A/N: I said I wouldn't do it. Or, at least, I told myself: I wouldn't do it. 1) I wouldn't write a one-shot unless it was a collection of one-shots. And 2) If I had a #2 it'd be a great point. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this almost-characterdeath fic. First person POV of-you'd probably be able to figure it out anyway- Neal Caffrey.
The Colors of Death
~An almost-characterdeath fic~
The water curled in around me. The colors were so beautiful- maybe if I ever got out of this situation I'd be able to paint this scene. The weight attached to my left ankle pulled me down further. I struggled against the pressure, disrupting the calmness of the water around me. If I ever got out of here- if was the key word. That seemed like a crazy idea now-escape. Did it even exist? I kept sinking, falling deeper into the blue abyss.
Peter and I had been on a case. It had seemed simple enough. They were supposedly a group of guys trafficking drugs over the coast- non-violent guys. That assumption had been wrong.
I could feel myself drifting. Should I close my eyes? Or should I wait for Peter to come to my rescue, like always? For some reason, rescue seemed impossible- even for Peter. The slight moment of panic came when I realized these may be my final moments. I hadn't even gotten a chance to say goodbye! No: thanks, you were the greatest partner in the world, Peter? Thanks for trusting me? No: Mozzie, you're the best friend I ever had? How about, June, thanks for the room, the great memories, and the hat... the hat! I reached up and combed through my soaking hair. Yes, my beloved fedora was gone. I would definitely miss it.
A boat appeared overhead, blocking the sun from sparkling the precious water and blinding me, but I payed no attention to it. Suddenly, I felt cold and alone. I felt the metal hanging off my ankle, the sickening gun shot wound turning the crystal water crimson around me, and the sad realization sinking in that I was dying. What was the point anymore? The pain had been numbed previously by the chill of the water, but now it seemed alive with a vengeance. The drumming in my skull was unbearable. As I closed my eyes, I saw a collection of colors for my viewing only. Red and blue came up first. They reminded me of when I was first arrested...
Peter had me cornered in some alley. I couldn't even really remember where I was. I had been running so hard- it came to a surprise to me when Peter caught my trail. I had stopped to rest in the very back of the dark alley. I bent over, hands on my knees, and breathed heavily for a couple seconds. As I stood up, I came face to face with my opponent. I actually was kind of glad it was he who caught me, and not some other, brute force agent with trigger-happy hands. Man, how I hate guns. The sirens could be heard before the cars with the red and blue lights showed up behind Peter. He had a sly grin on his face as he finally won. He took hand-cuffed me and took me by the arm to the first police car. The sly grin stuck on his face the whole time as he placed me inside the vehicle. He had finally won. Surprisingly, I hadn't really cared. I didn't struggle or protest. I didn't claim I was innocent, because, the evidence would have proved me a liar. The only sad thought in my mind was what would Kate think.
The next color was white: Kate's favorite color. Images of her smiling face flashed through his barely-conscious mind. I smiled also, knowing I would be with her again soon. The next color I saw was darkness...
Hands were grabbing me, assaulting me, pulling me towards the surface. I struggled, the weight on my ankle so great that I feared it would snap at any moment. With that thought, it did. A scream of anguish escaped my throat, causing a barrel of water to invade my lungs. I had forgotten I was under water. Strange, how slowly time passes when you're dying. I felt my head break the surface, and I was dropped onto some hard surface. A hand slapped me, and another two began pounding on my chest. I refused to move- I couldn't move! My eyes remained stubbornly shut. The poundings became harder and more furious. They were angry, I could tell. There was shouting, directed at me. I could hear my name, being yelled over and over again- by Peter. I'm sorry Peter. I'm sorry I disappointed you... Something wet hit my cheek... Tears? Peter? Peter! Don't cry! I'm fine... I wanted to yell that all to him, but I couldn't. I had to remind myself- I was dying. It was too late. Suddenly I was out of my body, standing right beside Peter. He looked so upset- I was almost sad I had to leave him. Looking to my left, I could see a bright light, and standing in front of the light... was Kate. I smiled, and started running to her. Suddenly, she spoke two words. I couldn't hear them, as the world seemed to be whirling around me, but I could read her lips. Not yet.
A sickening crunch sounded when Peter pounded a last time, a desperate pound. He used such force, and his tears now flowed more readily onto my cheek. I gasped, suddenly back in my body. Water came flooding out of my mouth- out of my lungs. I took a shaky breath- it didn't seem enough. All the pain and sounds came crashing back to him.
"Neal! Neal? Can you hear me?" I could see his face. Peter's eyes were weary, but a certain relief appeared in those tired brown eyes at the sight of me- eyes open, alive. I could see Jones and Diana behind him, breathing heavily from the fear that Peter wouldn't be able to bring me back. I was about to roll my head to the side to see where I was, but then I remembered. I was on some kind of boat- and Kate... well, she wasn't here. The image of her words kept circling through my mind. Not yet. The wood underneath me was covered with a sticky substance- my blood. I felt weak and tired, but I didn't want to fall asleep. I didn't want to face the darkness. I feared of being alone again. I heard Peter whisper it was okay. He's right-like always. It was okay. My eyes drifted closed, and I slept peacefully. I knew I wasn't alone, and that, after I closed my eyes, I would wake up. Briefly, the colors from before flashed before my eyes, followed by a new color. Green, the color of life.
A/N: This fanfic doesn't correspond much to the flashback episode. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you think!
Luv Trinaluv:)