22.

Sweets has nightmares Carter is still after him. They crack the code and begin to find the missing people though Booth worries Sweets is pushing himself too hard too early. He also seeing that finding the people is doing wonders on Sweets' mind though he is still only comfortable around those he knows - a side effect of Carter being at large.

And so a pattern soon developed - Sweets began tracking down people on the list. Each group that was found would lead to another group and soon many of the people in the trucks that left that night were found, except for a few. None of the henchmen were found since the people were locked in storage containers - it would seem that Carter's prison was a step better than their current hell. With each find the team's resolve to find them was increased while Sweets determined nature remained the same. It was then that the other patterns that developed concerned the rest of the team.

"I'm worried." Brennan said to Booth at lunch at the diner one day.

"What about?" Booth asked concerned about the early morning coffee and eggs confession.

"About Sweets."

Booth almost rolled his eyes. "Name someone who isn't."

"His bruises are almost gone but his health doesn't seem much better."

Booth cleared his throat. "He barely leaves his office unless we've got a lead on someone. Then when he's in his office he works on nothing but this case, no profiles, no patients, nothing. And then there's the other thing…."

"What other thing?"

"The dog, he comes to work every day with Sweets."

"What does Skinner say?"

"Nothing, no one does. Hell, not even Sweets says anything. He gets there at the crack of dawn and sits in his office and works, I'm not sure he eats, doesn't talk to anyone unless it's someone about the case. Hell everyone's worried but he's made it pretty clear he doesn't want to talk about it. I think Skinner feels guilty he didn't move on it sooner so he doesn't say anything. Everyone pretty much knows what happens so no one wants to make Sweets feel bad."

"Sweets isn't the type of person who would want people to feel sorry for him, he would rather avoid them than have them come to him with concerns. I can understand that."

"Yeah Bones but it's more than that, I don't know it's like he just doesn't trust anyone."

"He trusts us doesn't he?"

"Yeah, but we're it. Oh and the dog, who still doesn't have a name."

"You're the one who suggested he bring home the dog." Brennan reminded him.

"Yeah well that dog is probably the only thing that gets him out of his apartment."

"We should have pushed harder for him to stay with us."

"Right, because that suggestion went over like a ton of bricks." Booth recalled having suggested after the first group was located that Sweets might feel more relaxed with them. The answer was a complete and utter 'no.'

"Maybe he wants to get back to normal." Brennan suggested.

"Well that might suggest doing shrink work." Booth said. "All he wants to do is find those people, even the ones he never met."

"I imagine that Sweets' experience was quite harrowing." Brennan shivered thinking of the evidence they found but could not completely gleam into the mental damage such a situation would cause. "So what can we do?"

"I guess keep finding the people, hopefully find Carter."

"I think finding Carter would make the biggest impact on Sweets' condition. He seems to rely on the canine to alert him when there's a chance Carter might show up."

Booth nodded. "Yeah, that might explain why Sweets is spending a lot more time at the gun range."

"I thought he was a good shot."

"Well after all this he was a little unsteady. His fingers have mostly healed now and he's been perfecting his shot. I know when he goes, the dog stays with me."

"Well we owe him plenty of babysitting." Brennan said with a smile but something still bothered Booth.

"What is it?"

"I just want the old Sweets back. This one is depressing."

"Any more news on Carter?" Brennan asked.

"Each time we find anyone there's no henchmen, no one to question. I think Carter can't pay them so they're gone. But Carter's still out there, we've destroyed his business. He's either fled to another country or he's waiting."

"Waiting on what."

"I wish I knew Bones."

A knock was on the door and both heads raised to see who was entering. Sweets took his hand off the gun in his desk drawer when Angela appeared.

"Hello Angela." Sweets said as warmly as he did these days was a few degrees above freezing.

"Hey Sweets." She said sitting down a bag that Sweets now realized she as leaving there. "I didn't think you had left your office lately" she lowered her voice some, "nor had you eaten lately," she saw his eyes roll. "So I went by the grocery store and got you some food. Simple stuff so you can keep it in your office, you know PB and J. Then you can eat, since you never leave." Her tone dripped with judgment and concern.

"I leave, sometimes." Sweets said shutting his drawer with the gun so she couldn't see it.

"Yeah, well I mean besides something to do with the case." She came closer to his desk but noticed a certain discomfort with the closer distance. "I'm just kinda worried Sweets."

"Well, I'm fine." He assured her but she raised her eyebrow. He wasn't able to lie to her, he would probably always have a little crush on her despite the years that had passed since she had first figured it out. He cleared his throat. "I will be better when everyone is found."

"Including Carter." Angela said but she knew it was the wrong thing to say the moment she said it since Sweets was instantly uncomfortable with it.

"Yes, including him." Sweets said and went back to his keyboard. "I should get back to work."

"You should take a break Sweets." Angela said sitting on his desk and ignoring his desire for personal space. "Look, tonight is Brennan's birthday. She's not going to press you to join us for a drink but I am. You know it would mean a lot to her if you came."

Sweets could see she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I'll think about it." He replied which seemed to appease her. "But right now I think I've found Tallie Roberts."

"So is he coming tonight?" Brennan asked with her birthday beverage in hand.

"I asked again and he said he would." Booth said.

"Did you find her?" Angela asked. "Tallie Roberts."

"Yeah, it was a little grim but she was there. I enjoyed putting her pimp in the wall." Booth said with a smile.

"How many more are there to go?" Hodgins asked.

"There's several pages of individuals that were sent out, some date back several months but the locations seem to be solid." Angela said.

Booth nodded. "It seems like Carter didn't really expect us to find them. Or he couldn't get word to any of them to watch out. Either way we're picking them up and putting them away."

A look haunted Booth's face.

"What is it?" Brennan asked.

"When we got Tallie today, you know they took her off in the ambulance. Sweets called her parents and all but I thought he would be really excited. I said to him though how we were really making progress on finding people. He nodded and I said we had really put Carter out of business and I imagined we had really made him mad, stirred up the bees nest. Sweets just smiled, wanted to get back to work."

"Well yeah it's a good thing right?" Cam asked.

"Yeah, it was just like he was glad, like he was glad to invite trouble." Booth clarified.

"I'm sure Sweets owes Carter a few rounds." Hodgins said taking a drink of his dark ale.

"Hey, here he comes!" Angela said as Sweets approached the Four Father's door.

"Happy Birthday Dr. Brennan." He said at a distance but Brennan walked over and gave him a hug.

"Thank you Sweets. Glad you could make it." She said.

"Let's get the guy a drink." Hodgins suggested. "Just glad to see him out."

Sweets nodded at the teasing like he didn't mind but he quickly maneuvered himself to the corner of the room, one where he could see all. A drink was quickly placed in his hand and while he didn't object to the notion of alcohol, it was a mixed drink, one he couldn't verify the contents of.

The conversation resumed with everyone laughing and smiling and telling stories and jokes. Sweets brought the drink to his lips when people looked his way but he never took a sip. Booth took notice that while the others were busy having a good time and laughing Sweets eyes took routine sweeps of the room and his drink never lowered its liquid level. Booth noticed how Sweets was in the corner, a safe spot where he could watch everything, Booth felt deflated at the notion - while Sweets was out with them he wasn't really there. A glimpse at his sill healing broken fingers, a trace of the once large cut on his face reminded Booth that should Sweets face a second round with Carter, he most likely would not survive it, a fact perhaps Sweets knew as well.

Sweets saw Booth looking at him and he offered up his best smile and put the drink to his lips but upon its replacement on the table the liquid remained the same. Later Sweets' drink would accidentally 'spill' but he proclaimed once was enough and that he had to head home.

Yes, there you are, back to work I presume. My you're looking well, yes very well. I'm glad you're getting back to healthy again - it will make breaking you again all the more fun. Carter snickered from the corner as he watched Sweets get back in his car and leave the Four Father's.

"Hey what are you looking at Ange?" Hodgins said seeing his wife's grave expression.

"I'm seeing activity here." She said tapping on the keys.

"Okay I'll play along, activity on what?" Hodgins said trying to keep the mood light.

"On Sweets' phone."

Hodgins got the seriousness of her search. "Carter had Sweets' phone last."

"Precisely." She said.

"Should we call Sweets?" Hodgins asked.

"No, not until I figure out what's going on with it."

"Hey Sweets!" Booth said walking into Sweets office quickly making Sweets jump to open his drawer and the dog bark. Sweets quickly realized it was Booth and slammed the door shut.

"Dammit Booth don't do that!" Sweets barked and while Booth didn't like getting yelled at he understand the overall objection.

"Yeah, just excited." Booth said. "Come on, I have something to show you."

"I'm working Booth. I've got a line on three of these women who were shipped to Mexico."

"Right and that is going to be out of our jurisdiction but I've got a guy who can help. Now, what I've got is with the case."

Sweets was intrigued so he followed Booth as they made their way to the interrogation room. Once Sweets stepped in the door he was none too pleased with who he saw.

Booth began to speak. "He's…"

"One of Carter's men." Sweets finished. "I know."

"Yeah, I thought you might want to interrogate him." Booth said excitedly as Caroline Julian entered, concern on her face.

"Thanks, I have work to do though." Sweets quickly left the room, dodging people as he did so to make it quickly back to his office.

Booth let out a sigh.

"Tell me Cherie, are you stupid?"

"What? Why, I thought Sweets would like to pound the guy for information on Carter."

"Yeah I thought you might which is why I hurried over here the moment I heard you had this guy in custody. You did read Sweets' full report didn't you?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Well then you would probably have connected the fact that this is the guy who hung Sweets from the ceiling in that hell hole." Caroline's reminder gave Booth mixed feelings.

"Cherie, Sweets is angry, sure. But he's not the guy who is going to beat someone to a pulp."

Caroline headed out of the interrogation room while Booth looked back in the interrogation room. "Well I don't mind doing it, especially with the reminder." Wonder if anyone would find out if I hung this guy from the ceiling for a few hours?

There was a knock at the door. Sweets shook his head because he knew it was Booth. "Come in." He said.

"Hey Sweets."

"How was the interrogation?" He said, trying to keep his voice even.

"He doesn't know where Carter is."

"I suspected as much." Sweets continued to work and not look up.

"Sweets, I know we've let all this go, not talk about it, but don't you think it's about time to?"

Sweets wondered what was said in the interrogation room to make Booth come up with this conversation.

"I think that everything was said in my report." Sweets said trying to concentrate on work more than the thoughts that were seeping into his mind.

"Yeah, the physical stuff, but what about the mental shrinky stuff Sweets?" Booth stepped closer, treading on thin ice. "No one would think less of you if you opened up you know."

"I was pretty sure you made it clear over the years that was of no interest to you."

"Time has changed us all Sweets."

"Not today Booth." Sweets said with finality.

"But another day?"

"Yeah, another day."

"I just don't understand." Booth said putting the plates in the kitchen sink. "He's all mister open up and talk."

"It's a pretty extreme case Booth." Brennan reminded him.

"Yeah, I just…."

"You're not patient." Brennan defined.

"No, I'm not, and it's…"

"It's hard to see someone you care about feel so bad." Brennan finished for him.

"Yeah, you always know what to say Bones."

"Sure, I know because I feel the same way." Brennan left to check on Christine.

Booth picked up his cell phone and texted Sweets, same number but on his new phone.

Sweets, I mean it, any day, I'm here. Booth didn't like the emotional approach but he had to try something. The phone buzzed as a text returned and Booth opened it, I'm here too, for now.

Booth was puzzled at the text message, he didn't like the tone of it. He dialed Sweets number and impatiently waited as it rang several times. Finally, it picked up.

A laugh began on the other line, it wasn't Sweets. "You know what they say Agent Booth, here one day, gone the next!"

"Carter?" Booth asked in disbelief.

"Hey, no one can say you're too slow Agent Booth!" The phone line ended and Booth raced for his keys because he had no other way to way to warn Sweets if Carter was answering his phone.

"Shhh." Sweets said sitting in front of his TV, the dog growled again. "SSSHHHH!" He said again in a state of confusion.

The dog actively began to bark and this time Sweets was up on his bare feet and pajamas with gun in hand and rushed to the door. He opened it but only his breath was visible in the cold outside air.

"It's there again." Sweets said to the dog who was doing well on his healed leg. Sweets had been alerted to several noises the last couple of nights thanks to the dog but each time he reacted, no one had been there. Sweets walked back in the door and locked it, along with the two new locks he had recently installed.

He put the safety back on his gun as he and the dog sauntered back to the couch, tired.

"Good job." Sweets said sitting on the couch petting the dog beside him. "He's going to be out there one of these days." Sweets said feeling the sleep tug at him again as he tried to stay awake watching TV. The dog grumbled.

"Maybe some more coffee?" Sweets asked the dog who was now even giving him 'this isn't healthy' stares. "Yeah more coffee, besides, it's cold out." The dog grumbled again.

Sweets ground the beans and when he was done he heard a noise but the dog didn't bark this time. Sweets found that odd but quickly grabbed his gun and always in bare feet, which were far more quiet than with shoes on against his bare floors, went to the door. He heard more noises but again the dog remained silent. This time Sweets quietly removed the lock from the door and slowly opened the door and peered out into the darkness.

"Sweets!" Booth shouted causing Sweets to nearly fire his gun.

"Geez Booth, don't do that!" Sweets said stepping back as Booth let himself in his place.

"You heard it too then?" Booth asked looking around.

"Yeah, no, what?" Sweets asked. "I heard something a while ago, the dog barked but this time he didn't when I heard something."

"Sweets you have to get the poor guy a name." Booth said petting the dog. "This time it was me, probably why he didn't bark. Don't freak out, but I think last time it may have been Carter. When I pulled up I saw someone running from your window. I tried to track him but nothing. There's some footsteps in the wet mud outside your window too."

Sweets nodded but Booth was surprised that Sweets wasn't bothered by the information.

"You knew?" Booth asked.

"I suspected." Sweets said. "Two different things."

Booth watched as Sweets put the safety back on his gun and put it back on the end table. He then noticed how it looked like Sweets lived on his couch, he could smell the freshly ground coffee lingering in the air.

"Coffee?" Booth asked. "It's like ten at night."

"Yeah, oh, ummmm…"

"Sweets, I came over here, well, wait on that thought, what the hell is going on here?" Booth said looking around at the gun, the three deadbolts on the door and the new living area that became the obviously living quarters.

"What, I'm just, you know, hanging out."

"Sweets, people don't hang out with coffee brewing at ten at night, a series of locks on the door and gun in hand. What's going on here?" Booth pressed him again. "This has been going on a while hasn't it?"

Sweets turned and walked away.

"No Sweets, we're having this conversation, I've let this go on too long. If you're not comfortable here come home with me and Bones, and dammit eat something!"

"I can't! " Sweets shouted back. "And I'm fine here, I'm not a lost dog you bring home with you and Dr. Brennan."

"Fine, you can stay here but not living like this. Geez Sweets it's been a few weeks but you look just as bad as two weeks ago. When was the last time you ate something besides coffee?"

"I don't know." Sweets said becoming tired at the exhausting conversation and a growing desire for Booth to leave him alone.

"Sweets you keep doing this, keeping this all to yourself and not taking care of yourself."

"Why not?" Sweets said, he wasn't yelling, he wasn't upset, he was practically unfeeling.

"What do you mean why not, do I need to give you reasons? Friends? Family? The dog with no name?"

"No it's not that." Sweets said walking around like a zombie, he was obviously exhausted. "It's people, it's those people. You know they're not sleeping on a bed, or a couch even, they're sleeping in storage containers and in cells or worse. And you know they're not eating hot meals at the diner or even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They're eating garbage - on good days."

Booth began to see the connection. "So you think shouldn't get to eat if they don't, is that it? A survivor's guilt?"

"I'm not a survivor Booth, I escaped - with their help - with the hope I might come back from them. And those who I didn't meet - they don't think anyone is looking for them. When I was there I knew you were all looking for me, as impossible as it felt to find me. Can you imagine how lost they feel no one's even looking for them?" Sweets said growing more tired. "I close my eyes at night and I see them. I close my eyes and I hear a noise and I think it's Carter."

"Sweets why didn't you say anything before?" Booth asked nearly ready to catch the man who was wavering on his feet he was so tired."

"I don't know, I really don't." Sweets said, not even noticing when Booth veered Sweets towards the couch.

"Well I'm glad you did now."

"Right." Sweets said about to fall asleep. "Hey, what are you doing here anyway?"

"Oh, that, um, I got a call, from your phone, it was Carter." Sweets was wide awake again.

"Okay I'm just going to say it." Hodgins said quietly before they got to Angela's office. "What's with the zombie?"

Booth rolled his eyes, he knew Hodgins was referring to Sweets who looked dead on his feet. Once he had finally admitted to Booth what was wrong last night, and knowing for sure that Carter was on to him he seemed utterly exhausted.

"It's a long story Hodgins. Sweets can tell you when he's ready. But right now we have to find out where Carter is and where the rest of these people are at."

The entered Angela's office where Brennan and Angela were talking.

"Okay, so I'd noticed some activity on Sweets' phone yesterday and started to track it." Angela explained. "I thought maybe Carter had ditched it and some kid was playing with it but I noticed every time it pinged it was at some location that Sweets had been to, the FBI building, the Four Fathers', Sweets' place and so on. So then I thought it was Sweets new phone and it had crossed wires."

"Ange, what's the point?" Hodgins asked impatiently.

"Somehow Carter has hacked into the phone, merging Sweets old cell and new one together. That's how when Booth texted Sweets last night, Carter was the one to respond. Sweets would not be seeing any of this activity on his phone which is acting as a drone." Angela explained.

"Sweets you didn't notice your phone wasn't doing anything?" Brennan asked the man who was nearly asleep and completely worn out sitting in the chair. It became obvious to her the answer was no, Sweets hadn't exactly been social lately.

"So can we use any of this to track Carter?" Booth asked.

"Well yeah, I mean anywhere Sweets has been, Carter's following. And yeah he was at Sweets' place last night. He's since turned the phone off though."

"We should be looking for the missing people." Sweets interjected with a yawn.

"Well I want to look for the raging psycho." Booth argued and wondered why Sweets didn't seem to care about Carter, Sweets soon answered.

"Booth if he wants to find me he will, I can't stay awake forever." Sweets voice was that of defeat, they all noticed and were disturbed.

"As alarming as that piece of information is," Angela said. "I have some other troubling news."

"Goody." Sweets said not seeing the situation improve.

"Carter made a few calls outside these. He's setting up shop, again."

This announcement by Angela caught all of their attention including lifeless psychologist.

"We need to find him." Sweets said with a renewed resolve.

Before he finds Sweets, the rest of them thought.

"I've tried hunting him, we've tried luring him out." Booth said frustrated. "Nothing seems to work with this psycho."

"How is he getting people?" Hodgins asked.

"I don't know, I've got calls between him and what I think are a couple of his people." Angela reported.

Brennan had a query, "Can we track the people he is enlisting for work?"

"I can get general locations." Angela said. "But it's not going to help us much. As far I as I can tell from the text messages, I think he has two girls."

"What if it's a trap and he doesn't really have anyone?" Cam asked.

"He does." Sweets assured them. "He knows that way we will come after him if he's going to hurt people."

"It's going to work, but not on his terms." Booth reminded them. "We have to find him first."

"We've never been good at that." Angela reminded Booth.

"How many weeks has it been and this guy is eluding us every time?" Hodgins asked.

"I'm getting pretty damn tired of it." Booth said increasingly agitated.

"Angela, can you see what time of day the cell phone was pinging, does he have specific routes?" Brennan asked looking for a way to pinpoint the elusive Carter.

"I might." Everyone's eyes began to glue to Angela's screens looking for patterns or routines they could nail Carter on, when he was at a certain place or when and why. They ran scenario after scenario.

The dog barked and everyone turned to see him sitting on the couch.

"Does he need to go out?" Hodgins asked looking for Sweets.

"Sweets?" Was the collective question when they looked around.

The dog shifted in his seat as a note dropped to the floor. Brennan quickly picked it up.

"Please take care of Roosevelt." She read aloud.

"He finally names the dog and goes where?" Hodgins questioned.

"I've got a text message here to Sweets' phone." Angela said hearing the ping from her screen. "Carter, meet me at Tallie Robert's diner, let the girls go."

"What the hell is he doing?" Hodgins asked.

Booth quickly headed for the door, "He's daring Carter to a showdown."

Sweets sat at the tiny roadside diner with a coffee cup in hand. The place was widely deserted at this late afternoon hour and the steady rainfall outside didn't help much. He looked at his watch, he knew Carter would get the text message, the others might but he had a head start on them. He figured Carter wasn't far from here anyway. Tallie Roberts, she's mine Carter and not yours. It may take some time to put her back together but she's back with her family. And I've got to find a way to make sure that you never get her or anyone else again.

Sweets knew Carter couldn't resist this location, sure it was public but it was on Carter's territory, he felt safe here. Sweets sipped the terrible thick sludge the waitress insisted was coffee.

What happened next was something that surprised even Sweets when he walked in the door. He meaning Sweets was sure he saw himself sit down across the table from him.

"Good evening Dr. Sweets." The man who sat across from Sweets said. "I would say you're looking well but you're not. I'd say I make a much better version of you don't I?"

Sweets was appalled, flabbergasted and confused as he saw looking at a near mirror image of himself though he was sure his own suit was much nicer.

"You see Dr. Sweets, I figured out a way to keep working." Carter said. "You made it quite hard for me with just about everyone looking for me. But now I've got a great badge, an ID and a phone and well just about everything I need to be an agent. Why be a state trooper when a federal agent is much better? And I assure you, it gets me a lot more of what I want."

Carter's voice stood out but other than that the image before him was his own.

"It was an expensive process I assure you." Carter continued. "I had the money, cash from the business and of course I needed dozens of photos of you. Amazing what you can get from a telescopic lens or when the subject is merely sleeping. Yes, you fought it, but even you must sleep Dr. Sweets."

"You are completely insane." Sweets said finally.

"That's your complete diagnosis?" Carter asked and laughed.

"The diagnosis for you Carter may create an entirely new book on psychology."

"Too bad you're never going to get to write it."

"Where are the girls?" Sweets demanded, ignoring Carter's comment.

"Are you sure I have them?"

"I'm sure you have them."

"You know me well Dr. Sweets. You know I've told you before it's too bad I couldn't get you to come and work for me."

"I don't think you have a benefits plan that meets my requirements."

Carter laughed. "I did give you quite a bump didn't I? I didn't get to finish that job either. I'm glad you called to make this appointment. Though we should finish soon, I won't have much time when your friends show up."

"So why the elaborate charade?"

"Your friends will find out after you are gone and I'm am farther gone. Canada is a beautiful place don't you think? So many untapped resources."

"You're not taking any more people Carter." Sweets warned.

"Kill me and you'll never know where those girls are."

"Hold it." A voice said from a distance as John Gillespie walked closer. "Agent Booth called me, I was closer. Now…wait….what's going on here?" Gillespie asked as he grew closer to the table and saw the identical men.

"This man is an imposter of myself." Sweets said.

"I am not!" Carter said altering his voice though he didn't sound exactly like Sweets. Problem was though that John Gillespie had never actually heard Sweets talk, he had only seen him in a dire medical state.

"I have the identification to prove who I am." Carter said reaching for Sweets' ID.

"I don't have one yet, they haven't reissued it from when he stole it!" Sweets tried to assure Gillespie.

Gillespie's eyes moved back and forth between the men, he tried to remember where Sweets' scars were from the whole ordeal but the scars on both men seemed to match. The few patrons in the restaurant quickly fled leaving the three of them alone.

"Come on let's go." Gillespie said pulling Sweets out of the seat and starting to handcuff him.

"That's right, he's your man." Carter said standing up. "I'd better call for back up."

Gillespie stood behind Sweets trying to handcuff the resistant man when Sweets saw Carter reach in his pocket for his gun. Sweets pushed backwards sending himself and Gillespie over the booth and crashing onto the table. The motion knocked Gillespie out but Sweets jumped up in time for Carter to round the corner. Sweets instantly kicked Carter in the mouth with his hard soled shoe making the man's mouth spew blood while his gun skidded across the floor. Sweets then rushed the man sending them into the floor. Sweets fist swung across Carter's face as he began to beat the man to a pulp. Sweets looked at the demon, and not the familiar face it was wearing.

Sweets paused a bit breathless from the raging tirade that had been released than even he had been surprised by his own strength. "Where are those girls!" Sweets shouted.

"You're never going to know."

"I'll find them." Sweets said with a raised eyebrow. "I found the rest of them."

"Over my dead body." Carter flung Sweets backwards sending him crashing into the diner's stools. One hit across Sweets back causing immense pain. Carter scrambled over and tossed Sweets behind the counter knocking him out. Carter smiled as he was about to climb over the counter to collect Sweets when a black SUV pulled up out front. Booth and Brennan were the first in the door as Carter fell to the floor grabbing his mouth.

"Sweets!" Brennan said rushing to him and seeing the mess in the diner than had indicated a struggle. "Sweets are you okay?"

Carter shook his head as he covered his mouth indicating he couldn't talk. Booth ran to check on Gillespie while Brennan went to help Carter. Once Brennan was close Carter grabbed Brennan and put a gun to her head.

"Sweets?!" Booth said turning. "What the hell are you doing?"

Carter motioned for Booth to put down the gun. Booth did so based purely on the fact that it was Sweets asking him to do so.

Booth slowly tried to approach. "Sweets, if this is some sort of breakdown, we can help. Just stop what you are doing okay, Dr. Brennan is your friend."

A sound stirred from behind the diner counter.

"Booth?" Brennan said in Carter's grasp, looking up at his face. "This isn't Sweets."

"What?" Booth asked completely confused and Brennan looked over at the diner in the reflection of the mirror behind it.

Brennan slammed her foot down as hard as she could on Carter's insole causing him enough pain to loosen his grip then she jammed her finger in his eye making his arms reflectively raise up to his eye and thus let her go.

With Brennan out of his grip an shot fired into Carter's throat and he collapsed to the ground.

Booth's eyes filled with horror as he watched who he though was Sweets collapse to the floor. Cam, Angela and Hodgins filed in the door in order to see the same horror for themselves however Brennan was the only one to look over the diner to see Sweets leaning against the counter with the gun in his hand. Brennan rushed in his direction causing Booth to look over and see him as well. It was only for a second as Sweets legs gave out and he collapsed to the floor behind the counter.

"Sweets?!" Brennan said as she rushed over with Booth behind her.

"Ouch, I'm okay." Sweets said sitting up. "My back is killing me."

"Oh Jesus Sweets, I thought you were dead, and crazy, but mostly worried about the dead part." Booth said still confused.

"Is he okay?" Cam asked over the counter looking down at them.

"He's fine." Sweets said.

"This is so completely messed up." Hodgins said standing over Carter's dead body that looked like Sweets.

Angela walked over to Gillespie who was waking up.

"Hey are you okay?" She said helping him sit up. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"I don't care miss, you still look like an angel." Gillespie said smiling.

"Need a tall drink of water?" She teased per their earlier banter.

"I need something, but it had better be stronger than water." He joked as he slowly stood up.

Sweets was standing up at the same time. "Hey nice shot, not too many people go for the throat." Hodgins remarked.

"I was aiming for his head." Sweets said noting his still shaking hands.

"The aim will come back." Booth assured him. "It's not easy to fire a gun at a splitting image of yourself."

"Yeah so let's talk about that for a second." Angela said standing over dead Carter Sweets look alike. "I'm going to need to schedule a serious session after this because this is beyond…anything."

"Right, well I thought it was all heading south when someone didn't recognize me." Sweets said hobbling out from behind the diner's counter while staring down Gillespie.

"I recognized you." Gillespie said.

"And that's why you put me in handcuffs?" Sweets asked sarcastically.

Gillespie looked embarrassed for a moment, "I saw last time Carter had you, I didn't know what his plan was but I thought it was better if I had you than if he did."

"Oh." Sweets said.

"Men like Carter don't have eyes like yours." Gillespie added.

"I saw it too." Brennan said with a small grin. "At first I didn't get it and then when Carter had me in that grip, I noticed two things, one, for any of Sweets' faults - he doesn't smell like old cigarettes and cheeseburgers."

"Thank you." Sweets added sarcastically while sitting down on the diner's stool.

"And the eyes too." Brennan added. "I agree with Mr. Gillespie, Sweets eyes will always give him away."

"It that because they're always so red and puffy and look like they are on the verge of tears?" Booth joked.

"Or because they're always rolling from sarcastic remarks?" Hodgins added with a smile.

"Kindness." Cam and Angela answered together.

"That's something we know that Carter didn't have." Gillespie said looking at the dead man.

"Well, I'm sure as hell glad that isn't you." Hodgins added.

"Me too." Sweets said with a relaxed look he hadn't had since the case had begun but after a moment it faded and Booth grew worried that old Sweets would never return. "Those girls!" Sweets remembered.

"Where do you think Carter took them?" Hodgins asked.

Sweets recalled his conversation moments ago with Carter, 'So why the elaborate charade?' "Your friends will find out after you are gone and I'm am farther gone.'

"He was setting me up for something. He was going to kill me, leave you guys to find something." Sweets said thinking.

"That's why he dressed up like you, in a very, very specific sense of dressing up like someone." Hodgins asked.

"So what was he up to?" Brennan questioned.

"His car, where is his car?" Sweets asked quickly.

"Outside I think." Booth said and quickly they ran to find a big van with no windows in the parking lot.

Booth reached the back of it first and pulled on the back door.

"How about the keys?" Hodgins asked having taken them off the dead body. "Still freaky by the way." He said thinking of removing them from dead Sweets.

Booth ignored the comments and opened one of door and Sweets opened the other. Three girls were bound and gagged in the back and jumped when the doors opened.

"It's okay!" Booth said trying to calm them. "We are with the FBI."

Sweets reached his hand in to help one of the girls out but she jumped back from him. He looked hurt.

"She thinks you're Carter." Booth said.

"Oh right." Sweets said backing up the same girl looked at Sweets again and this time moved forward and Sweets helped her out.

"I'm telling you, it's those big brown eyes." Angela said again as an ambulance that Gillespie had called pulled in.

Sweets removed the girl's gag and she smiled at him.

"They are nice eyes, very lovely." She said as the paramedics came to help her and the other girls.

"Very lovely indeed." Brennan said.

"So what now?" Booth asked.

"Booth, let's give Sweets a rest." Cam strongly suggested.

"Yeah okay." Booth said.

"No, it's not okay." Sweets interrupted. "There's still people to find, seems like a long road though."

"Hey it's called teamwork." Cam reminded them.

"Right, then let's get back to work." Hodgins said. "I'm sure that Arastoo is tired of watching Roosevelt."

"Yeah Sweets, why did you pick Roosevelt? Kind of strange." Angela said taking his arm in hers as they walked back to Booth's SUV.

"What did you expect? Sigmund?" Sweets asked.

"I thought Freud was largely discredited." Brennan commented.

"He is, but Theodore Roosevelt, was quite a man." Sweets remarked.

"Walk quietly and carry a big stick?" Hodgins asked.

"Walk quietly, carry and gun and keep your friends on the ready." Sweets joked.

"Always ready." Booth said throwing an arm around Sweets shoulder.

Well hope it's been enjoyable. I'm not sure now if it's time for me to depart from writing these, take a break, write a one shot, write the CIA story I have in mind or write a Supernatural FF. Have to see. Either way I thoroughly appreciate the faithful few who kept with me, you are truly lovely and magnificent.