White Collar Ficlet - Closer Than Blood (WC100 - 039 - Blood)

[elrhiarhodan]

Title: Closer Than Blood
Prompt: White Collar 100 - #039: Blood
Author: elrhiarhodan
Rating: R
Characters/Pairing: Peter Burke, Neal Caffrey, Elizabeth Burke(Peter/Elizabeth/Neal), Mozzie
Fandom: White Collar
Spoilers: Under the Radar, All of Season 3
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: 300 Exactly!
Summary: Mozzie is angry at Neal’s reconciliation with Peter, Neal seeks to console him.

Set after Concealed in Plain Sight. Continues the Danger Series, which is now a single entry on AO3.




THE DANGER SERIES:

TARGET | HUNT | CASE | FILE | BACKGROUND | INTERROGATION | WITNESS | HOME | HOME 2 | FAMILY | FAMILY 2 | TEAM | UNIT | UNIT 2 | PAPER | CLAY | PAINT | INK | CHECK | CASH | CREDIT | LOAN | SAVINGS | GOLD | WIFE | SILVER | GLASS | PARTNER | BACKGROUND 2 | CLUE 2 | TRACK | BOYFRIEND | BOYFRIEND 2 | LOVER | FAMILY 3 | DIAMONDS | CREDIT 2 | WIFE 2 | LOVER 2 | PAINT 2 | FAMILY 3 |PAINT 3 | LOVER 3 | TIE | INNOCENT | WHISPER | SKIN | SECRET | SECRET 2 |

______________


Neal needed to talk with Peter. Not just about what happened this morning and what happened to him all those years ago - but about what happens next. While they’d been chasing McGuinness-Humbolt ghosts, Pavel Czerny had been playing them all for fools. But it was impossible to talk with him without Elizabeth in earshot - she wasn’t leaving them alone.

Not that he minded - but it was hard to keep secrets when your wife, the person you were trying to protect, was determined not to let you out of her sight. Neal actually wondered if Elizabeth knew there was something going on, and was intent on figuring it out.

Neal shook his head - no, that wasn’t possible. But this stasis was killing him. So he went to Mozzie.

“So, you’ve forgiven the Suit?” There was more than a touch of bitterness in the question.

Neal didn’t say anything. Mozzie’s disapproval about his relationship with Peter and Elizabeth was something he’s lived with for a while.

“I need information.”

“You’re just going to let him ride roughshod over you? You have a spine of Jello and I’m disgusted.” Mozzie had a few more choice words about the situation.

“He’s forgiven me for much worse, Moz.”

“Don’t be such a moral relativist.”

Neal lost his patience. “He was trying to protect me - not steal a billion dollars in art that belonged to the Russian government.”

Moz turned white. “That was uncalled for, Neal.”

He didn’t care if he crossed an uncrossable line. “I’ve forgiven Peter. Elizabeth’s forgiven him. He needs our help.”

“I’m not part of your happy family, Neal. I never will be.”

“Damn it Moz, that’s not true. You’re my …”

“Your what? Your patsy? Your two-legged search engine?” He flung those words like acid.

“No, Moz. You’re my brother.


FIN

Comments

[sugakane-01.livejournal.com]

Truthfully, the origins of the "big score" is the only aspect that bothers me about it (other than Peter getting the short end of the stick) I wish the treasure had some other origin...heck I'd have happily accepted pirate loot or just about anything else if they could have kept the whole Nazi angle out of it. The Tsarskoye Selo explanation somewhat mollifies me but its just...no matter how you slice it its stolen Nazi loot and its just distasteful.

I know *most* in the fandom are seriously distressed w/Neal's "turn to the darkside" but I'm not mad at him in the least. First, I've never forgotten Neal IS a criminal and as such he's got a certain moral ambiguity. I think he's such a good person people forget that he's quite capable of doing the absolute wrong thing for the absolute wrong reason.

I also think people discount just how much pressure Neal is living under. The way they've presented it on the show, Neal is OUT, but he's not FREE and the little bit of freedom he does have can be, and HAS been snatched away from him at a moments notice (after the plane explosion, when he was set up for the diamond heist)or if someone decides he's no longer "useful". Add to that the limitations, the regulations and the constant reminders of what he can't do, where he can't go, who he can't see, that he'll ALWAYS be suspect numero uno when something foul goes down, that he'll always be guilty until proven innocent, having to beg,scam cajole and coax for simple things like going to a gallery showing, ect and suddenly it doesn't seem so far fetched for him to feel like throwing up deuces and bouncing. For someone like Neal, who is such an inherently free spirit, so impulsive and has such a love for and NEED for adventure there are things, things he feels are essential, that are missing from his life. He's in an entirely different sort of prison in some ways.

Mozzie gave a fabulous insight into Neal in the pilot when he called him Icarus and said he'd flown too close to the sun and the FBI had clipped his wings. I think that's a very apt description.

I think Mozzie's the only person (except maybe June) that doesn't see Neal as someone who needed "fixing" or "saving" and recognizes that, whatever else he was, Neal was HAPPY with his life before and he was ok with the person he was. Mozzie (and June) are the only people in Neal's life that (imo) don't treat Neal like he needs to redeem himself...he accepts Neal for who and what he is. Neal doesn't have to do better, be better, become this person that he isn't sure he even wants to be...he can be Neal Caffery, or Nick Halden or Steve Tabernacle or the man in the moon and Mozzie doesn't blink, doesn't fade, doesn't judge. Neal doesn't have to do or be anyone or anything other than what he is, good, bad and ugly and it makes Mozzie no difference. I think that's part of why I adore their dynamic. Mozzie is, imo, the only person in Neal's life that can he absolutely mess up seven ways from Sunday with and he'll STILL be there when it all falls down. I don't think Neal has unconditional support from anyone else...everyone else has strings, or expectations, or qualifications or conditions. Everyone else acts like because things could be worse, Neal should just be grateful and not feel any grief for what he's lost or resentment for the choices he doesn't get to make. Mozzie doesn't and I think that's part of why Mozzie did what he did, he's the only person in Neal's life that recognizes the conflict Neal was in, the pressure he was under, and the danger Neal was in (ops could go bad, word could get out about him being a CI, Neal could mess up, higher ups could change their mind, ect)and from his perspective, he was giving his friend both his freedom AND the score of his dreams.

LOL maybe its the romantic in me, but I don't see this as much about greed as I do about freedom. The only thing that really bothers me about it is that Peter would be hurt and hurt Peter makes me sad.

[damietta.livejournal.com]

What a fantastic reply. It has really made me think.