Author's Note: I hope you don't mind the fact I've brought Hannah back for this last chapter. I just always felt there was a bit of unfinished business there, so this epilogue reflects that and hopefully provides a bit of closure!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones
3 years later…
Hannah Burley was back in Washington DC. She didn't want to be there, and she wouldn't have been if it hadn't been for the fact that her boss had insisted that her attendance at some swanky awards ceremony was mandatory. She hated the schmoozing and the sucking up that was required at that kind of event. Something that her boss was well aware of which was probably why she had threatened to fire Hannah if she didn't turn up.
She had spent the past three years travelling from war zone to war zone. Living like a nomad between Iraq and Afghanistan. She'd even spent a few months in Mexico, reporting on drug cartels and trafficking. Anything so she didn't have to go back 'home'. Home hadn't been home for a while now and she knew she only had herself to blame for that.
Everything had changed for Hannah after Seeley had found out about her marriage. She was so overcome by guilt, she decided to take a long, hard look at her marriage and her life. She had told Thomas, her husband, that they needed to talk. That she wasn't certain the lives they were leading were right anymore. She had never in a million years expected him to agree with her. She had anticipated a fight, expected him to want to hold on to her, to not let her leave. But, to her surprise, he agreed. In fact, he requested an immediate divorce because he was apparently passionately in love with his 'girlfriend' and really wanted to be married to her instead of Hannah.
She'd been completely blindsided. She hadn't detected anything different in Tom's behaviour to suggest he was so in love with someone else, but then, she had probably been so wrapped up in Seeley that she never would have noticed. She had agreed to the divorce then immediately packed up her belongings and left. What few things that were hers in the house she put into storage and got straight back on the road. She technically no longer had a home but that suited her fine. The hotels she stayed in when she was back in the US were always nicer than any apartment she could afford anyway, even with the settlement she received from Thomas for the house they'd shared.
The ensuing three years had passed by in a bit of a blur. She had thoroughly immersed herself in her work. So much so that she hadn't had time to think about romance, even if she had wanted it. Working so hard hadn't been without it's perks though. She'd gotten a raise for a start and now she was nominated for an award for a piece she wrote about the Mexican drug cartels. The downside to that though was the damn ceremony she was being forced to attend later. Why she couldn't have accepted the award by video-link if she won, she never knew.
She had landed back in DC the previous evening and then, that morning she had been forced to go out and buy a new fancy gown and co-ordinating heels seeing as her usual attire of jeans and boots really wouldn't cut it for this event. She had then found herself at a loose end with nothing to occupy her until it was time to get ready.
She had decided to go for a walk, a long walk, to burn off some of the agitation she was feeling and to make the afternoon pass by quicker. She'd been walking for about 30 minutes when she began to realise that she'd made a mistake in taking a walk and that maybe she should have just bought a bathing suit when she was shopping for the stupid dress so she could have used the spa at the hotel instead. Walking had given her too much time alone with her thoughts, too much time to think about all the mistakes she had made. Being back in DC brought back too many memories. Some good, but mainly bad, reminding her of people and events she would rather forget.
No matter how hard she tried, there was one person she couldn't get out of her mind. She would have imagined that it would have been her ex-husband that would mostly occupy her thoughts, but he barely featured in her musings that afternoon. No, it was Seeley Booth who was occupying her mind and the inescapable feeling that he was the one that got away. Or should she say, the one she pushed away. She wondered if he was still single, and she suddenly got the insane idea to go and visit him. She wasn't far from the Hoover building. She could just drop by, see if he was there. Satisfy her curiosity and maybe, he might be pleased to see her. She was aware that they hadn't parted on good terms, but she wondered if he'd been thinking about her as much as she was about him. There was a good chance he had someone else by now, she knew that. But she knew if she didn't at least try, she would have missed an opportunity, and God knows she didn't want to let another one pass her by.
It was a lovely day weather wise. It was still only early spring. The air was chilly, but the sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze carrying the scent of blossom. The park she had cut through to get to the Hoover was filled with parents taking the opportunity to get their kids outside while the weather was fine. Happy shrieks and laughter drifted towards her as she took a short cut along a narrower path away from the main route through the park. It was quieter on that path but still a few people around. Hannah rounded a corner that opened up onto a large area of grass bordered by trees and the path she was following curving around the edge. She was about to step into the clearing when a child shrieked "Daddy!" loudly. Hannah smiled as she spotted at the far end of the grass a little girl, who could be no more than three years old running towards a man who had appeared through a partially hidden passageway through the trees. The man scooped the little girl up into his arms and tickled her, making the child dissolve in fits of giggles.
As Hannah watched the scene in front of her, she realised that there was something about the man that was familiar. Could it be…? She walked further down the path, getting a little closer, eager to appease her curiosity. She had an unhindered view of him now that he had placed the little girl back down on the ground. Her heart immediately leaped and sank simultaneously. There was no doubt in her mind now that it was who she thought it was. The carefully styled brown hair, the black suit and funky tie paired with black canvas sneakers instead of the smart shoes you would expect. It was Seeley. Hannah was certain. He was now holding the child's hand and walking in the opposite direction to where Hannah was standing. Without really thinking about what she was doing, she followed for a few steps before slinking off the path into the trees so she could watch without being seen.
She got as close as she dared then slid behind a tree, leaning out just far enough that she could see. Seeley had stopped at a bench on the far side of the grassy area. He was still holding onto the little girl's hand who was clearly his daughter, and he was talking to a woman who was sitting on the bench. Hannah's heart sank even further when she realised it was Temperance. Hannah tried to convince herself that it wasn't what it looked like, that they could still just be partners, that the child might belong to someone else. But any hope she had remaining that she was wrong about their relationship disintegrated when Temperance got up from the bench and picked the child up, seating her on her hip. Seeley then put his arm protectively around them both then kissed Temperance on the lips, before ruffling the little girl's blonde hair affectionately.
Then, to her horror, they began walking in Hannah's direction. She had unconsciously drifted out from behind the tree and was just standing in the middle of the shrubbery, clearly visible to anyone walking past. Really wishing she hadn't let her curiosity get the better of her, she stepped back onto the path and began walking again, putting her head down, hoping that it would be enough for Seeley not to notice her.
But Booth had noticed her. He had spotted Hannah before he had scooped Christine up into his arms and he saw when she went and hid behind the tree. He had been keeping an eye on her, tracking her movement, wondering why the hell she was here and what she wanted. He knew she was watching them, not only because obviously that was what she was doing hiding behind a tree, but also because he could feel her eyes on him. He had impulsively decided he was going to go and talk to her to find out what she wanted. But when he told Bones that Hannah was watching them, and that he was going to go talk to her, she insisted on accompanying him and he had no reason to object. Anything Hannah had to say, she could say it to the both of them.
He could see as they approached her that she was trying to ignore them, pretending she didn't know him, like she hadn't lived with him for six months, that she hadn't turned down a marriage proposal from him. As they got close enough, he called out to her.
"Hannah?!"
Hannah stopped walking and looked up. She knew she'd been caught trying to avoid him. She felt a flush of embarrassment creep up her neck. "Seeley? Temperance? Hi!" She said, still keeping up the charade that she hadn't seen them up until that point. "How are you?" She said quickly, trying to conceal her shame.
"We're good thanks. What're you doing here?" Booth asked tersely.
It didn't escape Hannah's attention that he had replied with we not I, speaking for them both as a unit. As she floundered for a response that was as least humiliating as possible, she spotted the wedding ring shining on his left hand and a matching one on Temperance. She tried to smile, but she knew it must have turned out looking more like a grimace.
She wanted to ask why shouldn't she be there, after all, it was a free country wasn't it? She had as much right to be there as him. But she also knew she'd been caught spying on him and all her courage had deserted her. She swallowed then tried to speak, hoping words would come out of her suddenly dry mouth. "I, um, I'm here for work. I have an awards thing tonight and I'm just trying to waste a little time before then."
"Another award, huh?" Booth said, trying not to sound bitter as he remembered the collection of them in her house she shared with her husband.
"Maybe!" She said, trying to smile again. "I'm nominated, but I don't think I'm going to win. I'm up against some tough competition." She realised the double meaning behind her words after she said them and felt a flush return to her cheeks. Trying not to look at Seeley so as not to compound her embarrassment, she turned to look at the little girl in Temperance's arms. She had a pretty pink bow in her blonde hair and eyes the exact same shade as her mother's. "Who's this?" Hannah asked, managing a genuine smile in the child's direction.
"This is Christine." Brennan said, "Our daughter." She added with pride as Booth slipped a protective arm around them both.
"Well, hi, Christine." Hannah said to their daughter, trying desperately to hide the melancholy that was threatening to engulf her.
"Hi!" Christine replied in her sweet silvery voice with a shy smile.
"She's beautiful." Hannah said to them. She could see the happiness on both their faces as Christine snuggled closer to her mother. They looked blissfully happy, something Hannah had never experienced.
As she looked at the three of them, Hannah had an epiphany. They belonged together, Seeley and Temperance. They had always made a good partnership; she had seen that, and it was obvious they were very compatible as spouses too. Now, they were a family with a child together, and Hannah knew she could never have given Seeley what he wanted. He was meant to be with Temperance, not her. Despite Temperance's near constant assertion that she didn't believe in marriage, she was now married. She was the marrying kind, it would seem, even though Hannah got the feeling she wouldn't even have considered marriage to anyone other than Seeley.
Hannah felt sad, but also felt a small amount of satisfaction. Her instincts had been correct. Seeley and Temperance had been a lot closer than they had claimed while Hannah had been dating Seeley, and judging by the age of their daughter, got together not long after Hannah had left. The other thing Hannah had been right about was herself. She was not the marrying kind. At all. Not for Seeley, not for Tom, not anyone. Her marriage had been a sham and thinking about it now, she had never been truly happy. She realised now, that she knew herself better than she thought. It was better for her to focus on her career, a thought which gave her peace. A thought which removed the tiny sliver of doubt always present in her mind that made her believe she should be in a relationship; that she should be married. It hadn't worked for her and likely never would. It was simply better this way.
She didn't belong here, and she began to feel like she was intruding uninvited on their life together. She needed to leave, get away from here. Get the damn awards ceremony over with then get back to her job, hoping then that she wouldn't have to return to DC for a while. She had begun to hate the place. She glanced at her watch. "Well, I'd better be going." She said, pointing in the direction of the road. "Got an awards ceremony to prepare for!" She said with false enthusiasm. "It was good to see you both again." She added with a smile before walking away and never looking back.
Brennan and Booth watched on, a little bewildered as Hannah abruptly strode away from them.
"Who was that, Daddy?" Christine asked with the innocent curiosity of a toddler.
"Just an old friend of me and Mommy." Booth said as he tickled her affectionately under her ear, making her giggle.
Christine squirmed in Brennan's arms making her reluctantly put her down on the ground. She ran off onto the grassy area, crouching down to examine the daisies and buttercups sprouting through the grass.
Brennan seemed distracted as she protractedly watched Christine playing on the grass.
"Hey, Bones." Booth waited while she turned her head to meet his gaze. "You ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine." Brennan replied with a sigh.
Booth's eyes narrowed as he read the expression on her face. "Are you sure? Because you seem kinda upset."
Brennan sighed deeply, glancing away from her husband to see the back of Hannah's head receding into the distance before she was far enough away that Brennan could no longer see her. "Seeing Hannah bothered me more than I thought it would."
She was still staring off into the distance, so Booth tipped her chin with his crooked finger, making her turn her head to look at him again. Her cerulean blue eyes were turbulent, and Booth couldn't help but wonder if they were about to have a fight. "Why did seeing Hannah bother you so much, Bones? She's history. I'm with you now and we're married." He said with a hint of exasperation bleeding into his words.
"Seeing her bothered me because it reminded me of the fact that if she hadn't already been married, it would have been very likely she would have said yes when you proposed to her. If that had have happened, I wouldn't be where I am now. Here with you, and Christine wouldn't exist. I find that thought… unsettling. Distressing even. I love you and I love our life and I don't like that one different decision might have prevented us from having all this."
Booth smiled with warm affection at his wife. The way she said it would have prevented us having all this, warmed him inside. It was a reminder that she truly loved him, that their life together was as important to her as it was to him. They were a unit, a team, two halves of a whole.
"You're not usually one to dwell on the past, Bones." He said before kissing her softly. "That's what all that is. The past. What happened, happened. And now, we're here together. That's what's important. Besides, I like to think I'd have come to my senses." He said with a grin as Brennan rolled her eyes at him. "It would never have worked for me with Hannah. I never stopped loving you, Bones. Ever. I think I'd already figured that out when I asked Hannah to marry me, and I was desperate to prove myself wrong. It was completely the wrong thing to do, I know. But it all worked out in the end. That's what's important."
"I suppose I should have thanked Hannah." Brennan said.
"Why?" Booth was completely nonplussed as to what Bones might have to thank Hannah for.
"Because, without her, I might never have realised what I was missing out on. Also, for saying no." She explained with a soft smile, reaching up to tenderly cup his cheek before kissing him.
"I think we should both have thanked her for that, Bones." Booth said with a grin.
Their moment was then interrupted by a giggling Christine who came running over with a worm in her hand. "Look, Mommy! A worm! I wanna show Uncle Jack!"
Brennan smiled affectionately at her daughter before crouching down to examine the prize in her daughter's hand. "I know Uncle Jack would like to see what you've found, Christine. But I think the worm might be happier if you put it back in the soil where it belongs. How about I take a picture and you can show Uncle Jack that instead?"
Christine nodded happily, allowing Brennan to take the picture before running off again to put back the worm.
Booth snaked an arm around Brennan's waist and pulled her closer to him as they began to walk across the grass towards their daughter. He watched their little girl who was so much like Bones, and he thanked God for what must have been the thousandth time for blessing him with a family that he loved so much.
"How about we try for another one?" He said in Brennan's ear before kissing her hair.
Brennan glanced sharply at her husband, confusion and a little disgust on her face. "I don't think we need another one, Booth. There are plenty in the ground for Christine to discover another time."
Booth chuckled and shook his head. "No, Bones. Not another worm. Another Baby. Whaddya think?"
"Oh!" Brennan considered his suggestion for a few moments before responding. She tried to be rational, but realised it was impossible to be rational about creating a new life. She had to go with her instincts, her heart. She stopped walking and turned to face him. "Yes. Let's try."
"Really?!" Booth asked with a delighted gasp making Brennan laugh.
"Yes. It would be good for Christine to have another sibling with Parker living in England now, and I find I would like to grow our family a bit more."
"Me too, Bones. Let's start tonight!" He said with a huge grin.
Brennan laughed as Booth pulled her close to him again as they resumed walking, Brennan plucking Christine up off the ground into her arms again. They were both the happiest they had ever been, their family the most important thing in their lives, looking forward to a future of more of the same. There had been many bumps along the way, but what mattered was they had got there in the end. They had both finally fallen, catching each other, rewarding them with the prize of the big happy ending.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. It has taken me longer than I would have liked to complete it but I hope it was worth the wait.