As always, I own nothing and this is SLASH. Just to let you know now :P Also, forgive me for any inconsistencies. This is just a bit of fun, so it's not hugely accurate. I ran out of ideas so technically it's complete, but if more than one person reviews and says they want me to continue, I will of course comply :) Hope you enjoy, this is set after that episode where Zach breaks out of the asylum to help the team. Dray xx

"So you didn't...?"

Dr. Sweets was trying to get his head around what Zach was trying to tell him.

"What, Dr. Sweets?"

"You didn't kill those guys? Or plant the bomb?"

"No, but I helped the Gormagon. If I hadn't helped him, they would still be alive."

"But Zach... This is huge. You... Why didn't you say anything? You're not a killer!"

"You can't tell anyone..."

"Are you kidding? I have to tell everyone!"

"No! Dr. Sweets please." Zach said desperately, "No-one can know."

Lance paused.

"Why not?"

"Because better I'm in here than in jail."

"Ok." lance admitted reluctantly. "I see your logic... But all your friends think you're a killer..."

"Let them think that." Zach sighed. "I'd better get back inside, I wouldn't want to get you in trouble."

Lance nodded sullenly.

For the next few days, Dr. Lance Sweets thought about ways to free Zach without him ending up in prison. He didn't have much luck. About a week later, he went to visit the young man.

"Mr. Addy, you have a visitor."

"It's Dr. Addy, I completed my Thesis a year ago. And who is it? Hodgins said he'd come next week."

"It's not Dr. Hodgins."

Never had Zacharias Addy wanted to use the colloquial phrase "No shit Sherlock" more than in the company of his guard. Or 'minder' or whatever one was supposed to call the damn things these days.

Zach stood and walked with his guard to the visiting room. The door opened and there stood Dr. Sweets, hands in pockets and a small, welcoming smile on his lips. Even with the dreary darkness of the barren room in the mental asylum, Dr. Sweets always managed to make it feel as if they were in his office at the Jeffersonian. The guard closed the door, leaving the two alone.

"Hello, Zach."

"Hello Dr. Sweets."

"You could call me Lance if you prefer."

"Lance." Zach tried it out. It felt awkward but strangely familiar on his tongue.

Dr. Sweets nodded encouragingly. They sat at the small table and Lance pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.

"Dr Hodgins tells me that you have a game going... A math game?"

"That's correct. He brings me formulae and I have to figure out whether they are true or false."

Sweets smiled. "I see. Well, I don't want to seem presumptuous, but I brought one of my own. It's lateral thinking... Would..." he paused, unsure of himself, "Would you like to try it?"

Zach watched him for a moment, trying to figure out whether the man had any ulterior motive. He seemed to decide that this was an innocent gesture, and took the sheet. He looked at it for a moment.

"It is not as easy as it first looks. I commend you on your choice, Dr. Sw... Lance. Thank you."

"Well, I know you have the mind of a genius. With my humble psychological powers I figured it might stimulate you..."

"I appreciate it. Although, even if it had been easy I would also have welcomed the gesture. Agent Booth gave me a puzzle block, which I figured out in a matter of seconds. However, I pretended to be confused by it and it keeps me amused."

"I'm impressed, Zach."

"Thank you."

"So how are you? Do you hear much from the outside world?"

"Yes. I have an arrangement with my guard. He has a competition with his friend who works as a prison guard. They see who can complete the day's crossword puzzle the fastest. I help him with the crossword and he tells me the news from the paper."

"That's good."

"And Booth tells me things too."

"Really?"

"He has become much less awkward in my presence recently. He says he knows that I didn't kill anyone. I trust you not to have told him anything, so I assume it is one of his 'gut feelings'."

"Yeah" Sweets chuckled, "he has lots of them- You... You just said you trusted me."

"Indeed" Zach held his gaze steadily.

"Wow." Sweets considered this for a moment. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." for the first time in a long while, Zach smiled slightly.

"You should smile more often." The doctor blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Why?"

"Because..." Sweets went pink. "Because you look... Good... When you smile."

"Thank you, Lance."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while. After a few minutes, Zach looked up.

"You put the bridges here and here, and the string here." he drew imaginary lines on the paper with his finger.

Sweets nodded, smiling. "Yep, you got it."

The guard opened the door. "Time's up, gentlemen."

The two at the table stood.

"That was most stimulating, Dr. sweets. I hope you'll bring me another soon." Zach's eyes sparkled as he looked the older man in the eye.

"I promise." Sweets held out his hand, and Zach shook it slowly.

Two days passed and it was visiting time again. Zach didn't notice. He had become accustomed to expecting the worst, so that when something unexpected happened it was a pleasant surprise.

"Mr. Addy?"

Zach didn't move.

"Dr. Addy?"

The boy turned his head.

"Yes?

"You have a visitor."

Zach's interest was piqued. He stood and followed the guard into the dark room, where Sweets was casually leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face.

"Hello Lance."

The older man's smile widened.

"Hello Zach."

They sat down facing each other. Sweets gave him a piece of paper from his pocket and launched into the news from the Jeffersonian. Zach listened and stared at the paper. When the guard re-entered, Zach looked up at Sweets.

"This one's harder, you'll have to give me another day to complete it."

"Alright." Sweets looked pleased that he had managed to find a puzzle that challenged his new-found friend.

"Thank you for coming back, Lance."

"It's no problem, I enjoy it. See you tomorrow then?"

Zach nodded mutely.

The next day, they sat at the same table, and Zach put the paper on the table.

"The matches would have to be arranged like this."

Sweets looked at Zach's solution, and then up at Zach.

"You figured this out as soon as I gave it to you, didn't you?"

Zach looked sheepish. "Yes."

"You just wanted to make sure I'd come back today, didn't you?"

"I apologise if I am wasting your time here - I wouldn't want to take you from the team."

"No... Hey, listen," Sweets leaned forwards and looked Zach in the eye, "I want to be here. It was a sneaky trick, but you didn't need to pull it to get me to come back. I enjoy spending time with you, Zach."

Zach searched the doctor's eyes for confirmation. He saw the truth in his friend's eyes and nodded.

"Good. Here..."

Sweets gave him another puzzle and they talked about the team at the Jeffersonian and the recent cases since Zach had been sectioned.

For the next few days, Sweets visited Zach and they talked together for hours. Sweets told Zach a little about himself and Zach did the same in return on the agreement that neither would analyse the other. On the ninth day, Sweets didn't come. At visiting time, Hodgins was waiting for Zach at the table.

"Hey, buddy!" Jack stood and hugged his friend.

"Hodgins." Zach awkwardly returned the hug and smiled slightly.

"You must be gettin' lonely in here, huh? Have you had any other visitors?"

"Not since your visit last tuesday."

The guard raised an eyebrow but left silently. Zachary hoped that Lance would back up his lie.

"What's the matter, Zach? You seem... Down."

Zach pondered this. He had no reason to be any more down than usual... Except... Lance hadn't come to visit today. Zach knew why - to give him time alone with his friend Hodgins. But still... Zach felt the doctor's absence more than he knew he should. He locked the thought in a cabinet in his memory palace marked "To be reviewed" and returned his attention to Hodgins.

The next day at the usual time, Sweets turned up to visit Zach.

"Hey, how d'it go with Hodgins yesterday?"

Zach sat down. "Same as always, it was good to see him again."

Sweets stayed standing by the wall. "He came to talk to me last night after his shift."

Zach frowned slightly.

"Don't worry, I didn't tell him I'd been here. He seemed concerned for you... You didn't seem happy when he saw you. Are you alright?"

"Yes."

Sweets raised an eyebrow. "If you think I buy that you must think I'm a bigger idiot than I thought you did."

Zach sighed.

"I have been thinking about it. Yesterday I felt irrationally disappointed that you were not here. I understand your reasoning, but nevertheless..." Zach took a deep breath. "the only explanation I can find is a disturbing one."

Sweets thought about what the boy had said for a moment.

"Oh... I see. Why is it disturbing?"

"Because rationally, it would destroy the friendship we have developed and ruin everything."

"Would it?"

"Yes."

"Well... Who said it had to be rational?"

"You're not making sense."

"I might never make sense again, thanks to you. You confuse me, Zach. In a way that I never thought I'd be able to be confused by a human being. I thought I had them figured. Hell, I thought I had myself figured until you came along. And now you're here and interacting with me and telling me you think about me more than you should and I don't know what to think anymore."

"Then don't." Zach stood and walked over to Sweets until he was backed up against the wall. Zach frowned as if trying to figure out his next move. Then, clumsily, he leaned in and brushed his lips over Sweets'. Lance closed his eyes and huffed a little against Zach's mouth.

"Are you alright with this, Doctor Sweets?"

"Perfectly, Dr. Addy. Are you?"

"I've wanted to do this since I first saw you."

Lance blinked in surprise. "Seriously?"

Zach nodded. Sweets smiled and drew Zach's face closer again with his fingertips on the boy's cheeks. He kissed him slightly more firmly than before. They broke apart and Sweets watched Zach's expression.

"I'm glad you took the risk, Zach."

"So am I."

The door clicked, making them jump. By the time the guard had opened it and walked in, the two men were back in their seats and the boy was telling his visitor the answer to the puzzle.

"Very good. I'll see you tomorrow then, Dr. Addy?"

"Yes."

As Sweets passed Zach, he gave the boy's hand a light squeeze and flashed a smile so that the guard didn't see.