Thank you again for all the lovely reviews! Always wonderful to hear from so many.
So, a few of you have picked up on the fact that Mozzie's character in this story has been altered a bit from his normal mischievous self. I didn't start out the story with this in mind, but about the time I was writing ch. 3 the episode that delved into Mozzie's childhood aired. I was incredibly taken with his acknowledgement that an orphan's Holy Grail (I think that's what he called it) is a family. Perhaps this chapter with help clarify his motivations a bit.
***I claim no ownership in, around, on, (enter your own preposition here) White Collar***
XOXOXOXO
Peter comforted Neal until he stopped shaking. Even then the little boy refused to release his grip around Peter's neck, so the FBI agent simply held him close as he questioned Dr. Gield. "What was in the syringes my agents found inside?"
He sneered and told Peter about the booster he had given the boy. Peter immediately contacted the physician working on this case. The doctor asked that the syringe be brought to him for further testing along with samples of both Neal and Mozzie's blood. He would want to examine both boys closer in the morning, but for now it was the blood he was interested in.
Peter called a medical technician to the scene to collect the samples, and then called Elizabeth to give her the all-clear. She rushed with Mozzie to Peter's side.
The look on El's face was a mixture of anger and relief when she saw that Neal was safe. She opted for relief as she went to the little boy, gathered him in her arms and kissed his tear-stained cheeks. "I was so worried about you!" She cried into his hair. A little irritation snuck into her voice as she continued, "Promise me you will never run off like that again!"
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I promise." His answer was muffled by her shoulder, "Please don't cry." He pleaded.
Before El could completely compose herself, the medical technician arrived. She was an efficient, if not a terribly compassionate, woman. Mozzie didn't even have time to think of protesting before she brusquely took him in hand, swabbed his arm with alcohol and filled several vials with his blood. Handing the boy to Peter, she then turned her attention on the younger boy.
Neal had watched the proceedings with wide, frightened eyes. When the technician reached out to take him, he clamped on to Elizabeth with arms and legs, "No! I don't want it! No more! Please Elizabeth!"
Elizabeth unconsciously turned her body to protect Neal from the technician, and asked, "What's the matter, Neal? She's just going to take a little blood. You've done this before." She looked helplessly up at her husband.
With Mozzie still at his side, Peter stepped in close, placed a hand on the frightened little boy's back and explained to his wife, "He was injected again." He jerked a thumb in the direction of Dr. Geild, and watched as Elizabeth's face registered her understanding of the situation. Mozzie understood too and moved in closer to Peter feeling a need for protection. Instinctively, Peter picked the boy up and then turned his attention on Neal, "How about if El holds you while your blood is drawn? Would that be okay?"
Sniffling, Neal slowly nodded his head. He wasn't sure he was okay with more needles, but having Elizabeth close helped him feel braver.
"That's my cowboy," Peter smiled approvingly.
Elizabeth walked them all over to the impatiently waiting technician. She hugged Neal close and whispered in his ear, "I know this is frightening, but you're being so brave. I'm proud of you, Neal." And by the time she was finished, so was the technician. Listening closely to Elizabeth's encouraging words, Neal had barely noticed the blood draw at all.
Dr. Geild was escorted away to an FBI holding cell. Peter ordered that no one was to interview him until he could be there. As the last of the agents and emergency workers departed, Peter led his little family to the car. Looking over both boys and deciding they were both calm enough, he sat them side-by-side on the hood of his Ford to face him.
Noting the familiar somber gaze that signaled an infamous Peter Lecture, Neal jumped in with a pre-emptive, "Peter, I know this looks really bad, but I had to –"
"To what, Neal?" Peter was angry and not about to listen to a 5-year-old try to minimize his part in this, "To get yourself captured and possibly kidnapped? When I think of what could have happened – What DID happen to you in there –" He broke off before he could say something too harsh. Neal was looking up at him with large, pity-me eyes and Mozzie simply stared straight ahead presumably not registering any emotion at all. Catching his wife's eye, Peter and Elizabeth exchanged an entire conversation without uttering a word. They needed to get the boys home now. "Come on boys," Peter said with a sigh as he lifted them off the hood of the car.
Elizabeth took Mozzie's hand and guided him to the back seat where a booster was waiting for him. He hesitated upon seeing the embarrassing contraption, but then sighed deeply and without any further fight allowed Elizabeth to buckle him in.
Worried about his subdued mood, Elizabeth took Mozzie's chin in her hand and gently turned his face up to look at her. His eyes were sad, but he said nothing. Elizabeth decided he was probably feeling appropriately guilty for his part of this hair-brained plan. She gave him a gentle chuck and a reassuring smile before closing the car door.
The ride was anything but comfortable. Mozzie and Neal sat silently in their booster seats. Neal thought it was strange that Mozzie just stared out the window at the passing buildings, but he had been sternly warned not to talk, so he tried whispering to his friend only to get a firm, "Neal" from Peter and another headshake. Frustrated, he pouted, but didn't try again.
Meanwhile, Peter and Elizabeth attempted to calm each other down with soothing strokes of each other's hands and arms. They needed to talk, alone.
Arriving home, the adults ushered the two little boys through the front door. Standing in the entryway, Neal and Mozzie looked up at them. Before Neal could start justifying his behavior again, Peter ordered, "You two wait in your room. El and I need to discuss how you are going to be punished."
Mozzie didn't hesitate. He slowly climbed the stairs without a second look back. Elizabeth noted this strange behavior with concern. Neal, however, stood his ground. Peter wasn't fooled by Neal's look of shock. He allowed the boy to get as far as, "Punished? Peter! You can't punish us. We're –"
A warning finger shot up in front of the little boy, accompanied by a, "No! You are not an adult. You are a child. And you will be punished like a child. Bedroom now, young man."
The little boy blinked up at his friend, and then decided to give up on this tactic. Maybe a good, old-fashioned tantrum would do the trick. "Fine!" He followed Mozzie upstairs with loud, clomping steps, entered the bedroom and slammed the door behind him.
"Neal!" Peter yelled. He waited only a moment before timid eyes peered out of the door, "Come here!" He ordered with a double fingered beckoning and a sharp point to the bottom step.
With a gulp, Neal cautiously did as instructed. Alighting on the bottom step, he looked up at Peter through his eyelashes.
Hands on his hips, Peter dangerously looked down at the little boy, "Try that again. A little more quietly this time."
Neal just barely kept himself from executing a petulant eye roll as he turned to comply. He made it all the way to the room as instructed. At the doorway he turned, stuck out his tongue at the adults waiting at the bottom of the steps, and then beat a hasty retreat behind the closed bedroom door when he saw Peter's eyebrows shoot up.
XOXOXOXO
Safely within the confines of the bedroom, Neal leaned against the closed door and allowed himself a sigh of relief. "That was close." No answer. "Moz?" Silence. He pushed away from the door and approached the bunk beds. The rope ladder was missing. No. It had been pulled up to the top bunk. Stepping back, Neal could just barely see his friend lying flat on his back and staring up at the ceiling. "Moz? What's going on?" It was like he didn't even hear Neal, "Come on, Moz. What's wrong with you?"
"Leave me alone." Mozzie finally whined, "I'm mad at you."
Neal was genuinely shocked this time, "Mad at me? Why? What did I do? Is this because I left you alone at the museum?" He was getting angry now. Mozzie had the easy part in today's capers, "I was the one who was attacked!"
There was a thoughtful pause from the top bunk as Mozzie processed this. Eventually, he answered, "I don't care. I'm still mad at you. You left me there!" A little quieter, as if he didn't want to admit that it bothered him, he said, "a-and Peter and Elizabeth are mad at me now."
Neal's immediate reaction was to shrug it off, "So? Peter's always mad at me. He'll get over it."
"You don't understand anything, do you?" Mozzie fired back accusatorily. "While Peter was saving your ass, AGAIN, Elizabeth told me that she wondered why she had trusted us!" His voice was rising and he was talking faster. Neal thought he sounded more panicked than angry, "That she wouldn't be taking care of us anymore!" Mozzie abruptly broke off, wanting to say more but afraid of what he was really feeling.
It took Neal a moment to work it out, but finally it dawned on him what Mozzie was too afraid to admit out loud. He liked having parents. This was the first time he had ever experienced what it felt like to be cared for by two loving adults. Neal thought for a moment, and then silently crept out of the room and down the stairs. He needed to fix this for his friend if he could.
XOXOXOXO
"I know they need to be punished, but do you really think a spanking is necessary?" Elizabeth wasn't so sure.
"I do, Hun." Peter was quite certain. "What they did today was dangerous. Neal could have been seriously hurt. And we have to address the lying too. We can't protect them if they continue to lie to us, El."
"What if we just ground them for a week?" Elizabeth was truly dreading the punishment she knew was necessary.
"Listen, Hun," Understanding her anxiety, Peter gently offered, "I can take care of this myself if you like."
Sighing, Elizabeth knew she couldn't let her husband take all of the responsibility for what needed to be done. This was going to hurt Peter as much as it would her. "No, I should be there too." She wiped away a tear that threatened to betray her. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at this predicament they were in. If only she had kept a better eye on them, none of this would be necessary.
No! Elizabeth corrected herself. This was Neal and Mozzie. They would have found a way to get to that abandoned store even if she had put them on leashes. This realization made her more determined to make sure they were properly punished. She turned a resolute eye up to her husband and nodded her head. She was ready.
XOXOXOXO
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed! If you have a moment, I'd love to hear what you think.