AUTHORS NOTE: For those of you who began reading this story this fall when I began writing it, thank you for all of your kind reviews and comments. And thanks for coming back now to read this! I had always intended to write an epilogue, but life got in the way a bit and I never got the chance to get it completed. So, after this last chapter, this novella of mine is finally finished. This is the first fanfiction I've written, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it. Please click that little review button and let me know your thoughts!

Epilogue

Booth quietly closed the door to Brennan's room behind him. She had drifted off into a restful sleep, thankfully, and the whole encounter with her had left him feeling completely drained. He strolled aimlessly through the corridors for several minutes searching for the nearest coffee machine, and then suddenly realized his urge for the hot liquid had dissipated into the simple need to be removed from her presence and collect his thoughts.

Unknowingly he ventured into a large atrium-like waiting room as he walked, where a panoramic picture window looked out over the lights of the city. The room was empty and at this time of the night was dimly lit, adding to the soothing effect of the twinkling lights before him. Perfect for a little bit of introspection, he thought. His chest heaved a large sigh of defeat as he lowered himself into one of the overstuffed chairs and gazed out into the night.

His mind recalled the scene only minutes before in her room as he had returned her necklace. He had forgotten about it, lost in the multitude of more important concerns, until he discovered it earlier in the day still in his coat pocket. She had gently twirled the chain in her fingers and offered him another weak smile, rasping, "I thought I had lost this."

"Nope." He had given his head a slight shake. "I found it."

Her brows had furrowed at that, and her gaze had turned more serious as she desperately fought sleep. "Just like me," she had whispered simply, not wanting to break eye contact with him but physically unable to keep her eyes open any longer. He had stayed by her side for some time, simply watching her sleep, before allowing his desire for a good cup of strong hot coffee to drive him from the room.

Booth had been thankful for her soft responses to him after his earlier outburst. He hadn't meant to unload his emotional baggage on her like that, especially right after she regained consciousness, but he had underestimated the powerful emotions raging within him. Gazing into her beautiful blue eyes and feeling the living warmth of her hand after watching her lying motionless for several days was almost more than he could bear. Now that he was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was alive and safe, his body had finally quit demanding adrenaline and his mind and heart had started demanding answers.

The anger he felt at himself had been derived from the deep roots of fear, ranging from simple helplessness to being the single cause of her impending death. Indeed, he doubted she would ever truly know how close he came to losing her, both in the forest and in the emergency vehicle where she had flat-lined twice and had to be resuscitated by medical personnel. Director Cullen had shared that information with Booth after he himself had woken up in the hospital three days earlier, and the mental pictures that ensued were sure to give him nightmares for years.

Booth had woken from his exhausted, dehydrated, and slightly hypothermic stupor with her name on his lips. Cullen had been there, keeping vigil over Booth the few hours he had been unconscious, and had known the young man would immediately demand to know the fate of his partner. After the initial scare on the way to the hospital, he had explained, she had stabilized somewhat but had not yet woken. Her stab wound had been critical and she had lost a lot of blood, but her severe hypothermia had possibly contributed to saving her life, serving as an additional coagulant of sorts. Her four broken ribs and severe concussion would heal in time, but the after effects from the head injury might plague her for years to come.

Booth dug the heels of his hands into his eyes painfully as he thought about Bones, forced to deal with the lasting effects of a serious head injury for the rest of her life. Cullen had commended him, stating that he and the squints had most certainly saved her life; that she would have easily died out in that forest if they had not located her and he had not carried her to safety. When considering that, he reasoned, side effects didn't sound like such a bad thing.

After being released from medical care himself, Booth had taken his post beside her bed. Cullen had motioned him into the hallway on day one, his face a mask of impassivity. He had informed him that the FBI had found the doctor's body in the forest, and despite the limited evidence the Bureau had managed to gather because of the snow it was clear he had been unarmed when Booth had violently mowed him down. Cullen never did ask if Booth had seen a weapon or not, and for his part he didn't argue or try to make excuses for what he had done.

Officially, Cullen had stated rather flatly that he had been ordered by his supervisors to permanently remove Special Agent Seeley Booth from all official capacities and duties as an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In addition, he would be under review from Internal Affairs in order to determine if any criminal prosecution was warranted. The violent nature of the crime, combined with his unofficial status at the time, made for a ripe inquiry that no one in the Bureau had the authority to overrule. He was effectively removed from duty as of that date, and would receive his last paycheck within two weeks.

Unofficially, Cullen stated that he was surprised he only put seven rounds into the doctor. Booth had smiled at his former bosses comment, but only slightly. Then the older man had placed his hand on his shoulder and asked the question that Booth had been churning through his soul for the last two days as he waited for his partner to awaken. He asked if Booth thought the doctor had indeed succeeded in some way in his quest to ruin his life. The younger man's puzzled look had forced clarification. Cullen had sighed softly, and explained that by killing the doctor and completely disregarding due process of law Booth had been forced to perform an action contrary to his nature and character, an action which had already cost him the job he loved and could ultimately cost him his freedom if he were to be criminally prosecuted.

Booth had managed to shrug off the question at the time, his current fixation limited solely to helping Brennan completely return to the land of the living. As of yet he had still had not resolved the issue in his mind, and so far no matter which way he approached the question the answer still made him a loser. He just hoped that when she was completely restored he could share with her everything that had happened, and together they could generate an answer he could live with. They would no longer be partners in an official capacity, but Booth knew there was no way she would let him go through this alone.

He rose and moved to return to Brennan's room, again turning the events over in his mind. Deep inside himself he knew the answer to Cullen's question. He knew he had done the right thing and that the doctor had failed miserably, because both his son and his partner were safe and that was more important than anything else. His character meant a lot to him, and he had prided himself since he was a young man for being above reproach in that respect. But he also knew that if he had an obvious choice between loosing either one of them or compromising his character and spending the rest of his life in jail, he might as well buy himself an orange jumpsuit. In both regards it was fairly safe to say that his life would never be the same.

Bones and I aren't partners anymore, he rationalized, so it shouldn't be a problem to cross that damn line. Of course, I won't have a job and I'll have to call her my 'sugar momma'… His internal joke brought only a slight smile to his face, until he pondered her reaction to such a statement. It was then, thinking only of her and the endearing, confused look on her face that would result from such a phrase, that he finally laughed out loud. If indeed he did have criminal charges levied against him and was found guilty, simply knowing she was alive and well on the outside waiting to love him would make any sentence bearable.

And besides, he reasoned, Bones is already familiar with at least one prison trailer used for conjugal visits…

THE END