Chapter 34

Tuesday

9:33 AM

After showing his badge to the security guards, Booth pulled his car into the FBI parking garage. He went to his usual spot, thankful that it was still available. Brennan was sitting quietly beside him. She hadn't said a word since they had gotten into the car. She hadn't even commented when he opened her door for her and helped her into the car. Booth glanced over at her as he turned the car off and took the keys out of the ignition.

"What are we doing here?" Brennan asked.

"You'll see."

"You know, while we're here, I could help you with your case. I could look over the evidence or you could take me back to the Jeffersonian so I could…"

"Don't even think about it, Bones."

"Think about what?"

"Trying to talk me out of this."

"How can I be trying to talk you out of something if I don't know what that something is?"

Booth got out of the car and walked over to the passenger side. He opened her door. Brennan sat completely still. She had her arms crossed and her bottom lip was jutting out just slightly. She looked like a pouting child. If it weren't such a serious situation, Booth would have laughed. Instead, he reached over her waist and unclipped the belt. He let it recoil back to its holder and he put his hand on her arm.

"Come on, Bones."

"I don't think I'm completely comfortable with whatever you're doing, Booth."

"Trust me," he replied.

He knew that would get her. They trusted each other implicitly. They would have followed each other anywhere. Booth helped her out of the car and they walked together towards the elevators.

"I still don't understand what we're doing here," Brennan said, trying to get any information out of him as she could. Her strong point was never interrogation and she was failing miserable.

"I told you. You'll see."

Booth hit the up button. They waited only seconds for the elevator to open. They both got inside, Booth ushering her in with his hand at her lower back. Booth pushed the floor number he wanted and stood back, leaning against the wall of the elevator.

"You hit the wrong floor," Brennan said.

"No I didn't."

"But your office isn't on that floor."

"We're not going to my office."

"We're not?"

"Nope."

"Then where are we going?"

"You're supposed to be the genius, Bones. You should be able to figure it out." He said it teasingly, trying to relieve some of the tension in the elevator.

Brennan looked at the number Booth pressed. "Sweets?"

"Very good, Bones. You win the door prize."

"What prize?"

"Never mind."

She furrowed her brow. "Why are you taking me to Sweets?"

"Because you need to talk to someone."

"I don't even believe in psychology."

"Maybe not, but just give it a shot, Bones. Maybe he can help you."

"Help me what, Booth? I told you I'm…"

He raised his hand up, quieting her. "Bones, if I hear you say you're fine one more time, I might…shoot something."

"I don't understand why you're getting so upset. I think I would know if I need to talk to someone."

"That's just the problem, Bones. You don't know." Booth sighed. "Look, Sweets is going to have to clear you to go back to work anyway."

Brennan's eyes grew wide. "What? Why?"

Booth was flat out lying. He hated doing it. He had never lied to her before, except about his feelings, and he didn't want to start, but she was leaving him no choice.

"Because just like when I shot that clown, Bones, you have to be declared fit for duty. Sweets is the one who has to sign the papers so you're going to have to talk to him eventually. It mine as well be now."

Brennan paused and pondered what he said. "Logically, that makes sense. The sooner I talk to Sweets, the sooner we can get back to work."

"Exactly."

"Ok, I'll talk to him."

"Good."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. They made the familiar journey to Sweets' office. His office door was closed. Booth knocked, but opened the door before Sweets even had a chance to reply. Sweets was standing in front of his chair with an annoyed look on his face.

"I could have had a patient in here," Sweets said.

"But you don't," Booth replied.

"You really need to stop bursting in here when you don't have an appointment, Agent Booth."

"It's not for me." Booth stepped aside and Sweets saw Brennan standing behind him.

"Dr. Brennan, it's good to see you up and around."

"Thank you, Dr. Sweets." Brennan walked over to the couch and sat down.

"She's all yours, Sweets."

"All mine? But, Dr. Brennan, you hate psychology."

"Booth says you need to sign a paper before I can go back to work so here I am. Let's get started. Do you have the paper?"

Sweets looked at Booth quizzically. Knowing he was going to have to explain himself, Booth stepped in.

"I told Dr. Brennan about how you need to clear her before she can return to work due to the traumatic experience she…experienced."

Booth raised his eyebrows and nodded at Sweets, trying to get him to go along. He still wasn't comfortable with lying, but if that's what it took, he was going to go with it.

"I thought you were out of work for several weeks," Sweets said to Brennan.

"According to my doctor, yes, but I think I'm ready to go back to work now."

"Well, not right now, Bones," Booth said.

Brennan turned around on the couch to look at him. "But you said Sweets just has to clear me to go back to work."

"Well, yeah, he has to clear you so that when you're ready, you can come back to work."

"But I am ready."

"No, you're not," Booth replied. "Tell her, Sweets."

"You really should listen to your doctor, Dr. Brennan," Sweets said.

"Neither of you are doctors, so I don't know…"

"I'm a doctor," Sweets said, raising his hand.

"Not a medical doctor," Brennan corrected.

"Ok…ok," Booth said. "Why don't you two start talking and we can talk about when you can come back to work later."

"Just…give me one minute, Dr. Brennan."

Sweets headed towards Booth. He took him by the arm and led him outside. He closed his office door so Brennan couldn't hear them.

"You lied to Dr. Brennan about coming to see me?" Sweets asked.

"I had to get her to come," Booth answered.

"So you tricked her? The reason your relationship works, Agent Booth, is because you two are completely honest with each other…except about your feelings, of course."

"Just talk to her, Sweets. She needs someone to talk to and you're the only one who can do it. Please."

"Why now? A few days ago you were complaining that she wasn't coming to talk to you so why are you suddenly pushing her to come talk to me?"

"Because I don't care who she talks to as long as she talks to someone. She can't sleep, Sweets. Saturday night I woke her up from another nightmare and she denied the whole thing. She kicked me out of her apartment. This morning, Cam found her sleeping on the couch at the Jeffersonian."

"Sleeping at the Jeffersonian? Why?"

"You're the psychologist. You tell me. Look, she needs someone. I'm asking you as a friend. Please help her."

He took a deep breath. "Fine. I'm not comfortable with this, but I will do this because I agree that Dr. Brennan needs to talk to someone."

"Thank you."

Booth began to walk away.

"On one condition," Sweets began. Booth turned back around. "When you come to your regularly scheduled appointments, you turn off your phone."

"What?'

"Next time you come to see me, you have to turn off your phone. No more running off on me because you get a phone call."

"But what if I have a case?"

"Take it or leave it."

Booth sighed. "Fine. Just take care of her."

Sweets nodded and went back into his office. He walked over to his chair and sat down, facing Brennan.

"So, do you have the paper?" Brennan asked.

"What?"

"The paper you need to sign saying I can go back to work."

"Oh well, we…talk first and then I'll get the paper," Sweets answered.

"Ok."

"Ok. So…how have you been feeling?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"Well, I still have pain, but I'm healing quickly."

"That's good. How are you feeling emotionally?"

"Fine," she answered quickly.

Sweets knew she wasn't going to open up to him easily.

"Dr. Brennan, why do you think Agent Booth asked you here?"

"Because he wants me to be able to return to work."

"Well, yes, but why else?"

"Because…he's worried about me."

"Why is he worried about you?"

"Because he's Booth. As a typical alpha male in any society, he feels the need to protect those who he thinks needs protecting. He does that by worrying."

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that he found you sleeping at the Jeffersonian this morning?"

"He told you that?"

"He mentioned it, yes."

"Well, I already told him, I went in to get some work done and I fell asleep."

"Were you having nightmares? Is that why you went to the Jeffersonian?"

"I don't have nightmares," Brennan replied. "And I find it deplorable that any doctor would think that nightmares are real. But that's why you're a psychologist and I'm a real doctor."

"Dr. Brennan, nightmares are real manifestations of ours fears."

"Nightmares are…"

"Let's not use the term nightmare," Sweets stated. He collected his thoughts, trying to figure out the best way to get through to her. Sweets knew he was a good psychologist. He graduated top of his class and had put in countless hours in his internship, helping adult with post traumatic stress. He was well qualified to help Dr. Brennan, if she would let him.

"Can't you just sign the paper?" Brennan asked.

"You went through a very difficult experience, Dr. Brennan," Sweets said. "In my work, I've talked to a lot of people who have gone through terrible ordeals. Even the most well-adjusted of those people, even those people like yourself who can compartmentalize their feelings, have difficulty dealing with their traumas. Sometimes those difficulties present themselves when our subconscious takes over like when we're sleeping."

"I don't know what any of this has to do with going back to work."

"Let me start over…you and Agent Booth are very close, right?"

"I don't understand why you're asking a question you already know the answer to."

"Agent Booth is the type of person who needs to be there for people."

"Because he has an alpha male personality."

Sweets knew he was going to have to appeal to Brennan's brain. Even though she had a bigger vocabulary than anyone he knew, he was going to have to speak in words he knew she would understand.

"Right, because he is an alpha male. And alpha males have certain attributes. They're protectors. In history, they were the ones sent to protect what they rightfully thought was theirs whether it be their land or their families. Agent Booth is a protector and you are his family. He wants to protect you. He wants to be there for you. He needs you to need him."

"But I don't need him."

"Then why were you sleeping at the Jeffersonian?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. She knew she needed Booth. She needed him more than she had needed anybody else in her entire life. She had always needed him and she always would. She was just going to have to be brave enough to admit it to him.

"What if he rejects me?" She whispered.

"You're afraid he's going to reject you?"

"Although physically we are a compatible in terms of our attractiveness, Booth is run by his emotions and I…I rely on science and evidence and…that's where we're not compatible."

"But that's what makes you compatible. You two have been through everything two people could possibly go through together and you've made it because you're more than compatible. Trust yourself, Dr. Brennan. Trust what you're feeling. And trust him."

"If I tell him how I'm feeling…if I tell him about how when I close my eyes, I still feel like I'm down in that basement…that I'm scared…he'll…he'll…"

"He'll be there for you."

"But what if he thinks of me as being less capable? What if he doesn't want to work with me anymore?"

"That won't happen. Give him a chance, Dr. Brennan. Let him be there for you."

They sat in silence as Brennan thought about what he said. She knew what she had to do.

"I know I don't put much credence in psychology, Dr. Sweets, but…thank you."

Brennan stood up, ready to go do what she needed to do. She not only needed to tell Booth that she needed him, but she needed to tell him the feelings she had been keeping from him for so long.

"Wait, Dr. Brennan, we're not done."

"But you said I need to talk to Booth."

"Yes, but you also need to work through the trauma of being kidnapped. You mentioned feeling like you were still down in that basement. Would you like to talk about that?"

"Dr. Sweets, I realize what you're trying to do, but no, I don't want to talk about it."

Brennan stood up.

"But, Dr. Brennan…" Sweets said, standing. He had only accomplished half his goal.

"But when I am ready to talk about, I'll let you know."

"Ok."

Brennan walked over to the door and let herself out. Sweets was left, wondering if what he made was actual progress or not.

Author's Note: So, I know the ending might have been a little un-Brennan like, but I had to start getting her to face her feelings. Anyway, thanks for reading. Don't forget to review!