Here's the last chapter of "The Bones of the Heart" (sob). I know it's hard for me too. Don't you worry your imaginative little heads though, my devoted public. The next installment of "The Secret Series", titled "Trouble in Paradise", and should be up within the week. All I can tell you for right now is that the 'trouble' isn't between Booth and Brennan and still will be the fluffy series you still know and love. Anyhoo, without further ado...

Fight For the Right

The Next Day…

"Agent Booth." Cullen addressed him as he entered his employee's office.

"Sir." Booth returned politely. He sat behind his desk, toying with a foam football and tossing it from hand to hand. Brennan flanked him, anxiety etched across her face. She couldn't place why her stomach was churning over her breakfast from that morning. "Could it be nerves,…fear…something more?" she shook her head free of the thoughts just as Sweets' showed up right on time.

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan." Sweets smiled at each of them before taking the chair beside Cullen's in front of Booth's desk.

"So…why are we all gathered here today, Booth?" Cullen asked. He had become particularly nice towards his top agent and his lady scientist partner. Booth had the best case-closure rate in MCU (major-crimes unit) and that deserved a few extra pleasantries from him that most agents never really saw.

Booth smiled at his superior and handed him a manila folder. Brennan couldn't fight the small smile that had taken control of her own mouth as well. Cullen looked at them both suspiciously before he began to read.

"You're requesting to be absolved from further psychotherapy sessions with Dr. Sweets?"

"Yes, sir." the pair said in unison.

"Wait, they can't!" Sweets said before he was cut off by Cullen.

"You are also formally asking the F.B.I. for assurance that your partnership won't be severed and Dr. Sweets can't have the power to break you up?" he affirmed.

"Just asking, sir." Booth used his most effective charm smile.

"What is all this about, guys? We were just starting to scratch the surface of the emotional attachment between you two." Sweets kind of whined.

"Don't think we're kicking you to the curb, Sweets. We still want you around for profiles and interrogation, but we want you to stop messing with our heads." Booth stated simply.

"Director Cullen," Sweets turned his attention to the older man. "I think this is a mechanism that Booth and Dr. Brennan are using so they don't have to face the fact that they have deep personal ties to one another and can remain together despite the consequences that might arise should these feelings go on ignored."

Cullen seemed to process that before he looked up at Brennan, "I don't think that you've had your say in this, Dr. Brennan. Care to share?"

Brennan never thought so hard before she spoke in her life than she had in that moment. She breathed deeply and began.

"I've never put a lot of stock in psychology, Director Cullen, and no offense to you Dr. Sweets, but all you've done is imagined that there are problems where there aren't any. Booth and I were shaky for awhile, but we were fine by the time we were sent to you. Seeley Booth is the most decent man I've ever met and the only person to ever have my complete trust and maybe a little faith at the same time. I…I'm proud to say that I'm his partner and I don't want it any other way." she ended definitively.

"Aww…thanks, Bones." Booth tossed her the ball, which she caught nimbly.

"Okay, but don't you two see what's happening here?!" Sweets pressed forward. "You're so obviously on the border of taking this…partnership…to the next level!"

"Do you mean by 'the next level' a romantic relationship?" Brennan asked.

"Uh…yeah." he punctuated before taking a drink from his coffee mug that had been resting on his knee.

"Well then, you'll be glad to know that Bones and I've been discussing such a leap and have even kissed of our own free wills." Booth said happily.

Nobody really wanted to see Sweets coffee come spurting forth out of his mouth, but they were subjected to the pleasant sight anyway.

"Really? When did all this take place?" Cullen asked darkly.

Both of them knew now was the make or break it moment. "Late December, sir." Booth replied somberly.

All three of them watched the director's face consider what was just said. A slow, wide grin spread across Cullen's lips and his shoulders shook in amusement.

"Booth, my boy, not only have you made me famous among the board members with the Squint Squad here on our side thanks to you, but now you've made me a much richer man. December was my month in the bidding pool." the senior laughed.

Brennan and Booth let out sighs of relief they didn't know they were holding. Booth had to make sure. "So, you're saying that we can stay together?"

Cullen smiled. "For the amount of money you just made me, Booth, I don't think I can say 'no' to you in good conscious. Congrats, guys." he said while standing to leave.

"Director Cullen, out of curiosity, how much did we just make you?" Brennan asked the innocent question. It couldn't hurt anything now.

His grin only returned, "With everybody combined, including your squints who got in on it, Dr. Brennan, I should be pulling in about two grand. Bye."

Three jaws dropped all in cadence with each other's. "Well how do you like that? We should've gotten in on that action." Booth stated.

"Yeah, no kidding. We could've won that easily. We know ourselves better than anyone else." Brennan crossed her arms. "Anyway, I've gotta get back to the lab and fill in a very anxious and angry Angela."

"And I have a son to go pick up from his mother's. See you later."

"Yep. See ya."

The partners left Booth's office, heading in separate directions, but not before he placed a small kiss to Brennan's cheek. Sweets was left in amazement at the scene that had just taken place in front of his eyes. Surprisingly, there was only one thing that was racing through his mind.

"This is all going down in the memoir."

Same thing I put at the bottom of every chapter: Good? Bad? Indifferent? Please let me know what you think and look out for "Trouble in Paradise"...#3 in "The Secret Series".