After Vincent, After Broadsky, Before 4:47
The gang continued to sing the Lime in the Coconut as the hearse pulled away. Brennan walked over to Booth and lovingly linked her arms into his. Angela smiled, noticing this slight sign of affection between her best friend and her soul mate.
"I'll drive you home Bones," Booth offered after everyone had shed a few more tears and shared a few more hugs and finally said goodnight to each other and departed from the Jeffersonian.
"Thank you for being there for me Booth. It meant the world to me," Brennan stated as they drove together towards her apartment.
Booth knew she was referring to the night before in his bed when he held her in his arms all night and they slept together. Their eyes met and Booth reached across the car and took her hand in his.
"I'll always be there for you Bones. You can count on me." He didn't let go of her hand.
"We deal with death all the time Booth. But we never see the death occur, and it has never involved someone standing right next to us. The experience has confounded me. It has made me wonder about…" Brennan inhales deeply and exhales slowly.
"Makes you wonder about what Bones?"
"About the universe. About not wanting to have any regrets."
"No regrets, huh. That's a tall order Bones."
"Why would you say that Booth. You don't' have any regrets. You put yourself out there all the time and open yourself up to…"
"The universe," Booth adds, completing her sentence.
They arrive at Brennan's apartment. Booth is still holding her hand as he pulls the car to the curb and parks.
"Come up for a drink. We can order in some Chinese food," Brennan suggests. Then she adds, "I don't want to be alone. I want to be with you."
Booth gets out of the car and goes over to Brennan's side and opens her door. Again she links her arms through his as they walk toward her apartment.
They are sitting in her living room. A candle flickers a soft glow among some empty beer bottles and a few open Chinese food containers with chop-sticks protruding from the top of them.
"Booth, if a bullet shot through the roof of the Jeffersonian and put a hole in my heart, my regret would be that I never kissed you with lusty intent. That I never made love with you with all the passion in my being. That I never looked directly into your eyes and told you that I love you."
"Well, I wouldn't want you to have any regrets now," Booth smiles as he pulls her gently onto his lap.
They kiss, repeatedly.
"Do you love me?" Brennan asks.
"Yeah. Do you want me to prove it to you?"
"Yeah. I do."
They stand and walk together to the bedroom. The clock on the night stand is glowing. It is the darkest hour before dawn. A woman and her lover are finally together in bed. She is living a life that is different from the life that had been living 30 minutes ago, a day ago, a year ago. They are leaving behind their separate lives and are choosing to live one life shared. The time on the clock reads 4:47.