Well, this is the last chapter. It's been a fun ride and thank you to everyone who reviewed and even those of you who didn't review but were still reading. I luv you all and I luv Booth...even if I don't own him...

Brennan glanced at Booth again, his expression serious and contemplative, while General Marshal continued to stir his coffee absently.

When neither said anything for several moments, she finally spoke up.

"Servo Pacis means 'keep peace' in Latin." She stated, watching either man for a reaction.

The General glanced at her from beneath his ball cap.

"You speak Latin. I'm impressed."

Booth sat foreword, addressing the General.

"Servo Pacis Missions. I didn't think those really existed."

The General just nodded. "They're very rare, but yes, from time to time…they are executed."

Brennan furrowed her brow.

"What exactly are we talking about?"

Marshal made no move to answer so she turned to Booth, who tore his eyes off the General and glanced at her.

"According to rumors, there are three levels of Servo Pacis. Level three is surveillance and intelligence recovery, basically learning all you can through observation. Level two is first contact and negotiations and level one means 'keep the peace'...by any means necessary."

"Which is where you came in Major."

"How do you mean?" Booth returned his attention to Marshal.

The General sighed heavily and sat back, looking at the two people carefully.

"Everything I'm about to tell you is classified and confidential. Understood?"

They nodded in unison and waited patiently for him to begin.

"A year and a half ago I and five other high ranking officials, and I can't tell you their names so don't ask, we went on a highly sensitive and classified mission in China."

Booth figured one of the members of that mission was probably the Colonel from the warehouse.

"What we discussed…included sensitive, possibly damaging information about several powerful members of the United Nations. A…threat had erupted, rumors circulated, and we were sent to find out the actual circumstances of said threat and rumors. We did just that."

Booth waited, but the General was not being very forthcoming and he had all but lost his patience.

"So why did you need me?" His voice was low, still processing all the information and wishing this whole thing was over.

The General cleared his throat before continuing.

"Well, the information we obtained on our mission could be very…valuable to some countries and very damaging to others. We were trusted with that knowledge and we all knew the consequences of…leaking it."

"Someone leaked." Brennan said bluntly. Booth didn't even flinch and Marshal just nodded.

"Three someone's actually. Well, they were planning on it. We recently received intelligence that three of the members of our unit were planning to sell their information to the highest bidder. Doing that would have almost certainly led to large scale war in a matter of hours, but they would also have been very rich. An order was issued from the highest level of our government. Keep the peace, by any means necessary."

Booth felt his stomach flip-flop.

I was the means. My skills as a sniper.

"We couldn't risk a messy trial or any sort of public attention. The traitors needed to be silenced. We needed it done quickly and quietly. We needed you, Major Booth."

Marshal made his gaze meet that of the younger man and felt compassion for the struggle he saw playing in his eyes.

"The usual procedure for a Servo Pacis is to take out the targets, then erase all evidence of the missions. When you got in the accident it just made our jobs that much easier. You were never supposed to find me, but you did and out of courtesy to you, I decided to explain everything."

"Courtesy to me?" Booth didn't seem convinced.

"Yes. I know you Major, after you got a chance to think about it, not knowing would be worse than the actual circumstances of your missions. So I let you in, much to the chagrin of the other members of my unit, I might add."

Booth just nodded while Brennan studied him, her eyes sliding over to the General every few seconds.

"So what does this mean?" She said finally, for once in her life feeling like the only person in the room who didn't know what was going on.

I wonder if this is how Booth feels when he's with me and the others at the lab.

Marshal cleared his throat.

"It means that this is over. The last target was…eliminated two days ago. Your assistance to the United States Government is duly noted…but this conversation," he gestured between them, "never happened. Go back to your life Agent Booth."

Booth met gazes with the Marshal as Brennan rose from the table, for the first time in her life understanding her que to leave and taking it.

Agent Booth huh? I guess it really is over.

He slid out of the booth and stood, looking one last time at the General before leaving.

"Thank you, sir. For, um…you know. I mean not knowing was…frankly sir, it was killing me. So, thank you."

A formal nod from the General and Booth was out the door and with Brennan in the SUV.

The ride back to the apartment was spent in a heavy silence as Brennan struggled with herself to decide what she could do. She couldn't make up her mind if Booth was happy about the information he'd just received, or if he was more stressed than before. She didn't know whether to leave him to his thoughts or try and help him.

This is why I stopped doing relationships…it's very complicated.

She gripped the steering wheel tighter as dread gripped her chest and she made herself take deep breaths.

This is different. Booth is different.

"We need gas." She broke the silence after a light lit up on the dash and pulled into the nearest gas station. Still thinking, she hooked up the pump and leaned against the car, chewing her bottom lip. Finally, an idea popped into her head and she decided to act on it before she chickened out.

"Hey, I have to use the bathroom, can you finish up here?"

Booth nodded and Brennan quickly disappeared inside the small building and found the restroom.

Fishing her cell out of her pocket, she recited the number to herself to be sure she hadn't forgotten it.

"Hello?"

"Hi Rebecca. It's Temperance."

"Oh, Hi. What's up?"

Brennan sighed. "Listen, I was wondering if you could do me a favor. Well it's for Booth, but it's also for me."

"A favor like what?" She sounded hesitant.

"I was wondering if…well, if it would be okay if Parker stayed at Booth's tonight."

"What? Why?"

"Well, it's just that…he just got done with this mis…case and he's taking it pretty hard and he once told me that after something like…what he's been through these past few months, that being with someone innocent helps. I think seeing Parker would help him a lot and I mean, I know it's short notice but he did miss all those weekends with Parker while he was in the hospital and…"

Rebecca noted the almost pleading tone in Dr. Brennan's voice and cleared her throat to stop the woman's rambling.

"You know what? It's fine. Drew wanted to go out this evening anyway…you'll save me the cost of a babysitter."

Brennan sighed in relief and felt herself smile. "Thank you Rebecca."

"No problem, when should I bring him over?"

"As soon as possible."

"Okay, see you in an hour."

Rejoining Booth in the SUV, Brennan pulled out and made the rest of the way to his apartment in less than ten minutes.

"What are you grinning at?" He asked teasingly, noticing the small smile that played on her lips.

"Nothing."

Booth was skeptical, but couldn't pursue the issue as she hopped out of the car and they went to his door.

"Go watch TV and rest. I'll make dinner." She told him when they were inside

"You can't cook." He leaned over to kiss her and she let him, but pulled away before he got too enthusiastic. She knew right where it would lead.

Yeah, that would definitely scar Parker for life.

"I don't have to cook, your parents left frozen dinners. Now go." She pushed him toward the couch and Booth obeyed.

Flipping through the channels,he didn't really notice what was on. He tried to distract himself from thoughts of the General and thoughts of his mission with thoughts of his Bones. Which seemed to work pretty well actually.

He was amazed at how maternal and caring she'd been ever since he got out of the hospital. She'd known exactly what to do and what to say. He was sure he'd never be able to show her how much he appreciated that.

Brennan joined him on the couch, setting two beers and two Hungry Man dinners on the coffee table. in front of them.

She smiled when his face brightened like a kid in a candy store and he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.

"Thanks babe, looks delicious." He began inhaling the food.

"Yeah, I slaved all day over a hot stove to make it just the way you like it." She laughed, watching him devour the food almost without pause. "You really were hungry weren't you?"

Booth nodded. "Haven't eaten since my cup of coffee this morning…come to think of it neither have you."

He stared pointedly at her tray and she rolled her eyes, catching his meaning.

"It's not that unusual for me, Booth. I can go all day on a cup of coffee and a fruit snack."

Booth groaned. "Don't tell me things like that Temperance. I'll be worrying about you getting enough to eat all day now."

Brennan rolled her eyes again as she nibbled on her chicken, but Booth didn't notice.

After they'd finished Booth got up to take the garbage to the kitchen and Brennan checked the clock.

Where are they?

As if they'd heard her plea there was a sudden knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" Brennan jumped off the couch and whipped the door open, grinning at Parker and Rebecca in the hallway.

"Bones! Check to see who's there before you…" Booth appeared from the other side of the door, wiping wet hands on his jeans, but stopped when he saw Parker's shining brown eyes and head of curls grinning at him.

"Parker?"

"Daddy!" In his usual greeting, Parker took off through the apartment and launched himself into the air. Booth snatched Parker out of the air and hugged him tight, ignoring for the time being, the pain in his ribs.

I'm definitly going to need that Vicodin in a minute though.

"Hey buddy."After a few moments he released his son and placed him on the floor. "What's going on?"

Brennan blushed slightly and looked at Rebecca, not wanting Booth to know what she'd done.

Sensing her discomfort, Rebecca quickly jumped in.

"Um, Drew and I have a date and I was wondering if you could take Parker tonight. I know it's short notice and all, but…" She trailed off, grasping at straws and hoping Seeley wouldn't see right through her.

Booth looked between the two women, his gut was telling him something else was up, but he decided to ignore it if it meant more time with Parker.

"Sure, no problem."

"Thanks Seeley." Rebecca threw one last look at Dr. Brennan before bidding her son farewell and leaving.

Booth watched as Brennan shut the door, her ears the color of a fire engine.

"Parker, why don't you go put your stuff in your room?"

Parker nodded and took off down the hall, but Booth never let his eyes leave Brennan's back and slowly made his way over to her. She was still facing the door, gripping the doorknob tightly and he could tell by her tense muscles that she was thinking.

Was this the right thing? Was I too presumptuous? Maybe he's too tired for Parker tonight. I should have asked him first. I've completely screwed this up.

Her racing thoughts were brought to a screeching halt when two strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her back into a warm chest. Laying her head back on his shoulder, she closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Bones." Booth kissed her hair, "You can never go wrong with Parker."

He felt her relax against him and smiled.

I'm getting pretty good at reading her thoughts.

She turned around to face him, feeing the need to fidget, she fingered his medallion carefully as she spoke in an almost whisper.

"Do you know why you did it now?"

Booth thought for a moment and rested his forehead against hers, clasping his hands behind her lower back to keep her close.

"I guess. Prevented war, saved lives. That is, as long as the General was telling the truth…if he was, I think everything's okay."

"Hundreds of thousands of lives Booth, and yes, I think he was."

He leaned back and locked his brown eyes with her blue ones.

"How do you know?"

Another slight blush crept into her cheeks and she shrugged.

"My gut tells me so."

Parker came back into the room and pulled a game off the shelf.

"Since when do you listen to your gut?"

"I don't know. It's never proven me wrong before though." She broke from his embrace and pulled him toward the living room, where they sat on the floor with Parker.

"Watcha got there Bud?" Booth ruffled his son's hair.

"Yahtzee!" Parker pumped his hands in the air excitedly and crawled over to Brennan to sit in her lap, positioning them so they were both facing Booth who sat opposite of them.

"You can keep score Elmo." He thrust a piece of paper at her along with a short stubby pencil.

"Okay, I can do that. Booth you know what? I know this game!"

Booth smiled as he rubbed the dice around in his hands, she looked almost as exited as Parker.

Near the end of the game Parker stopped in the middle of his turn and suddenly looked up at Booth as if a thought had just hit him in the forehead.

"I love you Daddy."

Booth tilted his head at his son's sudden revelation and smiled when the boy immediately returned his concentration to the game.

He looked over Parker's shoulder at Brennan, who was staring at him.

'I love you too.' She mouthed to him, a girlish grin gracing her elegant features.

Booth gave her a full on charm smile, unable to quite verbalize how he felt at that moment.

She makes me speechless. He thought happily, butterflies were having a field day in his stomach.

Booth did end up losing the game, but he didn't mind. After all, his son loved him.

And so did his Bones.

THE END

So...if any of you noticed, I brought the whole thing full circle, that last part was almost verbatim for something said in the first chap. But anyway, i hope you enjoyed this and review!! THANK YOU!!