Aiden watched Antonia's expression drop, and heard the slight squeak of the door behind him. He swallowed hard and turned, noting that because they were blocking the door, Melody hadn't seen the new arrival into the room. He turned completely around and smiled brightly, noting the stern look on Temperance's face. "Doctor Brennan." He said softly. She looked to him with her eyes but her body didn't move an inch. "It's good to see you." He said, his smile fading slightly as she just continued staring. "How was the trip?"
"Aiden." Antonia whispered from behind him. She cleared her throat. "Aiden, can you take Melody over to Angela's office?" She asked, her voice stern and a bit forced. He turned his head to look toward her and watched a slight twitch in her left eye. The corner of his lips turned up and he could see that she was trying so hard not to break the mask she had put on. "The sketches need to be signed off on, for the suspects." She turned toward the desk and picked up a small stack of papers and handed them to him. "This is the paperwork that I mentioned earlier, for Melody. I filled out my portion, but you need to fill out the section for yourself."
"You got it." He said, glancing to Temperance, who continued to stand in the doorway saying nothing, he reached his hand out for the little girl. "Let's go, Shadow." He said, watching Melody's big round eyes as she grasped her bunny. She leapt from her seat, bypassed his hand, and grabbed his wrist. He lifted her up in one swoop, let her bury her head in his shoulder, and quickly slipped past Temperance into the lab.
Once Aiden left the room with the door closing behind him, Antonia took a step forward. She had the pendant and ring grasped tightly in her hand, finding it odd that something so small could give her the wave of confidence she was feeling. "You didn't have to come home early." Antonia said, lifting her eyebrow to her mother's expression, Temperance still stood watching her daughter quietly, and just as quickly as her confidence had risen, it deflated like a popped balloon. "I hate when you do this, you know? Stand there and read me like I'm a set of remains. I'm not. I've worked very hard here to keep things moving in the right direction at the lab. I feel like I've kept your momentum, kept your policies and procedures the status quo. We've had six cases in the past four months, four of which have been solved, one turned out to be a suicide, and we have the current case that we're working on now. I've moved nothing in your office, I've kept everything exactly where you left it, and I haven't once shot or maimed my partner, or your partner... or anyone for that matter!" Antonia exclaimed. "Why are you still looking at me like that?" Antonia barked.
"Are you done?" Temperance asked, tipping her head slightly as she watched Antonia let out a frustrated grunt.
"Where is Dad?"
"He got held up with Hodgins and Angela. He's looking forward to seeing you." Temperance said, as suddenly the sound of screaming came from the lab, bouncing off the walls, making both of them jump.
"Oh, Crap." Antonia said, quickly moving around her mother as she made her way out of the door. She ran for Angela's office as Aiden came running from the room, hot on the heels of the little girl as she ran directly for Antonia. "I've got her." Antonia said, and with a quick scoop, she pulled the girl into her and immediately started walking toward the doors of the lab in search of a quiet place where she could talk to her, as Melody buried her face in her shoulder and clawed at her as she sobbed.
"Antonia! Where are you going?" Temperance exclaimed, walking quickly to catch up with her daughter, she moved through the closing lab doors right behind her. "Antonia! Stop!"
Antonia turned sharply and looked toward her mother, feeling the wracking sobs of the child against her as she faced Temperance. The doors to the lab slid closed, leaving them alone in the hallway. She said nothing, just waited for Temperance to continue. The only sound was the sobs of the little girl.
"You need to talk to me about the case, Antonia. Stop, and talk to me." Temperance said, approaching her daughter cautiously as she held the girl against her. "Is this the child you found?"
"Yes." She whispered, rocking Melody in her arms as her sobs began to slow.
"Why is she here? I thought you said that she had been taken care of." Temperance asked. Her voice held no anger, only concern, and it seemed odd to Antonia that one day she was so vehemently opposed to her connecting with the child, and now seemed concerned for her well being. "Antonia, why is she here?"
"She's a witness, she's a victim. She's traumatized. She's hurt, and I need to do this. I need to take care of her." Antonia whispered. "I need to do this."
"Where were you going?" Temperance asked, touching Antonia's arm, her eyes filled with concern, the hardness from moments of earlier softened and nearly disappeared.
"I don't know, I just... I needed to get her away from... I needed to..." Antonia stammered.
"Are you running away from me?" Temperance asked. "Talk to me."
Antonia watched her mother for a moment, her eyes filled with something that mimicked betrayal, but was possibly just fear, or longing. "I missed you." Antonia whispered, her voice cracking lightly as she rocked the little girl. "Didn't you miss me? You never say it. You never say it on the phone. You came home early, and I'm pretty sure it's because you think I'm going to mess up this case. Don't you trust me? You trusted me for nearly four months, but what? You got to the end of your rope and you couldn't stand to be away from the lab? You told me...you told Grace not to let me get attached. You're treating me like I'm a child. I told you that Aiden and I were moving in together, and you just ignored me. I've asked to speak with Dad, and you just brush me off. What is wrong with you? What did I do? Are you angry with me? Why are you so upset with me?" Antonia asked as tears sprung to her eyes. Melody had stopped crying, and was now looking into Antonia's eyes. She turned her head to look at Temperance, and then back to watch Antonia's pleading expression.
"Sweetheart, no." Temperance said softly. "I'm not angry with you, and I do trust you."
"Then why?" Antonia whispered, sniffling as another tear fell.
Temperance took a measured breath, watching the exhaustion in her daughter's eyes. "You haven't been sleeping."
"I'm sleeping just fine!" She said, stomping her foot, her eyes moved to Melody, whose eyes widened. "Sorry." She signed to Melody, and the girl rested her head back on Antonia's shoulder.
"Toni, I've talked to Christopher. I've talked to Angela and Hodgins, they all say the same thing. You're overextending yourself, and you're exhausted. You need a break." Temperance said seriously. "Antonia, you need a break."
"I don't want a break." She said, watching Temperance's eyes for a moment. "You don't take breaks, you never take a break!"
Temperance could see by the way she was reacting that she was not going to get anywhere standing in the hallway. "Why are we having this conversation out here?" Temperance sighed. "Can we please just go into the lab, and you can catch me up on the case? Please, Antonia? Talk to me."
"I have to find out what made her so upset." Antonia said softly, pulling the girl from her arms slightly, she gently placed her onto the ground. Melody's shoes touched the floor and she dropped her gaze, holding her hand out for Antonia's. Antonia slipped the pendant and ring that she still had in her hand into the pocket of her lab coat, and knelt before Melody. She put one of her hands in hers and lightly touched the girl's chin with her fingertip, where the little girl's eyes lifted and slowly met hers. "What happened?" Antonia signed to Melody, watching the girl's eyes flick up to Temperance, and back to Antonia, she shook her head and closed her eyes. Antonia gave her tiny nose a little poke to get her to open her eyes and she received a scowl. "Don't close your eyes. Don't ever hide from me. What happened?" Antonia asked, speaking aloud as she signed. "Why did you run away?"
Melody shook her head, ignoring the question for a moment, sighing she reached up and gently wiped a tear from Antonia's cheek with her fingertips, curiously looking up at Temperance, she took a deep breath and released it slowly. "She made you cry." Melody signed, she gave Temperance an angry glare.
"I'm okay. This is my mother. She is protecting me." Antonia said, watching Melody's eyes move to Temperance and back to her again. Antonia looked up at Temperance, who was watching the two of them with a tender smile. "Mom, this is Melody." Antonia said, as she signed as well. "She is a special girl."
"I can see that." Temperance said, she crouched down and reached out a hand. "It is nice to meet you, Melody." Temperance said as Antonia interpreted. Melody gently shook Temperance's hand, still unsure about her.
"She is a foster child, no family." Antonia whispered. "And she is profoundly deaf. She had nowhere to go. She's alone."
"And it looks like she found a worthy advocate." Temperance whispered, her eyes meeting Antonia's as they spoke with their eyes for a moment.
"I'm exhausted, Mom." Antonia whispered.
"I know, sweetheart." Temperance said, leaning her head on her daughter's, she put her arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple gently.
They remained that way for a moment until the door of the lab slid open, and Antonia looked up to see her father and Aiden walking through the doors into the hallway to check on them. Antonia's eyes lit up at the sight of him. "Dad." She grinned, standing up quickly, she moved toward him and immediately pushed herself into his waiting arms. "I missed you." She mumbled into his shoulder as he felt his strong arms holding her close.
"I missed you too, kid." Booth said with a contented smile as he kissed the top of her head and held her for a moment.
Melody watched curiously as Antonia held onto this stranger tightly, her eyes moving to Temperance, and then to Aiden. He smiled at her and gave her a wink, lifting his hand, he signed. "Daddy." And nodded toward Antonia. He made a face at her, and she smiled, moving toward him, she grabbed his hand. She looked up at him as she pushed into his leg, lifting her hand, she signed the same, as she watched Antonia and her father, while holding tightly to Aiden's hand.