Right before they reached New York, they decided to stop to eat lunch and fill up with gas. As they were waiting for their food to be served, Brennan started up a conversation.
"So, Sweets…how did you ever decide to go to college in Canada?"
"Yeah, Sweets, what's the point?" Booth asked.
Sweets looked down at his napkin before answering. "It's where my dad went."
Booth recognized something and nodded, "Cool" he answered simply.
"What's so special about that, Booth?" Brennan wanted to know.
He looked over at her, "I don't know…it just…is one of those things."
"Where did you go to college, Booth?" Sweets asked him.
"Here's your food." The waitress interrupted, and the subject was dropped.
* * **
Once they were back on the road, Booth decided to try to get to know a little more about Sweets.
"So, Sweets, you mentioned your dad…so he still lives in Canada?"
"Oh…um no, he…he's not alive anymore."
"Oh…I'm sorry, man."
"That's okay. Thanks Booth."
"Sweets. I'm sorry too." Brennan spoke from the backseat.
Sweets turned to her and smiled. "Thanks, Brennan."
"What about your mom?" Booth wanted to know.
Sweets turned and looked out the window for a moment. "I…I'm not really sure?"
Brennan gasped, "She's missing?"
"Why didn't you tell us, this Sweets?" Booth asked.
"No…no, she's not…she's not missing…she just…has another life."
"An undercover life?" Brennan leaned up between them.
Sweets laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Sorry, no…my story isn't as adventurous as yours. No…once my dad died, well, my mom had a series of boyfriends, and…on my 18th birthday, she married one of them."
"Oh, well, that's nice." Booth encouraged.
"Well, it would have been" Sweets continued, "except…I wasn't invited."
"Not invited to the wedding?" Brennan asked.
"Not invited to the wedding, and not invited to the new life she had." Sweets looked back out the window.
Booth caught his partner's eye in the mirror as she sat back. She raised her eyebrows. Well…that was sad.
"Sweets…"
"Yeah, Brennan?"
"I…I wouldn't say my story is 'adventurous', I mean…"
"No…I get it…I didn't mean to make light of your situation. I just…I don't know."
Booth turned toward him. "Well…you've got us, now, eh, Sweets?"
Sweets turned toward them, "Yeah…thanks…"
Booth could see his partner leaning up again and was proud of her for taking the initiative in trying to comfort Sweets. What he didn't expect was for her to throw her body toward the dashboard. He pressed the brakes, causing her to flip across the seat and into his lap. "What the heck, Bones?" He yelled as he swerved into the gravel on the side of the highway, hearing a popping sound.
She pressed her hands against his legs as she tried to help herself up and Booth tried to keep the car on the road.
Huffing she finally pulled her body back.
"Bones…what the hell was that?"
"First one to New York." Her face was flushed.
Booth didn't know whether to laugh or scream and settled for raising his eyebrows and shaking his head. Unbelievable.