Chapter Sixty-two

'H…Hon?'

When Elizabeth had woken in the morning she couldn't even entertain the idea that she might hear Peter's voice by sunset. Finding Peter alive had become a hope that was too painful to even idly dream about. This morning had been particularly difficult to face due to the drizzling rain that struck the bedroom window. There was an odd sort of comfort and enjoyment to be found in a proper thunderstorm, but the half hearted smattering rain only further sank Elizabeth's already heavy heart.

Ignoring the fact that she should have gotten out of bed hours ago Elizabeth just curled up tighter under the covers. Even with Satchmo laying next to her there was a chill to the sheets that kept Elizabeth from being able to actually go back to sleep. Hungry and needing to go outside Satchmo whimpered quietly with a hesitant wag to his tail. Opening her eyes Elizabeth managed a slight smile at the site of Satchmo using Peter's pillow. Satchmo had been very hesitant at first to accept her invitation to start sleeping on the bed. Peter firmly believed that a dog's place was on the floor and he had trained Satchmo well. Elizabeth had stuck to that rule for about a week after Peter's disappearance, but eventually she couldn't handle sleeping alone anymore.

In the past two months Satchmo had gotten used to his new position on the bed, however he still went on his nightly search of the house for Peter before he would jump up to lay down. Sensing Elizabeth's distress but not understanding it Satchmo often roved the house with his nose to the floor looking for Peter in hopes that the alpha leader could make things better. When he invariably failed to find his missing pack member he would return to Elizabeth looking defeated.

Seeing Elizabeth was awake Satchmo beat his tail harder against the bed in a rhythmic thumping. Reaching out Elizabeth stroked the dog's soft fur. Excited for the affection Satchmo wiggled closer and increased his enthusiastic wagging. Taking a deep breath Elizabeth forced herself to get out from under the covers and sit on the edge of the bed. Thrilled that chances of breakfast were getting better Satchmo jumped out of bed and paced in front of Elizabeth.

"Thank you, Satchmo, I don't think I would have even bothered to get out of bed today if it wasn't for you."

Showing an enthusiasm that Elizabeth doubted she'd ever be able to match Satchmo raced down the stairs. Following the Lab downstairs she let him out into the gray rainy day. Not caring about the rain the dog scampered out into the backyard. After getting a towel to dry him off when he came back inside Elizabeth found herself just staring out blankly at the slate gray sky. Feeling a rising anxiety she tried to focus on caring for Satchmo, she really hadn't been taking him out for walks as often as she should since that used to be a favorite activity for her to do with Peter. Calling the dog back inside after a few minutes she knelt down and toweled him off with great care. Going into the kitchen she decided to prepare the dog a breakfast fit for any human house guest. By the time she had finished cooking up the egg, chicken, vegetable and rice medley Satchmo was practically dancing in anticipation.

Once the meal was in his reach the dog wolfed it down in record speed. For all the care she had placed into the dish she doubted that Satchmo had actually tasted any of it, but that hadn't really been the point anyway. Cooking for the dog had gone a long way to distracting Elizabeth from the sickening feeling in her stomach, but once it was done she was at a loss again. She understood that she was going to have good and bad days, she just wasn't sure how to best handle the truly miserable ones. Getting her phone Elizabeth hit the redial from the previous evening.

"Good morning, Elizabeth." Asha answered. "How are you doing?"

"Not great." Elizabeth admitted.

"I figured that was the case." Asha said sympathetically. "Rainy days are always the worst. I was going to call you but I didn't know if you wanted some space. Have you had lunch yet?"

"Lunch? I…uh…I just got out of bed." Elizabeth looked around a little disoriented. "What time is it?"

"Eleven thirty."

"I have to do better than this." Elizabeth sighed.

"Don't worry about it. Do you want me to come over?"

"I'd like that."

"I'll be there soon."

"Thank you."

With a new purpose Elizabeth went back upstairs to shower and get ready for Asha's arrival. It was only about half an hour before the front door chimed. Asha was at the door with her hair far more curly than usual as the high humidity caused it to have a mind of its own. She had a bag from an organic cafe near Light for the Lost that she and Elizabeth frequented. Elizabeth gave Asha a quizzical expression at the sheer speed that she'd gotten food and gotten to the house.

"I was already at the restaurant when you called." Asha explained.

"Thank you so much for coming."

"Of course, that's what friends are for."

Trotting up to Asha Satchmo sniffed her over before wagging.

"Hello, Fuzzbutt." Asha greeted. "Are you enjoying tracking mud into the house today?"

Not sure what Asha was saying but pleased to be the center of attention Satchmo continued to wag. Elizabeth smiled warmly at Asha and Satchmo interacting, she wasn't sure if she was being silly or not but she figured if Satchmo approved of someone they must be a good person. Despite all her doubts and suspicions about Walker Elizabeth didn't know how she would be coping right now if he hadn't inadvertently introduced her to Asha. She had told Hughes about her thoughts on the Skiptracers, but now that a few days had past she had started doubting herself. Trusting the FBI to deal with any criminal activity Elizabeth turned her attention to her guest. Taking the food she had brought Elizabeth got real plates to put everything on and they sat at the dinning room table.

"You really do have a lovely home, Elizabeth." Asha noted looking around the combined kitchen dinning room.

"I'm thinking about selling it." Elizabeth admitted.

"Really?"

"I don't know. I go back and forth on it. On the one hand there are a lot of memories here, on the other hand…"

"There are a lot of memories here?" Asha finished knowingly.

Elizabeth nodded.

"My advice: don't make any major decisions on rainy days."

"Do you mean that literally or metaphorically?"

"Both." Asha smiled.

Despite feeling much better than when she got up this morning Elizabeth still jerked with a nervous startle when Asha's phone rang. Asha apologized and reached into her pocket to just silence the call. As soon as she cut off the call the phone rang again. Trying again only got the same results so this time she took the phone out to see who it was.

"I'm so sorry," Asha apologized again "it's the head office."

"You can take the call, I don't mind."

"Thank you, technically I should be at work right now." Asha said before answering the phone. "Hello? …Why do you ask? …No, I don't think that's appropriate."

Elizabeth watched Asha with growing concern. She couldn't understand the caller but she could hear the annoyed tone.

"I don't care." Asha responded firmly. "I highly suggest you let Mr. Walker deal with them on his own. I don't think he'd like you calling me like this. Good bye."

Asha hung up the phone but stared at it for a moment with her delicate brow knit in concern.

"Asha? Something wrong."

"Apparently earlier this morning an FBI Agent 'invited' Charles down to the Federal Building and no one has seen him since. One of the board members wanted your phone number, obviously I wasn't going to give it to him."

"I told them about the Skiptracers, but I didn't think anyone took me all that seriously."

"You're kidding right? Why wouldn't they take you seriously?

"I don't know. Maybe because even I'm not sure I'm reliable any more? I've been jumping at shadows ever since Peter disappeared."

"Sometimes those shadows really do hide something."

"I don't see ho…"

Elizabeth jumped again when there was a sudden knocking at the door. Satchmo perked up again but he didn't bark. Satchmo's reaction combined with the visitor knocking instead of using the door bell told Elizabeth that it was Mozzie. Mozzie had told her once that doorbells were dangerous because they could be traps or have finger print scanners on them. Without any real rhyme or reason Elizabeth's stomach suddenly twisted in a painful knot. Asha noticed her stricken look and reached across the table to take her hand.

"Do you want me to answer the door?" Asha asked. "I swear I'll kill whoever it is if they are from Light for the Lost with any FBI questions."

"No, thank you. I think I know who it is. It's okay."

Trying to convince herself that she meant her last words Elizabeth got up and went to the door. Mozzie could just let himself in since he had a key, but he always waited to be invited in if he knew she was home. Opening the door Elizabeth's already nervous stomach flipped over when she saw the antsy energy radiating off her friend. Mozzie stepped inside from the light rain without even bothering to dry off his glasses.

"Elizabeth…" Mozzie stopped cold when he spotted Asha in the archway to the kitchen.

"It's okay, Mozzie, this is Asha. I've told you about her."

"Yeah, right, I know." Mozzie shifted his weight. "I'd still rather talk to you alone."

"Mozzie, what's going on?"

"Please, Elizabeth, I really need to talk to you alone."

"I'll go." Asha said. "I need to get back to work anyway…assuming the organization isn't getting shut down."

"Asha…"

"It's okay, Elizabeth, call me later."

"I will."

Mozzie watched Asha warily as she left. Once she was gone Elizabeth turned to Mozzie with her heart pounded.

"I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to say it: Neal is alive."

Elizabeth had never really believed that a person could faint from receiving news of any kind, but she came close to it now. As elated as she was to hear that Neal had been found she couldn't help but instantly think of Peter. She knew that they couldn't know he was dead for sure or else it would be Hughes on her front step with a neatly folded flag and a somber announcement. Speechless and dizzy Elizabeth took a step back causing Mozzie to instantly reach out to make sure she didn't fall.

"Wh…where did they find him?"

"I don't know. Hughes told me next to nothing, but he sent me to take you to the hospital that they've taken Neal to. He said that they didn't know about Peter yet, but that they are on it at full force. Hughes was on his way to the hospital to talk to Neal when he called me."

"We need to go," Elizabeth said casting about for her keys "we need to go now."

"I'll take you. I think Hughes sent me specifically because he didn't want you driving in light of this news."

"You have a car?"

"I do now."

"Mozzie…."

"Don't worry I'll put it back where I found it later."

"You can drive my car."

Once in the car Elizabeth was glad that Hughes had sent Mozzie to take her to the hospital. The more time she had for the news to sink in the harder it was to focus on anything. The entire trip turned into a blur as her thoughts stumbled over one another. She desperately wanted to believe that if Neal had survived that Peter would be next to be found. At the same time she didn't think she could take the heartbreak if she let herself get to used to the idea that he was alive only to find out otherwise.

With her heart pounding in her throat Elizabeth let Mozzie take care of the details of finding their way to the CCU and getting through the security that had been placed around it. Once in the small CCU wing of the hospital Elizabeth couldn't help but notice how most of the lights had been turned off giving the place a dark and ominous feel. She was used to hospitals being brightly lit sterile looking environments, but this looked more like an asylum out of a horror movie.

Jones was standing guard outside of one the rooms at full attention. He nodded solemnly at Elizabeth and Mozzie as they approached but he didn't leave his post. The room had glass sliding doors that were covered by a thin curtain that was inside the room. Suddenly Hughes and a doctor in a white lab coat stepped out of the room. Hughes looked stressed and frustrated as he talked with the doctor.

"Doctor…"

"I understand your concern, Agent Hughes." The doctor interrupted Hughes knowing what he was going to say and not having time for it. "However, Mr. Caffrey is alert and oriented, and as such if he wants to refuse treatment that is 100% his right. If he loses consciousness then we can intervene, but outside of dehydration, malnutrition, and some lacerations he's actually in fairly stable condition."

"He's pacing like a madman," Hughes growled "and dripping blood on the floor."

"Not a fatal amount." The doctor shrugged.

The doctor ended the conversation by stepping away from Hughes. Hughes was too used to being the one in charge to easily accept the doctor's attitude, but he also had other things to worry about right now. Spotting Mozzie and Elizabeth he waved them closer.

"Elizabeth," Hughes greeted in a practiced calm tone "Neal tells us that Peter is still alive and we are doing everything in our power to find him. You will know the second that I know, but for right now I think it would be best if you just stayed with Neal. Okay?"

Not even really in control of her own actions Elizabeth just nodded. It was almost like there was this white noise sound echoing in her head that was keeping her from truly understanding the world around her. Hearing that Peter was alive the last time Neal saw him made her heart light as a feather, learning that they still didn't know where he was yanked it back down to Earth again. Hughes reached out and gave her shoulder a squeeze before he looked to Mozzie in a silent order that he keep track of her. Nodding Mozzie took his role seriously. Elizabeth knew he must be anxious to see Neal as was she but he did well to stay by her side.

Pulling the curtain aside revealed that the room beyond it was even darker than the hallway. The floor was a scattered mess of papers that had various faces, doors, symbols, room, and maps drawn on them in a frantic sketchy style along with messily scribbled notes. Not noticing his visitors at first Neal was pacing like an angry tiger in a cage as he alternated between dragging his hands compulsively through his hair and clutching his arms over his stomach. Mad with mental energy but nearly dropping from physical exhaustion he was stuck in a loop of constant pointless motion. Suddenly dropping to his hands and knees he grabbed one of the numerous pencils off he floor and after flipping over a page to get a space he started to draw a man's face with an aggressive snarl.

"Neal?" Mozzie said carefully.

Breaking his pencil point as he jerked back at the sound of his name Neal looked around for the source with a wild feral look in his eyes. Spotting Elizabeth and Mozzie his battered face light up in recognition and excitement. He mouthed both their names with just the faintest of sound to go along with the motion. Jumping up to his feet he immediately collapsed to his knees again. He wasn't dripping blood the way Hughes had complained but the front of the white scrubs they had given him were stained down the front of his chest with crimson and he was heaving for breath.

Mozzie and Elizabeth both quickly stepped forward when he fell. Mozzie helped him up and Neal threw his arms around him in a warm hug before releasing him and drawing Elizabeth into a comforting embrace. The dark room and the large scrubs had hid some of his weight lost but when Elizabeth put her arms around him she could suddenly feel just how much mass he'd lost off his already slight frame. Neal's muscles were almost vibrating as he forced his body against its limits.

"Neal, it's so good to see you alive," Mozzie said in concern "but maybe you should sit down."

Taking a staggering step back away from Elizabeth Neal shook his head vehemently. Worried that he was about to lose his balance Elizabeth reached out and put her hands on his waist. Neal put his hands on Elizabeth's shoulders, but not to steady himself. Gently squeezing her shoulders he stared at her pleadingly.

"I don't know what happened, Neal, but I know you didn't abandon my husband."

Having her understanding Neal visibly relaxed. He closed his eyes briefly as a stray tear traced down his cheek. Elizabeth found herself in tears as well not only over the state Neal was in but knowing that Peter probably hadn't fared any better. Mozzie looked around at the papers strewn all over the floor and instantly honed in on one that had a hexagon with a maze scribbled on it in heavy lines. Bending down he picked it up having recognized it from the card Hughes had shown him.

"Neal, what is this?" Mozzie asked despite Neal's obvious voicelessness. "I've been looking everywhere trying to figure it out."

With a bitter vacant glare Neal reached up and pulled down on the v-neck collar of his scrubs. Elizabeth gasped sharply at the sight of the symbol branded into Neal's chest. After two months the deep wound had healed into a brilliant white scar with red margins but it still looked painful. Elizabeth's mind raced for a reason behind why anyone would mark Neal like that but all she came up with was sheer cruelty. Everything about Neal's state from his physical decline to his agitated demeanor spoke of months spent not just trapped but actively tormented. With her imagination running wild Elizabeth's stomach churned.

Seeing how much seeing the brand had upset her Neal reached out and gently pushed Mozzie away. Neal looked to the door before looking back to Mozzie apologetically. Understanding Mozzie nodded and made the excuse that he was going to step out and get them some water. With Mozzie gone Neal guided Elizabeth a few steps over to the small couch up against the back wall. Finally sitting down himself Neal pulled Elizabeth down to sit next to him before wrapping his arms around her. Unable to handle the stress of not knowing if Peter was coming back Elizabeth broke down into a bitter weeping. Holding her against his branded chest Neal settled his chin over her head and allowed her to release her emotions without judgement.

Finding herself more miserable than ever before Elizabeth just wanted this moment over with. As devastating as it would be to be told they hadn't gotten to Peter in time right now all she wanted was an answer. The helpless waiting in uncertainly had reached an unbearable level. Keeping his arms around her Neal rocked slightly, it was a tiny gesture of attempting to offer some comfort but Elizabeth deeply appreciated it. She knew Neal was in pain right now as well and that she was just a powerless to help him as he was to help her, and yet somehow that shared dilemma helped them both through. Knowing it would upset Peter to know how distraught she was Elizabeth forced herself to calm for his sake. Neal squeezed her tighter for a moment and kissed the top of her head in a show of admiration for her bravery. Elizabeth nuzzled against his chest in a thank you feeling that if he didn't need to use his voice to connect with her that she didn't need to use hers.

With a shared misery that only they truly empathized with Neal and Elizabeth waited together. Elizabeth had no idea how long they sat together, if she had been told it had been days she would have believed it. She was reaching a point where she was afraid that she might be physically sick when Neal gave her a gentle nudge. With her blood turned to ice Elizabeth looked up as Hughes entered the room. With her breath held Elizabeth sat up as Hughes walked over at a brisk pace. A wave of relief crashed against her when Hughes smiled.

"Peter would like to talk to you." Hughes said simply as he offered her a small radio.

Still in shock Elizabeth's hand trembled as she took the radio in a daze. She could feel Neal relaxing behind her as he heard the news but she couldn't look back at him as her eyes were fixed on the radio. Hughes looked to Neal before offering him a respectful nod of thanks. Giving the pair some privacy Hughes was gone just as quickly as he'd come, still having work ahead of him but now with a clear goal head. The whole moment was so surreal that it didn't even really hit home for Elizabeth until the radio in her hand came to life with a distinct baritone.

"H…Hon?"

"Peter…" Elizabeth replied in a voice weak from relief.

"Elizabeth," Peter breathed with a heavy amount of relief himself "you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice."

"I…I think I have some idea." Elizabeth replied with a tearful chuckle. "I never…I didn't…Peter…"

"I know, I know." Peter assured when she couldn't complete her thought. "I am so sorry for everything I've put you through."

"It's not your fault. Just come home."

"Very soon. I'm in good hands right now, the SWAT team isn't going to let anything happen to me. Everything is under control. I love you."

"I love you too." Elizabeth smiled through her joyful tears still hardly able to believe that her husband was basically back from the dead.

"Is Neal with you?"

"He is." Elizabeth nodded. "He's lost his voice completely."

"Neal can't speak? That I have to see."

"Yes you do."

"…I have to go." Peter said reluctantly starting to sound out of breath. "I love you."

"I love you too." Elizabeth repeated.

Elizabeth was shivering by the time the all to brief conversation was over but she had never felt so good. Over joyed to the point where she was questioning if all of this was really happening Elizabeth finally turned to look at Neal. With proof of Peter being found by the SWAT team Neal had finally given into his exhaustion. Still sitting up with his head back Neal snored quietly. Elizabeth called for Jones to come in and he quickly assessed the situation and lifted Neal up off the couch and carried him over to the hospital bed. Jones smiled at Elizabeth and gave her a warm hug before he went looking for the doctor. Pulling a blanket over Neal Elizabeth leaned over and kissed Neal's forehead.

"Thank you."