Chapter 9

Five o'clock came and left and Sweets was still watching over Parker. The awkward conversation about Sweets and his past had finally dissipated, and Parker was now just chanting the words 'I'm bored' over and over.

Finally Booth arrived. He knocked on the glass window of Sweets office and Parker ran over to hug his dad shouting 'Daddy!'

'Hey Parker!' Booth greeted his son; picking him up and whirling him round like a plane. Parker laughed loudly as Booth returned him to the floor.

'Dr Brennan's outside. Go and say hello.' Booth told Parker, patting him on the head.

'Yay! Dr Brennan!' Parker shouted as he ran from the room. Booth closed the door quietly.

'Heeeey Sweets.' He said, grinning playfully. Sweets eyed him carefully.

'What do you want?' The psychologist asked.

'Well theres…' Booth stopped, a mildly confused look on his face. 'How'd you know I wanted something?'

'Well you see Agent Booth, I'm a trained psychologist. I have special training.' Sweets grinned.

'Had a good day?' Booth asked, eyeing the teenage mutant ninja turtle mess on the floor.

'Yeah, Parker was totally awesome.' Sweets smiled. 'Now what do you want?'

'Well Sweets, there's this woman who would really like to talk to you about something.' Booth began.

Sweets was tidying the mess.

'Do I know her?' He asked, putting Michaelangelo into Parker's backpack.

'Yes.' Booth replied, shifting nervously.

'And? Who is she?' Sweets looked up.

'Your aunt?' Booth replied. Sweets froze. Booth checked his reaction and hurriedly covered his tracks.

'She's not a suspect, we don't think she has anything to do with what's going on and she wants to apologise and talk to you. She feels guilty about her part in this and Wyatt thinks that it would be good for you…'

'What use is this to the investigation?' Sweets asked

Booth avoided eye contact.

'You don't know if she's a suspect do you? But you think that by monitoring her reaction talking to me, you might be able to strike her off the suspect list.' Sweets figured.

'Okay. But will you do it?' Booth begged.

'No.' Came Sweets' sharp reply.

'Look, Sweets. This is my investigation. I need to know why someone has sent me a mutilated body. Now either you're gonna help me, or I'm going to get you relocated to somewhere else. Do you understand?'

Sweets remained calm. He met Booth's angry gaze and responded simply.

'Agent Booth. It is not within your power to relocate me.'

'But it is in my power to appeal, saying that you've become attached and are phoning me and Bones at un-godly hours of the morning!' Booth challenged angrily.

Sweets looked annoyed. There was no way he could win this. He pursed his lips and nodded unhappily.

Booth clapped his hands together. 'Good. Well, we've redecorated the interrogation room, be down there in 10 minutes.' Booth said happily. He left the room. Sweets angrily threw the backpack onto his sofa and took a seat on his chair. He ran a hand over his hair, clearly distressed.

Within 10 minutes he was sitting in the now re-decorated interrogation room. It had been made to look like a visitors room, like the time where Booth and Brennan had been trying to figure out if two women knew each other. Sweets stood in the centre of the room. He looked into the one-way glass mirror, knowing that Wyatt and Brennan and eventually Booth would be watching him.

From behind the mirror, Wyatt was watching with some interest and concern as Sweets began to pace the room tensely.

The older psychologist turned to Booth.

'Agent Booth, I'm not entirely sure that this is a good idea…' He said, watching as Sweets sat violently on the sofa and crossed his arms defensively.

'Why ever not? Sweets needs to face his past, she wants to apologise and I want Sweets to be able to talk about what happened so that we can get some answers.'

'Agent Booth I'm not entirely…' Booth stopped Wyatt's talking with a 'shh' as Caroline walked into the interrogation room. Brennan, Booth and Wyatt watched intensely.

Sweets stiffened as soon as her saw her enter. He had his arms and legs crossed and a half frightened, half determined look on his face.

'Dante?' Caroline asked tentatively.

Sweets sighed and nodded.

'It would be appreciated if you would call me Dr Sweets, or Lance. Even Sweets would do.' He said tersely. His tone seemed slightly rude.

'Oh, right. Sorry.' Caroline apologised. She took a seat on the chair opposite him. Sweets shifted uncomfortably.

'Look… Dan-I mean Lance…' She started, and paused. Unsure of how to continue. She bowed her head. 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you.'

Sweets relaxed slightly. He seemed convinced. Wyatt whispered to Booth from behind the glass; 'Sweets' body language suggests that he wants to like her. This seems to work along the history between them as I would imagine he is subconsciously searching for a link that will convince him that everything is ok.'

Booth nodded.

'I'm sorry I blamed you.' Sweets responded. But he didn't seem entirely sure.

This cheered Caroline up a little.

'So… how are you?' She tried.

Sweets smiled inwardly at the overall awkwardness.

'I've been better but seem to be pulling through. How about you?'

The conversation was depressingly formal.

'I'm well.' Caroline responded.

Booth grew bored watching them and scratched his back. 'Do you reckon she's a suspect?' He asked Wyatt. Wyatt shook his head. 'Based on her actions here, I genuinely believe that she's trying to do the right thing.'

It didn't take long for the tedious small talk to run out, and Sweets stood to show Caroline out of the room. He shook her hand and smiled. She seemed happier than he did. Closing the door as she left, he forgot the one way glass and the fact that he was being watched, and lifted his head to the ceiling, trying to force the tears that were starting in his eyes back down. He sniffed and gripped the sofa tightly; angry with himself for becoming emotional. He rested his forearms on the sofa back and leaned forwards, looking at the floor. His face was set and half angry half sad.

Booth and Brennan left the observation room but Dr Wyatt remained, watching the other psychologist with a pained look on his face. Sweets lifted his sleeve and examined the dressing on it. He shook his head angrily and punched the sofa back with force making a loud 'Thump'. Distressed, he ran both hands through his hair, pulling at it and trying to stop himself from crying out in anger. He let himself slide onto the sofa over the back and Booth and Brennan walked in.

Wyatt sighed. Sweets probably needed some time alone.

Booth fixed a cup of coffee and offered it to Sweets, who accepted it graciously. Brennan sat opposite him. Wyatt noted how twitchy she was and assumed that she was dying to ask Sweets a question but held it back.

'Sorted out any problems?' Booth asked Sweets cheerily.

'No.' Sweets said quietly.

'Looked like you did.' Booth commented.

Sweets sniffed and rubbed his injured arm. 'I'm a psychologist. I know how people work. I thought that after what she did, and after the years I spent wishing that she'd come back, an apology would make it all go away. But it hasn't. I don't get it. I get people. I don't get me.' He complained.

Booth patted his shoulder. 'No-one truly understands themselves.'

'Yes.' Brennan agreed. 'That's why psychology is a false science.'

Sweets glanced at her. 'Thank you, Dr Brennan.' He said.

'And I bet you're a psychologist, so you 'get' people, but you don't 'get' your parents.' Brennan continued. Booth hissed at her to be more considerate.

Sweets' eyes narrowed as he considered it. 'No. I don't suppose I ever really will.'

'But you must have ideas?' Brennan carried on, pushing for the information that she wanted.

Sweets shrugged.

'Sweets, you realise I have to ask you a couple of questions about this case?' Booth said.

'No time like the present.' Sweets relented. 'Fire away.'

'Was there any link to ritualistic cults or behaviour in the treatment you endured?'

From behind the glass, Wyatt felt like slapping himself in the face he was so frustrated with Booth and Brennan at this time.

Sweets laughed slightly at the question, it seemed so ridiculous.

'None at all.' He said.

'But the teeth and broken limbs? Whips are also generally considered to play a large part, tormenting with an object you desire? Like the red car and…'Brennan asked, but noticed the way that Sweets was staring at her.

'The teeth?' He asked quietly, in the same voice that he had questioned her knowledge of the scars on his back before.

'Yes. Your teeth are fake.' Brennan said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Booth winced, knowing Brennan was being a little insensitive.

Sweets ran his tongue across his front teeth. His face was still as though deep in thought, or shock.

Booth looked at Brennan and made eye contact tilting his head to show that she'd crossed a line.

'Sorry.' Brennan whispered. Sweets didn't respond.

'Sweets?' Booth asked quietly. He placed a hand gingerly on Sweets' shoulder.

Sweets looked down at his own hands, which were shaking.

'Hey, Sweets…' Booth said, shaking his shoulder gently. Brennan bit her lip, knowing she'd said too much.

Sweets trembled slightly as the emotions became too much for him to handle and he managed to suppress the tears. He looked upwards, mentally telling himself not to cry. Willing himself to stop being so weak. Wyatt decided it was time to intervene. He marched from the observation room into the interrogation room.

'Both of you out!' He snapped at Booth and Brennan. They glanced at each other and left. Wyatt sat opposite Sweets.

'Come now Dr Sweets. We all know that Dr Brennan forgets that other people feel things too sometimes.' Sweets smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.

'And she gets so wrapped up in what she wants to know that she forgets what everyone else thinks!' Wyatt continued. Sweets managed the emotions and tapped his hands on the sofa edge, trying to distract himself. Wyatt watched him, reasonably happy that there was not going to be an intense mental breakdown.

'You really do surprise me, Dr Sweets.' He commented.

Sweets looked at him questioningly.

'You've been through so much and always succeed in staying the strong mind.' Wyatt said.

Sweets shook his head. 'Oh no Dr Wyatt. Not meaning to criticise your professional opinion; but today I am not the strong minded, cool, calm and collected psychologist. Today I am just a very scared man trying to come to terms with a disaster around him.'

'Ah-ha!' Wyatt exclaimed, satisfied. 'At last the boy admits to difficulty!'

Sweets looked confused.

'My dear Dr Sweets. I was beginning to become quite worried about you. All this pent up, stored anger and fear and it's no wonder you tried to kill yourself yesterday! Thank goodness you can admit to fear! I was starting to fear we should remove the sharp objects from this entire building!'

Sweets smiled ashamedly and stood, knowing the conversation to be over. He thanked Dr Wyatt and left the room, closing the door after him.

The next thing Wyatt heard was a gun shot and Brennan's scream.