Rude Awakening
** I don't want to be a sexy scientist. **
"Hi, my name is Tina. How can I help you?" the woman whom answered the door said with a bright sun-shiny smile on her face.
"I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan; I'm Emma and Haley's Aunt?"
"Oh, Oh! Of course!" she lightly smacked her forehead, "Russ' famous baby sister! He always talks about you! He's so proud of you."
That hit her like a blow to the stomach. "Yeah…" she barely whispered.
"But I don't understand… why are you here?"
Booth grabbed that one, "Umm… Tina? Is it?"
"Who are you? The boyfriend? Russ didn't say anything about a boyfriend, why are you two here?"
"No… I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth. I'm her partner… and you see Mam, Russ and Amy…" he glanced at Brennan to make sure she was okay for the moment. "They were killed… in a car accident."
Brennan just stared at the porch under her feet.
"Oh my God!" Tina burst into tears.
"I'm here to tell the girls, and I'm going to take legal custody of them as well… it's what Russ wanted."
"They're… they're umm… still asleep," she wiped away her tears, "Come in, both of you… can I get you some tea… or some coffee maybe?"
"Unless you have Jack Daniels handy, I'll be fine…" Temperance stated, walking into the woman's house. Booth following her in as Tina closed the door.
"They umm… should be up soon…" it was obvious Tina really had no clue of an idea, of what to say to Brennan. "I'm just gonna… I'll just go check on the girls and see if anyone's awake yet… they fell asleep at about 10 last night. So they should be up soon… I'll be right back…" and with that she scurried off.
"I'm nervous Booth… what if I do this wrong?"
"You won't… I promise you."
"How can you promise me that?"
"I have faith in you…"
"Aunt Tempe?" a sleepy and obviously just woken up Emma rubbed her eye and yawned.
"Why are you here?" Haley finished for her still yawning sister.
"I'm here to pick you up…" she tried to smile without crying.
"Kay…" they both said suspiciously.
"We'll go pack up…" Haley dragged her teddy-bear and sister back into the other room.
About fifteen minutes later, the girls came out dressed and packed, Emma still yawning.
"We're…" Emma started.
"…Ready!" Haley finished.
Brennan turned to Booth with a tear in her eye, "Russ and I used to do that…" she whispered so only he could hear her.
He looked back at her sympathetically, "Do what Bones?"
"Get a syncopated rhythm of sentence's going…" she sighed.
"Huh?"
"We finished each other's sentences…" she went to the girls, "Come on… let's go…" and with that she took their two outstretched hands, and headed for the door, Booth once again following.
"Bye Mrs. Tina!" both of the girl's yelled, probably waking the other girl's up.
"Bye girls…" she had puffy eyes when she poked around the corner to wave good-bye to the girls. She met Brennan's eyes for only a moment, but it was enough for even Brennan to understand she'd be there if she needed someone.
After what seemed like the longest drive of Brennan's life, which in all actuality was only seven minutes… they arrived at Bones apartment building.
"Aunt Tempe?" Emma tapped her shoulder.
"Yes sweetie?"
"Where are mom and Russ?"
"Come inside and I'll explain… okay?"
"Okay…" she agreed, more than a little reluctantly.
She brought the girls up to her apartment, as Booth followed with there bags.
Once in the apartment, the girls plopped on the couch.
"All right…" Emma started.
"…explain." Haley finished for her, once again.
Booth came in and closed the door. He watched as Temperance sat on the oak coffee table in front of the sofa, and starred at the floor.
"Girls… you know your mom and Russ both loved you very much…"
"You mean love, Aunt Tempe…" Haley corrected her.
Brennan glanced up at Haley, and then Emma, "Yeah…" she whispered.
"Aunt Tempe… is you okay?" Emma asked timidly.
"No matter how I tell you girls this… it's gonna hurt… it's gonna make you sad…" she sighed, might as well get it over with, "Yesterday after they dropped you off, they went out to dinner… on their way back home… they were hit by a drunk driver… they…" she started crying now, "They were killed…"