He watched her chest rise and fall with each slow breath. He stroked the dark brown curls that lay across her pillow, touched softly her pale cheek and kissed her eyelids behind which he knew were two gorgeous eyes. Sighing he lay back on his own pillow. The double bed was too big for just the two of them. It felt empty. She would wake soon and his day would be filled, until night came again. then he wouldn't sleep, he never could. Just then she stirred beside him and suddenly she was sitting up. he followed suit.

"Morning Baby!" he smiled. She turned around to him beaming.

"Morning Daddy!" she wrapped her two small arms around his neck and he hugged her close to him. his baby girl, his Harlow.

"Daddy you're face is wet…" she said pulling back.

"I know baby it's ok."

"You crying?" she asked sitting on his lap.

"No of course not! you just kicked me in your sleep silly." He smiled and tickled her. She laughed loudly.

"Daddy! Stop! Daddy…" she choked out he stopped. "Sorry daddy."

"It's ok Baby."

" What are we doing today?"

"Well Daddy has work so you're going to Aunt Ange then later you and Park are going to Grandpa Max."

"Then can we go visit Mommy?" she asked. He looked at her and nearly cried again.

"Of course Baby if you want to."

"I do." she nodded. He looked at her eyes. She had her mothers clear blue eyes with one difference, the left one had a streak of chocolate brown through it. His brown. He knew when she was older she'd probably hate it but he loved it. It proved to him that she was a bit of both of them.

"Come on up you get! I cant be late!"

"Yes sir!" she smiled and jumped off the bed. she ran from the room. He sighed and got up aswell. Pulling out a clean suit he threw it on. Tying his dull tie and buckling his black belt he went out to find his daughter. He was almost used to living in her apartment now. Her furniture, her decorations. Without her.

"Daddy I can't reach the cereal." She called out.

"Coming Baby." He sighed again and got himself ready for the day

-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------

He looked into the mirror back at her. She was looking out the window. In two months she'd be starting school. She as independent enough as it was. He didn't want her to frow up anymore. Parker was twelve now and it surprised him how mature he was.

"Daddy is Parker staying tonight?"

"Yes Har. For a few days."

"That's good." She smiled. "Daddy is you ok?"

"Yes Baby of course."

"you look sad."

"I'm fine Har."

"Ok Daddy, but don't be sad k?"

"I wont darling I promise." She smiled at him. Brennan's smile.

------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------

"Booth hey!" Angela smiled. "Harlow! Come here darling." The child ran into her godmothers arms. Booth smiled.

"I'll see you later Baby ok? Thanks Angie." She smiled at him and he turned and walked out of the office. He got to the closed office door. It wasn't locked but no one went in there. No one wanted to. Least of all him. he couldn't get the image out of his head. It was what kept him up at night. Why he couldn't sleep. Her lying in his arms… Blood seeping into the carpet…Stop it Seeley! He shook himself Get to work…

----------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------

He sat at his desk and pulled out a bundle of files. Desk job. That's what he had now. That's what he'd chosen. For Harlow. He hated it, but it was much less rish for her. If he lost her or Parker that was it for him. so he'd do anything to keep them safe.

------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------

He collected Parker on his way back to the lab.

"How long can we stay with Grandpa Maxie today Dad?"

"I'm not sure bub Harlow want to go see Dr Bones."

"So do i. it's her anniversary soon isn't it?"

"Yes one year next week."

"I miss her." His son looked down at the ground.

"Me too…" Booth said. Parker put his hand on his fathers shoulder. Booth smiled and swallowed the lump in his throat.

-------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------

Booth clicked Harlows belt shut, and closed the S.U.V's door.

"Thanks Booth." Max said smiling.

"For what?"

"Letting me see them. Especially her."

"They love coming to you for their lessons. Besides Max you're her grandfather! You don't need to thank me."

"You make sure I'm in her life."

"She loves you."

"She reminds me so much of Tempe. My little girl."

"It hurts…" Booth whispered.

"What son."

"Seeing Bones everyday when I look at my daughter. Seeing her but knowing that I'll never actually see her again."

"This years been rough on everone. But you've handled it brilliantly. Look at those two beautiful children you're bringing up!" Max put his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"I'm afraid I'm not doing it right. I mean at least Park has Rebecca and her husband Thomas but Harlow has only me…and you obviously you."

"And Angela, Jack, Camille and Lance!"

"Well yeah but…"

"No Buts! You're doing brilliantly. You lost your wife Seeley! I know how hard it is. I went through it all! Although I didn't have my children with me to mind. I knew they were safe."

"Does it get any easier?"

"I didn't at first, not until I came back here. Saw Tempe and Russ. Saw how alike her they were."

"Harlow's so young."

"She's intelligent. Way ahead of her years."

"I cant help but think that's a bad thing."

"Trust me you're doing great! Besides none of us will let you go astray. All of your friends love your children as if they were their own. They love you too!"

"Thanks Max." booth said avoiding his father-in-laws eyes.

"Yes I heard you're going to visit mommy."

"Yes she asked to this morning." Booth smiled and sat in.

Max watched as the young man drove his away. He knew how he felt. He knew that his heart was slowly ripping apart inside.

------------------------- --------------------------------- - ------------------------------------

"Why daises Daddy?" Harlow asked gripping his hand a little tighter.

"What hun?"

"Why do we always bring daises?"

"Because your Mommy loved Daises."

"And daffodils…" Parker added.

"Yes." Booth said and smiled at his son. His eyes then drifted back to the stone-grey plaque that . He couldn't talk to her now not with the kids here. He'd get Cam and Sweets to take them for an hour later that night, like he often did. They called them the odd couple. Cam and Sweets. With nearly a decade of an age difference, no-one would have ever put them together. But they were.

"Will she ever come back Daddy?" Harlow asked.

"No baby I don't think so."

"I don't like that."

"None of us do Baby. None of us do." he picked her up and they moved back to the car. He was sitting in just as he heard her say

"Park what was Mommy like? I cant remember…"

"She was so cool Harlow. She was the best."

"I wants to remember." The small girl hung her head.

"Don't worry Harlie." Booth bit his lip and tied his belt.

--------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------

He lay in bed alone that night. Harlow was sleeping in parkers room in the bunk bed. having her not there either was worse then when it was just the two of them. He was alone. Completely alone.

"Bones what do I do? she needs you. I'm powerless without you!" he said to the silent room. Then crying himself to exhaustion he finally fell asleep, then the dreams started.

He was back in her office. Him, her and three year old Harlow. She had just fed her and put her down for a sleep in her playpen in the corner of the office. He put down the stuffed dinosaurs he'd been making dance across the desk. She turned and smiled at him. she was about to speak when the door burst open and Roland Gomez stood there gun raised. He aimed at Harlow but Brennan jumped in front of her and took the bullet full on in the chest.

"NO!" he shouted as Harlow started crying. Pulling out his own gun he shot at the man who fell to the floor. Booth ran to Brennan and clutched her to him. Angela and Cam ran in Angela went straight to Harlow and started wiping her mothers blood off her, tears streaming down her cheeks. Cam worked on stabilising Brennan. the paramedics arrived and loaded her into the ambulance but they never made it to the hospital. They'd been told that they'd crashed, lost control in the rain…

Booth shot up in the bed. he still didn't understand how that could have happened. it had barely rained that awful day. They'd never recovered the bodies, not Brennan's not the two paramedics. No-one. the plaque in the grave yard served only as a place to talk to her. A place to remember her.

------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

Saturday came. Parker was gone home to Rebecca and Booth was getting Harlow ready for the anniversary mass.

He sat there at the front of the church. The church where he'd brought her after th first gravedigger incident. Where they'd gotten married, where Harlow had been baptised and where they'd had her memorial mass. Angela sat in beside him. he didn't speak for the whole service. In fact his eyes barely left the alter. His hand never left Harlow's. the final blessing was said but he still didn't move.

"Daddy?" Harlow tugged his had.

"I'll take Harlie Booth ok?" Angela said. He just nodded.

"Daddy…" Harlow repeated as Angela picked her up.

"Not now Sweetie. Come on lets get some ice-cream."

"Okay…" Booth turned just in time to see Harlow turn over Angel's shoulder and wave sadly.

----------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------