Easy.

It was supposed to be easy. But when is anything ever easy when I'm involved? I just had to go in and make the suspect admit to embezzlement. Nothing bad was supposed to happen. A gun was not supposed to be pointed at me. A bullet was not supposed to be fired at me. Peter was not supposed to point his gun at another agent, but he did.

Simple.

The operation was supposed to be simple. But when is anything ever simple when Neal Caffrey is involved? Neal just had to go in and get the suspect to admit to embezzlement. Nothing was supposed to go wrong. No guns were supposed to be drawn. No bullets were supposed to be fired. I wasn't supposed to be called in. I was not supposed to point my gun at another agent. Neal was not supposed to need protection, but he did.

Plain.

The plan was plain. There was nothing tricky about it. One gun, one bullet, one life taken. I wasn't supposed to get caught, but I was.

Five Hours Earlier

Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey sat in the Federal Bureau of Investigation building in Peter's office.

"Peter, can we please go get some lunch? I'm starving!" Neal pleaded for the fifth time and for the fifth time Peter ignored it. The agent knew that Neal was not starving or in fact even hungry. The partners had eaten breakfast two hours ago and taking one look at Caffrey, anyone could tell the conman didn't eat an enormous amount of food. No, Peter knew exactly what his consultant was trying to do. He had tried it since the first day he worked along side the agent. He was trying to get out of paperwork. Peter was not going to give in.

Neal gave a loud sigh and hung his head, as he continued to read over more papers. Two minutes passed and he sighed again.

"Peter-"

"You are a child! Neal it is time you cowboy up and realize that in the adult world you have to do work! Now listen to me. You're going to sit here, with your feet on the floor," Peter swatted at Neal's feet propped up on the desk, "looking over these files and you aren't going to say another word until lunch. Understood?" Peter ordered annoyance and frustration evident in his voice.

"Can I ask you a question, first?"

"What?"

"When are we going to lunch?"

Peter let out an aggravated grunt. "Never, if you don't shut up! Now, work!"

Neal did as he was told. He knew better than to aggravate or annoy Peter any further. The agent had been in a terrible mood all day and had treated Neal like the felon every other agent in the FBI saw him as. If Neal was honest with himself, he was hurt by Peter. When the other agents looked down on him, he could brush it off, but not Peter. An hour passed and Neal's mind started wondering as he stared at the case files before him. He glanced up at Peter who hadn't said a word since he had yelled at him. Peter was still reading over files and taking notes. The conman was debating whether or not to try to start a conversation with his handler when a knock at the door caught both men's attention.

Peter stood up, not even glancing at Neal. The younger man remained seated until Peter opened the door to reveal Hughes standing there.

"Conference room, now. Bring Caffrey." The oldest man said and walked towards the conference room.

Neal looked at Peter and waited for the agent to say something. But Peter didn't even turn around.

"Come on, Caffrey." With that Peter followed after Hughes with Neal slowly walking behind him.

Once Neal was seated in the conference room, he looked at the people around him. There was Hughes standing at the head of the table with Peter, standing next to him. Then there was only one other person in the room. It was Agent Hickman who sat across from Neal, an agent from the White Collar division that had made it clear how much he hated the consultant.

"Caffrey this is agent Hickman. He is working on an embezzlement case that is coming to a close, but his partner is caught up with other work and can't go in and close the deal. The suspect knows that Hickman is an agent so he can't go in. So you will be going instead, make him admit to embezzlement, then we will arrest him. It is simple. Briefing will start in an hour. Dimissed." Hughes explained and left without another word.

Neal sat there and waited for Peter to begin protesting about him being handed over to another handler but it never came. Instead, Peter looked at Agent Hickman for a few seconds and went back to his office.

Neal's jaw dropped. He looked at his new handler for today and was unnerved by the menacing smile the Agent had plastered on his face. Neal hurriedly made his way to Peter's office.

"Peter, can you believe Hughes is handing me over to another agent? Hickman no less? He hates me." Neal said disbelievingly. Peter gave a very short laugh.

"Neal, it's a simple operation. If you can't handle it, maybe prison would be a more suitable place for you. And Hickman doesn't hate you. He is an FBI agent who doesn't trust criminals." Peter said not looking up from his papers. Neal was dumbfounded and angry but more than anything he was hurt. He had no idea why Peter was treating him like this. He hadn't done anything wrong.

"Peter-" Neal started to defend himself and ask what the hell Peter's problem was but the agent cut him off.

"Go get lunch. Your briefing starts in less than an hour. Don't be late." With that, Peter left his office, leaving Neal standing there. He turned and watched Peter get on the elevator, then made his way to the conference room and sat down. He wasn't hungry anyway, but even if he was he knew he wouldn't be able to eat.

Agent Hickman and a few other people walked in the conference room. Briefing took about fifteen minutes. Hickman gave Neal a voice recorder in a pen and told him he was to walk into a warehouse on Travis Road and simply get the suspect to admit to embezzlement by telling him he wanted in on the operation.

"We leave in five minutes. I'll meet you in the car. Don't. Be. Late." Hickman ordered harshly.

Neal nodded and started to make his way towards Peter's office, but Hickman grasped his arm tightly and pulled him back.

"One more thing, Caffrey. You'll wish you were going back to prison when I'm done with you." Hickman snarled as he tightened his grip around Neal's bicep. The two stared at each other before Hickman let go of Neal's arm and roughly pushed him aside to leave the conference room.

Neal walked into Peter's office but stayed at the door.

"Um… Peter?" Neal asked nervously.

"What?" Peter asked obviously annoyed. Neal had planned on telling Peter what Hickman said but the agent didn't seem to care so Neal changed his mind.

"N-Nothing. I'm just leaving."

"Alright. Bye." Peter waved a hand but never looked up.

Neal rolled his eyes and left to meet Hickman at the car. The agent drove until he was in front of an abandoned building.

"What are you doing?" Neal asked puzzled as he realized this isn't the warehouse on Travis Road.

"The meeting was moved to here. Inside source told us."

"Since when? Does Hughes know-" Neal began to question.

"Since I just told. Listen to me you little snot. I'm the agent I know what I'm doing don't question me. Now get your ass in there." Hickman snarled.

Neal got out of the car and wondered why he didn't see any of the FBI team around, not even a surveillance van. But just dismissed the thought.

Neal stood in front of a man that was not Steve Davis, the man the agency suspected of embezzlement. He had never seen this man before. But he figured it was just a guard.

"Who are you?" The bulky man ordered.

"I'm Nick Halden. I'm here to make your boss a fortune." Neal lied smoothly and flashed his winning smile.

"Oh, yeah? And who exactly is this boss you speak of?" The bulky man laughed.

Neal was slightly confused.

"Steve Davis." He replied calmly.

"What's in it for you?" The man asked.

"What's in it for me? I told you, I'm here to make a lot of money for Mr. Davis. What I get in return is left up to him. Now if you would take me to your boss, I think Mr. Davis and I have some business to discuss." Neal replied as he flashed his pearly whites again.

"Of Course, Mr. Halden." The large man said as he turned to lead the way to a more private room in the warehouse. Neal followed, but was stopped short in the next room by the barrel of a gun aimed at his chest.

"Nick Halden, or should I say Neal Caffrey?" The man held the gun firmly in front of Neal and watched as Neal's eyes widened. "Yes, I know who you are! You theif! What are you really doing, here?"

Neal began to panic.

"I told you, I'm Nick-"

The man cocked the gun and pressed it against Neal's chest.

"Bullshit! I know who you are! And you aren't here for Steve Davis. There's no one here by that name so you best start talking, or I'm going to put a bullet in your chest." The man snarled.

"Look, this is all a big misunderstanding. I must have the wrong place. I'll just go-"

"You aren't going anywhere, Caffrey. You're here to steal from me. I don't let people like you walk away from something like this."

The large man stepped back and fired.

"Burke we've got a problem." Hughes said from the doorway of Peter's office. "Conference room, NOW!" Peter followed Hughes and was unnerved to see Agent Hickman sitting there without Neal.

"What's going on?" Peter asked.

"That dog of yours ran. That's what!" Hickman yelled.

"Settle down!" Hughes yelled.

"Neal wouldn't run!" Peter defended his consultant.

"Oh, yeah? Well you can check his tracking data. We were driving down the road, on our way to the meet and when we stopped at a red light he jumped out of the car and ran." Hickman explained.

"That's –" Peter began to protest but Hughes cut him off.

"I checked it Peter. His story checks out. Now, Neal's anklet says he is at the Brax building. Take Hickman with you." Hughes said and left.

Peter looked at Hickman as the agent stood.

"We tried to tell you about that mutt. Maybe now you'll listen to other agents instead of criminals, Burke." Hickman said as he walked out of the office. Peter stopped him once they were in the parking lot.

"I don't know what you are up to but I know you are behind this somehow and I promise you I will figure it out." Peter said sternly as he got in.

"I'm sorry, Peter. But there's nothing to figure out. Caffrey is a criminal, it was only a matter of time until this happened."

Peter, with his gun drawn and along with Hickman and his weapon drawn as well, walked up the front steps of the Brax building. This building had just been bought by a wealthy man who had just gave a very generous donation the Met.

He opened the door and Hickman quietly walked in. Peter went the opposite direction of Hickman until the agent hollered his name. Peter ran in the direction of Hickman's voice and entered the room the agent was in.

Peter's stomach dropped at what he saw.

There stood Agent Hickman and Mark Lepore, both pointing a gun at Neal, who was sitting against the wall, sluggishly. Peter noticed that Neal's skin was pale and clammy, before turning his attention back to the other men threatening Neal. Peter pointed his gun at Hickman.

"What're you doing, Burke? This man caught Neal trying to steal from him!" Hickman yelled, never taking his eyes off of Neal.

Peter left his gun aimed at Hickman and Lepore, but turned his head toward Neal.

The younger man turned half opened eyes, toward Peter. The agent looked worriedly at Neal. He realized Neal was taking shallow breaths.

"Did you hurt him?" Peter asked Lepore as he ran over to Neal.

"I caught him trying to steal from me! He was going to leave! I wasn't going to let him get away with it, so I shot him." Lepore stated as he dropped his weapon, but Hickman still kept his gun aimed at Neal.

"No. No. No. No. Neal? Neal! Come on, talk to me!" Peter ordered as he tapped the side of Neal's face. Peter began searching for the bullet wound. It didn't take but two seconds because soon his hands were soaked in blood. Neal groaned when Peter's hands pressed against the wound on the right side of his chest and tried to push the agent's hands away.

"No! Neal, I know it hurts, Buddy, but I have to keep pressure on it. You'll be okay. Everything is going to be fine, Neal." Peter tried to assure him. He turned his head towards Hickman and Lepore.

"Call 911!" Peter yelled.

Lepore pulled out his cell phone and began dialing but Hickman stopped him.

"No." He stated flatly, walking over to Neal and Peter.

"Hickman he is dying!" Peter yelled. But Hickman just smirked.

"That's what he deserves."

Realization hit Peter full force. Hickman set Neal up.

"You! You did this! You set him up!" Peter yelled pressing harder against Neal's bullet wound as anger ate at him. Neal tensed and looked up at Hickman who still had his gun on him.

"He is a criminal. I didn't set this up. He did and now he has to face the consequences." Hickman smiled down as he repositioned his gun at Neal's chest once more and cocked it. Peter quickly reached for his gun, but as soon as his fingers reached the weapon he heard gun shot. He felt Neal flinch beneath him. But when he turned his eyes back towards Neal he was surprised to find half opened, dull-blue eyes looking at him. Then he saw Hickman fall to the ground out of the corner of his eye.

Neal squirmed as Hickman fell to the floor by his feet, but immediately regretted it. Pain shot through him and he let out a whimper.

Peter turned to look at Lepore who held his gun out. Lepore stood there with a blank look on his face. He was about to get the man's attention when he heard Neal whimper.

"Hey, Hey, take it easy. Just breathe. Everything is ok." Peter said reassuringly. He could here Lepore talking on his phone. "There are two men who have been shot at the Brax building! Please hurry! One…One is dead and the other… he's dying! Hurry!" He hung up the phone and ran over to Peter and Neal.

Peter was aggravated at Lepore for yelling and letting Neal hear him. He didn't want Neal to be scared. But his anger quickly diminished when Lepore asked if there was anything he could do.

"Put pressure on his wound! Press as hard as you can!" Peter yelled and removed his hands so Lepore could take over.

Neal felt Peter leave him, his protector, his safe haven. He knew he was dying and all he wanted was Peter to stay with him. He was scared. Peter would protect him. Peter would save him. But he left and Neal began to panic.

"P`t….er!" Neal yelled as loud as he could which was nothing above a whisper but Peter heard him.

Neal couldn't see anymore. He was too tired to keep his eyes open, so he wasn't sure if Peter was still there but he wanted him to be more than anything.

"Pl-please….don`….leave me." Neal whispered. Peter sat down next to Neal and took back the task of applying pressure to Neal's wound.

"I'm right here, Neal. I'm not going anywhere." Peter reassured. He felt the younger man sag against him even more.

"I'm….s-s-sorry….f-for whatever…. I…d-did." Neal said, wearily.

"What are you talking about, Neal?" Peter asked confused.

"You…." But Neal didn't finish his sentence. Neal lost his battle with consciousness.

"No! Neal, come on Buddy, you have to stay with me!" Peter said as he gently shook Neal. Neal didn't respond.

Sirens could be heard.

"Go tell them where we are. Hurry!" Peter ordered to Lepore. He trusted the man to do as he was told and not make a run for it considering he would be going down with murder of a federal agent. He watched as the man ran off.

"Hang on, Buddy. Everything is going to be okay." Peter said, silently hoping he was telling the truth.

AN: Let me know what you guys think! :)