Chapter 15 – The Pain in the Heart

Brennan watched in horror as Booth was shot by Pam Nunan and fall to the ground. Brennan was leaning over him again, trying to staunch the blood with her hand as she yelled at him, "Booth, you're gonna be fine. Really. Come on. Come on, Booth. It's gonna be fine. Come on, Booth. Come on, Booth. No! Oh, come on..." She then watched as Booth's eyes closed and his body went limp…

Brennan jolted awake with a gasping breath. She sat up in bed and looked around as she regained her bearings. It was still fairly dark out, only a few rays of light made their way through her curtains. Brennan turned to look at the clock and saw that it was only 5:00 in the morning. She sighed heavily and slowly – so very slowly – she turned her head to look at 'his' side of the bed. She could see that she had curled into his pillow again last night, but other than that it was undisturbed.

Brennan just sat there – as was her new ritual – and let the news sink in, again. Her husband was dead and today…Today was his funeral. She sniffed one time before she pushed all those thoughts out of the forefront of her mind. She was slowly starting to compartmentalize all that had happened. Cam had given her a week off – which she gladly took to get all his affairs into order. Now all that was left to do was pack his things away. Which she would later tonight (because even if it was irrational, she wasn't going to accept any of this until she knew she could never see him again).

Brennan pushed off the sheets and slipped her feet onto the cold floor. She grabbed her jogging pants out of her drawer and one of his FBI shirts out of his. She put her hair into a sloppy ponytail, her shoes on, and her earbuds into her ears. She scrolled through Booth's iPod that was strapped to her arm, finding his workout playlist and hit play. Then she was off. Eight mile run, back home, 30 minutes of Pilates, shower (still his shampoo, but hers as well), breakfast (fruit and oatmeal), get dressed for work, and back out the door heading to work. That was her routine. That was the time she gave herself to build up her imperviousness. Because every night she fell asleep she lost that by her dreams. Whether they be good or bad, she always dreamt of him.

And so, when she walked into the Jeffersonian, threw on her lab coat and walked onto the platform to set the remains awaiting her, it was just barely 7:15 AM. No one else was there, which allowed her to build herself up for what she knew was going to be a hard day. She had already set the remains on the examining table and had just started her preliminary findings when everyone started to walk in. Zack came on the platform five minutes later with a cup of coffee in hand for her. They exchanged pleasantries, but then went back to work. Another hour passed by as they worked. She had just started to tell Zack something when she heard them walk onto the platform. Brennan ignored the group as best as possible as she told Zack, "The carbon isotopic composition of the collagen, shows a value of minus 16%."

Zack nodded, "Supporting the theory that the deceased was born in Provence, France."

Brennan saw Hodgins stand next to her as she told Zach, "In the 16th century..."

And just as they planned Hodgins was the one to deliver that final blow to her. He spoke softly, "It's time, Dr. Brennan."

Brennan ignored him though as she fought back an onslaught of tears. "The metacarpal phalangeal joints are smooth, showing dexterity. Perhaps a musician…"

Cam shook her head as she watched her anthropologist work. She had noticed that for the past week, Brennan had been overtly clinical. No signs of any emotions. She was neither happy or sad, angry or depressed. She just…existed. "That's enough. We're going. Now."

Brennan snapped back at her, "I have remains to identify. He could have a family."

Angela shook her own head as she told her best friend. "He's 500 years old. They've probably adjusted by now."

Brennan's grip on her imperviousness was slipping. She could feel her walls start to crack. She told them firmly, "I'm not going. I've already made that clear."

Sweets sighed as he said gently, "It's Agent Booth's funeral, Dr. Brennan. Losing a loved one is…"

Brennan snapped. Sweets had no clue what she was going through. "A partner, Sweets. I lost a partner." In every sense of that word.

Sweets of course took that to mean as only a work partner and conceded the point. "Someone close to you. The funeral allows you to grieve so you can come to terms with his death."

Brennan stood up straight as she almost yelled back at him. "The Arunta Aboriginal tribe in Australia grieve by burning down their village and – and moving to a new one. That seems no crazier to me than gathering around a hole in the ground."

Sweets tried to placate her. "Being hostile won't…"

Angela interrupted as she placed a soothing hand on Brennan's arm. "Brennan...a word."

Sweets watched Angela pulled her away as he said in irritation, "Excuse me? Professional psychologist."

Angela held up her finger to the kid and then turned to Brennan. "Look. I know how you see things, and I respect that, but I need to ask you a favor." Brennan stiffened as she finally saw Booth's funeral card. Her eyes swelled with tears and her breathing became slow and shallow. She couldn't do this. But then she saw that Angela started to tear-up as well as she told Brennan, "I have to go to the funeral. He's was your husband and I know your not going to get through this alone. I've been crying for, like, days and I know you have too. I really need your shoulder here and I know you need mine. I need my best friend."

Brennan could feel her sadness envelop her again as she looked at Booth's picture. She felt like screaming, crying, and just throwing something. But her friend needed her, and she needed her friend.

~BONES~

Caroline was giving Booth's eulogy. "I knew Seeley Booth. He was a good man who earned my respect and affection. And I don't like many people. Booth had a selfless commitment to his work, first in the military and then the FBI. Two weeks ago, he made the ultimate sacrifice – giving his life to save his," she paused a gave Brennan a knowing look, "partner. And in the brave act, he showed us what greatness we are all capable of."

Brennan needed to be mad at someone. Anger she could deal with. This pain that she had been feeling was too much though. She was beginning to physically hurt again. So she decided to be mad aloud and said to Angela, "That woman was aiming at me and I would have happily taken that bullet."

Angela placed a reassuring hand on Brennan's arm, "I know."

Caroline started to tear up a little bit. "May God's mercy and love shine on Seeley Booth as he takes his place beside the Lord."

Brennan again spoke up, trying to stop herself from crying, "If there were a merciful God, why wouldn't he have saved Booth."

Drums started to play as the officers prepared to fire their weapons. An officer ordered, "Standby. At ease. Aim."

Booth watched as a man started walking toward 'his' coffin, pretending to be an officer. He saw his chance and took it by pushing through Zack and Sweets. He came up to the man and punched him, knocking him to the ground.

Angela looked on at the scene in shock. "What the hell is going on?"

As Booth and the man fought, the casket was pushed to the ground and it opened up, revealing a dummy body inside. Zack explained logically, "They appear to be fighting."

The man and Booth fought on the ground and Brennan watched. She first felt immediate happiness at the sight of her husband alive, but now she just felt…pissed off.

The man punched Booth and that was all Brennan needed to see. If anyone was going to punch Booth, it was going to be her. She ran over to the casket and grabbed the dummy's arm and used it to knock out the man. She immediately started to move toward Booth – looking extremely angry.

Booth got up from the ground and smiled broadly at Brennan. "Bones! Nice shot." He then noticed that she looked pissed at him. "What?"

That was Brennan's breaking point. Without thinking, she punched Booth square in the jaw with all her pent up anger. Booth didn't even see that coming and the punch knocked him down to the ground. Brennan glared at him for a second and then stormed off. Booth cradled his jaw and groaned in pain.

~BONES~

Booth had just caught up with a thoroughly pissed off Brennan in her office. He had walked past their team to get into the office and had tried to get her to talk to him, but she only sent him seething glares and cold looks. Finally as they walked out of her office Booth tried to explain what he thought she already knew, "After I got shot, the Bureau faked my death so I could finally get that guy."

Brennan shook her head. "I don't care."

Booth had thought she would be happy about this. They could finally start letting people know about their relationship. "Look, that was the man I drove underground. He said the only way that we would ever see him again would be at my funeral, so..."

Brennan didn't care if he had done it to catch the most dangerous man alive. She was pissed and nothing was going to make that go away now. "I don't care."

Hodgins could see the tension between the two of them. He understood why Brennan was reacting like that, but he also felt bad for Booth. He tried to diffuse the situation a little. "Who is he?"

Booth told him tensely, "What part of 'National Security' don't you understand, Hodgins?"

Hodgins snorted at that. "'National Security', catch-all phrase for 'we can do anything we want'."

Brennan started to button her lab coat up angrily as she said through clenched teeth, "I knew I shouldn't have gone to that funeral. It was a complete waste of time, just like I said."

Booth had not been expecting that reaction. What the hell had happened the last two weeks for her to be so angry? "Wait a second, you thought that my funeral was a waste of time?"

Cam smiled as she told him, "I thought it was a lovely service, Booth."

Booth smiled a little at her as he said, "Thank you. You know, I expected to see more people though."

Hodgins walked onto the platform with them as he joked, "I always imagined a lot of ex-girlfriends crying."

Booth shook his head and joked back, "Yeah, me too."

Angela walked up behind the men and said, "You guys are pathetic."

Brennan shook her at what they were all saying. Was she the only that was pissed off for not being told. She had gone through hell the last two weeks to only find out that she had been lied to! She told her husband angrily, "Just know I won't be attending your next funeral."

Booth walked up to her as he told her intensely, "Bones, I'm telling you. You were supposed to know that I wasn't really dead. I swear! That's why I thought you weren't crying!"

Cam lifted her brow at that. Only Brennan was suppose to find out from his whole team? Interesting. "Informed by who, exactly?"

Booth was so happy she asked – although that tone said she was getting somewhere with it. "I gave a list of people to the bureau to inform that I was not really dead. You know what? They didn't tell you, it's not my fault."

Sweets smiled slightly – happy to see this firsthand. "Dr. Brennan's actually upset because she had to face strong emotions that she'd rather deny. Striking Agent Booth, indicated the depth of your feelings for him. It was a very passionate act."

Booth didn't care who was there to hear this argument. To hell with anyone and everyone finding out about them. "Thank you!" He turned to Brennan as he told her, "Did you hear that? Passion!"

Brennan jabbed a finger in his chest as she yelled back, "Yes, passion, because anger is a passion! Anger at being manipulated!"

Zack came up to them and said, "Dr. Brennan?"

Brennan had just been about to rip one loss to Booth as she said, "Pretend to be dead…"

Booth for one waved his hand in the air in defeat. There was no getting through to the woman now. He would let her cool off before they talked again. "Aw forget it. I'm outta…"

Zack however stopped all conversation as he handed her a box wrapped in brown paper. "Someone left a package for you."

Booth had walked up behind her as she opened it to find a box and inside that box was a mandible and 2 silver screws. Booth said softly, "Oh."

Brennan looked at everyone and said, "It's a mandible."

Booth also noted, "Look at that, huh. Two silver screws."

Hodgins did not like where that was going. "Silver screws as in..."

Angela jumped in, "Silver skeleton?"

Hodgins couldn't believe it. "As in…"

Cam questioned in disbelief, "Gormogon?"

Brennan shook her head. "That's speculation."

Brennan started to examine the mandible. Zach observed, "Tooth marks."

Booth shook his head. "Someone's been snacking on that."

Cam looked between him and the mandible, "Snacking? As in cannibalism?"

Brennan was not going to jump to conclusions again. "Evidence of cannibalism does not necessarily mean…"

Booth told her gently," Bones, it's Gormogon. Has to be."

Cam seriously couldn't think this day could get any worse. "Oh, god. Who has he eaten this time?"

~BONES~

Booth was lounging in their tub, sipping beer from his beer helmet when Brennan stormed into the bathroom. "I need to talk to you!"

Booth almost dropped his graphic novel from the outburst. "What the hell, Bones! A little warning first!" Brennan walked over to the record player and turned it off.

Brennan finally looked at Booth and her heart broke. Seeing that bandage there on his chest brought back all those feelings, those nightmares. And then she saw what he was wearing. "Why are you wearing a hat that dispenses beer?

Booth tapped the hat lightly, "Hot tub, plus cold beer equals warm beer. Hat equals solution. So why are you…"

Brennan then pointed at the cigar. "And that cigar. Very unhealthy."

Booth sat up a little straighter. "Okay, what the hell do you want now, Bones? Okay? 'Cause I'm not really feeling too relaxed."

Brennan looked away from Booth as tears gathered in her eyes. "You should have told me that you weren't dead, Booth. I'm your wife."

Booth immediately felt sorry for how he was treating Brennan. His eyes softened when he said gently, "I already explained this to you, Bren. The bureau has to vet everyone when there is a security issue. I was just following protocol."

Brennan's eyes flashed with anger as her tears made it hard to see. "Protocol!"

Booth had just followed orders. "Yes!"

Brennan couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She let out a choked sob-laugh as tears started to roll down her cheeks. She turned her back toward Booth as she whispered, "We've been partners for three years, Booth, married for five and a half, and you've broken protocol before – sometimes putting my life in danger. Which makes sense because you clearly don't have any real concern for me."

Booth couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stood up and yelled, "I took a bullet for you!"

Brennan whipped around, tears still streaming down her cheeks, as she yelled back. "Once! That only goes so far!"

That's when Booth noticed the tears. He should have known what his death had done to her. He took off the helmet and stepped out of the tub and came up to his wife. "Bren, oh god, I'm sorry. I didn't think…"

Brennan buried her head in his chest and wrapped her arms around him. She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but Booth's scent invaded her system and she just broke down in sobs. "I thought I lost you, Booth. Forever. I felt so empty, so lost. I hated that feeling. My heart ached, physically ached, after the doctor told me you died. A piece of me died when you did Seeley. I felt like I died with you. However irrational that sounds, it happened. I don't ever want to feel like that again."

Booth held onto his wife as she cried against his chest softly. "I'm so sorry Bren. I thought you knew, I told them to tell you, to make sure you knew. They told me you knew." He was rubbing small, soothing circles on her back as he started to place soft kisses on her face.

Brennan relished in the feel of Booth's lips against her skin. Just earlier that day, she thought she would never be able to feel such things like that. She needed more. So Brennan brought her hands to cup Booth's face and looked intently in his eyes.

Booth stopped breathing for a second when he saw all of Brennan's emotions swimming in her eyes. He saw it all. The pain, the sadness, the emptiness, the loneliness, and then he saw the pure ecstasy of him being alive there as well. Her brilliant blue eyes shined with tears and his heart broke for her.

Brennan looked into Booth's eyes and just stared for a few seconds. Those soft brown eyes were full of love and understanding. Those eyes were one of the things she missed the most. She always felt loved when she looked into her husband's eyes. Brennan decided that she couldn't wait any longer and leant in to kiss him on his lips. She just wanted to feel his lips against her own, to make this all real to her and not just a horribly wonderful dream-nightmare. Soon though, the kisses became more passionate. Brennan felt Booth leading her to their bed and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist so they could move faster toward their destination.

Booth knew what she needed now. She needed confirmation that he was there, he was alive. Booth held onto Brennan as he gently placed her on their bed, all the while still kissing her. He only stopped kissing her to get rid of her clothing, which he did with much care and attention. The look on Brennan's face was pure happiness and Booth couldn't wait any longer. He started to kiss his way up to her lips.

Brennan loved this. The feel of Booth's hands gliding over her skin, caring for her, loving her. She couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. She was with her thought-to-be dead husband in bed about to make love. This was a dream come true and she wasn't about to let herself wake up from it. However, as Booth started to kiss his way up her abdomen, Brennan looked at him and saw the bandage. She didn't want him to aggravate it anymore than he already did. So she said softly, as he kissed her along her jaw, "You shouldn't put strain on your wound Booth." She wrapped her legs around him and rolled them so that she was straddling him. She could feel his arousal against her own heat and she felt a jolt of electricity pass through her.

Booth looked up at his wife's face as she hovered over him. He just wanted to bury himself in her to the hilt, but he knew she needed to be the one to do it. So, he brought himself up to a semi-upright position and started to kiss her passionately again. While he was kissing her, Booth felt Brennan slowly come down on him, surrounding him with her core. He groaned in pleasure at the feeling of her against him, of him inside of her. Both of them began a sensual pace as Booth trailed kisses down to her breasts. "I love you, Bones. I'm not going anywhere." He didn't know what caused it, perhaps what he said or something she was thinking – but Brennan came down harder on him with each of her thrusts.

Brennan let her emotions take hold of her then. Booth had just told her that he wasn't going anywhere and she desperately wanted to hold onto that, even though she knew he couldn't possibly keep that promise. She started to cry silently at that thought. No matter what they did, their job was always risking their lives. She clung to him then, kissing the column of his neck, as she came down with as much force as she had. She would have him now, she would love him now. Whatever tomorrow brought at least she had him now.

Booth could feel her tears again against his skin as he heard her ragged breathing of pleasure mixed with sadness. Booth cupped her face and wiped away her tears, as they continued to move as one. He felt Brennan's hands go to the base of his skull, pulling him closer to her and he gave her what she needed. He kissed her passionately as he pushed his hips off the bed with a grunt of pleasure, bringing her over the edge. Booth felt her walls clench around his cock as Brennan came. Just the sight of her made him harden even more and he couldn't hold back anymore. He felt his hot seed spurt inside of her, spreading in her core. After they both gained normal breathing patterns Booth realized that she was laying on top of him.

Booth pushed aside some of her hair to reveal her beautiful face. He spoke softly as he said caressing her face, "What is it that I should have done, Bones? Wha…what did you want me to do Bren?"

Brennan looked up at him from where she lay completely spent. She whispered, "You could have called me. Did you really think I needed to be vetted by your boss? I mean, don't you trust me Booth?"

Booth spoke with conviction, "Of course I do, Bones. With my life."

Brennan didn't understand then. "Then why wasn't I told. It must have been something that you said."

Booth shook his head, "No. I told them to make sure you knew. You were at the top of the list. I don't know why you weren't told."

Brennan slid down to rest at his left side, resting her head on his shoulder. "But you, you said that I should be. I mean, aren't you curious why I wasn't?"

Booth squeezed her hip affectionately, "Yes, of course I am. Do you want me to find out why you weren't told?"

Brennan smiled softly, "If it's important to you."

Booth chuckled gently, "Fine. I will. And the next time I die, I promise that I will tell you."

Brennan didn't like the thought of him dying – even though she knew it was inevitable – but she found reassurance in the fact that at least she had Booth right then. "I'll look forward to that."

Booth kissed her head and murmured, "Me too, babe."

~BONES~

Booth picked up his ringing cell phone from the bathroom floor by his jeans. He heard Cam speak immediately. "I got our victims DNA results back."

Booth unplugged the tub as he asked, "Is it the Lobbyist?"

Cam told him, "Yup. Gormogon's last victim."

Booth nodded as he looked back to see his wife still asleep in the bed. "I was wondering when some part of him would show up."

Cam must have heard the draining tub because she asked him, "What's that sucking sound?"

Booth's anger had been boiling since he had learned that Brennan hadn't found out about him. And to see how much she had been hurt. He snapped at Cam, "You know what? This is MY house. Okay? You come into my house there's no telling what you're gonna hear." He was definitely going to find out why Bones wasn't told and he was going to hurt whoever hurt her so badly.

He heard the sheets rustle as he walked back out into their bedroom. Brennan was still asleep, but Booth could see that she was having a nightmare. No wonder she fell asleep so fast after they talked. She probably hadn't been getting enough sleep. Booth slipped back into bed with her and wrapped his arm around her waist as he stroked soothingly against her hip and whispered in her ear, "Shhh, it's alright Bones. I'm right here. I'm right here."

~BONES~

Booth, Brennan, and Sweets were in the Gormogon vault as Sweets told them, "You should place the jawbone in the skeleton."

Brennan had been looking at Booth lounging in a chair next to her. When they had woken up that morning, she had started to do the same routine, thinking that what she experienced yesterday had just been a dream. But then she felt Booth's arm wrap around her waist as she tried to get up. He murmured something against her skin, but she had just laid there letting his warmth invade her coldness. However, then she remembered how much she had been angry. They had talked about how to proceed with see who had decided not to tell her. It could be only a few people that the FBI would have asked to do such a job. They had also decided to wait to let everyone know about their marriage until after the case was finished. So Brennan looked at Sweets with a suspicious eye before she asked, "Why?"

Sweets told her, "'Cause it keeps alive an interactive relationship with the killer. That's why he provided the screws. You know, we give him something, he reciprocates." He then looked at the two of them and asked excitedly, "Did you see me on TV? No one has mentioned that I was on TV."

Booth shook his head as he said, "Alright, look. How would he know if we added the jawbone to the skeleton?"

Sweets explained, "Well, it's his obsession. He has some way of finding out, which is another reason to do it." However their lack of response to his other question was getting to him, "Okay. Both of you are purposely not mentioning my appearance."

Brennan decided that this was a perfect chance to see what Sweets would say to their planned out 'argument'. "Well, for all we know, Gormogon is dead and we're not on the list of people who get to find that out."

Brennan started to walk away from them. The two men followed her as Sweets observed, "There's a cry for attention."

Booth started to talk to Sweets to see his reaction. "Bones broke into my house last night, all angry…"

Brennan 'clarified' for Sweets, "There was a key!"

Booth continued, "…because no one told her that I was dead. And I was just following protocol."

Sweets responded just like they thought he would. "Broke into your house?"

Brennan told him again, "There was a key."

Booth also added, "And barged into my bathroom."

Sweets laughed at that. "What were you doing?"

Brennan started to walk up to the main level of the Jeffersonian as she told Sweets, "He was drinking beer and reading a comic book."

Booth huffed at that explanation. "I was taking a bath."

Sweets smiled at Booth. "You read comics and drink beer naked?"

Booth waved his hands in the air, frustrated that he was the one being judged now. "Wait a second. Bones bursts into MY bathroom, alright, and I'm weird for being naked?"

They walked out onto the main floor as Sweets asked him, "So you didn't tell her to leave? You just sat there, naked?"

Booth shot back," It was my own bathroom, okay? What do you wear in the tub? Floaties?" He was about to say something else, except there was a loud explosion in one of the rooms. Booth covered Brennan before he looked up and saw where it had come from. The squints experiment room. He broke out into a run with Brennan right behind him.

The first thing they saw was Hodgins lying on the ground. Brennan called out concerned, "Hodgins!"

Hodgins waved them away as he coughed out, "I'm alright. I'm alright. I'm okay."

Then they saw Zack and their stomachs turned at the sight. His hands were still through the Plexiglas and badly burned. He was breathing heavily as Booth tried to move the debris away from him. Brennan couldn't believe it. "Oh my god. Zack?"

Cam had run in behind them and now saw the whole seen. "Okay, a medical teams on its way." She then looked at Zack's hands. "Oh my - I'll get the burn kit."

Brennan knew that what she saw was bad but her brain wasn't working. "Is he okay?"

Booth had seen things like this before in the army. This wasn't good. He told Brennan honestly, "He's in shock, Bones. Look at his hands."

Brennan looked at him concerned, "Zack?" Everyone looked at Zack shock and worry etching their faces as Brennan whispered again, "Zack."

~BONES~

Booth couldn't believe it! He was mad, to say the least. He saw Sweets by Brennan's office and started to drag the boy there. Sweets asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"

Booth didn't even know what he was going to do about what this boy had done. "A word?"

Sweets pointed to his phone, "I'm on the phone."

Booth snapped at him, "Well, hang up!"

Sweets could hear the anger in Booth's voice and decided that it was best to listen to him. He spoke into his phone, "Okay, I'll talk to you later." He hung up the phone and then noted, "Ah, tight grip you got there…"

Booth squeezed a little bit harder as they walked in Brennan's office. "And it could get tighter." He then pushed Sweets a little toward Brennan, "So go ahead. Tell her."

Sweets looked at both of them confused, "Tell her what?"

Brennan looked up from what she was doing, surprised to see Booth and Sweets in front of her. "Tell me what?"

Booth knew it was the kid's fault. And now he wanted to punch something. He yelled at Sweets, "Tell her now."

Sweets shrank back a little and asked, "What?"

Booth glared at the kid and said tightly, "Fine. I'll tell her. Okay?" He turned to Brennan and told her their suspicions were right. "I sent my list to the bureau. They sent it to Sweets." Brennan looked at Sweets, still shocked that he would do that. For his part, Sweets did look like he was ashamed as Booth went on, "You were the one who decided not to tell Dr. Brennan that I was still alive. He's the one that you should have slugged, so do it. Go ahead and do it now." Booth wanted to see her slug him.

Brennan walked up to Sweets and said angrily, "What? You choose not to tell me?"

Sweets tried to placate her. "Yes, it's true. Technically."

Booth couldn't believe the guy! "Technically?"

Sweets could see that this was escalating into something very volatile and explained, "Okay, I reviewed the list and decided, knowing Dr. Brennan as I do, that she was in fact able to handle your death."

But that was the problem. Sweets didn't know Brennan at all. Booth whispered to her, "Slug him."

Sweets tried to stop any slugging. "It was a National Security issue. The fewer people that knew Agent Booth was alive, the safer he would be."

Brennan was quiet throughout the whole explanation. Because, see, she saw right through the boy. She knew exactly why he did what he did and she would have a talk with him later. However if she said as much in front of Booth, well, there was no telling what would happen then. Booth was naturally a very controlled man. But she had noticed that when it came to protecting her, he could lose common sense and just react. So she lied, "I think that was a good choice."

Sweets sighed in relief. "Awesome."

Booth looked at her in shock. Now that was just confusing. "You do?"

Brennan told Sweets exactly what he thought of her. Which was true…all except when it came to Booth. "Yes. You knew that Booth's death was something that I could deal with because I can compartmentalize."

Booth didn't get it. "Woah. Wait a minute. Now why are you mad at me then?"

Brennan told him honestly, "Because you should have told me, personally."

Booth listened to her as she said it so simply. As if that was the case! He had been surrounded by other agents all the time. There hadn't been a time he could have told her. "Oh, I should have just ignored National Security concerns, broken the law and told you."

Brennan nodded as she walked passed him. "Yes. You know I'm very trustworthy."

Booth couldn't believe the kid was getting off so easily. "Yeah, but Sweets..." He wanted to punch him, so badly.

Brennan looked at Booth as she said, "Sweets made a professional decision. He knew I could process your death and move on - which is precisely what I did." In front of everyone else, that is.

Sweets smiled as he nodded his head. "That's right."

Booth shook his head in aggravation. "There's gotta be other stuff going on here, right?"

Sweets didn't understand that question at all. "What?"

Booth didn't understand why the boy wasn't flat on his back right now. He turned to Sweets and told him, "Transference. Uh, paranoia. Come on! I mean, when I offer her a piece of pie you say it has deeper meaning."

Brennan looked up from her desk and said, yet again, "I don't like pie, Booth."

Booth clarified for Sweets, "Well, apple pie. She doesn't like baked pie."

Brennan told them, "I don't like my fruit cooked."

Sweets smiled as he told Booth, "Okay, changing the subject is a way to avoid your feelings."

Booth couldn't believe that Sweets was pointing at him again! "My feelings. Okay, now you're attacking my feelings?"

Cam came up to them as she leaned through Brennan's office doorway. "Hey. There's something in the Gormogon vault I think you should see."

Booth moved past Sweets but then whispered to Brennan, "Slug him."

Sweets loved what he was seeing. He told Brennan as he planted a seed, "You know, I think it's interesting, psychologically how Agent Booth's constant efforts to persuade you to enjoy fruit pie could be interpreted as a kind of seduction."

Booth turned around and told them, "Whatever you two are talking about? Just stop it. Zip it. Let's go."

~BONES~

They were walking down the stairs to the vault. Booth and Cam were ahead of Brennan and Sweets when she stopped him as Booth and Cam got out of earshot. She told Sweets angrily, "You think I don't recognize an experiment when I see one? You experimented on us."

Sweets stopped and looked at her like a trapped mouse. "Beg your pardon."

Brennan whispered back at him even more enraged, "Not telling me Booth was alive? You wanted to quantify our reactions for your own research? You took advantage of us. Booth and I agreed to let you observe us. We did not agree to be used as lab rats, so you better cut it out."

Sweets asked quietly, concerned by her actions, "Dr. Brennan, why are you talking so fast?"

Brennan poked him in the chest, "Because if Booth hears why you did what you did? He'd beat ya up." Or worse.

Sweets actually felt afraid for his life a little. "Don't you think that'd be an overly aggressive act?"

Brennan looked at him coldly as she shook her head. "Not at all. So you better not do it again." She had been through hell because of Sweets, she was surprised that she hadn't slugged him.

Brennan started to walk away from him as he blew out a breath of air. He was so in trouble.

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were at the Royal Diner having coffee as she told him, "The Medico-Legal lab has over 100 employees."

Booth nodded his head, "Yeah, and all their records are being looked at - including yours and mine."

Brennan then noticed something. "What, you're just having coffee? Don't you want pie?"

Booth shook his head. "I'm fine."

She looked at him worriedly. "But you always have pie."

Booth didn't think he could ever look at pie the same way again with imagining something else. "Can we stop talking about pie?"

Brennan asked him, "Is it because of what Sweets said?"

Booth watched as Sweets walked over to them as he told her, "I'm just going pie-less. Okay?"

Sweets asked quietly, "Can we talk for a minute? I have a profile of someone I feel could be Gormogon." Sweets noticed to Booth's lack of pie. "No pie? You always eat pie."

Booth told him exasperatedly, "Enough with the pie, will you just sit down?"

Sweets sat down and placed his files on the table. Brennan reached for one and said indignantly, "Whoa! You've been spying on us? More experiments?"

Booth looked at them confused, "What experiments?"

Sweets hurriedly went on with his explanation, "I'm just being thorough. The dynamics of our work environment play a role in how I treat you and Agent Booth."

Booth didn't care about that. "Okay, Sweets. Will you just get on with it? Who is it?"

Sweets told them, "I believe it's Dr. Hodgins."

Brennan heard Booth whistle softly. She didn't get where Sweets was going with that information. "What is Dr. Hodgins?"

Booth knew how close Brennan and Hodgins had gotten after the Gravedigger case and his relationship with him to had grown since the subsequent revelation of their marriage. He whispered to her, "Gormogon. He thinks Hodgins is Gormogon."

Sweets could see that Brennan was about to protest against the idea and rushed in with his observations, "Hodgins exhibits clinical paranoia as well as a rationalized feeling of superiority."

Brennan knew Hodgins and he was not that. "Paranoia?"

Sweets nodded, "Yeah. He's consumed by numerous conspiracy theories. My observations today? He's even suspect of the FBI, with whom he works closely."

Brennan wasn't hearing any of that. "That's all supposition. There's not concrete evidence."

Booth didn't really believe what Sweets was saying but that didn't mean they couldn't hear the idea out. "No, no, no. Go on."

Brennan yelled indignantly, "Booth!"

Booth stated what could be a scenario. "What? Hodgins knew all about the secret societies. I mean, he figured out the patterns Gormogon used that led us to the vault."

Brennan defended Hodgins, "Yes. He was doing his job."

Sweets told her, "Or justifying himself. He had access to all the chemicals Zack was using. He could have changed the labels."

Booth thought about that though. Something didn't make sense. "He and Zack are friends..."

Brennan shot back at Sweets, "I also had access to the chemicals Zack made. Why am I not a suspect?"

Sweets told her honestly, "Well, you have a reverence for life that belies the cold, calculations of a killer. And the emotional connection you share with Agent Booth..."

Brennan was not about to hear the rest of that statement. "No. That..I," she started to get up in anger, "I don't have time for this. No."

Booth watched her leave as he said to Sweets tightly, "Don't you know by now you can't rush her?" Booth got up to follow her as Sweets called something out. But he wasn't paying any attention to him. He ran the rest of the way to his SUV, which she was waiting by. "Bones…"

She turned on him and asked with tears shining in her eyes, "Do you agree with him? Do you think Hodgins could do that?"

Booth slowly walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He squeezed them softly as he shook his head. "No, I don't Bones. He was…"

Brennan shook her head, cutting off his explanation. She didn't want to hear any defense for Sweets. "Good, let's go back to the lab and find out who Gormogon really is then." She turned around and opened the door, slid in and slammed it shut. Essentially stopping the conversation.

~BONES~

Brennan was in her office on her computer when Booth walked in. "Hey. I heard Zack was wrong about the dentures."

Brennan hated what she saw but it was the truth, "No."

Booth was confused by that. "What do you mean? Cam and Caroline said…"

Brennan sighed, "He knew they weren't artificial. Any first year student would know that. The dentures were made from real teeth. All canines."

Booth grimaced, "Ugh. Woah."

Brennan told him, "Canines are a symbol of the wolf which appears on the Gormogon tapestry in the vault. And certain ancient sects revere the wolf as a symbol of freedom. As a representative of the forces that will deliver us from persecution."

Booth knew she was stalling. "Okay, Bones. Enough about the wolf. What's going on?"

Brennan looked at him and said softly, "Zack lied."

Booth still wasn't following. "Why?"

Brennan explained, "He - he took the teeth from bone storage and he made Gormogon's dentures."

Booth could see it. Everything. "Zack has complete access to the lab. He arranged for the explosion himself."

Brennan hated it. "It's Zack. He's the killer, Booth. It's Zack."

~BONES~

Everyone was sitting around the table in the lounge at the Jeffersonian when Hodgins placed a box on it. Booth shook his head as he said, "Probably could have spent more time with Zack. You know, get him to see the world a bit more."

Hodgins looked down at the box and shook his head. "All those things I say about secret societies and conspiracies, I never knew he was listening."

Angela added, "I should have gotten him a girlfriend."

Cam, who had been leaning against a chair, exploded, "Ugh. You know what? The hell with Zack. He's an adult, he made his choices. People are who they are. There is nothing any of us could have done for the guy."

Brennan looked at her through sad eyes. "We love Zack, Cam."

Cam clenched her jaw and said angrily, "Yeah, well he killed someone. He deserves to be locked up for the rest of his life."

Sweets told everyone, "I feel I must point out that what Dr. Saroyan just said is obviously her way of handling grief. She doesn't mean it. Quite the opposite, in fact."

Cam shook her head as tears flooded her eyes, "I knew the day I met Zack, he'd cause me pain."

After a few moments of silence, Booth got up to try to break the silence by looking down at what Hodgins brought. "So, what do ya got there, Hodgins?"

Hodgins laughed a little. "This is, uh, Zack's favorite stuff."

Angela stood up too and looked at it. "Well, what are we gonna do with it."

Cam said through her tears, "Where he's going, they might actually let him have it."

Brennan was watching as items started to be pulled out, but something was obviously bothering her. Booth pulled out a harmonica then Cam pulled out a trophy that said, 'Zack Addy – King of the Lab'. She laughed a little. "Oh, I got him that."

Hodgins laughed too as he joked, "Yeah, thanks. He waved that in my face every day." He then grabbed a book out of the box. "Pocket Kama Sutra. I gave him this so he'd stop asking Booth sex questions."

Booth played a little bit of the harmonica before he told everyone. "Got Zack this before he went to Iraq."

Angela pulled a piece of paper out and smiled as she looked down the picture. "Hey, I drew this for him."

Booth pulled a letter out of the box as Sweets observed, "It's interesting that all of his favorite things are objects you people gave to him."

Brennan shook her head as she noted sadly, "I never gave him anything."

Angela told her softly, "Brennan, he totally loved you. I mean, as much as he was capable."

Brennan got up as she tried to control her emotions, "But I never gave him anything."

Brennan walked away and Angela started to go after her. However Booth knew what needed to be done after reading the letter in his hands. "Angela." Booth followed Brennan as she made her way toward her office. She stopped on the stairs though and sat down. She placed her head in her hands as Booth caught up with her. He sat down next to her and started reading the letter that he had in his hands. "'Dear Mr. Addy. It is my pleasure to offer you the post of my intern in Forensic Anthropology. I choose you from hundreds of applicants because of your knowledge, your desire to learn and because I feel you will find a home here.' I think you gave him something great, Bones."

Booth handed her the letter and she took it. She then placed her head on his shoulder as she sniffled slightly. Booth placed his head against hers as well. He started to rub soothing circles on the hand she rested on his thigh, when her shoulders started to shake a little from her crying. Booth immediately enveloped her in his arms as she cried silently. He rubbed small circles on her back as he whispered, "I know, Bones. I know." He felt her cling to him a little bit more before he whispered, "Let's go home." He felt her nod against his chest and then he stood up – bringing her with him – and guided them down the steps and out the door.

A/N2: And there it is. The end of another Book. *sniffs* Was it good, bad, meh? Tell me (nicely!) in a review. Was there not enough anger in Brennan? Because in all honesty, if I thought *my* husband was dead and then I found out he was alive, well sure I'd be angry for not being told, but my happiness at him still being alive would outshine all my other emotions.

Oh and how about their marriage? Will they tell everyone else now since the threat to them has been eliminated? Or has it? (dun, DUN, DUUUNNN) Honestly people, did you think that I'd tell everyone this soon into the series ;)