OLD BLUE EYES
AN: I'm not sure where I'm going with this. This scene just demanded to be written. And I think it came out pretty freakin' well, if I do say so myself.
Thanks, as always, to my beta, ccluvshorses101.
Jones shook his head. "He's gone, Peter." Jones repeated his voice cracking. "He's gone."
Peter shook his head as Jones and Diana prevented him from going to Neal's side and leaning down beside him. Peter had to admit, he had been watching Neal for the past few seconds. There were no signs of life. He had not even seen Neal's chest rise and fall with a breath.
"I just…." Peter pushed his way past both Jones and Diana.
"Boss!" Diana pleaded, the emotion coming into her voice also. It surprised her she had never expected to feel this way about a con. Not about Neal Caffrey.
Peter shook his head as he knelt down beside Neal's still form, lying prone on the cold cement floor of the parking garage. Peter touched Neal's chest. Neal had lost so much blood in such a short time. Peter had not anticipated Neal's cover being blown. And he, of course, had not anticipated his C.I. getting shot, much less fatally.
Peter turned his attention to Neal's face. Peter turned Neal's head so that he could see Neal's entire face. Jones and other agents on the scene had made the initial assessment. The ambulance had been called. But, for them, it had just been a formality, a way to remove the body. The ambulance had yet to arrive.
Peter leaned in closer. Through his own tears he thought he saw a single tear run down the side of Neal's face and disappear into his hairline. Peter wiped his eyes and waited. It happened again, another tear. By this time, Jones and Diana had joined him, curious as to what Peter was looking at.
Peter smiled.
Diana looked at Peter. "Was that a tear?"
Peter nodded as he began to remove his jacket.
"Dead men don't cry." Jones said. He couldn't help but smile.
Diana unbuttoned Neal's shirt. She took Peter's jacket and pressed it hard to Neal's wound. The action elicited a tear from Neal.
Jones spread the word to the other agents at the scene and put in another call to 9-1-1.
TBC
FYI: I got the whole 'single tear' thing from an episode of M*A*S*H. I just did more than one so that Peter could be sure Neal was alive.