Temperance awoke to a terrible crick in her neck from the awkward position in which she was sitting. As she rubbed the sore spot, she looked around, confused, until she remembered that she was still in the hospital waiting room. Seeley wasn't there, but Rebecca and her fiancé were.

"Where's Seeley?" Temperance asked, her voice still foggy from sleep.

"He went to the hospital's chapel. He's been gone about an hour," Rebecca answered as she looked over Temperance. "Dr. Brennan, you didn't have to interrupt your evening to come down here."

"Booth needed me here, of course I was going to come down here." Rebecca looked at Brennan critically for a moment in a way that slightly unnerved the forensic anthropologist.

"Dr. Brennan, are you involved with Seeley?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"It's just...this is a wonderful thing you're doing, coming to the hospital and cutting whatever your plans were short. It seems like such a loving thing to do."

"He's my partner and one of my best friends. If the situation were reversed, he would do the same for me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find Booth." Temperance offered Rebecca a quick smile in the way of apology for her hasty exit before walking out of the room to look for Booth.

After getting lost twice, then finally being walked to the chapel by an orderly, Temperance found her partner. He knelt by the altar of the small chapel, his hands fingering a borrowed rosary as his lips moved in prayer. Brennan stepped inside quietly, not wanting to disturb him. She sat down on a pew next to an older woman who looked at Seeley with a fondness in her eye. After Brennan was situated, the old woman turned her attention on Brennan.

"He's a good man, that one." The woman indicated Seeley with a nod of her head.

"Yes, he is. Do you know him?" Temperance looked at the woman. Something about her seemed familiar, but Brennan couldn't put her finger on it.

"He's family."

"Oh, I wasn't aware he called anyone else."

"He doesn't know I'm here." The old woman turned back to face the altar. She smiled fondly at the FBI agent. "You're good for him, Temperance. He's changed quite a bit because of you."

"The feelings mutual. Wait, how do you know who I am?" The old woman smiled and patted Brennan gently on the hand, a movement that the anthropologist was surprisingly comfortable with.

"My dear, you are constantly on his mind. If he isn't thinking about Parker, his thoughts are with you."

"He talks about me?"

"My dear, that man loves you enough to die for you, but I'm sure you already know that. I'm sure the feeling is mutual, or you wouldn't be here." Brennan opened her mouth to speak, but found her self at a loss for words. There was something about this woman, whoever she was that let her see right to the heart of the matter. There was however no way that she and Booth could share any other relationship than they currently had, it was too complicated. How was it Booth had put it? There were too many strings. She looked at the woman and shrugged a little.

"Right now, I'm more concerned about Parker. I don't know what Booth would do if Parker doesn't pull through this."

"Your heart's in the right place my dear. What you did earlier this evening, that won't be forgotten."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you're not one for prayer, but the one you offered selflessly for the safety of a little boy is powerful medicine."

"How did you know about that?" Temperance looked at the woman, but only received an enigmatic smile from her.

"My dear, everything you do in life is known. You've floundered for years, but now, because of that man over there, you're coming into your own. He is what you need, and I hope you remember that. He can heal your hurt, just like you heal his wounds."

Temperance turned from the old woman and looked over at Seeley. He crossed himself and stood, shaking the ache out of his knees. When he turned around, he smiled in surprise at seeing Temperance.

"Have they sent word about Parker yet?"

"No. You weren't there when I woke up, so I came to find you. How are you doing?"

Booth came to sit by Temperance. Her eyes flickered to the old woman, but she wasn't there. That's odd. Where did she go? A Bible lay on the bench where the old woman had been sitting. Temperance picked it up to look at it, fingers gliding over the worn leather cover.

"Better. I know you don't believe in God and all, but being in here, in this chapel…I just feel like everything's going to be okay, you know, like someone's looking out for me."

"I think they are, Booth." Temperance looked at the front cover of the old bible. The name Constance Booth was engraved in gold on the battered leather cover. Temperance stuck the book in her purse with a frown. She'd bring this up to Booth later on. The old woman had obviously wanted to give them some privacy, but how had she left so quietly?

"I'll bet Brendan wasn't too happy you skipped out on him." Booth glanced over at her as he said it, the corner of his mouth quirking up.

"No, especially since…" She cut herself off. Did she really want to tell Booth what happened?

"Especially since what?" His dark eyes pierced her own. It was of no use trying to keep something from Booth, because he was sure to find out eventually.

"He asked me to marry him."

"What did you say?" The question was quiet, and she could tell Booth was holding back hurt. The words of Constance came back to her, words about his feelings toward her. Temperance held up her hand to indicate the lack of a ring.

"I didn't have to answer him. He realized that my feelings weren't the same, especially when I answered your call when he asked me."

"Oh, you didn't." Seeley grinned at her. She smirked a little herself.

"I just felt like I had to take the call. I know it sounds silly, but…" she shrugged and looked at Booth. He was studying her with an unreadable expression.

"You don't seem too upset about it."

"I think I realized that things weren't quite in as great a place as I thought." Temperance stood up and stepped away from the pew, waiting for Booth. "We should get back. There might be news about Parker."

Booth let the change of subject go and left the chapel hand in hand with Temperance. Inwardly, he was surprised that she didn't pull away. It made his heart skip a little that she was giving of herself so completely, and that she was doing it for him.

He gave one last look at the chapel, and frowned for a moment. He shook his head to get the fogginess from him. He could have sworn that, for the briefest of moments, his grandmother had been standing by the altar.

When they reached the waiting room, they found a doctor speaking with Rebecca.

"The surgery went well. We were able to stop the internal bleeding, and set his bones. All were clean breaks, so no additional surgery will be needed for them. He's asleep now, but you can go in to see him if you'd like."

Waves of relief passed through the room. Rebecca clutched tightly to her fiancé, and Booth pulled Temperance into a tight hug. She returned the gesture and her lips grazed the side of his face, his stubble scratching them a bit, and then pulled back from him.

"Go Booth, I'll wait for you here." She urged.

"No Bones, he likes you. Please come with me." He gave her the puppy dog eyes. Tempe smiled at him and nodded. He didn't need to add the eyes to get her to acquiesce, and that thought scared her a little. At what point had Booth become the most important person in her life? From the day you met him. She felt bad, in a way, for Brendan because he really didn't have a chance. Booth touched everything in her life. She had family again because of him. He had saved her life, compromised a crime scene to keep her out of jail, and helped catch her mother's killer. He had insinuated himself into her life so fully that she worried if she didn't hear from him on a daily basis.

She watched Booth as he sat by Parker's bed and caressed the child's hair. She noted the boy's medical chart and x-rays in the room and moved to examine them. Temperance's eyes widened at the amount of damage done to the seven year old. The fact that he had even been able to go through surgery was miraculous. That little boy should have died from the strike. Her thoughts floated immediately to Constance. Did the woman know something about the situation, and if she was family, why wasn't she here?

"Dr. Brennan, I don't think you should be doing that," Rebecca said to Temperance. The forensic anthropologist turned to face Rebecca, her expression unreadable.

"You're lucky to have such a strong little boy."

"What do you mean?"

"It's my job to assess damage like this, and I can tell you one thing, Parker is lucky to be alive. With the damage caused by that accident, his making it through surgery is nothing short of miraculous." Rebecca put her hand to her mouth to stifle a small cry. Was the damage really that bad? A small whimper from the bed brought her attention to her son. With a glance at Temperance, she moved next to Parker's bedside.

"Hey, Bub." Seeley spoke gently to the little boy. Parker's little hand sought out his father's.

"Daddy, I hurt." Tears spilled from the little boy's eyes.

"I know Parker, but that will only last a little bit, okay? You'll be better soon."

"Daddy's right, Sweetheart. You'll be better soon." Rebecca smiled down at Parker.

"I want to go home," he cried. Temperance felt her heart wrench at the sound. What must Booth be going through right now? His child was hurting and he couldn't do anything about it. She moved in closely behind him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He raised his free hand and placed it on top of hers, giving it a small squeeze. Temperance turned toward the doorway of the room to see Constance standing there, smiling. Perhaps it was the way the light shone in the doorway, but the woman appeared to glow. A sense of peace washed over Temperance. She smiled at the old woman, and then turned back to Seeley. Everything was going to be fine, she could feel it.