I just want to say that I LOVE all the reviews I got. You all are awesome :D Anyway…so this takes place when Mozzie talks to Neal in prison right after Peter left, but then I'm going to cut to a scene closer to the '2 months later' deal that I personally find amusing. All recognizable dialogue belongs to the writers of White Collar.

Mozzie walked through the prison doors with a nervous sweat on his brow. Something about being in a government funded human cage building made Mozzie a bit tense for some reason. Why did the Feds keep sending Neal to prison? Was it Neal's fault that the love of his life got exploded to smithereens in front of his eyes? No, it wasn't. Did that stop the Feds from getting overly paranoid and putting Neal back in prison while they decided if Neal killed Kate or if the suddenly innocent OPR actually had anything to do with Neal's supposed 'escape'? Ah. No.

Mozzie sighed. At least Neal was possibly getting out soon.

He entered the room to find the Suit talking urgently to Neal.

Probably brainwashing Neal into thinking...something. "I'm going to have to interrupt this meeting, gentlemen. The defendant has requested the presence of his attorney." Neal gave Peter a what-was-I-supposed-to-do expression while the federal agent rose from his seat.

"Talk some sense into him," Peter told Mozzie. He stared at the Suit warily behind his glasses, wondering what side angle he was playing at, but even Mozzie was willing admit that Burke wasn't like the rest of the FBI. He was more…trusting when it came to Neal's antics.

"We'll take that under advisement, Suit." The bald man watched as Peter left before he sat down across from Neal. "What sense am I knocking into you?"

"Peter offered me my old deal."

"The anklet?" Mozzie examined Neal closely. "Tempted?"

The blue-eyed conman shrugged. "I'm open to exploring my options."

"I can get you out of here," Mozzie assured him, "but it'll cost. Deplete most of your reserves."

"I can always get cash."

Mozzie stared at Neal's face, trying to decipher the subtle telltales that would show what Neal was thinking. He had that look on his face that meant that his mind was going about 100 mph. Better just go with the direct approach. "What do you want to do?"

Neal looked at the direction that Peter left. Then looked at the Mozzie, then at the prison guard, and finally back where the Suit had left. "How's June?"

Not one of Neal's smoothest misdirects, actually it was terrible, but Mozzie was willing to let his friend consider his options. "She's great. Saw her granddaughter's piece in a school art exhibit."

"Cindy's?"

"Yep. According to her teacher, she 'blossomed' under you tutoring."

Neal smiled. "I never liked her art teacher."

"Too snooty," Moz agreed.

The two friends sat in silence for a minute before Mozzie finally answered the question Neal had been dying to know, but was too embarrassed to ask. "They've missed you."

Neal nodded. "It hasn't been the same waking up every morning to prison bars."

Mozzie agreed silently, letting Neal continue his thought.

"I hate it here, Moz," Neal spoke in a rush, like he was trying to say what was on his mind all at once. "It's somehow worse than before. I've missed seeing June every morning, sitting on the roof with Cindy, helping Jones with paperwork, annoying Lauren, working on cases with Peter, playing chess with you, fighting Alex, eating breakfast with El, even grumpy old Hughes. It's terrible staying in here while Kate's—" Neal shut his mouth abruptly, probably wondering what overtook him. Mozzie casually brushed his hand across Neal's arm, offering him silent support.

Neal cleared his throat in a manner that would be awkward if someone wasn't talking about the world's smoothest conman. "I don't like it here, Moz."

"Of course you don't," Mozzie said, helping Neal move the conversation away from his outburst.

"And the first time around with the anklet wasn't so bad," Neal said, thinking out loud.

Mozzie snorted. "Yeah, OPR just manipulated tracking data and the Feds restrict your leash to about two miles and don't forget about the time when—"

"Moz," Neal interrupted.

"I mean, of course not."

Neal smirked at his friend's not-so-subtle change of heart.

"So," Mozzie began, "I take it that you're going to take the deal?"

Neal smiled.

~O~ TWO MONTHS LATER ~O~

Neal sauntered out of the surveillance van, leaving Peter and Jones in an astonished silence. What could he say? He had a gift at coming up with quick cons. Neal had to do something to keep the cash flowing when business was down. The blue-eyed conman took out his cell phone and speed dialed two.

He waited as the phone rang twice before a familiar voice answered.

"What?"

"Hey, Moz! Great to talk to you too!" Neal said over enthusiastically.

"Neal?"

"No, your other friend that just got released from prison," Neal said sarcastically, secretly pleased to hear Mozzie's familiar grumble.

"No need to be snippy. Anyway, I'm in the neighborhood, so do you need something?"

"I'm not at June's house."

"I know."

Neal grinned at his friend's short response. Who was he to tell the all-knowing Mozzie where he was? Time to find out how prepared his paranoid friend was. "Great, so do you happen to have a Nick Halden name tag with a scrambler box on the back?"

Neal's grin became even wider as he heard Mozzie snort. "Of course I do. What have I always been telling you?"

"Don't trust the Feds?"

"No—well yes, but—"

"Stick it to the Man?"

"I only told you that once and I was under the influence!"

Neal grinned as the familiar argument remerged."You needed them."

"That doesn't mean that those incompetent morons had to drug me!"

"Mozzie, for the last time, the doctors weren't trying to make you confess to the—"

"You don't know that!"

Neal decided that he better get a move on with the conversation, Neal was personally trying to be in and out of the bank under 15 minutes. "So can you give it to me?"

"…What?"

"The Nick Halden badge."

"The Nick Halden…OH! Oh, yeah…sure."

"So where are you?" Neal asked while he picked the lock to the back door of First Union bank.

"In the First Union Bank janitor closet."

Neal paused mid-step. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Any particular reason or is that a common past time of yours that I don't know about?"

"Don't be stupid, Neal. I heard the Feds wanted you to hit a bank—oddly bipolar—so I came to wait."

Neal felt a warm glow in his chest at Mozzie's concern. He still didn't know what he did to deserve such loyalty from Mozzie. He'll have to make it up to him somehow.

"And you can wipe that stupid smile from your face."

Neal grinned as he opened up the janitor's closet to find Mozzie sitting on an upside-down bucket. "Hey, Moz."

"Neal," Mozzie greeted while he flipped his phone shut. "Here is your Nick Halden badge. Along with a janitor's uniform and a briefcase."

"What would I do without you, Moz?" Neal asked, smiling at Mozzie's preparations.

"A lot more improvisation."

Neal chuckled as he slipped the janitor uniform over his suit. "Alright," the ex-convict said, "time to rob a bank."

"Have fun. Oh, and Neal," Mozzie started hesitantly, "glad you're back."

Neal smiled at Moz. "I couldn't leave you all alone in June's apartment forever, could I?" The conman's blue eyes took a mischievous glint as he continued. "Besides, who else will help you stick it to the man?"

"That was one time!" Mozzie complained, the twinkle in his eye countering his irritated tone.

"That's all it takes," Neal said wickedly.

Moz rolled his eyes as he turned down the hallway. "Don't you need to rob a bank or something?"

Neal smirked as he went the opposite direction before quickly looking back at Mozzie's retreating form. "I'll see back at June's right?" Neal called.

Mozzie paused by the door. "Of course." The short man turned to look back at Neal. "Prepare to do a bit of light reading. Found the files you wanted."

Neal nodded as he tried to keep his mind away from Kate and on the job. "See you in a few!"

"Hey Neal?"

"Yeah?" Neal asked as he put the finishing touches on the janitor's cart.

"You do know that Jones and Peter are probably betting how long it'll take you to finish this, right?"

" 'Course," Neal said somewhat mischievously, "that's way I asked the driver to bet on me getting out in fifteen minutes."

I was kinda worried about doing Mozzie, but I personally liked how this chapter turned out. The next chapter I'll be doing June and Neal.

Tell me what you think.

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