Ok, so here is the second and final chapter of When All is Said and Done. I hope you enjoy the second chapter as much as the first. It's a little fluffier in its darkness and maybe a little cliché, but I still like it. It's my style ^_^ Thanks again for reading! Constructive criticism is always welcome! Please no flames.

Also, I wanted to add one more time that I am NOT a medical professional. I only try to make my story sound believable so please understand that this stuff is made up. I am 99% sure this stuff doesn't really work but it makes a darn good story. ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own White Collar.

Warnings: Same as chapter 1.

After my dreaming, I woke with this fear

What am I leaving when I'm done here?

So if you're asking me I want you to know,

When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done

Let me leave behind some reasons to be missed

~"Leave Out All The Rest" by Linkin Park

Neal was lost.

He felt like he had been traveling down this same dirt road for days. Weeks? Maybe months. He didn't even know anymore. Nothing around him seemed to change since he had woken up along side the gravel path what seemed like ages ago. The sky was still the same grey color, as if it was about to rain, the light neither fading nor brightening. The scenery remained a constant of grassy plains as far as he could see. The only differences he could see were the strange televisions that seemed to appear on the road every half mile.

And oh how he hated these damn televisions, each one playing a first-person perspective of a memory in black and white worse than the one before it. When he had first started walking down the gravel road, he had stopped to watch the playbacks of his memories. He had been curious as to what the televisions were for and quite enjoyed the playbacks of his childhood memories, playing pretend that he was a hero, a police officer like his father. About 6 miles or so into his walk, however, the depictions began to change to something much darker. It was at this the 13th television that the shadows in the machines depicted his step father coming into the equation and he was forced to relive his mother's abuse. At 15, he saw his mother being put in the hospital with the injuries from that man, and at 17, her death by his hands.

Neal never told Peter anything about his step father Mark, or why he had dropped out of high school. Neal always remembered loving school, in fact his junior year he was still a straight A student with offers for full ride academic scholarships to Stanford and Harvard, but then Mark happened. After he watched Mark shoot his mother, he had no choice but to run for his life. He never went back to Maine, changing his name so that Mark could never find him. After that, he used his silver tongue and sharp mind to survive, eventually becoming the full blown con artist and accomplished forger for which he was famous.

After that, the televisions continued to play the memories he wished to forget the most, much like some sort of warped home movie. He continued to watch them, but he found himself watching less and less of each show as he continued, until eventually he completely passed the one he regretted most. "Come on, Moz! You gotta wake up. You're okay. You're gonna be okay!" He continued walking rather than stop, watching his feet his own desperate voice resonated through the grasslands.

He just wanted this to stop. Why hadn't he been able to see all of the good memories? Why only the bad? Where was the first time he met June? When Peter had stolen that security tape from the doctor's office? The surprise party El had put together for his birthday last year? When he had thanked Peter for staying with him during Mozzie's funeral and Peter had said 'What is family for?'? Where were those memories? Because even though with his lifestyle it was important that no one remembered him as he raced through life, he wanted to see the memories that told him that he wouldn't be forgotten.

He came up on another television and cursed to himself. What else could these things show him? He was fully intent on walking right past it when he heard the words coming from the hellish device.

"You told me once that I was the only person in your life that you trusted. Well, I just want you to know that I trust you, too."

Neal stopped in his tracks, turning to look at the screen which, unlike the others, was playing the images in color. He watched, hands shaking, as the movie showed Peter exiting the car. He found that he was unable to focus on the words being said as he knew what was about to happen. The screen panned down the street, the memory showing a Lincoln which Neal had noticed behind them throughout their drive, pull out from a parking spot a block down the road at an alarming speed. The eyes of the camera quick looked back at his partner crossing the street before returning to the accelerating vehicle.

"PETER!" he heard his own voice yell from the speakers as the image before him depicted a stunned Peter, frozen in place at the sight of the oncoming town car. Neal watched in horror as the movie before him bounced as his memory self sprinted toward his best friend. He remembered the panic and adrenaline he felt as he ran toward Peter; the twinge in his wrist as he hit the Federal Agent full bore, effectively pushing him out of the line of fire; and finally the pain in his legs and back as the large metal weapon came into contact with his body at an incredible speed. Neal watched as he hit the windshield, feeling his ribs break and his head collide with the car before being thrown to the pavement, his suit and skin shredding on impact. He remembered in excruciating detail, the pain he felt as his head connected with the tar, his arm shattering and shoulder shifting out of socket.

He watched as the blood dripped into his quickly fading sight, his breathing becoming shallow and painful as he felt something sharp in his chest. He wanted desperately to lie on his back to relieve the pressure, but he couldn't get his legs to cooperate or his mind to stop spinning. He watched the screen in horror as the darkness ebbed in from the edges, the sounds of horns blaring in the background, but nothing was as horrible as the desperate scream he heard before he blacked out.

"NEAL!"

The screen went black, a crack appearing across the television's glass effectively silencing the piece of equipment forever, but Neal couldn't pull his eyes away from it. Suddenly, anger coursed through him like he had never felt before and with a rage filled yell, he pushed the appliance off of its stand, sending it crashing to the ground. He rounded the stand and kicked the television, releasing all of his frustration on the inanimate object. He stopped after a few moments, realizing how unreasonable he was being, and with a mirthless chuckle, turned away from the destroyed television and continued his trek.

He had to admit, it did make him feel a little better.

As he continued walking down the road, he hoped that seeing those more recent memories meant that he was coming to the end of the road and would finally understand what was going on. He looked up from the stone he had been kicking to see that there was someone standing on the side of the path about a quarter of a mile down the road, staring out toward the endless grassland. Neal squinted to try and make out who the person was, an enthusiastic smile appearing on his face as he realized the identity of the stranger. "Peter!" he called as he started running down the road. He finally reached the man, gasping for air from his sprint. "Peter, what are you doing here?"

His smile quickly faded as he saw the look of despair on the older man's face as he looked out toward the horizon. "Why did you do this to me?" he heard Peter ask angrily, not making eye contact with the conman. "This shouldn't be my decision to make!"

Neal was taken aback by the man's tone. Was he mad about something? "Peter, I don't understand…"

"What do I do, Caffrey?" he continued as if Neal hadn't said anything at all, tears filling the agent's eyes. "I don't want to do this. Why do you always leave the hard decisions to me?" he asked, a slight joke in his voice.

"What decision?" asked Neal as he reached for his friend's shoulder. "I don't understand what's going on." He tried to get Peter's attention by grabbing his shoulder, surprised as his hand went right through his friend like he was made of air.

"You know, when I first agreed to let you out of prison to work for the FBI, I thought you were going to be the biggest pain in my ass for the next four years," Peter continued, causing Neal to watch him, intently listening to his words. "Either that, or you were going to royally mess up and I was going to be sending you to Rikers for good. I didn't know what Hughes was thinking when he agreed to your little scam, but now... Now I'm glad that we did. I didn't just get a great partner out of the deal, I got a great friend, I got a member of my family. Neal, I know you and I don't always see eye to eye, and the crap you pull some days makes me want to throw you right back in that rat hole we took you from, but I don't ever regret making that decision. I want you to know that no matter what happens, no matter how this all turns out, I do care about you. You're like the annoying younger brother I never had and I love you just the same." Neal jumped as he felt a slight pressure on his hand despite the fact that nothing was touching it. He looked up to see the tears welling in his friend's eyes, still not understanding what was happening. "I'm going to go talk to the doctor one more time, but I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

"Wait, Peter! Wait!" yelled Neal, once again lunging toward the man, but just as it was with his shoulder, Neal simply passed through him and landed in the soft grass. He scrambled back to his feet to face where Peter had been standing only to find the space empty. "What the hell is going on?" yelled Neal to no one in particular, just wanting someone to answer him. Everything seemed so real but at the same time Neal knew it couldn't be. He needed to get out of here! He needed to…he didn't even know, just do something other than walk down this God damn road anymore.

So he began to run. He needed to get out of here. Maybe there would be answers at the end and in that case, he wanted to get there as soon as possible. He ran for what felt like miles, consciously deciding he would not be stopping until he reached the end, but he soon realized that he was not becoming tired. Even with the workout regiment he had made for himself, he should not be able to sprint this long.

Peter, El, we're ready to start, came a voice. Neal felt the anger rise in his veins again before he even stopped, turned around and saw the television. He ran at the thing, ready for round two of Neal vs. Satan's Entertainment Center when he stopped short. He felt the anger wash away as he stared at the picture of El, Peter, and June walking through a hospital hallway into a stark white room, because he realized something.

This one wasn't a memory.

The last time he was in the hospital, he hadn't known Peter, El, or June; well, at least not enough for them to visit him in the hospital. He walked slowly forward and felt th3 odd compulsion to sit on the ground and watch this one. So, finding a spot on the grass in front of the television, he watched what he could only assume was the present unfold in front of him.

"Are you ready?" asked Dr. Pierce as he looked to Peter for confirmation that this was truly what he wanted to do.

Peter tried to respond only to find that the words were caught in his throat. He knew he had told the doctor this morning that he wanted to try shocking Neal back, but he had questioned his decision so many times since then. What if it didn't work and Neal died? What if it did work and Neal wasn't ok? What if…?

Peter saw El look into his conflicted eyes and turned to the doctor. "Yes," she said with a little quiver in her voice. She was just as nervous about this as he was. "We all want to try and save Neal. If this is the best chance we have, then let's do it." God he loved this woman. Even when the two of them were at their most unsure, she could always bring him confidence that he was doing the right thing.

"Alright then, here we go." With that, Dr. Pierce and the nurse began shutting off the life support systems attached to Neal one by one. With every off switch they touched, the doctor appeared to have to work harder and harder to keep the concern off his face. This didn't make Peter any more confident in the least. Finally, the medical staff came to the final machine, the respirator. "Keep your fingers crossed," said Pierce as he carefully removed the tube from Neal's throat.

Neal watched as the doctor pulled the tube from his mouth and felt a slight burning in his throat. He suddenly began to feel very tired and confused as the picture on the television faded to black. What was happening? His eyelids felt like lead and began closing against his will. I must be exhausted, thought Neal. I have been walking forever. Maybe it is just catching up with me. He sat on the ground at the edge of the road and rested his head on his hands. Maybe I will close my eyes for just a minute, it won't hurt anything.

Everyone in the room held their breath as their friend sat motionless in front of them, his chest remaining still and the heart monitor indicating the slow, yet perceptible decrease in his heart rate. The seconds that passed felt like hours as the group stared at the man in the hospital bed, silently praying for a reaction.

Then Neal took a breath.

At first Peter had though it was June who had gasped but when he realized it was Neal, he could almost feel his body make room for his lungs. It felt like a balloon that had been sitting in his chest was popped, allowing him to take a deep breath. He knew his friend wasn't out of the woods yet, but the mere fact that the ex-con had taken a breath, albeit a weak breath, on his own was a huge accomplishment.

"Neal?" asked Peter as he ran forward and grabbed onto the forger's hand. Neal's blue eyes opened only a fraction at the touch, finding their way to the Agent. Peter smiled at the conman, tears of joy filling his eyes before Neal gave him a slight smile.

"P..tr…" mumbled Neal.

"How ya feeling, buddy?" he asked, feeling the tingling of forming tears in the back of his eyes.

Neal took another breath and gritted his teeth, letting out a pained grunt.

And with that, Neal's eyes rolled back into his head and the heart monitor released a high pitched, erratic beeping. The fear returned to Peter's heart as Dr. Pierce pushed him, El and June away from the conman and into the corner, nurses rushing around attempting to aid the physician.

"Charge to 300!" he yelled opening Neal's gown and grabbing the paddles of the crash cart. The machine emitted a tone that created and odd harmony with the high pitched ring of the heart monitor as the doctor placed the paddles on the con's chest. "Clear!"

Neal's eyes shot open and found himself standing…somewhere. It was dark again, but not like the gravel road had been. No, now it was pitch black.

"Peter?" called Neal, looking around for his friend. He had just been there, Neal had been looking right at him. "Where are you?" he yelled, but there was no answer.

Lightning flashed, lighting up the area around him for only a moment, but that moment was all he needed to see his surroundings. He was back on the same gravel road he had been traveling before. He released a frustrated yell into the darkness as he placed his hands in his hair, pulling on the locks in frustration. "WHY?" he screamed, releasing his head, but his attention was soon caught by the fact that, despite the pitch black of his surroundings, he could barely make out his hands, illuminated by a soft light behind him.

He turned to see another one of the televisions he had come to hate so much behind him, the silent screen filled with the white noise of electrical snow. Neal glared at the screen, not surprised an image appeared.

What it showed did surprise him however.

An array of movies played one after another. An image of his mother laughing as a young Neal showed her a card trick, making the ace of spaces seem to disappear. It soon changed to the fist day he met Mozzie, the small man wearing an obvious toupee as he watched Neal con his partner. The first glass of wine he and Mozzie shared after Neal had pulled off their first short term con. His first dance with Kate. His first adventure with Alex. The first time he met Peter smiling as he handed the Fed a sucker. The time Peter cornered Neal and the con laughed at the sly smile that crossed the agent's face as Neal jumped from the window to the river below. He saw the first time he met Dianna, learning that she would rather be the one "wearing the hat." Sitting in the surveillance van with Jones, eating donuts, and telling agents in the office secrets of the con artists world. Helping El with her wine choices for one of her more important catering jobs and finally the day of the accident when Peter said he trusted Neal.

The screen faded back to black, leaving Neal with tears in his eyes. This was the television he had wanted, the screen that showed him the people who cared about him, the ones that would remember. He was willing to admit that even he hadn't realized how many people had become important in his life, and in turn, he had become important in theirs, especially Peter's.

A flash caught his attention and he looked up to see a soft light in the distance. He squinted to try and make out where the light was coming from when another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, revealing a bridge directly in front of him. The light was coming from the end of the bridge. Neal looked around one more time before hesitantly staring across the narrow bridge alone.

Lightning continued to flash as he crossed the bridge, quickly approaching the source of the light on the other side. It was strange, the farther he traveled, the lighter he seemed to feel. It was if everything; his worries, his weight, his pain; it was all slowly disappearing. It felt...good but at the same time, it didn't feel right.

Eventually, he could see something in the light. No, not something…someone! He couldn't help it, he began running toward the light, his feet not even seeming to touch the ground anymore.

"Peter!" he yelled as he sprinted, the person becoming more and more distinctive as he neared. There seemed to be others there as well, slowly appearing in the light as he approached. The initial figure he saw came forward, giving a Neal a full view of them standing on the solid ground beyond the bridge. He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes open in shock.

"K…Kate?"

"Charge to 400!" yelled Dr. Pierce as a nurse injected something into Neal's IV line. The high pitched ring resonated through the hectic room as nurses came and went, quickly bringing in syringes and taking them back out again.

Peter watched in horror as the medical staff worked desperately to bring Neal back. He stood with his arm wrapped tightly around his wife as she clutched his shirt in one hand and his hand in her other. He couldn't really concentrate on anything other than the erratic lines on the heart monitor, but he could make out that his spouse was desperately mumbling some words that he vaguely remembered.

"…hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven…"

"Come on, Neal," said the doctor as he sent the shock through the man again, causing his body to arc off the bed slightly. He looked up at the monitor. "No change, charge again!"

"Kate, what are you…?" but he couldn't finish. He realized there were others gathered around the woman he loved and he took the time to look at them all. Mozzie stood to her left, smiling in a sad yet encouraging way as he pushed his glasses up on his nose. His mother stood to her right, happy tears running from eyes as brilliant as he had remembered them. There were many others there as well. People he had considered friends all looking back at him with smiles and, what he could only describe as, love.

He watched as Kate looked back at a dark haired man Neal didn't recognize. He gave her a nod and she turned back to him. She gave him a sweet smile, her eyes radiating and her skin seemingly glowing in the pale light. "Neal, you have touched so many people in your life. So many people have loved you. So many people will never forget you."

Realization hit Neal. He now knew what this was and surprisingly, I didn't scare him. He was in this place because he had saved Peter and suddenly the seeming eternity he had spent in this hell hole felt…worth it. He looked back up at the woman he had loved, the woman he still loved, as she reached her hand toward him, beckoning him to follow. "It's time to come home and rest, Neal."

He looked back toward the way he came, nothing but darkness as far as he can see. He remembered the last movie he had seen before crossing the bridge. His biggest fear in life was that no one would remember him when he was gone, and that movie had showed him exactly what Kate had said. He had touched a lot of people.

"What about Peter?" he asked glancing back again.

"Peter and El will miss you dearly," said the dark haired man Kate had been looking to earlier, "but Peter is not finished yet. There are still many people he is meant to help; many people whose lives he needs to touch. You have helped him as much as you can in this life, but it is time for you to stop running and rest, Neal. Peter will use this to grow and help many people he will meet in the future, and you will be able to help him one more time when he comes to this place."

He looked back at Kate, her hand still extended toward him with a soft smile on her face. He smiled back at her, a sense of peace filling him. He made a decision; he knew what he needed to do. It felt oddly right as he reached forward, taking her hand and stepping off the bridge and onto the grass with his friends.

The high pitched monotone squeal of the heart monitor rang in his ears as he clutched El to his chest, tears streaming down his face as he saw Dr. Pierce put down the paddles and turn off the crash cart. He shook his head, turned off the monitors, and looked at the clock before turning to the Burkes. "I'm so sorry Peter, El," he said, true sympathy in his voice as he watched El bury her face into Peter's shirt. "His heart just wasn't strong enough anymore."

Peter didn't even stop the sob that tore from his throat as the doctor turned to the nurse and put the final nail in Neal's coffin.

"TOD 14:23, July 15, 2011."

When all is said and done
And I'm looking back upon this race I've run
And when my heart gives in
I know you'll be beside me precious friend
It's just the same from the beginning to the end
When all is said and done

And if I lose my way
And I wander down this open road for days
And if the sun should fall
And the dancing we once did becomes a crawl
Let the memories move like shadows on the wall
If I lose my way

When I'm coming home
And I walk across the bridge of death alone
I will fix my eyes on the one whose waiting at the other side
It's my old friend with countless others there beside
When I'm coming home
When I'm coming home

-"When All is Said and Done" by Tyrone Wells

Ok, so I am going to say this now. No flames! If you didn't like it, I understand, just don't attack me for it. I have had enough of that.

For those of you who read it, thank you. I know a lot of people wanted Neal to survive, but I felt like this was the best way to go. That and it was a songfic so I wanted to follow the actual song. I was very surprised by the mixed review of people wanting Neal to survive and those that thought it would be better for him to pass. Thank you for all of the fantastic reviews. I am thinking of writing an alternate story depicting Neal surviving, but I am not sure if I will get around to it anytime soon. You saw how long it took for me to get part II up. ^_^ If I do add it I will place it here as chapter 3.

I decided to calculate the time using Mozzie's "death" being in September when the show initially shot Moz.

Once again thank you all!

-Star