A/N: Okay, so here's the basic plot. Brennan decides not to go to Maluku, but Booth still leaves D.C. and goes to Afghanistan. Sweets is dealing with Daisy leaving him for her job, but he also regrets telling her that he wouldn't wait for her. He and Brennan are the only people who understand one another's pain.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a complete Brennan and Booth fanatic, but this idea came to me a few days ago and it's been screaming at me to just write it down. I figured I'd share with you guys. =] Review and tell me what you think? =]
Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or any of the characters. This is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.
"Candy, Robots, and a Moment to Forget"
A OneShot by: pleasedontstoptherainxx
Lance Sweets was sitting in his office chair, the silence around him more painful than it was relaxing. Glancing out the window, he saw only the black night sky sprinkled with lights coming from inside buildings that were across from his office. The silence crept up on him again, seeming to almost wrap around him and taunt him. He longed for the door to open, revealing Daisy's petite self, her brown hair pulled back in a high ponytail as she smiled that contagious smile. She'd run to him, throw her arms around him, and just hold him tight. But these were just mere fantasies, for Sweets knew that by this time, Daisy was long gone, somewhere up in the sky. Someone would look up and see the plane containing the love of his life, and not even know it. At that moment, he'd have given up everything to be with Daisy. His career, his friends, his home, but it was too late. The opportunity had slipped away, and he had to cope with his choice.
When the door of his office creaked open, he got a small sliver of hope deep down inside, expecting to turn around and see Daisy's big doe eyes looking into his, filled with love, but when he turned around in reality, it was only Doctor Temperance Brennan. Her eyes looked red and irritated, and her cheeks were stained with tears. Only then, did Sweets remember that the secret love of her life, Seeley Booth, had gone off to Afghanistan that night.
"Doctor Brennan," he said, gesturing towards the couch as she closed the door silently behind her, "you didn't make an appointment."
"Booth is gone," she whispered, her voice hoarse, "he left. He went to Afghanistan to train soldiers, and I didn't stop him. I should have just," she paused, trying to collect herself before she started to cry again, "I should have just gone to Maluku."
"With Daisy," his voice was soft as well as he thought about her infectious giggle.
"Right, I shouldn't be crying to you," she sniffed, standing from the couch, "you lost someone who you were actually involved with. Booth was just my partner."
"Booth was more than your partner," Sweets chuckled lightly now, the first smile he'd cracked of the day, as he gestured for her to sit back down, "it's my job to listen to you cry, Doctor Brennan. My personal life shouldn't be a factor in that."
"There is nothing to discuss," she admitted, flicking a piece of her brown hair out of her face, "I know if I told Booth I didn't want him to go to Afghanistan, he would have listened. But I couldn't be the person who stopped him from doing what he wanted to do. Daisy was right when she said I was holding him back. Booth needs to do what's best for Booth. He's always thinking of what's best for the people in his life, and not himself."
"Daisy was a pretty smart girl, underneath it all," Sweets commented, "people didn't take her seriously, because of the way she acted, but, she was so smart. And she had such a good heart. I told her I wouldn't wait for her, Doctor Brennan, I broke her heart."
"I broke Booth's heart," Brennan confessed, "he told me he wanted to give 'us' a chance and I rejected him. It was for his own safety though, not mine. I would simply drag him down. If I'm holding him back just being his partner, imagine if we were intimate. He wouldn't do anything without my approval, and that's not how life is supposed to be. You're supposed to do things that satisfy you, not others."
"Booth told you he loved you?" Sweets asked, his jaw dropped in shock.
Brennan nodded.
"It was months ago, Sweets."
They were both silent for a short minute before Sweets spoke again.
"Do you think I made a mistake by not going to Maluku with Daisy?" He asked.
"You have studied and worked exceptionally hard to get where you are in your career, Doctor Sweets," Brennan said, with a nod of her head, "you made the right choice. You are both choosing your careers. I would have done the same thing."
Without responding, Sweets stood up from his chair and made his way over to his desk, reaching under it and pulling out a bottle, which still had the top screwed securely on. Brennan examined the bottle of whisky, and smile faintly at his choice in drink.
"Are we celebrating?" She asked, as Sweets took a seat next to her on the couch, taking a minute to get the top of the bottle off before he spoke.
"No," he chuckled lightly, "we're numbing."
"Numbing what?" Her voice was clueless.
"Our pain," he explained, taking a swig out of the bottle before he handed it to her.
"This is not a very rational way of dealing with pain," she informed him, before taking her own swig from the bottle, a small smile on her face, "but tonight, it will make do."
Only about an hour later, the two of them were slightly buzzed, but only enough to make them feel a little better about everything that was going on. Sweets had thought about something other than Daisy for the first time in hours, as did Brennan with Booth. Brennan was aware that she was burying her feelings under alcohol, but she figured there wasn't any harm in it.
"That's clever!" She exclaimed, pointing to a bowl of candies on Sweets' desk, as he gave her a curious look, "your name is Sweets, and you keep 'sweets' in your office."
"Doctor Brennan, that was just a mere coincidence," he informed her, but had to chuckle at what a laugh she got out of that, "are you mocking my last name?"
"It is a little bizarre," she informed him, "Sweets. Like candy. While Brennan is a very simple, yet classy last name that looks good on the cover of books and in newspaper articles. No one with the last name Sweets could ever be famous."
"Well, since we're playing the insult game, how about I tell you my first impression of you, Doctor Brennan?" He smirked, his eyes daring.
"I'm actually curious to hear," she smirked back.
"I thought you were a robot," he stated.
"Hey!" Brennan complained, "I look nothing like a robot."
"Not because of the way you look," he assured her, "but, have you ever listened to yourself talk? Sometimes when you speak, it sounds like a foreign language."
"It's very possible that when you came to this conclusion, I was speaking a foreign language," she informed him, "I speak several languages, a few of which you probably have never heard of."
"And," Sweets didn't respond to her last comment, "you know absolutely nothing about anything that has to do with pop culture."
"That's not entirely true."
"Who's Van Halan?"
"I don't know."
"Eminem?"
"I, don't know."
"Ever seen the movie 'Lord Of The Rings'?"
"No."
"Heard the song Smells Like Teen Spirit?"
"No, but-"
"And so my point is proven," Sweets smiled triumphantly.
"Since my field of science is relevant and requires some knowledge and facts, unlike psychology, I don't have the same kind of time on my hands that you do."
"Oh, so we're playing that game?" Sweets asked, "says the girl who comes in here to talk to me when she's upset."
Brennan's expression faded to a slightly annoyed look when he called her a 'girl'.
"I'm far from a 'girl' Doctor Sweets," she told him, "I'm a woman."
"Prove it," he challenged her, his smirk slightly daring.
"I have several doctorates, I'm one of the best in my field of science, I'm a best selling author, and I've had several intimate relationships with men," she stated plainly, "if that doesn't prove that my maturity level is enough to surpass one of a woman, I don't know what will."
"Words mean nothing," Sweets informed her, scooting just a little bit closer to her, but not close enough to freak her out, "when you're a psychologist, you know that it's all in the action. The fact that you tell me how you're a woman is not going to cut it."
"You're using your training to intimidate me," she informed him, not making any attempt to back away from him, "but Booth told me you couldn't hurt a moth, or something like that, so I have nothing to worry about."
"Isn't it going to drive you crazy that I think you're just a girl?" He asked.
"I'll manage," Brennan cracked a smile.
She looked into his brown eyes. That color. The color of Booth's eyes. The eyes the pierced right into her soul when he looked at her. The eyes that had seen her at her worst. Sweets was thinking about Daisy as well. The way Brennan's brown hair wisped around her face brought memories of Daisy into his mind again, making the pain come back all over again. He could see the way Brennan looked at him, and he knew her pain was back as well. Instead of trying to comfort each other, they just got lost in the other's eyes, leaning closer with each passing second. Before either of them could object, their lips met, taking them both by surprise.
Neither of them were aware of who initiated the kiss, but neither objected to it either. Brennan framed his face gently with her hands, the visions of her partner leaving to go to Afghanistan fading from her mind. Sweets moved his hands reluctantly to her waist, not pulling her closer, but not pushing her back either. After only a minute, they both pulled away from each other in unison, having the same look of fear and regret in their eyes.
"I'm sorry," Brennan whispered.
Sweets shook his head at her apology, his heard pounding in his chest.
"I shouldn't have-" He cut his sentence short, unaware of how to finish it, "I- just- the moment- and Daisy-"
"I know," Brennan nodded, able to grab some words out of his jabbering, "and, it was just as much me as it was you, so don't blame yourself."
"Yeah," Sweets said quietly, avoiding eye contact with her now.
After a short couple seconds of silence, Brennan stood up from the couch.
"I should probably," she paused, "go."
"Yeah, of course," Sweets encouraged her.
"Are you-?"
"I'm fine, Doctor Brennan."
"Are you sure I shouldn't-?"
"No, go. I'm fine, honest."
As she opened the door and stepped out of the psychiatrist's office, she heard the noises of the familiar FBI building and was pulled back into reality. That happened. She kissed Lance Sweets. Baby faced, irritating, shrink, Lance Sweets. Before she shut the door behind her, she peeked back into his office.
"Sweets?" She asked, softly.
"Yes, Doctor Brennan?" He responded.
"This is a moment that would be best forgotten."
"I know."
And with that, she shut the door behind her, stepping outside into the fresh air, the only thing on her mind being that kiss she shared with Sweets. Was it best forgotten? Was Sweets someone who she would actually be happy with? Did she just give up a person who could possibly be hers? That, was a mystery that Brennan would allow to go unsolved, as she hailed a taxi and stepped inside, closing the door behind her, and leaving the memories of the kiss, out the door with her.
