A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. And for not hating me for killing Max. I really do like him. Here is the next chapter, let me know what you think. Enjoy!

The next couple days were extremely busy. Preparations were made for Max's funeral; Russ, Amy and the girls drove up and spent the week with Brennan who was coping the worst out of all of them despite not having wanted Max back in her life in the first place. They decided to bury Max next to Ruth. Brennan would normally say that it didn't matter because dead people are dead, but she wanted the symbolism for her parents all the same.

The news about Heather Taffet's mysterious death had spread like wildfire and there was an ongoing albeit not very successful investigation by the bureau to see if they could figure out who had pulled the trigger. Not that anyone really cared who did it; everyone was just relieved that a serial killer was dead.

Additionally, a woman who looked a lot like Heather Taffet had been found shot at the Marina. She had been standing, talking with some friends when she had been shot in the back. It had taken her almost a half hour to die. Cam had been called to do the autopsy and Booth was asked to take the case.

Booth had a feeling in his gut that told him who the killer was. Max had many friends in the DC crime circuit, but he had left the crime scene and therefore could not be trusted completely by the people he left behind. It was Booth's believe that someone had betrayed him. He was even surer that that person had been working with Taffet. He needed to find out who that man was.

Unfortunately, Booth knew exactly where to start the investigation of the young woman's (Terry Hatchet) death. He sent a FBI crime scene unit to Max's apartment; making sure that they knew his and Bones' fingerprints and footprints would be found in the apartment as they were the ones who had found Max dead. He was thankful that there were no bones involved in the case so that his Bones could have a break and mourn her father's death in peace. The rest of the team worked to try and find the killer as quickly as possible.

By the end of the second day it had become obvious that Max had shot Terry Hatchet. His intention had obviously been to take out Taffet but someone had double-crossed him. In a more interesting twist, the evidence showed that it was possible that Max had indeed shot Taffet as well. The time frame between the deaths fit and Max's gun held the same caliber bullets as the one found in Taffet.

"At least we can put this whole thing to rest now." Cam said as she and Booth finished up some paperwork.

"Yeah, yeah." He replied distractedly.

"What's wrong Seeley?" She asked him. He had been acting odd during the investigation though she had attributed it to having to convict his partner's dead father. She did not envy his job at all sometimes.

"Nothing, nothing. Just a lot on my mind. It's been a busy week." Booth responded. Cam nodded her head but was clearly not fully convinced.

"How's Dr. Brennan doing?" She asked.

"She's…not doing so well. I just hope she doesn't blame me for her not being able to compartmentalize." Booth let out a sigh.

"Why would she do that?"

"She's done it before. During the grave-digger trial. She told me that she had lost some objectivity and she couldn't compartmentalize as well as she used to because of the relationships she had formed with people."

"You're worried she's going to blame you and run away? Again?" Cam added after a beat. The look on Booth's face told her all she needed to know but he answered her anyway.

"Yeah. I know I should give her more credit. She's grown and changed a lot, especially this last year. But there's still a part of me that always going to be scared that she's going to run."

"Don't let your own insecurities feed hers." Cam counseled. "If she thinks you're doubting her, she's going to doubt herself. And then she will run away." Booth nodded.

"Yeah. You're right. Thanks." He said sincerely. Then he smiled for the first time in days. "It's a good thing I surrounded myself with such smart women."

Cam couldn't stop the small smile from gracing her face. It gave her confidence that everything would be okay.

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Sweets had been trying to get Brennan to openly mourn and talk about her father for the past week. He wanted to know how she felt about Taffet's death also and about the lengths her father went to just to protect her. He knew that she did not appreciate such open, aggressive behaviour, believing that she was just as capable as her father or Booth to eliminate a threat, and rationalized that she could do it without using violence.

He also knew, being the brilliant psychologist that he was, that Brennan had wanted what society deemed as a normal father. One who loved her and showed his love through gifts or endearments. Not the way Max did by killing people who threatened her life. He wondered if she understood why her father was the way he was. And if she saw the similarities she shared with him. Brennan was fiercely protective of the people she cared about also and would do anything to make sure that they didn't get hurt. Sweets wasn't sure if she realized that about herself.

But despite his poking and prodding he was having very limited success and had quickly backed off after a warning from Booth.

Sweets also wanted to talk to Booth about Max's death. He suspected that Booth was both relieved and upset that Max had been the one to get Taffet and now felt guilty about it. Booth was a man who would always take the blame if someone got hurt. It was part of his White Knight syndrome. His compulsive need to take care of everyone usually meant that he was the one who suffered in the end. Booth had failed to keep Max safe and had not been able to kill Taffet. Sweets believed that Booth would be feeling as though he failed Brennan.

The rest of the team he knew would be fine. Cam was so relieved that Taffet was dead that she had given everyone a three day weekend. Although she was sorry for Max's death, and had given Brennan as long as she needed before coming back to work. Hodgins was a new man. It was as if he had suddenly become untouchable. He did tone it down whenever Brennan or Booth were nearby, he had liked Max, but it wasn't hard to see how happy he was that Taffet was dead. Angela had mixed feelings. She was obviously relieved and happy for Hodgins but her best friend had lost her father and now she was worried about how Brennan would deal with it. They were all worried about her.

Sweets knew he had a lot of work a head of him. Particularly with Booth and Brennan. It seemed as though those two always needed more counseling and support than the others. He figured it was because of their traumatic childhoods and insecurities. He just wanted to make sure that his family didn't fall apart once again.

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Hodgins felt liberated. The grave-digger was dead, he would be forever thankful to Max Brennan for killing her. She hadn't deserved to live. He knew however that he had to keep his joy over Taffet's death concealed because of Max's tragic murder. The man had been murdered because he wanted to protect his family. Although he hadn't known Max particularly well, he knew that Max wouldn't have gone any other way. He was a man who would do anything to protect his family.

Much like Booth, Hodgins thought. He knew Booth better than he had known Max and had seen Booth's protectiveness in full force. The man had hauled himself out of bed after being blown up just to make sure that he was the one to save Brennan. That was just one of the times he had done something to protect the people he loves. Hodgins felt a shiver go down his spine. Booth was just as capable, probably even more capable than Max to take out a dangerous target like Taffet. He shook his head. The evidence said Max did it.

It made Hodgins think. Would he kill to protect his family? Would he be able to end someone else's life? Sweets would say that you never really know if you are capable of killing someone until you are in that position. But as he thought of Angela and of the children he knew would someday fill his home, he felt as though he would be capable of doing it. He just really really hoped that he would never have to.

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"Bones, I have a confession to make." Booth said. His secret had been eating away at him all week. Bones had almost completely shut down since they had found her father dead in his apartment. Booth felt that it was his fault that Max was dead. Taffet had been right. He hadn't been able to protect everyone.

Taffet had been confirmed dead at the scene and by a coroner. Cam was unable to do the autopsy because of conflict of interest but she had been allowed to observe. She was almost giddy when she came out to officially announce that Taffet was dead.

Cam had been the one to do Max's autopsy. Booth had pulled some strings to allow it to happen. He knew that Brennan would feel better about it if Cam was the coroner. She had not dealt with Max's death in the way that anyone but him had expected her to. Everyone had expected her to throw herself into her work and act as if she was completely fine. But he knew that she was not the same person she was a few years ago. She knew that she had to mourn her father as she hadn't when he had left her at fifteen. He was honored that she trusted him enough to let him not only see her mourning but allow him to provide comfort. She really had grown a lot.

Brennan didn't give any indication that she had heard him.

"Bones." Booth sat on the coffee table facing her and took her hands in his.

"I need to tell you something. And I need you not to hate me for it."

"I could never hate you Booth." Brennan said, finally focusing on him. Perhaps what he had to say would distract her from her father's murder.

"Max didn't shoot Taffet." Booth said after a moment's hesitation.

"What?" Brennan asked. This was definitely a distraction; but not the kind she wanted. "The evidence says he did. We found a gun in his apartment that had recently been fired and the caliber matched. She must have been working with someone who then retaliated by killing my father." Brennan laid out the facts she had. Booth looked her straight in the eye.

"I shot Taffet."