The Light in the Dark

I do not own Bones.


Season 9 or a Season 10 where Sweets didn't die but didn't very suddenly end up with a baby & Daisy. Maybe this takes place after the swim coach dies, but without a conspiracy plotline that moved more interestingly into season 10…


"When do Cam & Arastoo get back from their honeymoon?" Hodgins asked Angela as he slipped into her office.

"Not for another couple of weeks." Angela said tapping away. "Gotta tell you, that was sure a surprise."

"Yeah, I mean I suspected something was going on with those two but wow." Hodgins said giving her a big eye.

"Well I guess I can see how they kept it quiet." Angela said. "Now that Arastoo's graduated and isn't an intern anymore I guess there's no reason for them to keep anything secret."

"We'll still get to see Arastoo, he's got a job here though he's going to be in another department. Nothing as exciting as around here!" Hodgins said.

"Yeah real exciting Jack, I'm scanning a gas receipt looking for printing on a thermal receipt for Booth & Brennan on a case they are working on." Angela said. "Real exciting."

"Well you never know, excitement can hit when you least expect it!" Hodgins gave Angela a playful slap on the rear as he headed out of the office. Angela shook her head but she couldn't help but smile.

"Dr. Hodgins!" Brennan called to Hodgins as he left Angela's office.

"Yes Dr. Brennan?" He asked approaching the platform after a quick scan of his card.

"I need you to scan and catalog these." Brennan said placing a large box in his arms.

"What are all these?" Hodgins asked eyeing the large box of evidence bags.

"They are all evidence from the case Booth & I are working on. They appear to have various stages of bug infestations in them." Brennan said appealing to his bug nature.

"All of these?" Hodgins whined. "This will take forever."

"Well Mr. Abernathy will not be able to come in till next week, and we do not have another intern available. Plus we are already short with Cam gone."

"Alright, hi-ho, hi-ho off to work I go." Hodgins said as he headed to his office.

"Exciting isn't it Jack?" Angela teased him from the hall.

"Yeah yeah." Hodgins said.


"Hey Bones, yeah, how's it coming?" Booth said grabbing another cup of coffee. "Good, yeah, keep everyone working on it from your end. Yeah I'll come and get you, I think we should question him too. Yeah see you in ten."

Booth hung up and poured the coffee in a to go cup from his mug. He saw Sweets eyeing him and had hoped he wouldn't see the psychologist this morning.

"Hey Sweets, what's up?"

"Nothing, nothing at all, not busy at all." Sweets said pouring a cup of coffee. "You sound busy though." Sweets sipped his cup. "Need some help, with this case?"

Booth was hoping to avoid Sweets on this one, he knew Sweets would offer help, it was the nice guy that he was but Booth didn't want him on this one, not this one.

"No Sweets, but thanks." Booth said and noticed as Sweets tried to hide the hurt with a smile. "It's complicated, but really, I've got it covered."

Sweets nodded and Booth felt bad. Booth didn't even want to broach the topic of the case with Sweets, too close to a secret few knew about Sweets.

"Sure, no problem." Sweets said and began to walk back to his office when Alfred Skinner came in, the administrative officer and Booth's go to boss for the time being came in.

"Booth, I've got a case for you." Skinner said, his bald head shinning in the florescent light.

Booth dropped his head. "Another case, I'm up to my ears in this one." Booth interjected. "What is it?"

"Missing persons." Skinner said.

"Missing persons?" Booth asked. "That's not FBI."

"It is when the missing persons are possible suspects in a meth ring." Skinner explained. "Look it should be quick, open and shut, half the leads are in the file."

Booth's ears perked up – he saw a chance to kill two birds with one stone. "Skinner, I'm thinking this would be a great case for Sweets."

"Who?" Skinner asked. Sweets stood at the other doorway, now completely deflated of confidence. Booth didn't have to see Sweets to know that wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Agent Sweets!" Booth said walking over to grab Sweets.

"I thought he was a shrink or something." Skinner said.

"Yes, but he has agent status too. He's worked cases with me for years and he's been working leads on cases for the last few months. You not only get a great profiler but a hungry agent too!" Booth was selling Sweets pretty hard. If he got Sweets on the case then not only did he not have to take it but then Sweets would be busy while he closed the case he was working on and Sweets wouldn't have to be involved in it.

"Well…" Skinner said considering the option.

Booth offered a big smile and nod. "Sir, I wouldn't suggest anyone do a case that would be for me – except for Sweets, I trust him."

While Sweets was pretty sure Booth was pawning a case he didn't want off on the nearest living human he did consider Booth's last statement and realized while the other comments had been to get out of the case, the comment about trust did seem to be real and thus he felt better.

"Alright, it's pretty open and shut Sweets." Skinner said handing him the file and leaving the room.

Booth's phone rang. "Oh that's Bones. I gotta go." Booth rushed from the room and Sweets looked down at the folder he was holding – his very own case – all by himself.


Sweets read the file front to back and resisted the urge to make a dozen or so lists and thoughts. He wasn't profiling he reminded himself, he needed to do more investigating first.

First stop was the couple's apartment, a fairly nice place upstate. The couple had been of interest for large purchases of Sudafed and other popular meth products but then all of a sudden they dropped out of sight, didn't come to work, were never seen.

Sweets knocked on the door of apartment 414 with no answer. He waited and after a few minutes he knocked again.

"You want me to open it?" The super asked. Sweets nodded yes.

"When was the last time you saw them?" Sweets asked.

"I don't know, a few months ago, they pay their rent with direct deposit so I don't see them much." The super said looking for the key and having located it he opened the door.

The smell was overwhelming, immediate and familiar. Sweets pulled the door put as he and the super put their noses in their elbows.

"What the hell is that?" The super asked.

"I think we found the couple." Sweets said taking out his phone.

"You've got to be kidding me." The super said. "I'll never rent the place now."

Sweets called the FBI office and informed them what he had come across. They began to ask a number of details that he realized he didn't have. He opened the door to the apartment to gather more information. The smell was strong again but after a moment he was surprised how well he could stomach it. It didn't stop him from opening a window and letting in a nice breeze to release some of the putrid odor.

Soon Sweets found the source of the smell, two bodies in the kitchen, the woman had a gun in her hand, and a trail of blood from her temple the male had a shot in the chest. Sweets reported it as a murder suicide, he was told that techs would be on the way. Sweets looked around some, open and shut alright he told himself. Definitely won't be seeing the Jeffersonian team, too much flesh and well, it seems to be solved. Sweets looked around to see typical meth equipment in the loft. It was then Sweets heard it again, a small knocking sound, at first the thought it was nothing but he heard it again. He followed it around the quiet apartment, the breeze that was blowing thru rustled some papers and the smell was only a fraction of what it was before.

The tiny but persistent sound continued and Sweets wondered if it was just a knocking of an HVAC unit but something kept him searching. He wondered if it was that gut feeling Booth so often referred to. He narrowed the noise down to the hall closet and after listening a second knew it wasn't from a fan, it had inconsistencies. Realizing a possible danger he drew his gun and taking a breath he quickly pulled open the door.

A small scream came from inside as the small girl put her hand to her mouth. Sweets quickly pulled his gun back and got down to his knees to face the small girl, no more than six years old.

"It's okay, I'm sorry I scared you." Sweets said softly. "Are you okay? I'm Agent Dr. Sweets with the FBI." Sweets wasn't sure exactly what his title should be and he fumbled over it. He wasn't as interested in titles as he was the welfare of the small face he could see. Sweets gulped at the sight of the dark circles around the girl's sunken eyes and how her small frame shook.

"Are you cold, can I get you a blanket?" He asked trying to get the girl to warm up to him. "Have you been hiding in here long?" Sweets asked with an odd hope that was right.

The girl stared at him but took a second to peek outside to see if anyone else was there.

"I'm the only one here." Sweets said. "Your parents…"

"They're dead." The little girl said lightly.

"I'm sorry you had to see them." Sweets said.

The little girl shook her head. "They died a year ago."

Sweets looked to the bodies on the kitchen floor and knew they had only been there a few days, not months ago.

"How did you get in this closet?" Sweets asked the little girl who moved to the back of the closet. Sweets stomach began to sink as he began to get a clear picture of the little girl's life.

"Agent Sweets!" A voice shouted as the little girl crouched in the corner and began to shake more.

Sweets jumped up and greeting the techs with a finger placed on his lips to suggest they be quiet.

"What's going on?" One of them named Alex asked.

"There's a little girl in the closet." Sweets explained.

"Another victim?" The other tech named James asked.

"What? No, no. I just found her." Sweets explained.

"We'll need to call child services." Alex reminded him. Sweets had mixed feelings when it came to the agency known as 'child services.'

"Just give me a minute." Sweets said. "The bodies are over there, they're not her parents and she's terrified."

Sweets was anxious to get back to the little girl. As he turned to head back he saw a blanket on the couch and picked it up. He walked back to the threshold of the closet door and sat it down, he didn't want to get too close to the girl and scare her. Alex noticed and nodded, smart move he thought to himself. Little did Alex know how much about the little girl's mindset that Sweets was familiar with, and none of it had to do with being a psychologist.

"Here, if you want it." Sweets said nodding to the blanket. The little girl reached for it and then pulled her hand back still shivering. Sweets sat on the ground still several feet away. "You can come out whenever you want to okay? No one's going to make you or keep you in there."

"They do." The little girl said beginning to cry. "Since my parents went away they…they….I have to stay in here…I'm bad…I'm the reason they died!" The little girl began to sob catching Alex & James' attention.

"It's not your fault at all." Sweets said with extreme determination. "Don't think about what they told you, they were wrong."

"Are mommy & daddy really dead?" She asked.

"I don't know, but I promise you I will find out." Sweets said. "Would you like to come out?" Sweets said offering a hand to the little girl.

Sweets could tell she wanted to come out but she had grown so accustomed to her space, her cell that it had become home, a sad situation that happened to the captured.

"You look hungry, would you like something to eat?" Sweets offered. The little girl's eyes lit up but she was still too scared. Sweets was aware that Alex and James were listening so he scooted forward but not too close to the little girl.

"When I was little, your age, people, not my parents, they uh, they told me the same, that I was bad, and after, well, later they would lock me in the closet." Sweets said. Though the child was young he knew at that age, in that life, you learned quickly.

"What did you do?" The little girl asked as though swapping war stories.

"Same as you." Sweets said, the girl's eyes lighting up like she had been found out. "Nothing." He said. The little girl made a connection, knew she was understood and began to cry but scooted forward towards Sweets. Her tears became heavier and as she got closer to the light Sweets could see her far too skinny frame in the light and bruises on her skin – some new and some old. He was filled deep down with a rage that mirrored only his sorrow for her, for knowing that life.

"It's going to be okay." Sweets said. "See, I made it, I'm okay now."

The little girl believed him and when her small body couldn't hold her own weight she fell into Sweets arms. He wrapped the blanket around her and held her close and said very little. He often wondered what the social worker thought who found him in the closet over two decades ago thought and now he knew. His one relief now was that his suit case not stained with blood steaks, the way his social worker had been with his.

Alex & James stood silent in the kitchen wonder how the two monsters at their feet could have done something so harmful to such a precious little person. Sweets knew what they were thinking though he didn't make eye contact with them. It was the thoughts any normal person has, who can do such a thing? He only wished he didn't have so much insight.


Child services arrived though the child wouldn't speak to anyone nor leave Sweets arms. A medic had arrived and was concerned with the little girl's malnutrition and cough. With some coaxing Sweets was able to get the little girl to sit on his lap while the medic checked her temperature and vitals. It was declared that she needed to go to the hospital and Sweets was glad she wasn't going to foster care immediately.

"Agent Sweets we need you over here." Alex said on the case. The social worker looked at the paramedic.

"We do need to get her medical care." The social worker said.

"I know." Sweets said looking at the little girl. "Do you what my name is?" He asked her. She shook her head no. "My name is Lance. I'm going to make you a promise, I have to stay here and work some more but if you go with these nice people, they are going to get you better." The little girl began to shake her head no before Sweets finished. "And I promise that as soon as I am finished here, I will come and see you." The little girl didn't look like she wanted to agree. "I promise you, I won't let anything like this happen to you again okay? And I think these people here will do the same." Sweets looked at them as they began to agree. They knew the stakes here, they knew the issue and they wanted to help the little girl.

"You promise? Nothing bad happen to me?" The little girl asked.

"I promise." Sweets said. "And I promise to come and see you as soon as I'm done here. I'll be around until we find you a good place to stay, nothing like this ever again."

The social worker noted that unlike other agents Sweets seemed extremely dedicated.

"Abby." The little girl said. "You're Lance, and I'm Abby."

"I'm glad to meet you Abby." Sweets said almost getting choked up.

"You promise." Abby reminded him.

"I have an idea." Sweets said taking his watch off and handed it to the little girl. "This was my father's watch, not the bad one, but the good dad. This is very important to me, it's the only thing I have left of his. So I want you to keep it, for now, until we find you a new home, that way you know I'll be back."

While the little girl seemed pretty sure that Sweets would keep his promise she was sold at the sight of the watch. It wasn't like other ones she'd seen with numbers, this one had a moon and sun and arms and funny letters like in a story book. The little girl nodded and while still reluctant, went with the new people.

Once she was gone Sweets stood up with a sigh.

"You were really good with her." Alex observed.

"I'm a psychologist, it's what I do." Sweets said not wishing to divulge the other reasons he was good at it.

"I thought you were an agent." James asked.

"One in the same. You said you had something?" Sweets asked.

"Yeah, we've got some pretty standard meth stuff here but that's not what's so weird." Alex said.

"Okay, what is?" Sweets asked.

"These two people aren't the same ones who are registered as living here. These two are Carol and Steve Livingston." Alex said pointing to the bodies. "The couple registered here are Sal and Grace Paxton. And from the quick check I just did, neither of them have a little girl."