Author's Note: Okay all, here it is. Finally. The last installment of the series. I'm sorry it took so long to post. My semester has been going to hell in a handbasket.

I can only hope that you guys enjoy the ending. Love you all!

In the darkest moments before dawn, a woman returns to her bed. Brennan situated herself on her side of the bed, legs folded beneath her. A hot cup of tea kept her hands warm as she watched Booth sleep.

Last night had been exactly what she'd been looking for. She trusted Booth; he'd been gentle with her. It'd been…perfect, assuming that perfection was, in fact, attainable. Maybe she did need him.

She sighed, every fiber of her body screaming at her to run. To bolt. To do anything to get away from the attachment. Finishing her tea, Brennan got dressed and ready and headed into the lab. She was ready to do this. To take her life back.

They'd finally spoken a few days later about all that had happened. All in all, there was very little to be said. Brennan thanked him. Shocked, Booth said "You're Welcome", and life had continued as normal. Or at least as normal as it could. Brennan had continued working at the lab, though she hadn't done much but examine ancient remains. About every other case, she would go out into the field. Being around people had never been her strong suit and since the incident, her incapabilities had worsened. She was jumpy and skittish, especially around men she didn't know. Even the lab techs who had a penchant for hovering tended to cause her panic. But truth be told, she was still scared. All she had wanted that night at the club was a long awaited release; something, someone, to help her get herself back on track.

The problem is that it worked.

And for the same reason, it hadn't worked at all.

Booth was always there. Always helping her. If she panicked, he calmed her down. If she had a nightmare, he woke her up and soothed her. They still hadn't engaged in coitus, though Booth had been sleeping in her bed almost every night since then, simply holding her, caring for her.

Quickly, she finished everything up on the platform, left Mr. Edison in charge and went to her office. After checking her messages and enacting an "out of the office" auto-reply for emails, she left the lab and headed for home.

Booth knew what was coming. Things had been too…okay for too long. Waking up next to her everything morning was something he had waited years for, something he wanted to continue. In her sleep, Brennan cuddled next to him and whimpered if her moved away. But most other times, while awake, she would smile and it wouldn't quite reach her eyes.

He'd already packed a bag for her and had it waiting by the door. The rest of his plan was set up. For him, this was the last hoorah, his final chance. He just sat in a chair, faced the door, and waited.

Brennan approached her apartment wearily. She hurriedly unlocked her door, and stopped short, finding Booth staring at her. The look on his face made her breath hitch.

"I, Seeley Booth, do, in fact, exist." He grabbed her hand and held it to his chest. His heart beat rapidly under her fingertips. "I'm right here, Bones. I'm not going anywhere. My heart is still beating. As long as my heart is beating, I will be with you" He released her and left the room, entering the kitchen.

Brennan stood there awkwardly. "Booth?"

He re-entered the living room with a pad of paper and a pen. "Rule #1. Bones makes all the rules."

"Rules? Booth, what?...What are you talking about?" She managed to get out.

"Bones. I'm your partner and I'm your friend. You're my friend too. I'm here to help you with anything you ask for. I will always be here for you. But let's not keep doing this dance. I want to be with you, and I'm pretty sure you want to be with me too. So let's do this. Let's be together. Same as we always were, just a little bit more. If you want to go, your bag is packed. It's over by the door. But please don't. Don't run away from me. Stay here with me and make new rules with me. Good rules. Happy rules. Stay here with me and we can be happy together, like we're both supposed to be. So whaddya say Bones? Are we doing this thing or not?"

Brennan didn't move for a long while. She was going over everything in her head and what it all kept equating to was staying, which didn't make any kind of sense. Not logically, anyway. Her eyes darted to the suitcase, then back to Booth. There were tears in his eyes…Heartbreaking tears. No, Brennan. The heart can't break, she told herself, placing her hand back on his chest. The beat of his heart reinforced her belief: The heart can't break. She grabbed the suitcase and turned away from him, exiting the apartment.

Complete with a suitcase, her passport, and a ticket to Morocco, she quickly exited the cab and ran through the rain into the airport. Dulles was bustling with people, and the farther she walked, the more claustrophobic she became.

Come on, Bones. An inner voice said. You can do this.

She shook her head, trying to make Booth's voice in her head disappear. She checked in, then headed for the security lines. She tried to shake the fear that coursed through her. Despite her belief in logic, Booth always told her to listen to her gut. Right now, that metaphorical gut was telling her to run in the other direction.

After finally making her way through security and finding her gate, Brennan sat and awaited her boarding time.

The last year or so had been hell for her. That much she could admit. But she had made it through; and she'd done it all by herself. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Sweets had helped, Hannah too. And Booth…

Brennan sighed. Booth. He'd helped her through anything and everything, even when she didn't think she needed it. She thought back to his words "Stay here with me and we can be together, like we're supposed to be." It was a very presumptive sentence, but then, Brennan didn't believe in fate. It was ludicrous.

Her phone rang and she answered immediately, "Booth?"

"No, babe, it's me…"

"Hannah! How are you?"

"Alright. I've been living with one of my coworkers. She's really awesome, Temperance. You would love her." Hannah was clearly smiling on the other end of the phone. "How have you been? Is everything gong alright?"

"Yes, I am doing quite…well. I…" Her voice broke, then trailed off. It was getting harder to hide her pain.

"Temperance…I'm sure you'll be fine…You have people who love you."

"Love is merely chemicals in the brain which—"

"Love is whatever you want it to be, but you do have people who feel that for you. Me. Angela. Cam. Hell, Caroline. Booth…"

Brennan stayed silent.

"How's Booth?" Hannah's words hit her hard.

"He's…He's fine," She thought about her words and the look in Booth's eyes as she left. She was lying wasn't she?

The intercom rang out: "Flight number 22705 to Morocco will begin boarding in 5 minutes. Flight 22705."

"Flight? Temperance…are you at an airport?"

She sighed, "Yes, Hannah. I…I got scared."

"Oh, hunny. Scared of what?" the blonde asked softly.

"I don't know. I'm just…I'm scared. And I angry. Because I'm scared."

"Did you tell Booth?" Brennan's silence was her answer. "Babe, you've got to talk to him. That's the only way the two of you are going to work. You've got to talk to him."

Still, Brennan stayed silent.

"Listen, Temperance, I've got to go…Christie and I are going out on a lead. Just…think about what I said, alright? I love you…I'll talk to you later."

"I love you too, Hannah. Goodbye."

They hung up and Brennan collapsed back into her seat.

Once again, the intercom blared: "Flight 22705 to Morocco will now be boarding first class. Flight 22705."

She lay perfectly still, breathing slowly and staring at the window as rain lightly pitter-patted against it. Her alarm would go off in half an hour and she silently wished it wouldn't. She didn't feel like working today.

Rule #26: "I will leave a note for Booth if I go to work early. Just so he doesn't worry."

Today, Rule #26 did not apply. She didn't want to move. She sighed, remembering what it was like at the beginning. When they hadn't been together like this. She could remember the nights she laid awake, thinking about how wonderful it would be to have Booth hold her while she slept. Now, thankfully, she didn't have to wonder. One year, since the trial and Booth had held her through almost every night.

Smiling, she felt him stir and reach out for her. She slid back and nestled into his arms.

"Mmmm," he stirred. "Bones."

Brennan turned in his arms to face him and planted a kiss on the notch where his clavicles met his sternum.

"Mmm.…Sleepy..." Booth stated childishly, rolling to his back and covering his eyes with his left arm. She giggled and laid her head on his right shoulder, her body half covering his.

"Love you, Bones," he whispered sleepily.

"Love you too, Booth."

Drifting back to sleep, she felt tears in her eyes. Booth had done so much for her. He cared so much for her…

Rule #1: "Seeley Booth very much exists. He is very much real. Don't ever forget it."

It was the only rule Temperance Brennan had never broken.