A/N: Okay, you want the good news or the bad news first? The good news is, this chapter is super extra long! Yay! The bad news is, this is the last chapter. Boo. But, every story has its natural conclusion and all that remained for this particular story was a sugary-sweet cavity-inducing epilogue. This chapter has three sections, so I could have potentially milked another chapter out of it, but one of the chapters would have been very short and I'd rather just tie everything off neatly.

Now, I must emphasize: this is the LAST CHAPTER. No take-backs. For every one of my previous stories, at least one person has added my fic to their Story Alert list after I published the last chapter and changed its status to Complete. Personally I don't mind, cuz it just racks my numbers up, but I feel bad for the people who added my story expecting an update... and never got one. So, just so you know, I'm not kidding when I say it's over.

Now we come to the part where I thank the reviewers. Thank you, reviewers! You each get a Boreanaz and my sincere, heartfelt appreciation and gratitude. Without you, I probably wouldn't neglect my schoolwork and laundry to write non-canon romances. So... I owe you? Everyone who reviews after this point gets three Boreanazes because honestly, I need to get rid of them. They're eating me out of house and home! Plus, I think some of them are starting a fight club. Every time I come down to the basement they stop talking and stare at me, and then they all pretend they have things to do elsewhere. And they're always shirtless. Which I don't mind; it's the mysterious injuries that worry me. So please, review and relieve me of my burden.

Oh, and a final note for this chapter: I use the word "capisce". If you don't recognize it written, it's pronounced "ka-PEESH." It's the Italian version of "Comprende?" or "Okey dokey?" I feel like most people know and use this word in the spoken language because of mobster movies and whatnot, but you hardly ever see it written.

And now, the final *sniffle*... chapter *snuffle*... Oh, I can't do this! *bursts into sobs* Cut to commercial!


"Brennan."

Brennan looked up from her computer. "Yes, Angela?"

Angela approached her desk slowly, looking downcast and sheepish. "I just wanted to say… I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Brennan asked, perplexed.

"For telling you to tell Booth about your dreams," she explained, twisting her fingers. "I really thought he was ready to hear what you had to say. I guess I was wrong."

"I don't see why you feel the need to apologize," Brennan replied, still uncertain why Angela was so contrite. "I told you that it was a very satisfactory conversation."

"Sweetie." Angela gave Brennan her best look of sympathetic pity. "I know what you told me. It's obvious that it didn't go well. You two have been avoiding each other like the plague all day. You can barely even look at each other. So, I'm sorry; my normally incredible love instincts failed me."

Before she could stop herself, a smile snuck onto Brennan's face. She and Booth had realized quite early on that being within a radius of five feet of each other was too much temptation. Wordlessly they'd agreed to stay apart – far, far apart.

Suddenly Angela's eyes narrowed, and she leaned in closer to Brennan. "That smile," she accused. "You're smiling. You are hiding something from me, Temperance Brennan!"

"I'm not hiding anything," Brennan protested. "You simply never asked."

"Oh no, you can't blame me for not being nosy because I'm normally very nosy but this is the first time we've had a minute alone since –" Abruptly Angela stopped herself and opened her eyes very, very wide. "Oh my God. Brennan. Tell me. Exactly. What happened yesterday."

"Well, as you know, I spoke to Booth about the dreams I'd been having about him," Brennan began nonchalantly. "And I hoped that would be the end of it. But then last night, I had another dream about Booth, and without thinking I called him –"

"You didn't," Angela uttered in a low voice, jaw hanging. "You booty-called Booth?"

"No!" Brennan answered, frowning. "I ended the call, but he came over anyway to make sure I was alright. And then we had an interesting discussion about our dreams and I realized…"

"... that you're soulmates!" Angela finished, biting her lip in barely-contained joy.

"No," Brennan admonished. "There's no such thing. I realized that the reason I was dreaming about Booth is because the possible benefits of a romantic relationship with him actually outweigh the possible detriment. He's excellent agent, an attentive father, and he and I are so compatible that the probability of finding another man equally suited to me is incredibly slim, and I should take advantage of opportunities to – to build a family."

Angela's face was radiant. "So what you're saying is, you jumped his bones and then came up with reasons why that made sense."

"Well." Brennan felt her cheeks grow warm. "It could be misconstrued as that, yes."

"And you do at least realize that you love him, right?" she probed.

"Yes." And now a pleasant warm sensation was growing in her chest, not unlike the feeling she'd had while falling asleep in Booth's arms. "I think I may have loved him for some time, actually."

"Oh, sweetie." Angela's eyes were bright, and she reached across the desk, grabbed Brennan's hand and squeezed it. "Finally. Finally. After all these years, you've finally come to your senses. Miracles do happen."

"It's hardly a miracle, Angela," Brennan denied. "People fall in love every day."

Angela shot her a deprecating look. "Brennan. I've been trying to warm you up to the idea ever since I met you, and it wasn't until a couple of months ago you would even admit there was even a remote chance that love wasn't just a chemical reaction. Trust me, sweetie, it's a miracle." She patted Brennan's hand. "Now, I've got to go back to work. But tomorrow, we're having lunch, and we will have a woman-to-woman chat, and you're going to give me all the details. Capisce?"

"Alright, Ange," Brennan laughed, resuming her work.

...

"So, Camille, what have you got for me?" Booth asked, drumming on the autopsy table.

"You seem chipper today," Cam observed.

"That I am," he agreed, smiling. "Veeery chipper."

She eyed him curiously. "Did you meet a new girl?"

"Nope," he replied truthfully. "I did not meet a new girl."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh! You met an old girl! I mean –" She winced. "That came out wrong. What I meant to say was, did you – Dr. Brennan –"

He grinned and leaned in conspiratorially. "We're together."

"So – just to be clear here – you told her that you love her, right? This isn't some sort of baby-daddy arrangement?" Cam asked, looking apprehensive.

"Yup. And she feels the same way," Booth replied, unable to stop beaming. She loves me. Love love love love love, he thought happily. All you need is love. Love, love. Love is all you need.

Wow, Seeley. You really are a preteen girl. Watch out, or next thing you know, you're gonna be writing "Mr. Temperance Brennan" on the backs of notebooks.

"That's great, Seeley!" Cam exclaimed. "I'd hug you, but…" She gestured to her apron, which had the remnants of their latest case smeared on the front of it.

Booth grimaced. "Understood."

"So, do I have to give you the same speech I gave Angela about knocking boots on the premises of the Jeffersonian?" she asked, only half-joking.

"No, no, no," Booth assured her. "We've agreed to keep our personal lives personal. When we're on the clock, we keep it strictly professional."

"How's that going?" Cam inquired.

Booth sighed. "Reeeeally slowly. And you know Bones – she's a workaholic. If she gets buried in her work she could be here until midnight."

"Not tonight."

He spun around to see Bones, standing in the doorway with a small smirk on her face.

"I get off in half an hour, Booth, and then we're going to dinner," she stated. Without missing a beat, she walked right past him and over to Cam. "Dr. Saroyan, are you done with the remains?"

God I love that woman.

A few minutes later, Bones took her leave (taking care not to make anymore eye contact with Booth, of course). Cam watched her go, and then gazed at Booth.

"What?" he asked.

"She really does love you, Seeley," she said, with a knowing smile.

Booth laughed. "I know, but how do you know? All she did was waltz in here and ignore me for a couple minutes."

"We just opened a pretty baffling homicide investigation, which is Dr. Brennan's favorite kind of case," Cam explained. "She's getting her first crack at the bones tonight, a process that she normally likes to spend several hours on, and she's leaving it to have dinner with you. Trust me – she loves you."

...

Her shoe nudged his under the table.

Booth grinned. "Are you playing footsie with me?"

Bones took a bite of pasta. "That was accidental."

A silky stockinged foot slid up his calf.

She raised one devious eyebrow. "Now I'm playing footsie."

"Gee, Bones," he said carefully, suddenly finding it difficult to speak evenly. "I was sure you were going to say you were unfamiliar with the term."

"You were wrong," she replied nonchalantly, sliding her foot back down ever so slowly. "But I think I'm distracting you from your steak, so I'll stop."

"Distract me all you want," Booth responded, wiggling his eyebrows and doing his best impression of a grade-A sleaze. "I don't mind."

"Stop leering at me and eat," Bones laughed.

"Fine," he sighed. "But you started it."

They ate silently for a moment, occasionally glancing at each other between bites. The soft golden lamplight of the restaurant cast the prettiest glow over Bones' face and she looked just - flawless.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"How beautiful you are," he murmured. "You?"

She swallowed another bite. "I was thinking about mandibles."

"Jawbones?" he chuckled. "Well, that makes sense. Since we're chewing, and all."

Bones gazed at him, a slight smile playing over her lips. "I was noticing your mandible, actually. It's more pronounced than most and... I find it attractive."

"Thanks." Booth smiled back, and for a moment, everything and everyone around them seemed to disappear. It was just him and her, here, now, together.

Who'd've thunk. I love her and she loves me and life is good, just like I imagined it.

I guess some dreams do come true.


A/N: Thank you so much for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed it, and didn't find the last line unbearably corny. ;) And to everyone who reviewed - you are awesome. You are the wind beneath my wings. *bursts into song* Did you ever know that you're my heeeeee-roooooo? You're everything I would like toooo beeeeeee -

Oh? It's over? It's time for me to say goodbye? Well, then farewell, my fair readers. Mayhap we shall meet again. Think on me fondly and remember - I always loved you.

What's that? Too creepy?

Nah. :P