She slips past Cam and Seeley who are both standing on the platform. She makes her way to Angela's office. Angela sits at her computer typing vigorously. She stops suddenly, even though Temperance hasn't made a noise.
"Liam," she says quietly before turning around. She jumps up and makes her way for the baby. She holds out her hands and he squeals at her. She takes him from Temperance.
"How did you know that I was here? I thought that I was being quiet."
"You were."
"So how did you know?"
"I smelled him."
"Does he have dirty diaper? I don't..."
"No he smells like baby."
"Excuse me?"
"Babies have a very distinct scent."
"You mean baby powder?"
"And shampoo, and lotion. I love the smell. Maybe they should make a scratch and sniff."
"Yeah," she nods.
"Why did you leave earlier? You know that Cam isn't going to like that you have him here with you."
"He's not with me right now, he's with you."
"What's going on? Why did you freak out? What made you go get him?"
"Helen Harris is suing me for custody of him."
"Harris? Harris why does that name sound so familiar?"
Temperance turns ghostly pale and is unable to answer. Angela looks at her and remembers instantly.
"Right," she nods.
"She can't take him from me. She doesn't have any right to him. He's my son."
"I know sweetie."
"Can you watch him for a little while?"
"Why? Where are you going?"
"I need to..."
"Bren don't do anything stupid."
"I just want to talk to her."
"That's a very bad idea."
"Why? If I can convince her that..."
"You have to do this the right way. You don't have anything to worry about. No one can take him from you."
"But what if she can? What if somehow she convinces a judge that she has a right to have him, she doesn't even have to do that. All she has to do is convince a judge that she should be a part of his life."
"Just because her son... she could be a wonderful person."
"I don't care. I don't want her to see him. I don't want her in his life."
"Why not?"
"You know why."
"Tell me."
"Do you have any idea what kind of damage that could do to him? Her idea of her son is clearly not of who he really was. She saw her son, and nothing else. I don't want her to tell my son anything about that man, because her judgement is clouded. I don't want her to make my son resent me, or hurt him in anyway. I don't care who she is or how nice she is, she could be a saint, it wouldn't matter. Her presence in my baby's life would only cause him pain."
"I know that."
"So what do I do?"
"You fight. Sweetie no one is going to let him be taken away. We won't let it happen."
"But what if we can't stop it?"
"We will."
"She can't have him."
"I know that."
They hear the sound of stilettos coming towards them. Cam comes into the room before either of them can react.
"What is he doing here? Doctor Brennan I thought that I made it clear that..."
"Cam it's an emergency," Angela tells her.
"What kind of an emergency? Is your nanny sick? Because that is not my problem."
"Helen Harris is trying to get custody of Liam," Angela tells her
"She can't do that can she?"
"Apparently she can."
Booth comes in behind them. "What's he doing here?" he asks as he approaches Angela.
Temperance walks out of the room.
"What's wrong? Where is she going?"
"I don't know, but you should let her go."
"What's going on? Why is he here? Not that I'm complaining but..."
"Helen Harris is trying to gain custody of Liam,"Cam announces.
"She can't do that."
"Well apparently she can try,"Cam answers him.
"Do you want your daddy?" Angela asks.
Seeley takes the baby from her. "You're willingly giving him up?" he questions her.
"I need to go talk to her."
"Why you?"
"Because she needs me."
"Why not me? I..."
"Booth she needs me."
He nods and Angela leaves the room. She finds Temperance in her office sitting at her desk, staring at it.
"Sweetie what are you doing?"
"Am I a bad mother?"
"No sweetie why would you think that?"
"I don't have any pictures of him here. Other mothers they show off pictures, and when people ask me if I have kids I don't know what to say. I don't know if I'm doing this because I'm trying to protect him, or if I'm trying to protect me. When did I become so concerned with what people think of me?"
"When you had a sweet little boy, who you worry about. A little boy who you wonder what people would think about him if they knew. You don't want the world to treat him differently. You want them to see him how you see him. He's your sweet, innocent, little boy. You don't want to have to justify your decisions to people, and you shouldn't have to."
"What should I say when people ask me if I have kids? I always just change the subject. I don't want anyone to think that I'm ashamed of him, because I'm not. I love him, more than I could have ever expected to love anyone, but..."
"It's within your right to want to protect him from all the bad in the world."
"Ange I could have lied and said that he was Booth's, he would have even signed the birth certificate, but I just couldn't. I mean all anyone would have to do was take one look at him."
"What do you mean? Bren he looks like you."
"You mean the dark curly hair or the golden skin?"
"No, the big bright eyes, and the ears."
"Would it have been better for him if I had given him up for adoption? Then he never would have had to know and..."
"No. You're his mother. He would have always wondered why you didn't want him. That would have hurt a lot worse than you wanting him."
"This is going to become a circus."
"Why?"
"My book is about to be published... the media is going to have a heyday with this."
"You can only protect him so much. Keeping him in a bubble away from the world hurts him more than it helps him."
"He's perfectly content."
"Because he doesn't know any better yet."
Cam comes into the office holing a sleeping baby.
"Where did Booth go?"
"He had to go interrogate a suspect."
"I believe that this belongs to you," she smiles as she attempts to give the baby to Dr. Brennan. She gets out of her chair and walks past Cam. She pulls out a play pen and opens it next to the couch. Cam gently lays the sleeping baby inside. The three women silently sit down. Angela and Temperance sit in chairs and Cam sits on the couch in between them.
"He's so happy, and pleasant all the time. What do you do to him?" Cam questions.
"Nothing, that's just the way he is," Temperance answers.
"Dr. Brennan you know that we won't let anything happen to him. We're all here for you."
"I know."
"Is he smiling?" Cam asks.
"Yes," Angela nods.
"He's asleep."
"Uh huh," Temperance answers.
"He reminds me of Booth," Cam adds.
Temperance looks at her questioningly. "How so?" she wonders.
"When he smiles he has this look about him. That same one that Booth has sometimes."
"You mean the charm smile?" Angela clarifies.
"Absolutely," Cam answers.
Temperance says nothing. She sits in silence and stares at her sleeping baby. No matter what it takes, I won't let anyone take you from me, she thinks to herself. As if he can hear her he opens his eyes and looks at her for a one brief moment. He smiles, and drifts back to sleep seconds later.
