The darkness tugged on Seeley's eyelids as he weaved his way slowly through the deserted city streets. He was only a few miles from the hospital, and his usual route seemed to stretch on and on in front of him, the familiar signs and buildings melding into one another as they passed. Struggling to stay awake, he shook his head roughly and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
As he eased to a stop at a red light, Seeley stifled a yawn and stole a glance at his cell phone. It glowed eerily from the holder on the dashboard, and the words on the screen indicated that he had 3 new voicemail messages. He picked it up and impatiently pressed the speed dial.
The first message was from Cullen (just another rant about responsibility and how he was avoiding it) and the agent quickly deleted it before moving on to the next.
"Hi, Seeley, it's me, Becca. I was wondering if maybe you wanted to take Parker this weekend. I know things have been difficult for you, but...um...he misses you and I-I don't know what to tell him. Please, call me as soon as you get this. Bye."
Seeley hit the delete button and tapped his finger impatiently on the wheel as he waited for the final message to play. His breath caught in his throat at the sound of Angela's distraught voice.
"Seeley? Seeley, its Angela. I need you to come back to the hospital. S-something's wrong. Something's wrong with Tempe. I-I think her heart stopped. The doctor's are working on her...I...I think this is it. Please, you have to come now!"
Seeley never heard the end of the message. In a panic, he dropped the phone and flipped on the siren, all before jerking the SUV into a frantic U-turn. He could feel his heart beating erratically against his ribcage as he raced back in the direction of the hospital, silently praying to God that he wouldn't be too late.
"Why?" He shouted. "Why now?" Seeley banged a fist against the steering wheel, fighting back the tears that stung his eyes. In a fit of desperation, he threw his head back and stared at the ceiling, his voice aimed straight at God.
"You can't take her!" He bawled. "I told you to take me! Do you hear? Take me!" His body shook violently and he cried (harder than he'd ever cried for anyone), the road in front of him blurred by a stream of tears. As he reached down to wipe his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt, a sudden flash of light lit up the cab, and Seeley jerked his head up in surprise.
A pair of dime-sized headlights was rushing toward him, much faster than they should have been. He watched in horror as they swerved dangerously back and forth across the yellow lines...and then straight into the path of his SUV. He slammed his foot down on the brake and spun the wheel as far to the right as it would go, but the lights barreled ahead, seemingly unaware of the impending collision.
The scream of a car horn blared in his ears as the white orbs bore down, drowning out everything around him. The street and the SUV no longer existed; the only thing he could see was her face...her striking blue eyes, her beautiful smile...
"Booth?"
And with her voice to guide him, Seeley slipped silently into the darkness.