Hello All!

I tried to get this up as quickly as I could.

Feedback and suggestions are still very greatly appreciated, so do feel welcome to suggest.

Enjoy!

Xx G

18. Confession. Closed.

"Mary...You understand why we brought you in for interrogation before your brother, don't you?" Booth flipped open his notepad. "We were going to just bring your brother in, but when we heard you were skipping town...we thought you might have a bit more to say."

The suspect shrugged.

"I don't think that you did this," Booth told the suspect gently, ignoring Sweets' probing words in his ear.

"Why not? Everyone else thinks that I did," she sulked, shoulders rounded in defeat. "I get it; I come across as a cold-hearted, stiff bitch. Fair enough; I've had that thrown at me my whole life."

Booth took a deep, unnecessary breath. "Mary. You didn't do this. But someone did."

"Why do you think it wasn't me?" Mary asked.

"That's interesting," Sweets spoke into Booth's earpiece. "She seems to want you to believe that it was her. She's shouldering the blame for someone else."

"Even I could have picked that," Booth muttered in reply to the psychologist.

"Sorry?" Mary's forehead creased in confusion.

"Nothing, Mrs Rushmore. Listen; I know that you're hiding something. I seem to be pretty well-renown for my 'gut feelings', and I just have this one about you. This is the third time you have come into an interrogation, without a lawyer, might I add. I interested concerning your intentions."

Mary shrugged. "I really don't do that." She flipped her hair-iron induced waves. "I wasn't born rich, and my father taught me to stick up to myself. I prefer not to pretend to be something I'm not."

"But you do," Booth countered, crossing a leg. "Every day, when you put on your makeup, and parade around your mansion."

"It was never my mansion, Agent Booth. It belonged to my late husband, Nicholas. Before that, it was entitled to his wife as well. When he disappeared, without a trace, and was declared dead, the house was left to me in the will. Unfortunately, for others, the fortune wasn't going to go to me, other than the house."

"What do you mean 'others'?"

"Very good, Agent Booth," Sweets praised in his ear.

"My only inheritance was from my first husband, Giles," Mary said plainly. "Unfortunately for my brother," she hissed, biting the insides of her cheeks, "nothing was going to come from Evan either. But I didn't care about that. It always has to be about the money, doesn't it? Am I never allowed to marry someone, simply because I love them?"

Booth waited for Sweets to give an insight. Nothing came. He heaved another breath. "Are you suggesting that your brother expects to cash in from you, when your husbands die?"

Mary bit her lip and shrugged. "I know that I am cold, okay? But I never wanted it to be like this. I can't take it anymore. I just wanted to be in his life. I never wanted to marry Giles. My brother set that up; he was rich, I was young and pretty...for a while, it sort of worked. But then he disappeared. I truly believed that I loved Nicholas, my second husband. He was a beautiful man, and I adored his daughters. When he disappeared without a trace too, something just...changed inside me. I became cold. I didn't care anymore. I let him push me around." Mary drooped her head. "You should have met me before then," she almost whispered, "you would have like me."

Booth outstretched a hand and pointed down on the table. "You can tell me, Mary. You need to tell me."

"I met Evan at a convention. It was a rich convention; I was wearing Dolce and Gabana, Chanel perfume, and I enticed him. He proposed to me a couple of months later. I accepted. We were married. He had the potential to make it in the music industry, and I could already sense my brother sniffing out the word 'fortune' on him. On the day that he...well...my brother asked him to come out to the winery, and work with him, he declared it was for 'brotherly bonding'. Fat load of crap; my brother has never worked in his life. Anyway, I don't know what happened exactly, but Josh thought it was pretty hilarious that he convinced Evan to get into a water tank filled with carbon dioxide. He came back to my property...and..."

"And what?"

"A few weeks ago, I was intent on rebuilding a few cross-country training jumps. I had a water jump, but it wasn't really safe anymore, so I decided to fill it in. That is where my brother buried Evan. Evan, who was deeply unconscious, and already on his way to dying, was buried alive. I just wanted out of it. All of it. The next day, when I found out what had really happened, I dug up Evan, took him to the winery, and I dumped him there. I wanted him to deal with it for once. Josh murdered him. I was sick of feeling like it was always me that had to deal with it. I didn't do it." Mary's eyes welled. "I thought that I could be strong enough. I wrapped him in a blanket, so I wouldn't look at his face. I just..." Mary cut off, eyes spilling over and hands trembling.

"Why did you try and skip town?" Booth asked quietly.

"I tried to leave," she blubbered, wiping her nose with her sleeve, "because I knew that my brother would somehow fool you into believing it was me that murdered him. Evidence would have pointed to me, and you would have a accused me. He came to me last night, and threatened me. He hit me." She rolled back the cotton covering her shoulders. Bruises. "So I ran," she continued. "If you look closely enough, and someone points it out, you will understand that it was him. It has always been him. Josh was the only person with Evan that day. No one saw them, because Josh is sneaky like that. It's how he got away with the others. Have a criminal mother, and you learn a thing or two."

"You realise that we're going to have to charge you with interfering with-"

"I know, Agent Booth. I know that I will probably have to go to jail. I know." She exhaled sharply. "...Why wasn't I good enough for him? I am his little sister, and I just wanted to be in his life. But like our mother before us, all he wanted was money. That got her killed. At the end of the day, no matter how much I wanted a family, it made me realise that I wanted that fate for him to."

Booth just nodded.

"Evidence...proof, anything that you want," she said lowly, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I'll give you what you want. I don't want to see him ever again."

"Thank you, Mrs Rushmore."

She smiled weakly. "If there is an upside to this horrible mess...No matter how pear-shaped this all went...and no matter where I have to go from here, for two years, I was part of a family. I got to be a mom."

Again, Booth bobbed his head silently. At that moment, silence was the best answer.

They could prove that Blake committed not only one murder, but three. There would be closure for more than one family.

-~B&B~-

Three Days Later...

"Case closed!" Booth exploded, grin spreading from ear to ear.

Cam returned his smile, and clinked her glass against his beer bottle. "I bet you're feeling good about this one, hey?"

"Mmm. I've had worse, but I just really hated this one."

"How did you get him locked up for three murders?" Cam asked, popping a nibble into her mouth.

"After the confession from Mary about Evan, she peeped about the whereabouts of Kevin, and then, very emotionally, she revealed the resting place of Nicholas. I think she actually loved the guy, in her own, twisted way." Booth took a swig of his beer.

"You had enough evidence? I have to admit, I was a little hurt that you didn't need our help for the rest of it."

"We're FBI, Cam. Some matters just don't need your assistance. We had enough." He realised that he had offended her, as soon as the reply tumbled out. "Sorry," he amended, "you guys are really great. It was a rare occasion that we didn't need you."

"Fair enough, Big Man. I know you mean well."

He smiled gratefully. "So how's the prepping going for the exhibit?"

"Final touches. It is on tonight, at ten, mind you. You are coming, aren't you?"

"You bet. Nice suit and all."

Cam smirked at his good humour, but her face fell simultaneously. "Have you spoken to Dr Brennan?"

He didn't reply.

Cam couldn't make any sense of it. "You two fought again, didn't you?"

"Camille-"

"Fine, I didn't say a word. Three days, though? Come on."

"I'll see her tonight. We've gone without talking for much longer."

His friend raised her glass to her lips. "Ah, that's right; last time you two didn't talk to each other, was when you ran away for a year. You're not running this time, though, are you?"

Booth slumped his shoulders. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore, Camille. I don't. It feels as though every day I get worse at the job I do, and the life I live."

"Kill the depressants, Booth. You know that's not true. You are a brilliant cop, and you only just broke up with a woman you considered spending the rest of your life with, so cut yourself some slack; you're just feeling sorry for yourself now."

Booth rolled his eyes. "If you weren't so right, I think I would have hit you."

"Don't hit me; I could take you myself."

"Humph."

Cam sipped her wine, and settled it down. "My advice, for what it's worth; you loved Hannah. Your relationship ended abruptly because she abused your trust. Her obsession to know every aspect of your life – so you had nothing with anyone else – ruined your relationship. Whether you like it or not, you're going to have to acknowledge that, even though it was at her fault that the relationship ended, you were hanging out for a reason to break up with her. Any relationship didn't linger after you broke up, because there was nothing else there. You and I, when we separated, remained on good terms because we were friends. You weren't friends with Hannah. When you and Brennan could have taken a step further, you were able to remain partners because you love each other so much. You couldn't bear to lose each other."

Booth grasped Cam's hand.

"...And I think that you're still struggling with Hannah, because part of you feels the guilt for putting all of blame on her," Cam continued, holding his eyes. "If you wanna make it work with Tempe, then you've got to let it all go. If you're done with Hannah, then really finish it. Write a her letter – Facebook her...I don't know, be poetic about it. But your relationship ended badly, so if you want let her go, you have got finish it on better terms. Have closure," she concluded, squeezing his hand. "At the end of the day, Seeley...you'll know what to do." She pulled away from his hold, emptied her wine glass, and collected her handbag and coat. "I have to go and get ready with Paul...but at that function tonight? There is going to be a beautiful woman, who is going to be there, waiting for you." She kissed him goodbye on the cheek. "Do the right thing by her."

Booth watched his best friend leave, with an overwhelming feel of adoration. Cam knew him so well, and she knew which spots to hit.

Closure. That, he would see to do.

Thank you for staying with me, everyone. Sorry about ending the case abruptly, but it had to be done. I'm not one to hang onto every aspect of the case, because the only science I know is what I learn in school! (and Bones!) Haha textbook kid...I know ;)

For all those who want to see the Bones Season 7 Promo 2 – here is the link:

.com/watch?v=6z5UxwzZl-0

(That is the link in Aus, but I imagine it should work for all other countries) xx

If anyone else needs the links for the older two, PM me, and I'll give them to you x

Next Chapter up soon!

Xx G