(Season 6)

A/N: After several months, Fanfiction has finally fixed their notification issue.

I don't own Bones.

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Much to Booth's annoyance, everyone at the Lab had already figured out that he and Brennan were a couple and they had just been waiting for the news to break before they said anything.

"How did you know?" Glaring at his friend, Booth was certain that he and Brennan were better actors than Cam seemed to imply. "We didn't do anything like hold hands or kiss or anything where you could see it so how can you say you knew about us?"

Amused, Cam laughed. "You two stopped touching each other. That was a red flag right there. Both of you touch each other all the time. You've been doing it for years and suddenly you stopped? And you became very polite to Brennan and to the rest of us which was a little unnerving. You do know you're surrounded by geniuses and Angela has a sixth sense about relationship changes. Once she figured it out, we all knew."

"Hey, I'm always polite . . . most of the time." Unable to hide his annoyance, Booth crossed his arms against his chest. "Everyone is too damn nosey around here."

"That's true and you should be used to it by now." Cam moved closer and hugged her friend. "Congratulations."

Relenting, Booth smiled. "Thanks . . . Bones and I just figured that it was time to give us a chance . . . She makes me so happy and I hope I make her happy. We understand each other. I've never really clicked with anyone like I click with Bones." Suddenly sad, Booth shook his head. "Let's just hope I don't screw this up. I tend to do that and you know it."

"Nonsense . . . You're a good man, Booth. You just needed to find someone that matched your passion for life. Dr. Brennan does that for you. You two are two sides of the same coin. Together you and Brennan's relationship is strong. You won't mess up because you won't let that happen. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. I know you two are doing the right thing."

Grateful, Booth reached out and touched Cam's arm. "Thanks . . . you've been a good friend and I appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

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Daisy was back at the Lab and she wasn't sure what she was going to do about her Lancelot. Was he still her Lancelot? She wasn't sure and she was certain that the conversation they needed to have was going to be unpleasant for both of them. Dr. Bashear's dig had been a golden opportunity to train on a dig and just because it had been unsuccessful didn't mean she hadn't learned anything by being there. The fact that Lance didn't see that made her suspect that he would never accept the things she would have to do to do her job. That worried her. Daisy had thought they had a strong friendship, but her trip to Maluku proved that they didn't. She just wished that Lance was like Agent Booth. The agent had not harassed Brennan with letters making demands that she return home while she had been at the dig. Daisy liked that Booth had shown his partner the respect she was due and Lance had failed spectacularly in that department. He had failed her and now she feared their relationship was over.

Entering the examination room, Brennan noticed that Daisy was standing next to the examination table, the box of remains sitting on the table beside her unopened. Brennan had given her intern the box of remains over an hour ago and clearly Daisy hadn't started examining the bones yet. "Is there a problem, Ms. Wick?"

Startled, Daisy shook her head, opened the box and began to lay the bones out on the table. "No . . . well yes. Lance and I are having problems. He didn't want me to go to Maluku and he's been angry about it ever since . . . He doesn't understand that the dig was an important learning experience for me even if we didn't find anything."

Brennan was aware that Sweets had been unhappy with Daisy while she was gone. Sweets' constant complaints to Booth over the months about Daisy's absence had been a distraction for her partner and his patience was at an end about the Sweets/Daisy relationship issue. "I would advise you to talk to Dr. Sweets. Communication has been an issue between Booth and I in the past, but we've realized that honest communication is important if we're to have a successful relationship and we have endeavored to talk to each other if anything is bothering us. Delaying issues make them grow in size until they can become unmanageable. If you need the time, please feel free to go see Dr. Sweets and have an honest conversation with him about your issues. If he cannot accept that your job requires you to leave the country from time to time to go on digs then it might be time to end your engagement."

Since Brennan was telling her the same thing she had been telling herself, Daisy knew that she needed to talk to Lance as soon as possible. "Thank you. I'll call him in a little while and see if he'll meet me for lunch. You're right. I can't let this thing between us continue. It's too aggravating and it is interfering with my work."

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Shocked, Lance stared at Daisy while she stood up and leaned on the table.

"I really am disappointed in you, Lance. You know I'm training to become a forensic anthropologist and that will require travel in the future." Daisy sighed. "Why couldn't you be like Agent Booth? He accepted Dr. Brennan going to Maluku and he didn't harass her with letters making demands while she was gone. He understands how important digs are. Why can't you?"

"We were engaged, Daisy. Agent Booth was just Dr. Brennan's partner when she went to Maluku. Even you should be able to understand that." Sweets felt like Daisy wasn't even trying to understand his perspective. "We were going to get married . . . I guess that's over now."

Handing Sweets' mother's wedding ring back to him, Daisy sighed. "Of course, it's over, Lance. It was over while I was in Maluku. This isn't my doing. You chose to be selfish and I can't forgive you for that. What I do is important. What I do counts and you don't seem to get that. It was nice being your friend, but we don't really have anything in common anymore." Since she had nothing else to say, Daisy picked up her purse and left the Diner.

"Well, this is fierce wretched." Lance sighed and stared at his glass of water. He had hoped Daisy would understand that being in a relationship with him meant that leaving him for adventures would have to stop. Once his parents had been married, they had never been apart for more than a day or so until they died. Clearly that wasn't in Daisy's plans.

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Sad that his life wasn't working out like he thought it should, Sweets waited in Booth's office for the man to come back from lunch.

Carrying a cup of coffee with him, Booth entered his office, noticed Sweets sitting in the chair by the door and felt his temper start to rise. "What? Why are you here?" He hoped this wasn't about Daisy again. He was at the end of his patience about Sweets' problematic love life.

Aware that Booth was irritated, Sweets chose to ignore it and sighed. "Daisy broke up with me. I'm not engaged anymore."

Carefully placing his cup on the desk, Booth sat down. "You had to see that coming. You had plenty of warning. Accept it and move on."

Angry, the younger man stood up and faced his friend. "Would you accept it if Dr. Brennan broke up with you?"

"Listen up. When Bones went to Maluku I didn't try to stop her. I didn't write her letters bitching about her being there. I accepted it like the good friend I am . . . If you had let Daisy do what she had to do and accepted that her job is going to take her out of the country sometimes, you might still be engaged . . . I'm going to say this one more time and that's it, she's training to be a forensic anthropologist and that means she has to go on digs to get experience. Good or bad, successful digs or not, she needs the experience. She may not want to go on digs once she's got her doctorate, who knows, but for now she needs the experience. Since you can't accept that and she knows that then she did the right thing. She's put a lot of time and money into getting her degree . . . I know that isn't what you want to hear, but someone needs to say it. I'm your friend and I'm pointing out that you can't control someone like Daisy any more than I can control Bones. They're smart, independent women who have goals in life. We either accept those ambitions and support them or we move on. I'm proud of what Bones does. She's worked hard to get where she is and she did it without any family support. She's the best in the world when it comes to forensic anthropology and she deserves the honors and awards that have come to her. I'm honored to know her and I support her and her career. You've refuse to do that for Daisy so you need to just walk away." He hadn't planned on making a speech, but he was tired of Sweets' complaints about Daisy. "Grow up, Sweets. You need to grow up."

He had been sure that Booth wouldn't take his side, but he had hoped for words of sympathy. "I'm sorry I bothered you, Booth." Leaving the room, he felt angry and had no outlet to get rid of his anger. No one was taking his side and he felt so alone.

Booth knew that Sweets was upset and probably angry with him, but the man needed to accept that he had no control over anyone's life but his own and Booth was certain most of the time even that was impossible. Lord knows he sometimes felt like a puppet trying to discover who was pulling his strings.

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Sitting in his office, Sweets mulled over what Booth had told him. Was he being selfish? He knew it looked like he was, but he truly felt that if Daisy had really loved him, she would have found a way to stay at the Jeffersonian. He was certain that if she had gone on a shorter dig he would have accepted it, but a year was a long time to be separated from someone that was supposed to love you. Yes, she needed the experience a dig could give her, but summer digs had given her what she'd needed so far and he felt she could have continued to do that. He felt that Daisy's worship of Brennan had influenced her to go on the Maluku dig and there was no way he could get around that. Daisy idolized Brennan and wanted to be just like her.

Unfortunately, it appeared that Daisy valued her career more than she valued him and he wasn't sure he should accept that. He really did like how smart Daisy was and how she wanted to be the top of her field, but he wanted her to value him too. What was wrong with wanting someone to value you? Wasn't he worth it?

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Entering Brennan's apartment, Booth carried two bags containing Chinese takeout and called out to his partner. "Hey, I'm home and I bought dinner . . . I hope you're hungry."

Glad to see Booth, Brennan left the bedroom, buttoning up her blouse. "I am, thank you."

The containers on the dining room table, Booth removed his jacket, hung it on the back of one of the chairs and entered the kitchen to retrieve two plates, some utensils and some beer. That done, he sat down at the table and waited for Brennan to join him. "Sweets and Daisy broke up. I hope that's the end of Sweets complaining about her to me. He was driving me nuts."

"Yes, Daisy told me." Brennan opened the container sitting in front of her and shook her head. "I'm afraid Sweets isn't prepared to be in a relationship with a scientist."

"Well, that's his loss." Booth was happy with his scientist. "So did you identify that box of bones you were looking at before you went to lunch?"

Scooping up some stir fried mushrooms, Brennan nodded her head. "Yes. He was Private Jeffrey Simes, reported missing in France October 1918."

"Wow, poor guy. Armistice was in November." Booth felt sorry for the man. If Simes had held out for one more month he would have come home.

"Yes, that is unfortunate." Brennan sighed. The private had been eighteen years old and had barely lived his life.

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A/N: Armistice ended World War I on November 11, 1918.