Author's Note: This occurred to me as I was watching the very end of the latest The Truth in the Myth episode. I noticed that Cam started to steer Sweets off as they were leaving the Founding Fathers and wondered what they might have talked about. Plus, there's been some things happening between them that I was wishing that the show would address...so they ended up here. :)
I do not own Bones or any of its characters.
Thank you to everyone who reads/favorites/reviews this. It is always appreciated.
The Conversation in the Aftermath
After finishing their drinks, everyone made their way out of the Founding Fathers to take in the night air, and Doctor Lance Sweets found himself ready to go for a walk before going home.
This recent case had been a bizarre one what with pet psychics, possible death by chupacabra, and a goat left in the woods. Sweets had been busier than usual since they were dealing with a lot of eccentric people during the investigation.
The psychologist shook his head. He had grown up with a consistent fascination with human behavior and had received a lot of training in the area, but it still never ceased to amaze him how the human mind could rationalize practically anything away. That certainly was true of the lodge owner who felt fine with mutilating a dead body to shore up business for his establishment or the women who had shot the victim while claiming it was his fault for not wearing orange. Truthfully, Sweets was certain that this would not be the last time though that he would hear similarly bizarre line of reasoning for some other murder.
Now that this murder was solved, everyone had decided to share an evening together at the bar to unwind. While he was sitting there with his co-workers and friends, Sweets felt a slight pang in his heart as he realized how much he had missed times like these over the past year or so. But that was swiftly eased by as he felt his heart fill with a relaxing sense of companionship with the others.
As he walked out the door, Sweets watched Angela and Hodgins walk off arm-in-arm toward their car and watched Brennan continue an animated conversation with Booth as she went to hail a taxi. Sweets started to walk off by himself, but was shocked to find Cam slipping her arm around his and steering him down another direction.
"Doctor Saroyan?" the therapist said, his surprise evident in his tone.
"Do you mind taking a walk with me for a while, Doctor Sweets?" Cam asked as they strolled. "So we can talk?"
"No, not at all," Sweets replied, locking his arm closer around hers.
The two of them walked in silence together, enjoying the clear spring evening and mostly empty sidewalks. Suddenly the pathologist cleared her throat.
"Did you know that Vincent Nigel-Murray is a recovering alcoholic?" she asked. Sweets blinked in surprise.
"Uh, no. I did not," he said.
"Yes, apparently he's going through some kind of twelve step program as part of his sobering up process," the pathologist continued. "He has a sponsor, is going through the steps…the whole nine yards."
Sweets was trying to be attentive to what Cam had to say, but at the same time his mind was reeling from what she just told him. He had remembered hearing from Hodgins about how Vincent had shared many stories of erratic and uninhibited behavior after his windfall from his appearance on Jeopardy. While the psychologist had been somewhat surprised at the time, he eventually chalked it up to the twin effects of suddenly being given a great deal of money and Brennan's sudden departure to Maluku. It would have created an uncertain situation for the intern, and Sweets suspected that Vincent wanted the chance to enjoy liberation from life's responsibilities for a while. The fact that the intern returned promptly to the Jeffersonian once Brennan starting working there again seemed to indicate that he had gotten a lot of these impulses out of his system.
But as the therapist began to ruminate over this further, he frowned. He also remembered the unbridled enthusiasm Vincent showed toward drinking that night when Hodgins and Angela made their somewhat farcical announcement about Angela's pregnancy at the Founding Fathers. The intern's behavior had disturbed Sweets at the time, but he couldn't quite place his finger on why that was.
Now with some time to reflect on it and Cam's recent revelation to him, the reason fell into place: while everyone else was having fun and drinking as part of a celebration, Vincent seemed to be drinking in order to have fun. A move that now appeared to be one of desperation more than enjoyment.
Sweets shook his head and chastised himself for not pursuing his nagging suspicions sooner, but he did manage to find some solace in the idea that the intern was in some kind of recovery program.
Then he realized that if Cam was bringing this up there was some reason behind it….more than likely some work related reason.
"Have there been problems in the lab?" he asked. "Perhaps recovery is not progressing well enough?"
"More like it's progressing a little too much," Cam muttered.
"Excuse me?"
"Mr. Nigel-Murray feels the need to include us in his process," she said. "He said that he's at the stage where he needs to confess all the wrongs he has committed against us and apologize for them."
"Yes, step nine of the program," the psychologist nodded. "Making amends for people that were wronged as a result of the addiction. It's a way for the afflicted person to confront the impact their actions had on the people closest to them. It also gives the recovering person a chance to re-build relationships or bring closure to them if their offenses were too great. It's a way of confirming their commitment to change."
"Yeah well, he's taking it too far, Sweets," Cam responded. "He's confessing to stuff like stealing coupons out of my office, wearing Doctor Brennan's iguana as a hat, and vomiting in Doctor Hodgins' tadpole tank." Sweets smiled a little at this in spite of himself.
"I'm sure his offenses seem like merely petty grievances that don't really require elaborate confessions," he said. "But believe me, this is all part of the recovery process. It's perfectly healthy and will probably end soon."
"But that's not the worst of it," the pathologist countered. "He's also been spreading rumors that he's been sleeping with all the women he works with."
"Um…what?"
"I know, not normal, right?" she continued. "Me, Doctor Brennan, Angela…apparently he's told his friends that he was having secret, illicit affairs with all of us."
"Ok, that would certainly be upsetting," Sweets agreed. "I take it these confessions are causing tension in the workplace?"
"Well Doctor Brennan just laughed it off," Cam smirked. "You know how she doesn't really care about things like that. And Angela…I guess she's somehow used to this kind of attention because she seems to be shaking it off pretty easily too."
"And what about you?" Sweets asked. Cam hesitated and gripped Sweets' coat sleeve.
"I…I suppose it's kind of flattering in a twisted sort of way," she said. "But I am worried about how this will affect my work environment. I mean, I can't have the people who I supervise thinking that I would be so unprofessional and indiscreet as to carry on like that with…."
"I wouldn't worry too much about that," Sweets assured her. "I've seen how you run things at the lab, and I can tell you that you've managed to foster an efficient and professional environment, despite the unique challenges you often face. I'm certain that many of the people who heard this rumor from Mr. Nigel-Murray knew to take it with a grain of salt, especially as he piled on the other rumors about Doctor Brennan and Angela. And now with him confessing his indiscretion, any lingering doubts should wither away."
"Do you…do you think he might have gotten the wrong idea?" Cam asked.
"What do you mean? The wrong idea about you?" the therapist inquired.
"I know that I am the boss of the lab, but these interns are Doctor Brennan's grad students," the pathologist explained. "They are here to learn and to grow in their professional lives. I know that Brennan hasn't always put a high premium on it, but I guess, I've always believed that it is important to support and encourage them…to make them feel welcome in this environment. You don't suppose I gave Vincent the wrong impression?"
Sweets reached for Cam's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I doubt that very much, Doctor Saroyan," he said warmly. "What Mr. Nigel-Murray did was more about his illness and his inappropriate coping methods than anything that might have been misconstrued from your part. It's why he was able to create a fantasy affair between him and Doctor Brennan, even though there was probably even less encouragement from her. And I've talked to the other interns. They appreciate the leadership and welcoming attitude you bring to their work environment."
"Thank you," she smiled while looking up at him, her eyes starting to sparkle again with happiness. "But what about Mr. Nigel-Murray? I can't have him continuing to spew out all of these random confessions to everybody. Hodgins has already taken a small measure of revenge against him, and I'll admit that I kind of looked the other way since this involved his wife. But I'm worried that others might not be satisfied with a couple of harmless pranks."
"Send him to my office, and I will have a talk with him," Sweets said. "I'm sure I can suggest to him more appropriate ways to work through this step of his recovery. And while I'm at it, I could give him some suggestions for him and his sponsor to curb this sort of behavior as he continues to progress through the program."
"I was hoping you'd do that," Cam said, relief evident in her voice. "Thank you for taking this on."
"No problem," he replied. For a couple of minutes after that, the two of them were content to walk about silently and enjoy each others company while lost in their own thoughts. The only sounds that broke up the quiet were the snatches of conversations they would hear from people passing by and the steady click of Cam's heels as they struck the pavement.
"Vincent is…not the only one who should be making amends here," Cam said hesitantly. "I…I also wanted a chance to apologize to you."
"For what?"
"For things I said to you before," she responded. "I…Well I'm sure you remember about the situation with Michelle and the fact that she got accepted to Columbia with my help. I ended up telling her about it." Sweets winced at this news.
"How did that go?" he asked.
"She…she told me that I had taught her better than to cheat to get ahead in life," the pathologist answered. "She actually ripped up the acceptance letter in front of me and said that she's going to work for the next year before applying to universities again…And that this time she would do it all on her own."
"That's probably for the best," Sweets said. "I think these recent events like her breakup with her boyfriend have made her question what she really wants out of life and who she is as a person. This year spent working will be a good chance for her to work these sorts of things out."
"After being given no option but to deal with this outcome, I am starting to agree with you," Cam said ruefully. "Just starting, mind you. I just wish she could have learned about all this sooner."
"I believe that you'll find that she's learning all of this at the pace she should," the psychologist said. "I meant it when I said that you have been a good mother to her."
"Thank you but…I want you to know that I didn't mean what I said to you," Cam said, swallowing hard and adverting her eyes from him. "I shouldn't have been so harsh with you. And what I said about you never putting anyone elses needs before your own…well that wasn't fair."
"Doctor Saroyan, you don't have to…."
"No, please let me say this," Cam insisted. "I know that you don't have much in the way of family anymore to take care of, and it's not fair to you to throw that back in your face. But more than that, all of us are aware of how much time, energy and care you put into making sure that we're ok and that we're coping with all the stuff that life keeps throwing at us. In short, you're constantly thinking of us and our needs…and I'm sorry if it seemed like I don't appreciate that."
"Apology accepted," Sweets replied. "But to be honest, I should apologize too. I really had no right to imply that you don't have your own ethical code. That was completely out of line, and I deeply regret saying it."
"Apology accepted," Cam smiled at him. "I think we both let things get out of hand there."
They stopped at a crosswalk and watched the cars speed by while they waited for a chance to move to the other side of the street.
"Besides, I understand, you know?" Sweets mumbled as the traffic started to clear.
"What do you mean?" Cam asked.
"I understand how it is when you want the best for someone you care about…how you only want them to be happy," the psychologist continued. "You sometimes end up doing things that you normally wouldn't condone."
Sweets paused, and Cam looked over at him in concern. The two of them were finally able to cross the street, and it wasn't until they reached the other side that Sweets spoke again.
"Daisy…you know, she was really worried about passing her recent psych evaluation," he said. "So worried she ended up coming to me…for help."
"Oh God…did she…did you give her the answers?" Cam asked.
"No," Sweets said. "We went over two or three of the questions though. At one point she even tried to sneak a peek at the actual test. But then Booth needed me for an interrogation, so it stopped there. Still…I shouldn't have let it go that far. It was unethical on a personal and professional level."
The psychologist hung his head and his gait slowed to an awkward trudge. Cam hated seeing him so miserable and moved her arm to pat his back.
"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," she said. "Besides, I think there's something you need to keep in mind here."
What's that?" the therapist asked, lifting his head.
"There is one important difference between what you did and what I did," Cam continued. "Michelle didn't ask for my help. I made the decision to do what I did entirely on my own. Daisy asked, in fact she probably begged, for your assistance. Now, I'm not saying that excuses your actions, but in my opinion, she put you in a difficult position. She shouldn't have done that."
Cam sighed and looked off into the distance, still rubbing his shoulder.
"I know that if Michelle had come to me, begging for my help, I would have been hard pressed to hold to my ethics too," she added. "You're a good person, Doctor Sweets, and Miss Wick should respect that…not try to take advantage of it."
Sweets nodded, his expression unreadable. Realizing how her words could be taken, the pathologist put a hand to her mouth.
"Oh God, I'm sorry," she gasped. "That's none of my business."
"It's ok," Sweets said with a wistful smile. "I understand what you're trying to say, and believe me, I appreciate the sentiment."
Something in the way he replied was unsettling to Cam, despite the smile on his face. Normally she tried her best to avoid conversations like this, especially when they involved Daisy. But Sweets had been so kind and considerate of her feelings and concerns; it was difficult for her to see him troubled.
"Is everything ok between you two?" she asked. "I mean, is this topic still a sore spot for you or…?"
"No it's all right," Sweets said, shaking his head. "It's just…We're going through a rough patch right now. There are issues like that, but there's other stuff too. I know she doesn't agree with me, but I think it was for the best that I put off proposing again for now. I'm just not sure about the direction that things are moving toward."
Cam listened sympathetically. She could relate to being in a complicated relationship, having done that a couple of times in her life. She also figured that for someone like Sweets, who made it his life's work to understand interpersonal relationships, not knowing what to do in relation to his own life had to be difficult for him.
"Look Sweets, however this whole thing with Daisy turns out, I just want you to know that…whatever makes you happy, that's what we're all rooting for," she said. "And if you need anything…."
"Thank you, Doctor Saroyan," he smiled at her. She smiled back, happy to see his mood beginning to lift again.
Suddenly another thought struck her, and her expression became more solemn.
"Sweets…do you think that we…the team…that we're ok?" Cam asked. "I mean everything that's happened…between Booth and Brennan…with Hodgins and Angela with their baby…all these things. I'm worried about what it's doing to us."
The two of them stopped, and Cam took the therapist's hand again.
"Do you think things will ever be the way they used to be?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Sweets answered. They started walking again, and Sweets gave her hand another light squeeze.
"But I do know that we're all changing," he said. "That's how life is: everything changes. And that's not necessarily a bad thing…I think that we're all growing right now, and not so much growing apart as growing together. And I believe that we will all turn out a little better in the end."
The two of them let that thought hang in the air for a moment until Cam felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at it.
"Oh, I need to go," she said, starting to motion for a cab. "Thanks again for letting me discuss all this with you."
"No problem, I enjoyed it," Sweets said. "And if you need anything else…."
"I have you on my speed dial," Cam grinned.
Suddenly, acting on impulse, Cam reached over and embraced him. The psychologist was startled for a second, but then swiftly returned the hug with one of his own. Almost as quickly as she hugged him, she let him go and finally managed to flag down a taxi.
"Lunch tomorrow?" she asked as she got in.
"Sounds good," Sweets nodded. "I'll call you."
"All right. Good night, Doctor Sweets," she said as she closed the door.
Sweets waved her off and continued to watch the taxi leave until it disappeared into the blur of traffic. He thought about getting a cab of his own, but instead decided to walk for a while longer.
It had been a good day, and now Sweets had even more to think about as he enjoyed the rest of the night. And he was in no hurry to have that end any time soon.