Antonia pushed her way into the apartment, following the loud, screeching sound that was piercing through the air as she turned the corner to the master bedroom, only to find Christopher Harding standing just outside the closet, holding a tiny screaming, writhing child by her ankle, trying desperately to get control over her as she swung her hands and kicked her one leg that wasn't being gripped by the FBI agent.
"Help!" He shouted, as the child kicked him hard in the chest, just as Antonia reached him.
"Who the hell taught you how to hold a child?" Antonia shouted over the screaming girl as she reached for the bucking child. She reached for her arms and lifted her from the air with minimal effort, her tiny body moving with all of the strength in her being. She continued bucking and punching, screaming, and kicking as Antonia took the blows in stride as she kept a tight gasp on her. The sounds emitted from the child's lungs were high pitched and terrifying as Antonia pushed herself backwards, sitting solidly on the bed without thought or care of evidence or crime scene, the child in her lap as she fought for her life. Antonia's sole concern was the writhing, screaming little girl that was terrified beyond belief. The little girl leaned in to bite Antonia, just as she moved her arm and tried to reposition her and Antonia managed to dodge it, watching as Harding came close to her, presumably to help. "No! I have her!" Antonia shouted as the girl continued to fight and Harding backed off.
Antonia ripped the glove from her hand with her teeth, dropping it to the floor as she placed her hand on the girl's forehead carefully, pulling her head back as she gripped her tightly to see if she could get her attention, pushing through the massive panic that was moving through the child's body. "It's okay!" She shouted, watching the wild and terror filled eyes that looked back at her. The little girl caught the desperation in Antonia's expression as she fought her, her legs now lying across her lap as she stopped kicking, but continued to push against her as she tried to get away. "It's okay!" Antonia said again. The little girl continued to buck slightly, her screaming becoming less as suddenly, Antonia clamped her arms around the child tightly, and held her against her body as securely as she could. After a moment, the child's screaming stopped, replaced by angry grunts as she whimpered and pushed against Antonia's body very lightly trying to get away. "It's okay." Antonia whispered, pulling the child's face to her skin, she pressed her cheek against her neck for a moment, holding her securely as she rocked her. "It's okay, you're safe. You're safe, I've got you." She whispered.
Harding watched as the struggling, screaming little girl stopped pulling against Antonia, and was suddenly doing the complete opposite, pulling herself tightly into the woman's body, her fingernails digging into Antonia's skin at the collar of her jumpsuit as she held on for dear life. Antonia loosened her own grip a little as she felt the girl clinging to her, rocking her gently as she closed her eyes. "It's okay." Antonia whispered. "I've got you, I've got you." She whispered, trying to stop the violent trembling of the little girl. She continued rocking the child for what she was sure was only a moment. The little girl's grip slowly loosened, but she still held fast to Antonia, and Antonia gave no indication that she was letting her go anytime soon. Suddenly, Antonia became aware of her name being called, her eyes opening to see Harding standing over her impatiently. Antonia slowly started to move, feeling the child's grip become tighter against her and a high pitched whimper. "I have you." She whispered, standing up, she quickly pulled the other glove off her hand as she shoved it in her pocket and stood up, all the while holding the little girl. She looked at Ace and glared. "What?" She asked, walking toward the door.
"Where are you going with her?" Harding asked, following after her. She blocked the hallway with her body so that the child would see nothing of the crime scene, she held the child's head against her tightly, the little girl's eyes tightly closed. "Ant!" He exclaimed, following her.
She said nothing, simply stepped into the little boy's bedroom and walked to the bed. Her eyes snapped to Harding as she dared him to say something. She nodded toward the bed.
"What?"
She said nothing, simply glowered at him as he walked to the bed and gave her a head shake. "Now." She said, her voice low and serious as he sighed and pulled the little pink rabbit from under the covers. Antonia reached for it, and Harding placed it in her hand. "Hey." Antonia whispered to the little girl, pushing the fur of the little bunny against the little girl's skin. "Hey, look who I found." She said softly. The little girl's eyes opened just slightly, her body trembling against Antonia. She spied the pink fur of the bunny, and greedily grabbed for it, pulling it into her, shoving it between her body and Antonia's as she gripped the woman again. Antonia's eyes burned into Harding's for a moment as he said nothing. "Call Grace. Tell her to come back." Antonia said softly, as she watched Harding. "Tell her to bring a child's car seat. There is no way this child is going with the FBI." Antonia whispered, pulling a small afghan from the end of the bed, she lifted the small blanket to cover the child's face, blocking her from the activity in the apartment. She felt the girl's grip become tighter on her, digging her fingernails into Antonia's body. "It's okay." She whispered, feeling the girl trembling. "I have you, I have you." As she walked out of the room with Harding right behind her. "My keys are in my bag. The evidence is being transported, as are the... victims. Make sure you grab my bag, and I'll have Grace drive us.
"Where are you going with her? You can't leave with her! She's a witness!" Harding said as she just continued to stalk through the apartment. "Antonia! Antonia, you can't take her." He said, reaching out to touch Antonia's shoulder, the woman turned around and there was a fire in her eyes like Ace had never seen, causing him to take a step back.
"Why? Would you like to manhandle her a little more? Do you want to swing her around the room by her foot or something? She's not going to talk to you right now, Harding. She's clearly traumatized. You have no idea what she's been through! You don't even know who she is! You said she didn't exist! She can't stay here, and she doesn't appear to be letting go of me anytime soon. So why don't you do as I asked, and call Grace... then use the little 'I' portion of your FBI name, and investigate to figure out who she is, and why she was at our crime scene!"
"I'm going to call Child Protective Services!" Harding exclaimed, watching as the flames flickered in her eyes, and she shook her head. The little girl's eyes were wide, staring at Harding, a cloud of fear in her eyes, and every time he came close to Antonia, she gripped her harder.
"As far as I'm concerned, she's evidence, not a witness. She's going to the Jeffersonian, and I will sign the chain of evidence forms. Now quit your yapping and call Grace before she gets further away." Harding moved closer to her, and Antonia wrapped her arm more securely around the girl. "She's scared to death of you, so stop following me!" Antonia said, descending the stairs with the little girl, she held her close as she pushed her way out of the apartment complex and onto the sidewalk and the hot summer sun.