Antonia stepped into the room completely, holding the little girl as she sobbed against her, her eyes moving between the agents and the social worker as she approached her. She held the little girl against her, her tiny legs wrapped tightly around Antonia, her hand clutching her shirt as the social worker held her hand out.
"Doctor Booth." Mary said with a concerned glance, she could see that Melody was calming, but her grip was still tight on Antonia. "I am Mary Martin with CPS." She said, shaking Antonia's hand as she tried to get a good look at Melody. "I apologize for the disturbance." She said softly, watching as Melody tucked her head into Antonia's neck, sniffling lightly as she held her.
"Is there something that I can help with here?" Antonia asked, eying the two agents as she walked to the head of the table, still holding Melody to her as she sat down, her hand moving to the child's head as she held her securely against her chest, her fingers running soothingly through her hair as she held her.
"Melody became upset when we began discussing the incident from this morning." Mary said, looking to Aiden and Ace, who nodded in agreement. "I didn't realize that she called you Ant, and she became upset when I didn't understand that she was asking for you." Mary said with a bit of an embarrassed chuckle.
Antonia nodded without saying anything, turning the little girl around on her lap, she watched as Melody sat sideways a bit, and watched Antonia. "What did I say about being polite?" Antonia asked, watching Melody's eyes drop. Antonia put her finger on the girl's chin and lifted her eyes to meet hers, lifting her eyebrow a bit. Ace watched the move and immediately thought of Temperance, having seen that look in her eyes many times. "Please apologize."
Melody turned toward Mary, her eyes still wet from tears as she sniffled. "I am sorry." She signed, her eyes full of apology. She looked to Ace she sighed. "Sorry, Ape." She said, a slight smirk lifting onto her face as she then looked to Aiden. "Sorry, Bean." She said, looking to Antonia, who let out a light laugh.
"Bean?" She signed, saying it out loud, she looked to Aiden who gave her a humored smirk. Melody swiped her eye with the back of her hand and signed her explanation and Antonia laughed again. "She says you're tall like a beanstalk." Antonia said, smiling, the little girl seemed to relax as she sat with Antonia, she looked up at her. "Why are you so upset?"
"You said we were going to get the bad men." She signed, glancing to Mary across the table. "Mary wants to take me away. I need to help."
"You are helping." She replied, being sure that Mary could see the entire conversation. "You helped by telling us what happened."
"I need to help more." She replied indignantly, watching Antonia watch her with a concerned look. "I need to help more, Ant. Please?"
Antonia looked to Mary and gave her an apologetic look. "She's expressed her concern about returning to the group home." Antonia said honestly.
Mary tipped her head, giving the girl an extremely concerned look as Antonia felt the tiny body push further into hers. "That is one of my concerns as well." Mary said, clearing her throat. "Since Melody was placed with the Cameron's, the group home that she had been placed in has reached capacity. We have limited resources to take in a disabled child, and we have been working diligently on finding a place for her. Unfortunately, the waiting list is several weeks out." Mary said softly. "I'm afraid that Melody may need to be placed in an orphanage until something can be worked out." She said softly.
There was a soft silence in the room as Antonia stared across at Mary, her jaw set slightly as she felt the small fingers that were gripping her hand, kneading her skin as she focused on Antonia's fingertips. Antonia refused to look at Aiden and Harding, a slight panic rising in her chest as she thought of this little girl being left to her own devices in a scary place where it was possible that nobody could communicate with her. She could feel a lump in her throat as the seconds ticked away and nothing was said, though her mind was reeling out of control.
"We could take her in, Ms. Martin." The voice came across resolutely and serious, and at first Antonia thought she had said it. Her eyes snapped to Aiden, and he was still speaking, explaining how he and Antonia lived together, and were engaged, and how because of his position with the FBI, that his background check was already complete. He continued about how Antonia was a wonderful role model, fantastic with children, with a doctorate and degrees in several fields, as well as passing all background checks as well. Antonia watched him with wide eyes, his tone was serious and even, and when his eyes locked with Antonia's, they flicked to the girl, and he couldn't help but continue. "I am actually not on duty until the end of the week. My niece and sister-in-law are moving to town, so I will be helping them, so I will be available to care for her as we move forward." He continued. "We would love to take her in, Ms. Martin. Is that possible?" he asked.
Mary watched Aiden for a moment, his eyes were sincere and full of concern, his voice on the verge of innocent desperation.
"Well, there is a process that must be followed Mr. Fitzgerald. Home visits and an application process, but since you are law enforcement a lot of the work has already been completed." She said, seeming to sound positive about it, she looked to Antonia. "Doctor Booth?"
Antonia shook from her shock of Aiden's words and looked to Mary, finding that her grip on Melody became a bit more defensive. She loosened her hold a bit, as the girl looked up at Antonia and smiled, making a face at her as Aiden often did just to make her laugh, to relieve the tension in her expression. Antonia watched those deep blue eyes as she looked at her, the pleading in her eyes even if she had no idea what the conversation was about. "I would be more than happy to take her into our home." She said, her eyes moving to Aiden as he gave her a supportive smile. "For as long as needed. It's important that a child feel loved, supported, and listened to." She said, watching Aiden nod. She looked to Ace, and was sure that she saw a bit of pride in his eyes. "Would the process take long?" She asked.
"Well, let me make a few phone calls, and I would like to speak with Melody privately, if that will be alright with you." Mary said, looking to Melody, she could see the little girl was very happy sitting with her new friend.
Antonia looked to Melody and tilted her head, watching the little girl as she smiled. "Melody, Mary would like to speak to you, just you. Is it okay if Aiden and I step outside for a minute?" She could see the panic in the little girl's eyes, the fear of being taken away. "We will be right outside that door." She said, indicating the door. "Would you feel better if Ace stayed with you?"
Melody turned her head to Harding and watched him for a good long moment, and then looked to Antonia. She then looked to Aiden as he made a face at her, and she laughed. She looked to Antonia and nodded.
"Okay. Ace will stay here with you and Mary, and Bean and I will wait for you right outside that door." She said as she carefully lifted the girl to the chair beside her, watching as she smiled. "Here." Antonia said as she reached for her pendant on her neck. She carefully unclasped it, and put it on the little girl. Melody lifted the pendant in her hand and looked at it, and back up at Antonia. "This is a promise that I will be right there." She signed, pointing toward the door, she watched Melody nod and looked at the pendant again. "That is very special to me." She explained, watching as Melody smiled.
"I will keep it safe." She said, looking up into Antonia's eyes.
"Good. I will see you soon." Antonia said, as she excused herself, taking a step back, she grabbed Aiden's arm and tugged at him, as he also left the room, closing the door behind him.
As soon as they were out of the room, she pulled at his arm and pushed him against the wall. "Hey, hey! We're out in the open, none of that." He said playfully, though he could see from the fire in her eyes that this was not playful.
"What the hell were you doing in there?" She asked, pushing him against the wall, looking up into his eyes as he watched her cautiously.
"I am trying to help Melody." He whispered, noticing that several squints were looking in their direction.
"By lying through your teeth? There was not one thing that you said in there that was the truth. We are not engaged, and we do not live together. What the hell were you thinking?" She whispered angrily.
"I was thinking that we needed to buy her time, so that she doesn't end up in an orphanage, Tex. Is that what you want?"
"Of course that's not what I want! But I can't take care of this child! I am not equipped! I don't have a place for her to stay. I'm responsible for the lab for at least another week. We both have jobs, Aiden. Caring for a disabled child is a full time job! She's not a puppy!" Antonia said, letting go of him, she started to pace back and forth. "And what do you mean? Engaged? We're not engaged. We're not even remotely in the neighborhood of being engaged!" She whispered angrily.
"Will you marry me?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow, she snapped her eyes to him and he held his hands up in retreat. "I tried." He shrugged.
"Is this a joke to you? Do you think this is funny?" She asked, moving in on him again, she watched as he shook his head. "A child's life is on the line here, Aiden."
"We have the resources." He said, watching as she started to pace again. "We can set up my office as a bedroom. I'm off for the next week, and you and Ace are working on the case. I can care for her."
"We don't live together." She said, looking at him as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Where have you been staying all week while I was away?" he asked, lifting his eyebrow at her as she glared.
"That's neither here nor there." She said, shaking her head.
"Where is your toothbrush? Where are your clothes? Where do you eat? Antonia, we live together whether you realize it or not." He said, watching as she stopped for a moment, staring at the floor.
"We are not engaged." She said, pointing at him, he shrugged his shoulders.
"Fine, I embellished a little."
"You lied." She said sternly. "You lied, and now she thinks that you and I are… in this… together." She said, waving her hand with a frustrated growl.
"Aren't we?" He asked.
"I cannot care for a child, Aiden." She said, watching his eyes. "I can't handle that. I can't… do that. I cannot."
"Why? Because you don't relate to children? You don't understand them? These excuses are all bullshit, Antonia, and you know it. They're going to have to end at some point." He whispered. "You're great with Fiona. You're more than great with Melody, and you can communicate with her. Are you saying that what you said in there was a lie too? Do you want her to end up in an orphanage?"
"Of course not!" She exclaimed, louder than she had intended, she could feel her cheeks burning in embarrassment. "Aiden, why are you doing this?" She asked, watching as he moved closer to her, his eyes burning into hers as he watched a flicker of fear in her eyes.
"Because I know it's what you want. I know that you want to save her, and I could see that from the moment I stepped into that office and saw her there. I know you're afraid, and I know why you think that you can't do this."
"Why?" She whispered.
"Because you think that there is so much evil in this world hiding, lurking. You think that it is impossible to keep her safe from that. You think that it's easier to deny yourself the love of a child then it is to try to keep her safe, and fail." He whispered, staring into her eyes. "She's already seen the evil in the world, Antonia. She's already experienced more than any child should, and she's at a disadvantage for survival. She needs us, Tex." He whispered.
Antonia stared into his eyes for several moments, watching the intensity within his stare as he watched her read him as if she were examining remains. He watched her eyes as they traveled over the expression on his face, the way he stood, defensive and strong, and the way his hands clenched into tight fists. "We're not engaged." She whispered.
"No." He said, shaking his head, she could see a bit of regret in his eyes and was unsure if he was regretful because that was the truth, or because he lied. "I love you." He whispered, a twinkle of hope in his eyes as she watched him.
"Marry me?" She whispered, a whisper of hope in her own eyes as she watched his face brighten.
"What?" He asked, watching her eyes narrow, the corner of his lips lifted.
"You heard me, I'm not going to ask it again." She said, watching his smile. "Aiden?"
Just as he was about to reply, the door to the conference room opened. Mary smiled at the two of them, nodding toward the door. "Agent Fitzgerald, Doctor Booth." She said, watching the surprise on their face as she smiled. "Come on in, and we can discuss the process." She said with a smile. "It'll be best for all involved, if we can move forward as soon as possible."
"We'll be right in." Antonia said, glancing to Aiden as she smiled nervously, and Mary smiled back, stepped into the room, she closed the door behind her leaving the two of them standing eye to eye, with a question lingering in the air between them.