My Sunflower || Lance Sweets

Chapter Sixteen: Don't You, Forget About Me

Sweets returned to work two days after Isabelle finished. It was good to be back.

"Sweets! It's good to see you!" James Aubrey approached him, offering him something that was in his hand. It was a doughnut and he took is gratefully.

"Thanks man. It's uh, it's nice to be back, y'know. Especially when I didn't think I'd ever be back to see it." Aubrey nodded.

"Yeah I get that. I mean, I haven't almost died or anything BUT I do get that feeling." He walked alongside him.

"Is Booth in?"
"Yeah he's in. I'm actually about to head out to see Hannah and the babies so I'll catch you later, yeah?"
"Yeah, thanks Aubrey." He motioned to the doughnut and Aubrey waved him off and smiled as he walked to the elevator. Sweets approached Booths glass office and walked in, stopping only briefly to knock on the glass. Booth was on the phone but he motioned his friend in, feet kicked up on his desk as he spoke.

"Yeah, I understood what you said before but I... Hello? Damn it." He put the phone back in the cradle and relaxed back into his chair.

"Have trouble with someone?"
"Yeah. My wife." He put the phone down and rubbed his eyes. "Neither of us hqv slept solidly for the past week so I've sent Aubrey on assignment to go babysit."
"And I guess Hannah wasn't too impressed?" Booth shook his head.

"You know Han. She likes to do it herself. She doesn't want to trouble other people. She likes to be independent. But she hasn't showered in three days. Hell, I showered downstairs before coming up. The twins are exhausting." He said this but a smile came on his face.

"They're just babies, Booth. You'll be able to get payback on then when they're older."
"Oh you bet I will. Heather has an impressive set of lungs on her. She starts crying and boom, Hank joins in and my poor ears."
"But you love it."
"Oh hell yeah I do." He snorted. "Hannah's told me that if we have more kids, it's only going to be one and she's going to hook me up to a contraction simulator when she goes into labour."
"Oh that... Yeah I can see her doing that." They both laughed and Booth sighed happily.

"So how are you feeling, man?" Booth asked seriously, his eyebrow raised as he took in the younger man sitting across from him. Sweets shrugged.

"I feel okay. I'm a little sore in the morning. Especially with it being colder." Booth nodded.

"Yeah I know that feeling. Everything aches."
"That's just because you're old." Sweets snorted. Booty shot him a warning look. Sweets coughed and straightened his tie. "Anyway, it's also kinda quiet without Isabelle waking me up in the morning."
"I can imagine. You can have Hannah, if you want. Except she comes with two newborns." Sweets raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that so that I don't accidentally tell Hannah that." Booth rubbed his eyes and nodded.

"That's a good idea. Anyway, you need to get to work. You have a lot to catch up on." Sweets got to his feet, nodding.

"You're right. It's nice to be back, by the way."
"And we're glad to have you back." Booth smiled back and watched as Sweets walked out.

Sweets reappeared and Booth looked up sharply.

"What's wrong?"
"Why don't you hire Isabelle to help Hannah?" He asked. Booth eyed him and shrugged.

"Guess we never thought about that."
"Talk to Hannah. I think it might be good for you guys to have extra help. Especially from a nurse." Booth nodded thoughtfully and Sweets grinned before walking off to his office, a little spring in his step.

**********

Isabelle popped her food down on the counter and sighed happily as she ate it. She was particularly fond of fried rice and Wendell, who had bought some for their dinner the previous night and had left three quarters of the second fried rice container in her fridge instead of taking it with him to work. Which was his mistake. Because now Isabelle was in the process of eating the entire container.

"You're gonna get serious bloating if you eat all of that, Izzy." Mel walked in, straightening her scrub top as she moved, tucking down her tag at the nape of her neck as she walked. Isabelle snorted as she ate another forkful of rice and raised an eyebrow.

"But ish sho food." Mel shook her head an grabbed her lunchbox out of the fridge and popped it in her bag. Isabelle grinned through a mouthful of food and shrugged. "I'm graceful, what can I say."

"You're just a weirdo."

"Yeah I know. All part of my charm." Mel rolled her eyes and grabbed her thermos from the cupboard to and started making her tea. "Oh good news. I've sent my CV to a doctors office this morning after Wendell left. He'd actually found the practice and emailed me the application so that I could do it."

"Awww he's such a good boy." Isabelle snorted. "I'm serious. It's only been a few weeks but you guys are the cutiest tootiest."

"And you're the most randomist... But he is so sweet." Mel made a noise that made Isabelle flush,

Isabelle's phone buzzed on the table, drawing her attention away from her friend. She smiled when she saw who was texting her.

Sweets
I think it's fair to say that being back at work is not as fun as having a movie day.

She laughed and showed the message to Mel who laughed.

"I think he misses you, my dude."

"Is it fair to say I miss hanging out with him too?" Mel gave her a sweet smile and hugged her friend before making for the door.

"You're an odd one, Isabelle Montgomery. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. Doing a double shift and I might not survive the night." Isabelle blew a kiss in her direction.

"Good luck. Don't kill anyone." Mel sighed as she walked out the door, her passing words floating towards Isabelle.

"That's the complete opposite of our job, my dude." Isabelle laughed.

Isabelle

Shouldn't have healed up so fast because now you have to work.

His response came in the form of a phone call.

"You need to be more nicer to me. I got shot remember." Isabelle snorted

"And I helped you get better, dumbass. You're welcome by the way."
"... I guess you're right. Maybe I should get shot again."
"That... That I wouldn't recommend." He laughed. "Anyway why aren't you working?"
"I am working. I'm just bored." She rolled her eyes.

"Well I'm not. I'm eating Chinese food and let me tell you, it's good."
"Where'd you get it from?"
"That little place down the road. Wendell left a container here and he's never going to see it again."
"Why am I not surprised?"
"I'm hungry, man." There was a pause as Isabelle munched on her food. "So what, you miss me or something?"
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss you.  You're quite a presence."
"Why thank you."
"You're quite welcome.... Oh look, work just walked through the door."
"I'll talk to you later then!" She said in a sing song voice. She hung up and popped her phone down just as it buzzed with a text.

Sweets
Don't you, forget about me.

Isabelle
Go do your work, Breakfast boy.

Isabelle shook her head and took her food over to the lounge, humming to herself. Her phone buzzed on the table again and she turned on the spot and went back to her phone, still eating her food. She paused midchew as she read the text.

"Hmph." She closed the messaging app and walked to her bedroom and grabbed her laptop. She opened it and sat down on her bed and waited. The call screen popped up and she answered it, waiting for the face that would almost match hers perfectly to pop up.

"Hey there, sis."
"What do you want, Arielle?" Arielle, Isabelle's almost but not quite identical sister stared back at her, her brown eyes staring at her through the screen.  Arielle Montgomery crossed her arms over her chest and eyed Isabelle.

"We need to talk."
"I gathered. But what about?" Isabelle put her food down and raised her eyebrows.