Neal waited until he knew Keller was gone. He pulled the capsule out of his suit pocket. He broke it open and let the power dissolve on his tongue. He knew he had about 90 minutes until his heart rate and breathed slowed enough, for him to appear dead. He laid back down and waited. His mind wandered. He thought about the people he was leaving behind and the memories he had made with those people.

Peter pushed his way through the crowd. He stopped next to the stretcher.

"Sir you need to step back." Peter flashed his badge and reached for Neal's hand.

"We're going to get out of this."

"Not this time." Neal looked into Peter's eyes. "You're the only one who saw good in me."

"Neal don't."

"My best friend."

"We need to take him." Peter stood frozen in emotion as the ambulance drove away. He snapped back to attention and ran to his car. He drove to the hospital and pulled in right behind the ambulance. He grabbed Neal's hand and ran with the doctors and nurses until his hand was pried from Neal's. He paced in the waiting room. A doctor, Peter recognized from a few minutes earlier, approached him.

"Agent?" Peter nodded for him to continue. "I'm afraid there is nothing we can do for him. All we can do now is make him comfortable. The damage is too extensive. He has less than an hour."

"I want to see him." The doctor nodded and led him to a small room. Peter walked in and sank into a chair next to Neal.

Neal was pale and his breathing was shallow. The heart monitor beeped steadily, but it felt like it was counting down to Neal's death. Neal's eyes were closed, but he opened them when Peter took his hand. He tried to smile but his body was too weak.

"Neal..." Peter's throat closed. Neal's blue eyes stared at him. "Neal, I'm sorry." Neal tightened his grip on Peter's hand.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." His voice was weak and shook slightly. "I should have known that Keller would try something."

"Neal, I'm your handler...no partner and partners have each other's backs. You should have never walked in there alone." Tears sprung to Peter's eyes. "I don't want to lose you." Neal took in a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry." In that moment Neal didn't want to go either, but it was too late to turn back now. Neal's hand went limp and his eyes closed. The heart monitor's beeps came slower and slower. Peter held back tears as he literally watched the life disappear from his best friend's body. Neal's chest rose and fell slower and slower. Peter still held Neal's hand, even as the monitor stopped beeping and alarms went off. The doctor came to the room and turned the monitor off, calling time of death. He gave Peter a minute.

Peter sat and cried, his hand holding onto Neal's. He could feel Neal grow cold and it made him cry more. Finally, he stood and walked back out into the waiting room. He sank into a chair and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number without looking and placed it to his ear.

"Hi honey. I thought you'd be home by now. Did you get the Panters?" Peter fought back a sob.

"He's gone, El."

"Who's gone?" Peter took a shaky breath.

"Neal."

"Peter, what happened?" A sob racked through his body. "I'm coming."

"Thank you." Peter hung up the phone, just as Mozzie came running in.

"Where is he?" Peter rose and Mozzie saw the tear streaks. "No."

"I'm sorry, Moz." Mozzie sank into a chair and tried not to cry. Peter sat next to him. They sat in silence until the doctor returned and asked them if they wanted to see Neal. The were led to the morgue and Mozzie tried to come up with a possible explanation. When Mozzie finally broke down, Peter tried to comfort him.

Peter found himself collecting Neal's belongings. When the nurse walked away he stared at the anklet in his hand.

"You're free. You're free." He sank into the nearest chair and tried not to cry, but tears slipped down his face. Soon he was sobbing. He jumped when a gentle hand landed on his back. He looked up and met El's loving eyes.

"I can't believe he's gone." El blinked back tears and pulled Peter close. They sat in silence for awhile, until Peter rose.

"Honey?"

"He needs a proper burial. And a funeral. And..." El stood.

"It can wait one day. Let's go home." They left the hospital with heavy hearts and tear streaked faces.

to be continued