A/N: The Last chapter! We finally did it! We finished this fiction!! YEAH! Goldy and I would like to think everybody who stilled with it and read 'TBatC' even though we kinda put it on the backburner. We would like to announce that we are in the process of working out the plotline of not one, but TWO more fictions. So, keep an eye out. No promises as to when the first one will be up though.
About the quote: I thought it was only right that Bones McCoy got the last word.
Oh, and for all you BBshipers out there...this chapter is for you.
In this galaxy, there's a mathematical probability of three million Earth-type planets. And in all of the universe, three million, million galaxies like this. But in all of that, and perhaps more, only one of each of us.
-Dr. Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy
The observatory theater was dimly lit, with thousands of stars sprayed across the ceiling. Brennan and Booth sat reclined back in the seats waiting for the voice to come on to explain about the different star formations. "Would you stop that," Brennan whispered, jabbing Booth in the side with her elbow.
"Stop what?" he asked, turning innocent eyes toward her.
"You've been humming the Star Trek theme for five minutes," she accused. "Didn't you get enough of that last week?"
"Oh, come on. It was fun, and I'm proud of you."
"For what?"
"For recognizing the song." Brennan looked at him for a moment and rolled her eyes. Booth laughed at her as the lights dimmed lower and laughed harder when the Star Trek theme song began to play. "It's everywhere," she complained just as a man's deep voice began to speak.
XxXxX
"Well, that was interesting," Booth said as they exited the theater.
"You fell asleep half-way through it," Brennan teased.
"I did not," he defended. "I was just resting my eyes."
"Uh-huh. So when I hit your arm for five minutes because you were snoring, it was only so you could better rest your eyes?" Tempe looked at him with her arms crossed. Booth offered her a sheepish smile before taking one of her hands and kissing it soundly.
"No, seriously, it was interesting." Brennan rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "See, I knew you couldn't stay mad at me."
"I was never mad at you," she pointed out. "You'll know when I'm mad at you." He thought back to when she had flipped him the week before and nodded.
"You're right. I don't want to see you when you're mad." He laughed at his own joke. Brennan just looked at him. "So, what do you want to do now?"
"I don't know. I thought this was your grand plan."
"Well then, how about a midnight walk through the mall?"
Brennan looked at him and smiled. "Sounds good to me."
Booth returned her smile and offered his arm. "Shall we?" They walked a moment in silence before Booth spoke. "Thank you."
"For what?" Brennan asked, looking over at him.
"For agreeing to come out with me," he told her. "As something other than partners."
"You're welcome." The pair strolled in the moonlight, neither speaking, nor needing to. Their usual companionable silence was enough for the time being. A light breeze rolled over them, and Booth put his arm around her to keep her warm. "You know, I didn't think you'd be interested in the observatory."
"And why do you say that?" Booth asked with a sideway glance.
"I don't know. You just don't seem like a star gazing kinda guy."
Booth shrugged. "I've always like the stars," he said. "My family and I use to sit outside for hours watching them when I was a boy. They bring back good memories."
"My dad, Russ and I used to go out to the park with his telescope and stargaze. He'd get one in focus, or one of the planets and tell us all about it." Brennan sighed and smiled. "He's where I got my interest in science."
"It's good to hear you talk about your family that way. I'm really proud of you, Temperance."
"I couldn't do it without you, Seeley," she told him. "Without you being here for me."
"Yes you could," he said. "You're a lot stronger than you think. You don't need me here."
"But I do," she told him stopping their progress. "You give me strength. You help me overcome."
"But you do the work yourself. Don't sell yourself short." Brennan smiled up at him.
"Thank you, Booth." Tempe took a small step toward Booth and kissed him lightly on the lips. Booth looked at her, watching the moonlight bathe over her. She looked absolutely beautiful.
"Anything for you," he winked before returning her kiss.
"Do you think there's life out there?" Booth asked sometime later as they lay on a blanket in a deserted park.
"You're joking right?" Brennan asked.
"It's kinda hard to think of us as the only life forms anywhere."
"Just so long as you don't think they're visiting earth." She looked at him for a moment to make sure he didn't. Booth turned onto his side to better look at her.
"So you do think there's life out there?"
"Bacterial maybe. The circumstances with which life is produced is incredibly complicated, and there has to be a certain set of circumstances for all of the elements to be present."
"And yet life abounds here, even in really hostile environments."
Brennan shifted her eyes from the stars above her to the man beside her. "I don't know, Booth," she said. "They say there's billions upon billions of galaxies like this one. Possibly billions of Earth-like planets." Brennan shrugged. "I don't know if I believe or not, but I can't say if there's others like us out there or not. I don't think anybody can."
"I know one thing," Booth said, leaning over to her.
"What's that?" she asked.
"In all that, I know there's only one you." With that, he closed the distance and kissed her softly in the starlight.
The End
(finally!)