[The silence, and his nod, reaffirm that she is right. Of course she is, she knows she is -- but it is good to know that others agree with her.
That makes the shift in topic all the more unexpected, though in fact, she would not know what to say even if she had expected it. Rather than ask him to clarify what he means in a bid to buy herself time and perhaps get him to say something she can use to respond with, she makes the effort to understand without asking for an explanation.
He could mean that she's come a long way since arriving in the colosseum, or since losing Zack to the whims of the door. The latter in particular had been very painful emotionally, since she had still been hurting over the sudden separation from her family. But that does not seem like much of an accomplishment. It's a fairly normal part of adapting to a new situation.
It must be something psychological, which means she will have to be gentle when she lets him down, because clearly he means it as a compliment--
Oh. She gets it now. Back when they had first met, she would not have bothered sparing his feelings when criticizing his field, but now she has respect for him, if not for psychology. And she can see how, before, she would have been much more curt and dismissive about his reaction to her opinion on their situation in this aboveground location. She'd said to Booth once that she used to be impervious. She'd forced herself to build that kind of shell in order to survive in a world where the people she loved most could disappear with no warning, long before she'd learned the reasons why they'd left. But now, she had said, she is strong. She can be hurt, by others and by what she feels, but she is able to endure.
It is that same shift that Sweets must be referring to, in his own way, because it is the same shift that allowed her to admit she had fallen in love, and that had led to Christine's very existence.
Knowing what he means does not give her the words to say -- this is not her forte in the least -- but it makes it easier to try and find them.]
Yes. I have. [She glances down at her hands, clearly out of her element, but not uncomfortable. Being vulnerable, even the slightest bit, even with people she trusts, is still difficult.] You have been... a large part of the how and why.
[And Angela, and Booth, and Max. Everyone. All her friends, her family.]
I-- recognize that it may have been difficult. That I may have been difficult. But you have been patient, and for that, I am very grateful.
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That makes the shift in topic all the more unexpected, though in fact, she would not know what to say even if she had expected it. Rather than ask him to clarify what he means in a bid to buy herself time and perhaps get him to say something she can use to respond with, she makes the effort to understand without asking for an explanation.
He could mean that she's come a long way since arriving in the colosseum, or since losing Zack to the whims of the door. The latter in particular had been very painful emotionally, since she had still been hurting over the sudden separation from her family. But that does not seem like much of an accomplishment. It's a fairly normal part of adapting to a new situation.
It must be something psychological, which means she will have to be gentle when she lets him down, because clearly he means it as a compliment--
Oh. She gets it now. Back when they had first met, she would not have bothered sparing his feelings when criticizing his field, but now she has respect for him, if not for psychology. And she can see how, before, she would have been much more curt and dismissive about his reaction to her opinion on their situation in this aboveground location. She'd said to Booth once that she used to be impervious. She'd forced herself to build that kind of shell in order to survive in a world where the people she loved most could disappear with no warning, long before she'd learned the reasons why they'd left. But now, she had said, she is strong. She can be hurt, by others and by what she feels, but she is able to endure.
It is that same shift that Sweets must be referring to, in his own way, because it is the same shift that allowed her to admit she had fallen in love, and that had led to Christine's very existence.
Knowing what he means does not give her the words to say -- this is not her forte in the least -- but it makes it easier to try and find them.]
Yes. I have. [She glances down at her hands, clearly out of her element, but not uncomfortable. Being vulnerable, even the slightest bit, even with people she trusts, is still difficult.] You have been... a large part of the how and why.
[And Angela, and Booth, and Max. Everyone. All her friends, her family.]
I-- recognize that it may have been difficult. That I may have been difficult. But you have been patient, and for that, I am very grateful.