I don't own White Collar, but I do own a heart that loves it.

This is set somewhere during Season 2, when tensions weren't so bad!

Peter ran.

He ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He didn't care about the half a dozen or so FBI agents yelling at him, telling him to wait until it was secure. He easily broke past the officers trying to hold him back. Nothing else mattered. He could easily see the figure standing in the distance, swaying dangerously from side to side. The crimson color staining the man's shirt made Peter's legs run harder and his heart pound faster. He felt like he was running backwards, like he would never reach him in time, never reach him at all. Water stung at his eyes, but he had no time to deal with it as he stopped abruptly in front of the extremely weary and shaky form of his partner. He grasped the man's shoulders to stop him from swaying, bringing glazed blue eyes to his brown ones.

"P'ter." Relief shook Neal's voice from his throat in one breathless word that seemed to reach his knees as Neal started falling to the ground as his knees buckled, but Peter caught him.

"You...always catch me." Neal slurred with a strangled laugh.

"Yeah, Neal." Peter laughed. "I caught you." Peter held Neal up under the arms while positioning himself to sit down on the pavement behind his consultant. Once he was seated he gathered Neal's battered body in his arms. "I caught you, Neal. I got you."

He felt the younger man shudder and bury his head into his shoulder. Under any other circumstances, Peter would have jokingly pushed his consultant away, but not now. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Neal even tighter and buried his face into Neal's matted hair.

"I've got you, buddy."

Peter was oblivious to his surroundings and involuntarily jumped when a voice came from above him. He instantly secured his protective hold on Neal.

"Suit...he's not..." Mozzie's voice trailed off with fear.

Peter couldn't help but release a relieved laugh. "No. No, he's alive."

He saw Mozzie nod and turn around, before he rested his head back on top of Neal's. He felt another shudder run through the younger man followed by a pained groan as Neal buried himself further in Peter's grasp.

"It's alright, buddy. You're alright. You're safe, Neal." Peter promised the injured man laying in his arms.

More approaching footsteps could be heard, and Peter felt a weak hand grip his shirt. He whispered assurance to Neal once more before glancing up to see Diana and Jones approaching.

"We caught him, boss." Diana relayed the good news, with a concerned expression. "And his wing man."

Peter nodded.

"Bus is two minutes out." Jones added while looking at Neal.

Peter nodded again, and tried his best to keep Neal's body still so as to not add to his pain.

"You need anything?" Diana asked, wanting something productive to do rather than look at Neal's battered body.

"Just keep the agents and officers back. They can question him later if need be, but not now."

"Got it, boss." Diana replied, thankful. She motioned for Jones to follow her and left Peter and Neal alone. Peter looked around for Mozzie but didn't see him, though he didn't expect to.

Peter continued to assure Neal that he was safe, away from the man who had held him hostage for nearly two weeks until the paramedics arrived. Peter was reluctant to move away to let them work but when he let go of the younger man, Neal began to twist on the gurney in a desperate attempt to find Peter. The paramedics then allowed the agent to remain beside Neal in order to keep him calm and the agent remained there even after Neal lost consciousness in the ambulance.

Peter sat quietly at Neal's bedside some odd hours later. It was a few minutes past two in the morning. Elizabeth had just left the room in order to stretch her legs and get some more coffee. Peter rubbed at his eyes and sighed.

"I guess you don't have your crossword puzzles." A slurred voice whispered from the hospital bed. Peter jumped from his chair to lean over the patient in the bed.

"Neal?"

"Y-yeah...at least I think I'm Neal. I don't know. This medicine is really good, Peter." The conman grinned up at him.

Despite the deep shades of blue and purple that swirled on the younger man's face in bruises and the nasal canal providing oxygen under his nose, Peter couldn't help but smile in return.

"I can tell." Peter replied with just as much enthusiasm as Neal had spoken with.

"You should...you should get some. It's...great." Neal's energy started to die down and his eyes started to droop. "Do you want some P'ter?"

Peter chuckled while ruffling Neal's wavy hair. "No, buddy. I don't want any. I want you to have it."

"Oh...okay." Neal's eyes had already closed and Peter thought he was back asleep until he heard Neal's voice again.

"I..never thanked you, Peter." Neal revealed his glazed blue eyes again and looked happily up at the agent.

"For what?"

Neal blinked owlishly at him before replying. "For never leaving me."

"Neal I would never leave y-" Peter stopped short when he realized that he didn't exactly know what Neal meant. "What do you mean?"

"When Salina had me...you didn't leave me."

"Neal, Salina kidnapped you. I was looking for you the entire time, I didn't find you until today. I was never with you." Peter explained, thinking that the medicine was messing with Neal's memories.

"No. You were there, Peter." Neal replied as if Peter was the one doped up on pain medication. "You kept telling me to find a way out."

Peter was speechless. He knew for a fact that he himself had done no such thing, but the younger man was so sure that he had that Peter didn't have the heart to tell him different.

"Oh...yeah, I did, Neal. I did. I wanted you to find a way out."

"I found a way out, Peter. I did."

"I know, Neal." Peter mused Neal's hair a little and smiled down at him. "I'm proud of you. You finally managed to do as you were told."

Neal only offered a small smile before sleep took over him.

"I'd say that is a milestone." Elizabeth whispered while she quietly closed the door and made her way over to Peter. Her husband chuckled softly and accepted the fresh cup of coffee she offered him.

"Yeah, if only he didn't have to be half out of his mind to do so."

"Well I'll take my miracles where I can get them." Elizabeth said as she smoothed Neal's hair away from his forehead. She ran her fingers through his dark, wavy locks for a few minutes while quietly talking to him, assuring them that they were still with him and that he was safe. Elizabeth then turned to her husband and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you, Honey." El said staring up at Peter.

"For what?" Peter asked for the second time that night.

"For not leaving him...for somehow encouraging him to find a way out." She smiled at him and kissed him on the lips before laying her head against his chest, once again returning her gaze on Neal. "And for keeping your promise to me...and Mozzie...and June, Diana and Jones."

Peter said nothing as he stared at the sleeping form of his consultant. He kissed his wife on top of the head, but was a bit surprised when she pulled back to look at him.

"Thank you, Peter. Thank you for finding him and bringing him home."

"Well a promise is a promise." Peter said, while gently taking Neal's hand in his own. He had his other arm still wrapped around Elizabeth. "And family is family."

Completely random one-shot set during season 2 when tensions weren't so bad. Just a little something I wrote because I miss when Peter and Neal weren't at such great odds! But nevertheless, I can't wait for the return on January 17th! :D Anyway, I haven't written anything for White Collar in a while but I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!