ALRIGHTY! Here you are my slightly intimidating fans! (: Thank you for reading!

Complete silence dominated the warehouse. Shots fired. Neal...

Peter stood motionless, not even daring to breathe.
MOVE! His mind screamed at him. Move!

Peter's right foot took a faltering step forward. Then, like he'd broken through some sort of barrier he was able to run again. Peter sprinted faster than he could remember ever running, his gun at the ready. He wanted so badly to shout for Neal, to find out if his friend was safe...or alive. Peter shoved that thought out of his mind. If he called for Neal that would give Peter away and he'd never be able to help. Peter waited by the side of the metal door. He knew the shooter would try to chase him down out the way Peter had run. Peter had seen his face. And Doug still thought he was unarmed.

The hunter was officially the hunted. Thundering footsteps reached the FBI agent's ears as Doug stomped down the stairs noisily.

Peter didn't hear a second set of footsteps following the first-not that he'd been expecting any, but his heart sank either way.
Maybe the approaching footsteps belonged to Neal? Peter considered hopefully. Maybe Neal had somehow gotten the gun from- but he'd never fire it. Peter knew better than to hope like that.

Doug emerged from the doorway. Peter was surprised to see that he wasn't holding the duffel bag that Neal had brought for the 'deal' as they'd called it. For a moment- Peter's heart skyrocketed along with his hopes. If Doug didn't have the bag then there was a chance Neal got away with the money!

"Freeze! FBI!"

Doug spun, gun raised. He stared at Peter in surprise, eyeing his weapon in confusion. Then anger contorted his features. Neal must've pissed him off. Peter could have chuckled, but not while this was going on.

Please," Peter pleaded sincerely, "Give me a reason to shoot you." The other man faltered at the seriousness in Peter's eyes. The FBI's agents chafed wrists still burned like hell. Doug lowered his gun slowly and Peter tried not to let his extreme disappointment show. He wasn't a violent man, but if Neal was hurt...

Peter didn't lower his stolen 45, but of course, nothing was ever easy. Doug's gun hand flew up. It didn't move more than an inch before Doug had a bullet in his chest, blood blossoming everywhere as he fell to the pavement dead.

The smug look and feelings of satisfaction would have to wait for later as Peter tossed his gun to the floor and took the steps, two at a time.

In the middle of the room a mountain of soap and the empty duffel bag were discarded on the floor. Peter ignored it. It wasn't important. He needed to find his friend.

"Neal!" Peter shouted. He'd reached the top and raced through the open doorway, stopping cold at the entrance. Neal was lying splayed on his side against the far wall and under a shattered window.

His head was resting on the ground, one arm draped limply across his torso. A torso that didn't seem to be moving, Peter didn't fail to notice. Neal's other arm was stretched out toward Peter. His eyes were closed and Neal was covered in his own blood.

Oh God...

"NEAL!" Peter screamed. Panic rushed through the older man and suddenly he was by the consultant's side, kneeling on the asphalt beside his fallen partner. No, Neal Caffrey, ex-con artist and FBI consultant, wasn't just his partner, he was Peter's friend. His best friend.

Peter's hands hovered over Neal's limp body quickly. Neal's chest was hitching. He was obviously having difficulty breathing.

Please no...Peter begged no one in particular.

He moved Neal into his arms and leaned his partner's back against his knee. Neal didn't make a sound. Not even a groan or cry of pain. Nothing. Neal couldn't be too far gone...

Peter gently reached down and lifted Neal's hanging head up, cradling him in his arms. Peter almost jerked his hand away when he felt the blood seep through his fingers. He was bleeding too much and Peter couldn't feel the source anywhere on his chest. His shirt was soaked through with blood, but Peter couldn't see blood gushing from the injured man's torso.

He shook the unconscious man desperately. "Come on, Buddy, you need to open your eyes! Please?"

Neal shifted in Peter's arms. Eyes blinking open slowly. Peter held his breath, Neal's continued to hitch.

"Neal?" Peter whispered.

"P'ter..." Neal croaked. His eyes were unfocused, and disoriented, but they were open. "Din' steal...I sw'ur." Neal said slowly, his eyes seemed to focus a little better, his pupils were dilated. A concussion, Peter realized in worry.

Peter remembered the empty bag and the pile of soap. Neal was obviously afraid that Peter would be angry at him for stealing soap of all things! Despite the situation. Peter grinned.

"I know, Neal. That'd make one helluva spa bath, huh?" Peter told him, trying to keep the man awake. Peter was panicing. He could hear the sirens in the distance, but Neal was bleeding everywhere and Peter was still sweeping his eyes over Neal's chest to no avail. He could see the bullet hole, but the blood seemed to have stopped flowing... There was so much blood.

His free hand fluttered of Neal frantically, but stopped when Neal weakly grabbed his hand.

Peter looked into his eyes. Neal had trusted him and Peter let him down. Again. The guilt almost floored the FBI agent. Neal aws staring at him through glazed eyes. They were unfocused and pleading pools of blue as Neal shook his head. He was taking deep labored breaths. The sirens were getting closer by the minute.

"Din' steal...P'ter.." He gasped. Peter realized he wasn't referring to the soap.

"Didn't steal what Neal?"

Neal released Peter's hand and slowly began to unbutton his bloody shirt.

Peter recognised the difficulty Neal was having, but when he tried to help his partner stubbornly shoved his palm away.
When he'd succeeded unbottoning his dress shirt he threw it open and it all clicked for Peter.

The relief threatened to overwhelm Peter and he remembered how to breathe without having to think about it.

Neal was wearing Peter's government issued bullet proof vest. The copper sheen of the bullter shone faintly from its position, lodged firmly in the padding above Neal's heart.

Neal clutched at Peter's tie, disoriented and clearly upset. "Din't steal it." He forced out insistently. Peter smiled gently as a strange kind of pride crept into his heart. Neal wasn't angry. He wasn't disappointed and he still viewed Peter as his friend even though Peter had doubted Neal. Actually doubted the man after all they'd been through and after all the time's Neal had saved his ass. This was just another situation to add to that list.

The blood was only from Neal's head. He wasn't about to bleed out any time soon. He was alright! Peter could have jumped up and danced a freakin' jig. Neal was fine! He only had a concussion.

Suddenly he realized that the restraint of the vest was what was bothering Neal's lungs. It was making it very difficult for his friend to breathe and the bruising that was most definitely covering his chest didn't help. Peter managed to remove the thick material by cutting the vest off his partner with his belt knife. The ambulance personell were coming up the stairs.

Peter looked at Neal and said, "You'll be okay, buddy. I'm glad you'll be okay." Peter's eyes were a little wet her realized in confusion. When did that happen?

Neal simply smiled a disoriented little smile and mumbled. "Same here... Peter."

Ahh... There it is! I love the smell of fresh story in the late night when the author finally decides to post her crap. xD

I hope you all loved it as much I loved writing it, but I'm not sure it's possible! (: I loved writing this story and I hope you enjoyed reading it! Thank yous go out to~

~RascalFlattsS (For reviewing on my story~ You just so happen to be one of my favorite authors on this site! xD).

~ Kleptomaniac (For reviewing every chapter so far - Yeah, I know there's only two I'm the damn author, but that makes me happy so I posted it. :P).

~ and last, but definitely NOT least- MaraudingSnitch1314 and Morgo7 for actually having a really, REALLY small discussion over my story! xD I thought those 10 seconds of life I used to read those reviews were well spent! (:

THANKS!
~3 (: