It was still dark as Seeley made his way to the hospital parking garage. The clap of his heavy boots resounded in the abandoned lot and, judging from the heavy chill in the air, he knew it must have been close to three or four in the morning. As he moved quickly up the stairs of the deserted garage, his eyes scanned the rows of cars, searching for the familiar shape of his black SUV.

It felt horrible to admit it, but he was eager to distance himself from this place. After weeks of spending his nights on an uncomfortable waiting room couch, his body ached for a warm bed…not to mention a long, hot shower. The stench of ammonia and death seemed to hover over him and he just couldn't stand the suffocating air of the hospital any longer.

Fishing the keys out of his pocket, Seeley opened the door and slid into the driver's seat, wondering how he was ever going to make it home. He had never been so tired. Closing his eyes, he let his head fall back against the headrest. I'm just going to rest, he insisted, just for a minute.

It wasn't long before Seeley could feel himself slowly drifting to sleep, and he struggled to open his eyes. He rubbed them with the heels of his hands and blinked, trying to bring the inside of the car back into focus. As his vision cleared, he caught sight of the rosary hanging from the rear-view mirror.

Slowly, Seeley reached up and took the tiny cross in his hand, the glass beads of the chain clinking together at his touch. It was the gift that Parker had given him for Father's Day, just a few days before the incident. A sad smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth as he pictured his son's face, so proud as he handed his father the gift he'd chosen just for him.

"Mommy helped me pick it…she said it would keep you safe."

Bones had been there, watching, from across the table as the little boy grinned victoriously, and he remembered the longing in her eyes, her sweet smile, and the warm sincerity in her voice as she spoke to him.

"It's beautiful, Parker."

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Seeley freed the necklace from its perch on the mirror. For a long moment, he sat there, staring at the silver crucifix in his hand, thoughts of Bones and God and Parker swirling through his mind. Then, he let out a defeated sigh and discarded the object on the seat next to him.

"Home," he whispered to himself. "I just have to get home."