19.

Okay, no more teasing, perhaps an end in sight… besides I know officially have four new Sweets stories in mind. So much peril, so many story ideas, and all unique too… And I simply MUST give LovelyLancelot something to read. :) Love the reviews that I simply must write more!

"How is he?" Brennan asked first when Cam stepped out into the waiting area.

Hodgins had his hand firmly on his cell phone having received an ass chewing from Angela via cell phone for not hearing sooner. He had called to say he was fine but at that time Sweets was missing. He tried to explain he hadn't had a moment to call but it didn't matter much to Angela who was worried. Despite an exhausted toddler she was on her way to the hospital anyway.

"Well." Cam said with a big smile. The group collectively sighed. "One shock got the irregularity back, the blood transfusion is going well. He's conscious though he's not entirely coherent but that is all still good."

"What about the injuries?" Arastoo asked.

"They are treating them all one at a time. The hook luckily missed the main points, the rest is being treated and he is looking really good." Cam promised. "Once they get him stitched up and all we can visit. It's late but I'm sure no one really wants to go home."

"That's an understatement." Genevieve said biting the last of her pretty nails off. She emanated nervousness.

"Genevieve," Cam said
walking close to her. "I promise we won't let anything happen to you okay?"

Genevieve looked up with tear filled eyes. "You saw what they did to my father, what they did to your partner, what they almost did to the rest of you…"

"Yeah but Booth is on it." Hodgins said. "Where is he anyway?"

"You know, I've got all night." Booth said punching the driver in the face again. "And you see, no one knows you're missing, I can get rid of you pretty quick."

"I thought you were a federal agent." The driver said who was bleeding from his nose and lip.

"Sometimes, but right now I'm just severely pissed off." Booth said. "And I'd like to know who sent you the order."

The man was getting tired and confused now. Booth had him in the small custodial closet at the hospital for a good while now and had used several invasive interrogation techniques to get him to talk. At this point Booth knew enough of the case to know they were bordering on a National Security issue. Booth messed with the lights more causing the man's aching head to get more confused.

"We can get out of here soon, all I need to know is…"

"I don't know!" The man shouted and for the first time it was something different. "I don't know, I just got the orders on voicemail."

"Where's your phone?" Booth asked. The man pointed to his pocket and Booth dialed in, he heard the message. "Okay, you wait here."

"What!? Wait! Don't leave me in here!" The man shouted as Booth locked the door behind him.

Booth texted the location of the man to Booth's friend in the CIA, one of the few people he trusted enough to have his back on this one and keep things quiet until he figured out what was going on.

He found the rest of the team on the recovery floor and was glad they weren't in the intensive care unit.

"How is he?" Booth asked first and foremost.

"He's good." Cam said and noticed the phone in his hand which sported red knuckles. She didn't ask where they came from, she had an idea. "You got a lead?"

"Yeah, well, sort of. He said he got the order via voicemail." Booth said. "It doesn't say much more than to take you and Sweets out." He told her.

"Perhaps Angela can get something from the message." Brennan said. "She's very good at tracking."

"Forget it." Genevieve said now gnawing on her cuticles.

"Let's hear the message." Hodgins said.

Booth played the message on speaker. The rest sighed as it left little clues.

"Play it again." Cam said and Booth obliged having seen her eyes light up with possibility.

"I know that voice." She said. "Where do I know that from?" Cam said again.

"Lumiere, Wittner, Mahaffey, they're all dead." Genevieve said.

"I know, shhhh…." Cam said. "Play it again." Cam said. "His voice, it's so….."

Booth watched as a nurse went by. He eyed the male nurse suspiciously, he then began to eye everyone suspiciously. What if more of them have orders? How many of them might be out here?

Booth spoke low to Cam, "No pressure here Cam but it would be great if you could identify the one guy who could possibly call off this hit."

Booth was reaching in his pocket for his own phone. He was calling in for a team of people he could trust to get down here and protect his people.

"One more time." Cam said and Booth replayed the message though was beginning to think Cam was nuts.

"Cocky son of a bitch!" Cam said causing several people to turn and look at her.

"Going to need a name Cam." Booth said anxiously.

"Dean Burkhead, MIT."

Booth pressed the button to make the call. "Yeah, I'm coming, um wait, I should be here." Booth felt torn between catching the bad guy and staying.

"We've got it." Cam said.

"But, if someone comes to harm…."

"We got it." Cam said.

Booth smiled a small smirk, based on what they had been up against they had indeed had it under control.

"Booth?" Brennan asked as they drove to MIT. "What should we have done differently?"

"What do you mean?" Booth asked driving thru the darkness.

"Well, you saw Sweets, I didn't like seeing him like that." Brennan said, her voice soft.

"Ah." Booth said nodding in understanding. "I've been thinking about that. I'd like to offer him a severe scolding including hours of lectures but the truth is Bones, I'm not all that sure of what I would say. I mean, he kept everyone safe, worked on the case, it's what I would ask of myself."

"I imagine he wanted to be a bit like you, you are a good role model Booth." Brennan said admiringly.

"I don't know if I could take quite all he's been thru." Booth said. "I am going to have to talk to him about that."

"What will you say?"

"I don't know, but I'll come up with something. He can't put himself in that much danger."

The conversation ended as the pair arrived at the dark and quiet campus. As they approached the dean's office they saw a desk lamp was on. Booth's gut was right in that he figured he would be there tonight, issuing orders from his ivory tower.

Booth slowly ascended the steps with Brennan in tow. The opened the door to the dean's office as the man spun in his chair.

"What are you people doing here, it's late!" He said angry.

"The question is Dean Burkhead, what are you doing here this late?" Booth asked approaching him.

"I'm working, it's what hard working people do." Booth loved how the man insinuated he was the only person who worked. He could see why Cam had called him cocky, despite the fact it was Booth's belt buckle that bore the name.

"Well we are working as well." Brennan reminded him.

"Who are you people?" Burkhead asked now highly annoyed.

"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI and this is Dr. Temperance Brennan with the Jeffersonian institute." Booth explained.

"More FBI and Jeffersonian people." Burkhead whined. "I've got you people coming out my ears. Are you two as annoying as the last two?"

"I hope so." Booth said with a smile. "I'm afraid I am going to have you come into questioning."

"At this hour?" Burkhead asked. "No way."

"It's not a request." Booth explained. "You are wanted in questioning of the attempted murder of an FBI agent…"

"Attempted?" Burkhead asked interrupting.

Booth's eyes narrowed, Burkhead had assumed he had been successful in eliminating Sweets & Cam. His question however wasn't enough to insinuate him.

"What do you know about the conspiracy to commit murder?" Brennan asked him.

"Nothing." Burkhead said crossing his arms.

Booth however was still concerned that until Burkhead called off the hit, Cam & Sweets were still in danger, despite still being in a hospital. Booth had to figure out a way to get the man to call it off and now, not just arrest him.

A gun shot made Sweets eyes spring open. Cam jumped as Sweets had jumped.

"Sweets what's up? Are you okay?" Cam asked surprised.

Sweets rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Sorry, was dreaming about the ambulance."

"Thank you for saving my life." Cam said smiling down at him.

"I guess we're even then." Sweets said recalling Booth having said Cam had shot Wittner. "How is everyone?" Sweets said seeing Genevieve resting in the chair next to Arastoo who was also resting. "Everyone okay?"

"Pretty much. Hodgins is waiting for Angela, she wanted to come. Booth & Brennan went after Dean Burkhead, it seems he is the one who put out the hit on us." Cam explained. Sweets nodded but he could tell by her tone that there was something more.

"What else is going on?" Sweets asked and Cam appreciated she couldn't get much by him.

"If the hit is still out we may not be safe." Cam said keeping an eye over her shoulder.

Sweets nodded thinking of the possibilities of being infected with a poisoned IV bag, shot, just about anything from what they would presume were trusted medical professionals. Suddenly Sweets didn't want to be at the hospital.

"Has the bleeding stopped?" Sweets asked of his shoulder. Cam nodded that it had. "Are my vitals okay?"

"They are satisfactory yes." Cam said.

"Okay good." Sweets said throwing back the covers. "Let's go then."

"Sweets, what are you doing?" Cam asked trying to push him back on the bed. He was moving stiffly but surprisingly spry. "I've kept an eye out, I think we are okay."

Sweets promptly issued her a now famous 'really' glance.

"Well, mostly okay, I mean there could be gaps…" Cam said losing her confidence. "Yeah okay let's get out of here, I'm not really comfortable here either. Too many people know we are here."

Sweets was sitting up but noticed a draft in the back of his gown. Cam tapped Arastoo's foot as his eyes fluttered open.

"Are we going? Did they discharge Dr. Sweets?" He asked as Genevieve began to stir as well.

Cam and Sweets looked to each other wondering what to tell Arastoo, the truth or a version of it.

"Yes." They lied in unison.

"But we're going to need some clothes." Cam observed. "Arastoo could you see if you might appropriate some?"

"Sure." Arastoo said leaving.

Cam waited until he left to begin work on removing Sweets' IV.

"He's not officially discharged is he?" Genevieve asked witnessing the 'do it yourself' medical treatment.

"There shouldn't be anything keeping Dr. Sweets here except for paper work." Cam explained. "I'm confident we can care for him plus if they think he is still here we will be doing much better that way."

"I'm not going to argue with that." Genevieve said still nervous about them finding them.

Arastoo returned with a pair of scrub pants and shirt he had 'borrowed' from the closet.

"Did the nurse already remove the IV?" He asked surprised how fast it was done.

"Yep." Cam said not wishing to lie to Arastoo's face.

Arastoo let out a sigh and aided in helping Sweets get the gown off. He checked the bandage on Sweets shoulder and was satisfied it was okay. Cam though was far more anxious in getting them out of there. Genevieve was standing on the lookout making sure no one would come in and ask dozens of questions or insist they stay. They needed the illusion that Sweets was still there to stick for a while.

"Okay, so how are we getting him out of here with no one asking questions?" Genevieve asked.

"Well I had a feeling this wasn't completely on the level." Arastoo said grabbing the last item he had taken from the closet and handed Sweets the white doctor's coat.

"What about Cam, we can't really let them see her leaving either." Sweets pointed out.

Arastoo left and returned shortly with a wheelchair. He motioned for Cam to sit down in it and wrapped one of the bed blankets around her. He took a roll of white gauze from the tray used previously to wrap Sweets shoulder and wrapped it around her head and eyes to disguise her appearance.

"Um, Arastoo, I can't see." Cam pointed out.

"Yes my love, don't make me cover your mouth too." Arastoo whispered in her ear. "I think Genevieve and I should leave first, then you can push your patient out."

They nodded and left, Sweets counting to ten and then proceeding out in the hall too. The pair made it down the hall but as they awaited the elevator they were approached by a nurse.

"Doctor!" The nurse shouted.

"We need your help."

Oh shit Cam and Sweets both said under their breath.

"I should really see this patient to her next, uh, part of her uh, stay." Sweets said stumbling over his words.

"I can do that, we really need some help in here." The nurse said and began to suspect something was up.

"Um yes, of course." Sweets said. "But I've been taking care of this patient, I would like to bring her with me."

"Right this way doctor."

Sweets followed the nurse down the hall and wondered if they had secretly been caught but he kept his cool. Cam literally was in the dark.

"What do we have?" Sweets asked as they entered the room of his "patient."

"She's having an irregular heartbeat doctor. We can't seem to stabilize it." The nurse informed her and handed him the women's chart.

Sweets began to look them over and Cam worried for this woman's safety if they should blow their cover.

"I see." Sweets said looking it over but he noticed the woman's husband looking at him closely. "Is there a problem sir?" Sweets asked trying to swallow his nerves.

"What happened to your face doc?" The man asked and Sweets recalled his recent brawl that was still highly evident on his face and hands.

"Ah, that, well, some people just won't pay their bill!" Sweets added a laugh but everyone only continued to stare at him. Sweets cleared his throat. "No, it's just that I was…." Sweets searched for a reason for his injuries as they were still staring at him. "I was….. in the amazon….. over break, and I ….uh….met an animal poacher…and I'm not for that…."

Sweets must have known how stupid he sounded as even Cam tilted her head in what she hoped was the direction he was talking. She knew Sweets was a bad liar but apparently under pressure he lacked a good imagination as well.

"Any hoo." Sweets said looking back at the chart. "Does your wife suffer from bouts of depression?"

Cam wondered where that came from but kept quiet. She had faith in Sweets up to this point she was going to extend that until she had reason not to.

"Yes, and anxiety as well." The husband explained.

"Has she been seeing a therapist?" Sweets asked and Cam wondered if he was soliciting people into the world of psychology.

"No, she wanted to but I thought it was all a bunch of hooey." The husband said partially explained.

"Yes. Well, sometimes it is, depends on your outlook, the therapist." Sweets explained.

"Will that help my wife?" The husband asked nervously.

"With the anxiety and depression." Sweets explained. "It may be placing undue pressure on her heart. From the readings here I'm thinking we are looking at heart palpitations. I would recommend attaching a monitor and administering 50cc's of absopin every hour until it stabilizes. Then she should see a cardiologist."

Sweets head tilted again at the extensiveness of Sweets diagnosis. She kept quiet still.

"Thank you doctor." The nurse said. "Just sign the orders here."

Sweets looked at the papers and gave his best typical illegible doctor signature and nodded to the husband that things were going to be okay.

"Doctor what is your name, I need to add it to the form." The nurse said still writing.

Cam and Sweets froze. Sweets was going to say 'John Smith' but he thought she might immediately know there was no one there by that name.

"Doctor!" Cam shouted offering a diversion. "Doctor! I can see the light!" Cam shouted.

The room filled with panic as the woman in the wheelchair with the gauze over her eyes began to panic.

"Doctor! Oh! It hurts!" Cam shouted again giving them immediate reason to leave.

"Yes, I must get her out of here now." Sweets said wheeling her towards the door.

"Doctor I just need a name." The nurse said again.

"Ahh!" Cam began to scream and Sweets made it to the elevator in time for the doors to close behind him.

He sighed as the door closed.

"Are we…" Cam began to say but Sweets tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yes, we are still here Ms. Smith." Sweets said and Cam knew they were not alone in the elevator.

"Oh thank you doctor." Cam said playing along.

"Is your patient okay?" Another man asked Sweets. "She seems to have a lot of bandages."

"Yes, it was a tricky lobotomy." Sweets explained with the first thing that came to his mind. "But she seems to be coming along just fine."

"Oh, I wasn't aware they did such a complicated procedure here at County General." The man said. Cam was sure they were busted.

"No, no of course not." Sweets said trying not to blush as this terrible lying with imagination inabilities. "She was brought back here after that to look at….her…ears…for an infection…"

"And her eyes are bandaged because?" The man asked suspicious.

Sweets mind searched for an answer. "She doesn't like to watch the procedure."

The bell dinged that they had arrived at the first floor and Sweets quickly exited before anyone could ask questions. He was more than sure they had alerted several people at this point and preferred to get to the car sooner than later.

"What took you guys so long?" Arastoo asked at the door where Angela & Hodgins were waiting in their minivan in the drive.

"I guess it was my lobotomy!" Cam said stepping into the car with Arastoo's help.

"It was the first came to my mind." Sweets said following her in.

"That I needed a lobotomy?" Cam asked.

"It seemed appropriate yes." Sweets said as Arastoo pulled the door shut behind him.

Sweets and Cam sat in the back, one on each side of Michael Vincent who was sleeping soundly, then Arastoo & Genevieve in the next row with Angela driving and Hodgins in the passenger seat.

"Where to now?" Hodgins asked.

They all looked to the back where Cam was pulling off her faux bandages.

"Let's go to the Hoover building." Sweets suggested. "It's got to be safe there."

"Right, and we haven't blown up your place of work yet." Cam added sarcastically.

"We'll get the lab fixed." Sweets promised. "Everything will go back to how it was before."

Cam thought about Sweets last statement and she wondered if that was what she really wanted, things to go back like they were where Booth & Brennan did all the field work. Despite the explosion at the lab, two dead suspects, four near death experiences and two kidnappings of a federal agent she rather liked working a case with Sweets.

"We still need to help those sailors at Davenport." Cam reminded him, glad there was something left for them to do together.

"We won't forget them." Sweets reminded her when her cell phone rang.

"Cam." Booth said on the other end of the line. "We need some help."

"You're not the only one, I just got finished with my lobotomy." Cam said and Sweets rolled his eyes and mouthed "I'm sorry!"

"You really have to tell me more about this case Camille." Booth said half threatening. "Okay we have Burkhead here and I'm holding him but it's weak. I need him to confess to charge him with something."

"You're at the FBI building?" Cam asked.

"Yes, where else?" Booth asked tired and grumpy.

"We're on our way there now." Cam explained. "We can help."

Booth rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Cam, when you say we please tell me you're not telling me what I think you're telling me."

"Uhhhh….." Came the long pause from Cam.

"Sweets is with you and not at the hospital isn't he?" Booth asked feeling a headache coming on. "Because I'm pretty sure the last time I saw Sweets he looked like death."

"Ouch." Sweets said having overheard. "Do I look that bad?" He asked Arastoo.

Arastoo felt his own headache coming on.

"Look, it's not safe in the hospital, and we're all together." Cam explained. "Besides Sweets suggested that the FBI building would be the safest place right now anyway, and look! We're here." Cam said and hung up.

"Oh, he's going to be pissed about that." Angela said turning off the car.

"I'll just blame it on my brain injury." Cam said getting out.

"You." Booth said pointing to Cam as the group made their way down the hall. "Hung up on me."

"Oh did I?" Cam asked playing dumb. "I thought we were done because we were here, safe and sound."

"And you!" Booth said pointing to Sweets. "When did you become a doctor?" He asked getting distracted with the clothes.

"Technically Booth I have two doctorates, making me a doctor." Sweets explained.

"No like a real doctor." Booth clarified.

"I am right here right?" Sweets asked Cam as his feelings were obviously hurt as he covered it with sarcasm.

"Which by the way, how did you diagnose that lady?" Cam asked.

Sweets shrugged. "Maybe I've considered becoming a doctor. I did pass my preliminary exams."

"Why didn't you pursue it then?" Cam asked.

Sweets smiled and looked at Booth. "I got pretty busy working cases with this agent at the FBI." He looked back at Cam. "The doctor thing took a back seat."

"Oh, I uh, didn't know that Sweets." Booth said realizing the change in career path Sweets had obviously taken. "You should you know…"

"This has been far more fulfilling." Sweets explained putting a stop to where Booth was going.

"Well I didn't mean that about your doctor thing." Booth said in the form of an apology. "You're still smarter than me."

Sweets offered him a smile. "Not about everything." Sweets said and they began to head to the interrogation room.

"What don't you know smarty pants?" Booth asked.

"Apparently how to get thru a case without so many injuries." Sweets joked.

"Yes, and that's going to be along conversation later." Booth warned. "But first I don't know how to crack this guy. He's not talking and I barely know anything about this case."

The group stood in the interrogation booth with Booth and Brennan.

"And the deputy director is on his way too with a lot of questions." Booth warned. "If possible we want answers before he has a lot of questions."

Sweets looked at Cam. "Remember how Burkhead never answered as about Bamsatt?"

"Who's Bamsatt?" Booth asked.

"Mahaffey." Hodgins answered.

"Who's Mahaffey?" Booth asked.

"One of the dead guys at the shipyards." Arastoo added.

"I still have no idea what the hell is going on." Booth said rubbing his head.

"What were you saying Sweets?" Cam asked.

"Burkhead said he had no idea who Bamsatt was, which of course we knew was a lie, why do you think he lied about that?" Sweets pondered.

"Bamsatt was a former soldier with the Soviet Union." Hodgins reminded them.

"But Mahaffey was a devout US citizen." Cam reminded them. "Remember how he didn't want to kill Sweets, or I because we are Americans?"

"What I know of Mahaffey is that while his methods were deplorable, he did believe he was working for a good cause." Genevieve said clearing her throat. "My father said one time he was unsure if his work was for good or for evil, no matter the country."

"Einstein would later say the same about the atom bomb." Hodgins recalled.

"We may not know why Mahaffey or Bamsatt came to this country but he must have wanted to leave his past behind him." Cam figured.

"But one thing is clear." Sweets said, a smile creeping across his face, Cam loved when it did that, it meant he had an idea. "Burkhead knew Bamsatt and Mahaffey."

"You're right." Cam said coming to the realization. "You knew he lied when he said he hadn't."

"If this Burkhead was covering for him then you suspect he knows quite a bit more?" Brennan asked trying to follow along.

"Mahaffey was the visionary, but thinking now, this wasn't a government backed project was it? At least not entirely anyway." Cam reasoned.

"Which means that Burkhead was most likely funding the whole thing, maybe with MIT money, maybe with some private investors." Sweets said.

"Some private foreign investors." Cam clarified.

"It depended on who paid the most – which is why Wittner had to wait to take out Mahaffey, not just to find out if it worked but to see who was going to pay the most." Cam realized.

"Mahaffey was the result of a bidding war." Hodgins said realizing the sadness of it all.

"I think this was about a lot of things, not just money." Sweets said making everyone silent for a moment as they thought of the long case.

"Okay, that's great guys." Booth said breaking the silence. "But it sounds like we're 'pretty sure' about this, we need something to throw at this guy."

Cam smiled. "Throw them Sweets."

Booth meant something to give him to take into the interrogation room.

"Yeah, Sweets started this thing." Hodgins said. "If the can stand up long enough he should see it thru." Hodgins added a light shoulder punch to illustrate his point.

Sweets looked at Booth who nodded for him to go in. Sweets headed out the door and towards the interrogation room but while they had faith in him, he wasn't exactly sure how he was going to pull this off.

Was that a good place to stop? ;) Well the long ass car ride had to end sometimes. More soon though.