Wish on a Star

Chapter 1

A/N: We decided that Peter's birthday is in early January, a time when many people reflect on the past and plan for the future. As such, I took this tale down a poignant path. There's an OC with a terminal illness (trigger warning), and several of our Caffrey Conversation characters recall loved ones they've lost. There's humor, too, as the White Collar team conspires to surprise Peter with a birthday celebration. He's not an easy person to surprise!

Federal Building, Manhattan, NY. January 03, 2005. Monday morning.

When Agent Diana Berrigan strode into the White Collar team's bullpen, she saw fellow agents Jones and Travis in conversation in the breakroom. She waved at them on the way to her desk, and when her laptop was booting up she joined them. "Happy New Year," she said as she poured a cup of coffee.

They returned the greeting. "Tricia sent us a message," Travis told her. "Last night she wrote an email to the three of us."

Diana raised a brow. Tricia was her mentor when Diana joined the White Collar team but had been away recently training for a new role. "Isn't she on another team starting today?"

Jones nodded. "She said her last official act as a member of Peter's team was to remind us his birthday is next week. If we want to surprise him, we should make our plans before he gets back from Hawaii."

"What did you do last year?" Diana asked.

What followed was a nearly unbelievable story about a criminal who had specialized in hiding caches of stolen items for thieves. Apparently on Peter's last birthday, with prompting from friends of Neal's, the criminal turned over his list of hiding places and a treasure hunt ensued, ending with the discovery of sixty million dollars in cash that had been stolen from the Federal Reserve.

As Jones wrapped up the story, Diana shook her head. "So you're saying we need to do more than buy a cake."

Honolulu International Airport. January 06, 2005. Thursday.

"Your birthday is right around the corner," Betty Burke said to her son as they walked toward their gate.

It was hard for Peter to believe it was less than a week until his birthday. In warm and sunny Hawaii, it simply didn't feel like January. But the weight of his winter coat in his carry-on bag was a constant reminder that he was on his way back home to New York. "Here we are," he said, and led the way to a set of open seats at their gate.

In addition to Peter, his wife Elizabeth and his parents, their group included several Caffreys and Winslows who had gathered in Hawaii for a wedding that united the Burke and Caffrey families. The newlyweds were staying on the islands for their honeymoon, but the guests needed to return to the real world.

Betty sat beside Peter and Elizabeth and asked, "Have you made any plans yet?"

Peter shrugged. "I like to relax on my birthday, and it's on a Tuesday this year so there isn't time to do much. Something Italian for dinner and watching a mystery is all I have in mind."

"We'll have a cake," El added.

"Are you sure you don't want to do anything more than that?" Betty persisted. "I always feel bad for people whose birthdays fall in January. After Christmas and New Year's their families tend not to have the energy or money for another party, and it doesn't seem fair."

"You always planned something big when I was a kid," Peter remembered with a smile. "Skiing trips, hockey games, horseback riding, epic snowball fights with all the neighborhood kids."

"Until you turned fourteen." Betty sighed. "After that you always wanted a quiet birthday."

El cast a puzzled look in Peter's direction. He'd never told her about that. With a glance toward Neal Caffrey, Peter took a page out of the former con artist's book and deflected. "Last year wasn't quiet." He spent a solid twenty minutes describing his previous birthday, even though he'd already told his mom all about it a year ago. When he finished retelling the story, he abruptly announced he wanted a cup of coffee and left the gate.