No. I don't own ANY of this. :( It is spoiler-ish...I guess. Finale likes.

The Song: Vegas Skies by The Cab. LOVE.

It's twelve o' clock and I need your attention

It's like the alcohol making my head spin

Your scent is the rum. the room is a bottle

Keeping me hopeless 'til I wake tomorrow

The clock that hung on the wall of his living room haunted him. It forced its clicking into his mind. Soaring past his optic nerves to rest in the neurons that were charging themselves with every swallow of liquor that soared past his throat. He was thinking far too much, and knew it. Thinking in such a stage was dangerous, and could cause something to happen. What that something would be, he didn't know exactly. But he was hoping that it wouldn't involve her.

An owl sprung out of its nesting area that rested above the clock, bringing with it annoying hoots that shredded his ears. He needed to replace its batteries soon. Twelve o'clock has set in for the night, and Seeley Booth was surprised to see the time had passed so quickly.

He swirled his whiskey around in its glass. Watching the brownish liquid hit the walls and splash back into the center. This wasn't like him. He wasn't the type to sit and contemplate his future, certainly not while drinking.

It was only his first glass, his first sip, his first bottle. His head wasn't even spinning from the alcohol yet. It was from his thoughts of her. She was making his head spin. He could still smell her, feel her, see her eyes as he glanced into them one last time.

The thought of her being in a different country right now bit at him, and he took another swallow. He was going to drown his sorrows in what would inevitably be the death of him. His thoughts returning to the same that he had decided on this morning: If she had the right to leave, then so did he.

For now, he would remain hopeless in his pursuit of her. She was thousands of miles away, doing God knows what. With people who wouldn't do the things he did for her. He rested his head on the back of the couch, it was going to be a long night.

And if tonight ever makes a difference

The way that I feel the way that I'll remember it

I'll take this down until the glass remains

Swallow the words that I was meant to say

With each bitter taste of the whisky, he couldn't force himself to say the words again. He had told her once, in the airport and that was all that mattered. She had simply stared at him, without breathing back a single statement. Not even a goodbye as she walked past him to the gate that would lead her out of the country, and out of his life.

Sitting here, sulking, wasn't going to make a bit of difference. He knew what he was risking when he told her. And when THAT didn't stop her from leaving, he wasn't sure what would.

He guaranteed himself though, that no matter what, his feelings wouldn't change for her. He was too far in, to deeply in love with Temperance Brennan to even question if he would stop loving her. It just wasn't going to happen.

One more swish of his drink and a promise that he would keep his love in tact, forced him to swallow down the mountains of phrases that he had collected over his five year partnership with the woman. The words that he was meant to say, but was sure, would never be uttered from his lips.

It's a long drive back to Vegas skies

So why don't I make one more wrong turn tonight?

His mind began to wander, back to the nights when he could feel safe in his feelings. Where he knew that she was so close to falling to the point that he was already at.

He could suddenly hear slot machines, and people celebrating. Of course his mind would bring him back to Vegas, it was when he realized that he really did love her. For the first time in his life, he loved someone who didn't love him back. And it was the chase that pulled him in, made him wake up each morning and go into work. It was a simple cat and mouse game, and he was willing to chase her anywhere. So when she insisted that they stay in Vegas to investigate the murder of those fighters, they stayed. And he never would have guessed that at the end of the case he felt like he had won.

Seeley Booth never won these sorts of things.

So say goodnight, our first goodbye

I've only got forever and forever is fine

Just take your time

We'll stop the clock together and know that the timing was right

He remembered sitting at the bar that first night, dim lights fading in and out from his memory. The smell of winning wafted through the entire place, and the sensation to join the fellow gamblers ached at him. It caused him to groan with dissatisfaction over the fact that he couldn't be one of those who were not on a case.

Bones retreated to the restroom, and upon her return sported newly dawned lip-gloss. His head tilted towards her, and it wasn't hard to glance at her while she looked like she did. She was beautiful, just like every day he was with her. But the fact that no matter what she did or looked like, or what she said, or did, he couldn't stop the nagging feeling in his heart that she had become so much more to him. More than a drinking buddy, a partner, or a friend. She was deeply imbedded in his heart.

"Booth, don't you think that perhaps you should go to bed?" She asked, sipping at her water as she slumped onto the bar stool.

His glance shifted towards his half empty glass, watching the ice cubes melt into a thin layer of liquid that sat on top of the rest of his more dense drink.

"Yeah, yeah I should."

He stood, reaching his hand out for hers.

"I'm fine Booth, I don't need your assistance to get off my stool. I've not even had anything alcoholic tonight."

His brown eyes exploded with emotion as if a volcano had just erupted within him.

"Will you please…just amuse me for this ONE night, Bones?"

She quickly grabbed his hand, as if hers were suddenly chilled to the bone. It was like melding two puzzle pieces together and she couldn't help but to take in a breath sharply.

They continued through the lobby, elevator, and finally to the hallway of his room holding hands and not speaking a word. It was when they reached his hotel door, she finally let go.

"Goodnight Booth, I'll see you in the morning." She whispered quietly.

Silence protruded them both until she reached up and kissed his cheek softly.

"Goodnight Bones." He said, fully aware of the action in which she just did. He wasn't going to react in front of her though, because then she would be suspicious. And as she walked away, he watched her, realizing that this was the first goodnight, the first goodbye of his acknowledged feelings.

The hoot on his clock returned Booth back to his surroundings, and the awareness that he had closed his eyes brought the fact that he was more tired than he thought.

Back then, he thought he had forever to help her along. He wanted her to be as sure about them as he was.

A knock arose at his door, and he glanced up at the hooting clock to realize an entire hour had gone by. So he sat the glass on the table, wishing that he had ingested more of it than he actually had. The only person at the door was bound to be Sweets. Which annoyed Booth a little, knowing that the shrink wanted to talk about her, what she had done, and where she had gone. He simply didn't care. He told her how he felt and now she was gone.

They didn't have forever like he thought, they didn't have all the time in the world like he would have liked, the timing just wasn't right for them, and it probably wouldn't ever be. If she came back even, which he doubt that she would.

Another rapture at the door brought his attention back, and he stood from the old couch, arching his back. "Yeah. I'm coming."

All of these guards they stand tall and defensive

Putting up walls around what once was innocent

They won't let me in, but I'm stronger than that

'Cause you stole my eyes and I've never looked back

It wasn't Sweets on the other side of the door, and when he swung it open she dropped her travel bag to the ground. Taking in a breath, sharper than any knife that he could encounter.

"Bones…"

She sighed, and flung herself into his arms.

"I flew all the way back. I realized half way through that I couldn't leave." She whispered against his chest.

This was one of the rare moments in which the guards were standing at ease around her heart. She was letting him in and he wasn't going to disappoint her, not this time. It was one a.m. in the morning, and she could have just stayed on the plane. But she didn't. She couldn't. And that filled him with more hope than the forgotten whiskey on the table ever could.

The woman in his arms had put up impenetrable walls around herself, and it wore him out to try to break his way through. She was an innocent child when it happened, and didn't deserve to go through the things that she went through. He didn't blame her for who she was today. He simply loved her for it. The walls had spent five years fighting against him, and he finally felt at ease as they let him in.

He was strong enough to withstand whatever she was going to throw his way. Seeley Booth didn't ever give up without a fight. Even to this day, he was more determined than ever to help her realize what they could be. She was safe with him. He would bet his life on it, and had plenty of times. She had stolen every part of him, and it didn't look like she was returning it so easily.

Girl, last night I forgot to mention

The way that I feel, the way that I'll remember this

When we're this young; we have nothing to lose

Just a clock to beat and a hand to choose

He let her go, hoping that she wouldn't suddenly dash off because of the irrational statement that had just leaked from her lips. But as his arms slid off of her, she only looked up at him. Her eyes close to tearing.

"What you said in the airport last night…you really meant it, didn't you?"

He nodded his head, slowly closing his eyes. "Yeah, Bones…I did mean it. I wasn't going to let you leave without mentioning it to you. I couldn't ever forget to mention to you how I've felt all these years. You should know by now that I mean every word I say to you. I've been sitting on my couch, nursing a whiskey hoping that I could forget everything. Everything but you."

"I love you too, Booth." She said sincerely. It was definite, and left no question. He believed her serious statement as soon as it left her lips.

It's a long drive back to Vegas skies

So why don't I make one more wrong turn tonight?

His mind was spinning. Trying to make sense of what was happening with them.

"But you are correct, well…you were correct."

"When, Bones?"

"When you had said that I was scared of Love. I was…terrified. Once I realized that love just might come before a chemical reaction…I became scared. I had to push myself away from you, and from all of the uncomfortable feelings associated with what I was feeling. I had to convince myself that leaving the country was going to help. Getting as far away from the problem was going to…rationally speaking, when something effects you, you displace it. You leave whatever has made you uncomfortable. It's simple. It was so simple…until…"

It's a long way down

Just fall into place and you'll fall into me

We'll make it out; you'll see

She collapsed into him again.

"Until you had to face the fact that you felt those same uncomfortable feelings back?" He asked, essentially finishing her thought process.

A nod against his chest told him that he was correct in his assumption.

"I've used knowledge, and logic all these years to explain everything in my life. And when I sat on that plane, the woman next to me had just lost her husband. She had come straight from the funeral…said she couldn't go back home. Back to their home. She was running, and wasn't afraid to admit it. I think she knew I was running too. And suddenly...knowledge couldn't help me anymore, but you could."

He couldn't listen to her anymore, it was crushing him to hear that she had been in agonizing pain for thousands of miles.

"Listen Bones, I'm going to promise you something. This road that we're about to go down is a long way down. It's going to be rough, and you're going to be scared for most of it. But I promise you that we'll make it out. We'll see the other side of all the rough spots that we hit. Now you have to promise me something."

Her pleading eyes motioned for him to continue.

"You have to promise me that you will not give up. That you'll never leave me. Because we're in this together."

The fear rose in her veins and he could feel her tense up. Temperance Brennan was never one to make concrete promises as such. It wasn't in her nature. Things could always happen, and rationally a person shouldn't invest in something for too long. In preparation that it might decide to leave.

Just take your time

We'll stop the clock together and know that the timing was right

"I promise." She said quickly, nodding once again.

"Good. Lets get you inside, I'm sure you're exhausted from you're quick jaunt around the world." A smile drifted to his face. And he picked up her bag.

"You're right. I am exhausted. I would very much like to rest." She said, following him in.

I've only got forever and forever is fine

Just take your time

We'll stop the clock together and know that the timing was right

And as they collapsed on the couch together, their hands interlaced together, Booth looked up at the clock. Reminding himself that night had fallen. But the clock had stopped. It's time frozen on a few minutes after one. About the time that she had knocked on his door. What an appropriate time for the clock to stop.

He didn't mind though, his forever had come. It was here, and now, and would be with them until morning. Glancing over, he noticed that his partner was now asleep on his shoulder. Her arm reaching across his abdomen.

Back in Vegas, he had wanted her to do nothing but take her time. Make sure she felt the same way about him. Now he had no doubts.

Sure forever had been fine back then, but now, it was perfect.

~End.

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