Disclaimer: I do not own Bones.

Author's Note: I wanted to get this up on Monday, but I heard something was wrong with uploaded fics. Anywayz, last chapter was in the past, Temperance is 15 at that time, and this chapter, the epilogue, is nowadays.. I'd like to hear what you thought in a review, please!

Epilogue

Present

"Good night, Tom," I say as I grab my bag.

"See you next week," he replies in his deep, warm voice.

I smile at him, take a sip of water from my water bottle and walk towards the door.

"Oh, Tempe?" His call makes me turn around. "Is everything okay, at work and...you know?"

Tom has been one of the few people in my life on whom I can really rely. He hasn't only been my teacher in martial arts since I was sixteen, but he has also been like a godfather to me and later on a loyal friend.

"I'm good," I say to him. "I'm doing fine, really," I confirm with a smile.

He returns with a large smile and that everlasting twinkle in his eyes, "Glad to hear that, Tempe."

I turn my back on him again and walk a few more steps towards the exit sign, but a thought makes me stop. "Tom?"

"Yes, Tempe?" he answers with a hidden concern in his voice.

"Thanks for asking."

"I always got your back, you know I'm here for you," he reassures me as I walk out of the door with smile plastered on my face. As I get in my car, I let my head rest against the steering wheel. The conversation reminds me of how I got into martial arts. When I was fifteen, I ran away and a man assaulted me. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't defend myself. I had stabbed him, and in the morning someone had found us, both unconscious. We both ended up in the hospital. That was the time Social Services emerged, and I ended up in the system. My brother had realised he couldn't take care of me. At first, he claimed I had left him, not the other way around. But now we have forgiven each other. But I didn't forgive the man who did this to me. He ended up in prison for two years, but later died of an overdose .When I was sixteen, my foster parents at the time introduced me to martial arts. I learned to defend myself at any circumstances. I promised myself no one ever would ever hurt me like that again.

The memory of that night still overwhelms me. So I do what I know best. I breathe.

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