Sweets looked over to Booth, who was driving the car to a potential suspects house. Booth thought this one was too dangerous for Bones and wanted a pair of trained eyes in the field so he brought Sweets along. Sweets was a tiny bit nervous for some reason, but he was excited all at the same time. Booth looked over at Sweets.

"Something up with you, kid? You look like your going to pee yourself." Booth asked, a smirk playing at his lips.

"What?" Sweets stammered, looking at the dash of the vehicle. Trying to hide his blush, he shook his head. "Just happy to get out of the office." The agent nodded, turning his eyes back to the road.

"Be careful, Sweets. This guys got a history." Booth kept his voice even, not letting the worry he felt for the younger man seep into his words.

"History?" Sweets gulped, trying not to sound like a small child.

"Assault and battery, drug abuse, y'know that kind if thing. He's real dangerous, Sweets." Booth said, keeping his eyes trained ahead if him.

"Right okay, so keep my head low?" Sweets asked, forcing his voice to stay even. He felt like a such a coward, so pathetic for feeling so scared while booth was unfazed.

"Yeah, just don't push his buttons. I don't want anything to happen to you." Booth explained, hiding his growing worry for the man beside him. "To much paper work."

"Right." Sweets said, cringing inwardly at the notion that Booth didn't want him to get shot because of access paperwork. He frowned and stared forward.

"We are here. Follow me and keep covered." Booth said before hopping out of the car.

"Right." Sweets tried to sound sure, but he was scared. Booth opened his door and hopped from the car, hand already on his hip ready to pull the gun. Sweets followed, but did not prepare to pull his piece. They walked towards the door, quietly Booths eyes darted around.

Booth kicked the door in with a shout of 'FBI come out with your hands up!' A crash was heard in the house and the duo ran towards it, Sweets following Booth closely. They entered the room, both had their guns raised. A man with sandy hair and crazed green eyes stood on a balcony, right outside the room. He had a gun in his hand. His crazed darted between the two of them.

"You'll never take me! You won't!" The man shouted.

"We'll just see about that. Put your weapon down." Booth said, pointing gun at the man.

"You won't shot me, or catch me. I'll..." The man smirked. "I'll shot the kid." He said pointing his weapon down at Sweets from his position on the balcony banister.

"Hey!" Sweets gulped, feeling a mix of fear and offense at being called a kid.

"No you won't!" Booth shouted, causing Sweets to glance at him for just a moment. That's all the man needed. A shot rang out, braking the sound barrier. A thick bullet gliding through the air. Everything was slow, Booth raising his gun, the three shots he fired, all of it was painfully slow for Lance. Soon a pain like no other broke his slow motion world. The crazy man feel off the balcony and to ground but Booth didn't care. He turned to Sweets, who had just fallen to he ground in pain.

"Sweets!" Booth shouted, dropping to his knees by the young man, examining his chest wound briefly before putting pressure on the wound with one hand and taking his phone out with the other.

Suddenly Booth was taken back, a memory of Vincent Nijell Murray filled him. He stammered into the phone, then dropped it to the ground. He saw Sweets slipping into unconsciousness, and the agent shook his head violently. "Stay with me Sweets!"

"A..agent B-booth?" Sweets coughed, everything was fuzzy. White light falling over everything, he smiled drunkenly at the agent. "W-well...I...make..make a h-h-horrible..field agent." The psychologist laughed, feeling his shirt soaking with blood.

"Don't say that, Sweets." Booth said , shaking his head. A fuzzy voice was heard from the phone, but Booth ignored it and put pressure on his wound with both his hands and the young man cringed and tried to move his hands. "I know it hurts Sweets, just hold on for a bit okay?" He said before looking at the phone.

"Subject taken down but we have an agent down! Dr. Lance Sweets! Send an ambulance!" Booth yelled at the phone desperately.

"S-stop...Booth...p-please.." Sweets mumbled, clawing at the agents hands weakly. "It..h-hurts..." he groaned, as he looked up at the agents. Booth saw something in his eyes, something that scared him. Sweets pulled at the agents strong hands, his weak attempts slipping in his own blood.

"No I know it hurts. Just let me do this Sweets, than we will get you out of here and you'll see Daisy and it'll be great."

"D-Daisy?" Sweets murmured, finally stopping his attempts to remove Booths hands.

"Yeah, Daisy. She'll be happy to see you." Booth said, nodding his head quickly.

"Daisy... D-Daisy... Agent B-Booth... If I d-don't make i-" Sweets started before Booth stopped him.

"No, Sweets, no if I don't make its. Your going to be fine." Booth said, putting more pressure on the wound. A voice mumbled from the phone beside Booth. "We need an ambulance!" The agent shouted at the voice, turning his head to Sweets. His eyes stung with tears as he watched Sweets grow paler. "Hang on kid, just hang...on!" Booth stared at the young man, worry growing as he felt Sweets stop squirming. "Sweets!" Booth shook Sweets slightly and Sweets groaned. "Come on Sweets, talk to me. Tell about... Tell me about Daisy, yeah! Tell me about Daisy." Booth pleaded, staring down at the man.

"Daisy?..." Sweets coughed, he couldn't feel any pain anymore. He felt his strength fading as blood leaked down his skin. "She...she w-wants...to be...like..Dr.B-brennan." The psychologist smiled weakly as moments with Daisy passed over his memory. He closed his eyes, seeing her bobbing ponytail when Brennan said she'd work with her. He remembered her laugh, and how she sounded when she said his name. Lance recalled the feeling when they first kissed, how amazing it was. He felt himself slipping as the memories became fuzzy, jumbled in his head.

"Open your eyes, kid!" Booth shouted, applying more pressure. Sweets groaned and opened his eyes. Booth panicked when he saw how far off he looked. "Don't worry, the ambulance is going to get here soon." As if on que the sound of ambulance sirens filled the air, they had arrived. Booth moved back, sitting in pooling blood as the EMTs rushed around Sweets. They pulled him onto a stretched, and when Booth caught a glimpse between the rushing paramedics, Sweets was pale. His arms weak at his sides, Booths breath was trapped in his throat. Booth's snapped back into at tension as they rushed Sweets out of the room. He jumped to his feet and ran after them. The agent grabbed onto the edge of the gurney.

"I'm coming with you." He gasped, out of breath.

"You...c-cant..come...with...I'm...d-dying..." Sweets smiled, his eyes still closed.

"Like hell you are!" Booth said, frowning and helping the paramedics load Sweets into the ambulance. They started to work on Sweets as Booth watched in horror.

"I'm sorry..I'm so, so sorry!" Booth kept repeating those words, pushing his blood covered hands to his forehead. The drying ruby liquid smearing over his face, he tried to ignore all the noise, the EMT's mumbling to him about the psychologists blood loss. He knew it was severe, but the agent didn't know if it was through and through.

Booths mind snapped back into reality when he heard the paramedic shout.

"We're losing him!"

"He's got no pulse!"

"Charge!"

Booth watched the psychologist's chest raise with the shock and felt the urge to vomit.

"Charge!"

"He's gotta pulse!"

"He's stable!" One announced, worry deepening his features. "We've gotta get him to the hospital now!" Booth pulled his hands into fists, his throat dry and burning.

"Hey, Tim. We gonna need to take him to memorial by helicopter or not?" Said the youngest looking paramedic, Booth assumed he was just out of training.

"No. We are pretty close." Tim said, working on Sweets. The rest of the ambulance ride went by smoothly and they arrived at the hospital within 15 minutes.

"Okay we have to take your friend to the ER now, kids still got a bullet in him. You need to go to the waiting room." One of the paramedics said to Booth when they arrived.

"Okay..." the agent mumbled, staring at the unconscious Sweets. Booth watched Lances head bob slightly as the paramedics moved him. Slipping from the ambulance, the blood covered agent found himself alone in an eerie waiting room. He took his phone, that was dripping scarlet and began to dial Brennan.

"Booth?" Her voice rang through the phone, but the agent couldn't make himself answer. "Hello? Booth?" Brennan began to grow worried at his silence.

"Hey, Bones..." Booth murmured, staring at the ground.

"Booth? Is something wrong? You sound like your distressed." Brennan's worried voice came from the phone.

"Th-there... Was an a-accident..." Booth choked out, nearly in tears.

"What happened?" Brennan gulped, hearing his voice crack. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine..." Booth sighed, guilt washing over him. "Sweets was sho-" but he was cut off by a few doctors rushing through the hall, a rumbling beeping coming from the direction they'd brought Sweets. Booth began to panic, no one else was here, what if Sweets was in trouble? Had something gone wrong during surgery? He had to know. "Come to the hospital closest to the lab, Bones!" Booth gasped into the phone. Booth ran off in the direction of the beeping and saw several doctors trying to revive Sweets.

"What happened!?" Booth screeched, his eyes wide.

"He started crashing on the way to surgery. Sir you need to back up!" A doctor said.

"Sweets!" Booth cried out, looking around the figure in scrubs that was pushing him away. "No..." he whispered, as the nurse pushed him through the swinging doors. "No...kid! Hang on, Sweets...just hang on." Booth yelled through the thick oak. Soon a soft hand rested on his shoulder, and he turned to see Brennan staring at him with tears in her stormy blue eyes.

"Sweets... H-" Booth began before Bones interrupted.

"He was shot... Are you okay, Booth?" Brennan asked him, rubbing his shoulder.

"Yes." He lied, confused by her reaction. "How'd you know?"

"I called Caroline." She said, pulling on his strong arm. "The others are here now, Cam drove Angela and Hodgins." The couple walked into the waiting room. Angela was clinching a paper bag as she stared off, at a wall, tears on her cheeks. "Angela has the clothes I brought for you." Then another loud beep was heard, back from where Booth had come, more doctors rushed by. Booth looked panicked for a second before straitening up and taking the clothes from Angela.

"Thanks. I'll be back in a minute." Booth murmured before leaving to go change clothes.

"Oh God..." Angela gasped. "Did you see the look on his face? Is Sweets going to be okay?" She cried, burying her face in Hodgins' shoulder.

"Idiot. Going out in the field like that, I can't believe he didn't have his guard up." Cam cursed, pushing tears off her cheeks. She never reacted to pain well, always becoming angry and defensive when she felt hurt.

"You sound angry but I feel that you don't really mean that." Bones said, pointing at Cam. Soon Booth returned with fresh clothes but he still had traces of blood on his hands and face.

"Seeley, what happened out there?" Cam asked him as he walked in.

Booth shook his head, pushing his hands into his pockets. He sat down and turned to the group, all eyes trained on him. "The suspect was waving a gun around when we got in there, I tried to talk him down but..but.." Booth let out a wavering breath. The lunatics words still fresh in his memory. "He said, and these are his words, he'd 'shoot the kid.' I yelled, telling him to stop and Sweets was scared and looked at me and..and.." the agent gasped, a realization hitting him. "He shot while Sweets was looking at me! Its my fault!"

"Booth, you know that is not true. The suspect was dangerous and clearly deranged. He probably would have shot him anyway. You couldn't have stopped it." Bones tried to assure him, leaning against him and rubbing his arm.

"What if..what if he doesn't come through?" Booth whispered, making the room fall into a dark silence.

"He will." Hodgins responded, holding Angela close to him.

"He'll come through, for Daisy." Angela mumbled, her face still buried in Hodgins' shoulder. "I sent her a few texts, she's on her way."

"Good. He'll want to see her..." Booth mumbled, thinking of what he told Sweets when he was shot. As if on cue a very distressed Daisy ran onto waiting room with tears in her eyes.

"W-where's my Lance-a-lot?" She cried, turning to the group. Her dark eyes swimming with tears, she looked at each one of them, waiting an answer.

"Surgery, the bullet didn't pass through. It's..." Booth covered his mouth with his hand, squeezing his eyes shut. "It's still inside him."

"I-inside him?" Daisy squeaked, beginning to sob harder.

"Miss Wick, you must try to calm down before you get yourself removed from the hospital." Brennan said.

"Brennan, what if it were Booth in there?" Angela whispered to her friend, patting Daisy's arm as she sat down.

"I see your point, Angela." Brennan nodded, her voice shook with the tears she refused to shed. Angela rubbed Daisy's back in an attempt to comfort her. After nearly half an hour a doctor walked in.

"Family of Lance Sweets?" The doctor asked, looking across the group.

"How is he?" Booth asked with hopeful eyes.

"He is in surgery. He crashed twice on the way into the operating room and has been stable since. He is in critical condition. The bullet nicked his heart and is lodged by his lung."

Daisy gasped, falling backwards onto the hard wall behind her. Hodgins squeezed Angela's hand, and Cam wrapped her thin arm around Angela's shoulders. They all had tears in their eyes, and the doctor nodded, turning to leave. "He'll make it?" Cam whispered, and the doctor turned to her.

"We're hopeful." He nodded, making his way out. Booth stared at the place where the doctor stood moments ago, unable to breath. Brennan couldn't hold herself back anymore and soon her tears spilled over, she pushed he hands over her mouth and shook her head in disbelieve. Booth snapped out of his trans, pulling Brennan into a hug.

"Don't cry, Bones..." Booth whispered. "Why don't you do get Christine from daycare...? That might help. I'll call you if anything happens." Booth said, looking at Brennan. He was trying to give her an excuse to leave since she wasn't good with emotional situations.

"Yes, I think I will." She nodded, swiping tears from her eyes. She pushed herself up and made her way to the door, when she was finally outside she gave a deep sigh. "Be alright Sweets, oh please, please make it through this." She whispered as she climbed into her car. Everyone sat in the waiting room for another four hours. Eventually the doctor came back.

"Is he out of surgery?" Daisy asked, her tears dried out by this point.

"Yes." The doctor nodded. "He survived surgery. He is in the ICU right now. He is still asleep. He crashed several times before surgery and once during so we aren't sure when he's going to wake up."

Daisy looked at the ground, a bitter happiness washing over her. "Or if..." the doctor whispered, walking away. Those words hung in the air, everyone staring at one another.

"Should we... See what room he is in?" Angela asked slowly, gripping her husbands hand. Booth nodded slowly but no one moved. Everyone continued to stare at each other.

"We all heard that right...? Sweets is...?" Cam asked.

"Yeah...he's in bad shape." Booth whispered, propping his elbows on his knees.

"I- I'm going go see what room he's in... I have to see my Lance-a-lot." Daisy said, getting up and going over the the front desk. They watched her talk to the woman at the front desk before nodding and walking towards them. "He is in ICU room 11. You can come see him when your ready." Daisy said before trotting away to the ICU.

"Have we gotten any new news on Sweets?" Brennan asked as she walked in the door. Booth turned to look at her, giving a small smile. Shed been putting Christine to bed so Max could watch her.

"Yeah we got some news..." Booth mumbled, looking at the ground.

"What is it... Where is Miss Wick?" Temperance asked with a tilt of the head.

"She went to the ICU to find him..." Booth sighed "Doc says he crashed during surgery and they don't know when he will wake up."

"Or even if he will." Jack added, holding Angela in his arms. Brennan blinked, staring at them.

"I-if?" She stumbled over her words, unable to move her body she just looked at Booth. Pleading with her ice eyes, trying to stay rational.

"He crashed multiple times. During those times his brain... Wouldn't be getting enough oxygen." Cam said, shaking her head.

"I see... A-are we not going to go see him?" Bones asked, trying to compose herself.

"He's asleep in room 11 in the ICU..." Booth replied, walking over to her. She threw her arms around him as soon as he was near her, burying her face in his shirt.

"It's okay, Bones..." Booth murmured, hugging her and rubbing her back. "It's okay, he'll be fine." Brennan just held onto him tighter. "Do you want to go see him?" He asked, trying to look at her face.

"He's not awake, there's no logical reason to go see an unconscious person." Brennan mumbled, pulling him closer to her.

"It might not be logical, but everyone wants to see him." Booth whispered.

"I can't seem to find an argument for that... I must admit I would like to see him, even if it is not rational." Brennan said, looking up at him.

"He's our friend, Bones. It doesn't have to make sense. Plus y'know... Sweets is just a kid... Your maternal instincts must be kicking in." Booth teased with small smile.

"Sweets is not my child." Brennan stated, confused.

"It's just a thing, Bones, your a mom so when you see a hurt kid you get all... Mushy. Plus, Sweets is our friend." Booth pointed out.

"Sweets is a grown man... There is now rational reason for me to protective over him." Bones argued.

"It doesn't have to make sense, Bones, you know that." Booth said pressing his forehead against hers.

"I have to admit, when Sweets is in a bad situation, I do feel like I want to...hug him." Brennan sighed, closing her eyes.

"Its not weird, Sweetie." Angela brought her face up, managing a smile. "I feel like I need to protect him to."

"Maybe it's a mom thing." Hodgins said before getting elbowed by his wife. "Ow..." He murmured, rubbing where he was hit.

"So, let's go see him." Booth said.

"Let's go." Brennan nodded, taking Booths hand. Hodgins pulled Angela to her feet and Cam followed after them all. When they entered the room, they saw Daisy. She was sitting in a chair, beside Sweets bed, and was asleep. Sweets was pale, and his chest barely moved when he breathed. He looked frail, thin, and sick. Booth had a flashback to the fallen soldiers he was once surrounded by, the dying men and women. The agent felt sick noticing how Sweets looked like a dead man.

"Geez, he looks awfu-" Hodgins started before Angela stopped him.

"Honey, I love you, but right now would be a great time to stop talking..." Angela said, putting a finger to his lips. He nodded quickly and they all continued to look at Sweets. After a few seconds Angela felt tears leaking out of her eyes. Cam shook her head with grief for the psychologist. Booth stared into the room with a worried and sick look on his face. Brennan walked up to Sweets hospital bed and grabbed the end with an upset look on her face. Hodgins looked at Sweets with concern and wrapped an arm around his wife.

"He's gonna wake up. He's not a quitter." Cam whispered, covering her eyes with one hand. "He'll come through."

"Come on kid, just keep breathing." Booth said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I'm so damn sorry."

"Booth, you know this wasn't your fault." Cam looked at him with a stern, but concerned look. She wasn't going to let him blame himself. Brennan continued staring forward at Sweets.

"Booth..." Brennan whispered, unable to look away from Sweets. "How much is he hurting?"

"What, Bones?" Booth looked to her.

"You've been shot, I know the wound he suffers his much more serious then any you've suffered but... you know what he's feeling, at least physically."

"He's not in any pain right now. He's asleep, Bones." Booth assured her, cringing.

"I would like to speak with his doctor and look at his X-rays." Brennan stated, still looking forward.

"Okay, sweetie. I'll help you find him." Angela smiled, pulling an arm around Brennan.

"Thank you." Brennan nodded, looking at Sweets one last time before leaving with they left Daisy slowly opened her eyes.

"Agent Booth!" She squeaked, squeezing Sweets' hand.

"What are we, chopped liver?" Hodgins remarked, jabbing his thumb at Cam and himself.

"Sorry." Daisy blushed.

"So, uh... How are you hold in' up?" Booth asked awkwardly.

"His heart beat got very slow awhile ago, but its almost to alright now." Daisy sighed, rubbing her thumb over Lances hand. "Almost...its still not at a very healthy level."

"That's not really what I was talking about but okay..." Booth mumbled, shuffling his feet. Soon Brennan and Angela returned, Brennan carrying an X-ray folder.

"I got his X-rays." Bones said, gesturing the folder.

"Dr. Brennan." Daisy smiled, standing up from her seat.

"Why didn't you request the x-rays of , ?" Brennan questioned and Daisy slumped her shoulders.

"Because...I'm scared." Daisy choked out, glancing to Sweets. "When I look at those I'll know what's really wrong, I'll know what pain it caused, and I won't have any hope. I want to be like you, but I can't look inside my Lance-a-lot, I just can't."

"I... Understand." Bones said slowly. She took his X-rays out and lifted them up to light so she could see them. Daisy nodded, averting her eyes from her mentor. Looking down at Lance she chewed her bottom lip. "Oh!" Brennan exclaimed, squinting while looking at the x-rays.

"What is it, Bones?" Booth asked, quickly walking up to her.

"His ribs have many remodelled fractures like..." Brennan swallowed hard. "He'd been kicked, over and over at a young age...Other then that, the bullet only nicked two ribs." She finished, brushing tears away.

"What do you mean?" Angela whispered. "Like, like abuse?!" She looked to Cam, who gave a solemn nod after glancing at the x-rays.

"These injuries are common in child abuse victims." Cam answered looking to the floor. She pulled her arm to her side and clutched her purse.

"He was abused!?" Angela whispered loudly, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Yes." Brennan said with a sad nod. "Booth and I knew but I didn't know the extent. He has multiple bone marks for child abuse. They all happened between the age of five and six."

"The remodelling suggests that he was beaten at least daily." Brennan gasped. "Many wounds being refractured over and over. I'll need a full x-ray to say to what extent his trauma was."

"Bones... Maybe you should just leave it alone. I dont think Sweets would want you to be looking through his X-rays anymore than you already have." Booth stated slowly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"That's not logical." Brennan said, setting the x-rays on the table. "Why wouldn't he tell us, we're his friends! Doesn't he trust us?"

"I'm sure he does, Bones, but it's his business. We don't like to talk about our... Issues. Neither does he." Booth said pointing to the frail man. "We should respect that."

"I understand your logic." He nodded, glancing to Sweets. The young psychologist was barely breathing, and Booths stomach rolled as he recalled the doctors words...'or if.'

"Wait, so you two knew Sweets was abused?" Hodgins questioned, pointing between the two of them with a brow raised.

"We knew someone hurt him..." Brennan sniffled "but not that much. The fractors could have resulted in death easily."

"We didn't tell you because we didn't know if he wanted you to know." Booth sighed, holding Brennan in his arms.

"Well what about you? Did you know?" Hodgins asked Daisy, gesturing to Sweets.

"Kind of..." She sighed, looking to the ground. "Lance only explained that he was hurt when I asked about the scars..." she blinked her eyes, unable to cry she just stared at the frail psychologist.

"The beeping sounds slower." Cam announced, worry seeping into her tone. "Someone tell me it isn't getting slower."

"It has slowed down again, yes." Daisy said before giving Sweets' hand a squeeze.

"Excuse me, but visiting hours are over." Came the sweet, kind voice of the nurse. "Oh my, his heart beat is low. I'll call the doctor! Please, leave the room." She nodded, turning away.

"Oh my!" Daisy brought her hands to her face, shaking her head. Angela pulled the young woman gently, leading her out the door.

"Let's go." Booth said, guiding Brennan towards the door. Cam and Hodgins in tow.

They group started to leave but stopped in their tracks when they heard a deathening single note beep. They spun around and saw Sweets had started to flatline.

"Sweets!" The group shouted.