life. He also knew he would ask questions later, maybe while Neal digs into an El cooked meal.

"He's my brother," Neal said, "my, uh, identical twin brother."

A look of understanding dawned on Sara's face. Bryce wouldn't have been able to go into Sterling Bosh and interfere in one of their investigations without putting Neal in danger. And no one would work with someone who looked like Neal Caffrey.

"So, the plan," Neal said quickly, to distract, "Sara'll bring the box to this office and Peter will witness her handing it over to Bryce Larkin, I'll be playing him and you're still handing it over to an agent."

Sara gave an incredulous snort.

"Why am I here?" Mozzie asked.

"Well, for one, I didn't want to tell Peter without telling you," Neal said, "and, two, I need you to be the courier and get the box to Bryce. You're the only one who can do the drop without exposure."

Peter and Sara both stared at Mozzie, uncertainly.

"Can I send him a box with a sonnet inside?" he asked excitedly.

"I can only give you a mobile number," Neal responded, knowing exactly where this would go.

"Okay, a text which contains encoded coordinates which lead to a box with a sonnet inside. The sonnet-"

"Okay, Moz," Neal responded, mentally apologising to Bryce. He didn't think his twin would appreciate Mozzie's quirks. "Don't tell us everything, it needs to be secret."

Mozzie closed his mouth and nodded. Sara took one look at him and sighed.

"Fine. When do we do this?"

A few days later, there was a knock at the Burkes' back door. Elizabeth was surprise but Peter wasn't. He got up and opened the door, letting Sara and Mozzie in.

"You wouldn't believe what he made me do!" Sara complained.

"Did you get the photos?" Peter asked as Elizabeth wandered curiously over to them.

Mozzie nodded and pulled the photos out of his pocket.

"Mozzie didn't miss a thing," Sara explained, "I assume you kept Neal busy?"

Peter nodded as he picked up one of the pictures. He had kept Neal with him throughout the day so that Sara and Mozzie could stake out the drop site for the box and get pictures of Neal's twin.

The person in it looked like Neal; the same dark hair, blue eyes and slender but strong body shape. He was wearing a white button up shirt with black pants and a gray tie; it looked like a uniform.

"Why is Neal wearing a Nerd Herd outfit?" Elizabeth asked.

"Remember when I told you Neal had a twin?" Peter said, holding up one of the pictures.

Elizabeth gasped.

"This is him? They're-"

"Identical," Sara and Mozzie said together. Sara added, "which was more of a shock than the fact that Neal's a spy."

"You find it shocking," Mozzie said, "spies are part of everyday life. That's why you need to-"

"Watch out for the guys who install your wide-screen TV?" Peter jokingly finished.

"You laugh now," Mozzie countered pointing a threatening finger at the Suit. "But, it's a cover for intelligence gathering."

"I doubt there's a group of spies working in the Nerd Herd," Sara commented.

Mozzie frowned and pursed his lips.

"Don't worry, Mozzie," Elizabeth said in a supporting tone, "we'll be careful."

"Good." Mozzie nodded at Mrs. Suit.