May 4th 2009-It's a beautiful spring day. The sun is out, flowers are blooming, and birds are chirping, none of which can be witnessed from inside Dr. Temperance Brennan's office. On this particular day she has just arrived at the office, and is waiting on Cam and Booth to show up so they can continue working on their case. She is studying the toxicology report that Cam had given her when she hears footsteps coming towards her. She looks up from her file and sees Caroline coming in the door.
"Caroline what are you doing here? It's not even nine o'clock yet," Temperance announces after looking at her watch.
"When is your publisher going to release your next book?"
"In October why?"
"Did you change the biography in the book?"
"To what?"
"Did you change it to mention anything about your son?"
"No, I don't want to subject him to public scrutiny. My publisher doesn't even know about him."
"So then it is impossible that anyone could have found out about him through your book?"
"Yes why?"
"Do you take him out in public?"
"You mean like to the grocery store or the park?"
"Yes, that's what I mean."
"Yes, I can't stop going place because I have a baby."
"I'm not judging you, I'm just asking."
"Why are you asking?"
Caroline pulls a folded document out of her briefcase and hands it to Temperance.
"What's this?"
"This morning I was informed that one of my cases was being reviewed."
"By whom?"
"By another lawyer."
"For what?"
"This was the copy of the motion that I was able to attain."
"Caroline what's going on?"
"Get ready because you're going to get served by the end of the day."
"For what?"
"They're about to put your personal life on trial."
"Excuse me?"
"Helen Harris is suing you for custody of your son."
"Excuse me?"
"Helen Harris is the mother of Jeremy Harris, the man who..."
"I know who they are. How can she do that? Why would she do that?"
"They'll make you have Liam's DNA tested."
"For what?"
"To prove that he doesn't belong to her son."
"But he does."
"But if he doesn't her lawyers will make a move to appeal, and sue you for defamation of character."
"But..."
"They won't be able to do that."
"So..."
"So her lawyers know that, so they're suing you for custody."
"Why?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I'm sure that Miss Harris' lawyer's will play up the race issue."
"What issue?"
"That Liam is part African-American."
"I don't understand."
"They'll argue he belongs with her because she is a professor who teaches African-American culture, and English that she's more qualified to raise him."
"She can't do this."
"I know that it's not fair, and it's not right, but..."
"She can't take him away from me. How is she better qualified to do anything for him? I'm an anthropologist. I can teach him about several cultures. and.."
"I know."
"And I'm his mother."
"I know."
"Do you think that I'm doing something wrong?"
"No. If anyone is qualified to teach him about any culture it's you."
"But?"
"But her lawyers will argue that she's more qualified to help him overcome any racial issues that he may face in his life."
"Why would she want to do this?"
"She probably doesn't believe that her son was the monster that he was. She wants to prove that he was innocent."
"Why does it matter? He's dead."
"But she's found a way to argue that he's innocent."
"He's not."
"I know."
"Can I settle?"
"What do you mean?"
"Can I just pay her to drop this?"
"I wouldn't recommend it."
"So what do I do?"
"Get ready to fight."
Caroline leaves. Moments later Seeley arrives with breakfast. Cam and Angela come in a few moments later.
"Are you ok?" Angela asks as they all stand in her office.
"No. I'm not. I'm going home," she tells them.
"We have a case. What makes you think that it would be ok to go home?"
She slings her bag over her shoulder. She grabs a few folders and the document that Caroline had given her. She gives them to Cam and walks past them. She leaves the building, and gets into her car. She's waiting at a stoplight when her phone rings.
"Hello?"
"Temperance come back. We'll figure this out, you can't just leave."
"I can't be at work, where I can do nothing to stop anything."
"Temperance...."
"Seeley don't," she hangs up.
A few minutes later she arrives at her apartment. She unlocks the door and walks in. She shuts the door behind her, and heads into Liam's room. She finds the nanny changing his diaper. The nanny fastens the tabs and begins redressing the baby when she notices Temperance standing in the doorway.
"What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"
"I can take it from here."
"Dr. Brennan I..."
"Anna you're not doing anything wrong. I'm not firing you, I'm just giving you the day off."
"Why?"
"Some things have come up, and I would feel more at ease if I had Liam with me."
"What's going on?"
"I'll explain it to you later right now I'd just like to..."
"Dr Brennan are you ok?"
"No I'm not."
"What's wrong?" Anna asks as she hands Liam to Temperance.
"I'm being sued for custody."
"By whom?"
"It's a long story, one that I don't care to discuss in detail."
"I understand."
"It's complicated."
"I figured this much," Anna smiles as she tosses the dirty diaper into the diaper pail.
"I'm sorry if I scared you."
"There is no one that could ever replace you."
"I know I'm his mother..."
"Dr. Brennan I've worked for a lot of people. Most people hire nannies because they don't want to be bothered with their children. They have a baby, and then they just go back to work and expect a nanny to raise a child. Most people work, and work, and work even if that means missing their son's first steps, or skipping their daughter's first dance recital. You're different. You're a good, a great mother. You love him, and he's your number one priority. There isn't anyone more qualified to raise this little boy than you."
"Thank you Anna."
"Anytime Dr. Brennan."
Temperance sits down in the rocking chair after Anna leaves the room. She holds Liam closely. He starts whimpering. She looks down at him.
"I'm probably suffocating you aren't I?" she asks as she gets out of the chair. "Liam," she whispers softly. He looks up at her and grins from one ear to the other. "Let's go somewhere. Do you want to go bye-bye?"
She tosses some diapers, a change of clothes, a pacifier, a couple of toys, and a blanket into his diaper bag. She zips it tightly and slips a tiny green, zippered hoodie on him. She pulls the hood over his head and leaves the room. With her keys in her hand, a diaper bag on her shoulder, and a baby in her arms she leaves the apartment.
She gets to her car and places the diaper bag in the backseat. She carefully secures Liam in his carseat and shuts the door. She climbs into the driver's seat and puts the key in the ignition. She looks in her rearview mirror. Liam sits in his seat trying to pull a sock off one of his feet.
"Where are we going? Huh? Where am I taking you?" she asks him. He looks up at her and smiles. She turns the car on and pulls onto the street. She just starts driving. She somehow ends up in the parking lot at the Jeffersonian. She pulls into a spot and turns off the car. She removes the baby from the back seat and heads into the building. Knowing that no one would be able to take him away from her when she was there with all of the people who cared about her, and about her son.
