A/N: Once again, this is the second chapter of the day, so go back and read Chapter 19 or you'll spoil the ending...

Disclaimer: If you haven't figured it out from the previous chapters, I don't own Bones.

Booth slowly limped down the corridor containing the FBI interrogation rooms, supporting himself on the grey, hospital-issued crutches. They'd wanted him to stay there and rest, but there was no way he was going to miss this.

A sense of satisfaction filled him as he passed each room and saw the members of the Dellato family being shown the evidence which would send them to jail for a long time. He watched as Sal Dellato put his head in his hands when an agent held out the DNA results for his blood in Booth's apartment. In the next room, Marco Dellato was being pinned to the table after trying to assault another agent, while a video of him, striding into the warehouse and attacking Booth, played on the monitor.

As he moved to the next doorway, he was startled as the door opened and Gina Dellato was led out. He felt an irrational jolt of fear pass through him as they nearly collided and she smiled darkly upon seeing him. "Why, Seeley, I barely recognised you," she said, her tone low and intimate. Holding up her cuffed wrists, she continued, mockingly, "Maybe if these were on you..."

Booth stepped back abruptly and she laughed softly to herself. Trying to forget that his heart was beating faster in fear, he spoke coolly, "Sorry, Gina, looks like you'll be the only one wearing these for a while." He smirked at her as she was led away, "Unless you count your brothers."

When she was out of his sight, he turned round to check on Luca Dellato but was surprised to find Brennan standing right behind him.

"Hey, Bones," he said, his surprise evident in his voice. "What're you doing here?"

"I came round to drop off some lab results." She looked down the corridor to where Gina had been standing and asked, "Was that Gina Dellato?"

Booth nodded, unsure of why she was asking. Brennan opened her file and held up an evidence bag containing the tie that the Dellatos had used as a gag. "This was about to be burned when we got to the slaughterhouse."

"Man, that used to be one of my favourites," he said with a half-hearted smile, trying to erase the tension that Gina had created.

Brennan didn't smile as she read from her sheet, "We found two sets of saliva on this. One was yours and one belonged to Gina Dellato. This proves that she was there, but..." She took a deep breath and looked straight at Booth. "I don't know why she was there."

He swallowed hard, not wanting to remind himself of what Gina had done or why she had been there. Meeting his partner's inquiring gaze, he spoke softly, "Do you trust me?" She nodded without a second's hesitation. "Then trust me when I say that you don't want to know."

She opened her mouth in protest at his avoidance but stopped herself when she saw the shame in his eyes. For once, she silenced her curiosity and nodded reluctantly, aware of how much it would hurt him to tell her. Trying to make him feel at ease, she said, jokingly, "Nice crutches." A genuine smile crossed his face and she was pleased she had succeeded.

"Hey, don't knock the crutches," he said, with mock insult. "These provide hours of endless fun for a four-year-old - guns, swords, stilts, you name it."

"Parker came by?" she asked.

He nodded, a twinkle in his eye at the thought of his son, "Yep, first thing this morning. He figured that if he broke his ankle, he could have a pair, so Rebecca spent the whole time trying to stop him jumping off the bed or kicking the wall."

Brennan smiled at the image, "He wants to be like his Dad."

Booth laughed and shook his head, "No, he just wants something new to play with. Four-year-olds are easily distracted by crutches."

Temperance suddenly remembered what she had meant to tell him before she had started talking about crutches and her smile faded. "Booth, I mean to tell you, we did all we could with the computer, but we couldn't get the voice of the man who was talking through the modifier."

His smile faded also as he realised the implications of her words. "So we've got nothing on Luca?"

"Not a damn thing."

They both jumped at the low voice of Luca Dellato who had emerged from the interrogation room behind Brennan, clearly a free man.

Booth shook his head, "You were there. I heard you."

Dellato gave a thin smile, "Agent Booth, with those injuries, I very much doubt your memory can be relied upon."

Brennan stepped forward in defense of her partner. "We've got the rest of your family, and most of your thugs. We will find something on you."

"Impossible, Dr Brennan," he said, with emotion. "I was never there. I had no involvement with the regrettable actions of my brothers and sister. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to." Without another word, he walked calmly past them, ignoring Booth's angry stare.

"He's got away with it," he said, hitting his crutch against the wall in frustration when Dellato had left. "He planned the whole damn thing and now he's got away with it."

She placed a hand gently on his shoulder and gave him a small smile, "Hey, his whole family's gone to jail and the police will be watching his every move. He's not exactly got away Dutch-free, has he?"

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief but felt some off his anger ebb away at her words as he instinctively corrected, "Scot-free, but thank you."

They were both suddenly aware that the whole corridor had become quiet, leaving the two of them out there alone, leaning in close to each other.

Brennan looked up at her partner, barely aware that her hand still rested lightly on his shoulder. Summoning up the courage, she asked, quietly, "Booth, last night, before they took you away..." She met his eyes, hoping that he'd put her out of her misery. He made no move to do so. "You kissed me," she finished quickly, dropping her eyes to the floor in embarrassment.

His eyes also avoided hers and his fingers played nervously with the handles of his crutches. "Oh," he said awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed. "Look, Bones, uh, I'm sorry, I, uh, I never meant..." he stammered, trying to gauge her reaction.

It was not what he expected. She looked up, nodding assertively, "Well, that's good. Um, I should go now, get back to the Jeffersonian." She turned and began to walk away, her shoulders sagging slightly, but Booth stuck out a crutch to stop her, hobbling closer.

"Bones, wait!" She stopped and he saw a hint of disappointment cross her face. "That wasn't what I meant." She frowned in confusion and he tried to correct himself, "No, I mean I didn't mean to say that, not that I didn't mean to kiss you, because I did and..." He took a deep breath. "Last night, I did mean to kiss you."

"Why?" she asked openly, meeting his eyes.

Booth shifted uncomfortably, not completely sure of the reason himself. "Bones, I thought I was going to die," he began but stopped when he saw the hurt in her eyes.

"I understand," she said coldly, pulling away from him and walking briskly down the hallway.

"No, you don't!" Booth shouted after her, but she didn't look back. He ran down the corridor after her as quickly as he could, then dropped the crutches as he grabbed her arms, spinning her round to face him.

"Let go of me, Booth," she said, tears in her eyes. "I've heard enough."

"Temperance, for once in your life would you listen to me!" he shouted and instantly regretted it when he saw that she was crying. "I thought I was going to die last night," he said, his voice soft yet sincere, "And I didn't want to," He took a deep breath, "Without letting you know how I felt."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "But I thought- "

"What? That I kissed you because it seemed fun at the time? You know me better than that," he said with a smile.

"Why didn't you say this before? I've been thinking..." She stopped, not wanting to share exactly what she'd thought of him.

He smiled again. "I didn't know if you remembered, or if you wanted to remember, or if you felt the same way, or..." He paused. "You do feel the same way, right?"

Her kiss was the only answer he needed.

I really hope you all enjoyed the story and that all questions were answered. Thank you so much for all the great reviews - I was so nervous at first about posting my first fic so it was nice to know people liked it.

If you have time, please leave one last review! I'd really appreciate it if people could tell me bits they liked or didn't like so I can know for next time.

Note the cunning possibility for a sequel; I've got another story in mind at the minute, but I might do a sequel to this at some point because Luca Dellato is still lurking somewhere...

Sorry about my long ramble, but thanks for reading!