Remember back in MTR when I had to fabricate a Christmas play to make the timeline of Kirby's death possible? Well, I'm finally posting the scene that made that necessary. Tsk, tsk, Bones writers. ;)

Enjoy, and as always, thanks for the feedback! :)

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Chapter 20

When Brennan returned home from the prison, the beginnings of a plan had formed in her mind. She wanted Booth's input, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to give him too many details. If this was going to work, she would need him to be caught off guard when Barron cross-examined him.

"Hey," he greeted her with a kiss. "How'd it go?"

"Everyone's disappointed at the moment, but…"

"But?" he prompted. Brennan pursed her lips, choosing her words carefully.

"If the truth can't be proven, is it still the truth?"

"Philosophy's not really your thing, baby," he teased her, unable to stop the smile on his face. She grinned a little and rolled her eyes.

"A theory isn't even really a theory until it's challenged. It's simply a hypothesis," she explained. "I don't believe a man should die based on a hypothesis, do you?"

"Bones, if you have a question, just ask it," Booth said gently, his previous amusement fading quickly.

"I have a way to lodge reasonable doubt in the jury." Their eyes met and held for a long moment before Booth responded.

"No perjury involved, just an interpretation of the facts?" he asked cautiously.

"An alternate story," she nodded. Booth was silent for a moment, knowing that they were treading on thin ice with the entire conversation.

"Juries are the human factor in a trial. You never know what they'll do."

"Do you think it's okay for me to take advantage of that?" Brennan asked. The way she phrased the question triggered something in his mind, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Brain and heart, Bones. Brain and heart," he said quietly. She nodded in agreement and gave him a quick kiss of thanks. As she lay in bed that night, chasing sleep as had become her habit, she worried about Booth's reaction to her plan. She knew that he might be angry with her, but she was sure that he would tell the truth on the stand.

And in this case, the truth was exactly what was needed.

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Booth couldn't help but feel nervous as he watched Brennan speaking quietly to her father's attorney. He'd been in a courtroom with David Barron often enough in the past to recognize the confidence he saw in the man's features now. While he wanted his father-in-law to be acquitted, he also knew that he was first up on the witness stand today. This meant that, once again, Booth might be entirely accountable for the outcome of the trial, whether good or bad. It was precisely the type of situation he'd been hoping to avoid. Perhaps even more concerning was the look on Russ's face. He seemed to be stunned into silence. Brennan took her seat next to her husband as the bailiff announced the judge's entrance, and she gave Booth only a brief look of determination. Her expression did nothing to ease his mind.

The first round of questioning was surprisingly short, but when Booth left the stand, Barron reserved the right to call upon him again. Booth was forced to admit that there were actually two other people, in addition to Max, who could have transferred the particulates from the seminary to both of the other locations. One was himself, and the other was his wife. Booth became increasingly more uncomfortable with Barron's tactics, particularly when he called Brennan to the stand next. She promptly admitted that she had been at the seminary as well as in their home on the day of Kirby's murder. She also identified the murder weapon as a relic that belonged to her, and Booth felt his blood pressure rising steadily.

Brennan traded places on the stand with Sweets, and when she reached her seat, her husband was staring at her with accusation and incredulity in his eyes. He would've loved to interrogate her then and there, but Barron was now asking Sweets for his professional opinion about Brennan.

"Dr. Brennan is hyper-rational. She's capable of rationalizing almost anything," Sweets said bracingly.

"Including murder," Barron supplied.

"It is the danger of the totally rational human being," he admitted reluctantly. His eyes flickered to Brennan apologetically, and she gave him a tiny nod of acknowledgment. Booth was squeezing her hand so tightly that she'd lost sensation in her fingertips.

"What the hell are you doing?" he whispered in her ear. She looked at him then, her eyes pleading with him to stay the course.

"Just tell the truth," she implored him. Booth shook his head involuntarily, trying to see a way out of the predicament.

His head was a mess. Can I really let her take the fall for Max? Even if she didn't end up being charged with the crime, Brennan was putting her reputation on the line, and he hated the thought of the justice system pitting him against his own wife. He was still waffling back and forth in his mind when his name was called once again. Booth rose stiffly from his seat with one last questioning look at Brennan. Her eyes were still pleading.

"Did Dr. Brennan have motive to murder Robert Kirby?" Barron began. Booth sighed in disgust.

"Yes, she had motive. Kirby tried to kill her brother."

"Thank you," the attorney replied kindly, but Booth was unwilling to let him have the last word.

"Bones was with me all day." To his surprise, Barron actually smiled as though he'd been given a gift.

"She didn't have time to commit this murder?"

"No, she did not."

"Hmm. Did you attend your son's school Christmas play that evening, Agent Booth?" Barron asked almost casually. Booth tensed and looked at Brennan again.

"Yes," he answered grudgingly.

"And since Dr. Brennan is your wife, did she attend the play as well?"

"No," Booth practically growled. "We were apart for forty-five minutes at most."

"Plenty of time then, wasn't it, Agent Booth?" Barron prompted. Booth locked eyes with his wife, easily comprehending the message in them. Tell the truth. The words she'd chosen the night before crossed his mind again, and he now knew what had been odd about them. 'Do you think it's okay for me to take advantage of that?' The judge ordered him to answer the question, but Booth ignored him as well as the attorney for a moment longer.

"That's a lot of heart, Bones," he told her, his voice thick with emotion. Her beautiful blue eyes shimmered back at him, begging him to see this through. With a hollow feeling in his stomach, he addressed Barron again.

"Could Bones have killed Kirby?" Booth asked rhetorically, shaking his head at the mere idea of his wife committing a murder. "My wife is an incredible woman. I've worked with her, I've stood over death with her, I've built a life with her. A family. And Sweets, he's brilliant. He is. But he's wrong. She could not have done this."

"I didn't ask you your opinion of Dr. Brennan's character. I asked you if she had time," Barron insisted. Booth shared another long, loaded glance with his wife and sighed in defeat.

"Yes, she had time."

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"Thank you," Brennan told him as they waited outside for the jury to return.

"No," he said abruptly, pulling her into his arms. He hugged her tightly, ignoring the strangers who weaved around them as they stood on the steps of the courthouse.

Brennan didn't attempt to pull away, instead opting to wrap her arms around his waist and squeeze him back. She still felt slightly ill as she buried her face in his shoulder. She had expected him to be angry with her, of course. Brennan had recognized the emotions in his eyes even from across the courtroom, and she'd known he would be unhappy with her. She'd effectively used his sense of honor in order to get her father off of a murder charge. She tried not to think of how angry she would be if the situation were reversed.

The longer he held her, the more grounded she felt, and his familiar scent soothed her anxiety. Her presence calmed him as well, at least to the point that he felt he could speak to her without raising his voice.

"You will never do that again," he told her, his voice low and authoritative. She finally pulled back enough to see his face.

"I'm sorry. There wasn't another-"

"I understand why you did it," Booth interrupted. "But please… Bones, please don't ever put me in that kind of position again. Promise me." His gaze bored into her, waiting for her to speak the words he needed to hear.

"I promise."

"Thank you." He held her close again, cherishing the feel of her in his arms. He was simultaneously proud of her and angry with her, and it was an odd feeling. His mind was moving a hundred miles an hour in all directions, trying to consider every possible repercussion of her actions. If the jury came back with a 'not guilty' verdict, Booth wasn't sure how Caroline would handle it. There was no evidence to convict his wife, of course, but did that mean that Caroline wouldn't try to charge her with the murder anyway? Kirby had been a Deputy Director at the FBI. Would the Bureau really just let it go? Worse still was the possibility that Max might still be found guilty in spite of Brennan's efforts. He knew that it would destroy her.

They eventually released their hold on one another and sat together on the white stone steps. Neither of them spoke, but their hands remained clasped together while they waited for word from the jury. Booth's phone buzzed with a text from Cam some thirty minutes later, and Brennan read it with him.

"Can we just wait out here?" she asked hopefully, almost whispering. "I don't know if I can stand there and listen if they decided he's guilty. I don't want to watch them take him away."

"Of course." Booth texted back that they would be waiting out front, and Brennan laid her head on his shoulder. Booth pressed his lips to the top of her head before resting his cheek against it, and they fell silent once more as they continued to wait.

Several minutes later, they looked over their shoulders at the sound of familiar voices approaching. They stood up, and Brennan hugged Angela tightly. She hadn't been present for the reading of the verdict, and the three of them watched nervously as Sweets and Caroline appeared, their expressions giving away nothing.

Brennan's face lit up when she spotted the next familiar face. Her father was walking toward her, and his obvious relief made him look ten years younger. Brennan's own feeling of relief made her almost lightheaded, and she smiled back at him with watery eyes. Although the few times they'd hugged when she'd visited him over the past year had been somewhat awkward, she made no attempt to leave the protective circle of his arms this time. She clung to him tightly, unable to wipe the smile from her face as she watched Booth over Max's shoulder.

Booth smiled back at her, but his attention was half-focused on Sweets and Caroline. He could overhear their conversation, and he grinned even wider when Caroline said that she wouldn't be charging Brennan with anything.

"You gotta go back to school on this one," Caroline told Sweets in her cool, Southern drawl. "That's a fine woman there."

Booth couldn't agree more.

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After much deliberation, Max decided to accept his daughter's invitation to spend a week or so in her guest room. With no job and little money to speak of, he was forced to rely on his children for a few articles of normal clothing and some personal items. Max attempted to refuse their generosity, but neither Brennan nor Russ wanted him to revert to his prior means of acquiring what he needed.

"You know you can stay as long as you need to, Dad," Brennan told him after she had helped him settle into the guest room.

"I appreciate that, Honey, but you and Booth have busy lives. You don't need me underfoot for any longer than necessary," Max smiled, following her downstairs. Booth had thrown a few things together for lunch before retreating to their home office to finish some paperwork, and their meal awaited them on the table.

"Well… What will you do then? You don't have a job-"

"I'll find one. A legal one," he promised, understanding the undertone of her question. She didn't want him to get by on theft and cleverness anymore.

"Okay, well… I can help with an apartment, even a car of some sort." But Max was shaking his head adamantly.

"Tempe, don't you think you've done enough for your old man?"

"It's no bother; I can easily afford to-"

"I know that, but I won't take anything else from you. I've taken enough," he muttered, avoiding her eyes guiltily as he pushed his food around his plate a little.

"What does that mean?" Brennan asked, her brow furrowed.

"You risked a lot for me today, Tempe. If I'd known what you were planning, I'd have called off the whole thing and changed my plea."

"There wasn't time to tell you. It all happened very quickly, but I don't regret what I did. It wasn't anything you took from me; it was freely given."

"Yeah, but I didn't deserve it. I would never have asked that of you," he insisted. Brennan was flummoxed. She thought she'd done the right thing, but apparently both her husband and her father disagreed. Her confusion must've been evident on her face, because Max's own features softened. "Don't think I'm not grateful, because I've never been more thankful than I am right now. But after everything I've put you through over the years, I didn't deserve the kind of favor you did for me today. You put your reputation, your job, maybe even your freedom on the line for me, and you shouldn't have. I'm not worth that."

Brennan sighed and focused on her own food for a moment while she tried to think of an appropriate response. Although she was now confident that none of the things he'd listed were at risk, she certainly hadn't known that when she'd made the decision to put herself on the line. It had been a risk, yes, but she'd decided that it was one she was willing to take if it meant saving her father's life. What kind of daughter - what kind of person - would she be if she weren't willing to do whatever it took to help him?

"I'll be right back," she said softly, rising from the table and climbing the stairs quickly. He looked surprised by her sudden departure but said nothing. Booth was at the large wooden desk in their home office, and he looked up when she entered.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes. Just some things I need to clear up with my dad."

Booth watched curiously as she pulled a King James Bible from the bookshelf and retrieved her foster care file from the safe. Before he could question her, however, she left the room. He sat in contemplation for a few moments before eventually creeping down the stairs as quietly as possible. This was bound to be an emotional conversation for his wife, and he wanted to be nearby in case she needed him.

Max frowned in confusion when he saw her return, but his bewilderment quickly turned to revulsion when he realized what she was holding. Although the sight of his daughter holding a Bible was intriguing, it was the other object in her hands that upset him.

"I don't want to see that," he told her, shaking his head insistently. He didn't need a reminder of what that file contained. The words that described the hell she'd survived as a teenager, the photographs of her broken body and spirit… His fight or flight response was so immediate that he actually pushed his chair back from the table in an effort to put more distance between himself and that file.

"I'm not going to make you look at it," Brennan replied, seeing him relax minutely. He watched warily as she thumbed through the Bible. "The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer; when he meeteth him, he shall slay him," she read aloud. Brennan looked up from the book to scrutinize his face. "You told Booth and I that this passage was the only Bible verse you knew. While I understand that that comment was most likely a hyperbole to prove a point, I also know that these words describe your personal doctrine very well. You believe in 'an eye for an eye' and 'making things right.'"

Max looked slightly pained by her words, but he remained silent as he watched her pull a single sheet of paper from inside the front cover of the file. Brennan slid it over to him, and he stiffened as he read the list of names. His eyes darted to hers, uncertain of what she might say next.

"Last summer, I was invited to be the keynote speaker at a conference at Northwestern. Booth and I spent a few days in Chicago, and when we were out for dinner one evening, we ran into a woman who had once shared a room with me in one my foster homes. She sat and talked to us for a few minutes and eventually got around to telling me that our former foster father had been found dead a few months previously. He'd been murdered, and his body had been set on fire.

"My initial reaction was simply shock, but as more details were revealed, I realized how similar that crime scene was in comparison to the one on the hotel rooftop. I wasn't sure at first whether or not I really wanted to know if you'd been the one responsible, but I eventually came to the realization that if I didn't look into it, I would always wonder. I'd hoped that getting an answer would at least give me some peace of mind, even if it didn't turn out to be the answer I hoped to find." Brennan took a breath to steady herself.

"Tempe-"

"No, let me finish, please," she interrupted. When he nodded reluctantly, she continued, "Before leaving Chicago, Booth and I managed to get the details on Taylor's murder as well as the death of another of my foster parents, James Hammel. Taylor sexually abused the girls in his care, and he was castrated before his body was set on fire. Hammel died in a house fire around the same time as Taylor, though Hammel's death was ruled an accident… And I might have simply believed that if it hadn't been for the circumstances I endured in his home. He was physically abusive, but he was always careful to leave no evidence of it.

"Maybe I should've let it go at that point since both sets of remains were cremated and there was no way to prove anything in either case… But I wanted to know. I needed to know. So when Booth and I came home, we started looking into the rest of the names on that list. We found another 'accidental' death and a suicide amongst them, though both of those men died years ago. Once again, the circumstances for both had peculiar similarities to the things I experienced as a teenager.

"Booth is fond of saying that there are no coincidences in a murder investigation. I know he talked to you last Christmas, and although the conversation was cryptic, he thinks that you basically admitted to…to killing those men. By that point, though, it didn't matter as much. I had already decided to forgive you, not just for the terrible things you'd done in an effort to keep me safe, but also for leaving me in the first place. I'd realized that carrying the metaphorical weight of it was a detriment to my emotional welfare, so I did my best to let it go. It was certainly a slow process, but I was eventually able to move on.

"You say that I shouldn't have put myself at risk for your sake because you don't deserve it or because you'd never have asked me to do so… But what you're forgetting is that I never asked you to kill for me. I would never have asked that of anyone, least of all you. As an anthropologist, I understand your logic, and as a parent, I understand your love. What I did for you is nothing in comparison to what you've done for me. No matter the consequences or how much I might disagree with your actions, you did those things because you loved me. And I did what I did, because I love you."

Max stared back at his daughter with love and amazement as several tears spilled from his eyes. No matter how many things he'd done in attempt to assuage his guilt, he still wasn't sure he would ever feel deserving of her forgiveness. He stood abruptly and pulled Brennan to her feet, wrapping her in a tight hug that he was pleased to feel her return.

"I love you so much, Temperance. There aren't words to measure it. I will never regret anything as much as I regret leaving you and Russ behind. I know nothing I do will ever really make that right, and I know I don't deserve to be forgiven for that. But I will never stop trying to be the father you deserve."

"You already are," Brennan sniffled against his shoulder. She pulled back to look at him through watery eyes. "There is something you can do for me to make it right."

"Name it," he said quickly.

"Change. No more stealing, no more killing, no more running. Obey the law. Be around for your family. Be a good role model for your grandchildren. That's all Russ and I need from you. It's all we'll ever need."

"You have my word," Max said solemnly. Brennan nodded and tried to compose herself.

"And let me buy you a car," she added with a smile, attempting to lighten the mood.

"We'll see," Max grumbled playfully. His eyes shifted to a spot just over Brennan's shoulder, and he raised his voice slightly. "You can come in now, Booth." Brennan turned to see her husband step into the room, looking a little sheepish.

"I see where she gets her stubbornness from," Booth joked, smiling softly at his wife.

"Her mother was worse," Max assured him, extending his arm to shake Booth's hand. "You've certainly got your work cut out for you." The two men grinned conspiratorially at one another as Brennan rolled her eyes.

"Tell me about it."

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Max spent the following weekend getting to know his son-in-law as well as his new grandson. Parker was thrilled to see Max again, particularly since Max didn't have quite as much trouble keeping up with him as Hank usually did. Rebecca's parents lived too far away for Parker to see them more than a few times a year, and the little boy was definitely eager for more grandparents.

Brennan felt at peace for the first time in months. Although she still carried some residual fatigue, her sleep was untroubled by nightmares. When she climbed into bed on Sunday evening, her husband greeted her with a wide smile.

"Did you have a good weekend?" he asked, folding her against his chest.

"Very good," she smiled. "Did you?"

"Yeah. Parker did too. I almost felt a little bad for your dad earlier. He looked exhausted. Parker certainly wore him out." They chuckled in unison, and Brennan snuggled closer, inhaling the wonderful scent of him that made her feel safe and loved. He had chosen to sleep without a shirt, and she couldn't resist the urge to press her lips to his warm skin. As usual, it was impossible to only kiss him once. "Be careful what you start, Dr. Brennan. We have a guest," he warned, watching her lips move steadily upward. She left a line of kisses from his chest all the way to his jaw, stopping only to whisper in his ear.

"I can be quiet if you can, Agent Booth."

"You seriously want to have sex with your dad right down the hall?"

"You just finished saying that he was exhausted," Brennan reminded him with a smirk, her hands caressing him through the thin fabric of his boxers. Booth groaned softly.

"So I did," he grinned, flipping her onto her back so quickly that she gasped in surprise. Their mouths connected in a heated kiss as his hands worked to rid her of her pajamas. Brennan was fairly certain she heard the sound of fabric tearing as he removed her panties.

She gripped his shoulders as his tongue invaded her mouth and his fingertips found the wetness between her thighs. He stroked her deeply and skillfully, his lips moving from her mouth to her breast just as she reached the peak. She cried out softly, her fingers twisting themselves into his short hair as she held him.

"I need you, Booth. Inside. Please," she whimpered. Booth sank into her, gazing into her eyes as he filled her, and they moaned in unison at the delicious sensation.

They moved as one, their bodies surging together in a perfect dance that was both familiar and instinctive. Brennan clasped her legs around his hips, urging him deeper and harder with each thrust.

"Come again for me, baby," he pled. Booth was beyond the point of caring whether or not their activities were overheard. "You're so close; I can feel it."

"Yes," she groaned, clawing his back lightly as her release overwhelmed her.

Booth cried out at the exquisite way she clenched and spasmed around him, finding his own release only a moment later. He collapsed into her, and Brennan wrapped her arms tightly around his torso, relishing in the heady feelings of his weight on top of her and the pulsations within her.

"I thought I was supposed to be the loud one," Brennan teased, pouting a little when he finally slipped from her warmth.

"I'm sure he's asleep. Besides, even if he's not… he owes me."

"How's that?"

"I guess you've forgotten what happened when I arrested him," Booth grunted. "Wish I could forget."

"Oh, right," Brennan grinned apologetically, belatedly recalling the punch her father had delivered to Booth's groin.

"At least I'm not the 'eye for an eye' type," he smirked. "So really, hearing us have sex should be the lesser evil."

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Max agreed to stay with them for another week while he looked for a job in DC, but he insisted that they not go out of their way to entertain him. He also surprised them with breakfast bright and early on Monday morning. Brennan made her way downstairs first, but her smile of gratitude was quickly replaced by a look of alarm. The scent of sizzling bacon turned her stomach, and she dashed into the small half bathroom. It was only dry heaves, since her stomach was empty, but she felt drained and exhausted when she finally stood up to splash water on her face. When at last she felt it was safe to return to the kitchen, she did her best to breathe through her mouth.

"You okay?" Max asked in concern.

"Yes, I'm fine," she waved him off. "Breakfast looks great, Dad. You didn't have to do that."

"Well, I figure it's the least I can do. If nothing else, Booth will appreciate it. I suppose you're still in the habit of skipping breakfast?"

"How do you know that?" she frowned.

"You were never big on eating first thing in the morning, Tempe. Your mother practically had to bribe you to eat a bowl of cereal every now and then."

"Not much has changed then," Booth announced as he entered the kitchen, pausing to kiss his wife. "Looks great, Max. Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he replied with a friendly smile.

Hmm, Booth mused, Guess he didn't hear us last night.

"I've actually coaxed her into eating breakfast with me a few times a week, but it's a battle hard won," Booth said, winking at Brennan. She rolled her eyes predictably.

"I need to head to the lab. I'll see you both later." Brennan kissed Max's cheek and planted a much longer one on her husband's lips. Max was clearing his throat meaningfully by the time they separated.

The day went fairly smoothly for both partners, though their jobs didn't bring them together until well after dark. Remains had been discovered in the process of mowing an overgrowth of Johnson grass on the side of a rural highway. Unfortunately, the highway maintenance worker had run over the body with the mower before realizing something was wrong.

Booth was beset by repetitive sneezing and other symptoms of hayfever almost from the moment they stepped out of the SUV. Brennan frowned at him in concern as she slipped into her jumpsuit and grabbed her kit from the back.

"Are you alright?" she asked, handing him a handkerchief. Booth was rarely sick, and she wasn't aware that he had any allergies.

"Yeah," sneeze "I'm f-" sneeze.

"Maybe you should stay in the car?" Brennan suggested. Booth shook his head but was unable to stop sneezing long enough to respond verbally. "Okay," she shrugged, making a mental note to stop for an antihistamine on the way home.

Brennan ended up being almost thankful that Booth was distracted by his allergic reaction to what the highway maintenance man informed them was Johnson grass. It kept her husband distracted enough that he didn't notice her unexpected reaction to the overpowering stench of decomposition. She turned her head away for a moment, vainly seeking a little fresh air and hoping to hide her discomfort from her co-workers. Cam was focused on the body and didn't seem to notice Brennan's odd behavior.

They worked the scene quickly, determining that the remains belonged to a male in his twenties who had been dead for a couple of weeks. The blade of the large mower had severed the victim's head. Once the body was on its way to the lab, Booth and Brennan returned home to find Max lounging on the sofa with one of Brennan's novels.

He greeted them with a smile that quickly turned into a frown of concern. Booth was still sneezing, and his eyes were nearly swollen shut. Brennan had driven them home, and Booth had been so overcome by his symptoms that he hadn't had the will to bicker over it. She guided him toward the kitchen and fished the bottle of diphenhydramine from the plastic bag she carried on her arm.

"Take two of these," she instructed, filling a glass with water and handing it to him. He swallowed the pills obediently between sneezes. "They'll make you tired, so why don't you go take a shower to get the pollen off of you before bed, okay?" Booth nodded and shuffled toward the stairs. "Keep your clothes separate too. I'll put them in the washer tonight."

"Thanks, baby," he said through a stuffy nose. Max watched the exchange with a slightly humored expression.

"Allergies, huh?"

"Yes. The body was found by a highway mower in a patch of Johnson grass," Brennan sighed, falling into the loveseat with her eyes closed. "Why are you reading my book?"

"It's my favorite one," he replied brightly. She pulled her eyelids back open to look at him, noticing that he was holding her personal copy of Bred in the Bone. "I was so proud of you the first time I saw it in a bookstore. I bought a copy and read it in less than two days. It was certainly easier to follow than the other things you'd published," Max chuckled.

"That was my first book," Brennan said, confused.

"I mean your academic publications," he clarified. "Your dissertations and theses."

"How many of them did you read?"

"All of them." Max grinned at her affectionately, and Brennan felt stunned at the revelation. It had never occurred to her that anyone outside of her field of study would ever read her professional publications.

"Wow," she said softly. Max shrugged good-naturedly.

"It was a way to connect with you at a time when I had no other way to do so. It was nice."

"Thanks, Dad." She smiled gently, still a little awed by the information. She'd gone through high school and college without the benefit of having a family to praise her for doing well. The absence of that praise had weighed heavily on her for years. To find out now that her father had not only kept up with her progress but had read her scholarly work as well… It was vindicating in a way, and it left her with a warm feeling in the center of her chest.

"Why don't you go to bed too, Tempe. You look exhausted." Max chuckled as she tried to stifle a yawn even as he spoke the words.

"I think I will," she nodded. "Goodnight, Dad. Love you."

"Love you too, Sweetheart." He accepted a kiss on the cheek and watched her disappear up the stairs.

Max was still in awe of how far his daughter had come over the last few years. When he'd come back to DC with the intent of allowing himself to be arrested, his relationship with his children had been rocky at best. Russ had grudgingly accepted his help and advice during the months he'd spent in hiding, but Brennan had found it difficult to even look her father in the face.

He knew that change was difficult for her; she'd always been that way. However, the differences he saw in her now made him simultaneously proud and melancholy. His pride in her achievements, both personal and professional, prevailed above all, but he was also a little sad at the realization that he needed to get to know her all over again. Traces of the little girl he'd raised were still there, of course, but she was a completely different person than the one he and his wife had left behind all those years ago.

It felt like they were getting their new start now, and Max would forever be grateful for the privilege of being a part of her life.

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Ah, closure. Mostly. ;) As I've said before, this has never really been about what Max did or didn't do. It's about Brennan's personal journey. But if it really matters to anyone - Yes, he did kill all four. To have any evidence of it, however, would have obligated BB to report it.

Holy crap, only two more to go! Review pretty pretty please. :)