Authors' Note: Yes we are finally back with another chapter. :) This time it was the holidays that made it difficult for the two of us to get much done in the way of writing or updating. But both of us are settling back into our normal routines, so the next few updates should be faster.
We do not own Bones or any of its characters.
Thank you again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. It is always appreciated.
-Peanutmeg: Thanks for the review. We have also been disappointed with the direction the writers are taking Daisy's character. A part of us was hoping that she would gain some insight the way Brennan did while in Maluku. But sadly they have not gone that route. Glad you enjoyed the blind date. We somehow imagined that Sweets might have been a victim of a few of these in his time. ;) -Lives in the now: Well as we all know, Sweets is pretty empathetic, but he's also human. He has his down moments, and his moments where his feelings cause him to misstep. And as you will see in this chapter, all is not what it seems in relation to his outward demeanor...
-D: Both of us can definitely agree with that statement about cats since we each have our own "cat shadows" sometimes. And as for Daisy, yes, we agree that the writers seem to be playing up her negative qualities this season. It's almost as if her time in Maluku did not so much convince Daisy that she wanted to hold onto Sweets as much as she realized she hated being unattached from someone like Sweets. Someone who would focus on her and tend to her whenever needed. As for Angela...maybe the pregnancy made her a little loopy there? And no, Brennan is not pregnant, no spoiler there at all. ;) Thanks as always for your reviews.
The Shade in the Heart—Chapter 14
After having a chance to sleep the previous day off, Sweets felt no better about his blind date or much else for that matter.
Looking back on it, Sweets was disappointed in himself for having the mindset he did when he met up with Donna last night. He realized that it was not appropriate for his date and probably not fair to her. He consoled himself with the idea that even if Donna had been exactly the type of woman he had been searching for his entire life, he still would not have been receptive to her.
As he shrugged on his suit and draped his tie around his neck, Sweets considered the notion that Angela's suggestion of a "good tumble" to help him deal with the situation with Daisy and Wendell told him far more about the artist than he sometimes wanted to know. He shuddered a little when he thought back to when Angela was in the early stages of her self-imposed celibacy. While he was now certain that it had been the right suggestion to help Angela re-evaluate her priorities for a relationship and, ultimately, played a small role in her and Hodgins being able to create a new, stronger bond, the therapist could never completely shake the memory of her raging libido.
Still, Sweets couldn't stay upset with the artist; she had been trying to help, after all. He just wished that his friend's efforts hadn't left him feeling even less hopeful about his chances in the dating scene.
Sweets straightened his tie and let out a sigh of resignation. Booth was right in thinking that he would be confused about what to think and feel. The psychologist took some small comfort out of the thought that knowing this ahead of time gave him some kind of starting point to find a way to cope.
But that did not mean he was going to enjoy one moment of this ride.
Upon arriving at the Hoover Building, Sweets had barely had a chance to look over his appointments and messages from his secretary before Booth bounded into his office, unannounced as always and with a stack of files in his arms.
"Hiya Sweets," the agent smiled. "Ok, so the first batch of women we interviewed turned out to be dead ends since they only went out with Farber a couple times and nothing has popped up from any of the checks the other agents did on them. So I've got another round of women here waiting for questions. I was thinking you could talk to them with me and use your shrinky mojo to sift through them."
Sweets smirked, working hard to bite back another sigh. Sometimes he wondered if Booth saw him as some kind of crystal ball that magically peered into people's minds instead of a rigorously educated and trained observer of human behavior. But that thought was almost always brushed aside with the knowledge that Booth would never rely on him as much as he did if he didn't implicitly trust the therapist's abilities. Thus, Sweets was able to see Booth's references to his talents for what they were: encouragement and praise for what he brought to the agent's team.
This was why, despite his busy schedule, Sweets immediately followed Booth to the interrogation room for several rounds of questioning.
The first suspect, Melanie Galenorn, had bottle blond hair and a tan that nearly glowed with an unnatural sheen. She kept crossing and uncrossing her legs while regarding Booth and Sweets with her bright blue eyes.
"The thing you need to understand about Chase is that he was a free spirit," she said sagely while leaning back in her chair.
"A free spirit?" Booth said, raising an eyebrow while he sat back down next to Sweets across from her.
"Yeah…He was not the type of guy who was going to let himself be tied down to any one thing," she replied. "He didn't want to be defined by a life as much as by a lifestyle. It's just like his name implies, you know?"
"No we don't know," Sweets said. "Perhaps you could share with us what he meant by…."
"It was never about the goal or the finish line, it was about the chase," Melanie smiled, satisfied at her own insight. "Chase told me that on our first date."
"And you didn't mind that he went out with other women even while he was dating you?" Booth asked.
"Like I said, it was not about the catching, it was about the chase," she said, rolling her eyes. "I knew that I wasn't his 'one and only'. He wasn't mine either, you know. We had an arrangement."
After a few more questions, they dismissed Melanie and called in their next suspect, a sullen woman named Catlin Collier.
"Look, I'm sorry that Chase is dead, but death is a part of life. There's no escaping it. Chase knew that," Catlin drawled. "Besides, we hadn't seen each other in almost a year."
"What a coincidence. That is around the time that Farber disappeared which makes you one of the last women he dated before he died," Booth said with more than a little snarkiness in his voice.
"So what? You think I had something to do with that?" she sighed as she twirled some of her long red and black streaked hair around her index finger. "If so, you're wrong. I would have never hurt Chase."
"You didn't care that he was seeing other women?" Sweets inquired.
"Lots of other women," Booth chimed in.
"Um, no," she said in a tone normally used to explain things to small children. "We had an arrangement. I understood how it was. Besides, it wasn't just sex between us. We would sometimes talk for hours. About life, the futility of things, all sorts of stuff. He was always telling me about how life's never about the finish line, but about the chase getting there. I suppose his name helped him come to that conclusion. A good one, I might add."
"He made you feel free. Like you were a part of his world for a while," Sweets nodded.
"Yes, exactly," she said with a hint of a smile. "But…"
"Yes?" the psychologist asked, leaning toward her. Catlin began to tap the table; her dark green nails clicking along the surface.
"Right before he….before we moved on, Chase seemed different somehow," she said. "He seemed…I don't know, more serious, contemplative maybe. Like he had some huge question looming over him that he couldn't figure out."
"Do you have any idea what that question was?" Booth asked.
"No…I tried to ask once, but well…Chase was being Chase," Catlin responded. "Didn't really want to get into it with me. I know that it doesn't really make a bit of difference now, but I still wonder sometimes what that question was. And if he ever got his answer."
Booth and Sweets proceeded to interview some more of Farber's previous girlfriends and dates, but despite the diversity of woman they encountered, their answers were practically the same: Farber was a "free spirit" who would never be pinned down, and they understood that.
"This is starting to feel like another dead-end," Booth huffed as they looked over their results in Booth's office.
"Well we did manage to learn one thing from all this," Sweets offered.
"What? That Farber was fond of using the same pick-up lines over and over again?" the agent said.
"Well, yes that," the psychologist nodded in full agreement. "But it's also becoming clear that Farber was able to create and maintain relationships that were based on intense feelings with minimal expectations of commitment."
'And he was depressingly good at it,' Sweets added to himself silently while wishing he could fathom why Farber had been so successful while he struggled to find even one fulfilling relationship.
"We need to look for something outside his normal dating circles," Sweets continued. "Someone who was either unable to be a part of Farber's 'dating web' or someone who he promised more to, either explicitly or implicitly…Someone who didn't get his usual treatment."
"Right, so someone who wasn't part of one of his arrangements," Booth nodded.
"Exactly," the psychologist said. "I'm thinking that Farber's murder could have something to do with this epiphany that Catlin mentioned. Find someone who wasn't part of the victim's normal game, and you'll probably find his killer."
"Great, thanks Sweets," Booth grinned while slapping his arm with a file playfully. "I know just where to start too."
"Where?"
"With that roommate of his," the agent replied. "I'll have him come in tomorrow for some more questions."
"Didn't you talk to him already?" Sweets asked.
"Just mainly about his and Farber's whereabouts around the time he disappeared," Booth said. "He's one of the few people who seems to know anything about Farber's life outside of his own dealings with him. This time I want you to talk to him and see if you can find out about this whole 'question' thingy that was bothering him."
"Will do," Sweets said as he left Booth's office. He had a patient scheduled to see him in a few minutes, and he wanted a chance to prepare himself beforehand.
At the end of the day, Sweets was weary and considered going straight home. But then he remembered Wendell mentioning something about how Daisy had been looking forward to a Star Wars movie marathon tonight and decided to go for a drink instead. As he walked out to his car, the therapist was startled to see Hodgins' car parked next to his and the entomologist waiting for him inside of it.
"Dr. Hodgins?" Sweets said hesitantly. "I was just getting ready to leave for the day, but if you need to see me, I can set up an appointment for…."
"Hey, it's nothing like that Sweets," Hodgins said with a wave of his hand. "I was thinking we could head off to the Founding Fathers. For a drink and…to talk?"
"Um, sure. I'll follow you there," Sweets said, backing up toward his car.
"Great, see you in a bit," the entomologist said as he started up his car. He then took off, leaving Sweets to slowly climb into his car and drive after him.
As he drove over to the bar, Sweets began to wonder why Hodgins had come to him this way. His mind swiftly formed all sorts of possibilities from more of Angela's well-meaning meddling to some issue that Hodgins was grappling with now that he was back in DC. Figuring that he could easily drive himself crazy with speculation, the therapist decided to let the questions drop and instead focus on getting to the Founding Fathers and finding a parking spot.
By the time Sweets arrived, Hodgins had managed to snag one of the tall tables alongside one of the walls and was now sipping at a drink. When he spied Sweets, Hodgins waved him over. The psychologist walked over and gave his order for a drink and a sandwich to the waitress that approached them before sitting down.
"Hey Sweets, Angela mentioned that you, Arastoo and…Wendell were training for a triathlon," Hodgins said between sips. "I was wondering if I could join you guys."
"Really?" Sweets said, more than a little surprised.
"Don't ask like that," Hodgins said with a slight scowl. "I'll have you know that I've biked and hiked on numerous trails and in all sorts of terrains for years. I was thinking that since we've got the baby coming and things are probably still going to be hectic at the lab, I could use an excuse to get in shape again. All that rich food in Paris did nothing for me."
"Sorry…sure it's no problem," Sweets said. "We could use someone in our group who's stronger at the biking part of it. I'm sure everyone will be glad to have you."
"Good. Let me know when you are getting together again for training, and I'll be sure to set something up with Cam," the entomologist said. The therapist began to look at him thoughtfully and tilted his head.
"So, it's exciting isn't it? Knowing that you'll be a father soon?" Sweets asked him.
"It's…amazing," Hodgins said with a huge grin. "A baby. Me and Ange. I can't believe it sometimes. I wake up some mornings and look at her, and it still doesn't seem real."
"I'm sure it will become more real as the time grows closer," Sweets assured him. "Especially after the baby arrives."
"I know, right? It really will, I'm sure," Hodgins breathed. "I just hope that…that everything will be good. For Angela and the baby, you know…"
"I'm sure you'll make a wonderful father," Sweets smiled at him warmly. "Angela is sure of it. It's why she's so confident and content during her pregnancy. She's sure that you're the right one to help her raise this child."
"You really think so?" the entomologist said, turning toward him.
"I do," Sweets said, taking a bite of his sandwich after the waitress sat it on the table and left. "I know you might have some worries and doubts. That's natural for people who are about to become parents. But what matters is how you and Angela feel about the baby and each other. I'm sure the two of you can figure out all the rest."
Hodgins grinned again with a dreamy look in his eye and then nudged Sweets in the arm.
"Thanks for that," he said. Sweets smiled back, but couldn't help but notice that Hodgins' expression was quickly becoming somber.
"Listen Sweets about Wendell…" he said. Sweets leaned back and put up a hand.
"It's all right, Dr. Hodgins," he replied. "Daisy's moved on. I can deal with that. It's fine."
"No it's not fine, and you know it," Hodgins said. "Look, I know it sucks when people sit around and tell you that they know how you feel, but the truth is…I kinda do."
Sweets hung his head, unable to deny the truth of what Hodgins was saying.
"I've been where you are…and it hurts," Hodgins continued. "No matter what other people say or what you try to tell yourself, it hurts. And the worst part is when it's someone decent like Wendell who does this to you because then you don't even have the satisfaction of wanting to be angry at them."
"I know," Sweets muttered, still staring at his plate. "Wendell is a good guy. I don't want to be so upset, but I can't stop feeling so alone and…and I know I shouldn't but…"
"But it'd be easier to accept being alone if Daisy were still alone too," Hodgins nodded. Sweets winced; he recognized that as something he had told Hodgins when he was going through his own hurt feelings with Angela. Even though he could sense that Hodgins was trying to comfort him, he wondered if the entomologist had felt those were nothing more than hollow words. Hodgins noticed it when Sweets shuddered a little and reached over to pat his shoulder.
"Hey, I remembered what you told me because it helped me get through that whole thing with Angela," he assured him. "I just want you to be able to do the same here with Daisy, ok? So if you need to talk or just sit here with me for a while, feel free."
"I'd like that," Sweets said, his eyes starting to glisten. "Daisy and Wendell are probably watching a movie together right now, so…could we just stay here for a while?"
"Sure," Hodgins said, finishing his drink. "Take all the time you need."
The two of them ate and drank quietly for a while before speaking again, choosing to move on to other safer topics. As the evening wore on, Sweets was grateful that he was able to draw upon some much needed support to help him through days like today.
After his late-night with Hodgins, Sweets was a little tired physically, but was feeling more refreshed emotionally. It gave him a better state of mind than he was sure he would have had if he had gone straight home or spent the evening alone, drinking, like he was originally thinking of doing.
Sweets checked in with Booth, but the agent didn't stay long due to his desire to meet with Farber's family, who had called him that morning. The therapist headed off to the room where the victim's roommate was waiting while scanning a file from Booth.
The file mentioned how the roommate, Tim Harding, was twenty-four, single, and was finishing up his master's degree at the same institution as Farber. Apparently the two of them had met during Farber's first year of college when they both took and English class together. Neither of them wanting to live on campus, the two of them moved in together and split the rent and other costs. It had been an agreeable arrangement, and as a result of seeing each other almost every day, Harding knew more than even Farber's family did about the victim's activities.
Sweets sat down and looked at Harding thoughtfully. He could detect a flicker in Harding's eyes. Regret? Guilt? Uncertainty? The psychologist could not be entirely sure.
"I already told that other FBI agent everything I knew about Chase and where he was before he disappeared," Harding sighed. "What else is there?"
"We were hoping that you could give us some more insight into the people he was associating with before he died," Sweets said.
"You mean the women he was dating?" Harding snorted. "Look, there's no way I could tell you much about that. There was simply too many of them to keep track of. All I ever asked is that he not bring too many of them back to our place. Especially when it's getting close to the end of the semester."
"I understand," Sweets nodded. "But was there anyone who stood out at all? Someone who he insisted on bringing back to his place?"
"Not…no not technically," Harding mumbled.
"What do you mean, 'technically'?" the therapist inquired.
"Well, he really didn't seem to care about bringing his…dates back to our place, but there was one or two people he would hang out with there," Harding said. "A couple of guys from the club he used to frequent, and of course, Danielle."
"Danielle?" Sweets asked, quickly interested.
"Yeah, Danielle Harris," Harding said. "She was his lab partner back when he had to take Chemistry during his undergrad days, and then she continued to help him in all of his science courses. Science wasn't really Chase's 'thing' so he needed her help a lot. They still catch up with each other once in a while."
"Did Farber and Danielle ever…?"
"Did they ever go out?" Harding smirked. "No. Not sure why. It's not like Danielle could be considered ugly by any stretch of the imagination, and I'm pretty sure there was some interest on her part. But Chase never did use his charms on her for some reason."
"Was there anything that seemed to be occupying Farber's mind before he disappeared?" Sweets asked. "Something related to his studies or perhaps to the people in his life?"
"He did seem distracted, but I didn't take it seriously," Harding answered. "Chase went through these phases where it looked like he was about to get serious about his life and then it fell through. I couldn't really tell you what it was this time that had him considering the prospect of growing up for a change."
Sweets went through a few more questions, but was not able to glean much more that Booth could find useful. As he finished up, Harding leaned toward him.
"Look, I know that some of the stuff I said about him sounded pretty bad, and yeah, sometimes he could be a real pain," he said. "But the truth is that Chase was a good guy. He was smart, nice to practically everyone he met, and did his best to always do the right thing. I'm sorry that he's gone, and I hope that you catch the guy who did it."
Sweets nodded and gathered up his files while indicating to Harding that he could go. As he walked toward his office, the psychologist could not stop thinking about Farber's roommate had said.
'I guess I'm not the only one who's been saddled with the perfect guy who all the women want to date,' Sweets thought darkly. 'I wonder how Harding dealt with it.'
The therapist shook himself; he knew that it was not a good idea to get too caught up in identifying with a victim or any possible suspects or witnesses. He decided instead to go have a sandwich at the Royal Diner while reading his paper as a way to clear his head.
Sweets hoped that while he was there, he would find a way to face the prospect of all the evenings of movie marathons and nights spent together in a closed bedroom that he was sure was yet to come courtesy of Daisy and Wendell. As it stood now, the therapist wondered how long it would be before he started to entertain thoughts of joining Farber at the bottom of that cliff.
Sweets suddenly felt chilled, and decided that he should wait and see if Booth would join him for lunch instead.