The child ran to her mother, eyes filled with curiosity.
“Your father and I wanted you to meet someone. This is Kal-El, say hello.”
The girl peeked her head out, and the boy did the same, standing behind his father. When their gazes met, they both smiled.
“Hi, I’m (Y/N)!”
Your grin was wide, and he giggled, taking your hand as he ran off with you.
“Sweets...”
“Sweets.”
He lifted his head. Booth was standing over him, eyes sullen.
“We have to call this in.”
He knew that. They need to alert the police, tell someone. He wasn’t sure how long he had sat there, crying. It felt like an eternity, but in truth it might have just been a few minutes. Vince was dead a few meters away and even though Sweets knew that, he still wanted to shoot him a couple more times.
But he knew it wouldn’t do a thing.
It wouldn’t bring you back.
He hadn’t bothered to wipe his tears. With one last look at you, he swallowed, picturing all the times you’d smiled at him. Laugh with him, watched him do foolish things. Then there were the times you would send these soft looks that held adoration and trust.
No matter what happened, since that day that he’d held you, there was always a look of unwavering trust. He never thought something that had become so common in his life would be so important. It meant the world to him.
You meant the world to him. His only regret is that he never had a chance to tell you that.
“Okay.”
That’s all he said. Booth already had his phone in his hand, and Sweets slid his hand under your legs to lift you off the floor. He had every intention of moving, but the golden glow at your stomach stopped him and everyone else.
It seemed to light up the whole area that had been dull when the light broke. He stared, astonished. It vanished just as quickly as it came. Your clothes were still covered in blood, but when he looked down, your face had color.
Life.
For a moment no one moved, breathed.
All at once your eyes snapped open and you gasped, sucking in a mouthful of air as you pushed and pulled at his body.
“LANCE!!”
You screamed as if he were in danger and he grabbed your cheeks, trying to calm you down. Angela’s eyes lit up and both Brennan and Hodgins were laughing with tears filled eyes. Camille and Booth had placed both their hands together, giving a silent prayer.
“I’m okay, we’re okay, everyone is okay.” Sweets was trying to reassure you, and it took a while, but you calmed down, looking around the room. Your eyes spotted Vince’s body and you looked back at Sweets.
“What happened…”
He just shook his head, because it was too much to explain. Rather than try, he just kissed you. Booth smiled from his spot, stepping aside to make the call. Your eyes were wide for a few seconds, but you slowly melted into his arms, gripping at his shoulders as you kissed him with the same level of desperation that he delivered.
It would take a while to figure out everything, but for now, sitting there with him felt like enough.
Your eyes are directed at the expanse of greenery as Sweets drives through the small towns of Kansas. You never expected to find anything. When you started this little trip you told yourself to go in with minimum expectations. It was a bit pessimistic, but you were terrified if you got your hopes up that it would be all just a waste. But the results had turned out to be much better than anything that you could have hoped for.
If it wasn’t Sweets’s pestering nature, you would have never had the courage to even pursue this. Your gaze drifts and he’s staring ahead with a smile on his face.
He looks pretty content.
It feels like a lot has changed in such a short time.
That is the case, but you can't help but recall what Clark said.
Krypton was destroyed because of a war, a selfish act for power. There’s a reflection of that here in humanity.
War, death, pain, suffering.
It feels endless, exhausting.
Your eyes drift to your lap and you lean back, exhaling as you close your eyes. Your hope is that when you open them, this will make sense.
~~
“Come on Sweets, spill the beans. What happened? How was the vacation?”
Angela is trying to press for information. All you had really told the team is that you were traveling in hopes of finding a lost relative which wasn’t exactly a lie. The unplanned vacation didn’t seem suspicious to them, and he was thankful for that. He thought that when you came back it would all be okay. You had answers, a lot more than when you first came.
Those first few days you looked so ecstatic just to be around Clark. But on the trip back he noticed it, the distance. He’d given you space each time you spoke with Clark because he knew how important it was.
But your last conversation must have been different, because he saw the tears that you’d tried so hard to hide when you both had gone back to the hotel that night.
He didn’t press, but now he’s becoming worried because they haven't seen much of you in the last two days. That’s why Angela is now interrogating him.
The times that your paths did collide you would give him that distant smile and carry on.
Like you were drowning in pain.
“I have to go Angela, excuse me.”
He didn’t explain, and he decided at that moment that he needed to speak with you. Anymore distance would gut him. If you got further away, he wasn’t sure how he would handle that.
Rushing up the stairs, he heads straight for your office. You were probably barricaded inside. He’s so sure when he marches over there, but the second he’s in front of the door he’s a bit terrified, because he doesn’t know what’s waiting for him on the other side of the door.
With one even breath, he knocks, reaching for the knob as he opens the door.
The startled way you move is another indication that something is wrong. You turn a bit flustered, wearing a smile that lacks any kind of joy.
“Dr. Sweets, how can I help you?”
Your words feel so stiff, and he closes the door.
There’s no reason for him to be coy. He needs to be upfront and say what’s on his mind.
“You’ve been off since we got back. At first you seemed fine but I know something is wrong.”
That flushed expression quickly becomes defensive.
“Don’t profile me.”
You look angry, and he realizes that he must be right.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing is wrong!”
The fact that you’re now yelling proves that isn’t the truth. You huff, turning your head.
It’s wrong to take it out on him.
Lowering your head, you sigh.
Sweets just stands there, waiting for something.
For you to ask for help, for you to lean on him with whatever has been tearing you up inside.
Your staggered steps moved to the couch. You sit, if nothing but to anchor yourself.
“It was a stupid war. One of my own people was so hellbent on gaining power that he destroyed our whole planet. Innocent men, women and children, they were all sacrificed. No matter where we go, beings on any plane, any universe they are all the same. We’re all corrupted foolish beings and we don’t deserve any of this.”
You’re full on crying and Sweets moves closer, shaking his head.
“That’s not true.”
Your frown deepens.
“You don’t even believe that. What about your past, what they did to you. You were just a child. Why are we all so evil?”
His smile is sad as you sit there sobbing.
“If you were truly evil, you wouldn’t be asking such a question.”
When he looks at you he sees it. You’d spent so long thinking of life a certain way. You convinced yourself that no one could be trusted, and he can’t say that he truly blames you. He understands.
“Life is messy, death is unavoidable regardless of where you are. That doesn’t mean we should stop trying. If the good people stop being good, if we stop trying, then the truly evil people in this world, they win. Our job is to keep that balance in hope that one day, the goodness that we have will be all that exists. It’s a ridiculous dream, but if we give up on it, then it’s the same as accepting that there is no good in this world or any other. “
Lois helped you get cleaned up, and you’re all once again in the living room. Lois is smiling at the way you look at Clark.
Almost like he’s family. She understands.
“Well, since you’re already here, why not stay for dinner. Then maybe Smallville can share all his kryptonian knowledge.”
Her invitation brings a smile on Clark’s face.
He expects nothing less from Lois.
“Make yourself at home, we’ll get started on dinner.” Clark informs.
“Yeah, how about lasagna Clark.” Lois calls. Clark leaves a kiss on her cheek as he heads for the kitchen.
When he’s gone, Lois nudges your arm. Maybe she sees how eager you are to talk with him, be around him.
“Why don’t you offer him some help. I suck at cooking, he’ll appreciate it.”
Your eyes light up and you nod.
“Y-Yes I will.”
You head for the kitchen and Sweets smiles.
“They’re so cute.” Lois gushes.
He chuckles, shaking his head.
~~
The dinner that followed was fairly quiet. You’re a bit lost in your thoughts, and so is Clark. Maybe that’s why you both ended up in his barn after the meal. He was telling you about his childhood.
How he grew up. All of his experiences.
“I really never thought I’d meet anyone else.”
Clark turns, taking in the hopeless look you wear as you stare at the expanse of grass on his farm.
Sweets is below bailing hay. He sort of insisted that it was a task he always wanted to try.
“There were a lot of kryptonians in Smallville. Not all good. After what happened in the phantom zone I got a bit paranoid.”
“Is the phantom zone real?”
Your astonishment draws his attention.
“It is. You’ve heard of it before?”
“My dad used to tell me stories. It’s a prison for really bad people. To us they were sort of like bedtime stories. Mostly to keep my brother out of trouble. But I can’t believe it was true. Are you saying that you’ve been there and you escaped? Only members in the House of El had keys to access that or leave. Are you saying that you’re..”
Clark looks down.
“My biological father was Jor-El.”
At this point you shouldn’t even be surprised. Still, the more you learn, the crazier it all seems.
“I can’t believe it. Jor El, to us he was like an ultimate warrior. He protected us, kept the planet safe. You’re the son of one of the strongest and most honorable kryptonians to have lived. That’s incredible.”
“It sounds like you’re giving him a little too much credit. Sometimes the trials he put me through were selfish. I went through a lot because of him.”
You can’t hope to know what that was like.
“Regardless, he usually came through in the end. He played a part in turning me into the person I am today."
Despite all of that, there’s respect in his tone. One that’s similar to what your father always used when he talked about Jor-El, or when your brother would gush about his missions.
There’s a strange sense of nostalgia when you’re with Clark.
Like you’re home.
“This is tougher than it looks.”
Sweets call pulls both your attention. Apparently he’d removed his shirt at some point. When he turns to you, his exposed chest makes you take a much needed breath. He turns back to his task, and you’re fortunate. Your heart is slightly racing again, and the familiar burn in your eyes is all the indication you need. You close your eyes, not before Clark caught the red rings of your irises of course.
It takes a moment, but you feel the heat dissipate, and you open your eyes, massaging the bridge of your nose.
“Sorry..” You mumble.
You aren't sure why that happened. A lot of strange things have been occurring with your powers lately.
“I guess you’re going through it later than I did. You skipped the awkward high school phase.”
“What are you talking about?”
He suddenly looks uncomfortable.
“You just..How did you..when...”
He’s pointing between you and Sweets, struggling to put the words together and making hand gestures.
“How did you use it the first time?” He finally says.
“I was angry. It only ever came out when I was agitated. That was weird.”
He’s not sure if he’s the one that should inform you of the reason. But it’s not like there are many options. There’s a chance you might do it again, so it would be wrong of him not to say anything.
“It’s hormonal.” He blurts out.
You look over at him.
“Hormonal?”
He nods, still refusing to make eye contact.
“When we get..excited, our body reacts to it.”
There’s a pause, because you still look a bit puzzled. But it slowly clicks, he can see it on your face. Your cheeks burn red and Clark clears his throat.
“Anyway, just be careful in the future.”
“Y-Yeah.”
There’s no way to make the conversation any less uncomfortable.
After you got off the train, Sweets insisted that he needed fuel to continue the journey.
When you’ve gotten a meal you both set up in the hotel.
“So our first stop tomorrow would be at the Kent Farm. It’s where the first symbol appeared. It’ll give us some insight.”
Sweets has a plan laid out on his bed.
“Then we can probably just visit local stops in the town, see what we come up with.”
It sounds like a solid plan.
“You better get some sleep. Then again, you got a lot on the train.”
“Not all of us have superhuman awake skills.”
“That’s not a thing.”
“We don’t know that!” He argues.
He just refuses to admit that he has the attention span of a child.
“Either way, it’s clear you need the rest. I’ll be next door.”
“Alright!”
He’s once again focused on his little set up and you grin to yourself. As you exit his room, you go through all the questions you would ask if you were to meet someone.
Another kryptonian.
Just the idea seems a bit ridiculous. The last thing you should be doing is letting your thoughts get the better of you.
But that hope, it’s impossible to extinguish, especially since there seems to be actual evidence.
“Hey!!”
The call of a woman startles, and down the hall you see a man running from her.
“Stop him, he stole my purse!”
The guy coming full speed lifts his hand to shove you out the way. You just stay put and he crashes into you, falling back against the ground. He’s groaning on the ground, and the woman as well as her partner jog over.
“Thanks, saved me a lot of paperwork. Caught the guy sneaking out of my room. These hotels are supposed to be secured, right Smallville?”
She turns to the man and you offer a smile as you pick up the small purse, handing it to her.
“Here you go.”
She takes it graciously and the man is picked up off the floor by her partner.
“Let’s go.”
The thief is grumbling and Sweets opens the door.
“Hey, I heard noise, is everything okay?”
You nod at Sweets.
“Everything is fine. “ You assure.
“This man tried to steal, we should probably double our locks when we go to sleep tonight.” You advise.
Sweets steps fully out.
“Your girlfriend is one hell of a woman. Knocked him right onto his back. She kind of reminds me of you, Smallville.”
You raise a brow.
“Is your name Smallville?”
He shakes his head.
“I’m Clark Kent. That’s just a nickname my wife refuses to stop using. It’s nice to meet you both.”
That last name, it can’t be a coincidence.
“You own the farm, the one that had the symbols engraved into the barn door.”
The mention causes a shift in both of them. There’s a brief exchange of looks between them.
“We should probably get this guy to the police, right Smallville. It was nice meeting you two but we have to get going. Let’s go.” She basically paces out of there with Clark and your eyes stay fixated on them.
You’re not exactly an FBI agent, nor do you work with forensics. So your assistance is rarely ever requested. However, when Camille told you about the standoff at the museum, you sort of reacted.
It wasn’t logical. You’d never been reckless, especially given your situation. But when you learned that not only Booth, but Brennan and Sweets were being held hostage, it didn’t take much more convincing. You’d zipped over there as fast as you could, not before equipping yourself of course.
“Listen to me, the police are already on their way. Let us go and we can work something out.”
“Shut up!!”
You could hear Booth from the outside. If what Sweets had told you at the start of the case was true, if this man felt cornered, he would hurt them. You could hear the sirens in the distance, so without a second thought, you snuck in through the back.
“Listen Todd, you got ten minutes to let us go or so help me!”
“Booth, I don’t think it’s smart to threaten the man with the gun.”
“Not right now Bones!!”
They were anxious for good reason. Todd was still pacing.
“Let them go.”
Your voice caused them all to look up. Todd jumped, pointing the gun in your direction.
“Get out of here!”
“I’m not going anywhere, you have my friends hostage.”
He looked torn between aiming the gun at you and eyeing them.
“You have two minutes before the police get here. You can run, I won’t stop you.”
Booth looked panicked. You weren’t wearing any gear that they could see and he knew for a fact that you didn’t have a gun.
“Walk away.”
You advise.
Todd shook his head, and you glared, walking forward.
“S-Stay back!!”
He closed his eyes and Booth yelled for you. The shot struck right in your chest. Todd looked up when he didn’t hear a cry of pain or your body hitting the ground. You were still walking towards him and he fired every shot. When you were within distance, his bullets were completely out. You punched him right in the jaw and his body went down like a log. They all just stare, and Sweets swallowed. He knew you must have had a good reason for revealing your secret to them.
Kneeling, you slid the knife out of his belt’s harness, heading over to them.
Booth and Bones were still gaping. When you cut them free, they could only stare.
You understood, so while they were massaging their wrists, you opened your jacket. The bullet proof vest caused recognition to cross their faces.
“After we were kidnapped I became paranoid.” You inform.
Booth smiled, then started laughing as he patted you on the shoulder. You returned it with a smile of your own as he moved to Todd’s side to handcuff him.
“I’m glad you guys are safe.”
Your eyes moved to Sweets. You could see the relief on his face.
You know exactly why.
~~
Getting held hostage seems to have become a regular thing now.
A little after work, a team meeting is expected. You’re all at a bar, having drinks, enjoying the company. Booth is telling the tale of how you stormed in there. Brennan is giving corrections on his exaggerations. You and Sweets are sitting a little further. Everyone seems immersed in the story. You take a sip of your drink.
“You need to be more careful. That was dangerous. What if the bullet had hit somewhere else.”
“I’m bulletproof.”
“I know that but your secret is-”
“Not worth watching the people I care about get killed.”
He’s silent for a moment, and you look down at your drink.
“I can’t get hurt by normal weapons, I can’t get drunk, drugged, and my life expectancy is possibly tripled that of anyone on this planet. I’ve lived most of my time here afraid that I’d be discovered. Since I’ve met you I..I haven’t been as worried about it. Maybe it’s this team. There’s a part of me that worries that if they ever found out, then it wouldn’t be so easy to accept. But then there’s another part that thinks maybe..maybe they’ll love me, regardless of what I am.”
Your hopeful stare is fixed on him, and he fully understands.
“I can’t speak for them, but I know that alien or not, you’re someone I care deeply about.” Sweets’s confession causes a delicate blush to grace your cheeks.
“Thank you.”
It’s a soft mutter and Sweets smiles at your bashful expression. It’s always cute when you get like this. More so because you’re often wearing a stoic look on your face.
“So, you can’t get drunk?”
“Not at all. “
“That sucks.” He laughs, and you end up doing the same.
Booth sends a look to his teammates when they all hear the sound. He merely smirks.
They all know why.
Well, most of them.
“Why are you all smiling like that?”
Brennan’s question just makes them all begin to laugh.
“Yes, his name is Hal Jordan. We’re not biologically related, but he’s always been around. My parents were pretty old when they adopted me. So they were always trying to get me to know all the relatives. Hal’s a bit of a smartass, but he’s kind. He just tries to cover it up sometimes.”
“Are you sure I should be here? It sounds like a family meeting. I feel like I’m intruding.”
“You’re not. You’re my friend. Also he’s bringing his girlfriend so I sort of wanted another pair of eyes so we can feel her out. He’s not the best judge when it comes to relationships.”
“I’m an archaeological scientist, unless she’s an ancient bowl or exhibit I don’t think I’d be much help feeling anything out.”
“Just bear with me.”
When he invited you for dinner randomly you should have suspected something. He was overly enthusiastic about it when he made the proposition. You just assumed he wanted to discuss more about the meteors. But it’s clear that you’d walked into a trap.
His doorbell rings and he springs to his feet.
“I’ll get it!”
“You are the owner of the house.”
Your sarcastic remark causes him to send a look as he heads for the door. You just sit on the couch, waiting for this to unravel because of Sweets insistence on meddling.
“Hal, it’s been so long.”
You hear the greetings at the door and laughter from who you assume to be Hal Jordan and his girlfriend.
Sweets guide them into the living room and you stand.
“Oh, who is this, a girlfriend?”
Sweets laughs.
“No, she's my friend. She works at the Jeffersonian. Dr. (L/N).”
They both send you smiles as they introduce themselves.
“Carol Ferris, nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, and you must be Hal Jordan. Sweets is very fond of you. It’s why he set up this dinner to interrogate your girlfriend because he claims you have poor judgment.”
“(Y/N)!!”
Hal laughs and so does Carol. Sweets looks flustered, maybe a bit guilty.
“I’m sorry.”
Hal shakes his head.
“No worries, I appreciate it. I like her.”
Hal holds out his hand for you to shake, and you reach for it, but the ring catches your attention. You freeze, the smile dropping from your face.
“Lantern..”
Sweets tilts his head.
“What?
Your face turns stone cold as you push Sweets behind you.
“Where did you get that ring!!”
Hal does the same with Carol when he notices the hostility.
“(Y/N) calm down, why are you getting so mad?”
“He has a green lantern ring. But it’s impossible. He must have stolen it!”
“I didn’t steal anything, how do you know about the lanterns?”
You clench your jaw, raising your fist.
It’s almost instinct, his suit seems to appear and Sweets takes a step back at the emerald glow that fills the room. You’re in awe. Because he should not be able to draw its power.
“Impossible…y-you’re human…”
You’re still trying to grasp what’s going on.
Hal looks just as unnerved as you.
“How do you know about the lanterns?”
“Because I’m an alien.”
“(Y/N)!!!”
“What, we all saw him summon the suit. What is the use of hiding it? He’s a green lantern. This is amazing.”
You look more awed than battle ready and Hal retracts the suit, taking a deep breath.
“We should probably get a drink, this is going to take a while.”
That is surely an understatement.
~~
“So you got the ring from an alien?”
“Yep, a purple one. He was dying. Then this evil fear sucking head tried to kill everyone. It was a whole thing. We got rid of him though, his body got sucked into the sun.”
Carol smacked his arm.
“What? That’s what happened.”
“I’m sure there was a better way of putting that.” She snarks.
“You defeated Parallax?”
“Oh yeah, that was his name.”
You can’t believe it. He’s talking about it as if he carried a dog for a walk or took out the trash.
“You’re amazing..”
Your expression makes Hal grin and he sends a look to Sweets.
“You hear that cuz, I’m amazing. Better watch out. Your girl might fall for me.”
“Not my girlfriend. Right (Y/N)?”
From your dazed expression it’s clear you haven’t heard a thing he just said.
Hal smirks.
“She has a thing for lanterns. It’ll wear off.” Sweets advises.
Carol can’t help but smile. If they were expecting anything tonight, it wasn’t this.
The rest of the night is much more casual. Despite what Sweets has just learned, he seems closer to his cousin. They're both in the living room fooling around. Sweets keeps asking him to create random objects, and of course like the boys they are, he complies. You’re in the kitchen getting rid of your dishes and grabbing a snack. Carol joins you. Offering a smile.
“So an alien huh.”
“Yes. Fully alien.”
“It’s crazy, you look so normal. I always imagined the traditional beady eyes, round head.”
“Humans aren’t exactly known for their accuracy when it comes to history or science.”
“You’re right, a few decades ago people thought the earth was flat.”
“People still think that.” You comment.
“Point proven.”
She giggles.
“I think it’s amazing that you’ve managed to have a life here. To find someone you trust. A secret like that can’t be easy living with. Everyday I look at Hal and I wonder how he does it.”
You can understand that.
“He is extraordinary. He’s the first human that I’ve heard about becoming a lantern. Humans truly are amazing beings.”
She smiles.
“Is there a particular one you think that is a little more than amazing?” She nudges your arm.
“Someone in particular..”
Your thoughts stray to Sweets, and you find yourself smiling.
“I suppose so.”
You don’t state who it is.
Carol doesn't need you to confirm, she already knows.
You smile at Camille’s greeting as you lower your bag. The most recent case had led the team to an abandoned dumping ground. Apparently the remains were stuck in a sinkhole and there appeared to be some kind of medallion around his neck. Possibly an artifact. Camille was on a ladder trying to get to the body. Booth and Brennan were below arguing. Mostly because there was still flesh on the bones which Brennan has said countless times that it isn’t her domain.
“I don’t know why I’m here.”
“Come on Bones, it’s a case. We’re partners. Just stay here okay.” She looked a little annoyed that she wasn’t able to do actual work. Booth looked up when Camille’s ladder rocked slightly.
“Hey you might wanna be careful up there.”
“I’m not a princess, Seeley. “ She retorted, slightly tugging at the loose root that had the corpse restricted. With one pull the body got loose and she screamed when her leg slipped. You moved to her side immediately, opening your arms as you caught her. Her hands settled on your shoulders, still a bit stunned and the body was now on the ground in front of Booth.
“Good catch.” He called.
Camille nodded.
“G-Great catch.” She advised. You just offer a smile.
“You smell good.” She mumbled, right as you set her down. Dusting her jumpsuit, she straightened.
“Let’s get the body back to the lab.”
She trotted away, clearly still a bit flustered.
“I think she might have just fallen in love with you.” Booth joked.
Brennan looked blankly at him, but then her eyes lit up.
“I get it, the action of almost plummeting that is commonly associated with the feeling of euphoria that couples feel. That’s funny Booth.”
He looked pretty proud that she found it funny.
You’ve come to realize that you really would be bored without this team.
~
Sweets is not surprised to see you buried in your work when he comes to your lab.
“I heard you saved Dr. Saroyan this morning.”
“It wasn’t that far a fall, she would have been okay. “
You’re currently assessing the necklace you’d gotten off the victim. You continue to carefully remove any extra dust or particulates that had remained after their official assessment.
“Have you eaten yet?”
“No, I’ll be taking my break in the next half an hour.”
He hums, moving closer to study the golden piece of jewelry.
“I’m about to head over to the diner, do you want me to just grab you lunch. Then you won’t have to be away from your work for too long.”
“That would actually be great, thank you Dr. Sweets.”
He can’t help but smile at the fact that you’re probably the only one who addresses him that way.
“The other night, thank you.”
You finally turn to him, lowering your tweezers.
“There’s not many people that know about my past. It’s nice to confide in someone. Especially since I’m the one who usually tries to fix every problem. Venting is therapeutic.”
You have to say that if anyone should be grateful, it’s you. If he hadn’t pushed so hard, you’d still be going through life somewhat isolated. It’s all you’ve ever known.
“You’re welcome. Whenever you need to talk, I’m here to listen.”
He appreciates it.
“On another note, I’ve been making some progress on the research front. Your journal got me thinking. Those rocks, they came from space That means there is a possibility that another kryptonian landed here. Not here specifically, but somewhere in the world. Naturally, I started looking for symbols, like the ones in your book. If something did happen to your planet, maybe someone else got away. You said it yourself, kryptonians and humans aren't that different. We all react the same way to crises. It’s not unreasonable to assume that some, or even one of them had a contingency plan. They must have known a war was going on on your planet.”
He’s not wrong.
You’d been pretty much a child, but you remember meetings being tense. You didn’t understand most of it, but you knew something was wrong. There was always a pain in your mother’s eyes when that man from the house of El came to visit. He was always so nice to you, and the other kids always spoke about being soldiers and leaders like he was. Your brother often went on a rant himself sometimes.
“You..could be right..”
He smiles.
“It’s not a guarantee, but it’s a start.”
He looks so ready to do whatever it takes to help, and you’re grateful. Without Sweets you probably would have never gotten the courage to even try.
“Thank you, really.”
He nods, giving a salute.
“It’s what I’m here for. Time for some hardcore research. We’ll stay up all night if we have to.”
He’s been grilling you about your powers for the last three weeks. You really shouldn’t be amazed, he is a book nerd after all.
Sweets has slowly been making progress on the journal that you handed him. It’s about as thick as an encyclopedia. So whenever he gets through a section, he comes to you to question or just stare at you with that excited grin like he just found out Santa Claus exists.
“Yes Dr. Sweets. Remember that time I threatened you, well the red wasn’t exactly a christmas light trick.” You casually sip your coffee in your office.
“But you weren’t really going to barbeque me right?”
“Right about now I’m considering it.”
“Hey!”
“I’m kidding. That would be too much of a hassle to explain.”
“Good to see you have your priorities straight.”
You grin into your cup as he flips through another page.
“This is amazing. Recording your life in this book, the experiences of your powers, that must have been extraordinary.”
“On Krypton we weren’t exactly superpowered. Our abilities were the same as humanity. There were soldiers and regular civilians. Your strength was determined by your own sheer will and training. From what I concluded, the sun in this atmosphere has a strange effect on us. That’s why control is so important. My parents taught me that abusing these gifts was wrong. It wasn’t easy for me, but I understood. Humanity is strong as they are fragile. Taking advantage of that would make me a coward.”
Sweets is always pleasantly surprised by your ideologies. Sometimes you said some really Booth-like things.
“That’s a great way to look at it.”
You nod, directly your gaze back to the computer. His sudden gasp after he reads over a page diverts your attention.
“You can fly!!”
“If you keep reacting like that everytime you find out something new I might have to start getting paid.”
“You have to admit that’s wild. You can actually fly.”
“Yes. It’s actually pretty easy. I can’t imagine any of the other kryptonians having an issue learning that skill. It took me two days to learn.”
“It’s so crazy how lightly you take all of this. Your entire existence is absolutely amazing.”
That statement makes you flush slightly. Sweets doesn’t notice, because he has his nose right back into the book.
Fidgeting in your spot, you’re grateful that he isn’t the one with super hearing, because for a moment it felt like your heart had betrayed you.
~~
“You’ve been getting along really well with Sweets.”
Angela’s statement makes you nod. After that day you brought everyone cookies the team seems to have adopted you. Angela had basically kidnapped you to have lunch with her and Hodgins. You were all waiting for Booth and Brennan to stop by.
“He’s a good friend.” You comment.
It’s true. Not many people would be so calm about your existence. You know Hodgins would lose his mind if he ever found out.
“Yeah, given the way you completely ripped into him that first time I’m surprised.” Angela kicks him from under the table.
“Oww!”
You smile.
“I’m grateful he didn’t hold a grudge. I was dealing with a lot at the time.”
“We understand sweetie, you don’t have to explain yourself.” She sends a look to Hodgins who remains quiet in his seat.
“Sorry we’re late!” Booth calls.
Brennan is right at his side and they join you as they begin filling in on the case. You’re not really listening to the conversation, more the way they are. How easily they work together despite them all being complete opposites. It’s somewhat encouraging.
“It’s either that or an alien.”
That pulls your attention.
“Come on Hodgins, last week you thought we had the bones of John F. Kennedy. Can you let it go.”
“But you have to admit it makes sense. Aliens do exist. “ Hodgins argues.
“I agree with Dr. Hodgins. I do believe in aliens.”
They all direct their attention to you.
“I’m an alien. “
The group begins to laugh and you smile.
“Hah ha, laugh it up, it's very funny.”
They are entertaining to be with, especially Hodgins.
~
“You said that?” Sweets smiles.
“I did. His reaction was funny.”
Sweets just shakes his head with a laugh.
“I suddenly believe all of Hodgins' theories.”
“He’s not exactly wrong. Kryptonians aren’t the only species out there.”
“There’s more!”
“Dozens more. My father and I visited a lot of different galaxies. I even got to see lanterns.”
“Lanterns?”
“Yes. The species usually varies, but they are typically protectors. At least most of them are. They have rings that provide their powers. How my dad explained it, the ring usually chooses who yields it. Similar to the tales of excalibur. All the rings are powered by an emotion. So you can imagine that not all of them are good. My dad’s best friend was a blue lantern. It’s said to be the hardest to control. He used to create ships with his ring and fly me around.”
You can’t help but smile at the memory.
Sweets enjoy the fondness of your expression as you speak about your past. He realizes that you’ve probably haven’t thought about all of this since you were a kid. Much less spoken to anyone about it.
“Your father sounds like he was an amazing man.”
“He was. When I was little I wanted to get the engraving for love on my arm. My brother had gotten it without my dad’s permission and I wanted to do the same. I was still young, and the elders regard engravings the same way humans view tattoos.”
Sweets laughs, because he gets it.
“Getting a child a tattoo isn’t exactly great parenting. Even if he let me have it my mom might have strangled him if she found out. So instead, he made me a necklace. “
Your fingers graze the metal and he marvels at it. So many times he’d seen you tug at it, he knew it held some importance. He just didn’t realize just how significant it really was.
“As painful as it is, I’m fortunate to have the memories that I do. The thought of being an infant and not knowing who I am or where I came from would have been more devastating. I’m grateful for the time I did have.”
He understands. Before taking this job he’d been going through a rough patch of his own.
“My adoptive parents died shortly before I took this job. I loved them more than anything in the world. Losing them broke a piece of me, but I never regretted anything. Knowing them, loving them. They made me into the person I am today.”
You can’t say you expected that.
“I miss them everyday.” He admits.
His eyes look a bit glossy, and this time, you are the one giving comfort. The same he’s so easily extended to you, even when you were hostile. You take his hand, and he wears a little smile as he laughs, despite the tears that follow.
“This is nice.” He says between the little sniffs.
