(Chapter 9)

Mozzie was surprised when Neal blew off his facts. He wanted to spew all the paranoid delusions he'd glossed over as he'd learned to trust the Suit and his wife but Neal had hung up, but not before begging him to bring the evidence box. For a moment he didn't want to think about how Stockholmish this appeared to his current train of thought but Neal was in trouble so he had to at least go see that he was safe. He pulled the printout from the pile of books Aaron had laid it on and gave it a quick glance over before he took a snap of it with his phone, mailing it off to a secret cache online for safe backup and then pushed it into his messenger bag. He didn't have time to get the box they needed but he had something that would fit the qualifications if he had to fake it. He grabbed that up, filling it up with various odds and ends that looked authentic (or sounded like it if the item was shaken up), pushing that under his arm as he took off. A part of him wanted to leave his friend to his folly but now he understood that Peter was a part of the past Neal had lost. Simon Burke alias Travis S. Jenkins, had been a Police Captain in the NYPD when his friend's father was accused of murder. This was the man who caused all of their issues and the ring on his finger in the picture matched up with one inconsistency to the Ring man theory. Fowler had been the one with Kate in San Diego but they had almost caught up with another ring man in Gramercy as they had cased the park. Now it made sense.

You better have a good plan, Neal...

That was his thoughts then. Now Mozzie was pushed at gunpoint inside the very warehouse he'd sent Neal to when the treasure was still theirs. He regretted picking this site now, irony making him frown as he wondered how they'd get out of this. Simon had them all at gunpoint, one man but he was menacing without the gun. No wonder Peter obeyed him although that didn't redeem him in the con's eyes as he glanced down at Neal hovering over a beat up and apparently now dead agent. Something wasn't right but he wasn't going to say anything when a gun was stuck to his neck. Neal looked like he was going to cry over The Suit, a man who had betrayed him... them. Mozzie felt an anger welling up inside from the idea that his friend was still so naive about everything. Peter had tricked him and Neal was crying over his dead body? Mozzie wanted to kick the man they'd come to trust, angry at his own delusions that he and his wife were truly nice people.

"Is this the box? Seems a bit small..."

Simon was pulling the thin wooden crate from under his arm, gun firmly on the base of his skull as he did so. Mozzie was angry but he nodded, looking down at Neal who was staring up at him with a sad yet curious expression their captor hadn't noticed. Blue eyes kept looking back to the dead agent, a sign that something was up but he wasn't sure what until he saw the twitch of Peter's hand towards Neal's belt. He wanted to say something but Neal shook his head quickly before falling back into his sad expression when Simon glanced down at him.

"I can't take a chance this isn't the real box. You understand..."

Mozzie heard the gun cocking behind him, the sound making the hairs that were left on the back of his neck stand on end. Neal was gazing up at him worriedly, eye on him but Mozzie could see that Peter had opened his eyes a crack as Simon became distracted by his task of killing them.

"Move over to your friends, little man."

Mozzie did as he was told, slowly shuffling forward, eyes on Neal who was giving a quick glance back towards Peter with just his eyes. Much as he hated to admit it, something was about to go down he might not regret.

"My friends call me, Dante..."

Right as he said that, Mozzie ducked aside as did Neal, Peter sitting up stiffly but quick enough he pulled the trigger on a small pistol he was holding. Simon looked surprised, the gun in his hand falling to the ground as he grasped at his chest and then down at the three of them.

"I'm done taking orders from you, Simon. Get someone else to do your dirty work!"

Peter's voice was hoarse but audible enough to echo faintly through the empty space as Simon gasped then fell to the ground with a thud. Mozzie rose and grabbed up the other man's gun, turning to hand it to Neal but stopping as he pointed it at Peter with an uncertain gaze between the two. Neal held up a hand, the agent dropping the gun he'd taken from the con as he fell back to the concrete floor and wheeze painfully.

"Mozz... It's ok. Please... give me the gun."

Neal sounded reasonable but Mozzie wasn't sure what to do. His friend was supporting a man who'd obviously helped to have Kate killed, him shot and so many other things happen. He was afraid to trust either man at this time, gun on Peter more than Neal as he debated what to do. All the paranoid places his thoughts could and had gone to rushed back to him about the Suit and he didn't know if he could believe anything anymore. He had let himself be duped but unlike Neal he would step away for the both of them.

"He's the reason Kate died... and I was shot! They killed Ellen! Why do you still trust him, Neal? He's controlling you!"

Mozzie was panicking but he paused as the doors at the end flew open and he saw more Suits, FBI coming into the warehouse. Now he was completely frightened gun or not, making a run backwards as he dropped the weapon and left before anyone could say anything. He thought he heard Neal call out to him and maybe Agent Jones but he didn't stop to look back. Once he was out on the street he realized nobody was chasing him or so he hoped as he left the vicinity. He would leave town, nobody could find him then and he could forget about his naive friend and the Suits that brainwashed him. He had nobody now, the loss of his fellow con man bringing a tear to his eye.

()()()

Neal heard the report and saw Simon fall, Peter's acting skills immaculate even for him. He had almost believe his friend dead before the slight squeeze of his hand and the so soft breath on his ear whispering for the gun he'd found with the burner phone. He hadn't thought to use it but it had been something he knew might come in handy if worse came to worse. Now Peter lay wheezing beside him and Simon was on the ground a few feet away dead or injured badly, he wasn't sure yet. Mozzie looked like he was going to freak, picking up the other gun and pointing it at them both before running away. The Feds had finally come to the rescue, Jones' voice barking orders a relief as he sadly watched his friend leave. Mozzie had gone and Neal was afraid the little guy would never come back but he wouldn't blame him. He wanted to leave too but Peter was hurt and he was still bleeding from his own injuries. For the meanwhile the con sat by the agent, waiting for help as Jones and some other agents approached with guns, looking over at the disappearing Mozzie but Neal stopped them.

"It's just Mozzie... he got scared and ran off. Long story... Peter's hurt."

He was doing as he always did, deferring to the agent first but Jones noticed he was bleeding, shaking his head.

"You are too apparently. Is that your captor?"

Jones pointed at the other man laying a few feet away, Simon starting to make sounds. Apparently he was alive but just barely by the weak groans he made. Neal nodded with an unhappy furrow of his brow, Jones motioning for agents to cuff the man as they called for paramedics and they confiscated the weapon.

"EMTs should be here soon, Caffrey. Stay here with Peter. I need to call Hughes."

Neal sat by Peter, the agent still except for the soft wheeze from his lips and a slight twitch of his eyes. Finally brown met blue and there was an expression he knew all too well as his friend. Neal smiled back before a small frown curved it downward again as the days events played back in his head. Peter was frowning too but that familiar look remained, a cool clammy hand grasping his weakly, motioning him closer. Neal leaned downward despite his aches, hearing a quiet whisper from the agent.

"Haad... to... do it. For... gi..."

Peter fell into a coughing fit, his face turning red as he struggled for breath. Much as Neal hated the man or thought he did, something made him call out for help. He saw EMTs at the entrance finally and saw agents waving them towards himself and Peter. Their hands were still clasped but Peter's was growing more clammy by the moment which worried the con as the medics checked out his wounds while two more looked over Peter.

"Possible broken ribs. Might be the cause of his breathlessness..."

They placed an oxygen mask over Peter once he'd been moved to a stretcher, another EMT trying to assess his injuries but Neal's attention was on Peter.

"I can't sew this shut unless you stand still, sir."

Neal felt the prick of the needle and stopped trying to follow Peter as they took him away, his own EMT making him sit back against the pillar as he made a quick suture of the wound.

"You've lost quite a bit of blood. Can you walk, otherwise we wait for them to get back so we can carry you to the ambulance."

Neal nodded, standing up but immediately feeling light headed as he stumbled and leaned heavily against the EMT. The man made him sit again, calling over his radio for another stretcher. They'd already taken Simon away, a small pool of blood left where he'd been. Neal's head throbbed as much as his body, the after headache of the chloroform still with him. He closed his eyes and started to drift off.

"Stay awake..."

The EMT was shaking him gently but Neal was too tired to respond as he felt his body grow limp and he finally passed out. His last thoughts were a confused feeling between what Peter had done to him and what his friend had ended up doing for him in the end.

()()()

Elizabeth sat in one of the back holding cells of the FBI, laying down on the cot in the room and feeling horrible. Not only was she uncertain who her husband might be but what could she tell Reese? Did he know? She wasn't sure who to talk to as she heard a bit of humming coming from nearby and saw June sitting at the table quietly playing solitaire. Her head hurt from all the excitement, the sound of water pouring and the rattle of a pill container bringing her attention to Neal's landlady.

"I have aspirin if you need it and water. Come sit with me."

El nodded back, pulling herself up to a sitting position and then slowly standing up and stretching. She had fallen into the tub when Agent Gains had broken the door down, the sound of two bullets taking out the lock scaring her into silence before she had finally screamed for help. She wasn't sure why June was here or if Peter was ok. They had taken her to June's, picked up the older woman to bring along to the Bureau with Elizabeth. It was all a blur as she had been curled up in the back seat of the cruiser trying not to think about the last few days. When it came to the part about her husband, she was worried but also afraid to know the truth as she downed the two aspirin and drank the water. She poured herself another glass wishing it was something stronger as June patted her on the arm.

"Agent Hughes said he wanted to talk to you when you felt up to it. You've been asleep for about an hour. How are you feeling?"

June seemed very calm, her demeanor always elegant and in command. It was comforting to know she was here and someone she might be able to talk to. Elizabeth hesitated saying what she would, still trying to figure out what to think.

"I'm ok. Thank you for the aspirin and water, June. Did they find Peter?"

She still worried about her husband despite what he'd said. El wanted to believe in him and what he had always stood for.

"Your husband and Neal are at the hospital. They're both in good condition but with some bumps and bruises. Is there anything you wanted to discuss? You look a bit anxious."

June's voice was level, her eyes both on the cards she was playing and on Elizabeth. The woman was good at what she did and almost as good as Neal for getting something out of someone with just a little nudge. She almost laughed at the comparison, crying some as the emotion immediately changed to sadness and she wiped at her eyes.

"Maybe. Where is Hughes?"

She didn't want to be the one to tell him about Peter but it seemed nobody knew what was going on. She understood that Simon had coerced her husband into doing unspeakable things but even so, everything that had happened had hurt them almost as much as Neal. Why would he do it when he had seemed to fight against it?

"The agent outside might know. Shall I ask?"

El nodded, remaining where she sat as June rose, her hand gently patting her on the shoulder before she knocked on the door. It opened and she heard them speak softly before the door shut again and June returned.

"Agent Hughes is about to come fetch us and take us to the hospital. He was in a meeting with Agents Jones and Barrigan. They are to escort us. Maybe we can go freshen up?"

June helped her to her feet, Elizabeth still shaky from the near assault by Agent Gains. They knocked on the door and the agent let them out, following them to the ladies room and standing guard outside as El washed her face and smoothed her hair back. She was still trembling from everything, June gently hugging her as they finished, leading her back out into the hallway. They walked up to the elevator and passed through glass doors to the White Collar department. Jones and Barrigan were coming out of Hughes' office as they entered the bullpen and met with them.

"Mrs. Burke..."

Jones and Barrigan were polite but she just wanted them to feel normal. She shook her head and smiled as best as she could.

"Elizabeth... we know each other too well for formalities. May I go up and talk to Reese a moment?"

The two agents nodded, El shooing them off with a knowing look as she went up on her own. The senior agent was putting on his jacket as she knocked on the door and entered his office. He gazed back at her with a worried look, waving her in without a word as she closed the door and leaned on it tiredly. She saw that Reese wanted to talk, clearing his throat with a nervousness she rarely saw in him.

"It's not what you think, Elizabeth. Whatever Peter told you... he had to do it. I told him to stick to the plan if it came to this and unfortunately it did. I'm sorry..."

He was explaining what happened, her still frightened self matching the words to what she thought happened but still not understanding.

"You knew, Reese? Were you in on this too? Was Neal just a means to an end then? Tell me why my husband did what he did? I don't understand!"

She was angry now, emotions running high but he motioned for her to sit and started to talk.

"When Peter started the FBI he was recommended through someone in the NYPD but I didn't know about it until later. It was when Caffrey's case came up that I noticed something was wrong. Your husband came to me and admitted what was going on. Said his uncle was pressuring him to do something he felt wasn't right."

Elizabeth listened, watching Reese tell her about a young Peter before they'd met and after. Her husband had been afraid of the repercussions of going against Simon so Hughes and a few dependable OPR agents (Garrett Fowler included) were working to find out why and get evidence on Simon. The man was too smart to get caught so it took this long to finally get evidence that he had indeed been the man behind it all. Peter had not lied about anything except the part he was pretending to play as a spy for his uncle. He only let it out now when the time had finally come to catch Simon in the act. It had been a necessary evil and one they all regretted due to recent and past events.

She nodded at him with disbelief at the story. Peter had led a double life unable to prevent all the bad that had happened in order to take down his own uncle but at what cost? Neal had lost Kate and Mozzie had been shot. She remembered the look of hurt in both cases as her husband slept little if any during those times while making mystery calls at night. Now she knew who he had been talking to. It had been Reese.

"So... so Peter isn't a bad guy? He told me we were going to run away and leave the city. He wanted to protect me but let Neal be on his own. I thought it wasn't what he'd say but I couldn't believe... Reese..."

She felt badly now for going back with Agent Gains but Hughes shook his head, taking her hand in his as he stood and helped her up.

"It was an unpleasant but necessary risk to take. We suspected Gains was an inside man but that was the only way to be sure. We thought you'd be safe but he went after you instead of after Peter and Caffrey as we thought. For that I am truly sorry, Elizabeth. It wasn't a risk we saw coming."

Reese moved over to gently squeeze her shoulder as she shook her head and felt a weight off her heart. Peter was still hers. He wasn't this stranger he had pretended to be and now she just wanted to see him. Hughes understood as he opened up the door and they walked out.

"Keep this between us for now. I already informed Jones and Barrigan what they needed to know but they don't have the full story. That was for you, Peter and Caffrey once we tell him. You understand..."

He was whispering to her as they descended the steps and made their way towards the agents and June. She nodded, wiping at her eyes and smiling.

"Of course, Reese. Thank you for telling me... finally. Can we go see my husband and Neal?"

()()()

Neal woke up in the ambulance, weakness evident but he tried to sit up, the EMT pushing him gently back.

"You lost too much blood. Stay down."

The man's words were firm but gentle, his eyes looking between the medic and the blood hanging nearby from a pole. They were giving him more. He had barely gotten over his anemia from his original shooting by Cyrus and now he had lost more helping the man behind everything. He felt anger but was too tired and resigned to do much more than obey. Someone else was to his right, a firm hand on his arm gently squeezing. It was Jones.

"Hey Caffrey. Take it easy. They said once you get some blood you should be better."

The agent was smiling but there was something else there, a worry that obviously bothered him. Did Jones know what really happened? Neal much as he was angry didn't want to be the one to dash the agent's hopes as he nodded without a word, eyes staring up at the vehicle's interior. His eyes were focusing and blurring as he stared up at a small bolt above and tried to concentrate on being awake without thinking about Peter.

"He's going to be ok, Neal. They think he might have punctured a lung but they took him to the same hospital we're headed for. Everything's going to be ok. Rest."

Again the agent was being positive but that silent doubt he heard made him wonder what Jones was thinking about. Something was up but he didn't want to pursue it. There had been enough negativity for the rest of his days all in the past month. He wanted the weeks before that to return and everything to be as it had been... At least what he had thought it was. Call it self-delusion but he didn't want to know what he knew. He closed his eyes and tried not to let his anger or sadness wash over him too much, falling into a light sleep.

You can be a con or a man, you can't be both.

Neal found himself dreaming of the Bureau again, sitting in Peter's office as they studied a case and the agent told him that. He'd thought the comment annoying at the time but it held truth. Now he wondered if the agent had meant it. Peter had lied to him and everyone else even Elizabeth. Simon had made him do unspeakable things. Kate was dead and all for what? Mozzie left and he didn't blame the little guy for being afraid. He was defending a man who had caused all the problems in his life and admitted openly to it. Neal hoped things would change back but wasn't it insanity to hope for something new by doing the same thing over and over? He sighed deeply, glaring at his friend in the dream as he stood and walked away, Peter calling after him to come back. He heard those words from the warehouse again: I'm Sorry... but all he wanted to do was scream and hit his friend for all the lies and pain. He could have stopped it all. From there the dream went dark and Neal passed into a cocoon of comforting blackness.

()()()

Elizabeth was surprised to see her husband bruised and obviously beaten up, her heart going to him as she entered the hospital room quietly. The soft hiss of a respirator and the beep of the monitors around Peter made the scene more heartbreaking as she moved closer.

"Who... ssss... there?"

The voice was weak but recognizable as Peter's. She watched his eyes open, brown staring up at her blearily from the hospital bed. There were small nasal tubes in his nose helping him breath as he gave a cough that sounded wet and hacky. El sat down in the chair beside him, taking his left hand in hers and feeling him squeeze back ever so lightly. It hurt her to see him like this, the normally strong figure she loved and cherished more than she could say.

"Hey, hun... how are you feeling?"

They had told her that his ribs had been slightly dislocated but not broken, one pinching at his lungs until they were able to properly move everything back into place. Peter's chest was wrapped up tightly with a large white bandage, his skin a bit paler than normal as he shifted slightly in the bed trying to get comfy. The doctor said he might be sore for a month before the pain was tolerable. She leaned over and kissed him, a surprised look in his eyes and a flush of red on his cheeks.

"Sore... I'm... Sorry hun. For... every... thing."

He was wheezing slightly as he spoke, her free hand reaching up to smooth his hair away from his face, shushing him.

"It's... ok. Reese told me everything. We'll talk about it later. Neal's still resting in his room. They said he lost quite a bit more blood so they're giving him some more transfusions. He should heal fine."

She watched as those last words made Peter shake his head, turning to stare at the window a moment with an angry look. His hand let go of hers and moved to sit on his chest as his breath hitched slightly with emotion.

"He proba... bably... hatesss... me."

El sensed the defeat in his voice although it was muted with his weakness and breathlessness from his injuries. He was afraid of her being angry with him. She continued to gently smooth at his hair, grasping his chin with her hand to turn his face to look at hers. In a moment she saw him relax at her loving look yet the sadness of having disappointed not only herself but his partner remained in those eyes.

"He saved you, Peter. He stayed and helped you. Doesn't that prove he still cares? Neal didn't give up on you because you never gave up on him. He'll understand once the truth comes out. Reese wants to have you two talk things through once you're both up and about."

She watched his brown eyes gazed up with disbelief at her words but finally he nodded, his hands reaching up as much as he could to pull her close and hug. He winced slightly at the motion but kept holding her, his lips on hers a moment before he had another coughing fit. El gently patted his cheek and smiled down at him. She noticed the split lip and sighed.

"The doctor said you should be free in three days if the rib remains in place. Neal will be released soon as his iron count is high enough which will probably be tomorrow at the earliest. June's visiting him but we haven't been able to get in touch with Mozzie."

She was worried about the little guy, the usual number she had now out of service. Peter squeezed her hand and gazed up at her with a look that broke her heart.

"Gone. (brief coughing fit) Believed... every... thing. Ghost."

Peter coughed more, the monitors beeping a bit more loudly but not going into alarm mode. Suddenly the door to the room opened as she turned to see a nurse come in and check up on them.

"I'm sorry... we were talking and he got a little breathless."

She kept hold of Peter's hand as the nurse checked his vitals and made him comfy after everything seemed satisfactory to her.

"He needs rest and as little talking or moving at the moment. I'll let the doctor know he's awake so he can talk to you both about his treatment and how soon he can leave."

The nurse smiled at them both, El nodding back as they were once again alone in the room and only the hiss of the respirator and beep of the monitors broke the quiet.

"Rest, Peter... hun. I'm going to see how Neal is doing. June said she might have to leave early to pick up her granddaughter. He might be worrying about things as you were."

She watched her husband nod without a peep, closing his eyes as she leaned over gently to kiss him and squeeze him gently before getting up to leave. Now that she knew most of the story she realized just how much Peter had gone through to help Neal. There was no doubt he felt some guilt at his family's part in the con's sordid past (what she knew of it) but Reese had told her enough to convince her that Peter had done what he could to make what was wrong, right.

El glanced back as she opened the door to leave, Peter already snoozing away quietly, his face boyish and honest as she left the room.

()()()

Neal was slow to wake, his body achy from not just his injuries but the throb in his head from being chloroformed. He had to admit he wanted to stay in the darkness, fighting a return to a reality that more than likely had him back in prison alone without anyone to depend upon. If he had only run when Mozzie asked him maybe he would feel less anxious. Then again, he hadn't lied when he told Peter, the man he thought he knew, that he was tired of running. Mozzie knew he was telling the truth although he often ignored it of his own accord to spin tales of far off lands but Neal didn't listen... much. Being free was fun but it was lonely and he had finally found a home.

"Neal honey... shhhhh... it's ok, Neal."

The voice was one he knew well, eyes opening with a slow flutter of lashes as he found himself focusing on a dimly lit figure beside him. Even blurry he knew who it was and the short quiet sobbing he couldn't control continued despite his embarrassment at showing weakness. She wouldn't care that he cried but he felt like showing his emotions made her attached to him in a way he didn't want. If only his mother were here... or Ellen. He felt the tears falling even harder than before, turning his head but she was there, walking around the bed and gently holding him as he sat up with a quiet gasp of pain and her arms wrapped around his. He had been there for her when Samantha was sick and Ford had broken her heart. That time they'd danced, tears in her eyes but now June held him like the mother he always wished he'd had. Ellen had been as close a mother as he'd ever remembered but June had filled the space needing him as much he felt sometimes as he would admit to needing her.

"It's ok, Neal... Everything's ok now. Shhhh..."

She hummed quietly to him and he had flashes to his childhood, one he had forgotten about before he was Danny Brooks. His mother holding him in her arms and whispering how much she missed his father and loved them both. Slowly the memories moved aside as he pulled back a little, wiping with some embarrassment at his eyes and turned his face away to keep what dignity he thought he might have lost. June clucked her tongue at him.

"Between us. Ok?"

She was gently wiping at his face with a tissue like a mother with a child and he let her, loving the sense of being a kid again if only for a moment. June wasn't his mother but she treated him like family and right now that's all he wanted.

"Thank you... June."

He wasn't sure what else to say, taking the tissue as she offered him up another and he finished wiping at his face on his own. Like Ellen she let him do what he would within reason, keeping an eye to be sure he was safe and providing him with an ear to bend. June was yet another woman he could never have lived without. He saw the soft smile on her face as she brushed hair from his forehead and chuckled slightly.

"Of course. Is there anything you needed? They said you could have water or juice once you woke up. I would take the juice. They said it would help you feel better after all the blood you lost."

He shifted with a low groan, June helping him sit up as he got comfy and indicated water. She got up and pulled one from a small shelf that was really a mini fridge. The water bottle already had a cap up top to drink from comfortably as she handed it to him and he sipped at the cool liquid in silence.

"Elizabeth was asking about you. She's visiting Peter at the moment."

Her manner was calm, soothing and it took him a moment to take in what she said, a certain curving down of his lips on the agent's name. June didn't seem to notice as he quickly hid his discomfort about Peter.

"How are they?"

Neal kept his manner nonchalant wanting to end the conversation but not if it meant berating his friend to June. She didn't know the truth yet and as he did with Jones at their rescue, he kept his mouth shut. Far be it for him to be a tattle tale or a snitch. Who would believe him, a con, was telling the truth anyway.

"He's still asleep far as I know. He had some dislocated ribs but the rest were just bumps and bruises, thankfully. You were both very lucky."

She patted him gently on the arm, getting up as she moved to the sink to get herself a cup of water, returning to sit beside him. There was a quiet elegance about her, a refined manner much like his own con man exterior only more a part of her personality than his own persona. He wondered how she had come to be the person she was without losing herself in the act. June smiled, seemingly reading his mind as she spoke.

"Not everything is as it appears. We know that better than anyone else, Neal. Remember that."

Her smile quirked up at the end, a wink from one eye before she kissed him gently on the forehead and stood. They both turned at the sound of quick footsteps outside and then the door opened. Neal sat up a bit, regretting the act as he felt his body responding from the pain he still had from his old injury and tackling Peter to save him. He was glad he did it but wondering at what cost had he saved the man only to make his own life miserable again.

"Elizabeth..."

June walked over to greet their visitor, his eyes adjusting to the dimly lit room to see a familiar figure moving forward. She was in silhouette a moment until the main door shut and the room was bathed in a more comfortable light. His head still throbbed from the chloroform, a nurse telling him earlier that he might be dizzy from its effects for the next day or two. His eyes momentarily moved up to see the sack of blood on the IV rack, following the line down to his arm where he was being replenished of the pints he'd lost doing more activity than the doctors had suggested on his first release. He smirked inwardly at the thought, looking back at the two women when their words grew more audible and he saw blue eyes staring at him from across the room.

"I'm glad to hear that Peter is doing better. I need to go pick up Samantha from her parents. They were going out for the weekend and I promised I would watch her for a few days."

She turned back towards him, moving closer long enough to hug him gently smile in that motherly way only June could have.

"I'll be back and maybe I'll bring Samantha. She's been asking about those art lessons you promised her last time."

He felt a smile grow on his lips, nodding up at his benefactress and landlady he'd grown so close to.

"Right... she wanted to learn how to paint like Monet. Tell her... soon."

He watched her nod and smile, squeezing his hand a moment before leaving the room as Elizabeth moved closer. His partner's wife was clearer now as she neared the low lit lamp in the room and smiled calmly down at him, sitting in the chair June had just left. He had his bed raised up enough to be semi-sitting but adjusted it more to be nearly eye to eye with El who seemed a bit wary if not nervous despite her calm exterior.

"How are you feeling, Neal? They told me you might be released tomorrow."

She was being her usual no nonsense, get to the point without looking like you're prying kind of personality. Normally he liked her style but he wondered now if she had known about Peter. He hated being suspicious but it was all he could think of at the moment. His silence seemed to draw her out of their usual game of normality as she sighed, taking his hand in hers with a silent "May I?" and he allowed the act.

"I didn't... know. I told him I wouldn't have a part in any of it if he wasn't going to take care of you, Neal. I was..."

She stood up and paced a moment before turning back and looking at him, her eyes shiny in the dimly lit room. He could see tears there, genuine sadness that couldn't be fake.

"... I was going to leave him. It wasn't fair to you and I wouldn't be a part of abandoning a friend in his time of need even if it meant leaving the person I loved."

Neal blinked, realizing Elizabeth knew more than he had thought. Could he confide in her about what he knew? He'd saved a man who wanted nothing more to do with him after everything they'd accomplished as partners and friends. He wanted to trust someone with the truth that ate at him despite the good he'd done. Neal couldn't find the words to speak, not even to say the Hello he knew he should have already said to her. Elizabeth was holding his hand again, reaching up to smooth hair from his face. She was like an older sister he never had just as June was the mother he missed. They both nurtured him in their own manner but her closeness to Peter made him want to shrink back, his hand pulling from hers slowly. El sniffled slightly, understanding evident when she didn't grab his hand back.

"Hughes... he told me a story, something that would have waited until you were out of here and Peter was back on his feet. I'm going to tell you now what he told me... And I want you to listen, Neal. Listen carefully."

Her tone grew more parental near the end but he was feeling stubborn again, wanting to ignore everything and just hide from the world. Peter had destroyed everything he found dear and now she wanted him to listen? His arms were crossed loosely across his chest in defiance, head turned towards the window but he knew El. She was stubborn like him and wouldn't stop until he'd heard her through. Maybe that's what he liked about her, a determination to get things done, but right now he wasn't sure he cared enough to accept anything she had to say. He was hurt and her presence just reminded him of the man who'd caused it.

oOoOoOo

Author's Note: The end is nigh everyone! Here comes the truth! Let's see how things finally fall into place and if Neal will accept it.