This story is dedicated with all my love to my Miles.

I wrote this story the day before Jeremy called to tell me you'd died. I wish, with all my heart, you had been as lucky. I wish you had been able to come home to your mom. To me.

And so I post this in his memory. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has family or loved ones overseas. I pray they may all come home to you.

It was late one night. The Jeffersonian was dark and deserted. The only light in the lab came spilling from the open doorway of her office.

She sat at her desk, pretending to work on her case notes, although that was the last place her mind was. Her thoughts kept drifting to Him. To his deep, expression-filled eyes. To his warm, safe embrace. To his soft, soothing voice.

She opened the bottom-right drawer of her desk and removed a picture frame. Cradling it in her lap, she smiled softly, allowing her thoughts to be filled with his face. She remembered when Angela had taken the picture; it was just a normal day in the lab. She had been hovering over a set of bones from limbo, completely engrossed in her work, when he had swept through the doors of the lab and up onto the platform. He had just won the custody battle with Rebecca, and his excitement was contagious. She smiled and laughed as he picked her up and spun in a circle, his happiness spreading to each of the squints. Angela had taken the picture in mid-spin, their grinning faces lost in each other's gaze, with his arms holding her close, and her hair fanning out behind her. They were completely happy that day.

A feeling of calm seeped through her body, bringing peace to her mind for the first time since the bodies had come in.

This case was especially hard on her, knowing that he wasn't here with her. Four bodies of soldiers in the US Army had come to her from Iraq; all were wearing charred fatigues, but none of which had dog tags or identification. Most of the unit was missing, so she had to identify the dead by childhood injuries rather than process-of-elimination.

Three had been identified. The fourth body was where she was having problems. It was the body of a well-built man in his 30s. His ribs showed signs the he had one shielded someone from harm, his feet showed healed fractures from torture. There were healed fractures on his ribs, as well as his clavicle. The skull was missing.

She was too scared to compare the injuries to Booth's previous x-rays. She didn't know if she was able to handle that truth. If it was him, she wasn't sure if she could live with the knowledge she had identified his remains.

He had promised he'd come back. Before he had left, he swore he would come back to her. And she had believed him, knowing that he would do everything in his power to come back to her. But now… she didn't know what to think. It couldn't be him… it just couldn't.

She lowered her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. He had to be alive. He was coming back to her… he'd promised. And Booth never broke his word, especially to her. He'd come home…

Dressed in his army greens and boots, he walked softly through the dark and deserted Medico-Legal lab. He had taken a cab straight to Brennan's apartment when he landed, but she was not home. There was only one other place she would be, and that was in her office.

He paused outside the open doorway to her office, watching her. She was looking down at something that she was holding in her lap, tears falling silently down her face. She was beautiful. He had always known that, but eight months without her made her look like an angel.

Finally, she looked up from her hands and froze, tears still streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to believe he was really standing there, but she had had this dream before. She would wake up, cold and alone, feeling worse than when she had fallen asleep. He was never really there.

This time, though, something was different. Maybe it was the tears that were slowly falling from his own eyes. Or the duffel bag he had just dropped on the floor. Or the fact that he was moving towards her. That's when she realized, she wasn't dreaming this time. He was really there. He'd come back, just like he promised.

She was too shocked to move. For once in her life, she was speechless. The tears continued to fall, but now they were tears of joy.

Never breaking eye contact, he walked to her, stepping around her desk, his hands shaking. Neither of them spoke—there were no words they could say. Kneeling in front of her, he took the picture from her hands, and smiled softly, placing it on her desk.

He ran his fingers softly over her face, wiping away her tears. Hesitating for only a moment, he leaned in and captured her lips with his own. The kiss was soft, barely there, but it felt like fireworks were going off all around them. She trembled as his hands tangled themselves into her hair, pulling her closer, as her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

He pulled back, just far enough to breathe, trying to catch his breath. His eyes were locked on hers, their eyes filled with love for the other. No words were necessary.

He was home. She was his home. And neither of them would have it any other way.

There is an alternate ending to this piece. It took me a long time to decide which I wanted to use, but I finally decided on this one. If you are interested in the alternate ending, just ask. I'll warn you, though, it's not as happy.

Hit the review button, and please be nice!

--C--