(The Widow's Son in the Windshield)

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After formally protesting to the FBI, Brennan accompanied Booth to the see their assigned psychiatrist. When they had entered the office, both had been shocked when they saw just how young their therapist really was. Before they sat down, Booth pulled on Brennan's arm and spoke quietly in to her ear. "Holy shit, I didn't know they were going to make us see a kid."

Brennan nodded her head and stared at the young man who was staring at them in turn. Using her normal voice, not even trying to lower the volume, Brennan responded to Booth's comment. "Clearly he's just graduated from school and had little or no personal experience to back up his profession. I was right to protest. This is clearly going to be a complete waste of time."

Insulted, Lance Sweets swallowed a retort and motioned to the small couch in front of him. "Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan please have a seat . . . I am Dr. Lance Sweets and I've been assigned to your case . . . please sit down."

His eyes hooded, Booth sat down and gave the young man what he considered his Ranger look. He was there because he had to be, but considered the young doctor to be his enemy and wanted him to know it. "We're here, let's get this over with. Dr. Brennan and I have work to do."

Aware of the intimidating looks from Booth, Sweets swallowed the alarm he felt and smiled instead. It was a weak smile, but he hoped it showed that he was not there to cause trouble and that he was not going to be intimated by the older man. "Alright, Deputy Director Bishop has assigned me to your case. Apparently you haven't been working in the field together for the last three months and the Deputy Director is concerned that it is because Agent Booth arrested your father for murder Dr. Brennan. He feels that your personal life is affecting your professional life. I want to remind you that you are both on probation and that if I determine that this is indeed the case then your partnership will be permanently severed."

Furious, Brennan leaned forward and leveled her gaze at the younger man, her sharp blue eyes boring into him. "I have not been working with Booth because my assistant, Dr. Zach Addy accepted a commission to work with the Army in Iraq. He was an indispensable member of my team and up until now I have not been able to find an adequate replacement for him. I felt it was better for me to be at the Lab working on the victims as they came in while Booth worked in the field. Recently I have hired Dr. Clark Edison to work at the Lab and I have returned to the field with Booth. We just completed working on a case . . . This has nothing to do with my father and his arrest. He was wanted for murder and he surrendered to Booth to insure that he wouldn't be gunned down by over enthusiastic federal agents or the police. Booth insured that my father was arrested and placed in custody without harm. That is a good thing not a bad thing and I am grateful for Booth's professionalism."

Surprised that Brennan had jumped in and defended them both, Booth smirked at the young psychiatrist. "You see, Bones and I are fine. Seeing you isn't necessary."

"Bones?" Sweets puzzled out what the older agent had said and turned to look at Brennan. "Your boyfriend calls you Bones?"

Since she didn't mind the nickname and Booth refused to call her anything else, Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "My partner likes to bestow nicknames on his friends and co-workers. I am a forensic anthropologist. I work with bones ergo he calls me Bones."

Booth considered the nickname perfect and didn't see a problem. "What does it matter if I call her Bones? She calls me Booth, so what?" His tone of voice was harsh and slightly forceful which cause Sweets to wonder why.

"So you two haven't been working together because you needed a replacement at the Lab?" Sweets stared at the couple and felt that there was more to the story than he had been told. "Why did you take three months to replace your assistant?"

Her gaze moving to her fingernails, Brennan pursed her lips and looked back at the doctor. "My field is a rather rarified one and I need the best to work with me. In fact I insist that only the best work at the Lab. We are considered the premier Lab in the country. Our standards are exact and we have been able to successfully solve cold cases that have stymied other Labs. I had a duty to find someone that could fill that position and not stain our reputation. I have found a new assistant and he seems adequate. Even though he has a degree he has returned to university to expand upon his degree which is a point in his favor. I think he will fit in and be of use. Once Dr. Addy returns from his assignment I may wish to retain Dr. Edison's services, but of course it will depend upon how well he does his job at the Lab. So far he has done well enough."

"So you're saying that this had nothing to do with your father?" Sweets slowly shook his head. "I don't think so. Your boyfriend arrested you father. Max Keenan is going to stand trial for the murder of Deputy Director Kirby and it will be a death penalty case. That has to have affected your relationship. Somehow I think you're using Dr. Addy's absence as an excuse not to work with Agent Booth."

"You think?" Booth was starting to get very angry. "You think? Damn Bones you were right. He's just guessing and he's going to guess us right out of our partnership . . . our working partnership." Booth placed his hand on Brennan's knee and gripped it, trying to assure her. "Well, don't you worry about it. They may break us up, but they'll realize quickly enough what a mistake that is when the solve rate for our division nose dives. I'm the head of my department and nothing says I have to go out into the field." His eyes were cold and his body was rigid with dislike.

Before the meeting got completely out of hand, Sweets held up his hand. "I'm here to help you and I can't do that if no one is willing to tell me the truth. This room is a zone of truth. You can say anything here and it will stay here. Dr. Brennan is clearly a logical person, but there is no way she's that logical. Her father is going to be tried for murder and you arrested him. You two haven't been working together and I think that this Dr. Addy you mentioned is just a screen you're both hiding behind."

His eyes flashing with raw anger, Booth stood up and loomed over the psychiatrist. "Are you calling Dr. Brennan a liar?"

Instantly alarmed, Sweets felt his stomach clinch in fear. "I'm not calling anyone a liar. I'm merely pointing out that Max Keenan's life is on the line and you had a hand in putting him in jeopardy. He's Dr. Brennan's father and that has to be a problem. There is no way that isn't a problem."

Afraid that Booth was on the verge of striking the younger man, Brennan placed her hand on Booth's arm and gripped it tightly. "Booth . . . please sit down."

Her touch brought Booth out of his raging thoughts and caused him to pause. Still angry that Sweets refused to accept what was going on, Booth sat down and leaned back against the couch. "It's your call, Bones. If you want to leave, say so."

"We're not done." Sweets desperately tried to keep his voice calm and firm, but he knew he was not in charge of the meeting at the moment. Turning to face Brennan, he was careful to keep his voice calm and as emotionless as he could. "Dr. Brennan if you leave, your partnership will be over. Is that what you want?"

Emotionally torn, Brennan bit her lower lip and finally leaned back against the couch. "We will stay, but it changes nothing. I do not lie. I wasn't in the field with Booth because of my search for an assistant not because of the arrest of my father. Max Keenan abandoned me when I was fifteen years old and he gave up his right to be my father from that day. I am more concerned about the fate of Dr. Addy whom I consider a friend as well as a colleague. I have found someone to assist me and I am working with Booth again. Meeting with you is a waste of our time."

Sweets was certain he had never met such forceful people like the couple sitting in front of him. Threatening their partnership didn't seem to faze them as much as he had thought it would. Clearly they were tops in their field and they were secure in their positions. They just didn't seem to care about his threats. "Look, Deputy Director Bishop wants you two to continue as a team, but surely you have to see why he's concerned. Your father is awaiting trial for murder. Agent Booth had a hand in his arrest. Max Keenan could very well die within the year. No one is immune to that kind of devastating news. I'm just here to make sure that you two can handle the pressure you're under right now. That pressure is only going to get worse as the trial date approaches. I need to make sure that that pressure doesn't spill over into your jobs . . . No one wants to break up your working partnership, no one. I'm just here to give you both the tools to get through this and believe me you need what I'm offering. You just can't see it yet."

Calmer, Booth listened to what the younger man said and realized that he might be over reacting just a little bit. "Bones isn't a liar." He needed to make that clear. "She's blunt and she says what she means. She doesn't sugar coat anything. If she was pissed at me about Max I'd already know about it."

Brennan nodded her head. "As I said, Max made sure that Booth was the one to arrest him, so that he would survive the arrest. Booth is an honorable man and Max knows that. How can I be angry with Booth about Max's arrest when Max was the one who put his arrest in motion? He could have stayed in Oregon. No one knew where he was. Max was the one who murdered two men . . ."

"Allegedly, Bones." Booth decided that it was time to stop pushing Max towards the electric chair. "He has to go to trial and be convicted before we can say he did that."

Grateful that Booth was reminding her of how the justice system works, Brennan nodded her head. "He allegedly killed two men. Booth had nothing to do with that. Booth is a Federal Agent and he did his job."

"Alright." Sweets was relieved that the tension in the room had lowered somewhat. "I'll accept what you're saying for the time being . . . The Deputy Director insists you two have therapy and if you want to continue to work together then you'll have to comply. We can use these sessions to work on your relationship and I can help you navigate through any trouble you two might be having. As the trial gets closer you can use me as a sounding board and we can try to navigate through the emotional storm you're going to be confronted with and you will be confronted with one . . . No matter how logical you are, your father is in danger of being put to death and that will affect you. Let me help you Dr. Brennan . . . Agent Booth. You can keep your partnership intact, but you have to see me once a week, at least until the trial is over. Surely an hour a week will be worth it to you."

No longer filled with anger, Booth turned to look at his girlfriend. "It's up to you, Bones. I won't make you do this if you don't want to. You know I won't make you do anything you don't want to do."

His voice quiet and sincere, Brennan appreciated the fact that Booth was willing to let her make the decision about their working relationship. "One hour a week will be alright. It will be a waste of time, but I do want to continue to work with you Booth."

Suddenly, things were looking up. "Okay, then we'll waste our time together. The kid can do his job and we'll do ours."

Never really in control of the meeting, Sweets was relieved that the couple had decided to cooperate. Deputy Director Bishop had made it very clear that he wanted this partnership to work and he was counting on Sweets to make sure it did. The underlying threat had been there for Sweets to understand. If Booth and Brennan stopped working together then Sweets was probably going to be in a deep pile of shit. "Good . . . good, so we'll meet once a week and we can talk about whatever is giving you trouble. It won't have to be about your relationship, just whatever you need to talk about and in the meantime if Max's trial gets to be too much for you guys, I'll be here for you too."

A quick glance at her watch and Brennan stood up. "Booth and I have to go." Without another word said to Sweets, the couple left the room leaving behind a rather stunned young man. "This is going to be tougher than I thought it would."

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