7.

Hope you like long chapters. Heck, just hope you are still reading & enjoying.

Sweets sat in the passenger seat feeling enormously tense. What am I going to do when we get there? What if more of his cooperatives are there? Oh crap, crap crap.

"Hey there it is, up there." Booth said not making Sweets feel any less tense. "I've got forensics on the way Sweets, we're still doing this by the book."

"Yeah, yeah. Good." Sweets said, not sure what else to add, his chest started to hurt again and he wanted to scratch at the burn mark but feared it might bleed again and come thru the shirt – then he would have a lot of explaining to do.

They pulled up behind the abandoned car and exited. Booth headed straight over to the local police who had located the car. Sweets eyed the pair suspiciously, perhaps more henchmen. Sweets preferred to keep a distance and one hand near his gun.

Booth and the cops were talking. Sweets could somewhat hear their conversation but placed it to the back of his mind as it was largely information he had already been told by Booth about locating the car and how desolate the road was.

Sweets looked over the car which seemed to be nothing special at first glance but upon gazing in the windows Sweets noticed some notes - now that could be useful in an investigation - wait, that would be helpful in impeding an investigation. Sweets swallowed hard as he saw Booth glance back at him. It was hard to go against his every instinct to solve cases as well as the fact that here was his chance to prove himself and he had to shoot himself in the foot the whole time. Yeah and if you don't Carter's going to start shooting your friends. But what about his other victims? Geez this is a headache- just get Carter off your case and then go back and investigate. Right when all the evidence is gone? Ugh, this hurts. Sweets wanted to rub his chest but didn't want to draw attention to himself by doing so. What would he blame it on now, heartburn after a long car ride and wild sex - even Booth might start to suspect.

Okay, think like Carter, he's pulls the guy over, like he did me. Ooh! He touched the handle, his prints could be on it…

"Sweets what the hell are you doing?" Booth yelled as his approached.

Shit! Caught! Play it off Lance. "What? Uh nothing. I'm just looking in the window." Sweets was sure he was about to have a heart attack. This is why you're the nice guy Lance, this isn't your game. Ugh, just play along.

"Sweets you were wiping off the car door handle! What that the hell!? Now we can't get any prints off it!" Booth seethed and looked back at the distanced law enforcement.

"No, I wasn't I was just…" Sweets voice was asking for forgiveness, he felt guilty for what he did, terrible for how he felt.

The forensics team pulled up behind them causing Booth to walk away from Sweets and see them. Sweets watched as Booth walked to the forensics team and felt his guilt melt away as Booth's trust in Sweets was letting it go. The guilt rushed back in along with the adrenaline as Sweets saw McLaughlin's notes and went to grab them but there wasn't time.

"Sweets you can't do anything by accident at crime scene okay? You know that by now." Booth was still upset and Sweets nodded along playing the sorrowful son though in ways he was still pissed - he was in pain and no one could know. Sweets watched as the forensics team collected the evidence, silently pleading that they would be done soon.

"Do you want these to go to the Jeffersonian?" Booth asked Sweets who looked at the local officers to see if they had heard the question. If they work for Carter and tell him that evidence is going to the Jeffersonian instead of the FBI, he could be pissed. Sweets shook his head yes. Hope I don't pay for that one.

"We'll take the bag now and you can tow the car there." Booth suggested.

"I'll just need you to sign these sir." The tech said to Booth who looked at Sweets who had hardly said a few words except a few extra things to collect from the vehicle.

"He's the lead agent, he should sign it." Booth said.

Sweets held the pen in hand but if Carter found his name on the transfer sheet he, or someone else could be in trouble. Sweets had a very clear signature, instead he signed a messy one that couldn't be read, he hoped it would buy him time.

"Here you go sir." The tech said handing the bag of evidence to Booth. "We will get this car to the Jeffersonian soon."

Booth headed to the officers to say that the car would be towed and to say goodbye.

"I'll be in the car." Sweets said taking the evidence bag from Booth casually. He watched as Booth walked to talk to the officers to tell them the plans for the car. Sweets sat the evidence bag next to him, his heart pounding as he quickly slit open the bag with the notes from McLaughlin and slid them in his pocket as Booth approached.

At the Jeffersonian Booth walked up to Brennan to talk while Sweets took the evidence bag up to the platform. Sweets presumed that Booth was bringing Brennan up to speed. He tried to listen in as he handed over the evidence bag.

"So you found McLaughlin's car?"

"Yeah but nothing on what McLaughlin was working on before he disappeared." Booth explained.

"Wasn't that what Sweets was working on?" Brennan asked.

"Yeah, I guess he didn't get anywhere." Booth said as they joined the others on the platform.

"Hey this evidence bag is open." Hodgins said looking at it.

Sweets was waiting for the question and flashed a smile. "Oh, yeah I just opened it for you." Will they buy it?

"Sweets you know that isn't procedure." Cam said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot, I was just anxious to get started." Sweets lied thru his teeth hoping his boyish smile would win them over. He felt hot and flushed, lying wasn't his thing and as of lately neither were eating or sleeping - all of which was making him jittery. For a second he thought maybe Brennan noticed.

"Next time Dr. Sweets, please exercise patience." Cam warned as they emptied the bag with several fibers, a package of cigarettes, a can of soda that Sweets thought the man might have been drugged with, a wallet that was kept in the glove box. In reality Sweets had no idea if any of the items belonged in the car, he was just making an attempt to sound active in the case.

"Why is the wallet not with him?" Angela asked.

"Long car rides, guys take it out of their pocket so they don't have to sit on it the whole way." Booth explained. Sweets hoped the conversation would be over soon, he was feeling dizzy.

"Cards is still in it, some cash so this wasn't about robbery." Hodgins observed.

"I thought there were some notes." Booth said looking around. "Sweets wasn't there some papers?" Sweets felt a panic, snapping him out of his dizzy spell.

"I don't think so." Sweets said. Drop it Booth.

"Yeah I'm sure there were." Booth said looking around.

"Do you mean these Booth?" Brennan said holding out a bag. Yes, buy that it's those.

"Yeah, maybe." Booth said looking at the bag. "These look like insurance papers, I thought I saw like notebook papers."

Sweets was sure he was either going to throw up an empty stomach or have a heart attack, he was burning up from what he figured was the growing apprehension and possibly being found out.

"I should get back to the office!" Sweets said quickly turning to leave. "You'll call me if you find anything?" Sweets asked the squints.

"Yes of course." Cam said.

"Wait, Sweets, what are you going to walk?" Booth asked. Sweets didn't really have a plan and realized his quick exit might appear quite strange.

"Oh, I thought you might want dinner with Dr. Brennan." Sweets said thinking on his toes. "I can call a cab."

"No, Sweets that's silly. I'll take you back to the office."

Great.

Booth looked over at Sweets who got the impression he wasn't hiding how he was feeling very well at the moment. He was trying but it was wearing him thin, literally and figuratively.

"Sweets when did you eat last?" Booth asked causing Sweets to reaffirm his fears.

"Huh? Oh this morning." Sweets lied.

Booth didn't buy it. "What did you eat?" Booth asked.

"What? Oh, uh, cereal?" Sweets answer sounded more like a question.

"Are you sure that was today or was that yesterday?" Booth interrogated, it was at least how Sweets felt the question was asked.

"I don't know Booth, I'm just, I'm sorry, and I'm just tired." Sweets said rubbing his head, anxious to return to his office where he could be alone.

"Well you need to eat and sleep Sweets, they go hand in hand to be a good agent with a sharp mind." Booth nagged.

"Thanks." Sweets said trying to be gracious, Booth was on the cusp of showing concern and while that made Sweets feel good it also meant he had to dig deeper to appear fine.

The car made a sharp turn to the right making Sweets nervous.

"Where are we going?"

"The diner. You need to eat something and then we'll go over the case." Booth said but Sweets wanted to do neither of those things. "No arguments."

Sweets shut his mouth knowing he wasn't going to win and instead spent the remainder of the trip convincing himself he was fine and that he could get thru one meal with Booth without incident.

At the diner, Booth sat in his seat while Sweets sat slowly across from him. This is going to be harder than I thought Sweets thought as the urge to scratch at his aching chest continued. It now hurt to breathe and Sweets decided to keep to short answers.

"It wasn't that long of a car ride to be cramped." Booth said.

Think quick Lance. "Must have just pulled a muscle." Sweets said setting his portfolio with his notes to the side so they could discuss the case.

"What can I get you two?" Then tentative waitress asked.

"Coffee." Sweets ordered with a second yawn, he had to be on his toes, he wasn't thinking clearly.

"Sweets it's like six at night." Booth said but quickly ordered the same. "Oh, I'll take the same and how about our usual's?"

The waitress left and Sweets busied himself by looking at a menu with words that floated around like fish in a tank. He hadn't noticed that Booth ordered until Booth took the menu from him and set it aside.

"Sweets what's keeping you up at night?" Booth asked.

Hired thugs, crooked state troopers, bruises pain. Sweets shrugged. "Nothing, it's just…this case." Technically yes it is the case it just comes with a silent set of fists.

"Well it's nothing grizzly." Booth said as the waitress returned with two cups of coffee and left.

"No it's not that." Sweets said taking a sip of the hot coffee thinking of how the bodies used to bother him in the early cases. Now he was just hoping he wasn't going to be one of them.

"Is it taking the lead on the case?" Booth asked. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I thought you couldn't do this. Sweets you can do this."

Sweets felt a warm fuzzy feeling go thru his body, Booth thinks you can do this - and you could if you could only do it the right way. How am I not going to let him down?

"Thanks Booth." Sweets said taking another cautious sip, it was hot but he craved the caffeine, he couldn't make any more mistakes.

"I mean there's nothing about this case you can't handle." Booth kept talking and Sweets thought now Booth sounded like the psychologist. Sweets wanted to say more but he found keeping his answers short was better to keep him from passing out. Sweets was starting to feel better until Booth added, "There's nothing to beat yourself up over."

He knows! The heavy diner mug slipped from Sweets hand crashing on the counter spilling hot coffee on him. Sweets jumped up as most of the sparse diner patrons turned at the sound of the noise. Conscious everyone was looking at him Sweets nodded that he was fine but the liquid burned his skin. No stupid he doesn't know, he was just saying a phrase. Sweets could feel the liquid suctioning to his skin, Sweets did the math, the shirt was white the coffee was brown, the scars were dark, would the liquid make the fabric transparent, would the injuries be seen?

"Damn Sweets are you okay?" Booth said stepping forward at the reddening of Sweets hand from the hot liquid.

"Yeah, just give me a second okay?" Sweets said hurrying to the restroom to dry his shirt, keep his injuries hidden. If the coffee had burned his skin it was the least of his chest injuries.

Sweets was glad no one was in the bathroom as he went to the sink looking at his shirt. Luckily most of the liquid was low enough it didn't hit his chest where most of the injuries were. Sweets ran water over his hand, the burns from the java were going away but his hands were shaking. I can't take much more of this. Sweets thought to himself. You have to. He said as he calmed himself enough to button up his jacket over the stained shirt and try out a few fake smiles.

Sweets could hear Booth on the phone.

"Bones I've got to call you back." Booth said as Sweets returned to the table and sat down. He noticed Booth was staring at him with a fierce expression. Sweets looked at Booth holding his notebook as the waitress arrived with food.

"We're going to need that to go." Booth said seething with anger.

Sweets knew they weren't going to talk about this at the diner. Instead the two sat looking at each other. In normal circumstances Sweets would have started begging for a chance to explain but he didn't bother because there was no explanation he could offer.

Sweets carried his box of hot food much in the same way Booth carried his – with great disinterest. The car ride back to the FBI building was a quiet one where Sweets ran several scenarios of what Booth would say and how he would answer. He would tell him that he wanted to get a clear profile first - he didn't intend to lie, he'd just been so tired from the case, he would be sorry and offer to move on. He would have started the conversation in the car but he thought Booth might still need some time to simmer down so he sat silently plotting out his responses. The icy mood had done little to settle his nerves and overall ill feeling.

They got back into the building. "Your office." Booth said with gritted teeth. Sweets didn't like the tone- he had been a kid getting a beating, hell, lately he had been an adult getting a beating and he was getting more than a little tired of it. Maybe he would tell Booth a thing or two…

As soon as they got to Sweets office Booth slammed the door shut and turned to face Sweets but before he said anything he shoved his hand into Sweets inner chest coat pocket and pulled out folded papers. Sweets hadn't expected that and rubbed his chest at the pressure against his injuries but Booth only saw the pages he unfolded.

"Dammit Sweets!" Booth shouted as he held McLaughlin's papers in his hand, the missing evidence pages. "Stolen evidence? Tampering with evidence? Trying to push the case off on suicides? LYING to your partner, your friend about not finding out anything?!" Booth's voice raged with anger as he shouted, each word reaching a greater disappointment and fury inside that boiled over while each accusation, though true, hit Sweets like a blazing hot knife. He couldn't however find words to explain why he did what he had done.

"What's it been eight years Sweets? And you just…what the hell were you thinking?" Booth shouted but Sweets only bit his lip as his eyes searched Booth's face. I want to tell you so bad Booth but I can't, and of course you don't understand and I can't explain.

Sweets continued silence only infuriated Booth more who continued his rampage. "For a smart guy Sweets you're damn stupid. This can and will end your career - I can't trust a guy who helps the bad guy. I mean, this isn't all an accident is it?"

Finally Sweets shook his head no. Well that wasn't part of the plan, do I still keep quiet if I'm getting fired, I'm betting so or I'll be back in Carter's hands, even if I told them now I've got no evidence to arrest Carter on, I destroyed it.

"Then tell me Sweets, please give me an explanation on why the hell you would throw away all the trust I had built in you!" Booth continued to shout while Sweets only stood frozen in place. He couldn't think of a lie to cover the lie. He wondered if it was the heat of moment that was making him burn up or if it was the growing ache. Just stand here and take it Lance, maybe it will be over soon, let him finish. Just one moment more.

"That's all you have to say to me? You're not even going to tell me why you lied to me? You're going to throw this all away without any explanation?" Booth continued to shout but nothing made Sweets speak or even give his face an expression.

"You son of a bitch." Booth said at Sweets demeanor as he walked to the door. "To think I trusted you – that was the biggest mistake I ever made."

As the door slammed shut Sweets wanted to collapse in on himself. He wanted to cry or hit something but he hadn't the physical strength for either. He couldn't begin to think of a way out of this on top of everything else. By morning he'd be fired, he couldn't fault Booth for that though maybe if it were Booth he wouldn't have jumped to that conclusion. You haven't given him much else to go on Lance – right just 8 years of loyalty like he pointed out. Oh forget it. Sweets was too tired to think and if Carter showed up right now to take him out he hardly cared if Carter was successful.

Sweets looked down at his shirt, the one he spent most of his time staring at while Booth yelled. The smell of coffee he now associated with anger and though he knew it would pass he wanted the stained shirt off. He slipped his jacket off and tossed it on the floor. He picked up his bag, an item that weighed now more than a few pounds but the weight made his chest ache. He found another tee and some casual pants he brought, even in his hastily packing last night he knew he had no plans to go home tonight. He shook his head at his sad state of affairs as he slipped his stained dress shirt off slowly. Sweets threw it on top of the dress jacket, probably won't need suits after tomorrow, geez, who will hire me? Ugh, it hurts.

Sweets tried to ignore the pain as he reached down for his tee shirt when his door flew open. He hadn't expected anyone to come in and jumped back, kept on his feet by the fact that his desk was behind him. The position however left his chest fully exposed to the eyesight of Booth whose expression had severely changed from before.

Sweets saw Booth's eyes scan his chest, cataloging the injuries. Sweets grabbed for his tee shirt as Booth began approaching him. "Sweets!" Booth said but Sweets tried to back away from him on instinct but ran into his own desk and slipped to the floor.

"Booth, no, it's nothing. You're right, I was wrong to…" Sweets tried to stop Booth by getting up but he couldn't get up on his own accord.

"Sweets!" Booth said stopping him and crouching next to him. Sweets held the tee shirt close to his chest with his arms crossed over it defensively but Booth could still see the nauseatingly dark bruises on the skin up to the neckline – everywhere covered by a shirt. His body was laced with circles of burns and more bruises and even a few cuts. Booth then saw the darker red circle on Sweets neck, hidden by the collar of his shirt but made Booth knew by a stun gun.

"Sweets what the hell is going on here?" Booth asked still in complete shock, it almost seemed like make up to him because Sweets hadn't shown any signs of the pain this surely must have caused. "How does this not hurt?"

"It does." Sweets was partially glad someone knew, he felt a weight lifted but at the same time he knew this would only be worse. Still one thing weighed heavily on his mind even more than the pain. "I didn't want to lie to you." Sweets stoic and apathetic gaze began to break as his eyes grew red and his breathing increased. "I had to."

"This….this has something to do with the…." Sweets watched as the near visible gears were turning in Booth's mind, putting everything together.

"I'm sorry." Sweets tried to collect himself and put on an indifferent face but it was hard to do as he couldn't even get his shirt over his head. He was anxious to do so in order to keep Booth from looking at the injuries more. He could see Booth still wanted answers, not that he didn't blame him. "It's not…I can't…"

"Sweets you can't even get your shirt on." Booth said helping him. "And you're going to tell me what's going on." Booth's tone was like the dinner invitation, one not to be denied. "And I think you'd better start from the beginning."

"I'm sorry Booth, I can't." Sweets said.

"Yes, Sweets you can." Booth sighed. "I'm sorry Sweets, I'm so sorry. I was angry and I was wrong to say I couldn't trust you. I've given you a hard time but…but you're really one of the few people I really do trust. Don't deny me the same."

"It's not that I don't want to Booth." Sweets said as things got bleary again. "I can't."

Booth sighed and for a moment Sweets thought he won and wondered how.

"Okay, if you don't tell me fine, but we're going to the hospital." Booth slipped his arm behind Sweets back to help him stand up but Sweets pushed him away only causing himself more pain.

"What the hell Sweets, you're obviously in pain!" Booth shouted. "You've got broken ribs over there, you've got some nasty bad ass burns there, I saw some minor cuts and I can…Jesus Sweets I can see blood coming out on your shirt now!"

Booth pulled his handkerchief out but Sweets weakly blocked his hand from coming closer. Booth's eyes searched Sweets worn and sad dark brown eyes for an explanation. Sweets took the folded handkerchief from him and held it silently over the bleeding spot.

Booth looked at the young man crumpled up on the floor and couldn't take the sight anymore. He pulled on Sweets who tried to push away.

"Booth, it's not that I don't want to go – I can't go." Sweets said causing Booth to stop.

"Yeah you can. And you are because I'm pretty sure I can carry you out of here without much effort." Booth said. "Unless you want to start at the beginning of this whole thing. Those are you choices."

Sweets looked at Booth, searching for some sort of sign or something to tell him what to do. Booth hoped he would give in, he couldn't grasp what would cause this and it scared the crap out of Booth to know whatever it was, whoever it was could do this to Sweets without his knowing.

Sweets started to shake his head but he knew Booth would hold steady to his promise and drag Sweets out of here if he had to.

"You can't tell anyone." Sweets said.

"I don't know if I can promise that." Booth said but he realized how serious Sweets was about this, as if the bleeding and broken body weren't enough of an indicator. "But I can try, yes, just, what is going on Sweets?"

Sweets sat up but didn't get up from the floor. Booth couldn't stand to see him so uncomfortable and helped him to the couch though the road to it was laced with winces and muffled noises from Sweets. Booth didn't go far once Sweets was sitting.

"I was on my way to the case." Sweets began and recounted the story from the beginning when Carter, whose name Sweets did not give, pulled him from his car up until Booth barging in his office. Booth listened and while he wanted to interrupt time and again he was too glad that Sweets was telling him and he remained silent. Booth listened as Sweets would say "they found him" and Booth knew that was when Sweets got another one of these beatings. Booth doubted his teeth had many grooves as he ground his teeth as the story continued. Booth knew, though Sweets only gave the facts that in between these 'breaks in the case' or his attempts to cover it up that it was lined with Sweets not eating, not sleeping, in pain and completely and utterly alone.

"And then we came back here." Sweets said finishing his side of the story. He looked at Booth who ran his hand thru his hair. Booth's nerves were still flaring so he stood up and circled the couch.

"Now you know Booth. I hope you'll understand why I did what I did."

"Sweets you should never have gone thru that alone." Booth said but hadn't intended it to sound like he was disapproving of Sweets. "But you did a very honorable thing. You put other people before you and that's what being a lead is really all about."

Sweets felt slightly relieved though he was pretty sure he was starting to sweat. Why, I'm just sitting here?

"But we're not going to lose you with you trying to keep everyone else safe." Booth said. "We need a plan."

Sweets nodded. He was certainly open to plans, he was too tired to think of plans.

"This guy, you didn't give a name, time to be truthful Sweets for the right reasons, do you know his name?" Sweets opened his eyes to see Booth was asking him at a close distance, certainly an interrogation technique.

"I can't Booth." Sweets said not wanting to lie again. Why does Booth have a twin? Oh, this isn't good. "Booth, I need to rest. It's hot and I'm tired."

"Whoa, Sweets, hey, how many fingers am I holding up?" Booth said but Sweets didn't see any fingers, specifically he couldn't see much of anything but large blurs.

"Two, there's always two." Sweets speech was getting slurred.

"Crap Sweets, you're burning up." Booth said as Sweets began to list hard to starboard on the couch. "That's it, you're going to the hospital."

"NO!" Sweets said sitting up too quickly that he nearly fell to the floor at the strong pang of pain that shot thru his ribs.

"Whoa, slow down."

"No! No." Sweets said trying to control himself but things were getting less and less clear. "No, I can't be seen leaving here, Carter will know."

"Carter?" Booth said nearly under his breath. "State Trooper."

"Oh crap." Sweets said realizing he had slipped, until his hand slipped off the coffee table and he fell to the floor. Only this time he didn't feel pain, it was hot and dizzy as he floated away with the sound of Booth saying his name as he left.

I noticed a couple of people mentioned time when the chapters post. It's 10:30here. It could of course be random glitches from Fan Fiction but I was curious - where is everyone from that's reading?