Aiden stepped into the room with Melody's hand in his as Ace led the way. A woman sat in one of the chairs at the table, and stood up when they entered the room. She was a bit older, and she had an almost condescending smile on her face as she bent down to meet the little girl. "You must be Melody." She said, her voice a bit too sweet for Aiden as she signed to the little girl. She stuck her hand out for the little girl to shake her hand, and Melody looked up at Aiden, who shrugged and may have rolled his eyes slightly.
Melody smiled and put her hand out to the woman, signing a greeting as she shook her hand politely.
"I am Special Agent Aiden Fitzgerald." He said softly, holding out his hand to the woman, who smiled at his extended hand and shook it politely.
"Agent Fitzgerald, I am Mary Martin with Child Protective Services." She said, shaking Aiden's hand, he nodded and indicated the chair, as he pulled a chair out for Melody and he and Ace sat down. Melody sat on the chair for a moment, looking across at the woman and then climbed from her chair and into Aiden's lap. He gave her a playfully suspicious look, and she held her finger to her lips and he shook his head and chuckled. "Well, it appears that she has really taken to you, Agent Fitzgerald." Mrs. Martin said with a laugh.
"She knows who to butter up to." He said, holding her securely on his lap. He sighed, and looked across at the woman, who exchanged a look with Ace. "So, what's the situation?" He asked, looking to Ace and back to Mrs. Martin.
"Well, it appears that Sandy and Mitchell Cameron were in the process of adopting Ms. Hunter here. Her case is unique, as you can see because of her disability. I understand that she was a witness to this awful tragedy." She said softly.
"I was present for her interview, and based on what she has told us, she didn't witness the act itself, however she did see its aftermath." Aiden said softly, bouncing the little girl lightly as she looked up at him with a smile.
"Mrs. Cameron was quite unique. Many foster parents seldom ask about handicapped children, and she specifically asked for a deaf child." Mary said softly.
"May I ask what Melody's background is?" Aiden asked, having only heard the little girl's account of her situation, he wanted to know more.
"Well, Ms. Hunter here was living with her mother. She was a single mother, and the girl's father was no longer in the picture. Her parents had kicked her out of the house when she became pregnant. Melody was born profoundly deaf, meaning that she's never been able to hear. However, not long after Melody was born, her mother became involved in prostitution and had developed a drug habit. She had been arrested a few times, and Melody has been in and out of foster care for most of her life, but not typically for any long periods of time." Mary cleared her throat. "About a year and a half ago, her mother overdosed, and Melody ran outside for help when she couldn't wake her mother up. A neighbor called the police, and she was taken in by Child Protective Services. She was placed in a group home with other disabled children until Mrs. Cameron began the process for fostering and adopting her." She sighed, watching Melody as she looked at Aiden, poking at his cheek when she noticed the concerned look on his face, he looked down at her and gave her a wide eyed expression that made her laugh. "She's gone through so much in such a short amount of time." Mary said, shaking her head, she watched the little girl push her head into Aiden's chest, smiling as she looked over at Ace, and her smile disappeared. "Do you sign, Mr. Fitzgerald?"
"Just a little." Aiden said, keeping his focus on the social worker. "My fiancée is well versed in ASL. She is the one that helped me interview Melody. She was the one that was at the crime scene with Agent Harding." He said, avoiding Ace's eyes. "She's a forensic anthropologist here at the Jeffersonian, Doctor Brennan-Booth." He said, praying that his little white lie didn't come back to bite him.
"Oh?" she said, seemingly impressed. "She's here now?"
"Yes, Ma'am. Her mother is Doctor Temperance Brennan, and while she's out of the country Antonia has been the lead here at the lab."
"She's the woman that I told you was with me at the crime scene, the one that has been watching after Melody since this morning."
"Ah, the woman who the little one had become attached to." Mary smiled.
"Quite literally." Ace responded, chuckling slightly.
"Oh, well I'd like to meet her." Mary said, watching the little girl's eyes as she looked to her curiously. "Frightened children very often are incredible judges of character."
"Antonia has had experience with trauma, and is extremely sensitive to children under extreme circumstances." Ace said, looking to Aiden as he nodded his head, unsure if he was speaking about her experiences with trauma herself, or through her schooling.
"Melody?" Mary signed to the little girl, watching as her attention focused across the table at her, her eyes on the woman, her head tilting slightly. "My name is Mary. I'd like to ask you a few questions." She said, watching as the little girl nodded. "Are you scared?"
"No." Melody replied, furrowing her brow slightly, her lip slid between her teeth as she watched the social worker curiously. Her question had piqued her curiosity about whether or not she should be scared.
"It's okay to be afraid, Melody. Do you know why I am here?"
"No." Melody replied, sitting back, she pushed herself further into Aiden's chest, and watched the woman as she signed. Her signing was a bit more rigid than Antonia's, almost authoritative, and it made Melody feel slightly self-conscious. "Are you taking me away?" She asked, a full on pout on her face at this point, her eyes narrowing as she sighed. "I need to find the bad men."
"She says she needs to find the bad men." Mary said, looking up at Aiden. He sighed lightly and watched as Mary spoke to her as she signed. "It's not up to you to find the bad men, Melody. That's what the police do. You don't have to find them."
"I saw them." She replied. "I saw them. I am helping." She was becoming visibly upset. "Where is Ant?" She asked, looking at the woman across from her. "Ant." She signed again, looking up at Aiden. "Ant. Where is Ant? Ant will tell her."
Aiden looked confused. And she signed it again. "Ant!" She signed more resolutely, smacking her fist onto her hand, she wiggled her fingers.
"Ant?" Mary asked, as suddenly Melody leapt from Aiden's lap, running for the door. Aiden pulled his chair out and ran for her, as she reached for the door handle, he picked her up, only to have her start struggling, her high pitch screech piercing the air. "She keeps saying 'Ant'." Mary said, standing up to see if Aiden needed her help.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Antonia stepped inside, as Aiden let Melody go, and she ran for the woman at the door. Antonia lifted her into her arms and Melody attached herself to her tightly, sobbing into her neck. "What on earth are you doing to her?" Antonia asked, her eyes filled with ire for the people in the room as she held the girl to her, and all eyes stared at the little girl and Antonia as she rocked her gently. "What happened?" She asked.
"This is Ant." Harding said, clearing his throat, he turned to Mary. "Doctor Antonia Brennan-Booth." Harding said, watching as her eyebrow raised slightly at the introduction.