Chapter 1

Six months before

It was two weeks after the avalanche. The day before Brennan had been discharged from hospital. Or rather she had made the doctor do it. She had been persuading him for a week when he finally gave up. With the help of Parker Booth convinced Brennan to live at his place.

The next morning Booth woke up when the alarm clock rang. He slowly opened his eyes and moaned seeing what time was it. He murmured something inarticulate, pulled Brennan closer and closed his eyes again. All he wanted was to sleep but his dreams never came true.

"Booth! It's time to get up! Booth!"

"It's 5.30 a.m., Bones! Why do we need to get up?"

"It normal for me. I have to work."

"You won't be late for work even if you sleep another hour!"

"Let me go! Now! Or I..."

"You what?"

"I...I..." - Brennan was trying to think out something convincing. "You'll be working on the next case with Zach!"

"What? Bones! You won't do it."

"Are you sure? I will."

"You'll miss me."

"I don't think so! Now, I'm getting up."

She looked directly into his eyes. Booth kissed her and let her go. But his thoughts never left her. He had noticed everything: how she was walking, putting her hair back, and choosing clothes to hide her bandaged chest...

"Booth!"

"Why are you in such a hurry? Can I sleep a bit longer, please?" - He made his best puppy-dog eyes but Brennan was uncompromising.

"You know that we must find the murderer before he kills somebody else!"

"I know, Bones. I know. But we don't have any suspects! The murder was two weeks ago and we didn't get any other messages from him! Maybe it was only a joke..."

"Even if that's so, we have to find him!" - When she saw that he had not been persuaded yet she added the last argument: "Do you want me to drive today?"

He sighed and finally got up. The special agent understood that she had won but he wanted to have the last word.

"Fine! But after the case is closed we'll take a vacation. Don't even start the argument!"

"Ok. While you are getting ready I'll wake Parker and make breakfast."

When Booth came to the kitchen the breakfast was ready, but there was nobody there. He found Brennan standing in the doorway of Parker's room. She was staring at the boy with a sad expression on her face. Booth came close and hugged her. They stood there for a while thinking. The special agent was recalling the day when he had told Parker about Rebecca's death. It was soon after they had learnt it themselves.

***
"Daddy! Where is mommy? Why didn't she visit me?"

Booth sighed.

"Come here, Parker." - He put him on his lap. - "I have something to tell you. Do you remember me telling you about heaven?"

"It is a place where angels live. Right?"

"Yes, you are right. You mommy...she is with angels now."

"When she will come back?"

"I am afraid she can't come back, Park."

"I want to see her!" - Booth hugged the crying boy tighter.

"You'll see her some day."

"I want to see her now!"

"It is impossible. I'm sorry. There is just one thing you should know."

"What?"

"She'll always be near you. She'll be looking after you and protecting you."

For the first few days Parker was very upset. He cried all day long and refused to eat or drink. All time he was with Brennan. She was only one who was able to feed him a little. But one day his behavior suddenly changed. He woke up in the morning with a smile. When Booth asked what had happened Parker told him than he had seen his mommy. She had told him to be a good boy and to listen to daddy. Brennan opened her mouth to say that is was impossible but after few seconds she silently closed it. 'Parker needs faith.'

Since that day they had been returning to the normal life. They had only one question left: who had killed Rebecca?

Back to present
Rudolf's house

It was hard for Brennan to believe but telling her story to a complete stranger brought her relief. She felt like a huge weight had been taken off her shoulders.

She started her story with their first case together. Then she told him about other cases, about the moments she liked most of all. Brennan stopped when there was nothing to tell except that fateful murder. It was painful for her to think about it. It took several weeks to get her talking even to Angela. She looked at the watch. Suddenly she realized that she had been talking for more than two hours.

"I should go. My friends will worry."

"Of course."

Only when she touched the door-knob Brennan turned around and asked in whisper:

"May...may I come tomorrow?"

"I will be glad to see you! I'm lonely here. My name is Rudolf Hain. Call me Rudolf."

"Thanks, Rudolf. I am Temperance."

For several months Brennan had came to the cemetery every day. She visited the grave then Rudolf. They talked. The old man treated her like she was his own daughter. She made his life brighter and happier. He had been introduced to Parker. Brennan told him that Parker wasn't her biological son but she loved him. They were very close. Rudolf loved him, too. The boy called him 'uncle Rudie' because the name 'Rudolf' was too long for him to pronounce. Rudolf didn't object.

One day he heard a knock. The huge smile crossed his face when he saw who had come.

"Parker! Tempe! How are you doing? Come in. You should sit down, Tempe. I'll make tea."

Brennan nodded and sat down. She was eight-months pregnant, and it was becoming more and more difficult for her to walk and to stay for a long time.

"Uncle Rudie! Happy Birthday! Look what I've made for you!" - The boy gave him a sheet of paper. Three people were drawn on it.

"Look, it's me," - Parker pointed at the small blond-haired figure in the middle. - "This is you," - he pointed at the gray-haired figure on the left, - "and this is mom," - it was the last figure on the right with a big belly.

Rudolf was deeply touched. He couldn't help crying. It was his first present in many years.

"Thanks, Parker! It is amazing! I'll hang it on the wall near the window. But how did you know it is my Birthday?"

The only answer for him was Brennan's smile.

"There is one more surprise. Will you tell him, Parker?"

"Mom has bought a house! It is so big! If you visit us I'll show you everything!"

Brennan was smiling all day. It was the first time in the last few months that she'd been so happy.