A/N - I know that there will be alot of people out there who may be dissapointed with this final chapter. I also know that alot of people wanted it to be a Booth/Brennan story, but I never saw that happening. I wanted to write a Booth centered fic that would explore his past a little. And Temperance, as much as I love the pair of them together, is part of his future. I hope that that explains it. As for any facts that I may mention about war, they were things my grandparents have told me over the years. The stories were riddled with terror and death, something I am grateful that I will never have to experience, thanks to all those people who are out their fighting for us. So when you get down, think about them. Think about what they go through before they go to sleep at night and remember just what they are fighting for. Enjoy the final chapter and as always, tell me what you think...

Chapter Five - Back To The Future

Temperance clutched tightly onto Jerry's hand, watching Angela's feet as she paced back and forth, turning on her heel and starting the whole trip again. Booth had died on the way to the hospital but they had managed to revive him and now he was having surgery for the internal injuries. He could die. He had died, but had somehow cheated death again. He was going to live. He had too. She didn't want to give him another option. If he died, she would kill him. The coffee's that the very shame faced FBI agent's had brought them some hours ago had gone cold with abandonment, the black liquid looking more like tar then anything else. Temperance glanced at her hands again, Booth's blood smudged in board strokes across her palms and fingers. Her coat lay on the chair beside her, completely ruined and soaked in Booth's blood. She knew that the top she wore was the same but she fought back the desperate desire to shower and change. She was not leaving this hospital, was not going anywhere until she knew if Booth was going to make it or not. Angela gave up on her pacing and settled herself on the other side of Jerry, clutching the older man's free hand. Jerry sat solid and still, his face absent of any feelings or thought. He seemed to be nothing more then a human rock that the two women needed to lean on, allowing them to solidify their fears through him. He hadn't spoken since they had found Booth, whether it was because he was in shock or because he had nothing to say, Temperance wasn't sure. All she knew is that she was glad he was here. She was glad that he had been here throughout the entire fiasco. A doctor with blood-smeared scrubs came through the swing doors and Temperance swallowed heavily as he began to approach them.

"Are you the one's who brought him in?"

The trio nodded as one and the doctor squatted in front of them, so close that Temperance could see the sweat pooled on his upper lip and the beads on his face.

"He made it. Just. It was incredibly close but we think he'll pull through. He lost a lot of blood though, so he's going to need to stay here for quite a while until we get him up and running again."

Jerry found his voice before anyone else, and she could hear the relief thick in it.

"What were his injuries?"

"Ruptured spleen, torn stomach lining, fractured and broken ribs, bruised kidneys, fractures in his legs and a split liver. He's lucky to be alive."

The doctor gave them a small smile before walking back out of the swinging doors that he had entered from, leaving the trio alone in their relief. Angela began to cry, her shoulders shaking, a smile still on her face. Jerry pulled her into a tight hug before handing her a tissue. He turned to look at Temperance, a broad grin on his face.

"He's going to be fine."

She nodded and felt the air begin to re-enter her body. Booth was going to be fine. She could breath again. Her world began to move again and for the first time in days, Temperance felt the lightness of happiness begin to fill her. Booth was going to be fine.

She knew she wasn't meant to be there, but after Jerry and Angela had left, she needed to see him. And now that she had, had seen with her own eyes the steady rise and fall of his chest, she was satisfied. She took a seat next to him and held his hand in hers, her thumb stroking the back of his hand in soft strokes. Her feelings for him had always confused her. She never knew where she stood with him which made her work harder to get to know him and the more she got to know him, the more she liked him. Which just made the confusion swirl harder in her stomach. She didn't know her left from her right when it came to him. And every once and a while, she enjoyed the freedom of not knowing. Maybe that's what made life so interesting, not knowing exactly where your place was in the world.

She had discovered a lot about Booth this adventure. He was not as strong as she had thought he was, and in a way it was reassuring. She didn't want him to be the overly sensitive guy who cried at chick flicks and puppy commercials but it was still nice to know that beneath the shield he put up was a normal guy, with normal human problems. He had never broken down in front of her before; it had always been the reverse. She was the one who cried and allowed him to pick up the pieces. And in a strange way, she respected him more after he had cried, told her exactly how he felt. It helped her glance more of him and she liked what she saw. Nothing at all might ever happen between them but at least she knew that if it did, it was built on a foundation more solid then anything else she could think of. She trusted him with her life and he was the same. What better foundation for a relationship could there be? The only person she trusted as much as Booth was Angela and that was saying something. Temperance stood and laid a quick kiss on his cheek before placing his hand gently back on the bed. Nothing else mattered now. Booth was going to pull through and all would be right with the world again.

…………Some weeks later

As much as he hated relying on a cane, he needed it. And it was much better then the crutched he had been on previously. At least he looked somewhat normal now. Which was what he needed. His body was healing and thanks to some much needed counselling, so was his mind and guilty heart. He could never forget what he did in those days or the ones preceding it but at least he could make an effort to get back to the future. He signed the guest book and waited as the receptionist buzzed him in, not bothering to check his ID anymore. He had been there often enough for all the nurses to recognise him. He clacked his way to the social room and sat across from the man setting up a chessboard.

"Seeley. Nice to see you again."

Booth pulled his chair closer to the table, giving the man a smile.

"Nice to see you as well Conrad. How have you been this week?"

Conrad shrugged as he began to put the pieces in their corresponding places on the board.

"As well as can be expected I guess. I'm starting a creative writing course next week and I've begun to plant a garden. It's quite soothing in here you know. People always picture mental hospitals with padded walls and cold hard air to it but I like it here."

Booth moved one of his rookies into play on the board and watched as Conrad did the same. They played in silence in the beginning of the game, the same as they had for the last few weeks when Booth made his weekly visits. In a way, seeing Conrad was part of his therapy. He pitied the man for all he had been through and he had been the one to insist on the mental hospital. Conrad would never be able to leave but at least there were some freedom's here that he would never get in prison. He was not a criminal in the normal everyday sense of the word; anyone who looked into those cool, blue eyes could see the intelligence there. And Booth didn't want to hold a grudge. He would do what he had promised. He would visit Conrad once a week until Conrad insisted on otherwise. It was his way of repairing what had happened to Colin.

"So I heard you were fired from the FBI"

Booth nodded as he moved his Bishop into the game.

"I was. The murder accusation would have made it impossible to continue being with the FBI. But it was time to move on anyway."

Conrad paused in the game to look Booth coolly in the eye.

"I am sorry for making you lose your job. That was not my aim. I just wanted to make you feel the way I felt when I lost everything."

"And I do. I always have Conrad. I will never get over the death of your brother. It's just unfortunate that we had to become friends after you tried to kill me."

Conrad smiled, only this one was not as twisted as the others when they had first met. This one was less manic and a little friendlier.

"It is a bit of a shame. But we're ok now, right?"

Booth nodded, smiling as he placed Conrad into checkmate. He had never beaten the man at chess before.

"Checkmate. Are you slipping Conrad?"

Conrad shook his head as he began to set up the board again.

"I took pity on you Seeley. But not this time."

Booth smiled and watched him set up the board. Maybe he could beat him twice in a row.

Booth had always liked cemeteries. There was an eerie sense of control to the place, the angels and stone markings standing over their chosen body, almost as if they were protecting the dead from whatever may afflict them now that they could no longer protect themselves. Temperance fell back as Booth approached the grave with the biggest angel, the one with a halo of flowers. He knelt down in the damp grass, not caring about the possibility of grass stains on the knees of his pants.

"Hey Colin. Long time no see mate."

Booth placed some daises on the foot of the angel and gently traced Colin's name.

"So I'm friends with your brother now but you properly already know that don't you?"

Booth leaned against the cold marble, feeling the sharp edges digging reassuringly into his back.

"I'm sorry for what happened Colin. I promise no one will ever forget you or what you did. Your brother and I will both make sure of that."

Booth felt the tears begin again, only this time they were borne of relief, not guilt or pain. He could move on with things, knowing that even though the rest of the world could frown all they wanted over what he had done with his life, but at least those most important to him knew the truth. He was Seeley Booth, a normal average guy with a normal life. Or it will be once he got it sorted out. He got up and made his way back to Temperance's side, walking in comfortable silence back to the truck. They didn't need to speak. He liked that he could have silences with her and know that she would not need anything more then this.

There was something truly satisfying about being able to rebuild ones life from scratch. It was hard but it was like washing away everything that had ever bothered you before and replacing it with new, more welcoming things. For Booth that meant a number of things had to be changed. For instance where he lived. For the last few years he had been toying with the idea of buying a home for himself and Parker, one with a huge backyard that he could put a nice swing set in, maybe even build a tree house. So that's what Booth did. It took just a few weeks to find the perfect one and soon he was moved in. And he loved it. Next came something that Parker had been bothering him about ever since he could talk. A dog. So they went to the pound together and picked out a husky called Anna. What shocked Booth was just how much the dog reminded him of Temperance. Anna was by no means obedient; she was stubborn, surprisingly affectionate and could pull off complete innocence with those big blue eyes of hers. She was not the prettiest dog but she was smart and she had had a hard life and yet somehow, her tail never stopped wagging. From the moment she met both Booth and Parker, she clung to them, as if she was trying to prove she was worthy of their love and affection. She didn't need to. Booth and Parker were both completely in love with the flop-eared hell raiser. She also helped Booth with his physical therapy. Because of her size, Anna needed to be walked at least twice a day, which made him move his legs and keep him fit. Anna was just what Booth and Parker needed.

The other part of his new life mission came later. Some weeks in fact after he had gotten Anna. He decided to take her for a nice long stroll to see Temperance and the rest of the team. It was along the way that he passed a large empty building that was for sale. He gave it a passing glance before heading back along the path, Anna pulling eagerly at her lead. He ignored the funny looks he and Anna received, heading right for the lab. Angela spotted them first and did a little running leap into Booth's arms.

"It's so good to see you on your feet!"

Booth kissed her cheek before placing her feet back on the ground, where Angela spotted Anna. Now, another reason Booth liked Anna so much was that she was a great judge of character. She had hated the postman right from the get go and Booth had discovered that the man was stealing people's cheques from their mail. She had also hated this one guy who lived a good block or so away from them. It was found out later that the man had killed his wife and had hidden her body beneath the house. Anna knew who was good and who was bad, often better then Booth himself. Which was why he wasn't surprised that when it came to Angela, Anna was putty in the woman's hands. She flopped onto her back and let Angela rub her chest and stomach, great moans of delight coming from mouth, which was wide with a massive dog grin.

"I think my dog likes you."

"She's yours? What's her name?"

"Anna."

"She's gorgeous. Did you get her from the pound?"

Booth nodded and his eyes searched for the one person he didn't know he was looking for. He had missed her hugely over the last few weeks. After seeing her almost everyday for a year, it was odd hardly ever seeing her at all.

"Well if it isn't the great and mighty Seeley Booth coming to grace us with his presence."

She had snuck up on him. And Anna hadn't even moved from her spot beneath Angela's hand. So much for a guard dog. Booth turned and was confronted with a wide smile. She wordlessly pulled him into a hug and he allowed himself to smell her hair and feel her back curving slightly beneath his hands. He had really missed her. She pulled back and glanced at the ground at Angela and Anna.

"I see you've been up to a lot while you were healing."

Booth smiled and shrugged.

"I moved and got a dog. Not a lot really."

Temperance smiled back and he gave Anna's lead to Angela and followed Temperance into her office. Nothing about her had changed at all. Her hair was slightly longer, but apart from that, he could see nothing different. She was still Temperance.

"So what have you been doing with yourself lately? It must be hard not working."

Booth took a jellybean from the large jar on Temperance's desk, rolling the sweet around his mouth before answering.

"I go and see Conrad every week. Did I tell you that?"

Temperance shook her head.

"No you didn't. Why would you want to do that?"

Booth shrugged as he chewed and swallowed.

"I guess because what he did was hardly madness. To him, I killed his brother and his mother. And I understand where he's coming from, kind of anyway. I don't want to judge him for what he's done to Terry or myself. "

She frowned as he eyes searched his.

"What do you do when you're there?"

"Play chess and talk. He's not a bad guy once you get to know him."

Temperance helped herself to a handful of jellybeans, chewing thoughtfully.

"Just be careful ok?"

Booth nodded and felt warmed by her concern. It was nice to know she cared.

"So have you heard from Jerry since our little adventure?"

Temperance smiled.

"Yeah, he was in earlier in the week with flowers and chocolates for Angela and I. It was nice to be a little spoiled."

"He's good people."

"That he is."

They chatted for a little while longer before Booth decided to make a move back to the house. Anna was due for lunch and judging by the rumble in his stomach, so was he. And as he passed the vacant building again, he had an idea. First he wondered around for a little, gazing in through the gaps in the windows, seeing if what he dreamed could be possible in that space. Then he called the number on the for sale sign and set about making his second biggest purchase ever.

Temperance was very busy when she noticed the tall teenager enter the lab, looking more then a little lost. She approached him and gave him a small smile.

"Can I help you?"

The boy gave her almost relieved smile.

"I'm looking for Bones."

Temperance felt her smile get a little wider as she nodded at the boy.

"That's me. Who sent you here?"

"My boss, Mr Booth. Did you want me to take the coffee's back?"

Temperance shook her head as she took the tray containing four coffee cups out of the boy's hands. He gave her a large white envelope and a small smile before leaving the lab again. It was then; on closer inspection that she saw all the cups had different names on them. One was for Angela, another for Hodgins, Zach and herself. She handed out the coffees before heading into her office to open the envelope, a thin piece of paper sliding out.

Bones,

By now, you are properly wondering what was with the coffee delivery. Well guess what? I finally decided what to do with my free time. I opened a café. I know it sounds a little ridiculous but I can tell you right now, it's more fun then being with the FBI. Drink you're coffee and you will know just how good I am at my new life venture. I called the café Bones, after you. Hope you don't mind. Pop in and see me when you can, we're right on the corner, you can't miss us.

Booth

Temperance sipped at the coffee and she decided to go and see Booth. He at least owed her a free meal for stealing her nickname from her.

Bones was different to what she had expected. For one, it was hugely busy and she had to slide into the building and stand right back as she took in her new surroundings. Directly to her left was a large solid, wood bookcase covered in magazines and books. They had everything, from Cleo to the latest National Geographic. As for the books, they ranged from Marion Keyes, Stephen King, Dean Kootz and James Peterson. She felt a faint glow of pride when she saw the cover of her own book nestled amongst the others, the pages dog-eared and worn. She let her gaze slip to the opposite walls and felt a smile pull on her lips. There was a large painting of skeleton's dancing; dressed to the nines in large hats and flaring dresses, moving to a tune only they would ever hear. It was a funny, silly piece but somehow it worked. On the next wall was a large life size portrait of the human body, composed entirely of x-rays, one that people were stopping to admire and even discuss. There was even a selection of skulls of animals dotted around the walls, which of course worked with the rest of the décor. Amongst the normal tables and chairs were sofas and large, plush looking armchairs, in all shade and shapes. All in all, it was the kind of place she herself would go to get coffee if she knew that the coffee was good. Which she knew it was.

"Bones! You came."

Booth looked different out of his normal FBI attire. He was wearing a pair of worn looking jeans, a white t-shirt and a black apron, Bones emblazoned in solid gold letters across the top of it.

"Of course I did. I had to see what you used my nick name for."

Booth ushered her into a back room, away from all the yelling of orders and people trying to push to the front of the que. She took a seat and watched as Booth disappeared, returning with two coffee's in his hands.

"So what do you think?"

Temperance took a sip of her coffee, pretending to think about her answer.

"Well, it's definitely not your normal kind of café."

Booth smiled widely.

"A bit like it's namesake when you think about it."

Temperance rolled her eyes at Booth before giving him a small smile.

"I like it. I really do. You have build quite a client base in such a short amount of time."

"Everyone is on the search for good coffee it seems. And it helps with Anna on the door"

Temperance frowned.

"Anna?"

"She's the dog I came in to see you with. She sits on the door and people stop to pat her, get the smell of coffee and they come in. She loves all the attention and I love the money. Our working relationship is great."

They fell into silence as the sounds of the kitchen and coffee maker made conversation almost impossible. Booth finished his coffee first with a contented sigh.

"I have a proposition for you."

"And that would be?"

Booth put his hands on his knees and moved forward a little more.

"I want to give you some shares in this place."

Temperance shook her head as she put her glass down.

"No. This is your baby, not mine. You take the money, save up for Parker and college."

Booth gave her a smile, the charming one he so often used to get his own way. Temperance narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't use that smile on me! It leads to nothing but trouble."

"I want you to have a part in this Bones. I don't expect you to do any of the work, I'll do that. I just want you to be like a silent partner on this. Unless you want to have something to do with this."

"Is this part of your counselling?"

Booth sighed and moved to the seat next to Temperance, making sure she had her eyes in his.

"I told you what I went through with Colin, you know what I go through everyday to make myself a better person. Moving, getting my own home and getting Anna was part of that. But Bones is not. This is just something I wanted to do. So this offer is nothing more then a friend offering a chance to another friend."

"And how much will you need for the shares?"

Booth put on his most serious face.

"Depends how many shares you want. How is half to you?"

"Half? I will own half of Bones?"

Booth nodded, allowing Temperance to consider it for a while. She didn't need pushing; she needed a little time to think.

"And again, how much will that cost me?"

"$40"

The frown revisited Temperance's forehead again.

"I may not know that much about business Booth, but $40 for half of one does not sound right."

Booth gave her another wide smile.

"That's why I like being my own boss. I get to make the rules. All I need is $40 and you become part owner of this wonderful little project of mine. So is it a deal?"

"I still don't know."

Booth took Temperance's hand in his own.

"I trust you more then anyone else in the world and we already know we can work together. It would be a perfect arrangement."

Temperance pulled her hand out of his and began fishing around in her handbag before offering him $40.

"It's a deal."

Booth took the money and slipped it into his back pocket with a smile. He relaxed against the back of the chair.

"Did I tell you what I do with half the profits from this place?"

Temperance shook her head as she finished off her coffee.

"I've been making donations to a group that helps families deal the loss of their family members in war."

"That's what Conrad needed in the first place. Maybe his mother would still be alive if that was around back then."

Booth nodded, the same sadness returning to his eyes. Only, to Temperance, the burden didn't seem as big as it had been before. Now it was just Booth remembering the friend he had lost.

"Which is why I needed to do something now. The wars will keep going, and people keep dying. There is always going to be families that need help. You don't mind continuing with that do you?"

"Of course not. How much do you usually give?"

Booth shrugged.

"It usually depends on what the business is like during the week. Last week I gave $2000, the week before that it was $3000. So it varies from week to week. As long as it's at least $1000 a week, I'll be happy. That money sends a lot of kids to camps, helps them get through Christmas and other holidays."

"Don't worry, it'll stay that way, I promise. Now that I'm part owner, do you want tell me something?"

Booth gave her another smile.

"What's that?"

"How in the world do you make thiscoffee of yours so good?"