Sweets opened his eyes to find himself now alone in his bedroom. Did Angela and the others leave him...? That hurt, back he started to shuffle from bed anyway, he had to get to work. There was a loud crash outside, and something that sounded like a slap as Angela's voice hissed in the silence.
"You...plum head!"
"Plum...head?" Returned what sounded like a sleepy Hodgins.
What hell? Sweets tumbled out of his room to see what on this earth was going on in his apartment. When he walked out of his room he saw Angela, wearing his sleeping pants and a T-shirt holding a broken plate. Curled up, under his table, with a blanket wrapped around him was a very annoyed and sleepy looking Hodgins. They both turned to look at him, matching looks of innocence on their faces.
"Plum head." Angela said, setting the plate down. "You woke him up."
"I was already awake." Sweets smiled before frowning. "You- you broke my plate! What hell were doing that you broke my-" Sweets pinched his nose. "Where is Michael Vincent?"
"Asleep." Hodgins grumbled, glaring at the floor. "And I was sleep...walking."
"Dancing. Sleep dancing." Angela corrected.
"Sleep dancing-" sweets snorted and facepalmed. "Only you two, I swear. Again, where is Michael Vincent? He's a bit over a year old, really cute. He's your child. Where is he? He was here when I conked out... Booth left with Christine?" Sweets glanced around.
"Booths asleep in the bathtub. Michael and Christine are on the living room floor." Angela replied, the jabbed at her husband with a spatula.
"Bathtub? It's too early for this." Sweets pinched the bridge of his nose. "Thanks for staying the night. You can go now if you want, and get Booth out of my bathroom. I need to shower before I talk to him about saving my job." Sweets rubbed his face, walking over to go make some coffee.
"Saving your job?" Came a very ruffled, and achy sounding Booth. "Your jobs fine, far as I know." Then Booth promptly tripped over the blanket he'd wrapped on himself, hit the wall, and slid down it, ending in puddle on the floor. "Frrrrug."
"It's too fucking early for this." Sweets smacked his head against the counter with a groan before walking over to Booth. "Are you okay?" Sweets asked, helping the agent up.
"'m fine... What're you talking about, saving your job?" Booth asked, rubbing his face.
"Well... I figured you were going to report me for yesterday. I smoked weed, I... I ASSAULTED Angela, I figured as an FBI agent, a very loyal one at that... Would report me. Now I know you wouldn't WANT to, given any loyalties you have with me no matter how angry you may be me because of my actions, but your very loyal to your government and I don't expect you to go against that loyalty. So just... Do what you have to do.. Okay? I won't get angry, promise."
Booth blinked up at Sweets, opened his mouth to speak, closed it and blinked again. He scrunched both eyebrows, studying Sweets as if he were a riddle within an algebra problem all within a Chinese proverb.
"I'm not reporting you." Booth said slowly, still looking tired and confused.
"Y-your not?" Sweets blinked at him, grateful but extremely surprised and confused. He thought this was going to be harder. He thought would have break out the sad eyes. "Why not? I- I thought that you- what? Y-your not reporting me?" Booth blinked again, closing his eyes as if when he opened them Sweets would make sense.
"Of course not." Booth said, "You were griefing, not very intelligently but still...I have a heart, you know."
"Wh-what? But I- I broke the law." Sweets looked at Booth like he had multiple heads. "You should want to report me- arrest me- or something... I- I don't understand." Booth matched the mans look with his own baffled stare.
"Yeah...but it's not like I haven't let things slide in the past."
"B-but... But you're Captain America!" Sweets said, flinging his arms out with a confused look.
"I'm...captain...America-Like the Marvel super hero?" Booth smirked.
"YES!" Sweets said flailing his arms out like it was obvious. "Don't look at my like I'm crazy, I'm not. You all are crazy. You slept in my bathtub and you're wearing my PJs. So is Angela. Hodgins sleep danced and broke my plate. You're the crazy ones, not me." Booth rubbed his eyes, then looked at the still hiding Hodgins and rose an eyebrow.
"Again?"
"I was stressed!" And Booth shrugged, nodding and looked as if he understood and that made perfect sense. Angela was grumbling about the Macarena under her breath as she rearranged the babies so Christine wasn't lying almost in Sweets' bookcase.
"I give up." Sweets threw his hands up and stomped into the kitchen. "You guys can go now. Thanks for coming over, I feel a bit better now, so you can go. I need a little alone time."
"Alone time?" Angela quirked a brow.
"Yes, alone time. It's been a long time since I've had time alone when I wasn't having a break down. I need time alone to do... Guy things."
"Sweets, I won't be offender if you scratch your butt infront of me." Angela said, still moving the babies.
"That's not what I-"
"What dance?" Booth interrupted, still looking at Hodgins as if he were worried.
"Macarena."
"Oh..." Booth looked at Sweets and his eyes widened. "Oh!...You shouldn't feel guilty, Hodgins." Booth wagged a finger like a school teacher, "And I'm not going to arrest him, so relax bug boy."
"We should probably go." Hodgins said, crawling out from the table.
"Guilty?" Sweets questioned. "Woah woah woah! WOAH! Some explain. Now. What's going on? What does the Macarena mean? Why is Hodgins feeling guilty? What did I miss?"
"We should go-"
"Hodgins only Macarena's in his sleep when he's really stressed and guilty." Angela said, "He's guilty because he thinks he should've been able to help you, and been more of a friend to Gary." Angela sounded tired annoyed, and Hodgins was twenty shades of red.
"He also thinks I'm gonna arrest you." Booth yawned, looking mildly offended. "Why does everyone think that?"
"That's because you SHOULD arrest me! I broke the law!" Sweets ran a hand through his hair. "Look, it's really early and Hodgins CLEARLY doesn't want to be here so..." Sweets looks at Hodgins. "You can go if you want. Come by my office when you are ready to talk. I won't force you." Sweets poured a cup of coffee. Hodgins tripped and fell on his face, then glared resolutely at his snickering wife.
"Your so good, honey, so good." She teased, and he huffed, flailing around until he was on his feet.
"So I'll see you later, Hodgins?" Sweets asked, his lips twitching up in a small smile. "Maybe we could meet for lunch?"
"Y-yes, lunch." Hodgins nodded, "Lunch is good."
"Cool, see you later." Sweets nodded. "Can't wait." Sweets said, sitting his coffee down and popping some frozen waffles in his toaster. Booth walked to his child, after Michael and his parents were at the door, ready to leave, and curled up in a ball next to her. Sweets sighed and and walked over to Booth, coffee in hand.
"Booth, why are you laying down on my living room floor?" Sweets asked, feeling a migraine coming on.
"I think I broke my neck in your bath rub." The agent mumbled. "And the baby is still asleep."
"So pick her gently, so she doesn't wake up." Sweets groaned. "You didn't have to sleep in my bathtub, Booth."
"It was loud everywhere else." Booth grumbled.
"Why was it so loud?" Sweets asked before widening his eyes. "They didn't have sex on my couch did they? This is my favorite couch, I don't want to have to burn it."
"What? No." Booth grumbled, opening his eyes barely. "Michael and Christine were crying, and Angela was singing and then Hodgins..."
"What? What did Hodgins do?" Sweets asked. "What did I miss when I was knocked out? What did Hodgins do?"
"Well he was singing, and then watching Phineas and Ferb." Booth said, yawning. "Just a normal night, to be honest."
"Okay..." Sweets sighed. "You need to get up, Booth, we have work today wether we want to go or not. Believe you me, I'd rather stay home and sulk but we have a job to do." Sweets said, walking over and put his waffles on a plate before starting to rummage for butter and syrup.
"I dislocated my shoulders."
"Okay then, no more Mr. Nice Shrink." Sweets put his hands on his hips. "Booth, get off your ass before I call the cops."
"I am the cops." Booth drawled, before pulling himself to his feet and wincing as his shoulder ached.
"No, your the Feds." Sweets stuck his tongue out.
"Hey, uh, Sweets, are you sure your ready to get back to work?"
"What? I-Yes!" Sweets said, clutching his coffee cup to his chest.
"It's okay if your not ready, Sweets, you just buried someone you were close to. I'm sure Hacker would understand. Angela has been taking this all hard, maybe you two could hang out or something."
"I-I..No. I need to work." Sweets said, resolute. "I need to..make everything right again, get back to being normal."
"Your still going to get Gary's book published and stuff right? Once your done reading it?" Booth asked, looking a little concerned.
"Yeah..." Sweets mumbled, "He deserves that."
"Yeah... He was a good guy." Booth nodded. "Just take it easy today, Sweets, your mourning. You might feel better now but it'll come back, so just... Careful."
"Christine is awake." Sweets said when the child started to whimper and whine. Booth shot Sweets the 'don't ignore my wisdom' look and turned to his child.
"Heeeyyyy, look who's awake." Booth cooed, picking her up and holding her close.
"Christine's awake..." Sweets said. "So I guess your... Free to go."
"And unbreak my neck." Booth said.
"That's your own fault." Sweets blew a raspberry at him.
################################
"Hey, Hodgins." Sweets grinned walking up to the table he was sitting at in the diner. "Glad to see you actually showed up."
"Well ,I did have to leave a very interesting experiment." Hodgins mock pouted.
"Hodgins..." Sweets snorted, sitting down. "So... Are you ready to talk about what Angela told me thus morning...?"
"I..sleep dance." Hodgins said.
"You know that's not what I mean, Hodgins, you don't have to feel guilty." Sweets said softly.
"Guilty, i'm not-" Hodgins waved his hands, obviously trying to play it off. Emotional never was his strong suit.
"Angela told me, there's no point in lying." Sweets said. "But if your not ready, I won't make you talk. I only want to help."
"Look Sweets, you gotta understand your like a brother to me." Hodgins said, studying his hands. "And..well when you get hurt and do stupid things, I feel responsible. Like if I were a better metaphorical brother then you'd be alright."
"Hodgins, it's not your fault. You couldn't of had known what I would do." Sweets said.
"If..If I knew how to be a better man I might have."
"Hodgins, you know that's not true."
"Please, Sweets, it is."
"No, Hodgins, it's not. There was no way for you to know. It's not your fault."
"Well You can't stop me." hodgins said, give Sweets' a mock pout as he repressed a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
"I can still try." Sweets gave him a small smile. "Your a good person Hodgins."
"I'm a fantastic person." Hodgins says, smiling.
"I'm... I'm, uh, sorry about what I did yesterday." Sweets looked at his hands and twittled his thumbs.
"I know you are."
"Well I'm still sorry..." Sweets bit his lip with a guilty look.
"It's fine." Hodgins smiled.
"No... No it's not." Sweets whimpered. "I should be in jail, not sitting in the diner."
"Sometimes, doctor," Hodgins paused, picking up a french fry and eating it. "You need to stop thinking and shut up."
"I've broken the law and assaulted my best friend with no consequences. I feel like a damn fugitive." Sweets huffed, stealing one of Hodgins fries. Hodgins stared at Sweets before sighing and shaking his head slowly, managing the 'I'm an old wise man why do you not listen to me?' look with barely any effort. "Don't look at my like that. I have a right to my feelings. I feel like a fugitive, I have a right feel that way. Excuse me, while I commit grand theft French Fry." Sweets said, grabbing a handful of Hodgins fries.
Hodgins just raised an eyebrow at the younger man and smiled.
"Why are you smiling at me?" Sweets asked through a mouthful of his stolen fried potato strips.
"Because your a dork."
"Why?" Sweets tilted his head.
"I dunno kid." Hodgins laughed.
"So... Do you wanna talk about what Angela said about you and Gary? About wanting to be a better friend?"
"He was a good guy." Hodgins shrugged, sipping his drink. "Wish I knew him better."
"Well... I can't really do anything about that." Sweets sighed. "Would you like to read his book? I'm nearly done with it."
"Yeah, sure." Hodgins said, smiling.
"Okay."
"Hey there, you two." Angela smiled, walking up, arms full of Michael Vincent.
"Hey, babe, what're you going here?"
"Making sure you two don't kill each other." Angela grinned, sitting down before handing Michael Vincent to Jack. "And Michael wanted his Daddy."
"H-hey, Angela, how is your shoulder?" Sweets asked softly, guilt plain on his face.
"Good. There's a bruise but it gave me a super awesome painting idea!"
"Do I want know what the idea is?" Sweets quirked a brow at her.
"Its a Van Gogh type thing. I'll use the bruise as a base for the sky. Raining and all and the rivers gonna reflect it."
"Sounds cool." Sweets nodded. "I may have assaulted you, but hey the bruise is a real pretty purple color." Sweets grumbled under his breath and suddenly he heard Michael Vincent screech and felt a fry make impact with his face. His head snapped up and he saw Michael Vincent, squealing and banging his tiny hands on the table and Hodgins pionting an accusatory finger at his son.
"It looks super cool, Sweets." Angela pouted, stuffing a fry in her mouth. "It's gonna help create one of my best paintings yet."
"Good to know." Sweets mumbled sarcastically. Another fry made contact with his face. "Would you stop that!" Sweets glared at Michael Vincent, who just squealed and banged on the table with his tiny hands.
"I think I might enter it in this contest." Angela continued, after half-glaring half-smiling at her son.
"Mhm." Sweets mumbled before looking down at his hands. Other fry cometh and hit him in ze face. Michael giggled proudly, and beamed at his father. Suddenly a fry came as a return fire, landing lightly on the babies head. The child then began to wail and cry.
"Really? You threw a fry at a baby?" Angela sighed.
"He started it!" Sweets whined, slumping his shoulders. "I didn't think he would CRY."
"Sometimes I think we have two sons." Hodgins laughed, and snuggled the baby.
"I'm sorry." Sweets whimpered before poking the babies nose. "I'm sorry." The baby sniffled but smiled. "There's the smile." Sweets smiled and poked the baby's tummy. The baby smiled again, clapping his hands. "There you go." Sweets patted the babies head. "All better. I fixed you."
"Fix it Sweets!" The baby happily agreed.
"No more fry wars, okay, buddy?" Sweets grinned, poking the baby again. The baby frowned but nodded. "Awwwhh, come on man. No frowny face." Sweets said in a goofy voice, poking the baby's cheek some. Michael flailed and giggled. "There you go." Sweets cooed, poking the child before leaning back and looking at Angela, guilt and concern shimmering in his eyes. "Are you sure your okay?"
"I'm fine, Sweets, so stop making that face."
"What face?"
"That I'm such a horrible baby duck face"
"What...?" Sweets asked again, confused by Angela's answer. Angela waved a hand at his face.
"That!"
"I have no idea what your talkin' about." Sweets shook his head at her.
"Your face." She said.
"There's nothing wrong with my face." Sweets pouted slightly and looked back down at his hands. "Stop analyzing me."
"Stop being sad."
"My friend just died." Sweets snapped in a hissing tone of voice.
"So did mine." Angela retorted, "And I'm loosing another to depression and I can't do a damn thing about it."
"Angela, your not loosing me to anything." Sweets ran a hand over his face. "If you were I would already be gone, trust me." Angela narrowed her eyes and then shifted to look at her hands. "Angela..." Sweets started before Michael Vincent started to cry and whine.
"Cmon Baby let's get you back to Christine." Angela said softly cooing to the baby. She kissed Hodgins cheek and stood to go.
"Bye." Sweets said silently as Angela walked away. As soon as she was gone Sweets crossed his arms across the table and dug his face into them with a groan. "What the hell is WRONG with me?" Sweets extremely muffled voice came from his arms.
"Nothing." Hodgins replied, munching a fry. "But reminding one of your best friends that you were suicidal and she couldn't stop you no matter what."
"What the hell was I SUPPOSED to say? Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a mind reader. What was I supposed to tell her?" Sweets lamented into his arms.
"Hey have a good day I love you even though you think I hate you?"
"Hate her? Why would she think I hate her?" Sweets peered up from his arms. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard."
"Uhm you fought and she blames herself and then she tries to make light of it and you get all sarcastic." Hodgins rose an eyebrow.
"She shouldn't blame herself, it's my fault." Sweets groaned and nestled his head back into his arms. "I shouldn't have called you over to my apartment, it was clearly a mistake." Hodgins stared at Sweets, the pleasant smile on his face slowly slipping away like water through finger tips.
"Sometimes Sweets, I don't think I can do this anymore." He said softly, but with a hint of absolute tragedy deep in his voice. "We try to help, we do everything we can. We smile and we smile and all you do is stop trying. You blame yourself over and over, and I'm not a therapist. i'm not trained for patience, or understanding. I'm trained for cold hard facts. So here are the facts: You got shot. You ran away. You came back. You were a druggy and alcoholic, You almost lost your job. You got a badass shrink that you hated. You eventually learned to like him, love him even. You lost him. That's it, that's the story. It's all about you, but no one is to blame except the jack ass who shot you. Stop pushing your friends away, and for FUCKS SAKE stop being so down on yourself." With that Hodgins stood up, ruffled sweets' hair and smiled. "We got work to do, Doctor." Hodgins chuckled and swept out of the door.
Sweets stared at the place where Hodgins has just sat before glancing at the door, mouth slightly a gap. He was trying to digest the load of information that was just placed upon him. Hodgins words jabbed and swirled around in his head, trying to seep into his subconscious. He blinked and stood up, placing down some money for the food. He walked from the diner, Hodgins words still heavy on his mind.
######################
Hodgins carefully mashed the beetles found on the body, they had eaten the victims flesh and they were hoping they could find out whatever was in the victims system through the bugs. He looked up from his work when he heard someone clear their throat loudly and saw Sweets standing in the door way, examining his toes, a thick stack of papers that he assumed was Gary's rough draft in his hands.
"Hey, Sweets." Hodgins smiled kindly, turning away from the bugs, goggles in place and looking rather dorky.
"I, um- I finished reading Gary's rough draft." Sweets said softly, not looking up, his voice reflecting a deep sadness. "You said you wanted-" his voice cracked. "Wanted to read it next?" Sweets held the book out, his hands shaking ever so slightly.
"Why so down bub?" Hodgins asked lightly, taking the book with his eyebrows drawn. "Did you accidentally step on a dogs tail or something?"
"They say grief comes in waves. I'm just, uh- riding a wave, y'know?" Sweets glanced up at Hodgins. "I'll be fine, it'll pass."
"Please Sweets no more of this." Hodgins sighed a sound that should only come from a battle tired soldier. "For once just...be you. Ever since you got shot you've pulled away and farther and farther. I can't keep up."
"Hodgins I am being myself. I'm GRIEVING. I'm not going to smile all the time. I'm not pulling away, I'm here, telling you how I feel. I'm grieving, so I'm sad, but it'll pass." Sweets tipped his head back. "Speaking of which, how is Angela? Do you know what stage of grief she's in?"
Hodgins just turned on a blow torch and turned back yo his bugs, trying yo repress the rising wave of rage that had taken him. Why? He did not know.
"I asked you a question, Hodgins." Sweets said, strolling up to Hodgins.
"Whatever stage is cleaning. Cause that's all she does." Hodgins practically tossed the blow torch. "Clean."
"Clean? That's... Unique." Sweets said slowly.
"She reorganized my study, cleaned and rearranged the entire kitchen. I wanted a bowl this morning and found canned fruit!"
"Me thinks that someone is in the anger stage of grief." Sweets said, prodding Hodgins shoulder. "You okay?"
"I just wanted some cereal but no I had peaches!" Hodgins threw his hands up. "SHe had the frosted flakes, I don't know where she put them!"
"HODGINS. I asked you a question. Are you doing okay?" Sweets put a soft hand on his shoulder.
"There have been better times in my life." Hodgins shrugged. "But that's always are you?"
"I'm sorta stuck in the depression stage of grief, but it comes in waves so... I'm just sorta taking it as it comes." Sweets said with a shrug. "You be careful with Gary's rough draft."
Hodgins picked it up and put it inside a world Atlas, patting it twice. "Protective covering. "
"And your sure your you want to read it? You might end up learning more about me... And what happened to me as a child... And what happened when I ran away... Then you really want to."
"Please, then I get to be the mysterious one again!" Hodgins laughed.
"Hodgins, I'm serious. There is some serious detail there." Sweets pointed at the book. "Your SURE you want to posses that knowledge?"
"Always wanted to know you better, Sweets, and this time you cant beat around the bush."
"Okay, one, screw you." Sweets joked, poking Hodgins in the forehead. "Two, I warned you, so don't coming whining to me if it makes you cry."
"I don't cry!" Hodgins pouted, crossing his arms and fighting off a pout.
"We'll see." Sweets smirked slightly, patting the book. Hodgins nodded, slipping his goggles off.
"I think I'll start now.." He shifted a bit, chewing the inside of his cheek. "Could ya talk to Angela? She's cleaning Brennan's office!"
"Okay." Sweets grinned. "Good luck with that." Sweets strolled out and towards Brennan's office before peering inside. "Angela?"
"Wha-" Angela turned, hair up in a bun and a rag tied on her to keep her bangs back. She held cleaner in her hand like a weapon and a rag in the other. "Sweets, hey, need something?"
"Just wanted to talk..." Sweets went over, sitting down at the edge of Brennan's desk. "You wanna tell me why your cleaning so much?"
"I think the world needs to be a bit cleaner." Angela replied, as if she had the excuse on hand. Sweets suspected she had many.
"Angela are you okay?" Sweets tilted his head at her. "I'm... Sorry about lunch, by the way, I was out of line."
"Lunch?" Angela waved her hand, "It's fine."
"No, no, it was out of line." Sweets handle out a hand. "It hurt your feelings and I'm sorry."
"Thanks Sweets, but it's all well and good." Angela said, standing on top of the couch to start cleaning the windows.
"Angela..." He said carefully, watching her. "I need you to stop cleaning."
"But.." Angela turned around, pouting.
"You need to stop." Sweets said, smiling as kindly as he could manage in his current emotional state.
"But..why?" Angela said, "I like it."
"Angela.. Your pissing off Hodgins with all the cleaning. It doesn't help that he seems to be stuck in the anger stage if grief... So just... Cool it alittle, please? For his sake."
"Fine." Angela rolled her eyes with a huff.
"Thank you."
###########################
"Hi, Sweetie, how is the book." Angela asked Hodgins, walking in with Michael Vincent.
"It's okay..." Hodgins said, rubbing his eye before taking Michael Vincent from her and holding him close. "How could Sweets' mom just abandon him on the other side of babyhood? I would never dream of doing that to Michael Vincent."
"Some people." Angela replied softly, kissing his head. Hodgins smiled and patted the bed.
"Sit." He smiled and she complied. He kissed her forehead. "She never even gave him a chance."
"Maybe she wasn't ready."
"She kept him intill he was one, Angela. She had him, then she threw him away." Hodgins said before looks down at his own child holding him close.
"She missed out." Angela replied, rubbing her thumb on Michaels hand.
"She did..." Hodgins said, kissing Michael Vincent's forehead and looking into his big, curious eyes. "I'll never do that to you, I promise. I'll never abandon you or hurt you." He pressed his forehead against his child's.
"Of course not." Angela said, rubbing circles with her knuckles down Hodgins' back. "Your a good man."
"How could someone hurt a child like that?" Hodgins asked, and Angela blinked, realizing that he was no longer talking about Sweets mother, but Sweets foster father.
"Insanity." Angela replied, softly.
"That's bull. Even common criminals don't hurt children." Hodgins hugged his child. "It's not fair, why'd that have to happen to Sweets?"
"Bad things happen to good people." She said.
"It's not fair." Hodgins whined, looking at her with big eyes.
"Why don't you talk to Sweets about it?"
"He told be I wasn't aloud to."
"Not...aloud..." Angela said, eyebrows drawn. "What?"
"Sweets told me he had warned me so I'm not aloud to go crying to him."
"Maybe you could tell him about your..issues at boarding school?" Angela asked, and Hodgins made a face. "What, give a little get a little?"
"I don't think that's a good idea. I mean boarding school was... Yeah, but it's nothing on this." Hodgins patted the book softly.
"Well I know it isn't," Angela replied, rubbing her husbands shoulder. "But...maybe just randomly hug him and then walk away. No emotional conversations, but you get to hug him."
"What the hell do you think he'll do if I just randomly hug him and walk away? The man is a therapist, Ange."
"He'll squeak and if you run he'll never catch you." She giggled.
"Squeak? What, is he a dog toy now?" Hodgins quirked a brow.
"No but he'd squeak of the great and distant Jack Hodgins actually HUGGED him."
"Baby, how much coffee did you drink today?" Hodgins smiled and tilted his head at her.
"Just a bit..." Angela pouted.
"Babe, lay down." Hodgins laughed and kissed her forehead.
"No. I want to paint." Angela grumbled.
"Lay down." He held out Michael Vincent. "The baby says lay down."
"Do not use our child against me."
"Way down mama, pwease. I wuv you." Hodgins said in a high pitch baby vioce, speaking for Michael Vincent. Angela rolled her eyes and laughed. "Do iitttttt." Hodgins continued in the voice, bringing the baby closer to her face. Angela laughed, takong the baby. "Hey!" Hodgins squawked before Angela laid down and snuggled up to him. "Yay." He said, rapping both arms around them.
"Wow, this is really bothering you, huh?" Angela asked looking at him with big eyes.
"It's just not fair.." Hodgins sighed, shaking his head.
"It's okay..." Angela whispered softly, kissing his forehead. Michael Vincent cooed and smiled at his parents.
"I'll never hurt you, little bug." Hodgins whispered, kissing his sons head.
###########################
Sweets and Angela were in her office, looking through the contents of a victims computer when Hodgins came in.
"Hey, Ange, I-" he said before laying eyes on Sweets. He suddenly went over, hugged Sweets and ran off.
"What the..." Sweets blinked, looking stunned. Angela giggled and threw her hands up.
"I win, Booth owes me five bucks!" She said, grinning like a mad woman.
"Why..." Sweets quirked a brow at her.
"We had a bet." Angela said, as if he should know.
"A bet on... What exactly?" Sweets continued to look confused. Angela sighed, smiling at him.
"Hodgins. I told him, for various reasons, to hug you and run away, he said he wouldn't, Booth said he wouldn't but he did so I win!"
"The book is getting to him, isn't it? I knew I shouldn't have given it to him." Sweets sighed and rubbed his face.
"He's really enjoying the parts about himself." Angela joked.
"Your not funny." Sweets groaned but a smile was playing at his lips.
"I am hilarious." Angela defended with a smile.
"No." Sweets said, poking her nose.
"Absolutely am." She grinned.
"Nooooo." Sweets said, leaning over and half-hugging her.
"Hmph." Angela laughed, hugging him back.
"Seriously, how is he handling the book?" Sweets asked, tilting his head.
"Uh...better then some."
"Angela please, let's cut the dance and tell me, how is he handling it? I can always take it back if he isn't handling it well."
"Sweets his handling like Hodgins. Concern and jokes and anger." She said, "I figured you guess as much, him being him."
"There's nothing else? I mean Michael Vincent is right around the age I was when my birth mother dropped me..." Sweets asked, shuffling his feet.
"He won't let the boy out of his site."
"I figured as much. Do you want me to take the book back, I mean the damage has been done but if it would help..."
"He might bite you." She replied.
"Why would he do that?" Sweets snorted, tilting his head to the side with a perplexed look that made him look like a puppy.
"He's a scientist," Angela said. "He likes to learn new things about the things he cares about."
"As extremely flattering and... Sweet that it, if the book is damaging his psyche I can take it back from him." Sweets said before continuing softly. "I just want what is best for him, Angela."
"What's best for him is letting him do his research." Angela smiled, rubbing his arm. "Imagine taking some new and extraordinary flower from him before he gets done learning what he can. How would that go?"
"Bad. Really really bad. Possibly life threateningly bad." Sweets chuckled.
"Exactly!" Angela smiled. "Leave him be."
"I just... Want to help him." Sweets whimpered softly, looking at the ground. "I've been trying act normal for you guys... I've been trying really really hard. I just want to help you all... And I've caused so much trouble... I just want help. Normal-not-mourning-Sweets would go talk to Hodgins, so should I? I just... I just wanna help."
"And normal hodgins would blow it off until he wants to talk."
"Angela." He whined, looking at her with big sad eyes. "Please, should I go talk to Hodgins? Do I need to?"
"Let him come to you," the artist replied "You know thats how he works."
"I just want everyone to be okay." Sweets mumbled, shuffling his feet.
"Honey, worry about yourself." Angela smiled, "And fix you, we're all just as crazy as usual."
"Maybe we, you and me, could just... Drop in on Hodgins?" Sweets asked with big, 'please, Angela' eyes.
"Fine, but his reaction is your fault."
"Thank you." Sweets grinned and grabbed Angela hand before going and dragging her to Hodgins office. Hodgins was blending up fish guts when they walked inside, a creepy grin slapped on his face. "Um... Hodgins?" Sweets peeped softly, raising a finger as if he was calling a cab. Hodgins looked up, brow furrowed.
"Yeah?!" He shouted over the grinding.
"I wanted to talk!" Sweets shouted back over the grinder sound.
"What about?!" Hodgins yelled and Angela rolled her eyes, slapping the machine off.
"I just wanted to see ... How you were doing." Sweets bit his lip.
"Well this fish was poisoned with an interesting compound, Michael Vincent stopped having nightmares, and I got a hair cut." Hodgins rattled of, pouring the slop into a bowl. "So pretty good."
"Michael Vincent was having nightmares?" Sweets asked in a small, concerned voice.
"Evil clowns." Hodgins elaborated.
"Awwwhh, poor little guy."
"He's okay now." Hodgins said, lifting a baby seat out from behind the counter and sitting down on the counter. In the seat was a giggly Michael Vincent.
"No of clowns!" Michael giggled.
"Well you just came out of no where, didn't you?" Sweets cooed, going over a rubbing his little head softly.
"Sweets happy!" The baby announced like his father when he opened a case up.
"Excuse me?" Sweets asked with pursed lip, picking the child up.
"Sweets look happy." The baby said, staring at sweets.
"I'm happy cause your here." Sweets smiled an kissed the baby on the forehead.
"Yay!" The baby flailed.
"Adorable." Sweets laughed and snuggled the baby.
"How did anyone ever give you up?" Sweets looked up and saw Hodgins looking at him with a very sad look.
"Hodgins-"
"It's stupid, who could be that stupid?" hodgins grumbled, crossing his arms.
"Hodgins." Sweets said seriously and Michael Vincent let out a noise.
"No, it's just.." Hodgins strangled the air, a vein popping out in his neck. "Why? Why? I...just don't..."
"Hodgins, it's okay. I'm totally fine with it..." Sweets said softly.
"Yeah, well I'm not!" hodgins said, tearing at his own hair. "It's just...how could they...You're a genius! You're nice and patient and why would anyone give that up?"
"I was just out of infant hood, we didn't even know I was genius intill I was six." Sweets gave him a small smile.
"Yeah well she never got to know, did she?"
"No, but keep in mind, she was Carny, Hodgins. She probably didn't even know who the father was. She probably just... Wanted better for me..." Sweets explained, trying his hardest to stay calm.
"Stop." Hodgins said, "Dont. Just...take Angela and get she coffee, she's run herself ragged."
"No, Hodgins." Sweets said, holding Michael Vincent closer. "Just think about it, if you were in a traveling circus and had someone's... Someone's bastard child, would YOU keep it?" Sweets gave him a hard look.
"I'd drop out of the circus and get a job and raise my kid." Hodgins said, and it was obvious there was no lie in his words.
"Okay so that's you. But she was trying to do right by me. I know. She left me on the stoop of a hospital with my birth certificate and a note that said 'give him a good life -Margret Sweets', she did what she thought she had to!" Sweets fumed. Hodgins just stared at him, and his face told absolutely nothing, his mouth just a line and his eyes just two blue circles with none of the emotions they usually held. Sweets blinked, unsure what the lack of Hodgins on the mans face meant, and something cold lodging itself in his throat.
"Yeah." Hodgins finally said, "alright."
"I-I'm sorry I yelled." Sweets mumbled softly, his vioce now soft and concerned as he vest his gaze at the ground. "Are you okay?"
"Yes." Hodgins said, a flash crossing his face, something like sympathy. Maybe concern, and a little guilt.
"I really shouldn't have yelled, I'm sorry. It's just... She gave birth to me... And even if she couldn't take care of me... She is still my mother. I love my Mom, my adoptive mother, but my mother... She tried, Hodgins, and I like you talking about her like... Like she is a monster." Sweets bit his lip and looked at the ground again.
"If I thought she was a monster, Sweets, I'd have said some very different things." Hodgins gave a lopsided grin, "I just think she was wrong, probably young and unready. She did the right thing for you, but...for herself. She missed out."
"Wh-what?" Sweets squeaked with a blush.
"She should try and look for you, and get to see what a genius you are." Hodgins said, with a nod.
"No... I found her, granted I didn't SEE her but... She doesn't want to know me. She doesn't want to be in my life."
"Then, Sweets, she's no longer making good decisions." Hodgins smiled, making light of things, before clapping Sweet's on the back. "Let's go get pie."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
CHAPTER! TADA! :D
So the next chapter starts with Angela recieving the book because I cut out the Diner scene. Soooo... Yeah.
REVIEW, MY DUCKLINGS! PRETTY PLEAASSEE!