A/N. I give up, this isn't beta'd i apologize if this annoys you, but i hope that you can forgive me. Other from this, ENJOY!

The meal that Elizabeth cooked was better then anything that Neal had eaten in a while, which was saying something. Neal ate, mostly with Mozzie, at some of the finest restaurants that New York City could provide. But it wasn't just the food. Throughout the meal, conversation had flown easily. There was no mention of work, white-collar crimes or criminals. And defiantly no mention of the past twenty-four hours. Instead, Elizabeth and Neal had talked about their favorite wines while Peter had described to them his preference of beer over wine. And naturally both men had complemented Elle on her fantastic cooking abilities between mouthfuls. She discussed the recipe, telling the two that it was one of her favorites as a child and her grandmother used to cook it for her. She then told Neal not to pilfer it. Neal professed his innocence and ignorance of even understanding what she meant. They had all laughed and Peter had said to Neal that it was no use, Elizabeth was smart and she knew of his tricks. She had been present the three years that he chased Caffrey and she knew every trick in his the book.

It was just what Neal needed. To be able to forget about everything and just enjoy the moment, no cloak and dagger, and no secrets. Even if it only lasted until Peter and Elle started to yawn, it was nice just to be himself for a short while.

When Elizabeth and Peter had started to clear up, he had insisted like the perfect guest that they both should retire and let him take care of the mess. After all, they had set up and cooked the meal that he had enjoyed; it was only right that he clean up afterward. Peter had only thrown him one speculating glare, before he and Elle had retreated upstairs.

When the kitchen was clean and all evidence of the wonderful evening had been cleared, Neal petted Sachmo good night and headed up stairs his room.

Now he had cleared his head it was time to think. He needed to piece together what the events of last night had meant and just what he was going to tell agent Durk and Huntington. But first things first. He sat on his bed and took out his mobile and started to dial Mozzie's current number. He changed them so often it was a wonder Neal still had a contact number for the quirky man.

Barley after one ring, it was answered. "Havishmen speaking."

"Mozzie it's me."

"Define me." Mozzie said speculation saturating his voice. Honestly, the mans paranoia astonished Neal to no end sometimes.

"Me Mozzie, common. Its Neal."

"How do I know you're the real Neal?"

"Really Mozzie?"

"Ok, ok." Puffed the man. Neal heard pages start to turn on the other end of the phone line. "The suit called. Told me what happened."

"Yeh." Neal said. He didn't know what to say, he wasn't going to talk much about what had transpired if he could help it. And Mozzie had known Neal long enough to know that he wouldn't divulge into his emotions that easily.

Mozzie continued in the presence of Neal's silence. "I went by your place, the FBI were there. Luckily for you, I got the file on the music box and everything ells I knew about. What got left behind should serve as a lesson that you should have trusted me more."

Neal smiled. Mozzie was fantastic, he would never tell him that though. "Thanks Mozzie."

"Your welcome."

"Listen," He now, whether he liked it or not had to delve into the aftermath of the clues that The Beholder had left behind. "Do you remember before I was sent to prison anyone that I may have canceled a meeting with?"

"Why do you ask?"

Neal sighed. Don't think about it, just say it, he told himself. "The other night. The Beholder said- When-." He took a breath and started again, "This all started when I took the McNeil painting. Do you remember that?"

"I always do. Wasn't this before you allegedly allowed your self to be caught and got your self sent to the stony lonesome?" Mozzie said, disbelief in his tone.

Not bothering to argue the long debated topic, Neal ignored his comment and continued. "Yes, it was just before. Apparently, this is when he first started-" Neal didn't want to sound conceited, and voicing the obsession The Beholder had over him made it a prominent reality. "-his fascination with me."

"Not nice having a stalker is it?"

Neal couldn't help it, a laugh escaped his lips as he uncomfortably itched his ear. "Not so much, no."

"So what did he say?"

"He mentioned Kate, he knew I stole the piece for her. Somehow. He said that I kept changing when we were to meet."

Neal heard Mozzie inhale a greedy helping of air. "This was when you were pulling the Victor Lustig scheme on The Mormon books. You had three Mr Smith 'originals', I say this with air quotation marks you understand."

"Yes Mozzie I can hear them over the phone." The ironic thing was there was no sarcasm in Neal's voice. He knew the dynamic man so well he could see him in one of his weekly titled accommodations making the gestures.

"All buyers were lined up ready and waiting. The exchanges were made to all three. Clean and easy. There was one other that was interested, but he never committed to the purchase, insisted on a preview. Could that be him?"

"What was his name?"

There was only a fraction of a hesitation before Mozzie replied. "Thelder Hobe."

Neal shut his eyes. "That's him."

"How did you-" A throaty groan sounded on the other end of the phone. "Anagram. Funny how the pieces of a puzzle can fall into place over the course of time."

"Hilarious. I'm starting to get the feeling that everything that this fanatic has done for the past four years is all my fault, directly or indirectly. He practically said as much."

"How so?"

"He said that all of the other victims were re-enactments. For me."

"Re-enactments, of what?"

"I'm not sure. All of the carnage that he's left behind him has so many differences." Neal thought of the case file that he had pilfered over the other day, of all the horrendous acts that had been committed by The Beholder. "It's nasty stuff Mozzie."

Mozzie could hear the hurt in his friends voice and wanted to offer solace the only way he knew how. "Where are you at the moment. Want me to come over? We can bemoan over a bottle of 92 Screaming Eagle."

"You have a 92 Screaming Eagle?"

"I do. Saved for a special occasion, or a calamitous one. I think this situation would apply."

Neal was impressed, that was a very lucrative bottle of wine. And moved at the gesture and felt guilty at having to tell him he was at Peter's, in consequence nullifying the offer. "I guess that's out then." Said Mozzie. "That's alright, another day perhaps." Neal knew that this was probably going to be the one and only offer that he would receive to taste the Eagle.

"Thank you Mozzie."

"Don't mention it. See you when I see you." He said before hanging up.

Even though he had slept well at the hospital, the serenity that he had felt upon waking had dissipated and now he felt drained. He pressed the buttons to lock his phone and slung it on top of his still mostly packed case. Rubbing his face and pressing his fingers into his eyes, he heaved a yawn and flopped back onto the bed.

Huntington and Durk were going to cross-examine everything that he said tomorrow. He was now intimately involved in their case and they weren't going to let him slip by without a full examination of everything he said. His behavior patterns would be examined, they would repeat, and repeat their questions to exclude any possibility that he might leave something out. He knew the drill. In their eyes, especially Durk's, he was first and foremost a criminal. And he would be treated as such. Except for Peter and those that he worked with closely, most federal agent only perceived him one way. He knew exactly what was in store for tomorrow. He did not want to face that world and wished that he could just stay here at the Burke household. Safe and protected.

Agent Durk and Huntington were already in the office when Peter and Neal had entered that morning. When Hughes had told them that they would be ambushed, he wasn't kidding. Both were lead to separate rooms upon arrival and gave their statements according to how each of them perceived their version of events. Peter with Huntington and Neal with Durk, much to his regret.

Peter told Huntington what had happened and that he had seen The Beholders face and could now identify him. They had arranged for a sketch artist to come in and create a drawing from what he said. He also mentioned the shirt that he was wearing the previous night, how when he had fought The Beholder, he had broken his nose and blood had saturated him. He had given it to one of the officers before he had followed Neal in the ambulance, hoping that by the next day forensic would have been able to cross reference the DNA and hopefully have a match. Huntington had confirmed this and that they were still waiting on the results.

Peter left the room after Huntington had dismissed him. He felt exhausted, but glad the grueling process was now over. Neal was still in the other room with Agent Durk. Jones and Lauren were congregating near the door trying to look casual as they eavesdropped in on the questioning.

"How's it going?" Peter asked them as he approached.

Lauren glanced up at him from a file that she had been pretending to read. Frown lines creased her brow as concern filtered across her features. "I don't think she's being too gentle with him." She said.

"What do you mean?"

Jones answered. "She's cross examining everything that he's saying. Making him repeat and then second-guessing what he is telling her. Neal's kept his cool, but if she doesn't lay off soon I think he might snap."

"It's a wonder he hasn't already." Added Lauren.

"Just what exactly is she saying to him?" Peter asked. Jones opened his mouth to respond but was halted as the door swung open and Neal stood in the archway. His usual charming carefree face was set like stone. A deep frown and a clenched jaw were set firmly into place as he glanced at the three of them. Barely sparing them a second glace, he walked past and strode towards the elevators of the office.

Durk marched out behind him and yelled, "Don't think that this is over! I have many more questions I want answering yet." she turned curtly; her short, hairspray clogged hair bobbing after her as she made her was back into the office.

Peter stared after Neal. His shoulders were tense and his frame was rigid as he irritably stabbed at the lift button, and when it didn't beckon to his call immediately, he turned and shoved himself through the stair-well door.

Just what the hell was that all about? Anger started to manifest in his chest towards Agent Durk. She was meant to be questioning him not interrogating him. Forgetting about his present company, he charged in to the small room behind her and shoved the door shut to make his presence known. "Just what was that?" He said, voicing his earlier thoughts.

"Don't stat with me Burke. Neal Caffrey is keeping information from us and I need to know what it is."

"I'm sure he's telling you everything he can. Just what do you expect him to do, get up on the table and re-enact the whole thing in damn sonnets!"

"I'm expecting a freaking break. I've been on this guy for years and he's given me nothing but grief. Now we get our first big lead and the only surviving victim is slamming the door shut on all of the answers." She was stacking papers and photographs that had been splayed across the table. Pictures of the previous victims, mutilated bodies, disfigured and twisted in their obscene and grotesque poses.

"You want a break?" He asked sceptically. He could find no sympathy for this cold and malice woman. "What about Neal? He's another victim, just like these poor people that you've spread out in front of him. And instead of trying to reassure him your threatening him with what he narrowly avoided becoming!" He said swiping his hand at some of the photographs, flicking them back across the table and some onto the floor.

She turned on him then, eyes ablaze with a new found furry, she screeched out. "He doesn't deserve that kind of consideration! He is a felon and from the minute amount of information that he told me, he practically invited The Beholder to prey on him."

Peter felt his blood boil. He could feel himself about to lurch across the table to throttle the women when the door blasted opened to reveal a steaming Hughes. "What is this! Burke," He barked. "My office, Now!" Peter's jaw clenched and he held his tongue. He had never heard his boss raise his voice before, and immediately he felt like a small child being scolded by his farther. Before leaving, he turned and glared at Agent Durk. Never before had he allowed himself to be so throttled by another person before.

He felt himself moving away from the scene in a haze. He was there but wasn't there. Anger fueled him as he paced Hughes's office waiting for his boss to return. Reese had remained with agent Durk after Peter had left. Thinking back Peter recalled Lauren and Jones were no longer standing out side the office, most likely they scattered when Hughes came charging.

But the nerve of that woman! How dare she imply that Caffrey was somehow less important of a human being, less deserving of her professional consideration? Did she really just see him as a criminal that got what he had deserved? And just what had she meant by Neal practically inviting him in? By stealing a painting?

This was so typical of Neal. In over his head, and all because of Kate. After all, he had stolen that damn picture for her to begin with. A part of him truly wanted to despise Kate for all of the despair that she had befallen on to Neal. And this was so typically a result of one of his cavalier gestures.

He ran his fingers through his hair and growled at the predicament of the situation. This wasn't going to end well. He had hoped that today might conform of: interview, evidence review, bad coffee, statistics gathered thus far and then make a plan to catch this bastard that had contorted their lives.

Hughes shoved the door open and glared at him as Peter wiped around to face his boss and the repercussions of his actions. "Sit down." He barked. Hughes walked into the office, and to Peter's surprise, Caffrey was in tow. "Both of you."

They both complied. Chairs squeaked as they sat as if representing the tension that each man brought to the room. Reese grumbled a bushed sigh. Time lapsed before them all. Neither partner dared break the silence that had descended upon them as Hughes fumed before them.

"You're both off this case-" Immediate utterances of protest of injustice were silenced immediately with the continuation of Hughes raised voice. "Effective immediately! Peter, so help me. Durk want's you off of this investigation and Caffrey in witness protection. He would disappear Peter." The realization sunk in. Neal was officially the property of the FBI. If they wanted, they could re-locate him anywhere they desired. Considering the circumstances, they would have full authority to do so and there would be nothing that Peter could do to stop it. "They're pushing for this. They want him safe. He's the closest link that they have to catching this guy and their not about to let him go."

Neal had tried his best to remain calm when agent Durk was questioning him. He used all of the techniques that were in his arsenal, but nothing would appease her. When she demanded that he wasn't telling her everything she had started to slam photographs into his face. Accusing him, judging him, telling him that he was no more important then any of these victims. He had denied that he wasn't telling her the truth. In regards to what had happened the night before he wasn't relenting any information. He even told her about the McNeil painting, though not the consequences that the action may have held. The fact that he might be responsible somehow for all of these victims was too much to bare.

He didn't want to admit the fact that his expertise had brought upon a rampage that he hadn't even realised was destroying peoples lives. Then she insinuated a comparison between him and The Beholder, how his criminal ways tore apart those that he targeted. That he was no different from the man that had committed these atrocities. He may have not have killed his targets, but he still made people suffer just like The Beholder.

She had hit too close to the truth, even if she hadn't known it. And she would only use it to her advantage if she found out Neal's feelings. Neal had left, unable to stomach her company and her allegations anymore. Apart of him felt sickened. Sick for feeling that on some level, she was right. He may make excuses about how he only targeted those that could afford it. Those that had deserved it. But who was he to judge? The consequences of his actions were, undoubtedly, bringing people suffering.

He had to push his guilt aside. Apart from Mozzie, he hadn't told anyone else the part that he had played at creating this beast. And the guilt of it was eating him alive. "Maybe I should be re-located."

Neal said in a dead tone. Perhaps that was a good enough punishment, the FBI could still use him, he might still be of some use. Maybe that would be that only way to redeem himself.

"No way." Peter interjected. "I'm not letting that pocket sized terrorizer take away my consultant."

"It's not going to come to that. Putting you two on this case was a mistake. I should never have caved into the request. You're off of this, is that understood? I don't want either of you investigating any further into this case." He said levelling his eyes at them. Both men nodded exasperated. "I'll see what I can do to keep Caffrey in our custody, but until I get an all clear I want you two working on something else." He paused. Neal could feel what Hughes would say next would be the equivalent of a judge passing a condemning sentence. "That Daniel Picah case, It's now yours."

A/N: Don't you just hate agent Durk at the moment? Hehe.

Tello! How can i resist mentioning your name! (secretly i crave your reviews, lol) More stuff is defiantly going to happen, all i can say is poor Neal. lol.

Itamaru, Im so glad your a fan of this story! I think that you will like what i have in store concerning The Beholder. ;P

Save the sharks, The Beholder will most certainly be back, but you will just have to wait to see if he gets Neal..Hehehehehe, evil laugh. (but of course he does, oh no, spoiler!)

Rae37, I will try!

inlovewithfanfics, I found myself with a large goofy smile when i read your review! Thank you so much!

Lily, Thank you for saying my story was tasefull! I think your the first to say this. It made me beam!

Lala, You + review = a very happy me ^-^

NayahReidWhumper xD, But wait! There's more! Hehe, there's much much more. Poor Neal. *evil laugh*

Thank you all so much!And feel free to hit that review button. Next Chapter will be up much sooner as i have all but given up on a Beta. (The infamous friend i mentioned is'nt in the country, so i will have to wait until she is back.)

~Chow4noW~