(The Hole in the Heart)

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I really don't own Bones.

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Booth and Brennan joined the others in the Lab as Angela brought out a bottle of wine she kept in her desk drawer because you just never knew when you might need a bottle of wine. Holding it up, Angela wiggled the bottle. "Would anyone like a glass of wine to honor Vincent? I can't drink any because I don't want to get my baby drunk, but you're welcome to drink it if you'd like some."

It had been a long day and Booth was very tired. He knew he should stay, but he wanted to leave the Lab and go home and Brennan knew that. "No, Angela, it's been a long day and Booth and I are very tired. I think we all are."

Since no one else knew that her friends were now romantically involved, Angela kept a very sly comment to herself. "Okay, well you two go get some rest." When Cam and Sweets gave excuses too, Angela knew that it was time for everyone to go home and mourn for a young man whose life had been cut too short. "Well, okay. I'll just put it back in my desk then. Maybe we can use it to celebrate something later."

As they left the Lab, Booth looked back and saw Angela lean against her husband and start to weep. "It's been a rough couple of days, but I think everyone is going to be okay though."

Her arm looped around her boyfriend's arm, Brennan walked with him out to the parking garage. "I only spoke to you for a few minutes this afternoon . . . are you alright, Booth?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." His SUV parked in the visitor parking space, Booth shook his head. "Brodsky told me the only regret he had was that the shot that hit Vincent didn't hit me instead . . . we used to be friends . . . he brought all of this on himself."

Disgusted with Brodsky, Brennan shook her head. "What you're saying only confirms what I've said all along. He's bad and he has no conscience. I'm glad you found him, Booth. I'm glad he can't hurt anyone else."

Stopping next to the SUV, Booth pressed Brennan against the side of the passenger door and kissed her. Her arms moving around his chest, she returned his kiss and felt a sense of relief that he was there in her arms and not dead like Brodsky had planned.

Aware that they were in the parking garage and probably giving the Security people a show, Booth pulled away. "Let's go home."

Sadly, Brennan looked over at Vincent's car where it had been parked since the day he died. "Cam said she's going to arrange to have Vincent's car sold and the money sent to his mother. It will be once less thing his mother has to worry about."

His gaze moving towards the car, Booth nodded his head. "That sounds like a great idea." Pulling the passenger door open, he waited for Brennan to enter the truck and then closed the door. Glancing once more at the intern's car, Booth gave it a quick salute and walked around the SUV. Entering the vehicle, he closed the door and turned to look at his girlfriend. "Your place or mine?"

"Yours." Her eyes once more on the dead intern's car, Brennan wiped a tear from her cheek. "It's closer."

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Watching Booth sleep, Brennan sat up on the bed with her back against the headboard. She'd slept a few hours, but after she'd gone into the kitchen to get a drink of water, she'd returned to the bedroom and discovered she couldn't go back to sleep. Instead of waking Booth up, which she knew would be unfair to him, she decided to watch him sleep instead.

This was all new to her. They'd crossed their line the night before and even though it hadn't been in the romantic setting Booth had planned, in the end it didn't matter. Gone were the walls that had existed between them for so long. Gone were the excuses that kept them apart. Life was too fragile and much too short to deprive you of love when it was offered and she wasn't going to do that anymore. She had denied that love existed for a long time because all it had brought her was pain, but now she was in a relationship with her partner and she reveled in the love he showed her whenever he could. She had yet to say she loved him, but she knew she did. She just needed to become comfortable with something she had denied existed for so long.

His eyes slowly opening, Booth turned his head and smiled. "Hey . . . can't sleep?"

Returning his smile, Brennan slowly shook her head. "I slept for about four hours, but I'm just not sleepy right now."

His hand moving out from under the blanket, Booth placed his hand on her bare leg. "You should have woke me up."

"No, you're tired and I wanted to let you rest." Her hand capturing his hand, Brennan tried to encourage him to go back to sleep. "You don't have to stay awake because I'm awake Booth. You're tired. Go back to sleep. I'll try to sleep in a little while."

Unable to prevent it, Booth yawned and closed his eyes. "You know it's hard to sleep when someone is staring at me."

Moving so that she was now lying under the blanket next to him, Brennan rolled on to her side and snuggled against her boyfriend. "Are you disappointed that we didn't wait until we went to that bed and breakfast you were interested in? I know you wanted a romantic setting the first time we had intercourse."

With his eyes still closed, Booth assured her, "Made love Bones. We made love . . . and no, of course not." His eyes now open, Booth moved his arm around her and held her against his side. "I don't regret anything I do with you, Bones. I love you."

Content to be where she was, Brennan felt warm and protected. "I love you too Booth."

With those five words, Booth felt like this new relationship was suddenly real. He knew that she loved him, but he thought it would be a long time before she would tell him that. She may have changed, but he hadn't realized just how much. Moving so that he was now facing her, Booth slowly moved his hand up and down her side and wondered how he'd managed to win. The gambler inside of him had always thought she was out of his reach that he would never win that big heart of hers and yet he had. Almost overwhelmed, he closed his eyes and thanked God for his hand in helping him capture Brodsky and letting him come home to her.

"Hey Bones."

With his words, Brennan moved her head so that she could look into his beautiful brown eyes. "Yes?"

Amused that she was staring at him so intensely, Booth smiled. "Um . . . you know I'm not really sleepy now . . . How'd you like a second helping of that Booth meal?"

Her hands moving down his hip and slowly across his stomach, Brennan decided that she was ready for much more. "As long as you're ready for my dessert."

Kissing her, Booth felt her press harder against his lips, the intensity as strong as earlier that night. Shifting his body, he soon rested his hands on each side of her shoulders and looked down. "I'll take your dessert anytime Bones, anytime, anywhere."

The jarring sound of Booth's phone demanding attention, Brennan groaned. "Booth . . . your phone."

Leaning closer, Booth slowly shook his head and smiled. "What phone? I don't hear anything."

Worried, Brennan's eyes grew large. "Booth are you alright? Clearly your phone is ringing."

His lips hovering next to her lips, Booth insisted. "Nope . . . my phone is not ringing."

Finally catching on, Brennan laughed. "Oh . . . I understand. You want to have intercourse, so you don't want to hear the phone . . . I don't hear a phone ringing either and I have excellent hearing . . . Booth! . . . Oh Booth."

"Bones!"

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This is the last chapter of my story. Let me know what you thought of my story. I hope it kept you entertained.

A/N: I rewrote the last part of this chapter three times. It made me nervous. This story is rated T and I didn't want to cross any lines.