Chapter 6

Neal-

Dimly, Neal began to wake, his senses coming to him as he heard the steady beeping of a monitor next to him. His blue eyes fluttered open, closing after a few seconds, but soon opened and stayed open. The young man blinked. No Peter. No Elizabeth. Neal felt a pang of worry, hearing the slight acceleration of his heart thanks to the monitor. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. It probably meant nothing...no, that wasn't right. They would have been there. Something was not right. When the young man opened his eyes, he saw Jones standing next to him, the look on the Agent's face terrified Neal. It was so...bleak. He watched as Jones took a deep breath, and then began to speak.

"She got Peter and Elizabeth."

Neal froze at the words. No questions asked as to who had gotten his friends, he knew. Sasha Storm. He dimly heard the crazy beeping of the monitors. He didn't care. He didn't care about anything. Not right now.

"Mr. Caffrey. Please, you have to calm down! Sir, calm down!" He heard the frantic talking of a nurse, and his blue gaze fixed on her.

"Let me out of here." He said, his voice sort of raspy. No surprise there. The nurse gasped in shock.

"Sir, you can't leave here! You need treatment! Medical attention! You. Can't. Leave." She said, still trying to calm him down. Neal closed his eyes, turning his head to the side until the beeping on the monitors slowed back to normal again, though his mind was in turmoil.

"Just go." He muttered, waiting until he heard both of them leave, though before Jones left, he lightly patted on of Caffrey's legs, clipping on the tracking anklet on his ankle and saying that they would find Peter. No you won't. I will. He wanted to snap at Jones. Somehow...

Neal opened his eyes, staring at the call button. He was allowed to be able to call people, and he knew just who to call. A few seconds later, he heard the phone ringing, and then a voice speak.

"Mozz? I need your help."

"Neal! You're awake! Oh jeez, I'm so glad! I was so worried! What do you need?"

"I need to break out of the hospital."

"YOU WHAT?" Neal winced, hearing his friend's voice.

"Mozzie. Cool it. Peter's in trouble. He needs my help."

"You just got in the hospital Neal! The Suit can take care of himself!"

"Mozzie." Neal's voice was firm. "I am going to help him one way or another."

"Ugh...Fine. I'll be right there." Mozzie finally said, then there was a sharp click signaling the end of the call.

Hang on Peter.

(About 30 Minutes Later...)

Neal stared at Mozzie, watching his friend pace the room. He knew that Mozzie didn't approve of him breaking out of the hospital, but Neal wasn't about to wait and risk Peter's life because he waited. He knew Sasha hated Peter. He knew she wanted to see him dead. Neal couldn't allow that. Wouldn't allow it.

"Ready Mozzie?" He asked weakly, getting to his feet, swaying slightly. Mozzie gave a grave nod, handing the young man his normal, everyday clothes that came from his closet, and his infamous fedora. Neal flashed his friend a smile before he went to the bathroom, appearing a few minutes later, looking comfortable in the clothes despite the fact that his face was white as a sheet and every movement felt like fire ripping through him. "Let's get this started." He said with a grin. Mozzie looked at Neal, shaking his head slightly at the nerve of his friend before he nodded slightly.

"You are crazy, but the Suit means a lot to you. I understand that." Mozzie said, as he walked to the door, Neal following.

"I trust him." Came Neal's reply. Mozzie knew that though. He knew Neal trusted Peter more than anyone. He had shown it several times.

"Get ready." Mozzie said, before walking forward towards the nurse. "Excuse me miss, I uh-" Mozzie stopped, falling to the floor, his eyes closed, one hand twitching slightly. Neal let out a small grin as the nurses and doctors rushed to Mozzie. He knew his friend would stall them long enough for him to escape. He darted forward, moving surprisingly fast for a man with injuries such as his. Soon, he was out of the building, pausing only to glance back to see Mozzie getting to his feet, looking shaky, but he knew it was just an act. He turned his head and started down the street, his face covered in a thin sheet of cold sweat. He had to make one stop before he went to get Peter and Elizabeth free...

Peter-

Peter stared at Sasha Storm. The young blond girl was ranting on and on about how Neal should have died, Alex shouldn't have been killed by him, how innocent Alex really had been, why he had held the kid in the fedora hostage and how much Peter was going to be sorry for killing Alex. Peter let out a weary sigh. He now knew who the two men had been, as the person who had hit him had indeed been male. Jason and Mark. He had heard Sasha say their names while she thought he was still unconscious. He had heard her plans of killing Neal after he and Elizabeth were dead.

They better not. He had thought, and now, he and Elizabeth were awake, and Sasha knew it. He heard Elizabeth whimper as she watched Sasha pace. Peter turned his head towards his wife slightly, turning as much as he could with the bonds of thick rope that firmly secured his and Elizabeth's wrists, chest and legs to chairs, while their mouths were blocked of speech because of the mouth gags that had been placed on them. He couldn't do anything as Sasha darted forward, her fist connecting with Peter's stomach, forcing all the air out of him. He heard Elizabeth yell as well as she could, trying to speak through her mouth gag.

Sasha snapped her fingers, causing Jason and Mark to come forward, tipping Peter's chair to the side, sending him crashing to the ground before they grabbed it and started dragging him away. "ELIZABETH!" He tried to scream, but couldn't get the words past the gag. He felt so helpless, being dragged away as he saw Sasha snap something at Elizabeth before the blond girl struck his wife. He saw Elizabeth's body go limp, as she was knocked out. Peter struggled, but it was no use. A few moments later, he was facing a bathtub, filled with water. Peter felt slightly sick, seeing the water, knowing he was going to die. Sasha was right...she'd get her revenge. The next thing he knew, his head was underwater. He struggled automatically, his limbs jerking as he tried to get air. Then he heard the most peculiar noise. Two popping sounds, and then he was being dragged out of the water. He blinked rapidly, trying to see who it was that had saved him, and his eyes widened in astonishment as he gazed at the extremely pale and worried looking Neal. Neal removed the gag that blocked Peter from speaking, and untied the ropes that bound the FBI Agent as well.

"Neal? How?" Peter asked, stunned to see his partner there. In all honesty, Neal shouldn't have been allowed out of the hospital yet!

"Broke out." Neal muttered. Oh, well, that explained it. Peter caught sight of Jason and Mark on the ground, blood pooled around them, and then saw the handgun Neal had used, trembling in the young man's grip. Peter got to his feet, starting out the door and towards the motionless form of Elizabeth while Neal looked down a hallway. He heard Peter yelp, and Neal turned exhausted blue eyes towards to see Sasha, pointing a gun at Peter's temple. Peter stared at at Neal, and saw the young man flinch slightly before the blue eyes of his friend went hard.

"This reminds me of something. I was 15 years old, and some con was holding me hostage. An FBI Agent, Peter, came charging in out of nowhere and the two had had a conversation. The next thing I know is that the con, Alex Storm, is on the ground dead and Peter is asking me what type of hat I wear." Peter could hear Neal as the ex-con spoke quietly, though the words traveled across the space between them, he felt Sasha stiffen slightly, and Peter felt a flash of surprise as well. He had guessed correctly when he had thought the kid with the fedora was Neal. A younger Neal.

"Do you trust me Peter?" Neal asked quietly. Peter nodded.

"Not one step closer! I swear I'll kill him! Not one step closer!" The FBI Agent heard Sasha yell at Neal, and then he heard the young man's reply.

"Funny. That's what he said." Neal replied, pointing the handgun he held at Sasha with a shaking grip. Peter could see the young man was fighting to hang on to his consciousness. Sasha let out a bark of laughter, and Peter felt her grip on the gun shift as she prepared to kill him.

"You couldn't hit me if you tried! You are too weak!" She sneered at the ex-con. Peter saw determination flash across his friend's face, and then the report of a gun as it went off. Peter didn't feel any pain, no darkness swept him, and he turned his head slightly and saw Sasha stagger, red spreading across her shirt. Then she fell, her eyes wide as she hit the ground, letting out a choking gasp from pain and shock before her brown eyes went dim, and fixed sightlessly on the ceiling. Peter turned his head back to Neal, and saw the ex-con was shaking. He darted over to his friend and pried the gun from the young man's grasp. He had never thought Neal would kill, and to kill three people, just for him and Elizabeth, stunned Peter.

"Easy Neal." Peter said, worried about the whiter-than-a-sheet color Neal had gone to. He shouldn't be out of the hospital, but he had come, risking his health and well-being for him. Peter knew this, and it worried him.

"I'm fine Peter...go check on Elizabeth." Peter heard Neal speak, just barely though. He lightly patted the ex-con's shoulder before he got to his feet and walked over to Elizabeth, surprised to see her blinking up at him.

"You ok?" He asked her, untying her and removing the gag. She nodded slowly, continuing to gaze at Peter before her gaze slid past him to stare at Neal. Her eyes widened a tiny fraction as Peter heard a small thud. He turned his head to see the young man sitting down, his head resting on his chest. Peter had to do a double take to detect the faint rise and fall on the ex-con's chest.

There was a loud bang, and Peter stood quickly, his eyes wary until he saw it was only Jones and other members of the FBI. "Jones! You found us! How?"

"Caffrey's anklet. Hospital says he vanished after Mozzie started stirring things up, and we tracked him here." Jones replied, looking at Peter in surprise as he saw the gun in Peter's hand. Peter glanced down at it and felt a flash of relief that he had taken it from Neal. If they would seen him with it, he'd have back behind bars faster than the blink of an eye.

"Yeah. Neal's over there. He...distracted them. Sasha and them are dead." Peter said quickly, glancing at Elizabeth, hoping she wouldn't say anything about what really happened. He didn't have to worry though, she understood, for she was nodding in agreement. "Neal's over there, I think he's unconscious. Getting here was hard on him, and then distracting them wiped him out."

"He shouldn't have been here to begin with." Came Jones' reply. Peter nodded, still touched that Neal had risked so much for him. Him and Elizabeth. Peter got to his feet and walked over to Neal, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder, surprised when Neal jerked, and looked at him.

"You ok?" Peter asked. Neal hesitated, but nodded, causing Peter to roll his eyes. Of course Neal would say that he was ok, who did Peter think he was kidding? Neal always said he was ok. "You are going back to the hospital." He informed his friend. He brushed aside the hair that was, damp from sweat, plastered to the ex-con's forehead. Tired blue eyes stared at him, but Neal nodded slowly.

Peter helped the young man to his feet a few minutes later. "You have to get better, we'll have plenty of cases to solve." He said with a grin, earning a faint smile from Neal as they walked out, Elizabeth and a few others trailing after them.

"It's over Peter...we got her. It's over..." That was the last thing Peter heard Neal murmur before the young man fell unconscious.

"Yeah...it's over." Peter replied quietly, supporting his friend until they reached the paramedics, who took over from there, and transported Neal back to the hospital.