"If we're going to keep this up, we're going to need some Gatorade or something to rehydrate ourselves." She said lazily, loving the sound of Jamie's laugh echoing against her cheek. "And for the first time in my life, I think I'm craving a cigarette."

"Did I wear you out, darling?" Jamie teased, making Juno smile more broadly.

"I can hold my own, thanks." She answered, closing her eyes and listening to the sound of Jamie's heartbeat, his steady breathing. They were quiet for several minutes, both lost in their own thoughts, and avoiding certain other thoughts. Finally, Jamie broke the silence of the still hotel room.

"So, if you could have anything and money was no object, describe your ideal house." Jamie said randomly, making Juno lift her head to look at him for a moment.

"That sounds like a Psychology 101 question if ever there was." She said easily, lying back down against him after a beat.

"I never actually took psychology." Jamie countered. "I just think it's a telling question."

Juno's brow wrinkled. "What did you study in school? I'm not sure you ever told me."

Jamie sighed slightly. "Government and diplomacy, primarily."

"Wow." Juno answered. "That sounds official. Are you the next Tony Blair?"

Jamie scoffed. "Not hardly. The courses themselves were all right, but rather stuffy at times." Jamie replied. "Some of it was interesting, but so much of it was just the study of this antiquated system of government. Your creative writing sounds so much more interesting."

"At times it was." Juno answered. "At times it was just regurgitating what the professor wanted you to say, but with a few different words. I always dreaded those assignments where I had no real voice of mine to say what I wanted to say."

"I can see that about you." Jamie said seriously and Juno nodded, glad he understood what she was trying so ineloquently to say.

"So…" Jamie tried again. "What's your dream home like?"

Juno thought for a long moment. "Well, I live in the city, but I've always wanted a huge garden – lots of flowers, lots of grass and lots of space to run around in. And a lake. Or a pond. Or just a goldfish pond – I just want some water." She paused and closed her eyes, trying to picture her home. "I would want something cozy and warm, you know? Big, deep couches and a huge kitchen so that my man could cook for me." She looked up at him and gave him a winning smile and a few batted eyelashes. "Do you cook?"

"Extremely well, thank you very much." Jamie grinned back. "Anything else?"

Juno shook her head. "I'm not very picky. I think I would just like something that's mine. I've always rented from other people, and I like the idea of something belonging to me as much as I belong to it. Does that sound stupid?"

"Not at all." Jamie replied, kissing the crown of her head. "Sounds very much like you."

"I just don't know how I'll get used to Chicago after being here these last few days. I think I could get used to these wide open spaces." Juno said, immediately regretting it. She hated that she'd reminded herself that time marched on, and her plane ticket that would be taking her home was dated only days away. "I guess I'll find out soon enough."

Jamie's arms tightened. "I'm not thinking about that." He whispered against her hair. "I should, but I'm not."

"Thinking about what?" Juno asked, levering herself up onto an elbow so she could meet his eyes. "Me leaving?"

Jamie nodded but remained mute, his eyes searching hers, as though delving for an answer to a question she'd never heard him ask.

"Yeah." She said softly. "Me too. But I guess reality will set in soon enough. I'll go back to America and my life, and you'll be here playing messenger boy to the needy."

Juno winced and wished she could take her words back as soon as they left her mouth – leave it to her to make him sound like a lazy drifter. Jamie's eyes darkened a little, and he sat up against the pillows a little. "Is that what you think of me, Juno?" He asked after a long pause.

She shook her head. "No, of course not. I mean, well, a little, but I know that I'm…" She huffed and tried not to dig herself deeper into this hole. "I guess we're back to the starting gate. We both knew this was going to end up going no where, so, maybe I should…"

"What?" Jamie asked, sitting up fully. "Maybe you should distance yourself from the errand boy now?"

Juno pulled away from him and wrapped herself defensively in the tangled sheet of the bed. "Jamie, I'm sorry. I just… I didn't mean to imply anything about your job, except that clearly with the geography and the differences in our lifestyles, I guess maybe we should face reality a little and…"

Jamie put up a hand to silence her. "I understand." He said, even as he mind screamed that he definitely did not understand. He knew she felt the spark too – he knew it. And yet, in her mind he was just a one night stand with a dead end job who lived halfway around the world.

The reality of their situation hit him between the eyes and he realized he only had one course of action left to take, no matter how painful it was to picture.

To leave.

"Right." He said, flinging off the sheet from the bed and getting up, leaving Juno sitting forlornly in the middle of the bed – their bed. After a quick hunt, he found his pants under the chest of drawers and yanked them on. "Maybe I'll just go now and save us both the torment of waiting for later." He said, more defensively than he meant to sound.

Despite herself, Juno felt tears well up in her eyes. She balled the sheet into her fists and fought to control her emotions, to remind herself that she was saying goodbye to what amounted to a stranger.

But he wasn't a stranger. He was Jamie. Her Jamie.

With shaking legs, she managed to stand up beside the bed, the sheet pulled tightly around her as she watched Jamie marched around their room, retrieving his clothes and belongings.

She couldn't face the reality of this situation, not now. She couldn't face going back to her boring, pointless life in America. She couldn't face that this vacation would only last in her memory after she got home.

She couldn't face leaving Jamie behind. Not now. Not after the last two days with him.

She just couldn't.

"I don't want you to go." She whispered, turning away from him as she impatiently wiped at a tear on her cheek. "I just want us to stay just like this."

Jamie squared his shoulders, trying not to hear Juno's stifled sniffling. He knew deep down that nothing would ever come of their relationship, no matter how much she mattered to him. She was half a world away, for starters. She didn't know who he really was, for another. But most of all…

He didn't think he'd be able to stand it if she ever walked away from him and broke his heart.

Better for him to make tracks now.

Yes.

Even as he picked up his bag and turned to face Juno, he knew this was one of the hardest things he would ever have to do – to leave behind a lost angel to fend for herself.

She slowly turned around, and the tears on her cheeks nearly broke his resolve, but he tried to remind himself that this was for the best – leave quickly so it hurts less, like a Band Aid.

But all he wanted was to pull her into his arms and kiss away those tears…

"Fine." She said, her voice quavering. "Go." She lifted her chin in what looked like a last act of defiance. "Just go." She whispered.

"Listen, I'll pay up the room through tomorrow." He said tightly, his hands tightening on the straps of his bag as he watched another tear slide down her cheek unbidden. "That way you have somewhere to stay in case Darcy and Viv are delayed again in picking you up." He moved towards the door deliberately, cursing his heart for feeling as though it were going to implode and kill him. "It's been a pleasure knowing you, Juno Jennings. Truly a pleasure. I wish you luck in life."

And with that, he wrenched open the door and walked out, his heart breaking at the sight of his angel wrapped in a sheet, a tear sliding down her cheek as she watched him walk out of her life.

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