Notes: Sorry about the delay. The last week and a bit has been very stressful for anyone living in my area. I don't feel comfortable posting the cause since it actually can be used to find my location. But the important thing is that my family and I are okay.

Chapter 25

The cell had been devoid of everything bar a bed. It looked pretty nice, except for the see-through door which robbed anyone inside of privacy and kept the place locked up tight.

"How did he get out of here?" Peter questioned, looking down the long hall. Even if Shaw had just walked out, he still had to get past the people at the front.

"I wonder if I can figure out who wrote the looping code which tricked the cameras," Chuck wondered.

"Go find out," Damian said. "Any lead is a good lead right now." He started taking pictures of the room to show Mozzie. At the very least, figuring out how to break out of this room would provide them with some distraction.

"How would you escape?" Peter asked.

"I have no idea right now. I don't think it's possible to have done this without some outside help and that worries me."

Peter was surprised that he would express worry. "It's not your fault that Shaw shot Alfred."

"Alfred was only here because of me. Because Father found out about my being here as Neal Caffrey and thought I should leave."

"Do you want to leave?"

Damian didn't know. Which is why he was just going with the flow. "At the very least, it's wasn't his choice to make."

Peter nodded and didn't press the issue. "It's still not your fault. The blame falls squarely on Shaw's shoulders."

Mar'i was feeling a little restricted. She couldn't leave Elizabeth Burke alone, no matter how much she wanted to go out and fight criminals. If something happened to the nice lady, it would be her fault. But staying here was making her twitchy.

"Do you have any dietary requirements?"

Mar'i didn't. Her blend of Earthling and Tamaranean gave her a sturdy constitution, inside and out.

"Are you missing Neal?" El asked.

"No. I know he'll be back. If he's not, then we're going after him."

El raised her eyebrows. "Then, is Peter safe following this investigation of Neal's?"

"It probably carries less risk than an FBI case."

That seemed to relax El a little. She was still worried but was able to hide it as she started making dinner.

"Let's talk about something that's not the boys' case," El said. "How are things going between you and Neal?"

"What do you mean?"

"You were dating, right? Or was that some kind of ruse? I really hope it wasn't, you two dating really upset Peter at times. He didn't think Kate was good enough for Neal."

Mar'i laughed. "He'd be one of the few people thinking that he wasn't good enough for me! I know he's worried our family and friends will think the opposite. For all he acts confident, he really doesn't understand his own worth."

El nodded in agreement. She had seen that enough times around Neal. He was willing to put himself in the firing line to protect others, to the point that she would call it a character flaw. He didn't notice the way Peter worried whenever he came close to being hurt or in danger.

"Are you dating?"

Mar'i sighed. "We are," she muttered. She rubbed her hand over over her mouth in frustration. It beat banging her head against the table. "But I heard something about a ring and I don't know if it was meant for me because he wants to marry me or if it was just something else to add to our cover."

"Neal doesn't seem like the type to marry for a cover."

"But he hasn't asked me again."

"Would you say yes?"

Mar'i paused. Would she? She wanted him to ask her but what was her answer supposed to be? Yes? They weren't even out to their parents. "It's complicated."

"Maybe he's waiting for things to not be so complicated," El suggested, taking a seat next to Mar'i on the couch. "Although, you're in for a wait. Things are never not complicated."

"I'm aware," Mar'i said.

"You could always ask him." Mar'i stared at El in surprise. "If you think he'll say 'yes' and you want him to say 'yes', then you can ask. Unless he's not really into that-"

"I think he'll be fine with it."

"There you go. Even I had to give Peter a little push here and there."

"I doubt you had to push him into engagement."

"No. But there wasn't any formal engagement as you know it. We just... decided one day that we wanted to be married. So we went ring shopping as an engaged couple. There was no 'getting down on one knee'."

That was interesting and she wanted to know more about the Burkes' relationship. However, Mar'i's phone began chiming for a call in the distance. It took a moment of rushing around to remember that she had placed it on her bag, which she had placed next to the door when she came in.

"Is Mozzie with you?" Damian asked the moment she picked up.

"Hello Mar'i, how are you? I'm fine, thanks for asking-"

"I know the structure of phone pleasantries however, I'm really not in the mood. Mozzie's not picking up his phone and I need him to check something."

"Something?"

"Shaw has escaped and we have no clues here. Mozzie might be the only person who can track him down."

"Why Mozzie? Do you really think he'll help capture a CIA agent on the run?"

"He's helped people from the CIA before. Come on Mar'i."

Mar'i sighed. "He's not here. Give me a moment."

Elizabeth giggled as they opened the door and walked across the street.

Mozzie had the car out of park and into gear the moment the ladies came out of the Burkes' townhouse. He was ready to follow them, wherever they might go.

Mar'i came up to the tinted window of his rental car and tapped. Neal's curiosity must have been rubbing off on him because, instead of tearing out of his car park and booking it down the street, Mozzie wound the window down.

"Hey Moz," Mar'i greeted, alien eyes glowing and a smug smile on her lips.

"What do you want?" Mozzie asked.

Mar'i shoved a phone in his face. "Got a call for you."

Mozzie sighed. Of course. He didn't need to look on the screen to know it was Neal, or Damian, calling for assistance.

"I'm guessing the big, bad CIA agent isn't in his cell?"

"Ex-CIA. Please tell me you didn't help Shaw escape."

"I wouldn't help a man who tried to kill an adopted little girl."

"What?" He could hear Damian's confusion. So Chuck hadn't told the story of Sarah's little sister in full, had he? Mozzie had seen the transmissions between Shaw and the agent in charge of tracking the child down. Mozzie still wasn't sure if the agent's appearance had been a coincidence or not. It was unsettling to realise that Peter had a doppelganger with the CIA.

"Don't worry about it. I assume you want me to find information on Shaw's whereabouts?"

"Please."

"I make no promises." Mozzie passed the phone back to Mar'i.