(After "The End in the End')

I really don't own Bones.

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Mark Kovac was dead and Booth was relieved, but he felt that Mark never would have been out for revenge if Booth hadn't killed Mark's father. General Josip Radik had been a murderer and responsible for a lot of innocent deaths. He'd wiped out whole villages in Serbia, killing men, women and children. The General had been on a campaign of ethnic cleansing and he had been determined to rid his country of anyone he considered outsiders. Booth had been sent to stop him and he did, but the General's death had happened in front of his family and Mark had been a small boy at the time. Mark had been standing next to his father at a birthday party when Booth shot the General and the last thing Booth saw before he left the area was Mark covered in his father's blood, screaming.

The son grew up and his lust for revenge was foremost in his thoughts. He had gone after Booth for that revenge. The man had tried to kill Booth and Brennan's children and failed. Mark had been responsible for the death of Aldo Clemens, a lady who had something he'd needed, an FBI Agent and ultimately he was responsible for the death of Max Keenan. The man was a terrorist and Booth had killed him to protect himself and his family.

Now, Booth had to accept what had happened and why.

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With the Lab in a shambles, Brennan had been told that she would have to work from home for a while. If a case came up that needed her expertise, then she and her team would have to use the city's coroner's office and Brennan was fine with that.

She had met Booth for lunch at the diner, but it had been a quiet lunch. Booth spent most of the time with his head leaning on his right hand, looking out of the window next to their table. He was quiet and Brennan knew why. She knew that Booth regretted having to kill Mark Kovac even though he had been left with little choice. Taking a life was hard on her husband since he felt it added to his cosmic balance sheet. She tried to support him, but she knew he had to work through the situation and accept that sometimes he was forced to do things he'd rather not do.

Agent Aubrey had joined Booth and Brennan for lunch and spent part of the time staring at Booth. He had tried to get Booth to talk to him about a case he was working on but the man barely responded, ignored his lunch and stared out of the window.

"So, Dr. B how did the autopsy go for Granger Thomas? I know you helped Dr. Scott do the autopsy since Cam is out for a few months. Anything I should know? Cause of death?" Aubrey had been assigned the case and he needed time of death as well as cause of death. The victim had been found in George Washington & Jefferson National Forest. A hiker had found the man's body and had contacted the police as soon as he could get phone reception. The Bath County Sheriff's office had contacted the FBI and Aubrey had taken over the case. "I can tell you that it was kind of a fluke that the hiker found the body. It was in a dip in the forest floor near a fallen log and most of the body was covered with dead vegetation . . . The hiker stepped on the body . . . poor guy."

"I sent you an email before I went to lunch and included a copy of the autopsy." Brennan glanced at her husband and knew he wasn't listening to them. "It looks like he may have committed suicide."

Surprised, Aubrey pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and found it was turned off. "Damn, I turned it off during my meeting with Caroline and forgot to turn it back on. Sorry." Reading his email and the attachment, he found the information he was looking for. "Well, that's sad, but at least it wasn't murder." Placing his phone back in his jacket pocket, he picked up his bacon burger and took a big bite. He was hungry and his body needed fuel. Once he swallowed, he glanced at Booth then back at Brennan. "Jeannine Kovac took a plea bargain. She admitted to accessory to murder and Caroline took the death penalty off the table. I thought for sure Jeannine was going to go to court and fight the charges, but I think her brother's death kind of knocked her off her feet. I mean, she threatened to kill Booth and you if she ever gets free, but I think she realizes that she's going to be locked up forever . . . Caroline said the woman seems defeated."

Since Brennan had no sympathy for Jeannine Kovac, she chose not to comment. The woman had plotted to kill Booth and she had helped kill Aldo Clemens. Brennan felt that Jeannine had let her past ruin her future and her brother was dead because they couldn't accept what and who their father was.

"Yeah, well . . . anyway that's done." Aubrey continued to eat while Booth continued to stare out of the window.

Finished eating, Brennan waved at Jane and asked for a to-go box. Once she had it, she pulled Booth's plate over to her side of the table and placed the uneaten sandwich and fries in the box and closed it. "Booth . . . Booth." He didn't respond and she knew he still wasn't listening. Placing her hand on his arm, she tried again. "Booth."

Startled, Booth turned from the window and stared at his partner. "Yeah . . . did you say something Bones?"

"Yes . . . your lunch is in this to-go box. I know you weren't hungry, but you may be later." Brennan knew his appetite had been off for a few days, but she hoped his appetite would return soon. "You must eat, Booth."

Grateful, Booth smiled at Brennan. "Thanks, Bones." He pulled the box next to him. "I was just thinking . . . I'm okay. I've just had my mind on other things." Glancing at his watch, he shook his head. "I've got a meeting I need to attend. Caroline wants to talk about Kovac. She wants to wrap up the paperwork on his case." His box in his hand, he left the building and walked back to the Hoover.

Once Booth was gone, Aubrey swallowed his bite of food and shook his head. "He seemed okay the day after Kovac died, but . . . well, I think he kind of blames himself for Kovac's death. He shouldn't but he does."

Retrieving her purse from the floor, Brennan searched for her wallet. "He worries about every death he is responsible for. He will think about it for a few days and then he will let it go. He tries not to live in the past. He says that can lead to poor decision making . . . Thank you for coming to lunch with us. I must leave now. I have a class to teach this afternoon and I must go over my notes." Placing money on the table to cover Booth's and her meal, she stood up.

"You're welcome, Dr. B. Any time." Aubrey glanced at the sweet potato fries on his plate and felt that he needed a dessert. His companions had been poor company, but life was messy and he knew that. "I think I'll order a piece of pie for Booth on my way out . . . He likes pie and it might cheer him up."

Brennan appreciated Aubrey's plan. "Yes, he does. Thank you."

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