Wasted

Temperance Brennan woke up the smell of alcohol assaulted her senses. She was in her apartment on the couch, her head throbbed as the events from the following night throbbed into her mind's eye. Elliot stumbling into the apartment mumbling and in a drunken rage about how she was not a girlfriend who devoted every moment himself, he had always been violent with her when he was drinking. She would go to work with bruises on her face and once a cast on her arm. She broke up with Elliot once but he promised that he would change and even attended a few AA meetings. However things went from bad to worse. Today Temperance noticed Elliot sprawled on the floor, with bear bottles around him. She walked to the mirror and looked at her face she saw a bruised left eye and many scrapes and a deep gash on her cheek. She was hardly recognizable, today would be the last time. She picked up a bag and packed as much as she could into it. And headed toward the door, for a brief second she stopped and turned around looked at Elliot. She would miss him but she needed her life back and she needed to breathe again.

Standing at the back door she tried to make it fastOne tear hit the hardwood, it fell like broken glassShe said sometimes love slips away And you just can't get it back lets face itFor one split second she almost turned aroundBut that would be like pouring raindrops back into a cloudSo she took another step and said I see the way out and I'm gonna take it

I don't wanna spend my life jaded, waitingTo wake up one day and findThat I let all of these years go by wasted

Seeley Booth sat in his living room and stared a picture of a small boy, with a bottle in his hand. A boy who's smile brought light into a room, who loved dinosaurs and could quote every super hero tag line ever made. Who would always share hugs and try to be brave. This boy named Parker who died in a drive by shooting, who was just playing at the park with his mother and her boyfriend. His father arrived at the hospital too late to see the boy before he went to heaven. Booth shortly after Parker's funeral found himself burying himself as well however not with dirt and silt but whisky and beer. He was forced to resign from the FBI shortly after Parker died because of showing up to work very drunk. He had not seen his partner in two years. He takes another swig of whisky and sighs. He had been doing this everyday since he was fired. Replaying images of Parker over and over in his head and drowning them with whisky and beer to reassure himself that he was not at fault for Parkers death. But it never worked he still felt pain, pain of loss and regret still plagued his mind. He decided that he was tired of this way of life and need a change. He got up shakily and dumped the whisky down the sink then throws all other alcohol beverages in the house out. He picked up his phone and made a phone call

"Hello Temperance, yeah it's Seeley. I need your help, Look I'm sorry about what happened between us and I would like to see you. I've decided I need to move on with my life and I would like to start over, with a friend I trust not to let me make the same mistake twice."Booth said after a long pause he continued "Oh are you okay? I'm sorry to hear that. Can we meet somewhere and just talk? Great see you then."

Another glass of whiskey, but it still don't kill the painHe stumbles to the sink and pours it down the drainHe said it's time to be a man and stop living for yesterdayGotta face it

I don't wanna spend my life jaded, waitingTo wake up one day and findThat I let all of these years go by wastedI don't wanna keep on wishing, missingThe still of the morning, the color of the nightI ain't spending no more time wasted

She kept driving along 'til the moon and the sunWere floating side by sideHe looked in the mirror and his eyes were clearFor the first time in a while

The drive from new York to Boston was one of the longest ever for Temperance. She however was enjoying the moonlight and then the sunrise. She made to Boston about seven am and changed got, some coffee. And sat on the bench in the park where she would meet Booth in a half an hour and enjoyed the feel of the crisp morning air filling her lungs.

Booth drove and drove but not getting tired and not stopping for fear he would sink back into the endless hole of drinking. He glanced into the rearview mirror to make the exit for Boston. He noticed his eyes were brown once again not red from crying or drinking but natural looking. He breathed a sigh as he pulled into the parking lot of the park and saw Temperance from behind.

"Temperance" he said softly. When she turned he gasped as he took in the gash on her right cheek and left very black eye. "Hey Booth, I'm sorry about Parker. Angela told me about it. I'm so sorry Booth, he was such a good kid he didn't deserve it." Tears quickly filled her away and she wiped them a way just as quickly.

Booth responded quietly "Yeah he was a great kid, I miss him a lot. That's part of the reason I called you. I've been living these last three years in a downward cycle. I need somebody to keep my head above water. Before I drown myself, you're the one person I know who won't let me drown and I need your help more then ever Temperance. So what do you say? Are you willing to help out a good friend and repair a friendship?"

Temperance answered "I don't know Booth I just got out of a very damaging relationship and I need some time to heal. I need to know what were you doing that was drowning you?"

Booth sighed and said "I was drinking. It got so bad that I couldn't get through the morning without a drink. "

Temperance responded hastily "Booth I don't think I could deal with that again. Elliot used to drink and he would come home and be angry at everything including me. Sometimes he took out on me. I don't need that again."

"Temperance, I Promise you for as long as I live I will not lay a finger on you. I'm sorry that I was not there to protect you from that jerk Elliot. Could we maybe start over as friends who look out for each other?" Booth asked

"Yes Booth I think we can." Temperance responded and gave him a hug. Relieved that the fact that she could start her life over and enjoy an old friendship that was severed. Booth was happy that no matter what happens he'd have an ace in the hole to pull him out when in trouble. Life's something that shouldn't be wasted.

I don't wanna spend my life jaded, waitingTo wake up one day and findThat I let all of these years go by wastedI don't wanna keep on wishing, missingThe still of the morning, the color of the nightI ain't spending no more time wasted