10.

Hope this is staying on course. Feels like it's taking me forever. Maybe I'm just anxious witha new story on my mind.

Booth & the team have hit a dead end in tracking down the gang members. The big boss says no more protection for Sweets since nothing has turned up in the last month. Sweets is undetected at the rehab place the last few weeks where Booth comes to ask for help in identifying the gang members and tells him Barry died. Sweets has lost total interest in helping people but keeps that and the incredible pain he's enduring a secret. He's also developing a dependency on pain killers.

"Hodgins you've looked those shoes over a dozen times." Cam said as Hodgins dug at Sweets Converse.

"Yeah, but Sweets goes home today and after today there's no more guards." Hodgins said picking away. "And unless we come up with something…"

Cam wanted to say something but she was just as nervous about the whole thing as well. No one was convinced that the gang had lost interest. She left Dr. Hodgins to dig, something in the groove having caught his interest.

"Cam!" Brennan called to her "I will be leaving early today."

"Yes, you and Booth are picking up Dr. Sweets." Cam said confirming what she had been told before. It was easy to spot Dr. Brennan's desire to hide her emotions though anyone could see she was excited.

"Let me us all know how he's doing when he gets settled in, if there's anything we can do to help and such." Cam added and Brennan nodded.

"Hi, we're here to take home Dr. Lance Sweets." Booth announced upon he and Brennan's arrival.

"Oh." The lady said checking something again.

Booth didn't like the surprised 'oh' and his smile faded quickly.

"Is there a problem?" Brennan asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that Dr. Sweets checked out two days ago. He asked that we call a cab. I can get the doctor for you if you like."

"Yes please." Booth said thru gritted teeth.

Brennan wanted to remind Booth that it wasn't the doctor's fault that Sweets left but she didn't have time before he arrived.

"Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth." Dr. Roberts said recognizing them from their many visits. "Good to see you. I take it you have questions about Dr. Sweets departure."

The nodded but the doctor continued.

"I suggested that he wait for his friends but he said he didn't want to bother anyone. He asked for a cab. I urged him to wait but I had no reason to require him to stay." The doctor said and Booth & Brennan could detect that the doctor had the same cares and concerns they did. Booth was left to wonder why Sweets was being so stubborn.

"Oh, well maybe we'll stop by and check on him." Brennan suggested though Booth was a bit too angry for a social call.

"I hope you do." The doctor added, something in his tone that suggested something wasn't sitting well with him. Their looks asked him to continue. "It occurred to me this morning that your Dr. Sweets is a highly intelligent individual isn't he?"

Brennan nodded though Booth had another string of adjectives for Sweets at the moment.

"Most patients when they depart have a relaxed sense of going home and getting back to a routine. Now, most of our patients have not endured the kind of traumatic experience with their visit, luckily we don't have very many people who have experienced what Dr. Sweets endured."

"What are you saying doctor?" Brennan asked.

"I hadn't noticed it until he left. He seemed unattached to going home, it was as though it was just another location. It got me to thinking of Dr. Sweets reactions to some of his rehabilitation. It was as though he already knew the answers to a quiz and plugged them in as necessary. I'm afraid your Dr. Sweets may have cheated the system in some way, ultimately slowing his recovery. This is of course, just a speculation on my part. Now, I should get back to the patients."

He shook their hands and bid them farewell.

Brennan looked to her partner, "Are we going to…"

"Yeah, we're going there." Booth said half way out the door.

When Sweets alarm went off he didn't welcome it. He had set it for two in the afternoon giving him time to get out of the house before Booth & Brennan arrived. Today was the day he was supposed to leave the rehab center and they were supposed to pick him up. He had started to call them a dozen times and tell them he was leaving early but he had no energy to listen to them ask why. He knew this moment would come, he was just putting it off. And now he would put it off again as he eluded their visit, again.

He knew this was a short lived plan and that any good pshycologist would tell him the many flaws in his logic. But he wasn't a psychologist he reminded himself, not anymore.

What he hadn't planned on was how long it was taking him to get ready. He spend most of the last two days sleeping and doing minor research on careers such as construction workers and professional gamers. He had little interest in working in an office having never mastered the typing program. Instead he ignored the underlying problem and got another patient with great typing skills and short term memory loss to do it for him. Again, it just seemed too easy.

Sweets was starting to feel worse as the time ticked by, he had hoped to be gone a half hour ago but he couldn't find his Converse. About ready to leave barefoot he settled for his dress shoes which looked a bit ridiculous with his jeans that were all too big and matching oversized tee that used to fit.

He popped open the door only to have the desire to slam it shut again. Instead he offered a big fake smile as he cussed under his breath.

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, lovely to see you." He said as they stepped into his apartment.

"Cut the crap Sweets, want to tell us about your early departure?" Booth asked.

"Look it's no big deal." Sweets said shutting the door. He was starting to feel tired and achy again. He needed to get the pharmacy for a refill.

"Sweets?!" Booth said to his fairly flighty profiler who appeared lost in thought.

"Oh sorry, I was just thinking of some errands." Sweets said. "Hey, where is my car anyway? And phone and wallet and stuff?"

"Your car is in the lot." Booth said matter of factly.

"And your other stuff is at the Jeffersonian." Brennan answered. "It came with your clothes from…from… that night." It bothered Brennan to think back to that night despite the time that had passed. She would have turned to Sweets to talk about why it such an event bothered her so, but not since it was him."

"Oh, can I have them back now?" Sweets asked and Booth noticed how Sweets had yet to fully acknowledge the events of that night.

"I don't see why not." Brennan said noticing the same as Booth had as they glanced at each other.

"You know Sweets, you're not a bother to us." Booth said while Sweets noted that Booth was letting his guard down a little more than usual. "You know if you need to run errands just let us know, we can help."

"Oh, well, I guess." Sweets said. He wanted to say no but he wanted to get to the pharmacy more.

Brennan was busy looking around Sweets apartment. She pictured him being a bit more tidy, the place seemed like the beginning stages of a mess.

"Look, it looks like you need some fresh air." Booth said. "Let's go and run those errands."

Sweets agreed and they soon left.

"Yeah, Big D it's Tinker. Yeah I followed the g-mail, took us right to him. Good things come to those who wait right? Ha ha. Yeah I got his address now. Nah looks like they're going someplace. Yeah I'm in. Let's finish this thing."