A/N: Thank you everyone who reviewed or PMed me, it really made me feel loved and supported Here's the next chapter. I know I said that you all would probably have to wait until next week for an update, but my wonderful beta, Fierce Queen, returned this chapter faster than I had expected!
hikeyosemite, I had already made a draft of this chapter when you reviewed suggesting the same thing that I had written! :P I hope you like it!
Enjoy Reading! And please review!
Mozzie was on a beach in Cape Verde, sipping a Margarita as he stretched making sounds people may have found rather odd, but Neal knew that they helped him balance his chi. A fond grin made its way to his face as he turned to face his friend, ready to start firing quotations that he himself didn't understand half the time; knowing it amused his friend.
The smile vanished from his face as he remembered that his friend wasn't sitting there besides him. Neal had chosen New York over his oldest friend. Neal, the man was like a brother to him, almost like a son in some ways. The vertically challenged man let out a long-suffering sigh. Neal had betrayed him. Mozzie had chosen to share the multi-billion dollar Nazi loot with his young partner in crime and what did he get in return? Neal hid the fact that he knew about the manifest, causing the whole Degas incidence. But they had resolved that fiasco and Mozzie had been willing to forgive Neal's misdemeanor, he was sure that his young friend was having a momentary lapse in judgment because the Suit had successfully brainwashed him. Yet, unfortunately for Mozzie when the sand in the hour glass had literally run out, Neal had told him he wanted to stay.
He could not imagine the severity of his blue-eyed friends Stockholm's Syndrome that he would prefer to remain confined to his two-mile radius instead of living in paradise, with everything he would ever want at his finger tops. After all, there was nothing that money couldn't buy. It didn't matter, he thought indignantly, he was here living the life. His dream of 'the score of a lifetime' had come true, much sooner than he had anticipated. Neal on the other hand was still on a two mile leash, willingly helping out the Feds, and his every move was being scrutinized by 'The Man'.
Well no matter, Mozzie huffed. He had done everything he could do to help his once friend and had been rudely snubbed in return. But that wasn't true, Moz realized as his stomach clenched for the loss of his best friend. Neal had been happy in New York. Genuinely happy. He could see it in the way his eyes lit up when he smiled. His million dollar con-man smile with his teeth flashing like a Colgate advertisement was decreasing in frequency and replaced by a boyish grin he had rarely seen in the years before Peter and the FBI. And Mozzie had forced him to choose between the treasure of a lifetime and happiness. It was clear to him now which treasure Neal cherished more.
Deep down, Mozzie knew what he had done was unfair to Neal. The Suit meant well, and Mrs. Suit was absolutely wonderful. The Suit family had accepted the two criminals with open arms, and they had kind of adopted Neal. Heck, even Satchmo treated Neal as part of the family. And in spite of his frequent whining about his job as a consultant, Mozzie knew that Neal loved the seemingly mundane life. His camaraderie with Junior and Lady Suit showed that. Ah, and June—the benefactress who treated both conmen like long established friends. She, too, treated Neal like a son, and they both truly loved each other in a way only a mother and son could. And Mozzie had wanted Neal to leave all that behind him.
If he were truly honest with himself, because there really was no point in lying to oneself after all, Mozzie was jealous. He was jealous that Neal was willing to forgo their fifteen year friendship for Peter—because it all came down to The Suit of course. Mozzie's fear that Peter was replacing him as Neal's best friend had been realized when the younger conman had made his choice to stay.
Still, he did feel rather guilty when he left Neal to deal with the aftermath of El's kidnapping all by himself. But he told himself that Neal had decided to stay after all that he had done for him and pushed aside the guilt. He remembered the younger conman's face when Elizabeth had been rescued and Neal had come to Mozzie, thanking him for giving up the treasure for her- well, part of the treasure though Neal didn't know that. He could clearly recall the hurt yet understanding look the blue eyed man had given him when Mozzie had informed him that he was still leaving New York.
Mozzie let out an annoyed huff. Hanging out with The Suit and Co was clearly making him lose his mind. They had probably used something to brainwash him. He hadn't ever felt this guilty about stealing something, and this theft surely demanded a feeling of total satisfaction. Not this heart-wrenching sorrow born of guilt and regret. So obviously, the government was using their long hidden mind control techniques on him.
So lost was he in his depressing thoughts, trying to counter them with conspiracy theories that sounded ridiculous even to him, that he missed the two beeps let out by a pager whose number only one person in the world knew. It was several hours, when he was undressing for a shower and he patted his pockets that he found the small black device glowing orange.
He had given the pager's number to June. Well, hidden it in a secret compartment along with a burner phone she had told him to hide his 'book of the week' in. It was just part of their weekly book club rituals. With a slight feeling of dread, the quirky little man dialed the number of the burner phone. He had not expected Neal to find it so soon. Mozzie regretted his words the last time he had actually spoken to his best friend.
What Mozzie had not been expecting was June Ellington's forcibly controlled voice coming from the ear piece.
"Haversham?" she asked.
"June? What's wrong?" he inquired. Something had to go really wrong for the strong woman to seem as worried as she did even though she was doing a pretty good job of hiding it. Her voice broke slightly as she spoke, making Mozzie afraid in a way he had never before experienced.
"Mozzie, it's Neal. He's in the hospital's ICU."
Thank you for reading.