Author's Notes: In preparation for resuming and completing this story, I have gone back and re-worked some of the chapters (adding / deleting / changing). This process will probably take a couple days, so please be patient.

Because only allows for 50 documents in the document manager I'll need to update in a couple of batches. This is the first batch.

Mitoch

Special Agent Seeley Booth looked at the man seated across the table.

The man's eyes never left the interrogation room's lone tabletop. As he spoke, his shaking hands worked, as though squeezing an invisible piece of clay between them. His voice had started out at first haltingly. As he told his story, his voice had become surer. More relaxed. As though the more he spoke a weight was slowly lifting from him. Occasionally, he would stop and run his hands through his hair. During one such pause, Seeley looked around at the barren walls of the interrogation room. He looked behind him at the reflective glass separating the occupants of the observation room and the three men seated around the table.

Technically, Seeley shouldn't even be here. This wasn't his case. But Agent Charlie Burns had asked if he wanted to be present during the questioning. Seeley leapt at the chance. Although, he only asked questions sparingly. Letting Chaz lead the conversation.

Seeley noted the still-healing puncture wounds and burns on the man's hands, arms and face. He had seen those kinds of wounds before. As the man spoke, Seeley pieced together what had happened. Between the squints, physical evidence, and now this accounting, he could see the events play out as though on a movie screen.

Chaz sat next to Seeley, furiously taking notes. Seeley smiled. Even though standard procedure for the FBI is to record all interrogations, Chaz still jotted down items of particular interest. Items he perhaps would revisit in subsequent rounds of questioning. The two agents were letting the man tell his story at his own pace. Seeley turned back to the man, feeling a twinge of sorrow. His voice started slowing. Charlie guessed he was coming to the end.

"That's pretty much it," he exhaled. He shook his head, "I got out of there."

"That where you got all those," Seeley said, nodding at his hands and arms.

The man rubbed his arms and hands conspicuously. He nodded, "I could barely hear," he paused, his eyes closed. "And the heat from the fire felt like it would burn my skin from my bones." He eyes opened, "I yelled to whoever was left alive that I was leaving. If they wanted to get off that rock, I would take them. But I was leaving…now!" He took a deep breath; then let it out slowly, with a shudder. He looked into Seeley's eyes, "I know I screwed up," he pleaded, "If I could take everything back, I would" He averted his eyes.

"That it?" Chaz asked. "Anything else?"

The man looked at Seeley, "I'm sorry."

Seeley nodded. He turned to Agent Burns," Chaz, why don't you take him out and have him sign his statement?" Charlie nodded as he gathered his notes and stood.

The man looked from Seeley to Chaz and back again. "Am I going to be charged?" He stood.

Still seated, Seeley sunk back into the chair and shook his head, "I don't know, Tim. You know how this works. That's something the lawyers will decide."

Former FBI Agent Tim Sullivan nodded and looked to the floor. Chaz moved around the table and took Sully by the arm, leading him out of the interrogation room. Once they reached the door, Sully turned back and said, "Booth?" When Seeley looked to him, "Tell Tempe I'm sorry." Seeley nodded and turned away, burrowing into the dark wall as Charlie led Sully out of the room.

Doctor Temperance Booth stood in the observation room watching the three men through the one-way glass. The only light on this side of the glass was what filtered through from the other side. Listening to Sully's story, she was grateful for the darkness that surrounded her as she slowly wiped the tears away with shaking hands. She stood in silence, having turned the speaker off a few moments ago. She saw Chaz and Sully stand. Chaz moved around to Sully and guided him out the door. She looked at her husband; sitting with his back to the glass. She could tell his gaze was riveted straight ahead, lost in his own thoughts. She pressed her palm to the glass, unsure whether to intrude. They had been married for four years now, and she was still learning his body language. "Is he going to be charged?" she asked the figure next to her.

The man shook his head. "He wasn't the proximate cause of the mess." Temperance turned and looked at him. The man continued, "He wasn't an innocent bystander either." After a moment, he said, "We won't charge him," he shrugged. "What your people do with him…." he trailed off and moved towards the door. Two male and one female agent fell in step behind him.

Temperance turned back towards the glass. Taking a deep breath, she watched as the tension seemed to leave her husband's body. She moved to the door and left the observation room. As she turned into the corridor leading towards the door of the interrogation room, she saw Chaz; standing guard. Walking towards him, she looked around and saw no sign of Sully. She looked at him with questioning eyes.

"I had somebody take him to my desk," he paused. "I just thought it would be a good idea to make sure nobody else wanted to use the room."

Temperance smiled. Seeing the tenderness in his eyes, she reached out and squeezed Chaz's arm. Temperance opened the door. Seeley looked up and their eyes met. She saw the calm in his eyes and instantly fell in Love with him all over again. She met his slight smile with one of her own. Moving into the room, she allowed the door to close behind her.

Author's Notes: The time frame for this story is approximately 5 years after "The Long Road Home". Please feel free to contact me, either in the reviews or Private Messaging. I believe the Forum I set up is still active - "Mitoch's Fanfictions Discussion Page".