This time only Peter and Hughes returned to the hospital. Hughes even drove, sensing (correctly) that Peter was nearing his wits' end. Not being so emotionally attached to Neal, the older and far more experience FBI agent was thinking of the wider implications of what had happened and foresaw a mutually beneficial resolution in this extraordinary series of events. They had no problem locating Mr. Peterson's room and entered to find it already filled with flowers and balloons, among them a particularly striking arrangement from the ICU staff! Mozzie was sitting on the edge of Neal's bed reading a newspaper. Without removing it from in front of his face he greeted them, "Good afternoon Suit, Chief Suit." "Hello Mozzie," Peter replied, "Care to explain?"
Mozzie folded the paper and set it beside him on the bed. Neal made no sound, save for softly snoring. He was hooked up to an IV and an oxygen monitor and had some ugly bruising around his neck, but otherwise he seemed alright. Mozzie looked first at Hughes and then at Peter. His expression looked grim.
"You can't deny that you've had your money's worth out of him. Over the last four years the White Collar Crime Unit's case closure rate has soared and with it so has Neal's reputation as an FBI snitch. Word is there are at least three hits out on him from disgruntled cons that he helped you put away. During the four years you've had him your record at taking care of him has hardly been exemplary. Neal Caffrey's time has finished now, let him go, suits, I'm taking him back."
Peter doubted that Mozzie had ever given Neal away. He bet he'd been watching over him the entire time that he'd been in prison and then in FBI custody. "In case you are wondering, Neal knows nothing of what has gone on. He was unconscious when he left prison and when he came round in the ICU he wasn't even aware of the name change until I spoke with him. What went on in the prison was for real, those dirty pigs set him up and it was a complete fluke that he didn't die there and then."
Neal started to stir and Mozzie suggested they take the conversation out into the hall. They sat down in a small waiting area by the window wall and looked out at the parking lot below. All was silent for a few minutes, before Hughes picked up from where they had left off. "So does Neal have any say in this?" he asked Mozzie. "No, he does not. I'm calling the shots now. You must know how he hero worships Peter. If he stays with the FBI he will inevitable put himself in danger just to try and live up to his expectations. Leave him be while he's young enough to start over, please." To Peter's surprise Hughes said nothing in reply but simply nodded. While Peter had been protective of Neal, it was clear to Hughes that Mozzie was the Papa Bear and anyone capable of pulling off the stunt he had just done would keep Neal a lot safer than the FBI could. As it was, Neal was going to need time to recover, by which point his four years with the White Collar Crime Unit would be done anyway.
'What about his future? How will he support himself?" Peter asked Mozzie. "Don't worry, Neal will be fine. He has enough talent to be an artist in his own right. I've spoken with June and she wants to help set him up in his own studio. She has property other than in New York and she's offered to let us stay there while he gets started. That bakery that he bought a couple of years back has actually started to turn a decent profit so he'll be okay financially, regardless." It all seemed quite plausible. Why shouldn't Neal make a go of it in the real world? Despite the obvious trauma that he would suffer as a result of what had happened, the arrest was now looking somewhat serendipitous. Peter had no doubt that Mozzie would take care of Neal although everyone was going to miss him terribly. As though sensing his concerns, Mozzie said, "Listen Suit, it won't be forever. Thanks to our nation's bloodlust for crime and punishment, Neal's death is pretty much established. Give us some time, there's no reason why you can't visit and who knows, maybe down the line, if the FBI is in need of a deep cover agent, well Daniel Peterson might turn out to be quite an asset. Just no time soon though." He shot a warning glance at Hughes, who had been thinking exactly the same thing.
Peter turned to Hughes and asked, "What about the FBI? Will they be okay with all of this?" "All of what?" Hughes replied. "We had a criminal consultant, who having completed his agreement with us, sadly died under very public circumstances." Turning to Mozzie he added, "Please give your brother Daniel our best wishes when he awakes." He held out his hand and Mozzie shook it solemnly. "Wow!" thought Peter, "Now that is something I never thought I would witness."
Mozzie started back to Neal's room. "One last thing Mozzie," Peter said quietly, "What about the body that was cremated, please tell me you didn't kill some innocent soul to cover for Neal's death." "No suit, I did not!" Mozzie laughed and with that he went into the room and closed the door. Very softly, he added, "There was nothing innocent about him!"
TBC
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