Once everyone was acquainted and comfortable, Aiden suggested that they find some breakfast. The obvious choice was the Royal Diner, and Aiden's mother insisted on taking the rental car, and Aiden insisted on driving. Antonia sat quietly in the back seat, her eyes focused on Aiden's eyes as he glanced at her in the rearview mirror. He was still unable to read her expression, and it was bothering him to know that he couldn't tell if something was bothering her or not. He assumed that there was something beneath the surface, only because of the complete silence and razor sharp focus on everything but his eyes, until this moment in the car.
"So this diner, you've been there often?" Liz asked politely, looking out the window as they drove down the road, she tried to picture what it looked like.
"Almost every day for lunch, sometimes breakfast too. It's close to both where Tex works, and where I work, so it's an easy place to meet at. Tex also lives close by, and it's been kind of a staple in her family for years, hasn't it?" He asked, looking at her in the rearview mirror, she lifted her eyebrow.
"Yes." She nodded. "We've been going here since I was a child." She said, not going into any more detail, her eyes moving back to the window. She turned her head and looked over to Fiona. She was watching Antonia with a sparkle of curiosity.
"Miss Ant?" She whispered, watching the woman tip her head curiously. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure." She said with a smile, unsure of exactly what this little girl could have on her mind, she watched as she sucked in a deep breath. "What's on your mind?"
"Why do you have a boo boo on your eye?" She asked, pointing at her own eye, referring to the still dark and visible bruise on Antonia's face. "Did Uncle Aiden hit you?" She whispered, glancing to Aiden as he looked back at the two girls, the concern in his eyes was clear, and he nearly spoke up.
"Oh, that's silly. Uncle Aiden would never do something like that." She said with a smile. "I was protecting my little sister from a bad man with a bad temper." She explained. "He was mad, and he didn't mean to hurt me, it was an accident."
"Does it hurt?" She whispered.
"Nah, not anymore." She smiled.
"So you're a tough cookie?" She asked, watching as Antonia's lips curled to a curious smile.
"Miss Ant is a very tough cookie, Fiona." Aiden said, watching as the girl's green eyes flickered to her uncle and she smiled. He then glanced at Antonia and smiled at the slight blush in her cheeks. "Okay, here we are." He said, putting the car into park. Antonia climbed from the back seat and carefully closed the door just as Aiden closed the driver's side door. "I love you." He whispered, watching as she gave him a slight scrutinizing look.
"I've heard that somewhere." She teased as she squeezed his hand, and let him make his way around the car to help Fiona from her seat.
They walked into the diner together, Antonia nodding toward the waitress with a smile as they made their way toward a table against the window. The waitress brought menus, and glanced to Ant with a smile. "I'll just have my usual." She said, garnering a smile.
"Same here." Aiden said as he glanced to his mother who was studying the menu. "We'll need just a couple minutes." He said with a smile. Fiona had decided what she was going to have, and sat quietly in her chair, looking out the window at the passing cars, her little legs swinging as she smiled happily.
Suddenly she gasped, and pointed. "Look, Gramma, a police lady." She said, a smile on her face as she watched the young policewoman coming toward the diner, her steps a little rushed. Antonia glanced over and immediately recognized Grace coming down the sidewalk.
"Tex, isn't that…" He said, just as Grace was about to pass the window, she stopped and smiled at her sister through the window, though took pause when she noticed Liz and Fiona. She immediately began to sign to her sister through the window.
Fiona gasped and grinned at the communication. She had no idea what was said, but from the smile on the police officer's face, she only guessed she was friendly. Fiona waved and giggled.
"That's my sister." Antonia explained, signing back to Grace who she was sitting with. "She wants to know who you are." She said, signing back to Grace to come inside and not be asocial. "I told her to come inside and introduce herself if she's going to be nosy." Antonia said, as Fiona giggled.
"You know American sign language?" Liz asked, watching as Antonia's attention snapped back to her for a moment, a bit of crimson working its way up her cheeks.
"Um, yes." She said, glancing to Aiden.
"Tex knows ASL, and is also fluent in Spanish, French, and…"
"Chinese." Antonia finished softly, a bit embarrassed by the pride he was exhibiting, and also distracted by her sister walking up to the table, she smiled. "Gracie." She smiled.
"Hey." Grace said, stepping up to the table, she gave Aiden a pat on his shoulder and he smiled up at her. "What are you guys up to?"
"Grace, this is Liz Fitzgerald, Aiden's mother." Antonia said, watching as her sister shook her hand. "And this is Fiona, Aiden's niece. They are visiting from Chicago."
"It's very nice to meet you, Fiona." Grace said, reaching her hand out to the little girl, she shook her hand with a smile.
"Gracie Booth." She said, giving the little girl a wink.
"You're a real police lady?" Fiona asked, smiling at Grace as she stared at her badge.
"I sure am." She said with a smile.
"And you're Miss Ant's sister?"
"Right again." She said, looking up at the tall figure walking down the sidewalk. "That's my breakfast partner." She said, watching her sister roll her eyes. "What? It's his day off."
"So you make him get up and come meet you for breakfast?" Antonia teased.
"He likes breakfast." She said, looking up as Jack stepped into the diner. "I'll see you guys later, it was nice to meet you Mrs. Fitzgerald, Fiona." She said, as she stepped away from the table and walked up to Jack, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the counter as Antonia waved at him. He said something to her and glanced back to Antonia, concern on his face.
"That is her fiancé." Antonia said, listening to Aiden chuckle at the tone of her voice at the word, and earned himself a slight scowl.
The waitress came to the table and took the orders of Liz and Fiona, and they talked lightly as they waited. Antonia kept noticing Jack looking up and glancing to their table, and sighed softly. "If you'll excuse me, I have to ask my sister a question." She said as she stood up carefully and walked around Aiden's chair. She smiled and then walked toward her sister and Jack. She got to them and put her hands on their shoulder. "Okay, what's the problem over here, officer?"
"Hey." Jack said, turning around, he immediately took Antonia's face in his hands. "What the hell did he do to you?"
"He's freaking out about your black eye." Grace said, rolling her eyes.
"That asshole could have done this to you!" Jack whispered angrily.
"But he didn't, he did it to me… and can you let go of my face before my boyfriend's mother thinks you want to make out with me?" She said, as Jack let go of her. "It's fine. We took care of the problem, and I'm fine."
"Well, I'm not fine. You need make sure he gets what he deserved for assaulting you." Jack said, shaking his head.
"I think she gave him what he deserved when she rolled him down the stairs and broke his nose and cheekbone." Grace shrugged. "But that's just me."
"You think this is a joke?" Jack asked, his voice still holding a bit of anger, something he rarely ever displayed.
"No, Jack. It's not a joke, but there's no sense in getting all worked up about it."
"Besides, he wasn't aiming at me, he was aiming at Aiden." Antonia said, glancing to the table as he watched them talk. "Speaking of which, I should get back to the table. You two kids behave yourselves." She said with a snarky smile, earning her a double set of rolled eyes.
"Yeah, have fun with the future mother in law." Jack sniped back quietly with a laugh as Antonia growled at him and turned around, watching as the waitress brought their meals to the table, she made her way back over and slid into her seat.
"So how's Jack?" Aiden asked, watching as Antonia looked to him with a smile.
"He's doing well." She said, glancing up at Aiden's mother and over to Fiona as everyone started eating. She could sense there was a bit of tension at the table and Aiden's cheeks seemed a little flushed. She caught Liz's eye and smiled, noting that the woman's eyes flicked back to her meal. "Jack is a family friend." She explained, suddenly feeling awkward. Her stomach was doing flips as she tried to eat, and she suddenly felt a little warm.
Aiden glanced to her, and could see that she was uncomfortable, and he placed his hand on hers. She looked into his eyes and he gave her a slight smile. "So did you guys want to go to the Jeffersonian today?" Aiden asked, watching as Fiona's eyes lit up.
"Yes, yes yes!" She said with a smile. "Miss Ant is going to show me the dinosaur bones!" She giggled.
Liz cleared her throat and looked up at Aiden. "Actually, perhaps we could do the museum tomorrow." She said a bit curtly. "I'd like to get our things situated in the hotel, and perhaps take in some outdoor sites today since the weather is more pleasant. Tomorrow is expected to be colder, it might be better to do the museum then." She said, never taking her eyes off her son.
"That's fine." Aiden said.
"I can't wait to see the dinosaur bones, Ant!" Fiona said. "It's going to be so fun." She said, catching her eyes, she watched Antonia smile at her. "Isn't it going to be fun?"
Antonia took a deep breath, looking into those innocent green eyes and the excitement that was just pouring from them, her smile infectious. "It'll be tons of fun." Antonia said with a sincere smile. "And since I work at the museum, I know all of the dinosaurs personally." She said, winking across at the little girl.
"Really?" She asked, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Yep, I can introduce you to them." She smiled.
"So cool!" Fiona said as she smiled across at Antonia, glancing to her uncle with the same grin. "Ant is the best!"
Aiden leaned to her ear and watched his niece's smile. "And you said you don't get along with kids." He scoffed playfully.
"Hush and eat." She whispered, giving him a nudge as their eyes met, and she made a face at him. She watched him smile and shake his head. He could see the concern in her eyes, and wished he could dispel her worries. He squeezed her hand lightly and watched her smile slightly, as they both returned to their meal.