He arrived on an abnormally warm September morning. He lugged his bag off of the plane and passed through the terminal toward the lobby. There he saw a very happy woman and her smiling fiancee, their fingers locked between the other's. Behind them was a man who was talking to the couple. None of them seemed to notice him, which caused a smile to tease the corners of his mouth. "Is this a bad time?"

The woman turned around and smiled. "Dad." She chuckled and hugged him.

"Hey Dad," the other man said, lifting his hand to say hi.

"Ah, so you're practically a Brennan now, you know," Max said to Booth. "How does it feel?"

"Like I'm slowly becoming a criminal." He smiled at the blank stares he was being given from the two men. He turned to his partner and laughed at her angry expression. "I'm kidding! I couldn't be happier," he said, flashing his smile again. His eyes sparkled. "Shall we?" he asked the woman, offering her his arm.

"Fine, but you're driving this time," she chuckled. "I don't think Russ should be behind the wheel."

"Hey, I'm right here, you know!" he protested.

The two laughed and started to walk away, arm in arm. Russ followed, carrying Max's bag over his shoulder. Max, on the other hand, lingered behind and watched them walk away. And for the first time in years, Max Keenan had tears in his eyes.

He wanted to stop time and remember them just like this: carefree, happy, together. The soft movement of Joy's- er, Tempe's- hair as they walked, the love in her eyes, the happiness that he had been so afraid she would never find...His little girl had grown up, and it took a wedding for him to realize how truly sorry he was that he hadn't been there for her.

"Dad? Are you alright?" She had turned around without him noticing and was looking worriedly at him.

He blinked the tears back and nodded. "Yeah." Then he walked out of the airport, and into a new morning.

"Okay, so while Angela throws the craziest bachelorette party ever," Hodgins grinned. "Zack and I came up with an equally crazy party for you."

"Thanks guys, but Jared was already planning-"

"Be at this address," Zack pointed to the card, "at seven."

"No offense, but I really don't want-"

"Don't be late." The two squints smiled and walked away.

Booth shook his head and stuck the card in his pocket. Out of sight, out of mind. "I don't even want to know what they have in mind."

"It isn't as bad as you think," said Cam as she walked by.

"Oh really?" he said, following her. "Squints throwing a party?"

"Remember, you're marrying the head squint." She sat at her computer and looked at him. "Oh, and I hear Dr. Brennan's father is in town." Her tone was more concerned than happy.

"Yeah, he flew in yesterday. Bones is spending the day with him doing wedding stuff." He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, that Max is gone for good."

"I certainly hope so...but still," she smiled, "she must be glad to have him around."

"She is." His phone beeped and he instinctively picked it up. "Booth," he said in his serious F.B.I. tone. Instantly, his expression softened and he smiled at the familiar woman's voice. "Hey, Bones." He listened to her for a moment, his face twisting first into shock, then sadness, then fear. "Hold on, I'll be right there." He hung up, realizing he had tears in his eyes.

The change in his attitude startled Cam. She stood up and touched his arm. "What happened?" she asked gently.

"It's Max...he was shot in the chest..."

A very frightened bride-to-be and her brother sat outside the operating room. Both pairs of eyes were red from crying. "This is my fault," the woman choked. "He came here because of me..."

"Tempe, you had no way of knowing that this would happen." He held his sister and kissed her head. "It isn't your fault." He looked up just as a doctor left the room where their father was. "Oh, the doctor's out."

The man took off his medical cap and pulled his surgical mask down. "Are you the family?"

"Yes," they said. "How is he?" Russ asked nervously.

"I'm sorry...we were able to remove the bullet...but..." he trailed off.

"But...?"

"He isn't recovering as well as we had hoped."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Russ asked. He held his sister's hand, hoping that it wasn't nearly as bad as he was thinking.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "There's nothing we can do."

Just then, Booth and Cam rushed in. Bones already had tears in her eyes, but when Booth held her tightly in his arms, she allowed herself to cry. Booth looked at Russ, who also looked ready to cry. But he was a man, he held in his sorrow. Cam, not knowing what to do, touched Russ' arm.

"He...he's not going to make it...is he?" Booth asked softly, as if speaking the words too loudly would break the already fragile woman.

She shook her head, clutching the front of his jacket tighter. "The bullet removed a part of his lung," the doctor said. "He probably won't live to see the sun rise tomorrow morning..."

Russ looked at the ground, greatly resembling a punished child. "Can we see him?" he managed to choke out.

"Let us move him to another room, then you may see him." The man disappeared behind the white doors.

Booth sat on the couch and looked up at Bones. She sat next to him, resting her head on his chest. Their hands found each other's, and Bones closed her eyes. "I can't lose him, Booth..."

"I know, Bones..." He looked out the window at the blackened sky. "I know..."

He opened his eyes halfway, a soft moan escaping his lips. Suddenly he felt another body almost completely on top of his, hair tickling his face and neck. He moaned again and realized the person was crying.

"He's alive." A woman's voice. "I don't believe it." More tears. "Booth. He made it."

"Your father is a strong man," came the familiar voice.

"Dad..." another man said, almost in disbelief.

"Tempe...you're...on my...chest. Can't...breathe..."

The added pressure on him disappeared. He inhaled deeply and smiled -- he was alive. That bullet may have knocked him over, but Max Keenan would not be broken. He opened his eyes fully so he could look at his family.

Tempe was right beside him, as he knew she would be. Her eyes were blood-shot, which meant she had been crying the whole time he was out. She was on the edge of the bed and was crying harder. He reached his hand out to her and held hers. His eyes followed her other arm up to his future son-in-law. He smiled again as he watched the other man try to comfort the woman, a smile brightly shining on his face as well.

Though he would never admit it, he always did like Seeley. He was more than willing to accept him as part of the family. Besides, watching the two of them interact was not only entertaining -- and boy was it entertaining -- it was like watching himself and Ruth.

He looked then to his oldest child. But he couldn't see the man well because the sunlight was shining right in his face. "Someone close those damn blinds, will you?" he croaked. When he could see again, he noticed that his son wouldn't look at him. "What's up with Mr. Sunshine?" he asked, nodding in the man's direction.

"You've been in a coma for three days," she answered softly. "They declared you dead twice."

"It's been difficult to stay positive..." Russ trailed off.

"Well, I'm awake now. And hey, isn't there a wedding or something tomorrow?" Max smiled and slowly sat up. "Help me out of here, would you? I need to get ready. Wouldn't want to be late, you know?"

Tempe blinked. "Dad, you can't leave yet."

"Hey, nobody is going to tell me I can't be there. I'll come back right after the reception."

"But you won't be protected."

"Don't worry about me, it's your day. I want to be there for you." He looked into her eyes. "You look just like your mother..."

She smiled sadly. "Dad..."

"I love you, Tempe," he said before he kissed her forehead.

"I love you too." She shook her head and looked at her partner. "Well, there's no use arguing with him. Come on, let's get him out of here."

Booth nodded. "One hospital break, coming right up."

I went sky-divin', I went Rocky Mountain climbin'
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu
And man, I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denyin'
And he said "Someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin'"

Like tomorrow was a gift
And you've got eternity to think about what you'd do with it
What did you do with it?
What did I do with it?
What would I do with it?

A/N- The above lyrics are from "Live Like You Were Dyin'". Two down, one to go. I hope you guys like it so far, I really do...But regardless of whether you like it or not, please review. Thank you. -bows-