Title: Start Over

Author: [A]stra

Summary: AU Just when he was gone from the mind of almost everyone, Zack is visited by the most peculiar acquaintance yet. Booth/Zack

Author's Note Another one of My Zack/Booth stories. I really do have a thing for these two, but I recently rediscovered my love for Sweets. He's so adorable! Wah~!

Based on the latest plot twist, Bones' rejection of Booth.

"Just because she rejected you, you came to see me?"

"That's the first thing you say when I see you? It's been a few months, why can't you be normal and ask 'how's it been,' or maybe even 'it's good to see you'?"

Zack stared at him from across the metal table with a blank stare. Groaning, Agent Seeley Booth leaned back in his chair and frowned. It was Saturday and the rain was coming down hard outside. He wasn't sure if it was still raining now, concerning the fact that he had waited almost an hour inside on Zack to finish his group session therapy. They had finally put him in a metal-walled room with two stiff chairs and one metal table. On the table was a black leather bag that Hodgins had wanted to give to Zack.

"How have you been, Agent Booth?" Zack asked in a formal voice that was almost cynical.

"Good, Zack, now, did you hear this from Sweets?" Seeley asked. "Because I didn't say anything."

The smile that Zack had would have scared Seeley if he hadn't seen it so many times. "I just have ways," he replied. His demeanor changed as he focused back on the topic at hand. "But I don't understand why you are seeing me. Why not Hodgins or Angela? They're closer and easier to get to."

"But you're so much like her! Well, a little less emotion and a little less ability to love, but all the more, you could almost be her clone, only in male form."

"That's impossible," Zack replied curtly. "I see that I don't have to explain to you why."

Seeley nodded with an annoyed look. He knew well what Zack meant by this. "I know, I know, but I was just trying to—you know what? Never mind."

"So, you're saying that I might know why she rejected you?"

"Have you ever been in love? You're too young, so why did I even bother with you? I'm pretty sure you don't have the feelings to appreciate love." Seeley motioned with his hand when he said love, almost making it sound abstract.

"I've been in love before, Agent Booth. Once."

"Were you rejected?" the agent asked with a mocking grin. "Dumped?"

"I never expressed my love due to situations and bad decisions I had made. I regret never saying it everyday I'm here, but now I'll simply be brushed off as a mental case." His voice was stable and his eyes were hard, but Seeley had seen this look before. It was a look of well guarded pain and hurt.

"Who was it? Someone I know?" Whoever it was, he wouldn't mind knowing, he admitted.

"A man."

"You're gay?" A look of shock passed over Seeley's face and he let out a snort.

"Does it matter anymore? I'm in a position where my hands are tied metaphorically. Explain to me again why you are here."

"So you might know about Bones' reasoning?" he reasoned.

"Something like that, yes."

"Well, okay. Do you know why she rejected me?" he replied. "Because I have a feeling you do."

Zack's head fell as he looked at the table in front of him, eyes not seeing. "I do."

"Could you tell me?"

"Physically, yes, but I don't feel right telling you."

Seeley groaned as he leaned forward and put his head in his hands. "Can you tell me anything?"

Zack looked at him thoughtfully and a forced smile pulled across his tight lips. "I'm sorry, but it's something that I can't share. Ask her. Tell her you came to see me and I'm asking you to ask her."

And Seeley Booth left the Institute with not much more to say to the other man.

One week later:

"You're back. I'm going to deduct that you have already talked to Dr. Brennan."

"Yeah, I did." But Seeley Booth stayed silent and simply looked at Zack from across the table. The smaller man twitched in his seat and looked down at the table, unable to look up at the other man's face.

"Why are you still here?" His voice shook, but the tone was still steady. His eyes were still focused on the table, but his ears picked up the sound of the chair moving as Booth stood up.

"I'm not so sure," the reply came. Zack's body froze as he heard footsteps head towards the door that led out of the room, a door behind Zack. The footsteps stopped just next to him and he chanced a look up. The feet faced him, as if the agent wanted to talk to him. Continuing to look up, he saw the strong face that he had once admired everyday from afar. The agent's hand rested on the back of the metal chair as almost a support, knuckles turning white from the vice-like grip.

"But I want to know one thing."

Seeley leaned down and stopped just a few centimeters in front of Zack's face, because Zack wanted to think in the metric system. He couldn't understand why he thought what he did then, but he didn't assess it anymore.

"What do you want to know?"

"Why Bones cried when she told me about you."

And Seeley said no more as he leaned the rest of the way to press their lips together. Zack's eyes fluttered closed of their own will and he hummed into the kiss. Seeley pulled back after a moment and Zack opened his eyes.

"Can you tell me why she cried?"

Zack shook his head and Seeley pulled back all the way, leaving him feeling empty and cold. He walked back to the door and left. Zack simply stared after him and his eyes fully saw what was in front of him.

"Why did you reject me?"

"I can't tell you?"

"Zack told me to come see you. That if I told you that he wanted, you could tell me why you rejected me."

"Oh."

"'Oh' what?"

"He said that?"

"Yes."

"I guess I can tell you, then; but you might want to sit down."

"Why? Is it shocking? Will I like it?"

"Most likely not, no."

"What does that mean?"

"Just let me tell you."

"Alright, I'm sitting, talk."

"Well, back before Zack was Gormogon, he had a big crush on you. He even slipped one day that he was in love with you, but he never mentioned it again."

"How long?"

"For almost as long as he has known you."

"That's a long time."

"And I couldn't be with you knowing that Zack loved you."

"You stopped yourself because he was in love with me? Have you ever thought about yourself?"

"I can get what I want, Zack couldn't. I wanted to give him something. He was almost like a s-son."

"Bones, why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying."

"When tears fall from your eyes, we humans call it crying. And speaking of Zack, I thought he wasn't human enough to feel love."

"He was human through and through."

"Was?"

"I haven't seen him in a while."

"You mean, you can't."

"...Yes."

"Stop crying. I'm going to see him tomorrow."

"You're only going to hurt him when you see him."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I mean."

"I heard you asked for me, Zack."

"I wanted to know you're professional opinion about Agent Booth's mental state."

Dr. Lance Sweets sat where Seeley sat just a week before, but this time in a more childish position.

"It's interesting that you ask that. He has been off a bit lately." Zack nodded his head and waited for the psychologist to continue. "He's been a little depressed, but the good news is that he's dating Dr. Brennan."

Zack silently choked and his eyes let a flare of emotion, but he closed them before anything else could happen. Before anything unnecessary could happen.

"It's not good news to you, is it?" Dr. Sweets concluded. "Can you tell me why?"

"No."

"You loved Dr. Brennan?"

"No."

"Ah." Silence reigned again and Zack fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat under the other doctor's stare. "But tell me, that's what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted Booth to get with Brennan so that they would both be happy."

"You're theorizing."

"I am. It's kind of my job."

"Well, you're right."

Dr. Sweets nodded and leaned back in his chair, similar to how Seeley had the first time he was here. "I thought so. You want Seeley to be happy, even if it means you can't. It's sweet."

"It was the right thing to do."

"You're going to have a trial. To be released."

"Do you think they will really let me go?"

"Maybe."

"No one's here."

"I know."

"You made it this way?"

"Yes. I didn't want anyone to know that I was going to released."

"I'm here."

"I hold you in high respect."

"I take that as a great compliment. Thank you."

Two men sat on a bench in a dark city lit with night lights. The wind was warm and the air was city stained. One wore a suit and the other wore a t-shirt and jeans, almost odd, when one saw them together. But no one gave them a second look.

"You knew they were on a date together. How?"

"Hodgins told me."

"Does he know you're out?"

"No."

"Are you hiding?"

"No."

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Where are you going to stay?"

Zack slid down his seat and looked under from half closed eyes at the rest of the world. Dr. Sweets looked over with a calculate gaze and watched as the other man sat still, eyes glazed. Cars zoomed by on the street before them as people walked along the sidewalk. Lance looked back at the streets and back at the world, a similar look on his face.

"I got engaged."

"I congratulate you."

"Thank you."

"I can let you stay at my place while I stay at Daisy's place."

"You would do that for me?"

"We're friends. We don't have a professional relationship anymore. Now it's just between Lance and Zack. Both with doctorates in the most opposite of fields."

"I guess. Thank you."

"We should go visit my place. Get you settled."

"I'll stay just until I find my own place."

"Sure."

"It's so good to meet you!"

"Is it?"

"Yes!"

"Daisy, please calm down."

"Lancelot!"

Zack stood in the kitchen the next morning, Daisy Wick and Lance Sweets stood next to him, one excited and the other embarrassed.

"Thanks for letting me stay here, Dr. Sweets," Zack muttered as he sipped a cup of water.

"Call me Lance," was the curt reply. "And I'll do anything for a friend."

"Right," Zack muttered. "Friend."

"Why, you don't think so?" Lance asked, slightly put off, and even almost offended.

"No, just confused," the anthropologist replied. "I've not had a friend that stayed with me through the whole thing. Hodgins and Angela both abandoned me and Dr. Brennan was never what someone would call a 'friend'."

"Understandable."

Daisy giggled into her hands and smiled. "What are you going to do about a job?"

"I'm going to try and get a job at the Jeffersonian, maybe."

"Under Dr. Saroyan and Dr. Brennan?" the girl asked with excitement. "I know I might loose my job, but I would love to see you working there! You should always work to your greatest potential, and your's is greater than mine."

"I know," Zack replied. "Maybe I will."

"That's great!" Daisy and Lance replied together.

"But I'll pay you back for staying here, Lance. My accounts were frozen, but I'll be able to access them by tomorrow."

"No, no, no. You don't have to pay me back. We're friends, remember?"

"You called him 'Lance'!"

Zack nodded and moved over to the table that was in the kitchen. Sitting down, he moved his cup down to the table. "Then I'll try to get a job there. I'll work under Dr. Saroyan, of course, but not under Dr. Brennan. I don't want to put myself in any more pain than I see needed."

"That's perfect."

"Dr. Saroyan, I heard that you got a new employee. One that matches my level? Is this possible?" Dr. Temperance Brennan asked with a challenging tone in her voice.

"Yes. I cannot give you his name unless he approaches you himself. I'm sorry."

"No, no. There's no one else that I've heard of that can challenge my standing, so I'm not afraid of anything. I'm just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, Dr. Brennan."

"Curiosity—oh, that was a metaphor."

"Yes, you're catching on."

"Where will he be working?"

"Limbo and the second lab," she replied with assertion, sensing the doctor's possessiveness.

"The second lab?"

"A smaller version of the open lab. He'll be sharing the smaller labs with you. It's unlikely you'll cross each other."

"Can you give me a hint?" Dr, Brennan asked. "I'm very curious."

"He can sing, if it helps any."

"You told her I can sing."

Dr. Saroyan nodded with a tight-lipped, amused smile. "Yes. She won't figure out."

"She will." Zack leaned back in his office chair with a stern smile. "I like this office. It's better than the cubicle that I had before."

"I know, I thought you might like it," Dr. Saroyan replied. "Can I tell Hodgins, please?" she pleaded. "I have a feeling he'll find out anyway."

"Of course. Just don't tell Dr. Brennan or Agent Booth. I'd rather they don't know."

"I can do that, Zack, don't worry." Dr. Saroyan walked away with a smile, leaving Zack in his office. He still had many papers to sign to make everything official, but he had wanted to wait so as to draw suspicion from any other of his colleagues as being anything but normal. He knew that to undergo Dr Brennan's radar, as Lance had so fittingly put it, than he had to be as normal as possible, what she would least expect.

"I see you've settled down," Lance's voice came from the door. "How is having your own office to yourself?"

"Brilliant, though lacking," was his stately reply. Lance nodded his head as he sat on the edge of the desk. "I want a couch, and I have to move my computers in here. I might even have a wall of doctorates." He motioned to the bland walls and smiled.

"Dr. Saroyan says that you'll work more cases for the FBI because you have a doctorate dedicated specifically to Forensics," Lance wondered. "What if they pair you with Booth?"

"That's fine."

"You're okay with that? But I thought you wanted to avoid Booth."

"It's not particularly him, but when he's together with Dr. Brennan."

"Zack!"

The two men turned toward the door where both Angela and Hodgins stood. "Hello, Angela, Hodgins," he greeted. He was assaulted a second later by two hugs from both others. "I see your enthusiasm has not died down," he pointed out.

"Oh, Zack, honey, it's been so long!" Hodgins pulled away first and Angela gave him one more squeeze before also letting go.

"I know," Zack replied coldly. "But I preferred the Institute over Iraq any day," he ended with a wide grin.

"Oh, Zack, my man, why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Minor complications," he replied to Hodgins' question. "I had Lance help me instead."

"Oh? Now you're even calling him Lance? What are, best friends, now?" Angela wondered.

Zack shook his head, but the smile never left his lips. "No, but very good friends, I must admit."

"What did they do to you in there?" Hodgins asked, a bit bewildered. "You're happy with federal psychs looking after your wellbeing?"

"Conspiracy theory," Lance called out from where he sat. "Look, Zack needs new furniture and you both have lunch break off. Why don't you guys go shopping for furniture?"

"That's a great idea!" Angela squealed. "We'll make you room so fashionable!"

Lance slowly stepped out of the room and moved to where he knew Dr. Brennan's group was usually stationed, the open lab. Looking around, he saw Dr. Brennan leaning over a set of bleached bones with Agent Booth leaning against the railing as he spoke animatedly about his son, Parker.

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan," he greeted from the ground. Booth leaned up and turned to look down at the other doctor from the platform.

"Sweets, what are you doing here?" Booth asked, a bit defensive.

"I was doing a psych profile of the new doctor that will be working here. He will also be working with the FBI, considering his doctorate in Forensics Anthropology, so I had to check it out. How about you?"

"A new case, I might need your help later. But what's this about a new anthropologist?"

Dr. Brennan answered for Lance in an almost offensive voice. "He's going to be a new anthropologist who will work here. We will work different cases, but I heard that we have to share some labs."

"Woah-oh, sharing?" Booth asked playfully. "Bones, you don't share, and you and I both know that."

"Booth, how was your visit with Zack?" Lance asked, causing a distraction. Of course, he purely wanted to know how Booth felt on that matter, and if it was advisable to allow Zack to work the agent. But also, he was curious as to how the agent reacted.

"It was fine," Booth replied. "I saw him one last time."

Lance felt a deep twinge in the bottom of his heart as he asked the next question. "Are you inferring that you will never see him again?"

"I might see him. Who knows?"

It was a lie. From the way certain lines moved on Booth's face to the shifting of his eyes, Lance could tell that the other man was lying. "Tell the truth."

"They wouldn't let me back in at the institute."

And Lance broke out in laughter. It all made sense. The shifting, the lying, and even the offensive posture. He was worried. So he said just as much. "You're worried."

"Of course I'm worried! The kid sees me one day, then he won't let anyone see him! I think I made his depressed or something. It breaks me that I couldn't see him."

Lance nodded his head slowly, but his smile never left his face. "I can arrange a meeting, if you'd like."

"You could?"

"Well, I could convince him to see you, it's better than having to fill out all that paperwork to see him, isn't it?" And from the look on Booth's face, he knew that at Booth's desk right now, there was probably a stack of paperwork for this exact reason. "If that's what you want."

"Yes! That'd be wonderful!"

Lance chuckled at the agent's antics and nodded. "Then I could arrange it for you."

"He wants to see you, Zack."

The anthropologist looked up from his work and frowned. "Who does?"

"Agent Booth. He asked if I could set up a meeting between the two of you. Did you know that he even went to the institute to see you? It's sweet!"

"It's useless, especially if I don't want to see him."

"Why not?" Lance questioned. "He's gone as far as to trying to get the paperwork to see you. Why won't you listen to what he has to say?"

"A phone call."

"What?"

"Allow him a phone call and I'll talk to him. Give him my number."

Lance's smile widened and he nodded. Pulling back from the door, he walked out of the flat. "I'll call later and tell you how it goes!"

Zack watched as the psychologist walked out and let his own smile slip onto his face. His hands found his cell phone ad he looked down at it. He jumped when he felt the phone vibrate in his hands and he looked at the screen.

'Incoming Call.'

Putting the phone to his ear, he answered.

"Hello?"

"Zack!"

"Oh, Agent Booth."

"Why won't they let me see you at the institute?"

"I was released."

There was a silence over the phone before he heard spluttering and choking. "You're out? How?"

"I pleaded innocence and served my time. I thought you would have known this."

"No! You didn't tell me! Where are you staying? Are you okay? Are you working—"

"Booth, I've got everything under control, don't worry. I'm staying with Lance. Dr. Sweets. Well, in his flat, anyway. He's staying at Daisy's and allowed me to stay here."

"That's good, as long as you have a place to stay. How about a job?"

"I've got one of those too."

"Then what about money? Finance?"

"I've got money aplenty," he replied, a confused look dawned on his face. "Why are you so worried?"

"You just got out of the Looney Bin! Of course I'm worried! I need to tell Bones!"

"Don't!" Zack cried out, uselessly throwing his hand out. "Please don't." But as he thought about it, he slowly became confused. Why did he need to keep it from Dr. Brennan? "Never mind," he amended. "You can tell her."

"Why the change?"

"I was keeping it from Dr. Brennan so that she couldn't tell you."

"But Sweets told me…"

"And I told you," Zack replied. "My plan was ruined."

Booth chuckled over the phone and Zack felt his body warm in soft pleasure. "What are you doing for dinner tonight?"

"Nothing that I know of. I thought about making a sandwich."

"Don't. I'm paying, so let's meet somewhere."

"Booth," Zack said in greeting, but was stopped as the agent pulled up close to the other man and brought him into a hardened kiss. The kiss wasn't anything similar to what Booth had given him in the institute a week ago. This one had more passion than Zack had ever felt, and it was exhilarating.

When the agent pulled back, Zack caught sight of Booth's gleeful face and he let his own smile slip.

"What was that about?"

"What was 'what'?"

"The kiss."

"Oh, this." And the agent leaned down again to kiss him. Zack had to admit to himself that he enjoyed the kiss, even if people were looking at them oddly, some even disgusted. But he didn't care.

He leaned up and pressed his lips more solidly to Booth's. The agent hummed before pulling back. "Let's eat dinner, and then we'll talk, how about it?"

"I would like that."

"I noticed that you weren't at the apartment this morning."

Zack kept the phone to his ear as h looked over the set of bones that was brought to him this morning. The lab they gave him to work in was a bit smaller, but sill able and perfect.

"I stayed at Booth's place, last night."

"Oh? You met up with him?"

"Yes." He continued to look at the remains and made small comments under his breath. "I know the cause of death."

"Who are you working with?"

"Agent Gower."

"Not a bad set, I must admit."

"I know the weapon used."

"You're on a roll."

"They're testing me. Similar to how Booth first tested Dr. Brennan when they first met."

"Do you think you're doing well?"

"Quite fairly," he replied. He switched the phone from one hand to the other as he jotted a note down on a notepad.

"Will you be at the flat tonight?"

"Not sure. I'll call you later about that."

"Alright."

The click sounded the end of the conversation and he slipped the phone into his pocket.

"I knew it," Seeley's voice called out from the lab's main door. He moved up and scanned his card as he stepped up. "Hey, my card works here!"

"Of course," Zack mumbled as he jotted the last note down before looking up at the agent. "Seeley."

"Zack, why didn't you tell me that you were the other anthropologist?"

"I thought you would eventually figure out," Zack replied. Seeley moved over to kiss the smaller man and Zack smiled. "You did, didn't you?"

"Yes, but only after talking to Bones. She was complaining that she couldn't figure out who you were and I just pieced the puzzle together."

Zack smiled and kissed the agent in reward. "You're smarter than I first assumed."

A/N: Well, this is it. I hope I did well with this one. I've been a bit depressed lately, so this helped a lot. I also hope it's enjoyed. Please review!