Hey ya'll. Sorry it took so long. Finals and all. I should be getting back on bored with this one as I roll into the summer. Here's another chapter. I wanted it to be longer but I thought you guys might be a little anxious. Enjoy.

XxXxX

"Hey sweetie, what's up?" Angela asked as she walked into her best friend's house.

"Hey Ange." Tempe sighed. "You'll be okay with her for a couple hours?"

"Yeah of course." Agreed Angela with a frown as she noticed how weary her friend looked. "Bren, what's wrong?"

"He's not the father." She replied simply, her voice quiet.

"Who?" Angela pressed, placing her hands on the anthropologist's shoulders.

"William Maisick. Do you understand what that means? This case is closed but the paternity of Charlotte is still open. What if he comes looking for her? What if Booth and I cant protect her, Ange?" Temperance's tone continued to increase in anger and frustration.

"Bren." Angela said, shaking her friend slightly. "Look at me, that is not going to happen." The artist watched as her friend's eyes visible calmed and she nodded. "You and Booth have given a lot to this little girl and when all is said and done she belongs with you. We'll figure this out and then we will do what we have to do, ok?"

Tempe nodded as she allowed her friend to pull her into a tight hug. "Thanks, Ange."

"No problem, sweetie. That's what I'm here for." Angela smiled. "Crisis averted."

"Were going to talk to the family. Booth thinks that Sophia's foster father is a possibility." Tempe explained.

"So you're going to talk to the other foster children." Angela stated for confirmation.

Temperance nodded grimly.

"Hey you two. Everything alright?" Booth asked with concern as he came down the stairs with Charlie in his arms.

"Just peachy, sweet cheeks." Angela grinned. "Now hand over that baby."

Booth laughed lightly as he placed a kiss on the little girl's forehead before passing her off to Angela. "Don't put any ideas into my little girl's head Angela." Booth scolded.

"What, me?" Angela said with mock hurt. "Seeley Booth, I would never."

"Uh huh." Booth nodded with a smirk. "You ready babe?" He asked turning to Tempe.

She nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

Angela watched in awe as a smile brightened on her friend's face as she regarded the little girl.

"Bye sweetie. We'll be back soon." Tempe said before placing a light kiss on Charlotte's cheek.

"When will you guys be back?" Angela asked curiously.

"We've got a meeting with Madeline after dinner tonight. How about we pick up some dinner on the way home?" Booth asked as he pulled his coat over his shoulder. "You can invite Hodgins over if you'd like."

"Oh, um-" As Angela stuttered, Temperance opened the door to reveal a goofy looking entomologist in the doorway.

"Hey guys." He said with a grin.

Angela let out a dramatic sigh. "Way to show up before the parents leave, Hodgins."

Booth laughed as he leaned in and placed a quick kiss on the babysitter's cheek. "Behave you two."

"Don't look at me." Hodgins shrugged. "She's the bad influence."

"See told you." Booth laughed as he ushered his girlfriend out the door.

XxXxX

"Are you ready to do this?" Booth asked Tempe as they pulled into the driveway of the somewhat familiar house.

She breathed in a deep sigh as he squeezed her hand. "Yeah, lets do this."

Booth nodded before exiting the SUV. The couple approached the house in silence, Booth's hand on Tempe's lower back. It took about thirty seconds after he pushed the doorbell for the woman to answer.

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, right?" Mary Chagnon said as she opened the door to the visitors, Elaina on her hip.

"Hello, Mrs. Chagnon. We've come to speak to you're family." Booth explained.

"Of course. Peter isn't here at the moment. Out looking for a new job." She said the last part quieter. "But the kids just got home, they had a half day of school today."

The woman stood aside as she allowed the company in. As Temperance walked by, Elaina held out her arms. Tempe looked between Mary and Elaina and once Mary nodded she held out her arms and picked up the little girl.

"Hi." Elaina said happily.

"Hi there, Elaina." Temperance replied as she carried the girl into the living room. "Do you remember me?" The little girl nodded enthusiastically before wrapping her arms around Tempe's neck and squeezing tightly.

"Kids can you come down here please!" Mary shouted up the stairs. After a few seconds, three other children walked down the hall. "Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth. These are my kids. Mark here is 15, Tyler; 10, and Lizzie is 7. And of course you've already met Elaina."

The couple nodded as they were introduced to the children, who all quietly sat down on the couch in front of them, with exception to Elaina who continued to play with Tempe's hair from where she sat in the older woman's lap.

"Mrs. Chagnon, would you mind accompanying me into the kitchen?" Booth asked with a kind smile.

The woman smiled genuinely in return. "Of course."

Booth nodded to Temperance as he followed the woman from the room.

"Hi guys, my name is Tempe." Temperance said as she regarded the children before her. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about Mary and Peter?"

The three children nodded. "Sure." Mark shrugged, speaking for his foster siblings.

"Is this about Sophie?" Tyler asked in a small voice.

"Shh, Ty Ty." Lizzie scolded.

"No, it's alright." Tempe smiled. "Yes, Tyler this is about Lizzie."

"Mary told us that she died." Added Mark sadly.

Temperance frowned as she looked down at the four year old in her lap, Elaina, who was apparently not listening to the conversation. "That's right. I'm very sor-"

"Who did it?" Mark as quickly.

Temperance chewed on her lower lip, wondering whether or not to tell them that it was William's fault. "It was an accident."

"Then why are you here?" Lizzie asked, her head tilted slightly to the side, her dark ponytail falling to her shoulder.

"Well, you all know that Sophia was going to have a baby right?" She asked, speaking slowly as she tried to find suitable words for the children. They all nodded their heads in the affirmative. "You see, the baby made it and we're looking for her father so that he can take her or she can be adopted."

"Like I'm gonna be 'dopted?" Elaina asked, looking up and the doctor.

"Yes, like you're all going to be adopted someday." She knew the truth about foster homes, but she felt the need to give these kids hope.

"No offense Dr. Brennan." Mark said. "But most of us wont be adopted. Sophia wasn't. And neither will we."

Temperance watched as Lizzie, Tyler and Elaina bowed their heads in defeat. "Hey, don't think like that." Tempe poked at the little girls ribs eliciting a giggle. "I was a foster kid too you know."

"Really?" Asked Tyler.

"Mmhmm." Tempe nodded.

"Were you adopted?" Lizzie asked.

Temperance thought for a moment. "Well… no, I wasn't. But I was taken out of the system by my grandfather. So there is hope, ok?"

Tempe looked quizzically at the children before her as Tyler began whispering back and forth between his two siblings. Mark nodded at his brother and sister before turning back to the doctor.

"We want to help. What do you have to ask?"

Tempe smiled. "That's great. Now, I understand if some of these questions are hard but we need you to be honest."

"What does honest mean?" Elaina asked.

"Um, it means, sweetie, that you have to tell the truth." Tempe explained.

"Because lying is bad?" She asked, curiously.

Tempe smiled as she ruffled the little girl's curly brown hair. "That's right." She turned back towards the other children before speaking. "Ok, do Peter or Mary ever get angry?"

"Mary's really nice." Tyler said with a smile.

"What about Peter?" Temperance pressed.

They sat quiet for a moment before Mark finally spoke. "He gets angry sometimes after' he's had a few."

"Had a few?" Temperance questioned, confused.

"Beers." Answered Mark.

"Oh." She said. "What happens then?"

"Sometimes he hurts Mary." Lizzie confirmed.

"Did he ever hurt any of you?" Tempe questioned.

"No." Lizzie said as Mark shook his head.

"That's not true." Mark corrected, quickly. "He hurt Sophia one time."

"What happened, Mark?" Pressed the doctor.

He looked at his foster siblings. "Ty will you take Lizzie and Elaina outside for a little bit?"

"Why cant we stay?"

"Ty Ty, please?" Mark asked more forcefully.

The younger boy nodded before leading his siblings outside, Elaina pouting slightly as went.

"What happened?" She repeated.

Mark sighed. "He was trying to touch El, you know?" Tempe nodded. "But Sophia wouldn't let him. So she let him touch her instead. She ran away that later that night. She didn't come back for a while either."

"Peter didn't try to touch Elaina or her again?" Asked Tempe.

"No." Mark responded. "I think Sophia made him promise he wouldn't if she let him do stuff to her."

Tempe leaned forward and placed her hand on the younger boy's. "Thank you, Mark. I know how hard that must have been for you." The boy nodded, sadly. "Why don't you go outside with the others?"

"Alright." He said as he stood and headed for the front door. Mark stopped partway and turned towards the doctor. "Do you think he's the father?"

Tempe sighed. "I don't know. But we'll figure everything out soon, I promise."

He nodded once more before leaving.

Temperance stood and walked into the kitchen where Booth sat at one side of the counter sipping coffee and chatting with Mary. "Mrs. Chagnon, may I speak to Agent Booth alone for a moment please?"

"Of course." Mary said, happily. "I'll be in the backyard if you need me."

Once she had left through the glass door in the kitchen, Booth turned to his partner. "What did you get?"

"He raped her?"

"Who?" He asked, confused.

"Peter raped Sophia." She clarified.

Booth wiped a hand over his face as he sighed. "So what now?"

"Well for one, I suggest you call for back up. These kids cant stay with this man any more." Temperance stated.

"We'll need to see if Mary knew anything about it too, it could make her an accessory." Booth added as he stood, pulling out his phone.

"If she is, she wont be able to foster this kids anymore. They'll have to be put into new homes after their questioned some more." Said the forensic anthropologist.

"I'll send someone to go pick up Peter too." Booth said as he dialed the bureau.

XxXxX

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