A/N: So this is it, guys. The Last Chapter. I'm really sorry it took so incredibly long to get up, over a week, which is really way too long. I know if I was reading I would have freaked out. But since it was the last chapter, I wanted to take my time, so it could live up to everyone's expectations. I hope it does. Big thanks to everyone who reviewed, really, it's what kept me going. And a HUGE shout out to Diggingupbones, who just gave me the most wonderful review I've ever gotten. Seriously, thank you SO much!! And I'm leaving for vacation in Hawaii on Friday, but when I come back, there'll be a new story up and ready. I already have an idea. Okay, I know I'm torturing you here with this long author's note, so on with the fic! And remember to review, its your last chance!!! Once again, thanks to everyone. Now, on with the show!

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Temperance stared hazily into those familiar, chocolate brown eyes. The eyes that gave her solace, the eyes that made her feel at ease. That made her feel loved. The eyes that spilled his emotions, that gazed into hers so many a time.

Now, those eyes were filled with questions. With hurt, with sadness, and as her steel blue eyes met his, filled with hope.

"Bones?" he whispered, a small smile stretching across his lips as he said her name. As he realized that he wasn't just imaging her blue orbs staring back into his, as he realized that there she was, the brilliant and beautiful forensic anthropologist he loved so much laying in front of him. Awake.

Alive.

His smile grew to a grin, his thumb still absentmindedly tracing circles along the soft skin between her thumb and forefinger. He watched as her lips began to curve into a smile, too, never breaking eye contact. They sat in silence, neither thinking of the right thing to say, the right words to show their emotions. All they could do was look, look into the other's eyes, and try to find comfort. Try to convey what they were feeling, the relief they both felt just knowing the other was there.

Angela watched from outside the window, smiling happily to herself for the first time in six hours. She watched her favorite non-couple get lost in each other's eyes, grinning like idiots. She sighed. Idiots in love.

They just didn't know it yet.

Hodgins walked up behind her, slipping a strong, tanned arm around her waist and planting a quick kiss on her shoulder, distracting her from her thoughts. Angela leaned her head on his shoulder as he pulled her close, the couple standing content outside the doorway to Brennan's room, eagerly watching the exchange.

"Hey." Brennan's voice was quiet, relaxed, a hint of fear still hidden beneath that one simple word. His smile grew wider as Booth continued to stare into her eyes. She's alive.

"Hey." Booth struggled to keep his voice even, straight, not let it crack with the rush of emotions he was feeling. Brennan softly closed her eyes, silently noting that Booth's hand was still on hers, and smiled to herself. But as quickly as she shut her eyes, they popped back open, and Booth could see the fear and the sad and the loneliness flash across them. He squeezed her hand for support, leaning over the bed so she had to look into his eyes once more. "Hey hey, Bones, it's okay, I got you. What's wrong?"

Temperance looked up at Booth, her breath hitching as the caring, tender eyes swept over hers. "I-I just…" She took a deep breath, tried to calm herself before starting again. "It's just that every time I close my eyes, he's there. Every time I close my eyes, I'm back there in that freezer, on-"

Pause.

Deep breath.

"Only you're not there with me, and Angela and Hodgins and Zack, th-they never came, and…" She trailed off as Booth leaned over, wiping a lone tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. Huh, he thought, seems like I've been doing that a lot lately. He didn't mind, not at all.

"Shhh, it's okay, I'm right here. You're safe now. Besides," a small smile crept over his face as he lifted his other hand to cup her cheek, gently rubbing the tender skin along her jaw line as he continued, "you know that even if Zack hadn't shot him, I would have, frozen limbs and all. That son of a bitch didn't stand a chance against me." Booth chuckled lightly as he saw a smile slip across Brennan's lips. Regretfully, he peeled his hand from her face, aware that he had already overstepped his boundaries with her more than once tonight. Although she didn't seem to mind, a small voice in the back of his head told him. Damn conscious.

Immediately Brennan missed the warmth of Booth's hand on her cheek. Her eyes flickered down to the sheets on her cot and then quickly up at him, noticing a glint in his eye that she had never seen before. That she couldn't identify. She thought back to what he had said. "Wait a second." Her eyes were wide and her voice was gaining strength, getting closer to the challenging, opinionated tone of the Dr. Brennan he knew and loved. "Did you just say that Zack was the one who shot Blake?"

Booth sighed. He had a lot of explaining to do.

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Sunlight streamed in through the hospital windows, the corridor shining brightly as Seely Booth rolled an extremely temperamental Temperance Brennan around the corner. Apparently, she wasn't one for being pushed around. Even literally.

"Booth, I'm fine, I can walk!" Yep, she was back to normal all right, same old protesting Dr. Brennan. Booth brought the wheelchair to a halt and threw both hands in the air in submission.

"Hey, Bones, doc's orders, not mine." Brennan crossed her arms and turned away from him, a pout settling across her lips. God, she's cute when she's mad. Booth laughed as she rolled her eyes and threw him a dirty look over her shoulder. "Oh come on, Bones, admit it, you like having me wait on you hand and foot." He rolled her into the waiting room, the expectant faces of the Squints lighting up as they saw her.

Angela was the first to run over, a giant, white paper bag in her hands. She set the bag down in Brennan's lap, standing to the side of the wheelchair as Temperance looked up at her, questions in her eyes. "Okay, Bren, so I know how much hospital food sucks. And I also know that you were up late working yesterday anyways, which means you probably skipped dinner, not like that's a surprise." Small laughs came from the group.

It was true.

"So, anyways, I brought you the necessities. There's a blueberry muffin, chocolate chip cookie dough, a vanilla yogurt, some fresh strawberries, a Hershey's bar, and an extra-large pint of Ben & Jerry's." Angela smiled. "It's New York Super Fudge Chunk," she added, watching Brennan's smile stretch to a full-blown grin.

"Thanks, Ange."

Hodgins and Zack said their goodbyes, leaving with Angela, letting the two partners to themselves. Booth had told Bones not to say anything to Zack, that it would be better that he think she didn't know. Zack was already feeling awkward enough—he wasn't used to being the "Hero", as Booth had called him. It was Booth's job, not his.

Squints weren't heroes.

Then again, Squints didn't usually work in the field, either. They didn't usually solve murders or work with the FBI or write best-selling novels. Nothing about their little family of Squints was normal. It hadn't really been a big deal, Zack thought now. He did it, and now it was over. End of story. But he felt like maybe now he'd earned some more respect, more than just the "goofy little brother" status. Maybe now he'd really be considered a colleague. It was a lot to mull over, and Booth's words kept repeating in his head. "You're the hero." Zack decided he liked it.

And so Brennan had let him be, no thanks, no "what-can-I-do-to-repay-you", no nothing. She just leaned back in her wheelchair and let Booth roll her over towards the elevator, reaching out his hand to help her get up.

She didn't take it.

Booth laughed. Good ol' Bones, never one for chivalry. She could do it on her own. As they waited for the elevator, Booth remembered something.

"Oh yeah, Bones, um… I had Angela bring your car over here, hope you don't mind." Brennan raised an eyebrow at him. Damn, he thought. He had been hoping to avoid this. He shrugged. "You see, um, in my hurry to find you, I kind of left the keys in the car, and, well, Blake, I guess he realized that, and so the SUV, it's kind of, um…"

"Gone?" Brennan supplied. Booth just shrugged again, clearly embarrassed. Brennan laughed. A real, genuine, tears squeezing in your eyes, whole body shaking kind of laugh that hadn't come over her in a long time. Booth was awkward at first, but then joined her, laughing at his own stupidity and the whole situation.

After a few minutes, Brennan got a grip on herself. She looked Booth in the eye and, in all seriousness, posed a question. "Does that mean I get to drive?"

Booth looked into those steel blue eyes once more, a glint in his eye. He couldn't help thinking, not for the first time in the past day, how lucky he was that she was alive. He didn't know what he would have done without her. It was nothing. He would be nothing, no one, a living ghost. Looking into her eyes he saw love, he saw friendship, he saw promise, he saw everything he could ever need.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, Booth pulled her close. He planted a soft kiss on her head, squeezed her shoulder, and looked down at her, knowing that everything was going to be okay. It always would.

"Nope."