A/N: Like so many other people, I was prompted to write this after watching the 100th episode (and those last 4 minutes over and over). This actually woke me up at 1AM and demanded that I think it through and then write it down this morning! This is my first attempt at fan fiction ever, so I'm hoping I got it at least a little bit right and you all enjoy it. I got the idea for Sweets watching them from his office from someone else, but the rest is mine. I'm not usually one to quote bible verses, but I've always been fond of the verse from 1 Corinthians 1-13 and it seemed appropriate for Booth to hear. 10 points to those who notice the obscure X Files reference! Please review if you like it, or even if you didn't!

Disclaimer: Like everyone else, I don't own Bones and don't make any money from this and certainly don't intend any infringement. But it would be cool if I did.

Aftermath

The morning after Sweets had his book turned to rubbish by the two partners, he sought out Seeley Booth in the agent's office. Sweets had watched them leave and observed the scene outside the building and he was concerned about its aftermath.

Booth was sitting in front of his computer staring at nothing when Sweets walked in. Not particularly wanting to talk with the kid any further about anything, he sat up and made himself very busy looking through paperwork. But Sweets wasn't going to leave him alone….

"I watched you last night, when you and Dr. Brennan left my office," Sweets said, quietly. "You took the chance, didn't you? Gambled?" Without looking up, Booth nodded slightly and went back to not really seeing the paperwork in front of him.

Sweets sat down in the chair in front of Booth's desk and began to narrate what he'd seen from his office window that night. "You told her you wanted to take the chance, see if you could make a relationship work between the two of you. She threw out some lame objection…maybe that the FBI would split you up….but you weren't having it and you kissed her. But she pushed you away….threw out some more objections. How am I doing so far?" Booth flinched slightly, but didn't look up from his papers. Taking that as confirmation and really getting into it now, Sweets stood up and paced back in forth in front of the desk as he continued the story.

"She's terrified of taking the chance. Of losing what she has already…you as her partner, her best friend, her rock. A relationship is too much risk for her. In her world, everything dies. She told you…," he paused, thinking furiously. Sweets snapped his fingers in triumph as it came to him. Booth finally looked up at the sound, "She told you she was protecting you from her. The same way you always protect her from danger, the damsel protecting the white knight."

Booth's eyes widened briefly before he closed off again. Jesus, was the kid down there listening to them somehow? Sweets watched his reaction and knew he was getting it right. But he wasn't really sure he understood what had happened next.

"And you let her off the hook. You backed off, let her push you away, gave up." Sweets paused when he saw the angry flash in Booth's eyes, but he wasn't going to let this go. He smiled humorlessly, "Then she asked if you could still work together, after you've basically just confessed you want to spend the rest of your life with her and she's turned you down, she still wants you to be partners. She still thinks she can save the thing she believes is most important and she wants you to go along with it. She loves you, but she doesn't know how to love you, so she's going to compartmentalize you into the "partner" role so she doesn't have to risk anything." He stopped again, noticing the flash again and that Booth's hands had tightened into fists. Ok, he'd have to admit he was a little bit afraid of the rage he knew was inside the agent, but this whole thing with Booth and Brennan was crazy. And Booth's behavior the previous day had just made the whole thing a hell of a lot crazier.

"You're the gambler! But you didn't go all in! How could you let her go so easily? How could you not fight for what you've wanted for so long?"

At that, Booth had finally had enough. He'd spent the previous night reliving the whole damn scene in his head and trying, mostly unsuccessfully, to keep the pain from totally consuming him. He stood suddenly and with an angry sound that was almost a sob swept all the paperwork off his desk. Sweets backed off then, not really sure what to do next. Booth came around the desk, stopping right in front of Sweets, so close he could see the bit of fear in the psychologist's eyes. "You think I wanted to let her go? You think I wanted to tell her I was moving on and looking for someone who'd love me for the next 50 years? You think I actually believe there's someone else out there for me? That she's not the only woman I can see myself loving that way? You think the fear and pain in her eyes didn't shatter my heart?" he almost shouted, his voice rough and his breath hitching. "For some kind of genius psychologist who's been studying the two of us all this time, you're not all that bright." Booth stopped and backed away, turning away from Sweet's questioning eyes.

"God, Sweets, it almost killed me to back away from her. I had to lean against that railing before I fell. But I can't make her want me, I can't make her love me, so what else was there to say? I knew she didn't love me when I asked her to take the chance on us, but hey, I'm the gambler, right? I gambled and the dice came up snake eyes. She was terrified, and she's convinced romantic relationships are fleeting and ours wouldn't be any different than any other relationship she's had in the past. How the hell am I supposed to fight that?" Booth spun around, tears glittering in his eyes. He spoke more softly this time. "How the hell am I supposed to fight that?"

Sweets considered Booth for a moment before answering. Obviously Booth was in a great deal of pain, who wouldn't be? But he also felt a vibe of hopelessness he'd never felt from the agent before. Booth was always the optimist, but it seemed to Sweets that he had also given up his hope and faith in the future when he backed away from Dr. Brennan last night. And Sweets had to admit he'd played a huge part in creating the situation Agent Booth was facing. He'd pushed him so hard last night, basically dared him to tell Dr. Brennan how he felt about her. Sweets should have seen she wasn't ready. He was supposed to be the freaking psychologist wasn't he? So he wanted to help them through this….this….this setback, yeah, a setback. They weren't done, far from it.

Sweets smiled gently. "But you haven't given up and moved on, have you, Agent Booth?" Booth stopped his anxious pacing, but didn't look at Sweets. "You said you'd never lie to her, but you did then, didn't you? You're going to wait until she's ready to accept you. You're going to find a way to convince her that love can be something less transient than she believed. You've never quit on anything in your life and you're not going to quit on Dr. Brennan." He took a deep breath and finished softly. "Especially because, deep down, you know she really does love you. And that's why she turned you down." He watched Agent Booth closely in the silence that followed. He saw multiple emotions fly across Booth's face….anger, passion, love, and finally, resolve.

Seeing he'd done all he could for the moment, Sweets stood to leave. He made it halfway to the door before he thought of one more thing to say; something he thought Agent Booth might appreciate, given that religion was such an important influence in his life. He turned back to Agent Booth and said, "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." He paused and watched a slight smile form on Agent Booth's face as he pulled the door open to leave. "I think maybe St. Paul knew what he was talking about."