Author's Note: This chapter speaks for itself, and pretty much brings what I said it would. I'm not rushing anything, but I'm not stalling anything either. There's no filler, so it's pretty much everything I had planned. Nothing much to say other than that, other than asking you to please leave a review. Also, I'm not sure if I'll have another update prepared before the finale, but if not happy Bones watching to you. We have waited long enough.

Also, if anyone's interested I'm on Twitter and Facebook. Just PM me and we can get connected.


Sweets and Brennan talked for almost a half hour before she even thought to turn the tables, to start asking questions of him. They'd been talking about her progress, walking through the things she had regained since waking up. It wasn't all easy to think about, but he'd stressed more than once how important the whole process was. "Why did you leave?"

"I'm sorry?" Sweets replied, looking up from the spiral notebook that rested on his lap. He had pulled the two chairs in Brennan's room close to the window, an attempt at making her feel more comfortable.

"You've mentioned how you went on your book tour, how you've given several versions of basically the same lecture series around the country. However, you've never mentioned why you left in the first place." Brennan replied. She wasn't sure why it was important that he tell her, she just felt curious. Hope that he might present something from her own past dwelled within, but she knew better than to wish too strong. He was a trained psychologist, and even if psychology was a soft science he could still tell when people had ulterior motives. Not that she had any, but as Brennan stared back at him, watched as he clicked is pen on and off, she found herself wanting nothing more than for him to at least give her a piece of what she was missing.

Sweets sighed before uncrossing his legs. "I left of my own accord," He replied. He watched a wave of disappointment pass through her eyes as she stared out the window. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, as if she were fighting to control something. "Doctor Brennan?" He leaned forward and placed a hand over her bunched ones and waited until she looked back at him. "If talking about everything makes you feel uncomfortable, I'd understand. You could call me when you feel more comfortable discussing your situation again."

Brennan shook her head as Sweets pulled back. "No, I feel perfectly fine discussing this. I do admit it makes me feel a little uncomfortable, but I realize it is a necessary portion of the process."

He knew there was risk involved, but Sweets still felt compelled to help. "I was still your therapist. You and Agent Booth would come in and see my regularly. However, there was an...event that caused the FBI to designate another therapist to your partnership. I was planning on leaving anyway, but they felt privately that I was no longer an authoritative asset to your partnership, but more of a friend figure. They felt that relationship would inhibit my judgment as to whether or not you were fit to work together."

He wasn't really telling her anything she didn't already know, which was both a relief and a cause of disappointment. Relief because while she didn't remember him leaving, she did recall him as their therapist, did remember details about his position. Disappointment because it didn't trigger anything she still didn't know. "I see. Sweets-"

Picking up on her hesitation, he waited patiently to see if she would speak anymore. When she didn't, he wasn't quite sure how to respond, but knew she needed time to process. "If I may, Doctor Brennan?"

She looked at him with a hint of curiosity. "What?"

"This, right here-" Sweets referenced to the area around them. "I realize this is a hospital room, that it isn't my office by any means. I would still like you to know anything you say to me, your thoughts, feelings...whatever you choose to say, none of it passes on to anyone else unless you'd like it to."

"You're here unofficially, Sweets. I agreed to speak with you here in hopes of assessing my situation, not to talk about how I feel." Brennan replied, a hint of bitterness in her tone. She crossed her arms before again staring out the window. When Sweets didn't say anything, she turned to see him waiting patiently. A sigh escaped her lips. "I'm tired of everyone being so careful around me, as if I am some sort of inanimate object they could crush if they get too close, or tell me something. I know I am supposed to regain everything I have lost on my own, that if they do reveal something to me it could cause something more detrimental than helpful. It still doesn't stop me from hoping I could just sit with them, all of them, and have things be as they were before."

A soft smile crossed Sweets' face. Now, after almost an hour, they were finally getting somewhere. "All of your friends still love you, Doctor Brennan. They all hold you in very high regard. Whether you believe it or not, they're hoping you regain everything as well. But if you don't? They'll still be there for you."

"I realize that, but it doesn't stop me from hoping I could do better. How am I supposed to walk out of here tomorrow, go back to living my life, not knowing what it was I left after the accident?" Brennan replied, the frustration she felt boiling to the surface. Her socked feet bumped into the leg of the chair as she unfolded her arms and brought a hand up to dab at her eye. "Booth won't even talk about it. I know he was in the car with me; we were partners, Sweets, and even he isn't willing to offer me any information."

Sweets stalled. He clicked his pen repeatedly, crossed and uncrossed his legs, stalled for time. Anything to think of what he was supposed to say next. They'd been talking for a while, but she'd never brought up Booth directly. She'd never mentioned his role in her recovery, or afterward for that matter, but he wasn't about to relay that peice of information, whether he was there formally or not. "Have you considered the possibility that your recovery is weighing heavily on Agent Booth as well? Perhaps he feels on some level your remembering the events of the past few years is partially on his shoulders?"

"Why would he be feeling that? It isn't his fault." Brennan protested. Until she saw him scribble something down in his notebook, she wasn't thinking of it as a session at all. "No, Sweets, you cannot turn this into one of your studies of mine and Booth's relationship. Just because he feels the way he does in regards to my recovery does not reflect directly on our friendship. Booth and I are friends, and I am grateful for the support he has offered thus far."

The door swung open, and as if on cue, Booth walked in. "Oh, sorry Sweets, I didn't realize you were still here. Bones has an appointment with Mindy to practice a few more exercises. I could tell her to wait."

"No, no, I understand." Sweets said as he looked back at Brennan. "Remember what we discussed, Doctor Brennan. This is only the beginning, but you're doing great. I'll speak with you again about setting up an appointment when you get back from your brother's next week."

Booth stood uncomfortably, his hands stuffed in his pockets, until Sweets left the room. "You're going to visit Russ?"

Brennan nodded as she slipped on a pair of tennis shoes, the ones he had so kindly brought for her. "Only for a week or so. Doctor Weston told me to take it easy, and I haven't seen Russ and his family for a long time. I figured it was an excuse for a break, until I've been given the all-clear to officially return to work."

Booth nodded, unsure if he should be happy or worried, or a combination of both really, because until that moment he'd never really considered her living arrangements after leaving the hospital. Pictures, mementos, things that belonged to her that he refused to box away, were scattered around their house. Their house, because he'd never really thought of it as simply his after the accident, he always knew or hoped that she would one day come back home.

"Are you alright?" Brennan asked, for the first time noticing the tired expression he wore on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just haven't been getting much sleep lately." Booth offered with a shrug. "Come on, let's get you to the appointment."

Brennan stood and started walking to the door with him, but suddenly stopped. Everything she and Sweets had talked about, though nothing monumental happened, still helped her to better understand what Booth was feeling. "Booth, wait."

He turned back to her as she caught his arm, and a flag was instantly raised. "Everything okay, Bones? You need me to call someone in here?"

"Booth, no." She smiled apologetically. "I'm fine. I just wanted to say if all of this, the helping me and coming to visit, if it ever turns out to feel like a burden to you, if it's taking a toll on your health-" She noted the way his skin had visibly paled, and she frowned. "I don't want you to feel an obligation to help me anymore. After I leave, I can return back to normal within a matter of weeks. I can ask Angela for more assistance if necessary, I just don't want you acting as if you have to be here when you have no obligation to."

They'd been through it before, the her trying to push him away, but it still managed to hurt just as bad. "How could you ever think you were a burden to me, Bones? Hey." He smiled as he shook his head. That was the way it had always been with them, the simple looks and gestures, and Booth found himself relieved to know it still had not changed. "I don't think like that, alright? The case we've been working, it's kind of taking a toll on everybody. It's not your fault."

Brennan nodded her head despite the fact she didn't completely believe him. She knew Booth, knew that he'd say things that weren't completely the truth if it made her feel better, and she couldn't help but think it was the case. "We should get going before we're too late, Mindy was expecting me to arrive ten minutes ago. Why are you walking me, by the way? I thought you had to interview the family again?"

Booth nodded as he slung an arm around her shoulder, finding himself almost ridiculously happy at the close proximity of their bodies, and opened the door with the other. "Yeah, about that. Come on, I'll explain on the way."


"Is this everything?" Max asked in surprise as he slung a bag over his shoulder. He shut the car door and sent he a look of surprise. "I thought you were staying here for a week."

"I am, but that was all Angela was able to retrieve. I don't need anything else as I'm planning on making this a personal visit." Brennan replied as she stepped out of the car.

"You're going a week without working?" Max replied. He tried to suppress the look of amusement that crossed his face, but knew it wasn't working. "Sorry, pumpkin, but I know you. Now that you have the ability to work, I know it's gonna be hard for you not to. Just take it easy, sweetheart, you remember what the doctor said."

Brennan smiled as Max knocked at the door, because she knew he was right. "I can't guarantee I won't write some, though it won't be as easy without my laptop. Apparently it was destroyed during the accident, so I'll have to purchase a new one whenever I get back home."

"Grandpa Max, Auntie Tempe!" Emma cried, her blond curls bouncing as she lunged forward to hug them both.

"Emmakins, hey..." Max knelt down to hug her as Amy appeared in the doorway, holding the baby securely on her hip.

"I thought I heard the door. You guys can come right in, Russ had to run to the store. I forgot something for our dinner tonight, but he should be back soon."

Brennan was led to the guest room by a very excited Emma as Amy had to go check on what was cooking. She was surprised to say the least, that she felt as welcome and at home as she did, but it was a great feeling. Never one to procrastinate, she started taking her belongings out when she heard her brother's voice coming from the living room.

"I thought that was Dad's car in the driveway. Where's Tempe?" Russ asked, turning in time to see her walk out of the hall. He grinned, the corners of his mouth turning upwards. "Do you have any idea how good it is to see you?"

Brennan nodded as she fought back tears she wasn't prepared to cry. She felt Russ wrap her in a tight hug, and was more than happy to return the favor. "It's great to see you, too. I'm sorry for not providing much notice, Cam has all but banned me from the lab until I've been given official approval to return."

"I'd have to say I agree with her, you shouldn't be working yet." Russ replied. "Come on, sit down. You need to rest."

"No, I don't actually. I've been resting for a long time now, I'm perfectly happy to stand." Brennan declined. She looked around the room; Emma and Haley were drawing at the coffee table, Max was cradling the baby close, and she and Russ were still standing comfortably. Amy was in the kitchen working on the pasta. A family, a real one, in every sense of the word, and yet she couldn't help but feel like she was apart from it. Everyone else was clued in, had everything they needed, and she felt like an addition that wasn't necessary. She was welcome and yet an obligation at the same time, or at least that was what it felt like.

Dinner went by without much of a hitch, Brennan completely touched to learn Amy had actually prepared the meal for her sake. Being a vegetarian wasn't something she thought about in the hospital that much; salads and fruit were basically all that was qualified to be food there anyway. Home cooking was another story, and she couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed. "I'll help clean up." She offered once everyone was done.

"Oh no, don't even think about it, Tempe. You're our guest. Go, relax." Russ insisted. He sent her a warning look that told her not to argue. If she knew how much he had been worrying, she probably wouldn't have thought about it.

Brennan held her plate awkwardly until he took it from her. "I suppose I do need to get the rest of my things organized. I also need to call Angela, I promised her I would let her know I got here safe."


Twenty minutes later, after everything had been neatly folded and placed into drawers, Brennan changed into a pair of pajama pants and made the call to Angela.

"It's about time, Bren. I was expecting you to call an hour ago." Angela complained from the other end. "How was the drive?"

Brennan closed her eyes as she reached for the black traveling bag that sat on the bed. "The worst part was actually getting in the car, knowing what happened the last time I was in one, but that fear is irrational. The statistical probability of me being involved in another accident of that caliber are significantly low."

Angela laughed on the other end as she took a sip from her glass and leaned against the kitchen counter. She and Jack had been about to eat themselves when she got the call. "Leave it to you to crack it all down to statistics, sweetie. How is everybody? That cute little nephew of yours too, I've seen pictures. Is he more adorable in person?"

"He is quite adorable in person." Brennan mused, more for Angela's benefit than her own. She placed the bag on the ground, followed by her shoes, leaving only her coat and the bag of her personal belongings from the hospital on the comforter. She curled her legs underneath her body and opened the bag, not at all surprised to find the few first things she pulled out. Her hairbrush, toothbrush, a few novels people had brought her to read. A stuffed bear Booth had brought on one of his visits, which had only prompted her telling him it wasn't anatomically correct, but that she was still grateful. She pulled out a medium-sized white envelope, and stared at the front. There was her name, printed in black marker, scrawled across the front, and as she held it she could feel what felt like a necklace pendant, and thought it could have been the belongings they kept in the safe. As she heard Angela talking, going on about something that happened at the lab that day, she vaguely remembered a nurse telling her they'd been sure to keep the contents safe.

"I mean, he just stands there all innocent while Cam is just covered in this...goo. Whatever it was he used to fill the bin. It was not a pretty sight." Angela said before noting her friend's lack of communication. "Brennan? You still there?"

"Yes, I'm here. It sounds like an interesting experience." Brennan replied, only half-heartedly interested as she tore open the envelope. The contents poured out onto the sea foam colored comforter, a necklace with a star pendant, her mother's ring (which she immediately slipped back on), and another ring, which immediately caused her to freeze. The size, shape, and obvious design was blatantly clear as she picked it up for examination. "This has to be a mistake, they must've placed it in the wrong envelope before it was sealed."

Angela sighed heavily as she leaned against the kitchen counter, rolling her eyes as Hodgins placed a plate in front of her. "You really weren't listening, were you?"

Brennan stared, perplexed, at the silver band with a diamond sitting directly in the middle, and knew immediately it had to be a mistake. It was a beautiful piece of jewelry, but one she knew never could have been hers. Sitting in her hand was something that was so obviously a wedding ring, and she herself wasn't married. Confusion sent a layer of metaphoric fog across her brain, but she still made an attempt to respond. "Yes, I was. I'm sorry, Ange, I'm going to have to call you back."