A/N I'm not very happy with this chapter but I got it done. I hope you do enjoy it though.
Sam had ordered Adrian to punish Patrick, the teen boy that Neal had seen the night before. The one that had red hair and a fountain of freckles trickling down his face. He was the new Neal, the mule, the one that did commissions. But Neal couldn't do it, not to this kid, not to the one person who he thought of as a little him. A person he could warn, and save. So he twisted around to face Patrick, who was still trembling, his pale face taught and his eyes holding a look of pure terror, and dropped the belt. He flinched.
"Okay, I don't want to hurt you, I want to help you. So here's the plan, you go out there and say that you beat me up. For whatever reason, Sam will respect that. I don't know why it works but it does." Neal explained and Patrick relaxed. His shoulders slumped and an easy smile lit up the kid's face.
"What will we have as proof?" He asked, the corner of his mouth twitching with anxiety.
"I'll figure something out." Neal winked and pushed him out the door, leaving him to tell Sam.
All that Neal had to do was induce a seizure; he hadn't had one for months. But Neal knew that all he had to do was let his memories flow free. So he studied the bloody patches on the carpet and willed the years of beatings he had took to come to mind. The door slid open right as Neal hit the ground, twitching, but in blissful unawareness. He was free.
Neal woke up on his cot, the black blanket wrapped around his form. He mind felt fuzzy and his head hurt. He shifted in the bed, trying to catalogue injuries, only to be stopped by a voice.
"You okay." It asked, airy and light, magical.
"I'm fine." Neal sat up and slowly turned.
She was as beautiful as ever. Her black hair had grown to halfway down her back, and she had it in a elegant braid. Her blue eyes were searching over him, looking for anything to contradict her statement. Her pink lips were in a small smile and she looked happy. She was wearing a maxi dress, the navy fabric twirling her frame, showing off every curve. She looked gorgeous, just like when she used to be with Neal, when they were together. Nate, Mozzie used to call them, it was their combined name. But Neal didn't understand why she was happy, she was being held hostage By Sam. Unless… Neal shook his head, chasing his thoughts away and putting on a brilliant smile.
"I'm Adrian, and you are?" Neal inquired, sticking out his hand.
"Kate, are you sure you're okay, you had quite a fit back there?" She wasn't so easily convinced
"I'm a tough man." Neal replied smoothly, leaning down to kiss the top of her had. She pulled back and Neal couldn't help but feel rejected.
"I suppose you are. Sam admires Patrick now; I don't think I'll ever understand that man." Kate admitted shaking her head slowly.
"Good for the kid, not so good for me. How's Sam feeling about me?" Neal asked, genuinely concerned for his cover, he had to get Kate out, and Patrick.
"You are fine in his mind, Patrick stated that you turned you back to grab the belt and he got spooked. He took a chair and rammed it into your head." Kate said, running her hand through his blonde hair, looking for any cuts. Neal winced, too similar to the past event.
"Good." Neal replied.
Kate got up after determining that 'Adrian' would be fine, stating that she had to get back to Sam or there would be hell to pay. Conveniently, Peter's voice floated into the earpiece not too long after.
"What happened? If you lie to me, Neal I swear you will be back in orange so fast it'll make your head swim." Peter growled, concern leaking out into Neal's ear.
"Peter, I couldn't hurt Patrick, he's just like me. A young boy who is being punished for not doing Sam's work good enough. So I told him to claim he beat me up, he got out of the whipping and gained some respect." Neal explained and Peter softened.
"What aren't you telling me. You are evading the question." Peter sighed, what was he going to do with Neal?
"Well, in order to prove that he indeed hurt me, Iinducedaseizurebutimfinerightnowsoyeah." Neal babbled, hoping that he talked too fast for Peter to understand.
"Neal! You did what? You induced a seizure. Neal…." Peter trailed off knowing that just a little bit longer and he would have been yelling.
Peter was worried, Neal was taking this case too seriously. He allowed himself to possibly be injured just to save a kid. Yes, Peter was proud that Neal cared that much, that he really wanted to change, that he wanted to get Kate back legally, but what if it cost him his sanity, or his life? All that Peter wanted was for Neal to come back in one piece, not shot or stabbed or depressed. Hell, he just wanted Neal, the man that wasn't Caffery, but the one who smiled and wanted to help, the one who thought about his actions and tried to get along with Jones. He wanted the real man behind the smooth language and the bright smile. Because they were partners. But Peter didn't always get what he wanted and what he heard over the earpiece made his blood run cold.
"I knew that you were familiar, welcome back Neal." Kate's voice floated though the earpiece.
Thanks for reading, please review.