Update 21- "Vacation- From the Latin 'vacatio' and means, you know, freedom and release"

The airport was bustling and crowded, and Temperance hustled through the throngs of people as quickly as she could. She held her tickets in one hand, and her daughter's hand in the other as she pulled her carefully through the crowds. "Antonia, please let me carry you." She said as she leaned down to pick up the little girl, who pushed her mother's hands away.

"No, Mommy, I want to walk!" She said, moving out of her mother's way, she watched the frustration in her face as she struggled with her, and after another moment relented, allowing her to pick her up. "Where are we going?"

"On a trip." She whispered.

"To where?" She asked, glancing behind them. "I want to go back and see my daddy." She said as Temperance adjusted her daughter on her hip and looked around for the right terminal.

"We'll see him when we get back."

"Back from where?" She asked again, watching her mother's eyes light up as she saw her destination and started walking quickly toward the lighted number. "How are we getting there?"

"We're going to take a plane… we've had this conversation… why do you insist on asking the same questions again and again?" She asked the little girl, who could practically feel her mother's anxiety, she became quiet as Temperance moved toward the terminal. As soon as she turned the corner, however, her shoulders dropped when she looked at the screen.

"What's wrong, mommy?" Antonia whispered.

"There is a delay… of course there is a delay." She sighed, looking to her daughter who was watching her with a concerned expression. "We're going to have to wait a little bit longer, baby."

"Before we get on the plane?" She asked, her eyebrows rising as Temperance nodded and walked toward one of the seats in the waiting area, she slipped the carryon bag off her shoulder and sat heavily in one of the seats, shifting Antonia to her lap, she wrapped her arm around her and situated her on her lap as she reached for her phone. She flipped it open and dialed a number. After a moment, someone answered and she smiled. "Hey Ange."

"Hey, Sweetie… did you miss the flight?"

"No." Temperance said incredulously. "Its delayed, I just wanted to let you know… looks like a little under an hour."

"And you thought I'd freak out if you were late calling me?"

"Ange?"

"You're right, I probably would have freaked out." She laughed into the line. "How is Little A?"

"She's fine…"

"How did the visit with Booth go?"

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Booth looked up from his seat at the table when he heard voices coming from outside the visitor's room, and in the window he saw two little brown eyes peeking at him. He smiled brightly and waved, suddenly seeing a little hand waving in at him as the little head started to bob from jumping up and down as her hand waved in the air. He laughed to himself as he watched the door open slowly, the door being pushed open carefully, a set of little hands squeezed through the crack in the door before it had opened fully. "Daddy!" Antonia squealed as she ran across the room, watching Booth shift in his chair as he took the brunt of her hug with minimal pain, lifting her into his arms, she squeezed him tightly and kissed his cheek. "I missed you!" She said excitedly, kissing his cheek softly, she settled in his lap and turned to see Temperance walking in. "Mommy says we're going on a trip today…"

"She did?" Booth asked, smiling at Temperance, holding her eyes with his as she raised her eyebrows and sat down across from him. "Where did she say you were going?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at Temperance who just gave him a half smile.

"She said it's a secret."

"A secret?" He asked, surprised. "That's not fair…"

"I know, can you believe it?" She asked, shaking her head.

"You didn't even tell her until today?" Booth asked.

"I have learned in a very short amount of time, that if you don't want to be nagged to death by a child… you don't tell them anything until it's absolutely necessary." She replied.

"Good point." He whispered, reaching his hand across the small table, she dipped her fingers into his palm, and let him squeeze lightly. "But will you tell me?"

"We're… going to Minnesota… I have family out there." She nodded, watching his eyes follow hers. "Seven days." She nodded. He watched her for several moments, his attention on her as she focused on their hands for a moment. She could tell he wanted to say more, but couldn't. "It's not long… and she'll be okay, I'll be okay. I promised my father I'd call him every day, and Angela too. I'll call you." She nodded.

"You promised."

"I did." She nodded. "I promise, and I always keep my promises." She whispered. "I will call."

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"You told him you were going to Minnesota to visit family? Bren…" Angela whispered.

"No." She replied. "I didn't technically lie to him. I told him we were going to Minnesota… we have a connector in Minneapolis… and as for the family thing… I just said I have family there, I never said I was going to see them."

"Sweetie, you're treading on very dangerous ground here. You shouldn't lie to him, what if something happens?"

"Nothing is going to happen, Angela. Even if something were to happen… it's not going to matter if I was in Minnesota or California, Washington… It will be fine. I just wanted to let you know that we were running behind. I will call you as soon as the wheels of the plane hit the tarmac, I promise."

"Good luck, Sweetie."

"Thanks, Ange." She whispered, flipping the phone closed, she felt Antonia's head against her, and pulled her legs up as the little girl's eyes drooped sleepily. "Don't you sleep too much, princess." Temperance whispered. "We have a long flight ahead of us, little girl… don't you sleep too much right here."

"Okay, Mama." She whispered, leaning her head into her mother, she closed her eyes, and promptly drifted off to sleep.

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Temperance rocked her little girl carefully in her arms, her body rocking back and forth, as she closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the different flights being called. Her eyes closed briefly as she melted into her surroundings peacefully. She heard people talking on the phone, flights being called to different gates, cell phones ringing, people typing on their laptops. She rocked back and forth, humming softly to the small child in her arms, the words of those around her echoing in her head, when she heard it, her own voice.

"I'll see you when you get back!"

The last words she called out to him as he jogged out of the metal door, the rain pounding on the roof, the crowds surrounding her as she promised that she would see him when he returned, wishing him luck and love on his mission as he disappeared out the doors into the torrential downpour.

Her mind reflected on that moment, the moment her body reached the window to watch the plane take off, the rain pouring down the window that she was standing in front of, their bodies, dark in the shadow of the clouds as they ran up the steps and into the plan, her hand pushing down on the St. Christopher medal in her hand, her heart heavy as if she knew, as if she knew this would be the last moment she saw him.

Just as the plane began to move, she remembered, she remembered the heat, the grief, the pain, the screaming in the terminal, the alarms sounding as a full lockdown was put in place. She remembered the fire and debris falling to the ground, the St. Christopher's medal cutting into her hand from squeezing it so tightly, the crushing pain in her chest. She remembered all of this as she watched out the window, but the plane hadn't taken off yet, the plane was still on the ground, and he was there, he was still alive, and…

"NO!" She screamed, waking out of the slight nap she had found herself in, she looked down into the frightened eyes of her daughter, who had woken from her mother's shout, and Temperance looked around the terminal to see that there were many people staring at her. Antonia then began to tremble and cry. "Oh!" Temperance exclaimed, lifting the girl to her shoulder. "I'm sorry!" She exclaimed. "I'm so sorry, baby… Mommy had a bad dream, I'm sorry, baby…" She said as she stood up with her daughter and her bag and rushed away from the terminal, and down the hallway back toward the security desk. Antonia cried on her mother's shoulder as Temperance tried to get through the security check point, tried to get back to the lobby. She hadn't been on a plane since Booth's accident, and she now knew that this was a big mistake, this was a very big mistake.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" The security guard said, blocking her path as she bounced her daughter as her cries began to subside, her thumb finding its way to her mouth as she gripped her little gray elephant tighter in her hands, and her mother as well.

"I'm fine… I just have to go." She whispered, with a frustrated sigh.

"Ma'am… you seem, distressed, is there a specific reason you need to leave? Has someone hurt you?"

"No, I just have to go… I have to go right now."

"Ma'am, we're going to have to take you aside, okay? You appear to be quite distressed… and you're making other passengers nervous."

"You don't have to take me aside, I'm leaving." She said, her anger starting to get the best of her when she heard from behind the security guard a familiar voice.

"It's okay, I can take care of it from here." Harding said with a smile as he held his badge up to the security guard. "FBI Special Agent Christopher Harding, sir, this is Doctor Temperance Brennan and her daughter Antonia. I can take care of the Doc from here." He said, watching the security guard watch him for a second and glance at his badge again, before allowing Harding to usher them back down the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered angrily, pushing him toward the large window, her cheeks that were once flushed with fear were now flushed with anger.

"I have a flight… seven thirty to Boulder." He said waving his ticket at her. "One connector in Minneapolis, Minnesota…" he said, grinning at Temperance's obvious livid state, her nostrils were flaring, her face flushed and red, she shifted Antonia in her arms and the little girl finally looked up at Harding. "Hey, Squirt." He said with a smile.

"Don't." Temperance growled at him. "Don't you dare… you are not coming with me."

"I am coming with you." He replied.

"When did you…?" She asked, her glare still on him as he smiled a toothy grin.

"This morning… reinstated… apparently it was self defense. I could have told them that. In fact, I think I did tell them that."

"Harding. You are not coming with me!" She exclaimed.

"I already got my ticket, Temperance… First class." He read off the ticket. "I also believe it is right next to you."

"How did you… how could you even afford a first class ticket on this flight?" She asked angrily.

"Apparently… Angela and Hodgins thought it would be a good idea if you had someone to keep an eye on you two while you're gallivanting around Colorado." He shrugged as he nodded again toward the hallway.

"Ace." She growled.

"Ha… looks like you're taking to the nickname quite well. Oh… our flight is being called!" He said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she walked, he pulled a reluctant, and quite irritated Temperance toward their waiting flight. "And don't worry... I didn't tell Booth anything." He whispered, watching her glare at him angrily, as he walked her to the gate.