"Are you absolutely certain he's not yours?" Mozzie eyed the tiny boy as he dashed excitedly from object to object, exploring his new environment… the first rays of dawn filtered through the French doors falling across the three men watching the child. The kidnapping had been officially reported to both the Bureau and the NYPD. Peter and Mozzie sat at Neal's table watching the young man as he paced nearly as franticly as the toddler.
"He's not mine, Moz!" Neal's eyes darted between his friends pleading with them to believe him.
"Because he's definitely got enough energy to be… and he does bear a rather striking resemblance to you."
"I don't care! I had never seen his mother before in my life. She was a perfect stranger to me."
"CPS will want to run a DNA test." Peter added quietly
"Let them! He's not mine!" his consultant nearly shouted. The little boy paused to look at him nervously. Neal abruptly dropped his voice "I didn't recognize his mother…at all.
"But you said she seemed to know you." Peter said thoughtfully
"She did, but she called me Michael Scott." Neal sank wearily into a seat across from them. "I've never used Michael Scott as an alias…" he sighed
"Maybe it was a one night thing?" Peter tried. Neal shook his head adamantly and Mozzie snorted derisive.
"I know I flirt, Peter… shamelessly sometimes… its fun and it's harmless, but I don't do one night stands…. Ever. To many people get hurt that way. I can count on my fingers the women I have slept with…and you have met half of them. I swear I have never met this woman in my life. Besides he's two … you know exactly where I was when he was conceived, Peter… women were not readily available…
"That's true."
"And apparently this was an ongoing thing between Will's mom and Michael … from what she implied."
"Ok then…that leaves only one viable possibility even though it sounds crazy. There is someone out there that looks enough like you, that his lover couldn't tell the difference."
"That's just … disturbing, thinking there is a stranger walking around with my face."
"Well unless you have a twin…"
"I think I would know about a twin." Something unreadable glinted in his eye as he sank into a chair, fingers nervously reaching for his silk handkerchief and folding it elaborately.
"But would we?" Peter regarded the agitated young man
"Maybe not." Neal conceded "but if I had a twin, you think I wouldn't be on the phone with him right now?"
"Granted" Peter looked at him thoughtfully "did his mother say anything else?" he nodded to the little boy currently trying to climb onto Neal's kitchen counter. "Anything that might help identify her or tell us why she left him with you?"
Neal scrambled to grab the adventurous child just before he grabbed a chef's knife from his precarious perch half way onto the counter.
"No she didn't…"He sat the squirming boy on the floor and returned to his seat. "She said something about three months in London, a week in Barcelona and three days in Mannheim… definitely flirting… She said she meant to tell this Michael about William, but apparently she never had, she said the situation was urgent… which obviously…" he shrugged his voice trailing off in frustrated desperation.
"And that's everything"
"That's everything…" Neal sighed deeply "well, she did tell me not to lose his teddy bear… pretty firmly, actually." Three sets of eyes turned to focus on the ragged well-loved bear clutched in the toddler's hand as he leapt suddenly from the couch to the armchair, giggling wildly with delight.
"You think there is something in the bear?" Mozzie asked quietly
"No… I mean she was just warning me he loves the thing…" Neal watched the little boy for a moment, "But she was quite adamant…"
"Couldn't hurt to take a look" the small man shrugged nonchalantly but his eyes lit up with burning curiosity.
"Couldn't hurt to look." Neal and Peter agreed. Three men fell silent as they realized what that involved.
"So…" Mozzie ventured uncertainly after an uncomfortably long moment "who's going to take the bear from him?" the three men looked at each other, then back at the small child currently jumping on Neal's bed…
"Do you still have Mozart…? I might have an idea."
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"No gib bear owies!" Neal held the little boy in his lap, as the child clung frantically to Mozart and eyed the operation in progress fearfully his little thumb wedged firmly in his mouth. Mozzie bent over the stuffed animal, magnification googles adorned his face, giving him a striking resemblance to a bug as he carefully picked the stitches out of the toy's foot.
"Bear will be good as new when I'm done I assure you, miniature Neal." The boy looked at him oddly, tears still streaked his little face. It had taken all three men bribing and cajoling to persuade him to let them borrow the toy but in the end after an explosive bout of crying he had conceded to give them the bear. An occasional hiccup jarred his little body and the way he snuggled into the young man's body made Neal wonder how often his mother left him with strangers and why?
"I told you he's not mine, Moz"
"That you know of…" the small man tapped his head knowingly "that you know of."
"What is that supposed to mean?" he adjusted the child in his lap.
"Big brother did extract a sample of your DNA when you were confined by their injustice system, did they not?" across the room Peter snorted and Neal shook his head affectionately.
"I don't think William is my clone, Moz …is there something in there?" he nodded to the bear.
"Are you sure about that my friend? The resemblance is disturbing…" a moment passed while he tugged silently at something… "Ah ha! There it is!" he held up a memory card with a triumphant grin. The small man lay the device aside and began carefully stitching the stuffed animal's foot back together.
"You aren't going to check it out?" Peter's quizzical look was met by stares of disbelief.
"Of course I am" Mozzie replied without looking up "as soon as I take care of a more pressing matter." he continued stitching steadily until the foot was closed. With an awkward grin he pushed his googles up and passed the toy back to its rightful owner. The small thumb was ejected immediately as the boy reached happily for his cuddly friend. His bright smile fell a moment later…
"Owies!" he pouted looking gravely at the bear's foot. "You gave him owies… he needs a banbaid!"
"My stitching is perfect!" the bald man protested "you can't even see where I did it.
"Needs Banbaid… biiiigg owies!" tears threatened.
Neal sighed and unfolded his handkerchief with a shake of his head, and shooting his friend a mildly frustrated look, carefully wrapped the toy's foot. "There you go, all better."
"But you can't even see it!" Mozzie threw his hands in the air.
"Tank oo" The tiny boy beamed joyfully and jumped lightly from Neal's lap.
"You're welcome."
"Now can we see what's on the memory card?" Peter asked
The bald man slid the card into the laptop on the table… after a moment he frowned.
"The card's heavily encrypted…" He scowled
"Can you crack it?"
"If I can't I have a … friend…or possibly more… who can" he looked up at the two anxious men "it may take a day or two."
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"Open up" the young woman waved a cotton swab at him "this will only take a moment"
"No problem Miranda," Neal obligingly opened his mouth allowing the Social worker to take a DNA sample "but he's not mine." He continued when she finished, looking over at the child, he sighed softly… he understood her doubts. Even in sleep he wore Neal's smile, his dark curls falling across his forehead as he shifted, and Neal knew those long lashes on his cheeks covered eyes the exact color of his own. It was disturbing. Especially when he remembered the boy's mother looking up at him earnestly… certain he was the man she sought. He covered a shiver with his brightest grin.
"Of course not sir" Miranda Wallace from Child Services clearly didn't believe him "his mother just left him with a random stranger who happened to look just like the boy."
"I'm pretty sure it was a case of mistaken identity." Not pretty sure he thought absolutely sure…
"Mistaken identity?" her eyebrow arched grey eyes radiating disbelief.
"She called me Michael"
"And that's not your name?"
"Nope… I'm Neal." He smiled brighter, purposely ignoring her cold look. "Besides I couldn't be Will's father… it's impossible."
"Why is that?"
"It's complicated"
"Of course it is" she smiled smugly, her tone indicating she had heard every excuse "let me guess you are sterile"
"What?!" Neal's eyes widened with shock, then narrowed when Peter laughed out loud before returning to his paper "No! It's just that… I wasn't available for … that, at the time he was conceived."
"Oh you were in a committed relationship… got it." the woman almost rolled her eyes. Neal bit his tongue to contain the comment about her lack of manners and professionalism. This woman was insulting at every opportunity.
"Well yes I was but …" he sighed "I was also in prison" the young woman's head jerked up abruptly.
"Really?" her voice sounded shocked "you don't seem the type…"
"But I do seem the type who would cheat on someone I supposedly loved… and then deny the child? That pretty much makes me the scum of the earth. What kind of father does that?!"
"Well… yeah I guess" she stumbled a bit over the words. "But prison is another level entirely…"
"Depends on what you did." Neal protested softly
"And what exactly did you do?"
"Bond forgery" Peter supplied helpfully
"Thank you, Peter… I had forgotten." the young man muttered sarcastically
"Just trying to keep Miranda from running in terror before she finished explaining the options"
"Bond forgery you said?" she looked at Peter "so he's not …"
"Dangerous?" he chuckled "no… but I'd check for my wallet before you leave if I were you." He smiled at the blue glare directed at him over her head.
"And you are?"
"Agent Peter Burke… FBI."
"I see."
"I'm his supervisor… Neal is a consultant with our team."
"A consultant for the FBI… who was in prison three years ago?" she looked over her reading glasses suspiciously at the agent.
"Yes" he shrugged "as strange as it sounds he is a highly valued member of my team" Neal beamed at that and Peter sighed inwardly. He would never hear the end of that admission he thought as the young man silently mouthed "highly valued" a couple of times as though trying it out.
"Thank you." Miranda arranged her dress studiously straightening her shoulders "so you, Mr. Caffrey, deny being the father of the minor but you indicate willingness to maintain custody of said minor until such time as his mother is located?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"May I ask why?"
"Because… I don't want to see him placed in foster care."
"You think he would be better off with you?" she raised her eyebrows doubtfully.
"I have a comfortable home with room for him, I have stable employment, I don't do drugs or drink to excess… Yes I think I could take care of him." He flashed her a smile, mischief in his eyes.
"You also think quite highly of yourself" she returned "Agent Burke, in your opinion will the boy be safe in Mr. Caffrey's custody?"
"Yes" he said without the slightest hesitation, looking at Neal toying with his cufflinks "Miss… Neal… well he relates to kids better than most people and he is very gentle and protective of them."
Ok…" she hesitated "then as the living arrangements appear clean and healthy, I will grant temporary custody… but on extremely conditional grounds, under the supervision of CPS and Agent Burke… and only until I can find a more suitable placement or his mother is located whichever comes first. Is that understood Mr. Caffrey?"
"Yes. Miranda, you are absolutely clear." She snorted softly at his use of her first name. He rolled his eyes as soon as her back was turned. As soon as the door closed behind her he smirked
"And she thinks I think highly of myself…"
"Don't tell me you're insulted she didn't fall for your charm." Peter grinned openly when the woman left.
"She told me I took scum of the earth to another level… I think that qualifies as being a valid reason to be insulted."
"I'll concede that might have been a little over the top."
"You think?" he shook his head slightly. Neal grinned when he received a mildly sympathetic clap on the shoulder "so… Highly valued..."
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He jerked awake abruptly for the second night in a row. His mind groggy with sleep deprivation, Neal silently tried to determine what had awakened him.
"MOOOOMMMY!" The cry repeated frantically rising in pitch to a scream now. Neal bounded out of bed. Fighting the sheet tangled around his legs to avoid falling, he darted across the room to the small bed June had produced for William.
"Shhhh! It's ok buddy. You're safe… It's ok" he whispered in a tone he hoped was soothing to the toddler. He gingerly picked up the ragged stuffed bear with the bandaged foot from the floor beside the bed and handed him back to the tiny boy. Wide blue eyes shone up at him in the street light spilling in the French doors, tears running freely as the child sobbed. Neal scooped the little form up and held him, covering his uncertainty with soft unintelligible words.
"I want my mommy!" the little one wailed
"I know you do. I know." He murmured "My friend Peter is doing everything he can to find her…its ok. It's going to be ok." He desperately hoped he wasn't lying to the little boy… he had a rule about lying to children. His words seemed to have the desired effect on the toddler as little William settled more comfortable in his arms crying quietly now, still but for an occasional hiccup that jarred his sleepy form. Half asleep as well, Neal almost missed the soft question.
"You not leab me?'
"I won't leave you. I'll keep you safe until your mommy comes back, I promise." Again he hoped it was the truth, as he snuggled the little one close, swaying slightly until the small body relaxed and the boy's even breathing told him the child was lost in more peaceful dreams. He lowered the little guy into bed and stumbled back to his own, but sleep didn't come… his thoughts swirling over the events of the last two days. What was on the memory card, who was William's mother, for that matter who was his father and why did the man look so much like Neal? Who kidnapped the boy's mother and was she ok tonight? Why did they kidnap her? He lay stiffly in his bed until the early rays of the morning sun peaked over his balcony.