FIC: Surprises IV
4. There Once was a Bear Named Mozzie
When Neal and Peter returned, June had gone out on an errand-but all of Peter's things had been neatly put away, much to Neal's relief. Peter went right back to work on his drawing, which June had left on the kitchen table, along with his crayons.
"Who is the kid?"
Neal nearly jumped out of his skin-he hadn't even noticed Mozzie sitting on the couch. Peter didn't even look up from his drawing.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Moz?" the CI demanded crossly of his friend, "and that's Peter."
"You went back in time without me?" Mozzie demanded.
"What? No, of course not," Neal assured him, "someone jumped Peter this morning and gave him something that de-aged him."
"Any chance-" Mozzie began to ask, but Neal cut him off.
"No, it's not some secret government experiment," he interjected.
"That's what they want you to think," Mozzie declared.
"Moz, if it were a secret government experiment, they wouldn't have picked Peter as a lab rat," Neal insisted.
"You'd better keep a close eye on the Suit," Mozzie warned, "just in case the men in black are after him."
"Women," Peter muttered, "you mean women in black."
"Peter?" Neal asked, confused.
"It was a woman who drugged me," Peter announced with a yawn. It may have only been mid-afternoon, but he had gotten very little sleep the previous night-and he was now four years old.(1)
"Do you remember what she looked like, Peter?" the CI asked his exhausted charge.
Peter shook his head.
"I didn't see her, only heard her speak," he yawned.
"I think it's naptime for the Suit," Mozzie announced.
Fortunately for Neal's nerves, Peter was too tired to object to naptime-nor to being tucked into the CI's bed like the young child he currently was.
~*~
Once Neal was certain that Peter was fast asleep, the CI led his friend out onto the balcony so that they could talk without disturbing the sleeping child.
"Moz, do you think you can find out what was used on Peter?" he asked.
"I'd need a sample of his blood," Mozzie replied, "and what about the FBI? Aren't they looking into this themselves?"
"Yeah, they are," Neal acknowledged, "it's just that I think this sort of thing might be beyond their resources."
"Does Mrs. Suit know about what's happened to her husband?"
Neal nodded.
"Called her this morning to let her know what happened, and to assure her that she doesn't need to come back early," he added aloud.
"Want me to call her and find out which airport she'll be flying into?" Mozzie asked.
"Please," Neal replied.
As Mozzie opened the door that led off the balcony to Neal's apartment, a child screamed in fright. Neal reacted without thinking, shoving his way past his friend to get to Peter's side. As soon as the CI got there, Neal scooped the whimpering child into his arms, murmuring soothing words to calm Peter down.
"It was just a bad dream, Peter, nothing's going to hurt you."
"What about you?" Peter whimpered into Neal's shoulder, "who's gonna keep you safe?"
Neal hesitated, unsure of how to respond-he certainly had not expected Peter to be so worried about him that he would have nightmares.
"Don't worry about Neal, Suit," Mozzie called from where he stood beside Neal's couch, "we've got his back for you."
"We?" Neal asked.
"Junior Suit, Lady Suit, June, and myself," Mozzie replied, "and there's probably plenty more suits at the FBI are willing to watch Neal's back than I know."
"If he dies on your watch, Mr. Haversham, I'll come after you," Peter warned Mozzie from his perch on Neal's lap.
As Mozzie opened his mouth to reply, someone knocked on the door to Neal's apartment. As he was the closest to the door, Mozzie opened it.
"Is everything alright in here?" June demanded, "I thought I heard screaming."
"The Suit had a nightmare," Mozzie informed her, "but everything is under control for the time being."
1. Matter cannot be created nor destroyed-but it can be turned into energy. In this case, the energy Peter gained from being de-aged only kept him going for so long.
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When Neal and Peter returned, June had gone out on an errand-but all of Peter's things had been neatly put away, much to Neal's relief. Peter went right back to work on his drawing, which June had left on the kitchen table, along with his crayons.
"Who is the kid?"
Neal nearly jumped out of his skin-he hadn't even noticed Mozzie sitting on the couch. Peter didn't even look up from his drawing.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Moz?" the CI demanded crossly of his friend, "and that's Peter."
"You went back in time without me?" Mozzie demanded.
"What? No, of course not," Neal assured him, "someone jumped Peter this morning and gave him something that de-aged him."
"Any chance-" Mozzie began to ask, but Neal cut him off.
"No, it's not some secret government experiment," he interjected.
"That's what they want you to think," Mozzie declared.
"Moz, if it were a secret government experiment, they wouldn't have picked Peter as a lab rat," Neal insisted.
"You'd better keep a close eye on the Suit," Mozzie warned, "just in case the men in black are after him."
"Women," Peter muttered, "you mean women in black."
"Peter?" Neal asked, confused.
"It was a woman who drugged me," Peter announced with a yawn. It may have only been mid-afternoon, but he had gotten very little sleep the previous night-and he was now four years old.(1)
"Do you remember what she looked like, Peter?" the CI asked his exhausted charge.
Peter shook his head.
"I didn't see her, only heard her speak," he yawned.
"I think it's naptime for the Suit," Mozzie announced.
Fortunately for Neal's nerves, Peter was too tired to object to naptime-nor to being tucked into the CI's bed like the young child he currently was.
~*~
Once Neal was certain that Peter was fast asleep, the CI led his friend out onto the balcony so that they could talk without disturbing the sleeping child.
"Moz, do you think you can find out what was used on Peter?" he asked.
"I'd need a sample of his blood," Mozzie replied, "and what about the FBI? Aren't they looking into this themselves?"
"Yeah, they are," Neal acknowledged, "it's just that I think this sort of thing might be beyond their resources."
"Does Mrs. Suit know about what's happened to her husband?"
Neal nodded.
"Called her this morning to let her know what happened, and to assure her that she doesn't need to come back early," he added aloud.
"Want me to call her and find out which airport she'll be flying into?" Mozzie asked.
"Please," Neal replied.
As Mozzie opened the door that led off the balcony to Neal's apartment, a child screamed in fright. Neal reacted without thinking, shoving his way past his friend to get to Peter's side. As soon as the CI got there, Neal scooped the whimpering child into his arms, murmuring soothing words to calm Peter down.
"It was just a bad dream, Peter, nothing's going to hurt you."
"What about you?" Peter whimpered into Neal's shoulder, "who's gonna keep you safe?"
Neal hesitated, unsure of how to respond-he certainly had not expected Peter to be so worried about him that he would have nightmares.
"Don't worry about Neal, Suit," Mozzie called from where he stood beside Neal's couch, "we've got his back for you."
"We?" Neal asked.
"Junior Suit, Lady Suit, June, and myself," Mozzie replied, "and there's probably plenty more suits at the FBI are willing to watch Neal's back than I know."
"If he dies on your watch, Mr. Haversham, I'll come after you," Peter warned Mozzie from his perch on Neal's lap.
As Mozzie opened his mouth to reply, someone knocked on the door to Neal's apartment. As he was the closest to the door, Mozzie opened it.
"Is everything alright in here?" June demanded, "I thought I heard screaming."
"The Suit had a nightmare," Mozzie informed her, "but everything is under control for the time being."
1. Matter cannot be created nor destroyed-but it can be turned into energy. In this case, the energy Peter gained from being de-aged only kept him going for so long.
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