Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.
A/n: See, a non-drabble update. Confession, one of my favorite things about the new season has been the Booth/Sweets dynamic. Now, I know not everyone is a fan and that's okay, but I'm digging it. Also I wanna thanks boneskittie for sharing her O acronyms with me. Hope everyone enjoys!
Overtaken By Events
Sweets' serious expression made Booth nervous.
"What's going on, Sweets?"
"I … um, I informed my immediate supervisor about Dr. Brennan's pregnancy."
"Okay, we knew you had to, what's the big deal?"
"When I did, I found out that the Bureau has been leaning towards terminating your partnership and reassigning Dr. Brennan—"
"WHAT?" Booth roared.
"Because I'm pregnant?" Brennan asked in bewilderment.
"No, Dr. Brennan … actually, your pregnancy likely complicates the decision." Sweets took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I swear my recommendation to my supervisor has been that your partnership remains viable and should not be terminated but he has concerns."
"Concerns?"
"Yes, the risk that your emotions will compromise you both in the field, for one." Sweets spit it out as quickly as possible without bothering to add that the concerns expressed by his boss were valid ones.
"Who the hell is your supervisor, Sweets?" Booth growled.
"Agent Booth—"
"You know I can find out," he gritted out. "Who is it?"
"Agent Warner," he gave in with a sigh. "Look, he's still considering and his decision isn't final, anyway—"
"Damn right it isn't," Booth snarled. "I'll go to Hacker if I have to because no way Bones is getting reassigned to another agent." The implication of what that meant—her life in someone else's hands—had him ready to stroke out. "Not now. Not ever."
"Booth," she said, automatically placing a soothing hand on his arm. "Calm down."
"What? No, Bones," he hissed. "Calm down? Are you serious? You think I'm gonna let some clown have your back out there?"
"You're feeling overly protective," she acknowledged. "It's a perfectly understandable reaction to a pregnant mate."
"That's what I explained to Agent Warner," Sweets provided.
Booth frowned and Brennan gave a delighted smile. "Did you really? I'm very proud, Dr. Sweets."
"Well, um, not in those, you know, exact words." He shifted around a little on his seat. "I mean, okay, let's be honest, you in the field with another agent wasn't going to happen. I made that clear. And now that you're pregnant, well …" Sweets shrugged as if to indicate that the fact of her pregnancy pretty much said it all.
"Pregnancy is not a handicap, Dr, Sweets," Brennan automatically bristled, head whipping around to Booth. "Do you think I shouldn't be in the field because I'm pregnant?"
Booth swallowed, wondering if there was any way to answer that question without lying or finding himself in the dog house for the next week.
He took a deep breath. "Can I be honest?"
"This is a safe zone, Agent Booth."
Booth glared at Sweets who shrunk back into his seat, trying to become invisible. Turning to Brennan, he did his best to pretend they were alone. "Don't be mad, but yes, I'm worried. I don't want you anywhere near anything remotely dangerous."
"You know I can take care of myself."
"I know. And believe me, it's because I do know that I'm able to take you out in the field with me when all I want to do is keep you safe."
"Booth—"
"Look, I've been in love with you for a long time," he said quietly, leaning forward and completely shutting out Sweets. "You don't think I've spent nights awake, just thinking about all the close calls, all the ways I could have lost you in the blink of an eye?" He raised a hand, touched his fingertips to her chin in a tiny caress. "Thinking how before I came along you were safe in your lab and since you met me, you've been kidnapped and shot and—"
"No, Booth." She interrupted softly, but firmly. "I won't allow you to blame yourself. You've been kidnapped and shot too since we've been partners, but correlation is not causation."
"The point is, Bones, that it's scary enough when it's just you I worry about, but now is our little squint too." His voice lowered to an intimate murmur. "And you kick ass, baby, you do. But we both know you won't be able to karate chop a suspect when you're six months pregnant."
"I'm aware." In fact, based on her constant level of fatigue, Brennan was sure she wouldn't be able to karate chop anyone for a while. "Your concern is reasonable, Booth. I wish … why didn't you tell me before?"
He just shrugged. "I wasn't sure how to bring it up without, you know …"
"Sending me into a hormonal rage?" she mocked dryly.
Booth chuckled a little, relieved that she was still inherently reasonable, even when hormonal. "Well, I wouldn't put it quite that way."
"Mm-mm," she hummed, but gave him a pass. "Perhaps, it would be best if I reduce my field time." Her concession was quickly followed with, "But I will still recover my remains, Booth. I should be able to do that well into my pregnancy without any trouble."
He nodded his acceptance, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss. Realizing they were not alone and feeling suddenly self-conscious, Booth released Brennan's hand and turned to a still silent, wide-eyed Sweets.
"You tell Warner or whoever the hell has the final decision on this not to mess with our partnership."
Sweets sighed. "Believe me, Agent Booth, I have."
"If they split us up, I can't guarantee the success of future investigations. Not if my team and I have to break in a new agent," Brennan said calmly.
"Break in?" Booth raised a wry eyebrow. "Okay, I'm gonna let that one go."
"An agent who is unfamiliar with our methods and our work will be a liability," she continued easily. "Dr. Hodgins alone, for example, is quite antagonistic towards unproven strangers. Introducing a new variable to an already proven equation can only result in chaos."
"Sweets, if Bones cuts down on her fieldwork, that takes care of the FBI's concerns, right?"
"It should ameliorate them, at least for now," he agreed. "But the fact is that once Dr. Brennan returns to her normal duties, the FBI will still have the same worries."
"This is ridiculous," Booth railed. "My feelings for Bones are the same they've always been. Only difference is now we go home together."
"And have intercourse."
Booth nearly groaned. "That was kinda implied, Bones."
Sweets desperately hoped he wasn't blushing. "I appreciate what you're saying, but things change once the FBI is officially aware of a personal relationship."
"You mean things get messed up by bureaucratic, ass-covering bullshit."
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean," Sweets acknowledged.
"This is complete crap." Booth leaned back in frustration. "Everyone in this damn office has always known how I feel about Bones. I can do my job and be in love with my partner, those two things are not mutually exclusive."
Brennan's eyebrows shot up, her lips curving up in a smile. "Everyone?"
"What?"
"You said everyone has always known how you feel about me," she reminded him precisely. "Is that true?"
"Oh yeah," Sweets answered automatically and then tried to turn it into a cough.
Booth sent him a quelling look and then sighed, "Yeah, Bones. Absolutely."
She gave him a pleased, adorable smile that made Booth's heart pound. Oh, Bones, just wait until I get you home.
The sudden shift in the way they looked at each other had Sweets deciding it was time to end their session. "Okay, guys, we're done for today, but I promise, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure the FBI doesn't make a mistake. And I'm gonna have back-up too, so try not to worry."
Booth tore his gaze away from Brennan. "Back-up? Who?"
Sweets gave a wide smile. "Caroline and Dr. Wyatt."
-x-
N is up next! Words/phrases are much appreciated. Or any thoughts that come to mind :)
