Thank you all so much for reading and for reviewing this story - I've really appreciated it! Here is the last chapter . . . Enjoy! :)
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"Booth? Booth . . . where are you?" Brennan called, searching all around their house for him and finally deciding to look in the basement.
Booth was sitting in the blue stadium seats, amongst the disarray of their remaining possessions, staring at a picture of him and Parker.
"Christine is finally asleep for the night – or at least for a few hours," Brennan began.
Booth remained fixated on the picture.
"Since Parker has completed his final makeup work and is now on summer break, I thought we could celebrate with some takeout and a movie of his choice?" she suggested and got no response. "Booth?"
"He's right, ya know? . . . I got what I wanted," Booth said, guiltily.
Brennan sat down beside him.
"It's been a month since we arrested Pelant. Don't do this to yourself. Don't let him get to you. That was his intention - to manipulate us," she told him.
"But it's true. Look, Bones . . . I know you're tryin' to help but -" he dismissed her.
"No – this is not your fault! You didn't kill Rebecca," she assured him.
"It doesn't matter . . . Rebecca and I . . . we always had different ideas on Parker's visitation with me. I never saw him as much as I thought I should, but I didn't wanna knock what I had by pushing her too much. Only, the last time I saw her, we got into it . . . I seriously considered filing for joint custody," he admitted, his voice cracking. "Now she's gone . . ."
"Booth . . . what happened was a horrible tragedy and we will always attempt to honor and respect Rebecca's memory. But you had absolutely no part in the death of your son's mother. You did nothing wrong," Brennan insisted.
Tears slowly trickled down his face and he tried to fight them.
"I know. I know that. But I can't help feeling this pit in my stomach every time I laugh with Parker or give him a hug . . . tuck him in at night . . ." he revealed.
"He's your child – it's paternal instinct. You are allowed to care for your son and enjoy spending time with him. I would be worried if you didn't," she told him, gently wiping his remaining tears with the pads of her thumbs.
Booth sighed and half-smiled at her.
"Thanks, Bones," he told her.
Brennan stood up and took his hand, pulling him out of the chair.
"Come on, I'll even let you have the comfortable couch," she coaxed.
Booth lovingly put his arms around her and held her tight.
"We could share?" he suggested.
"Okay," she smiled, giving him a brief but tender kiss.
Booth leaned his forehead against hers.
Seeing the sadness and guilt he still held broke her metaphorical heart.
"I'm right here, Booth. Always," she reassured him.
He gently caressed her cheek and gave a bittersweet smile of love and gratitude.
"Let's go," he said, taking her hand as they headed upstairs.
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Brennan went downstairs in the middle of the night to try and console Christine without waking Booth or Parker up. As she headed for the kitchen, she noticed a glow from the TV in the family room and a small figure on the couch.
"Parker?" Brennan asked, slowly entering the room. "What are you doing up?"
"I couldn't sleep," he explained. "I didn't wanna wake anybody else, so I came down here to watch TV."
"Did you have another bad dream?" she assumed, sitting next to him, Christine finally calming down.
He shook his head.
"I just can't stop thinking about her . . . I found these videos of my soccer tournament and my graduation from elementary," he pointed to the flat screen, his face red from crying. "I needed to see her again."
"Oh, Parker," Brennan felt tears form in her eyes and put her free arm around the boy. "You know I do the same thing with my mom. Whenever I'm missing her, I watch the tape she made for me when I turned sixteen. It's not rational and it doesn't bring her back, but it is comforting to see and hear her again."
"Yeah," he agreed. "Grandpa Nick and Nana Mary let me have an album from when Mom was my age . . . and I have some pictures from all sorts of things we used to do."
"I'd like to see those sometime – if it's alright with you," Brennan offered.
"Sure. Do you have any pictures of your mom?" he wondered.
"Not many, but you're welcome to look at them and the video, if you'd like," she said.
"Cool . . . Can I hold Christine? I wanna show her my mom," he asked. "You can watch, too."
"Of course. I will go make us some hot chocolate," Brennan said, carefully handing the baby over to Parker. "Perhaps we can plan to do this on a regular basis? Whenever you're feeling sad about your mother, your father and I will help you remember her?"
"And I can help you remember your mom?" he said, hesitantly.
"Yes," she smiled. "I would like that very much."
As she went toward the kitchen, she ran into Booth.
"Everything alright?" he asked, putting his arms around her waist.
"Yes. Christine was crying, and I came downstairs so I wouldn't wake you," she explained, quietly. "Parker couldn't sleep either. I found him watching a video of his mother."
"Another nightmare?" Booth guessed.
"No, he just missed her," Brennan replied. "I'm making hot chocolate. Would you like some?"
"I'd love some," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips, before she broke free from his embrace.
When she returned with his and Parker's drinks, she found Booth watching his children with contentment.
Parker continued to tell his sister all about his mother.
She handed Booth his mug and questioned the look in his eyes.
"We're gonna be okay, Bones," he stated, wrapping his free arm around her.
Brennan half-smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, letting Parker and Christine have one more minute alone.