12.
Booth & Brennan come upon Dean who turns out to be an undercover US Marshall. He was almost beaten to death when Wallace figured out he might be onto him. With his boss, the quartet try and find Sweets before the Warden does, who has it out for Sweets.
Sweets was tired, near starved and now questioning his own health. For so long he had concentrated on everything else - namely staying alive and getting out that the string of beatings (strangely enough) went to the back of his mind. Now having little else to think of each was coming back to him with each long and painful step forward.
He knew he needed food, water and rest but the fields that surrounded him on foot were hardly abundant in any of those options. After what was hours but felt like days he saw a small town ahead which appeared to be mostly abandoned, a roadside town long since bypassed by a highway. He approached slowly figuring his overall appearance and attire might give off the wrong impression. It was evening hours he guessed, the skies darkening with a storm coming in.
By now his mind had the same atmosphere- cloudy and muddled. His thoughts before the escape, his muddled thoughts of Dean's likely demise, his bleak future hadn't changed much. At first the adrenaline fueled his escape but the likelihood of being found seemed highly possible, and being found meant a far less pleasant death - the warden would be sure of that. Much more than the basics Sweets could not comprehend, his mind had simply run its course - exhaustion, depression, then expiration - or so it felt. He could only take so much, the Cromwell case was overload, false imprisonment was catastrophic, pending death and torture was more than the human mind could seemingly take and yet here he was, still here. Many could argue that what was in his mind was scant thoughts floating by like threads in the wind and he didn't even try grasping at them. Right now he was primal - water, rest, food was a hope he dared not grasp for.
He looked around the corner of a building down the town "Main" street which consisted of half a dozen 'buildings'. Building was a kind word for the worn down shacks. Sweets caught a glimpse of himself in the glass and stepped away until he realized it was his reflection. While the hard labor had chiseled his cheeks and physique, the mental toll left a strain on his face, he looked old like a weathered leather jacket.
He sighed and looked around once more, felt a cold rain drop on his shoulder followed by a few more. He picked up a discarded weighty piece of junk and tossed it thru the glass by the door. He reached in an unlocked the door of the small corner drug store. After shuffling inside he looked around at the available merchandise, all dated so he assumed to location had been abandoned some years ago. Sweets checked the phone only to find that it was dead which was no surprise to him. He reached out and grabbed a package of crackers that was on a shelf. His hand backed out as a three spiders vacated the open package. Sweets threw the box on the dirty counter hoping the rest of the spiders would vacate and then ate around them, starvation was more prevalent than a sense of gourmet cooking.
Unfortunately for Sweets he couldn't see the person across the street was still living in town and the old nut off his rocker called the nearest, local police agency.
"Well what do we do now?" Singer asked standing up from viewing the crime scene on the side of the road.
"You hear that?" Dean asked.
"Police radio." Singer answered.
"…units are being dispatched." The operator announced.
Another, familiar voice came on the radio. "No need to dispatch additional units, we will take care of this."
"Thank you Warden Wallace." The operator answered.
Dean rushed to pick up the radio but Singer grabbed it from him. "Warden thinks you are dead kid, let's not tip him off." Dead nodded. "This is US Marshall Ben Singer can you repeat the details on this call?"
"Yes, we have another report on the escaped convicts." The operator reported.
"Another?" Singer asked.
"Yes we received another notice an hour ago."
"US Marshall, this is Warden Clayton Wallace, we have this situation under control, no need for you to get involved."
"Warden I'm going to ask you to step down on this, the US Marshalls office will be taking over." Singer announced. "Wallace?" Singer asked again but the line was dead.
"That can't be good." Dean said while the radio was off in his hand.
"Operator can you give me the locations you gave Wallace?" Singer asked and the operator obliged. They looked at the map, two different directions. "Did they provide descriptions of the men they saw?"
"They were mostly identified from their uniforms." The operator answered and Singer tossed the radio.
"What now?" He asked.
"We split up." Dean said. "Either us two or one of me or him with one of you."
"I'll stick with my partner." Booth said defiantly.
"Fine." Dean said. "You take one of the locations and we'll take the other Just be sure and get there before Wallace and watch out - he's a mean son of a bitch."
Sweets was done with the box of crackers though it wasn't clear if it had done him some good or more harm. Sweets mind was still fuzzy as to what course of action to take next, no string of thoughts seemingly came together. He felt like he should call someone for help, but how to get to a phone? Sweets knew there was no phone here, so he would have to go find another phone, he would figure out who to call once he got there, he hoped his mind might be working by then.
Sweets reached for the door but it opened first. Sweets looked up quickly and saw the person he least wanted to see.
"Warden." Sweets said, his voice deep and dry. He looked outside to see Lee sitting in the patrol car looking, standing guard. Sweets had a feeling this wasn't a routine arrest to take him back to jail. He felt the fight or flight basic instinct begin to kick in despite the gun that Wallace had pointed at Sweets.
"Pretty surprised you made it so far." The Warden said, so calm and cool that it made Sweets nervous. "But then again you've been far scrappier then I had ever imagined, Dr. Sweets."
Sweets backed up and paused, his eyes narrowed.
"Yes Dr. Sweets, I know who you are, always have really." Wallace said smiling. "You see the resemblance was too much to pass up."
"Kale Mallory." Sweets said connecting the thoughts though they acted like elusive clouds, thoughts he was grasping at.
"His mother's maiden name, I had it changed from mine, kid is always screwing up." Wallace said shaking his head. "Always getting himself in trouble. He called me, from the same gas station you were at, told me had shot Ryan, said he was looking at some guy and it was like a mirror. I told him to lift your wallet, give him yours, picked you up a bit later and got you sent to my prison."
"I thought Ryan was a friend of yours." Sweets said.
"Friends are nothing like family." Wallace said. "I can tell you that because I know you don't have any - family that is."
"Don't be so sure of that." Dean said from behind Wallace. Wallace turned around to face him and raised his gun in the air in surrender. "Oh yeah and by the way, not dead now put the gun down on the counter."
Dean kept his eyes on Wallace and glanced over at Sweets who seemed to barely register that Dean was there. Wallace looked past Dean to see another man, Singer, arresting Lee. Wallace set the gun on the counter near Sweets.
"Yes, I thought my men did a number on you, looks like they have failed me yet again." Wallace said, his hands still raised.
"Oh they did a number, but like others in your charge, when you don't want to die you don't." Dean answered.
Wallace nodded and as he did so a red light shone thru the window, a laser light, it centered dead in the middle of Sweets chest.
"You see though, I've got a little more brains than you do." Wallace said. "Now lower your gun or say goodbye to your friend. I must admit first that I was surprised that you were in the Marshall service, that was a surprise. Oh and do have your other friend release Lee please."
Wallace's cool tone pissed Dean off. He wanted nothing more than to take him out. Dean left his gun on Wallace while he moved so his back was no longer on the door.
"I'm not doing it." Dean said. "You'll only kill all of us. And you know you're not getting anywhere Wallace, you can't kill a Federal Agent and two US Marshalls."
"It's going to take some doing, but yes I can." Wallace argued.
"You're suffering from severe delusional tendencies." Sweets said out of the blue. "Hm, where did that come from?"
"Sweets are you still with me here?" Dean asked.
"Dean, you're dead. Am I dead?" Sweets asked his head beginning to pound as he pecked at the red dot on his shirt. "There's something on me."
"Yes, and the warden is going to have him back off." Dean said locking eyes with the warden.
"I don't think so." Wallace said as the men stared at each other in a dead locked glance.
"Whew, it's gone." Sweets said and both men looked to see that the red dot on Sweets chest was gone. Wallace looked confused as he looked out the window to see where the guard had gone with the rifle and laser shot. Dean kept his glance on Wallace who now smiled.
"I guess it isn't your day." Wallace said smiling at Sweets. Dean turned to see that Sweets had Wallace's gun drawn on Dean.
"Sweets, what are you doing?" Dean asked, antsy at the moment.
"You're not Dean." Sweets said. "Dean's dead."
"Oh trust me Sweets…"
"Stop that!" Sweets shouted. "Dean doesn't know that my name is Sweets so you're obviously a…delusion? A guard…" Sweets aim wavered as headache grew, he was confused and trying to find logic.
"I know all about you Dr. Lance Sweets." Dean said, his aim still focused on Wallace, he felt sure Sweets wouldn't shoot him but Dean wasn't so sure now that he was in his own mind.
"Booth, I met Booth and Dr. Brennan." Dean said. "That's how I know who you are." Deans aid.
Sweets head moved to one side, "Booth…Dr. Brennan…" His tone was that of someone recalling a distant memory. "But you killed your wife…you're a killer…"
Dean kept his gun on Wallace but turned to look at Sweets as their eyes met. "Do you really believe that?"
Sweets eyes blinked, "no, no I never did."
Wallace heaved a sigh and quickly reached in his pocket. "Enough of this!" Wallace said aiming his gun at Dean but Sweets fired first, followed by two shots from Dean.
The smell of iron pierced the air when Booth ran in the door followed by Brennan. They heard the shots and saw no one at first but heard a noise.
"Hey, hey are you still with me?" Dean's voice said from behind the counter.
"Dean?" Sweets said from the ground, Dean was crouched over him.
"Yeah, I'm still here. Hey thanks for shooting him instead of me." Dean said.
"What happened?!" Brennan asked looking over them.
"Wallace had a second gun, he was about to shoot me when Sweets shot him first, I added a couple for good measure." Dean said checking Sweets' heart rate on his neck.
"I'd say you got him." Booth said looking at the bloody Wallace, dead on the floor.
Dean pulled Sweets up off the floor, Booth & Brennan's eyes widened at the first full sight of him.
"I'm guessing by those looks he doesn't always look like this." Dean said putting one of Sweets' arms around his own shoulder. "Let get him some medical attention shall we?"
The pair watched for a second as Dean painfully helped Sweets to the door, suddenly reminded that he himself had recently been severely beaten Booth went to help Sweets while Brennan stopped Dean.
"Let Booth help." She said to Dean who seemed short of breath. "I think you should go back to the hospital as well."
Singer came up, concerned as well. "You're looking a little pale kid."
"No, I'm fine." Dean said and promptly passed out.
"You going to eat all of your Jello?" Dean asked.
"No, what about that fruit cocktail?" Sweets asked.
"All yours my friend." Dean said making the swap.
The pair went back to watching TV.
"Come on, like a knife like that would make it thru security." Dean said yelling at the screen from his side of the hospital room.
"Well the guy clearly has father issues." Sweets pointed out. "I think he should spend a little more time dealing with that than worrying about his brother's should."
"Yeah whatever." Dean said and changed conversation. "Hey what happened to Chet?"
Sweets lost interest in his fruit cocktail. "He didn't make it."
"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to kill your appetite." Dean genuinely felt bad about that too, they had been there a couple of days and Sweets was finally well enough to even eat on his own, Dean back from surgery after some bleeding had reintroduced itself after the show down, making him pass out.
"Look, nothing that happened in there was your fault." Dean said. "Can't save everyone you know."
"Right." Sweets said. "Thanks for saving me though."
"Hey, that's what partners are for right?" Dean said with a million megawatt smile. "You know, in the very heterosexual way."
Sweets smiled and Dean felt relaxed again, that dark and moody version of Sweets he saw that night was one he didn't want to see again.
"I agree." Sweets said. "I've never really had a partner in my work. I mean I've worked with Booth, but he and Dr. Brennan have always…"
"Well we made a good team." Dean said. "And that's saying a lot based on that hell we were in."
"Hey Dean, when you said you had killed your wife…" Sweets stopped talking when he saw Dean lose interest in his Jello. And based on how much of Sweets Jello Dean had eaten, he knew he had said the wrong thing. "Oh never mind. I mean, I know you didn't…"
"No, I didn't." Dean said nodding in a way that told Sweets he didn't mind that he had asked. "High school sweethearts." Sweets was still curious since Dean didn't wear a ring. "Someone killed her though. I was working late and I came home, her mom had been visiting…they were both…."
"I'm sorry." Sweets said.
"It was uh, not something that was easy to see."
"And they never caught the killer?"
"I was working construction at the time." Dean said. "I was very interested in law enforcement after that. Went to school, so on."
"You know I have a lot of time off, even more right now." Sweets said. "Maybe we could look into the case."
Dean looked over at Sweets.
"But you've got your family thing going on with what's her name? Bones? That's weird by the way."
"Yeah, well, sometimes I feel like that show could go on without me." Sweets said poking at the lone cherry that always seemed to exist in the fruit cocktail. "Maybe I need a little time away. Besides, I know what it's like to feel like you're always working alone."
"That I have been." Dean said taking the last bite of Jello. "Alright, let's do it."
Both men looked to the hall and called out simultaneously, "Nurse!"
The End.
But maybe a murder case may still be out there for Sweets & Dean to solve!