A/N I would like to thank Jommy26 for their amazing prompt. Also I'm still adjusting to the White Collar world so I apologize if any of the characters seem too OOC. I hope you enjoy because this story will be around for a while. Please R&R. Tell me what you think so far!

Love. A four letter word. How could a word so short mean so much? How could it make someone's life mean something yet make someone else's meaningless? It means happiness, it means family, and it means a person there for you. But it also means obsession, depression, it means a deep wound from the break after it is lost. It makes death 10 times harder for those with a loved one and it doesn't mean anything for open who has never loved at all. How can something that is used in everyday life be so complex? It can change a person's heart; it can make them give up everything. It can convince them to throw everything away or regret for not throwing everything away. Most importantly it was what made Neal Caffery's heart shatter when his love died. It was also what made betrayal flame up in his chest when he found out that it was all a lie. A lie named Kate.

…

It was just another ordinary day that started up at the FBI office. It had been a year since Kate's death and Peter and Neal's relationship had grown to mean everything. They were inseparable and Peter was all that Neal had, Neal not ranking too low on what Peter had either. They were working on a forgery case and Neal was playing the role of a corrupt FBI agent who wanted in on the game. His alias was Nathan Coyle and he was on his game the entire day. Until he walked in and his phone rang. He had picked it up, expecting it to be a call from Peter but what it was had made him loose his cover.

"Peter, I'm on my way back to the office soon." Neal had started, keeping up his image as an FBI agent whose boss was Agent Peter Burke. Flashing a wink to Pierre Hale he continued on in his confident voice. "I may be a bit late though, the traffic here is horrible."

"N-Neal. Look I know that this is confusing but I need you to hear me out." Kate's high pitched voice rung in Neal's ears, and his blood ran cold. Kate's dead, how could she be calling me? It has to be a hoax, or someone who sounds similar. Neal tried to reason.

"Kate, is that you? But you're dead. No, no, no you can't be alive. You just can't, I can't deal with that. I spent the last year trying to get over that and I can't see you die again, I can't see you…" So much for reason… Pierre pulled out a gun and leveled it at Neal's chest as Neal dropped the phone when he heard two words he thought he would never hear: I'm alive. Working on auto drive, Neal raised his hand in a surrendering gesture as Pierre and his goons escaped out the back. The shock finally wearing off Neal collapsed on the ground just as Peter and his team burst through the room. Peter ran towards Neal's side as Jones looked around and came back, verifying that Pierre was gone.

"Neal, talk to me. What wrong, were you shot, did they hit you. Dammit, Neal Talk to me. Call for a bus!" Peter growled, rolling Neal on his back to face upwards and see Peter's face.

"No, no….. I don't need the hospital. K-kate called." Neal mumbled, the exhaustion of the situation making him want to crawl up and fall asleep.

"But Kate's dead." Peter said, looking Neal over for a head trauma to explain why his partner didn't remember Kate dying.

"No, she's not, check my call history. She called me. She's alive." Neal answered, using up the last bit of energy he had and fell into a deep, uninterrupted sleep as Peter yelled at the team to track the call and find out if Kate was still alive.

….

Neal woke up 2 hours later to a room swarming with FBI agents. He was lying on the Burke's couch with a green blanket covering him and Satchamo lying next to him. His body felt numb, his mind still trying to wrap around the last few hours. Kate's alive, she's alive and she never told me. She blew up and yet she's alive. How can she be alive? Where was she? Who had her? Who was still keeping her? Neal was so deep in thought he didn't notice Peter walk up behind him. Neal let out a garbled scream and bolted off the couch when Peter's firm hand landed on his shoulder. Puzzled, Peter tried to get Neal to calm down.

"Neal, hey buddy. It's okay, it's just me." Frantic blue eyes settled on the deep brown eyes that Peter was desperately trying to keep panic out of. Neal's breathing quickened and with every breath he became more panicked.

"P-peter….I…. Can't…. Breathe." Neal wheezed, pausing to gulp in a breath that didn't do him any good.

"Neal, breathe slower, like this." Peter sated, crouching down and exaggerating his breaths so Neal could copy him. But, it wasn't working and Neal was starting to turn pale, the light in his eyes was going out, and he was slumping against Peter. "Neal, come on. You can do this, you have to do this." Peter stated, desperate for some results or Neal was going to pass out.

Peter was supporting more of Neal every second that went by until he was dead weight. Turning him on his side, Peter felt for a pulse, it was too fast but not too dangerous and at least the panic attack was over. Tapping Neal's face lightly, Peter tried to wake up his unconscious CI. Slowly, Neal's glassy blue eyes opened and met Peter's.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Peter said, trying to lighten the mood. As soon as Neal had woken up all the agents in the living room had dispersed but Neal was still embarrassed at how vulnerable he was.

"Thanks." Neal muttered weakly, trying to push himself into a standing position. Neal swatted at Peter's hand that came to help him up.

Neal managed to stand, swaying a bit before blinking away the black licking his vision. He muttered and insincere goodbye and disappeared into the bedroom. This experience is going to kill Neal unless I do something about it. Peter solemnly thought before returning to his team and trying to solve the mystery that was Kate Moreau.