A/N: Unbetaed. For LadyFest 2010. Post- The Beginning in the End


she feels like a child, cupping her hands, trying to keep the drops of water from trickling out the sides.

change is a part of life and a part of science and she knows that. brennan's going on sabbatical and hodgins and angela are leaving and zack - well, she pushed those memories down deep - so she busies herself with administrative things that she has to think about, like how she's going to hire a new set of hands to help her at the jeffersonian while they're off going away.

she's always felt like the silent mover; brennan's been the heart of the lab for a long time, and she's come to terms with that. she's made peace with herself about who she is, the battles she's fought, and what she's fought for. she's at peace.

and now, and now -

it feels like the end of high school, like they're all changing and moving on and she feels the twinge of nostalgia just as she knows that they will all be back. in a year. in a year. it's an arbitrary amount of time and she has other things to worry about.

they are all growing up.

she makes a final survey of the lab, shrugs off her lab coat to set on the back of a chair. the lab is quiet, still.

she switches off the lights and pushes down the feeling of finality.