Mozzie helps Neal to get dressed. Not that Neal would call sweatpants and a T-shirt dressed - but you have to make concessions when force majeure threatens... It's hard work to drag the injured man down to the streets with painkillers already kicking in and his body getting limb. Mozzie catches of a taxi and they drive to the nearest hospital. Of course, he could have called an ambulance - but too many people have been abducted by the government using ambulance cars as a disguise. He just doesn't want to take a chance.

While they were waiting at the reception of the emergency ward Neal looks dubious at his friend. "Do you speak Danish?" "What, no why should I?" "This is Copenhagen Mozzie, you have to tell them that I got shot cleaning my sporting gun. They shouldn't think this has something to do with the shooting at the royal palace." "Neal shut up! This is not Copenhagen and we don't want to hear anything about an alleged shooting which might have happened there 8 years ago." "Moz, I can't remember the alias I am using here. Is it Nick Halden or Steve Tabernackle?" Bloody painkillers. He should have thought about Neal's reaction to any sort of drugs before he fed them with the painkiller cocktail.

It doesn't take long until they are brought to a young doctor. She looked surprised. "Neal Caffrey! What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Neal is grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "Christie? I really like your risotto. Did you get an invitation for the royal dinner, too? Don't tell anyone, Moz and I forged ours."

Mozzie looked dumbfounded. "You know him?" "Yeah, I do. And who are you? Are you working for the FBI as well ?" "Ha, as if ... I'm a friend." "What's wrong with your charming companiom" "It's his ankle." Christie takes a close look. She frowns.

"The anklet has to be removed, now. This isn't good. I will cut it." "No, wait! He will get an electrical shock when we cut it. We need the key to unlock it." "Then call his handler, Peter Burke." "As if I hadn't tried. He is out of town." "Then, who is in charge of Mr. Caffrey?" "It's Diana Barrigan. But she's as scary as it gets." Christie smiles, no she doesn't remember her former lover as scary.

"Listen, there are 2 options: 1 - you call Diana, she comes over, removes the anklet and we can treat your friend's anklet. Option 2 - we just wait it out."

"I'll go for option 2!"

"I wasn't finished... It will take about 3 to 4 hours until we have to cut the lower leg together with the anklet because the infection will have spread upwards and infested the bone. There are already signs of sepsis. Are you still going for option 2?"

Mozzie takes his phone and leaves the room to call the pant suit. "This is Dante Haversham, I beg your pardon for calling you this early in the morning." "Mozzie, is that you? Are you out of your mind? It s 3 o'clock in the morning." "It's about Neal. You need to come to the hospital and bring the key for his anklet." He fills her in with the details and she promises to hurry.

Meanwhile, Neal has started singing I did it my way. He gives his friend a distressed look when he returns. "Listen Moz, it's hot. I told you we shouldn't go to Madrid in summer. That's just not the time of the year to be there. We should have waited until September. That would have given me more time to forge the Dali. 'Dream caused by the Flight of a Bee' is a tricky painting. My brush work was a bit rush."

"Your brush work was just fine." The reply slips out before it returns to his mind that they are not alone in the room. He quickly adds "Allegedly."

"Listen, you are a doctor, aren't you? Whatever he said subjects to medical confidentially, Hippocratic Oath and everything." Christie just smiles. "It's ok. His secrets are safe with me."

Mozzie wonders why the doctor looks a bit heartbroken when Diana Barrigan enters the ward. "Christie, what are you doing here? How are you?" "I'm treating your CI. He is quite in a state." And then she leads the attention to the swollen and infected ankle.

Now Neal tugs at Mozzie's sleeve. "Hey Moz. I know that woman. She's a hooker, I've run a scam with her. Can't remember the details but she charges 10 Grant a night. What is she doing here? You didn't really order a hooker to a hospital. I mean I am not dying and need my last rites. And she is not dressed up. What is this about? Is this a con?" The last questions sounds very elated. By now, Mozzie regrets that the government keeps beaming technology hidden in Roswell. He'd love to leave the scene...

Agent Barrigan flashes a killing glance at them both. "Caffrey, stop it. You have still one good leg. I could break it."

The confused patient seems intimidated. "Uhh, Mozzie she is mean." He lowered his voice and whispered to his friend: "Some guys go for this style, did you know that. I knew a girl in Paris once..." Mozzie is desperate and covers Neal's mouth with both hands. "Can't you put him to sleep, doctor?"

Christie would have had an extremely good time watching her girlfriend being mistaken for a hooker but her patient's state was way too alarming.

"Diana, please remove the anklet. We have to treat him as soon as possible or I can't guarantee to save his leg." The agent unlocks the security mechanism and opens the lock. She calls the marshals office to inform them that this was a legitimate removal.

Christie starts to treat Neal s leg. When she is finished Neal wakes with a start.

"Mozzie, I am late. I have to meet Kate at the Bethesda fountain. We always meet there on April 15th, the anniversary of the day we met. You should know that. Kate will be worried sick when I am late. I told you that this FBI agent with the ugly suit came close, very close. She might think I am in trouble." His friend tries to soothe him. "Get some rest, my friend. There is still time, it's early in the morning. She won't expect you before noon." "Ok, I rest but I don't want to sleep. I have nightmares when I sleep." Neal has tears in his eyes.

"I dreamed that she died. She dies in a gigantic explosion and I just stand by and watch. I can t help her. It's awful. It's only a dream, isn t it? I will meet her later on, right Moz?" Mozzie sighs and strokes the tousled hair of his longtime companion. "It was a nightmare young one. Everything will be alright."

Finally Neal is sleeping. Christie is positive that the leg will heal and won't leave any permanent damage. Diana and Mozzie are waiting at his side. No one talks. It's not the first time that Mozzie waits at Neal's bed to see him through an injury. And it's not the first time for Diana to stake out Neal at night.

After sunrise Christie comes to see them and asks if anyone wants to join her for a coffee. Mozzie rejects but Diana accepts the invitation.

Christie talks hesitantly to her former life partner. "I hope this late night call didn't cause any inconvenience for you. If you have to go I don't want to keep you from something important - or someone." "No need to worry, I was on my own. And I wasn't really asleep. Don't sleep well lately.

If I would leave now, I would have to cuff Caffrey to the bed since he is off anklet. I don't want to this. He is a nuisance but this for once isn t his fault. I'll wait till 9 and then I call the marshals to bring over a new anklet, one of the old make.

Why are you still here? Your shift must be over. No one waiting for you at home?"

"I want to be there when he wakes up just to make sure he's fine. He's the only person who ever liked my risotto. It would be too bad losing him." They both chuckled.

After a while Christie goes on. "And no, no one is waiting for me. Every day I come home to an empty apartment. The same apartment that we both selected and furnished together. You've been more to me than a fling or an affair. I loved you and I wanted to share my live with you, raise some children and grow old. I've never been into this butterfly thing, changing partners every other night."

Before Diana could answer Mozzie appears. "Neal is awake." Christie rushed over to examine her patient. The sepsis was stopped and the swelling reduced. Everything looks very promising. To Mozzies big relieve there are no more signs of drug induced delusion. The patient looked groggy but alert.

"I am sorry Diana and thank you for coming over in the middle of the night." The agent grinned. "You're welcome. And after all - coming in the middle of the night to service that's what we hooker do to earn our money." To Neal her words don't make sense. He doesn't remember much from the past night and has no idea what she is talking about. Maybe Diana suffers from sleep deprivation which causes temporary aberration...

The marshals come over with a new anklet. It was the old make. Apparently, Neal wasn't the only ex-convict having problems with the new model. There seems to be a problem with the creeping current and they have already started to recall the product.

Neal will have to stay for another day in hospital to monitor his healing process. He still feels tired and drifts off. Mozzie has already left the hospital before the marshals came in. No need to take any unnecessary risks.

Diana reaches for her jacket and looks out for Christie.

"Do you still want?"

Christie is puzzled. "Want what, breakfast?"

"Love, share a live, raise kids?" Christie just looked inquiringly. Her former lover goes on. "You scared the shit out of me when you proposed. I just wasn't ready for such a commitment. But I miss you. I miss your smile in the morning and I miss your little post-it's when you had to leave the house before I return. I miss to spend an evening watching TV with you. And I miss your comments on the paintings when I go to a museum. I even miss that bloody handmade embroidery 'Home sweet Home' your mother gave us and which you insists has to hang in the hall. I miss all that because I love you."

She stopped to breathe. She's never been the type to spill out her feelings freely. But some things are just so important that you have to do it.

"I was just plain stupid to break up our relationship. But if you would be willing to give us another try I would be more than willing to prove that it's worth your while. I can't promise you that we will be happy ever after. But at least, we will have a life. Being without you is not living at all."

Christie is stunned. When the information finally sinks in she beams with joy.

"Ok, I take it: the breakfast, the children, the love and everything." They both are still hugging when they leave the hospital to go home.

Later that day, Peter Burkes calls his CI. "I've seen Mozzie called me yesterday. I hope you didn't get into any trouble or did he just want to share any news on one of his conspiracy theories with me?"

"Where do I start... I had to get rid of the anklet." "Oh no, Neal."

"But the marshals were sympathetic." "Neal!"

"But I am afraid I won't be able to join you in the bureau tomorrow. And Diana seems to be facing some mental disorientation but I hope with a little sleep that should be fine. The good news is obviously there are no black helicopters planning to take over the United States."

The agent sounds utterly resigned when he speaks. "I shouldn't have expected anything else when I left you unguarded for two days."

But apart from this fake expression of animosity he was truely concerned. "Are you ok, buddy?" "Yes, I'm fine." "Where can I find you?"

Peter drives to visit his friend right away. Neal uses his handler's guilty conscience - after all Neal has complained early about the new anklet and his handler has brushed him off - to press some favors. There are so many art exhibits out of his radius and it would be so very nice if Peter would allow him on one of the next weekends, and Neal hasn't been to Coney Island for ages,...

Peter agreed good-natured to the suggestions - under the condition that Neal won't tell El about her husband's part in the almost-disaster...

Author's note: Thanks for all of your reviews so far. Sorry if the reunion of Diana and Christie is just a bit too sweet. But I just felt like it :-)

And I think Mozzie and Christie never met before. If they did - just imagine they didn't when reading my story.