Washington, DC – Six Months Later

Lance Sweets was back in DC for the first time since leaving the Bureau. After the disastrous results of his experiment, he had resigned from the FBI and stopped practicing altogether. He had returned to Philadelphia and was teaching at Temple University.

When he had first received his friend's wedding invitation, he planned to skip it. After giving it more thought, he decided he would make a long weekend of it. So, here he was, in DC, two days before the wedding, trying to work up the courage to contact Agent Booth or Dr. Brennan while walking around the city that he had once called home.

He stopped at a street corner and realized that he had been walking on autopilot. He was standing outside the Royal Diner for the first time in six months. One stomach rumble later and he was seated at 'their' table. He was almost relieved when a new waitress took his order. There were no questions about where he had been, no comments about how he had been missed.

He should have expected the reaction that he had to being in DC. He couldn't help but revisit the situation with Booth and Brennan while he ate. He was so distracted, he didn't notice the couple when they walked in. It was only when her voice penetrated his haze that he saw them.

"Booth, you have to evidence to support that! What happened to not jumping to conclusions?" Brennan had been looking back over her shoulder as she talked to Booth. When she faced forward again, she saw that their table was occupied and stopped in her tracks.

Booth, who had been signaling their new favorite waitress, Kate, that they wanted two coffees, almost ran into Brennan's back. Following her gaze, he understood her reaction.

"Sweets! What are you doing in town?" Booth smiled and clapped his hand on Sweets's shoulder.

"Hi, Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan. Would you like to join me?"

"Sure, c'mon Bones, let's sit with Sweets." Booth pulled out a chair for her before taking the one next to her.

"I'm in town for a friend's wedding. How are the two of you? You look well." Sweets avoided bringing up the subject of their partnership. If they had managed to work things out, he did not want to bring up the sore subject of their 'break-up.'

"I'm doing well, Dr. Sweets. Thank you." Brennan looked him over as if analyzing him. "So, where are you living now?"

Sweets told them about his position at Temple and his new life in Philadelphia. He mentioned his girlfriend, but not the fact that he was no longer practicing. He asked about the team at the Jeffersonian and agents that he had known at the FBI. By the time he was done filling them in, he had finished his lunch. Neither partner had volunteered any personal information. As the conversation lagged, Sweets decided that it was time for him to move on. He had accomplished his mission of talking to Booth and Brennan and was satisfied that his meddling hadn't irreparably damaged their relationship. Maybe now, he would finally be able to put it all behind him.

"I have to meet up with some friends soon. It was good to see you both." Sweets threw some cash on the table before saying good-bye to his former patients.

As he walked down the sidewalk, he looked back into the diner. He stopped walking, shocked at the sight before him. Booth had moved his chair closer to Brennan's and draped his right arm around her shoulders, holding her close. He whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. Booth leaned in and captured her lips with his own.

"I knew it!" Sweets gave a victorious fist pump. "I knew it! I was right all along." With a smug smile and a bounce in step, he walked away feeling more than a little vindicated.

A/N – So, as much as I wanted Sweets to learn a lesson, I'm not sure that he did. Thanks again for reading! And one final thanks to dgschneider for being such an awesome beta. Now that this story is complete, I'll go back to writing 'The Results in the Change' and 'Captive' and maybe a one-shot or three. Thanks again! ~ craftyjhawk