Spoilers: Almost done!

Disclaimer: Sob, sob

Author's Note: Okay, another night of irrefutable insomnia and here is the next chapter for your viewing pleasure:

Brennan walked back into the room, and whispered something in Booth's ear; he forced back the feeling that brought. Now is not the time, Seeley! He scolded himself. He looked at the Tuckers for a few seconds before asking, "Mr. Tucker, what size shoes do you wear?"

"Can I ask why, Agent Booth? What relevance does this have to my son's case?" He grabbed his wife's hand, nostrils flaring in anger and pain; he was trying to act strong. Booth sympathized, though couldn't help but suspect him slightly. Gut instinct.

"May I see your shoe, Mr. Tucker?" Brennan asked cautiously.

"Not until you tell me why." He looked at her angrily, and Booth's protective instinct kicked in slightly. He spoke to John Tucker calmly, diverting his attention from His Bones.

"Mr. Tucker, I'm afraid that we have just uncovered some new evidence as to who could possibly have killed Max." Booth looked warily between the two older Tuckers, gauging what their reactions may be, and how to put 'it' to them. I hate this part.

"Mr. and Mrs. Tucker...your son was beaten violently," Booth said slowly, wincing slightly when both their façades began to crumble. Booth was shocked when Brennan put a hand on his forearm to silence him, and began speaking for him, quickly taking her hand away.

"My lab is the one which has been conducting the investigation into your son's death. We found some fracture patterns that could only be explained if Maxim was kicked," Brennan said slowly. It surprised Booth to note how kindly she spoke to the family, compared with a year ago, two years ago; Brennan was...outwardly compassionate.

"Stomped, actually." At least, most of the time, Booth thought somewhat painfully. Grace shuddered visibly, and Lachlan grabbed her hand. Brennan continued. "We can tell by the fracture pattern the size of the shoe of the...culprit."

Booth watched the anger flare in John's face. "To eliminate you, Sir," he said quickly, shooting a warning look at Brennan. The anger waned a little, and John reached down, producing a shoe.

"I wear a size eleven," he said bluntly. Booth examined the shoe, then handed it to Brennan. Brennan took the shoe with a confused look.

"What am I supposed to do with it?" she whispered confusedly.

"Do your...thing. I don't know, make him scared. I don't like him," Booth whispered back as Mr. Tucker looked on, slight worry etched in his face. Booth narrowed his eyes discreetly, frowning.

"Excuse me for a minute, please," Booth said, before standing up and moving to the hall. Brennan followed him with her eyes, curious again. What is he...?

Brennan followed Booth's instructions carefully, studying the shoe, and then muttering to herself as she did in the lab. "The size is consistent." She turned to John. "Do you wear a wide shoe most of the time?"

"Um...I'm not sure..." his eyes darted. Brennan confirmed Booth's suspicion. She, too, thought he was guilty.

"No, my husband wears a narrow fit shoe," Grace put in, shaking her head quickly. Brennan looked at her, confused, and she explained. "I do most of his shopping for him. Men, you know," she joked feebly. Brennan smiled appropriately. Grace turned to Lachlan. "Why don't you go play with Lili, Dear," she suggested. It was more than a suggestion. Lachlan nodded, squeezing her hand once more before leaving.

He nodded at Brennan as he left the room, passing Booth in the doorway. Brennan looked at Booth questioningly; his face was a mask of solemnity, his phone was in his hand, and he was looking directly at John Tucker. Brennan nodded to Booth: yes, possible. Booth nodded back.

Both Tuckers stayed silent through this wordless collaboration, a look of worry plastered on Grace's face, a look of wariness on John's. Booth took a step towards John. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come with me, Sir."

Grace's head snapped up, and John rose from his seat hastily, glowering. "You think I did this?" he seethed.

"Sir, at this point, I don't know what to think. We just need you to come with us for some routine questioning," Booth said carefully, professionally.

"Agent Booth." It was an insult. "I have already been questioned by the police as to my son's whereabouts ten years ago!"

"Mr. Tucker, that is precisely why I have to bring you in. Ten years is a long time. The kind of forensics available now...The fact that we now know your son is, in fact, deceased..." Booth didn't want, or need, to elaborate. John turned to his wife, a look of utter fury in his eyes.

"Did you tell them this yesterday when they came? Is that why they're here? It's because of you!" John yelled, slapping his wife across the face, knocking her to the floor. He raised his foot. Booth had John on the floor in cuffs before he had time to complete his act.

"John Tucker, you are under arrest for assault!" Booth yelled, yanking him up so they were face-to-face; Booth's phone was instantly at his ear. Brennan was helping Grace up by the time Lachlan had appeared in the doorway.

"Mom!" he cried, helping Brennan. He turned to his father. "What did you do?" he screamed. His father only smiled.

Brennan ran to the freezer to get some ice, calling back over her shoulder to Lachlan to distract him from his father.

"It looks like she hit her head on the way down; she's bleeding, and I think she has a slight concussion. Lachlan, take her into the living room, and set her down carefully. Don't let her fall asleep, though, whatever you do, okay?" Lachlan nodded vigorously. "Good, I'll be one minute." He nodded again.

As Brennan walked out of the kitchen, she cast one last glance at Booth and John, who were standing barely six inches apart, seething. A look of pure hatred was etched in Booth's face, and Brennan wondered for a minute if Booth was going to slug him. She turned away and walked to the lounge room. Let him, she thought.

"Hey," she said quietly. "The police should be here soon, okay?" She handed Lachlan the ice. "Here. Keep this on her wound. Where's Lili?"

"I put her in the music room; it's sound-proof," Lachlan said, voice shaking, nodding up the stairs. "I...I play drums," he said with a weak smile. Brennan nodded, she could hear sirens in the distance.

"Stay here," she warned as she ran up the stairs, again casting a look in on Booth. They were standing in exactly the same position, but Booth was whispering something acidly into John's face. She wished he would just hit him.

Brennan pushed open the door to what she assumed was the music room room. She was right. Brennan was expecting to find Lili in a state of shock, or at least crying, so she was stunned for a second when she walked in and found Lili lying on a couch happily reading a picture book, holding a doll.

Lili grinned widely when she saw her, and her breath gushed out in relief; she had the sudden urge to hug the girl. Instead, she placed herself on the edge of the couch and began talking to her, stroking her hair.

"Hey, Lili!" she said as cheerily as she could. "What are you reading?"

"Sleeping Beauty. It's my favourite!" she replied contentedly, sitting up and offering the book to Brennan. For a few seconds, Brennan was stunned. She couldn't figure out why Lili was giving her the book. "Um, thank you..." she said lamely. She wasn't used to this.

"Will you read it to me? Lachie was, but then he had to go...He told me not to come out 'til he came to get me. I think he was sad, like before. He doesn't like to be sad in front of me, because it makes me sad, too." She leaned over to whisper conspiratorially in Brennan's ear. "He pretends not to cry, because he's a big boy, but I know he does."

The confusion dancing in Lili's eyes was unmistakable. Brennan smiled and whispered back, "Want to know a secret?" Lili nodded, eyes wide. "So does Agent Booth." Lili giggled, then laid her head in Brennan's lap; Brennan's eyes widened and she stiffened ever so slightly.

"Will you read it to me?" Brennan looked at her, nodding dumbly.

If only she knew... As she started reading the story that she knew so well, she let her mind wander. What would happen to this family after this? They still had to prove that John had killed Maxim. How could he-No. She wouldn't let her mind go there.

She couldn't.

She worried about Lili as she read, patting her hair. The child was only six-years-old, for Heaven's sake. No one understands something like that at six. But somehow, Lili seemed to understand some things that no adults ever could, or would.

Half way through the second time Brennan read the book, she looked up to see Booth standing in the doorway, Lachlan at his heels. She nudged Lili and nodded to the door. Lili ran up to Lachlan, who lifted her up and held her tightly, closing his eyes.

"Hey, Sweetie! What'cha been doing?" His voice had calmed within seconds of speaking to her. Brennan was amazed.

"Tempe was reading me Sleeping Beauty!" she said excitedly, bouncing on his hip.

"Yeah?" He stole a look at Brennan. "Thank you, Doctor Brennan." Brennan nodded, catching the double-meaning.

"You're welcome. Both of you," she said back, smiling sadly. Lachlan turned back to Lili.

"So, Sleeping Beauty, your favourite, kiddo!" he said excitedly.

"Yuhuh! And Tempe reads it good, too!" Booth laughed at this as their voices grew fainter, moving farther down the corridor.

It wasn't until they were alone that Brennan realized she was still holding the book. Looking at the cover, she placed it on the couch and stood up, walking over to Booth, who was watching her interestedly.

"Hey," he said, letting out a breath.

"Hey," she repeated. Booth explained.

"I had a bad feeling about him, and I'd only just met him. I called the FBI building in Charleston to see if I could get an interrogation room because I figured he'd be harder to get, but...he as good as gave himself up." He took a deep breath. "They're taking him down-town as we speak; Grace's with the paramedics. She'll be fine." Brennan nodded silently, forcing a smile.

Screw subtlety, he thought. "Talk to me, Bones," he almost pleaded.

"About what? I'm okay, Booth, really, I-" She stopped as Booth put his hands soothingly on her shoulders.

"You're not okay," he countered gently. "Something...that little girl, Bones. She did something to you, didn't she?" Brennan closed her eyes, brows knit, and shook her head.

"Booth, I've worked many cases; this isn't the first one that's involved children. I've done digs in Guatemala where-"

"Bones. Listen to me." As she opened her eyes, Booth inwardly prayed that Brennan would not get anthropological on him now. "This one, for some reason, is different, isn't it? Lili-" Booth never finished his sentence, because as soon as he said her name, Brennan's façade failed, and tears began falling down her cheeks.

He gathered her to him, and held her tightly, one hand on her back, the other caressing her hair. Surprisingly, she allowed him to continue holding her like this for minutes as she calmed herself down.

Once he heard her breathing turning back to normal, he let go of her, and framed her face with his hands, pressing his lips firmly to her forehead. Brennan gasped slightly at this, and Booth closed his eyes, savoring it. Drawing back, still holding her face, he looked her in the eyes, emotions burning, before pressing his lips to hers.

Booth had expected the kiss to confuse them, to distract them, even to completely blank their minds. Boy, was he wrong. Instead, every emotion burning within each them intensified, and they fed everything they were feeling into the kiss. Everything each of them was feeling became mixed up, poured into the other and back as their lips moved.

It was painfully affecting, and Booth had to pull away. He couldn't bring himself to take his hands away. Instead, he held her head until she opened her eyes. So many things he could have said passed through his head in that instant. Only one seemed right.

He pulled her to him again, nuzzling his face into her hair. Her arms went around him, and she laid her head against him, closing her eyes. When he spoke, he spoke quietly, solemnly into her ear.

"Let's go home, Temperance."

Okay, so, I changed my mind. This was going to be the last chapter, but I've become emotionally attatched, and therefore have decided to write another. I have serious attatchment issues...

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