Long Way Down

Author: Cheryl W.

Disclaimer: I do not own Neal, or Peter or any rights to White Collar, nor am I making any profit from this story.

Author's Note: This is my first WC fic so I'm hoping I captured the characters OK.

Summary: Neal's not afraid of heights. Peter's learned this the hard way. (Pre-series)

WCWCWCWCWC

Neal is poised on the edge of bridge, an expansion of water below, way below and Peter is right there, almost close enough to grab the sharp suit Caffrey's in. Raising his hands in supplication as he finds himself dealing with a possible suicide jumper, Peter calmly says, "It doesn't have to end this way, just come down, Neal." The young man's first name coming out of him almost like an endearment, like they are friends, sees the flickering in the con man's eyes as if he caught the tone too, is unbalanced by it. 'Crap not a good time to unbalance the usually unflappable kid.'

"You don't want to die, I know that," he tries because, he's met a lot of people, tracked a whole heck of a lot of people and Neal Caffrey's relish for life puts them all to shame.

Caffrey smiles as if they are in a bar having some drinks instead of hovering over a thirty foot drop. "And you should know that I don't want to go to prison, end up wearing orange jumpsuits and eating food pigs wouldn't eat. Not my style." And he edges forward, closer to the edge and Peter's heart thumps harder, finds preventing Caffrey's swan dive is about more than not wanting a dead thief on his hands, about the paperwork that'll generate. It is about respect, admiration…even a fondness for the forger.

"As if a prison could hold you," Peter taunts, truth in the goad as much as there is hope that Caffrey takes the bait.

The wattage of Caffrey's smile goes up. "Yeah but the trick is not getting put away in the first place. It's bad for my reputation."

Peter steps closer, hand reaching out, almost snagging Caffrey's elbow. "And killing yourself, that'll be impressive. 'Renowned thief, forger Neal Caffrey dies in attempt to elude Feds' Doesn't really make a great ending to yourlegacy."

"Renowned? Really? I was hoping for 'Greatest thief and forger the world has ever seen,'" Caffrey nit-picked, skittering closer to the edge of the railing.

"You want to write the headline, you have to stick around," Peter counters, feels like he's truly gonna lose the kid, that his two year hunt will end the way he always prayed it wouldn't: with Caffrey's death.

"Not sticking around is how an obit gets written, it's kind of the point," Caffrey softly says as he looks away, to the drop below.

Peter feels his calm being swept away with the current. "No Neal! Just stop alright! Stop!" he shouts, backing up a few steps, knowing the man would jump if he pushed him emotional. "I want you arrested…not dead."

In surprise, Neal's head snaps around, faces Peter, eyes narrowed as if he's putting the Fed through a lie detector. Some of the tension in his stance melts as if he's pleased with what he's found. "You're a good guy, Peter…for a Fed," he earnestly says and then his cocky smile comes back into play. "Sorry I'm hell on your career path," and with that Caffrey looks back to the water below and jumps….

"No!" Peter screams, running forward, his grasping hands coming up empty. Looking over the bridge railing, he sees Caffrey falling and then he sees the barge carrying sand that Caffrey is perfectly aimed to land on. With a puff of sand at his impact, Caffrey lands on the tallest peak, is aware enough to give Peter a wave before he slides down the slope, ready to disappear.

In knee bending relief, Peter turns around and slides down the bridge railing to plop onto the concrete of the bridge walkway. Closing his eyes, he rests his head against the metal railing and wishes he had pulled another case instead of Caffrey's. He thought the kid was going suicidal on him, that he was going to be the cause of the kid's death. It isn't a thing he is comfortable shouldering. 'I should take myself right off his case. My admiration for the kid is impairing my judgment. The kid's a thief, forger, con –man….'one of the greatest the world has ever seen.'

A smile traitorously finds its way onto his strained features. 'You'd miss the hunt, catching onto Caffrey's latest scam, seeing his newest forgery.' And the part of him that is brutally truthful tells him the real reason he wouldn't be turning over the Neal Caffrey case to anyone else: he likes the kid, a lot and he'll be damned if he would let some other agent gun down Caffrey to earn a recommendation. He will catch Caffrey someday and then, Caffrey will pay his debt to society by wearing the orange jumpsuit, by choking down whatever goes for nutrients in prison…and the kid would probably be half way to Tahiti before the first year of his sentence is carried out. 'And then we'll start the game all over again. You won this round Caffrey. The next one, it's mine,' he vows but he is still wearing a smile as he climbs to his feet. Shaking his head at the sight of the barge slowly making it's way down the river, sans Caffrey, he walks back to where Caffrey had eluded the rest of his team.

'Better wipe the smile off my face or they'll think I let the kid slip through my fingers,' he coaches himself but part of him wonders if he would have, would have let Neal Caffrey elude him rather than see the young man end his life. 'Hope it never comes down to that. Don't let it come down to that Neal. Just…don't,' he implores, knows that, staying on the Caffrey case, it is both an honor and a curse, is a contradiction to everything he thought he was about. Just like the young man is a jiggle-saw puzzle, one where all the pieces don't fit. Neal was pleasant and kind but devious and without moral compunction when it came to making a fast buck. That, though he seems so outwardly young, his eyes are old, cynical and world weary.

And Burke is coming to understand that, everything he knows about Neal Caffrey, everything he thought he knew, it doesn't even scratch the surface of who his opponent is. But today, today he had been close enough to almost touch Caffrey, had talked to him, face to face, and had been scared that it was going to be the first and last time they did that.

He startles as his phone rings and he smiles as he answers it, "Hey El, I'll be home for dinner."

His wife's voice holds surprise and almost a congratulations. "You caught Neal Caffrey?" because she can detect the happiness in her husband's voice.

"Nope. He got away," he answers, not bothering to hide his satisfaction, not from El.

"Ok, but you sound…not upset."

He shrugs though he knows his wife can't see the gesture. "Out of the possible outcomes of today…this one…I like. A lot."

"You're going to have to explain that to me."

"I will, over diner. Why don't you meet me at the new Italian restaurant on 24th street in an hour. I'll even splurge on a bottle of wine."

"I don't know what Neal Caffrey did today but I think I'm in his debt. See you there, honey."

"Love you," Peter bids before he ends the call and then he shuts down the emotions glimmering in his eyes.

Rejoining his team, he barks, "Where were you guys? I could have gotten Caffrey boxed in with some backup! I want you all to canvas both sides of the river, see if anyone saw him climb out of the drink. Go, now. Call me if you find anything worthwhile."

As he walks to his car, the smile returns. Caffrey is long gone, isn't likely to get spotted, sure isn't going to get caught. And that is more than alright with Burke. Caffrey will show up again and he would be there, waiting.

But not tonight. Tonight he wishes Caffrey a nice dinner with Kate, where ever they are.

WCWCWCWC

Have a great evening!

Cheryl W.