Rose was waiting in line at the airport, her hands fastened onto the handles of her luggage trolley. The flight she had to take would fly her out of Gotham forever and she knew she would probably never come back again.

Because there was nothing in the city she could call her own and the only person who mattered to her also urged her to move on.

She had received her boarding pass but it seemed as if something was still holding her back. And soon enough as she dragged her trolley out to head towards the Departure lounge, Neal's voice reached her stopping her in her tracks.

She turned to see him standing on the other side of the metal rails for he could not cross over without a ticket, but seeing him there relieved a huge weight from her heart.

Her feet that had seemed to be glued to the floor led her towards him almost immediately.

And though the knee high metal rails separated them, she had flung her arms around him in a tight hug that he returned, his head nestled in her neck, taking in the sense of being close to her for the last time.

Her grey eyes danced in relief as she pulled apart, "you came?"

He nodded and his smile as usual was lighting up his whole face, "of course, I couldn't let you go without a goodbye present."

She shook her head, laughing silently, "oh Neal..."

A delighted gasp escaped her as he bent down on one knee, holding up a fresh white rose for her to take. She accepted the rose and his smile widened as he conjured a small box out of his jacket, wrapped up nicely with a red ribbon tied up in a bow.

She was about to open it but he made her stop, "not now, Rose. I want you to open this when you're in the plane and high above Gotham."

"Oh and what's in it?"

"A surprise."

He dropped it in her bag and held her hands in his own looking at her as if he would never see her again and that in itself was a truth he knew best.

"Will you never talk to me again?"

"Probably not..."

"Neal, you had said you didn't want me to leave you instead you wanted me to move on. And I am moving on but can we not remain friends?"

He thought for a while, "then promise me you won't hold yourself back for me, you won't compromise anything in your life for your past."

"I won't," she agreed, "I will only give you a call when I really need to."

He gave in to her and nodded, "alright then."

The thing with Rose was that he could never deny her anything. She was too sweet and precious that he felt like obliging with anything she said, any wish she had he would want to fulfill it even before she asked.

So how could he deny that tiny request she had made in such an endearing tone?

The only thing he had ever denied to her was his own self because he knew it would only cause pain to her if she stayed with him.

A faint red dashed on her face under the intensity of his gaze, his ocher eyes memorizing each feature deeply.

The soft blonde hair, the wide grey eyes and the rather kissable pink lips. His thumb brushed against her lips as he cupped her face, looking down at her almost as if he was sad to let her go.

"My sweet darling Rose... I will always remember you," he whispered.

"I won't forget you either, Neal."

With his hand cupping her beautiful face and fingers caressing her cheeks tenderly, he leaned forward and kissed her for the last time.

And since it was the last kiss she made the most out of it, flinging her arms around him, delicate wrists crossed at the back of his neck.

The flight announcement sounded so the two had to pull apart. Neal was rather out of breath so he could say nothing more to her. But his ocher eyes didn't leave her for even a second as she smiled at him in farewell, waving slightly as she pushed her luggage trolley, disappearing into the hoards of people heading inside the Departure lounge.

And just like that, she was gone.

His hands tightened around the rails in front of him, his eyes staring ahead as if vacant and for the first time ever since he had embraced the adventurous life he lived, he felt the dreadful emptiness soak up inside him again.

Because even though he denied it, some part of him had loved Rose deeply. Some part of him still craved her but he could not be that selfish to hold her back with him in Gotham.

She wanted to pursue her dreams and that could not be possible if she stayed in that dump of a city. Neither if she stayed with the mess that he really was deep inside.

On the other hand, Rose had boarded the plane and had found her seat. Her luggage had been booked in and she stared out the window at the brief signs that showed she was still in Gotham.

The gargoyles far away could still be seen and the heavy smoke all around was a more than valid proof.

Gradually as all the passengers settled down, the flight attendants asked everyone to fasten their seat belts. The white rose twirled along her thin fingers, her hand gently stroking the soft petals.

Not long after the plane took off as well so she fetched out the wrapped up box from her bag, curious to see what it held. Untying the ribbon, she lifted the lid revealing her favorite chocolate fondue pastry and right on that lid was a note written in Neal's familiar cursive.

"My sweet Rose,

The two things I have given to you as a parting gift symbolize me. The flower in your hands will wilt but you may still remember its delicate fragrance. And the other gift though may not last you forever, you will savor its taste while you sink your teeth in. I hope it is as sweet as the time we spent together. Many things in this life are temporary just like this rose, the pastry and my own self. But I hope you remember the things for their good, remember the short sweetness they offered and relish in it but also remember that it is foolish to be invested in something so fleeting. Soar high for your dreams, my dear, and don't let these temporary pleasures hold you down.

With love,

Neal."

She lifted the pastry and took a bite, the sweet flavor enriching in her mouth. And he had been right, it was just as sweet and fragile as the time the two had spent together.

A single tear streaked down her cheek as the pastry ended and her eyes glided over his words again. Neal was her real life chocolate fondue and she had taken the last bite out of it in the form of their very last kiss.

So that she would remember his taste and savor it but not be able to recreate it because he was gone.

She had plugged in the earphones to her phone as she swiped through the gallery stopping on the video of Neal playing the guitar on her farewell party.

And as she pressed the Play button, his velvety voice filled her ears once again, the deep sadness of the lyrics wrenching at her heart because those words were so painstakingly honest.

"And even though you love me still, you will know where you belong. Just give it time, we'll both be fine... When I'm gone."

***