Chapter Two:

Brennan held her breath, and with tears in her eyes she took in the familiar handwriting, knowing that the man who wrote this knew that one day fate would separate them forever. She ran her fingers over the page, hoping that in some cosmic universe their two hands would touch again.

My Darling Temperance,

If you are reading this right now, then I am gone, and it has been a year since I

have left you, and for that I am truly sorry. I hope that my letter has found

you happy and healthy. It turns out that our simple plan wasn't so simple. I

wish that I could be there with you, growing old with you, staying with you forever.

You were my destiny Temperance, I firmly believe that. Unfortunately

destiny hit a change of course. It happens sometimes.

I know that I promised you I wouldn't leave you alone, and there were times

you would tell me that you couldn't do it alone, you couldn't raise Parker by yourself. I know that you can though. You are one of the strongest, bravest, and

most loving person I know. You are a great role model for him.

We shared a beautiful life together, you made the man I am, was . . .

You made my life complete. You are the best thing that

ever happened to me and Parker. I have no regrets about our life together.

I am only but a chapter in your life. I wish we could have filled that

book of life together, but it just wasn't meant to be. Hold on to our life together,

but I want you to live again. I want you to make new memories.

Thank you for giving me the honor of being my wife and mother to Parker. Thank you for being my best friend and holding me through the nightmares. I am and will always will be . . .

Forever yours,

Seeley

PS: There will be more letters arriving through the next couple of months.

You have to do them, don't forget I am watching out over you. I love you.

Brennan sank down on her couch. Sadness overwhelmed her, "How am I going to do this without him Ange?" She whispered.

"It doesn't sound like you have to do it without him. It seems like he is going to be with you for a little bit longer, guiding you along the way." Angela responded, holding her friend tight.

"Then it is almost as if he knew this was going to happen!" Brennan shook with anger. Brennan looked out the door and saw Parker walking straight for her door. She quickly wiped her eyes and smiled at the young boy.

"Bones!" Parker exclaimed. "The class didn't believe me when I said you were my mom and that you were teaching me the names of the bones."

Brennan smiled at her young stepson. She had almost forgotten about her part for the field trip, she frantically looked around trying to find something to talk about, but luckily Zach had set up a skeleton from limbo for her. She whispered a thank you to her colleague and picked up Parker, perching him on her hip. Man, he was getting big. Booth would be so proud.

"My name is Dr. Brennan-Booth," She introduced herself to the children. "I am Parker's mother and the lead forensic anthropologist here at the Jeffersonian Institute." She set Parker on a stool and he immediately began naming all the bones on the table. "That's great Park." She quickly explained to the children what her job was and what her affiliation with the FBI was. She answered all their questions and gave them a tour of the lab. Before the class left, she gave Parker a kiss and he wrapped her up in a hug.

She watched them go have load the bus and pull away. She thought of the letter and of when her and Booth were together.

"Seeley!" She screeched. Her husband let out a huge belly laugh. He had just assaulted her with his cold feet again. "All you need to do is put on your socks before you go to bed!"

"Well, it only takes a couple of seconds to warm up when I put them up against you." He replied. The smile on his face melted her anger away.

She wrapped her arms around him and started snuggling against him. Then a devilish idea whipped across her brain. Her fingers danced across his chest, making contact with the one point her husband would be ticklish. She found the spot and began her assault.

After several minutes of the tickle war, which ended up with him falling on the ground, they called a truce. "I love you so much Temperance Brennan." He whispered.

"I love you so much too Seeley Booth." She feel asleep in his arms, and she knew that would be where she was going to spend the rest of her life, in his arms.

The bus pulled away and Brennan walked to her car. She couldn't shake the feeling that Booth was still out there somewhere. She wanted answers.

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Brennan walked into Agent Sam Cullen's office. "Dr. Brennan, what can I do for you?"

"I just received this letter from Booth." She replied. "It is almost like he knew what was going to happen for him, and I need to hear it from you - is Seeley really gone? You don't have him on some undercover mission somewhere?"

"Unfortunately that is not the case Dr. Brennan. I wish Agent Booth was still here. He was the best of the best." Cullen answered the woman. Sympathy for her ran threw his veins. "Temperance, he's gone."

"Then how did he know to write this letter?" She demanded.

He smiled at her. "It is from my days of serving in Vietnam. I'm sure Booth wrote several letters like that before he did missions during his tour of duty. It is the letters that soldiers write before they undertake a difficult mission. It is our legacy, our last thoughts of things that we want our loved ones to know."

Brennan sank down in the chair. She just hoped he was alive, it was hard to believe that he was gone. She could feel him everywhere. "What do I do know?"

"I suggest that you follow the letter and do what he wants you to do." He answered. Cullen's eyes connected with hers and he no longer saw the fire and defiance that was there when they met. All he saw was the pain and despair that was left when she lost her other half.

He knew what that felt like. He felt like that when Amy died. He wished that he could tell her that the pain would go away, but he knew all to well that it never really does.

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Brennan went back to her lab sighing. She had hoped that she would hear the news that they were mistaken, that it was all a nightmare in which she would wake up. That he would be in her arms again, that he would save her from herself.

She glanced at the clock, it was four o'clock and Parker would be expecting her at any time. Brennan pulled up and found him sitting on the school yard steps not wanting to play with the other children on the playground.

"What's up Bub?"

"It's Daddy's anniversary." He whispered. Brennan sighed. She had wished that the young boy wouldn't remember that it had been today that he had died. She wondered how he knew, and then she saw. There were women standing in the corner, talking and pointing at them.

"Are you okay?" She asked pulling him into her lap.

"Yeah, just sad." He replied.

"I'm sorry Baby. I wish that I could take away all your pain and bring your Daddy back. You know I love you."

"I love you too. Can we get ice cream?"

"Yeah Parker, anything you want." Parker kissed her on the cheek and linked his small hand in hers. Brennan vowed to make the small family okay again.


AN: I hope that everyone is enjoying this story. I changed the title. I also am going to make a couple of little changes to chapter one. Nothing really big, just making Parker in school instead of at summer camp. It fits better with the story if he is in school. Please let me know what you think. What would you want your loved one to do if you passed away suddenly? How would you want them to continue on without them?