Author's Note: I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for a while and have finally worked up the creative energy and confidence to bring it to life. :) This will be another short piece much like The Fold in the Gamble (about two or three chapters) and it takes place after Episode 100 but before The Boy with the Answer.

I do not own Bones or any of its characters.

I would like to thank everyone who read/follows/reviews this in advance. It is always appreciated. :D

A very special thank you to Buttercups3 for all of her beta work on this fic. :D I could not have worked this out without her.

The Root of the Problem—part 1

As one of the youngest psychologists to ever be hired by the FBI, Doctor Lance Sweets had faced many challenges in his time.

Growing up, he had consistently been the youngest student in a classroom setting. When he went to college, he took a heavy course load so that he could finish his undergraduate and his masters degree within a couple years. He then took on the Herculean job of completing two doctorates in less than four years. All this along with the numerous publications to his credit landed him to where he was today.

But right now, Sweets was sure that he was facing one of his biggest challenges yet in the form of one of his favorite patients: Doctor Temperance Brennan.

Around two years ago, Sweets had begun partner's therapy for her and for Special Agent Seeley Booth. While he had seen definite changes in her over time, the psychologist held no illusions that Brennan had ever shifted in her low opinion of his field.

Over the last couple of months, Sweets began to ponder why this was. The field of forensic anthropology was not so far removed from forensic psychology, which his profiling work fell under. Many well-known anthropologists had used psychology in their field studies. While anthropology was often more comprehensive in its treatment of the human condition there was certainly a lot of overlap.

Then the psychologist considered the possibility that his therapeutic work in Clinical Psychology could be what she disliked. Unlike, psychiatry, clinical psychology did not require medical training and thus may seem less "scientific" to her. In the early days of therapy, she appeared less than impressed with his unorthodox methods which including wearing funny hats and attending pottery classes with him and his ex-girlfriend April.

But over time, Sweets had been pleased to notice that the anthropologist would sometimes refer to this advice when talking to others, even if it wasn't exactly in the spirit he intended. Many of their conversations indicated that Brennan seemed to at least consider his ideas if nothing else. Plus, others from the Jeffersonian started to come to him for his advice. While some of that could have been Booth's influence or a result of his proven profiling skills, Sweets was sure that Brennan's positive experience with him made it so that the others felt that there may be something to gain from him.

In his darker moments, Sweets even wondered if Brennan's strong dislike for psychology came from the fact that she secretly did not care for him as a person. He had experienced many rejections throughout his life and was a little too used to the idea of people wanting to shut him out or acting hateful toward him for whatever reason. As a result, he wondered if she sometimes resented working with him.

But the more rational side of Sweets rejected that idea. Brennan had never been shy about telling people what she thought of them. While it was known that she held little respect for his profession, she did seem to respect his work and academic accomplishments.

Even if he could rationalize away all of that, Sweets knew that he would never forget the night that she and Booth invited him to a dinner that Wyatt was in the middle of preparing. It had led to an unusually open Brennan sharing a traumatic moment from her past, a major breakthrough for her. After spending the evening with them, Sweets figured that Wyatt had somehow convinced them to "bond" with him over their dark pasts, and it was Brennan who had decided to take the most initiative to do it. That was not the act of someone who cared nothing for his feelings or his friendship.

Looking back on it, Sweets regretted that he hadn't been as open with them that night as they tried to be with him. It was always in the back of his mind. Even now as he sat facing Brennan on the couch across from him.

For her part, Brennan was taking the silence well. She didn't look bored or irritated while Sweets mulled over these things. She just looked like she was waiting for him to begin. The psychologist knew that this time he would have to take the first step.

"Doctor Brennan…I'm sure you are wondering why I did not invite Agent Booth to this session," he began. Brennan shifted in her seat, but did not break her gaze.

"I assumed that you wanted to see us separately to test some sort of psychological theory or to attempt a kind of individual evaluation," she said. "Either way, I'm not sure why you needed to see me alone." Sweets raised an eyebrow at this.

"Why is there no point in seeing you alone?" he asked. "That is if I did have some sort of 'evaluation' in mind?"

"Because Booth's presence or absence has no bearing on my actions," Brennan replied. "While it is true that there are variations in my relationships with other people, my behavior in these sessions is not altered by Booth's presence in any way."

Sweets gave a very slight smirk at her statement and leaned back in his chair while crossing one leg over the other.

"As it turns out Doctor Brennan, this is not an 'evaluation' or a 'test' per se," he said. "Think of it as more of a friendly discussion that will focus on a specific topic."

"That topic being what exactly?" the anthropologist said quizzically. Sweets took a deep breath before continuing.

"Over the course of the last almost three years, you have made your distrust and distain for the field of psychology quite clear," he said. He then watched as Brennan rolled her eyes and sighed, but chose to ignore it.

"However, you have seen first-hand its uses," Sweets persisted. "Whether it is for profiling criminals…"

"Which is not sufficient evidence to convict them, thus the need for forensic science," Brennan countered.

"Or in helping people recover from major traumas, like Agent Booth's brain tumor and subsequent coma, for example," the psychologist continued, undeterred.

"Booth recovered because the tumor was benign and the surgeons operating on him were very skilled," she interrupted again. "After the surgery it was just a matter of helping Booth re-educate himself on his life and memories which mainly required careful observation and recollection more than psychological theory."

"And in helping to manage interpersonal relationships," Sweets added.

"And yet Angela and Hodgins are no longer a couple, Cam struggles with Michelle and Booth is oddly secretive about his dating habits," Brennan piped in.

Sweets let out a sigh, but did not allow the anthropologist's words to bother him; he knew that they were inevitable.

"Even within your own field, many well-known anthropologists such as Mead have been known to use psychological techniques in their work," the therapist said.

"Many of Mead's studies have been called into question in recent years," Brennan responded. "It's agreed that she may have been forcing her findings through a lens of Western values and mores which were not applicable with the tribal groups that she was studying. A mistake she could have avoided if she had had approached her work with a more scientific method of analysis and deduction."

Sweets uncrossed his leg and leaned forward.

"The point that I'm trying to make is that many people not only respect the field of psychology, they find ways to make it relevant to their lives and to society at large," he said. "Even if you choose to react dismissively toward it."

He then leaned even closer to her and fixed his round brown eyes straight into her light blue-green ones.

"My question is: why do you persist in your broad sweeping dismissal of psychology and the therapeutic technique?" Brennan made a face.

"Is that what this is about?" she said in disbelief. "The fact that I consider psychology to be a soft science with little objective value?"

"No it's about more than that," Sweets insisted. "But this will have to be our starting point."

"What purpose can possibly be served by exploring that question?" Brennan asked. "Whatever my ideas about psychology, which are the correct ones by the way, they have no bearing on my life or my work. While there is no use for it in my field, I understand that Booth finds a purpose to psychology and accept his belief in it as an aspect of our partnership. I also acknowledge and value your position within our team."

Sweets was stunned by that admission. He had often wondered why Brennan agreed to be studied for his book since he knew that it had to have been a mutual decision on her and Booth's part. The psychologist knew that Booth acknowledged the instinctual and interpretive nature of human behavior and thus understood and valued the need for someone with his talents. But while Sweets was convinced that Brennan could gain something from the opportunity to learn about and analyze her own feelings, a part of him believed that she saw no useful purpose to his presence.

"So…even though you consider psychology to be a meaningless science, you actually choose to work with me, a practicing psychologist?" Sweets asked with a tinge of disbelief in his voice. Brennan tilted her head thoughtfully at him and the therapist was surprised again when he detected a new emotion in her eyes: concern.

""Well despite your decision to focus your attention on an ill-conceived and ineffective field, I recognize your skill and genius level of intellect," she said finally softening her tone. "And as you've pointed out many times, human behavior is often irrational. So your thoughts and ideas have proven to be somewhat useful when dealing with others. It would be illogical for me to deny the benefits that you have brought my team and the proficiency in your work with Booth in handling suspects and witnesses."

"Thank you Doctor Brennan," Sweets said, a grin spreading across his lips. "Your words mean a great deal to me as does your decision to continue to work with me."

"You're welcome," she nodded. Sweets then cleared his throat and sat up straighter in his chair.

"However, because I also value my position on your team, I understand that it is my job to address certain issues that need attention," he said, his face serious again. "When I interviewed you and Agent Booth over your first true case involving Judge Hasty, you admitted to being ambivalent about psychology saying that you didn't know much about it. So what was it that changed your opinion?"

Brennan sighed again and glanced downward at her lap.

"It's not a frivolous line of inquiry," Sweets said gently. "I have my reasons as to why I need to understand your thoughts about my chosen field one of which is so that I can deduce the best methods to evaluate your partnership with Agent Booth and further support it."

The anthropologist finally looked up, her posture no longer defensive and Sweets shifted in his chair in an effort to get comfortable.

"Now, I'll assume that you had not made a decision about psychology before your first exposure to it," Sweets continued. "In fact, you probably had to take some courses in basic psychology at some time in your academic life. So could you share with me your earliest thoughts about the subject?"

Brennan paused, lost in thought for a few moments. She then picked up the white plastic chicken from Sweets' bowl of knick knacks and set her gaze at him again.

"It is a safe assumption that I did not form an idea before being faced with the subject," she relented. "I first took Psychology 101 back in high school…it was a required class…."