I decided not to linger in Asheville. The day following my meeting with Seeley and my visit to the cemetery, I drove back to Washington. On the way, I called Parker from my car and told him I wanted to meet him, his sister, and his brother as soon as possible. I informed him that I had important news about the case that I needed to share with them. The anxiety in his voice was obvious as he asked me if everything was okay. I told him not to worry too much until I arrived and that I would be in Washington in a couple of hours. We agreed to meet at his house. He would wait for me, no matter what the time of my arrival would be.

At my first rest stop, I entered his address in my GPS. I ate a quick meal, washed it down with a bottle of water, and went back on the road. To say I was apprehensive would have been an understatement. Yet, I was excited to share the conclusion of my case with them. After all these years, a burden would finally be lifted off their shoulders. The Booth children would be able to be reunited with their father and at least would know what happened to their mother.

The trip passed way too quickly for my taste. Soon enough, I was pulling into Parker's driveway. His house was illuminated. True to his words, he had waited for me despite the late hour. The clock told me it was past 10 pm. The night was dark. Thick clouds blocked the moonlight. I slowly got out of my car. I looked up to find Christine stepping out on the porch, Parker behind her. I grabbed the folder from my backseat and walked towards them. They both greeted me, a hint of anxiety in their voice.

I followed them inside and then to the kitchen where Jackson was seated around the table, Angela and Jack beside him. I looked over at Parker.

"They wanted to be here. You can't argue with Angela."

I nodded. Angela had been so helpful throughout the investigation and she had been Dr. Brennan's closest friend. I simply couldn't deny her the information on what had happened to her friend.

I took a seat at the kitchen table. Parker offered me some coffee.

"If I want to sleep tonight, I better not," I replied.

They all chuckled softly. Their forced laughter quickly died down. They all looked at me expectantly. I felt my heart beat faster. This was it! All these weeks of investigating were finally coming to an end. I took a deep breath before speaking.

"Unfortunately, I have some good news and some bad news."

Christine grabbed her older brother's hand.

"The good news is that your father is still alive and well."

Parker let out a long sigh of relief. Christine, however, didn't loosen her grip on her brother's hand. Her eyes were still fixed on me.

"What about the bad news?"

I sighed.

"Your mother isn't."

I watched as the news slowly sunk in and the tears began to pour. Angela wept in her husband's arms. His own eyes were filled with tears which didn't fall. Christine and Parker held each other tightly. For many minutes, I watched the Booth family and their friends mourn the death of Dr. Brennan, something that they had been denied for over a decade. I felt a lump form in my throat but I forced myself to remain professional. There were still things I needed to tell them before I left.

Eventually, the outburst died down. Christine seemed to regain some kind of composure. She turned to me and apologized for their behaviors. I told them it was a natural reaction and that I was sorry for their loss.

"How did it happen?" Angela whispered.

I looked at each of them.

"Are you sure you want to hear?"

They all nodded.

While tears fell their eyes, I told them everything I had learned through my investigation. I showed them every piece of information I had; from the copy of the coroner's report, to the prison sentence files, and even the picture of the grave I had taken at the cemetery. I told them their father's story about Thomas Jones and explained how he had killed their mother. The atmosphere in the kitchen quickly grew heavy.

"I know Max's funeral is planned for very soon."

Christine nodded.

"Yes. We have set the date for three weeks from now. We decided to only have a small ceremony at the cemetery. Only family and friends. We would really like it if you could attend."

"Are you sure?" I asked, surprised.

"You gave us the answers we had been searching for," Parker replied. "You spoke to Max. You made the reunion between Jackson, Christine, and their grandfather possible. I think Max would like you to be there."

I wasn't sure what to say. I told them I would try my best to attend the ceremony.

"I want Mom to be buried with her dad," Christine said. "I don't like her being all alone in North Carolina."

Angela agreed. Before talks of exhumation could begin, I excused myself and told them I had to go home. Parker got to his feet and shook my hand.

"Thank you very much for your help."

"No problem, Parker. I am very sorry I couldn't bring only good news."

Parker turned to his younger sister and back to me.

"Yeah, Bones was cool. I liked her very much."

They all walked me to the door. Angela hugged me tightly and thanked me for my work. Christine did the same. Jackson, imitating his older brother, shook my hand. As he did, I looked deep in his eyes in search of… something. He had been the only one who had remained dried-eyed following the news. I understood why; yet somehow, it felt wrong. I wondered at that moment if he felt any grief about his lost adoptive parents.

After promising to keep in touch, I walked out of the house and let out my own sigh of relief. This had been much harder than I had expected it to be. The way Angela and Christine had broken down had torn my heart. Watching them mourn their loved one had been a difficult experience and I now needed time alone to recuperate.

The ring of my cellphone startled me. I had been dozing off when it had buzzed on the coffee table, singing out my favorite song. I grabbed it and the caller ID showed Christine number. I answered it quickly before it went to voicemail, wondering why she could be calling me.

Three days had passed since I had announced their parents' fate to them. I had finally recovered from the negative energy that had plagued me following my last meeting with them. I was curious to know Christine would be calling.

"Hi Jack! It's Christine!" she said.

"Hello Christine. How are you?"

"I've been better. We've all been better. We've had time to accept all the information though."

"Good. How's Jackson?"

"He seems fine," Christine replied.

She had tried to seem convincing and yet I could hear a small hesitancy in her tone.

"Jackson doesn't talk much, especially not about his feelings. He's always been like that. It's hard to know what he's really feeling."

There was a slight pause before she changed the subject.

"There was actually a reason why I was calling you. You know my dad is getting out of jail in two days, right?"

"Yes."

I knew it had been more of a rhetorical question as I had been the one who had told her about her father's release date.

"We thought we would go surprise him. Angela talked to Caroline, this attorney Dad used to work with, and she arranged for him to meet us outside the prison."

"Who's going?"

"Parker, Jackson, and I. We are leaving early tomorrow morning. We would really like it if you'd come. Please?"

I chuckled.

"Fine. Just tell me when and where and I will be there."

We made arrangements to meet at Parker's house at 7 am the next day. They wanted to arrive a day early and visit their mother's grave. I told her not to worry about it. Since I was taking my own car, I could make my own plans for the rest of the day.

When we hung up, a strange feeling crept inside of me. Though I had agreed to meet Seeley with them, something felt out of place. I was once again overstepping my boundaries; yet, something inside of me wanted to see the happy ending I had created for them. Besides, I was eager to meet with Seeley Booth one more time. I still had a few questions which we hadn't had the chance to discuss.