Sessions Spent Alive

Dr. Sweets had to physically push Seeley Booth out of his office at eight in the morning. After a late night he needed something to wake him up and they both headed to the diner to get a cup of coffee. Booth was asking him questions about Parker.

Parker liked a girl at school, and Booth wanted to know why Parker was shy about telling him.

“Maybe he wants this girl to like him, and since he sees your relationships don’t often work – he would like to ask someone in a committed relationship.”

“Hey, I was committed! With his mom… then Hannah… and yeah okay I see your point, but I’m his dad!”

“It’s just how he perceives it. Maybe you should show him that your partnership with Dr. Brennan is a constant committed relationship, and if he agrees he’ll tell you.”

“Okay, yeah you’re right that makes sense Sweets thanks.”

“No problem. Are you and Dr. Brennan finding any leads on the case?”

“Nah but she’s doing that ‘bone’ thing where she stares at them until they talk to her.”

“I see.”

“You and Daisy… still uh?”

“We’re doing okay.”

“Just okay?”

“Well we’re not –“ Lance was distracted by the beautiful girl that had entered the diner. Tanna leaned over the counter, she had asked for a coffee to go and she sighed as she waited.

“Oh… I see. Looking at other women… ah I see what you mean.” Booth said.

“Whoa no! She’s a patient!”

“A damn hot one.”

“Booth, please, she’s a patient, and very… very off limits.” Lance trailed off realizing that they both found her curvaceous body to be very attractive. She caught Lance’s eye in the middle of his stare, and began to walk over to him.

“That’s my cue to leave!” Booth said smiling. Tanna ran into him and Booth introduced himself: “Agent Seeley Booth, nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, Tanna.” She said back as she maneuvered around him in the small café. Tanna the name sounded familiar to Booth. He quickly walked away, so he was no longer a witness to Sweets breaking the rules.

“This against the rules too?” she smiled at him. Her coffee arrive at the table and she handed the waitress the amount plus tip. She sipped the hot liquid leaving the tip of her tongue burnt.

“Very.” He said. “We should probably meet upstairs.”

“Then you finish whatever it is you’re eating, I’m going to show up early.” She winked. Lance Sweets followed her out after leaving money behind,

“If there’s no one to let you in-“

“-Figured it would get you to walk me up.” She said. Lance kept a respectable distance between them as they made their way through the building. The elevator ride was silent, as was the walk down the hallway Tanna thought it hilarious, and Lance was worried about his job. They sat down at the same time once inside and shared a curious look at one another.

“I guess we should address what happened… as something that shouldn’t have happened.”

“I don’t know what you’re referring to Dr. Sweets.”

“Oh okay. So we’re clear?”

“No you’re not being clear at all.” She said while throwing in furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips.

“Okay, good.” He said.

“You’re strange.” She smiled back.

“So any progress with your feelings? More desire for life?”

“You could say that.” Tanna gave Sweets a look one that he read into… it was desire.

“Tell me about your relationship, the one that ended badly.”

“They all ended badly Doctor.”

“Your relationship with the incarcerated, Brock.” Tanna took a long breath and began to tell her story from the point where she had realized he was poisonous. It was a phone call that she remembered.

“He said, what time will you be home?
I said the guy that lives here said we could stay if we bought beer.
‘I don’t like the sound of that.’ He told me.
I said, I really do miss you it’s good to hear the sound of your voice.
’When are you coming home?’ he asked me again.
It’ll be a few days till I know for sure.
‘Okay, see you then.’ And then he hung up. That was the last phone conversation we had before I came back from my trip. I found Brock in bed with this girl from work, and I walked out. That’s how it ended.”

“Well not completely ended.”

“Right, I packed what I wanted and left before he got his pants back on. Then he came back for me as soon as someone told him where I had gone. I myself think it was Devin that told him… he was always trying to defend me in some way.”

“And how do you feel about Devin?”

“He was one of them good guys. I guess I can never catch one of those. But they didn’t deserve to die.”

“You believe your life was less valuable?”

“Of course it was. I had no one, they had family It should’ve been me.”

“I understand losing loved ones on top of losing even more loved ones would be a great burden to bear.”

“You have no idea.” She said with tears in her eyes.

The session ended shortly after that. Dr. Sweets didn’t like to keep her contained if she was uncomfortable, and she seemed to be. He assured her that she could call him at any hour of the day if she needed him. He hoped she’d be strong like she had shown these past few sessions – but the weekend was upon them, and he wouldn’t see her until Monday. Time was progressing, Dr. Sweets was please with Tanna, he seemed so strong, but so lost, a dangerous mix for a girl that’s seen what she’s seen.