Cleo didn't want to be on the plane. She didn't want to leave D.C., and she definitely didn't want to leave Booth. Amon was on the phone, talking to someone about the bomb. Cleo knew he was going to use it, that it was his intent all along. She craned to look out the plane window, tugging on her bonds. Amon didn't trust her to not run off again, so he'd attached her to the seat securely. She was furious with him and at herself for being so helpless. It mentally put her back into all those other times she had been helpless. She felt hot boiling rage then.

"It's all set," Amon smiled, sitting across from her. She glared at him. His face was so ugly. There was a rather large scar running from his ear to his neck, and a patch of his hair never grew back, leaving his black curls looking ridiculous around it.

"I don't want any part of this," she spat at him.

"We're family, Cleopatra. Families stick together."

"And where were you when our parents were murdered, huh? Oh, that's right! You were pretending to be dead," she hissed.

"I heard what happened from a source. I went looking for you, but you were already gone. I spent years looking for you, and I finally found you. We should rejoice..."

"You found me through a guy who wanted to get a bomb from you that you created!" she shrieked. "And the only reason that happened was because my adopted father was hooked into it, and the only way he knew about it was through someone else!"

"The universe put us back together," Amon argued. "Can't you see that?"

"No. The universe gave me someone who has been more of a father to me than anyone I've ever known since Papa died. I want to stay with him!"

"I can't let you."

"Yes, you can. Just let me off the plane, Amon. I won't tell him you have the bomb. I'll just go and live happily ever after."

"I'd love to believe that, but I know you, Cleo. You'll tell him, and they'll shoot me down or kill me once I land. I can't let you off this plane."

Cleo started to cry then, feeling as though her life was over. It probably was because by now someone had to have figured out Amon had the bomb. They'd die together. She would never see Booth or Brennan again. Or Sweets. The thought made her hurt so badly. They had helped her heal and trust again. She had to do something. Her mind was whirling.

...

"Great, thanks Cam," Booth said, hanging up.

"What did she have to say?" Brennan asked. They were all huddled in her car, waiting to approach the private plane on the runway.

"She said her source told her there was no bomb found at the White House," Booth answered.

"But...we know it was there," Hodgins argued.

"That means..." Angela started.

"It's on the plane," Sweets finished. "Oh my God."

"He's taking it elsewhere to detonate it," Booth commented. He steadied his shaking hands. Cleo was on that plane. He had to get her off it.

"Stop him," Angela ordered. "Stop him now!"

"I'm thinking, Ange. Give me a second," Booth said. "I can't just go charging up there. He'll probably kill her."

"Why is he even taking her? Who is he?" Brennan asked.

"I have a hunch," Booth said, moving to get out. It was now or never.

"Care to share?" Hodgins asked. Booth didn't answer. He made his way towards the plane, his mind working overtime.

...

Cleo could see the bomb from where she was sitting. It really was an ugly little thing. She wanted to kick it off the plane so that the feds could find it. If she wasn't bound...

"Time to get out of here," Amon said, getting up and going to the pilot. "I am co-pilot, so I'll be back once we're in the air." Cleo waited for him to leave before twisting to get the knife out of her shoe. She had started keeping one on her for self-defense since Booth brought her back from Afghanistan. She managed to cut herself loose and went to kneel in front of the bomb. The best thing would be to make it go off while they were flying. That way, no one else would get hurt. She tried not to think about the fact that she was killing herself, but she couldn't let other innocent people die. Booth would be proud of her. She examined it before figuring out how to turn it on. She pressed the button, giving them ten minutes. Then she slid it under the seat and went back to hers. Her heart was pounding. She had ten minutes left to live.

...

Booth was so close to the plane by now, but he had been spotted. A man stuck his arm out the window and shot at him. Booth ducked and went for cover. The stairs to the plane were ascending, and he needed to get on. He raced to them, jumping and grabbing them. He lost his gun in the process. He scrambled to get higher up the stairs before it closed on him. He landed harshly on the ground of the plane.

"Files!" Cleo exclaimed. Booth looked up and was immediately punched by a man.

"You fool!" Amon shouted. He pulled out his gun, but Cleo attacked him from behind, making it go off and reverberate around the plane before landing on a seat. Amon threw her off, and she landed hard on her back. Winded, she tried to get up again. Amon kicked her in the ribs with all his might. She collapsed, knowing she couldn't get up. She could see the bomb timer counting down. Seven more minutes.

Booth got into a fistfight with Amon then, and it looked like he was winning until Amon kneed him in the back where he'd been shot. Booth cried out and fell forward. Amon landed on him and wrapped his arm around Booth's neck, choking him. Cleo started to crawl to where Amon's gun had landed, trying not to bring attention on herself. Booth managed to twist around and block Amon's blows, kicking him up and over his head. Amon crashed hard. Booth could feel the plane starting to turn and prepare for take off.

"That's not good," he said to himself.

...

"What do we do?!" Angela cried, gripping Hodgins's arm. Brennan was fighting back the tears, knowing that Booth was most likely in danger. She couldn't get on the plane to help him, though, so she felt incredibly helpless. Sweets gripped her shoulder, knowing she would be experiencing these feelings. He was just as scared.

"Come on, Booth," she whispered. "Come back to me."

...

Booth threw Amon to the back of the plane as hard as he could before grabbing Cleo and and yanking open the emergency door. She screamed, seeing that they were moving.

"Do you trust me?!" he shouted into the wind. They looked at each other.

"Yes!" she shouted back.

"Hold on!"

...

It all happened in slow motion. Brennan watched as Booth appeared with Cleo as the plane started to move, and she watched as he jumped holding Cleo in his arms. She watched as they landed, Booth doing his best to protect Cleo with his body, and she watched as they rolled and rolled until they stopped. She watched as Cleo got up and Booth didn't. She was already running towards them, her legs acting as though they were dragging through quick sand. She heard Sweets, Hodgins, and Angela shouting behind her. The plane had taken off now, and Amon had managed to shut the door.

"Booth!" Brennan shouted, skidding to a stop onto her knees beside him. She pulled him up into her arms, shaking him. "Booth!"

Cleo was crying now. Angela pulled her into a tight embrace. Sweets and Hodgins watched, feeling useless.

"Come on, Booth," Brennan said, laying him back down and feeling for his vitals. "Come back to me." He had a pulse, which was reassuring. He groaned finally.

"Bones."

"You're okay," Brennan said, gripping his face with her hands. He opened his eyes.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," he told her.

"You did it, Booth. You saved Cleo."

"I failed, though. He's got the bomb."

"I'll call it in," Sweets said immediately, relieved that Booth was okay. "They'll pick him up when he lands."

"We don't even know where he's going," Hodgins pointed out, making Sweets droop.

"You don't have to," Cleo said, tugging on Booth's arm. "Look up."

They all looked up in time to see Amon's airplane explode into a gigantic ball of red fire. Sweets's jaw dropped to his chest. Hodgins started to laugh. Angela made no sound at all, and Booth and Brennan simply stared.

"You activated the bomb," Booth said finally, looking at Cleo.

"I had to do something," she shrugged.

"But...you were going to be on that plane..." Angela trailed off, feeling emotional suddenly.

"I know," Cleo said softly. "I would sacrifice myself if it meant saving thousands or millions of others." Booth grabbed her into a bear hug then, rocking her back and forth. She started to cry again.

"My brave girl," he kept saying. "My brave, brave girl."

"I am brave," she said, nodding into his chest. "I am." She finally believed it.

"Who was he?" Brennan asked, wanting to know.

"He was my brother," Cleo answered. Angela gasped.

"I knew it," Booth said. "The moment I saw him taking you away, I knew he was related to you."

"Why didn't you tell me you had a brother?" Sweets asked. In all their time spent together, she'd never once mentioned it.

"Because I guess his death was really the start of everything going terrible in my life, and I didn't want to deal with it yet."

"But...he's not dead," Angela pointed out.

"Um, he is now, Ange," Hodgins gestured.

"Oh. Right..."

"He said he faked his death in order to live. He was ten years older than me, and I guess he was into things I had no knowledge of. He made that bomb, Files. He was supposed to sell it to Jimmy, but he kept it."

"I bet Jimmy's real pissed," Sweets smirked.

"Jimmy's going away for a long, long time," Booth said, remembering Cam had said he was among the arrested. "I'm going to find out how many other people out there he's controlling with bombs in their heads. He'll never see daylight again."

"Well, technically he will," Brennan said logically. "Through his cell window."

"It's a metaphor, Bones," Booth groaned.

"It's a bad one."

Emergency services arrived then due to reports of the explosion in the sky. Booth was looked at as he had cuts on his face and arms. Cleo was as well for her bruises from the fall. Everyone gave their statement to the police about what happened. Once it was all sorted out, Booth encircled Brennan with his arms.

"You ready to go home?" he asked, nuzzling her neck with his face.

"I'm more than ready," she nodded. Cleo joined them, her wrist wrapped tightly, and Booth took her good hand in his.

"You wanna stay with me?" he asked.

"I want to stay with you both," she said. "You're staying together, right?"

"I think so," Brennan answered, looking at Booth, who was staring back at her.

"I would never dream of leaving you," Booth said solemnly.

"Then we can tell my social worker that I have a home," Cleo said happily. "You guys are my home."

"And we couldn't be more happy about it," Booth smiled at her. "Welcome to the family, Cleo."

"Thanks, Files," she smirked. Booth tousled her hair, making her protest. He put his arms around Brennan and Cleo, and together they walked towards Brennan's car. The light in the sky from the explosion was now fading in the distance.

One chapter left, folks. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this story for you guys.