And we come to the end. You guys are unbelievably awesome. I know I said it every chapter, but I meant it every chapter and this epilogue is no exception. Thank you all for reading the story and for all of the really great and detailed reviews that you sent my way, they really did mean the world to me, but more importantly, I was thrilled that you liked the story. I hope you like this wrap up, its fluffy, but after all the angst I dragged you through, I felt we all deserved a fluffy, happy ending. Happy reading!

Upon the request of Booth, school officials met for an early morning meeting the day after David McBride's body was found. A student by the name of Aidan Mitchell had reported to school several days prior with severe burns on his hand and face that he'd declined to explain. Once in custody of the FBI, the boy had confessed to being forced by older kids to steal the ingredients needed to manufacture meth from the science lab. When McBride had come into the room, surprising him, he'd thrown the acid in his panic and hit the teacher over the head with the crowbar he'd brought along until McBride stopped moving. Then he'd called his friends who'd come to remove the body. They'd taken him to the abandoned house they were using as their meth lab at first, explaining the traces of the chemicals they'd found in the soil surrounding his body, but had opted to dump him in a field across town a few hours later. All of the kids were currently in custody. Mitchell, a sophomore and only 15, was the youngest of the group.

Bones looked around the small office of the science classroom that Booth had visited with Angela only a day earlier, her emotions conflicted about the outcome of the case. Several FBI agents were crammed into the small space, taking swabs and photographs so they could get as much evidentiary proof of the boy's confession as possible for the prosecution.

Walking into the room with two bottles of water he'd purchased from a vending machine in the school's cafeteria, he handed one to his partner and narrowed his eyes. "You okay Bones?"

She nodded, a weak smile that didn't meet her eyes gracing her face. "It's just that it feels like there isn't any real justice in cases like these."

Booth took a swig of his water and nodded, his expression grim as well. "It's always harder when kids are involved, no matter what end they're on."

Placing a comforting hand on her arm he smiled reassuringly at her. "We still got justice for David McBride's family. That's what we do, we find out the truth and we catch the people responsible."

She smiled a bit more at his words and he brushed a quick kiss to her forehead. Several of the agents in the room exchanged knowing looks between themselves at his gesture of affection and Bones felt her cheeks grow hot. "Everyone seems to be watching us today."

Booth grinned, his response coming out just a touch louder than it needed to in the small room. "No they aren't, they know to keep their noses out of things that are none of their business."

Just to prove his authority he kissed her forehead again and this time everyone kept their focus firmly rooted to their respective tasks. Bones chuckled slightly at her partner as he walked over to the file drawer. It always amused her when he asserted himself as the alpha male.

The small sound of someone clearing their throat reached Bones' ears and she turned to see Molly Dunham standing in the doorway to the office. Her eyes were red and swollen and she wasn't wearing a dot of make-up. Her hair was swept into a careless ponytail and she wore a light blue jogging suit. She looked a wreck and Bones' heart went out to the woman who had only yesterday learned that the unrequited love of her life had been murdered.

"Are you cleaning out his office? Already?" Her voice was soft and a little shaky as she looked imploringly up at Bones. This woman's loss had been the catalyst Brennan needed to come to grips with her own emotional turmoil and the connection she felt toward her was strong.

"We have to take some items and enter them into evidence, but the rest will be boxed up later by the school and sent to Mr. McBride's family."

Looking past the tall scientist at the busy agents, including Booth, she shook her head slowly in disbelief. "He's really gone. He's really not coming back."

Brennan tipped her head to the side as she observed the woman in front of her, wanting to understand more about the nature of the relationship she'd shared with the victim. "Ms. Dunham, I know from your FBI interview that you and Mr. McBride weren't in any kind of a formal relationship. Were you merely work associates or did you engage socially outside of work as well?"

Molly looked up at Brennan, regarding her for a moment and then shrugged a shoulder. "I guess I would say that we were friends. We didn't see each other outside of work very often, but we ate together almost everyday and we always volunteered to chaperone things together." She laughed at a sudden memory, her elfin face lighting up for a brief moment so Bones could see the pretty woman under all of the grief. "We chaperoned the prom last year. He got a tux and I went all out like I was a high school girl again with the dress and the hair and the nails, you know?"

Bones shook her head. "Actually, I don't."

Molly's eyes narrowed in confusion for a moment, but she brushed off the comment and continued. "The kids loved it, seeing us in all our prom best. We danced the last dance of the evening after the kids started chanting for us too. It was funny, just a lark to amuse them, but it was one of the most magical nights of my life."

An errant tear skittered down her cheek and she dashed it away with a small, embarrassed laugh. "You probably think I'm pathetic, holding such a torch for a guy that didn't see me the same way."

Brennan shook her head. "I don't find you pathetic at all." Glancing over her shoulder, she located Booth going through some classroom files and her heart fluttered.

"Well, I'll leave you to your work. Sorry to interrupt." The art teacher turned slowly away to leave and Bones' heart ached for the sadness that hung over the woman when a thought struck her.

"Ms. Dunham, wait."

The petite woman turned to look back just as she reached the door exiting the classroom. Brennan grabbed an item off of the science teacher's desk and walked it over to her, holding it out for her to take.

A soft smile touched her lips as she looked at the picture frame that Bones had placed in her hands. "I drew this for David. I gave him one for Christmas every year for the last three years."

Bones nodded. "Mr. McBride had all three of them on his desk. Anthropology teaches us that the items we keep closest to us are the ones we find the most personally valuable. For example, the ancient Egyptians filled their tombs with rooms of items from the individual's life, but the rooms closest to the sarcophagi where their mummified remains were interred held the items considered to be the most dear or precious to them."

Ms. Dunham looked at her as if Bones was speaking another language but she continued to listen politely, hoping that this would make sense at some point. Hearing the conversation, Booth stopped what he was doing to watch. Knowing Bones the way he did he had a vague idea of where she was going with this and it picked the corner of his mouth up into a small smile.

"David was a man of science and, as such, kept very little personal distractions in his workspace, including photos of loved ones or any other reminders of his personal life. But he kept these." She gestured to the art in Molly's hand. "So, even though neither of you ever said the words out loud, your gifts meant something to him and his placement of them in the area he spent the most time indicates that you meant something to him too."

Her breath hitching on a sob, Molly looked gratefully back up from the frame in her hand at Bones and, without warning, leaned in to grab her up in a hug. "Thank you Dr. Brennan. Thank you."

Bones smiled as she returned the hug, glad to help this woman who had secretly helped her so much. With a final squeeze Molly smiled once more in goodbye and turned to leave, taking the picture she'd drawn of the double helix with her.

The sound of footsteps had her turning to see Booth walking over to her, his smile warm. "You did an important thing for that woman Temperance."

She met his eyes, her expression earnest. "I simply gave her an example of anthropological study as applicable to her situation."

He encircled her waist and drew her closer. "And in the process, you gave her the closure that she needed. It was a very kind thing for you to do."

Placing a small kiss on her nose she smiled up at him tenderly. "Well it was empirically sound evidence to his thought process and, being a woman of science, I can relate to Mr. McBride. I know that I place items of significance closest to me so I can view them regularly."

Booth cocked his head. "Like what?"

Bones' cheeks reddened imperceptibly. "I have various bone samples in the vicinity of my desk that I've acquired on several noteworthy excursions, some books that were given to me as gifts through the years from respected individuals and-" She paused for a millisecond before she mumbled the last word so quietly that Booth almost missed it. "Jasper."

Booth's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "You keep the pig I gave you nearby?"

She nodded shyly, feeling corny but pleased all at once. "I keep him in my desk drawer. Sometimes if I'm having a hard day I…I pet him."

He eyed her in disbelief. "You pet him. The tiny plastic pig I bought you."

She felt foolish but the look in his eyes told her that he wasn't making fun of her. On the contrary, he looked elated. She evaded his eyes as she responded. "Sometimes."

He pulled her close, a chuckle rumbling soft and deep in his chest. "I love you Bones."

She smiled into his chest and couldn't remember a time in her life, ever, when she'd felt so happy or so content. "I love you too."