Author's Note: It's been a while, but now that Season Seven is over, and I've had a chance to contemplate it, I am finding some more inspiration for these snippets. This one takes place not long after The Warrior in the Wuss.
I do not own Bones or any of its characters.
Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.
MmMystery: Thanks. I do plan on including more Booth/Sweets scenes, but as you will see in this fic, I will be spending some time with the others too...
Lives in the now: Thank you. I do think that something like that in canon would give the both of them a lot to think about along with a mess of emotions to work through, thus it was fun to imagine how it might happen.
Charlotte Thornton: I agree that I've never cared for it when on a show (or in fanfic for that matter) a person goes through a traumatic event like that and then everything's fine in a few minutes (or in a couple of chapters as the case may be). Plus, I agree that the idea of Sweets spending time with B&B while he recovers seems in line with the theme of family taking care of each other on this show. I have something different for this chapter, which I hope you enjoy as well.
D: I agree that sometimes even if he knows something already, Sweets seems to need to hear it out loud from someone else. That certainly seems to be the trend in canon from the beginning up through now...
1917farmgirl: Thank you. I agree that a large part of the appeal of this show is the relationships and these characters' stories. It's what keeps me glued to the screen even when the cases are not up to par...I agree that there is a very real lack of Sweets fic on the site and hope that more writers will add to the (slowly) growing body of work that is there now. Again, I know that I am not one for writing short chapters or stories, so I am still impressed that you went through it so quickly. :)...As for some more stuff with Sweets and Hodgins, I think you must have read my mind. :D I hope you enjoy what I have come up with (and yes, there will be more of it in the future.
Whirlwind421: Yeah, prizes in snacks, cereals and the like have all gone on the cheap. It's a shame to see, really as that kind of stuff used to be so much fun...And I am glad that you enjoyed all of these bits so far. I like having the chance to just play around with these characters when the mood strikes me, and I could probably use the the chance to include some more fluff in my work considering my normal angst-fests. Expect more fluff in this chapter and others in the future.
Chapter Ten—Pursuits
Sweets didn't really need a cup of coffee in that moment, but then again, he had no reason to be in any sort of hurry.
Earlier that morning, Sweets had evaluated another set of performance and personality tests for Doctor Saroyan to use as a supplement in the process of making changes in personnel. After seeing a couple of patients, the psychologist headed over to the Jeffersonian. He explained the tests to her and went over how the results could be used to make assessments of the staff at the lab. By the time he was done, it was mid-afternoon.
The psychologist thought about heading back to the Hoover Building, but then it occurred to him that he did not have any pressing need to return to his office. He had no more patients to see and no profiles to finish. All that was waiting for him was some routine paperwork which he knew probably wouldn't take long and wasn't that urgent in the first place. Instead he started to think about having a late, leisurely lunch. He couldn't decide what restaurant to go to, so he headed up the stairs to the balcony overlooking the lab so that he could grab a cup of coffee and think on it.
When he reached the top, he found Hodgins sitting there, sipping a cup of his own and leafing through a magazine. The entomologist looked up at him for a brief second before returning to his periodical.
"Hey Sweets," he said. "Is something going on? Have we got a case?"
"No, nothing," Sweets said as he poured himself some coffee. "Just dropping off some things for Doctor Saroyan."
Hodgins nodded and focused his attention back on the pages in front of him. Sweets quickly drank the cup in his hand and then poured himself another one before moving to sit down next to Hodgins on the couch. The therapist looked at the cover of the catalog that Hodgins was studying and realized that it was a catalog of scientific equipment.
Sweets' eyebrow rose slightly as he took another sip. A couple of nights ago he had had dinner and drinks with Doctor Saroyan at the Founding Fathers, and she had told him about the budget headaches she was facing due to the entomologist's recent spending.
"The worst thing is that everyone knows about how he used those new toys to not only solve that murder, but to throw an impromptu Founder's Day Party," she had said. "So even if I wanted to, there is no way I could send them back. Now, I have to find ways to siphon money from other budgets temporarily and distract the staff who takes care of certain botanical exhibits here at the Jeffersonian."
The two things that Sweets remembered best about this conversation were Cam's frustration at Hodgins' wanton spending and the unspoken promises of what the pathologist would do if she was placed in this situation again. Seeing the entomologist eyeing even more lab equipment compelled Sweets to act.
"Um, what are you looking at, Doctor Hodgins?" he asked.
"This," Hodgins replied, turning the catalog toward Sweets. The psychologist read the caption for what appeared to be a high-powered microscope.
"This is the latest version," Hodgins gushed. "It has features which would make a lot of our current equipment look like relics from the age of alchemy."
"Impressive," Sweets nodded. "But…isn't it expensive?"
"Of course it is," Hodgins answered incredulously. "But it's totally worth it. I mean, can you imagine the work I could do with one of these in the lab?"
"I am sure that it would be awesome," Sweets agreed. "That is, if the lab has the money to afford it."
"Sweets, some things are about more than money," Hodgins said.
"Like what, in this case?" the psychologist asked him.
"Catching murderers," Hodgins answered. "Saving lives. The pursuit of scientific discoveries…These are things that will mean something long after the money is spent on some needed equipment."
"And this equipment could help you move toward all of this," Sweets responded.
"Yes, exactly," Hodgins said. He then tossed the catalog onto a nearby coffee table.
"It's not just about spending a few extra bucks," he continued. "It's about enabling us to achieve more."
"But isn't that possible even without all of this equipment?" Sweets asked. "After all, a lab like this couldn't function at this level without other things like the people in it."
"Well yeah, of course that matters," Hodgins said with a huff. The entomologist fell back against the couch and stared at a wall while Sweets scooted over closer to him.
"Perhaps this is about more than wanting to update equipment," Sweets said. Hodgins let out a short laugh.
"Come on, Sweets," he said. "Don't turn this into another psych exercise. What's so wrong about wanting the best possible tools to work with?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all," Sweets said. "If that desire is given reasonable restraint. But that isn't the case here. Doctor Saroyan has already expressed concern over how much has been spent recently, and I believe that she will take more drastic actions if the same issue comes up again anytime soon."
"Yeah, I know," Hodgins frowned. "I'm kind of surprised that so little happened this last time, quite frankly." The two of them were silent for a couple moments. Sweets finished his coffee and sat his empty cup down next to the discarded catalog.
"I think that you are right and that this isn't just about the lab spending some additional money," Sweets said. "But I also think that it is not just about getting new equipment either. I believe that it's about something else….some far more important."
Hodgins let out a deep sigh, his blue eyes thoughtful. He then rubbed his eyes and turned to face Sweets.
"I haven't told Ange this," he said. "But…You know, I love my job. I love what I do. Booth getting Doctor B involved in homicide cases was one of the best things that ever happened in this lab and to me. The only thing better was Angela and the two of us finally getting together and having Michael come into our lives. But, still….."
Hodgins pushed himself upright on the couch and leaned toward the psychologist.
"Sometimes I think about the stuff that I am not doing while I'm doing all of this," he continued. "I think about all of the research I'm not pursuing because I'm busy helping to solve a murder. I think about all of the discoveries that I'm not accomplishing because I have all of these responsibilities to Angela and Michael to consider. And then…I think about how time is still ticking by."
"And there isn't an infinite amount of time," Sweets said.
"No, there isn't," Hodgins replied. "I've only got so long to accomplish that kind of stuff. And sometimes, I just…I just don't know if I am going to get as much done as I am hoping for. I went into these disciplines with the intention of making real contributions. Sometimes…sometimes I feel like less of a real scientist and more of a cog in a crime fighting machine. It's not so much that I feel like solving murders isn't a good use of my time…."
"It just isn't the only thing that defines you," Sweets finished for him.
"Yeah," Hodgins said. "Yeah, that's it exactly." The entomologist then settled back into the couch and started to stare at the walls again. Sweets leaned back against the cushions as well.
"Doctor Hodgins…I understand how you feel," he said.
"You do?" Hodgins asked. "How can you?" Sweets smiled wryly.
"I may not work in a hard science field, but I, too, am part of a field which involves research and discoveries," the psychologist said. "And I know what it's like to feel as if you're not accomplished what you dreamed of in your profession. It would be easy to look at things like the book I wrote and ended up discarding or the slow pace of my own research as evidence of my failure to follow the pursuits that led me to this kind of work."
Sweets paused and Hodgins watched him silently while he waited for the therapist to continue.
"But then I think about all of the stuff I have learned and accomplished which I wouldn't have if I had remained single-minded in my original goals," Sweets said. "I realize that, sometimes, it really is more about the journey and that there is a strong chance that the more routine work I do is helping me build something even greater than I had imagined." The psychologist then turned his head toward Hodgins.
"I think it could be the same for you," he added. "You could be advancing toward breakthroughs that you might not have arrived at if you had only stuck with what appeared to be the 'correct' way to go about your work. But perhaps, even more important than that, you will have had the opportunity to develop your mark on science in your own way while living a fulfilling life."
Hodgins nodded and silently considered Sweets' words for a moment before turning toward him again.
"Yeah…you know, I actually was thinking about that case we worked a few days ago," the entomologist said. "The one with the guy who was found in the dumpster behind that sushi restaurant. I remember working that case and thinking about several ideas for papers I could write with just a little more research…Maybe I should stop putting that off…."
Sweets smiled as he watched Hodgins work through his epiphany for a minute longer and then stand up.
"Hey Sweets, how about you, me and Ange go out for lunch," he said. "My treat.
"Sure," the psychologist grinned as he got to his feet. "I don't need to be back at the office any time soon. And hey, if you and she are up for it, we could maybe do some competitive karaoke after that."
"Ok, I can definitely say that that is not happening," Hodgins said. "Let's see what Ange feels like doing after lunch. I'll go get her and meet you by the lab entrance. See you in a minute."
Hodgins dashed off, and Sweets slowly walked down the staircase, leaving the balcony. As he continued to think about the conversation he had just had with Hodgins, Sweets could not stop smiling.
He had just had the chance to fulfill one of the pursuits that was close to his heart and few things in his life felt as satisfying as that.