Temperance sat at the computer in her office, working through some of the most recent findings of the case. She had sent Antonia home for the evening with Aiden and Melody, and just wanted just a little peace to catch up with her work, as well as let Antonia have a little breather from her marathon supervisory role that she had just completed. Booth went home to check on the house and unpack their luggage, and Temperance finally had a free second to settle back into her routine. The phone on the desk rang, and she picked it up quickly without looking away from her computer screen. "Brennan." She said quickly, as if she hadn't just gotten back from a four month long trek across the United States and Europe.
"Mom!" Grace's voice moved over the line happily, the joy in her voice evident at hearing her mother's voice, she smiled into the line. "You're back!"
"We are back." Temperance said, her own smile on her lips. "I sent Antonia home, she looked absolutely exhausted."
"Well, she wouldn't listen to me when I told her, but you know how she is. Does it feel good to be back? I'm so glad you guys are home!" Grace said excitedly. "I was just checking in on her, but this is a great surprise."
"I am sure you are just missing your father's cooking, and would like some help on those last minute wedding items that you've been dying to give someone else to do." Temperance said with a bit of humor.
Grace let out a laugh and sighed lightly. "Just a little help." She said lightly.
There was a soft pause on the line, and Grace could feel a sense of tension through the line. She was about to ask her mother what was wrong when Temperance spoke up. "Your sister's little secret came as a surprise."
Grace stayed silent for a moment, and swallowed hard, as the joy seemed to drain out of the conversation. "Well, you know, Antonia is pretty well known for her quick reflexes." Grace said, listening for her mother's response and hearing nothing. "So Dad survived all of the plane rides, huh?"
"He did very well, better with each trip." Temperance said as she checked an e-mail that came in.
"And less dosage of the tranquilizer." Grace teased.
"He only needed the tranquilizer pills once. It was a particularly bumpy ride early on. Antihistamines knock him out very quickly also, and they were a little kinder on his attitude when he woke up." Temperance said with a laugh.
"I bet." Grace laughed. "So you took Antonia's news pretty well, huh? How did Dad take it?"
"Just fine, I suppose." Temperance said, thinking of the surprise on her husband's face when Angela told them that their daughter and Aiden had taken in the little girl from the case. "It was a bit of a shock, but I think that considering under the circumstances, it was a good decision. They have one another to work through this, and that's very important."
"Uh, right." Grace said with a pause.
"What is it?" Temperance asked, listening to the uncertainty in her daughter's voice.
"I just thought that you and dad would have thought it happened too quickly." Grace shrugged. "They've only been together for six months." Grace replied.
"I think that it's fine. They practically live together now, so it's a good home environment." Temperance said with a sigh.
"But Dad was seriously fine with both of his daughters being engaged at the same time? I would have thought that he would have…"
"Excuse me?" Temperance asked, her voice raising slightly in volume. "Engaged?"
"Um." Grace paused, panic rising in her throat as her heart began to beat wildly. "Oh. I have to go. I'm at work, I just got a call in. Burglary." Grace said quickly.
"Grace." Temperance said sharply.
"I'm so glad you guys are home. We should have a welcome home dinner soon. I love you." Grace said quickly.
"Grace Keenan Booth!" Temperance growled.
"Love you, Mom. Say hi to Dad for me!" Grace said quickly as the phone line went dead.
Temperance slammed down the phone and stood up immediately, stomping toward the door of her office, she nearly ran into a suited body that was coming into the doorway.
"Geez, Toni." Ace snapped as he stopped in his tracks, and the brown eyes he expected to be staring at him were a steely blue. His jaw dropped and then a grin rose on his face. "Doc!" He exclaimed. "You're back!"
"Christopher." She snapped. "Don't call me that." She said, her finger pointing into his chest, she tried to push past him, but he took her arm and turned her around.
"Booth didn't say he was back yet, I didn't…"
"Why are you here?" She said, her voice clipped, her eyes cold, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared.
"I needed Toni, are you okay?"
"I sent her home." Temperance snapped. "What do you have?"
"I need a squint or two. We found the boy." He said, nodding toward the door, he watched Temperance's attention snap back to him and he could see the sudden concern in her expression, the fear. "He's alive." He nodded. "Barely, but he's alive."
"Good." She said, sighing lightly as she felt her heart rate slowing at the news.
"We just need to go to the crime scene, gather evidence. We have the boy, but we don't have the suspects." He said, watching Temperance think for a moment, her eyes scanning the lab for a second.
"I'll get my things." She said, turning toward her office.
"You got it, Doc!" Ace called after her.
"Don't call me that, and I'm driving!" She exclaimed without looking toward him.
"Good to have you back, Doc!" He exclaimed, laughing as he watched her shake her head and disappear into her office.
The ride to the crime scene was in relative silence, though Harding had his eye on his partner throughout the drive. The GPS was guiding them to the address they had been given. At one point, Temperance let out a growling sigh. "Will you please stop looking at me."
"Sorry." Harding said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "You just look like you have a lot on your mind."
"I don't like being lied to, and I don't like information being kept from me." Temperance said, slamming her foot onto the accelerator, she then hit the brake lightly to calm herself.
"I'm not keeping any information from you." He said, and immediately felt her foot hit the accelerator again. "Doc, come on."
Temperance's eyes narrowed as she continued to drive. "I don't like being kept out of the loop." She said, slamming on the brake again, this time a little harder, she suddenly stopped the car dead, swerving to the side of the road as the dust kicked up around them.
"Jesus!" Harding exclaimed. "You're going to kill us! I did not miss your driving!" He said, releasing the handle on the door as he turned to see her steely blue eyes staring into him. "What?"
"You knew! You knew all of it! You knew about the kid, you knew about the moving in, and you knew about the engagement!" Temperance exclaimed. "What else are you keeping from me?"
"Nothing!" Harding exclaimed. "I'm not keeping anything from you."
"You're lying to me! I can see right through you, Christopher! There's more to this then you're telling me!"
"She doesn't tell me anything!" He exclaimed. "The kid thing? I made the decision not to say anything. It's between them. I think it's good for the girl. They can communicate, and Toni cares for her. It wasn't her decision, it was Fitz's decision. He knew you were coming home and that most of Ant's responsibilities would be dropping off again. He knew that she was more than willing and able to care for a child. They have a clean apartment in a decent neighborhood, and it's temporary." He said, trying to catch his breath, his heart still racing from her driving. "Doc, I'm serious."
"And the engagement?"
"That literally happened yesterday. It was a spur of the moment thing, I'm not even sure if it was genuine." He said, watching her eyes snap to his, her eyes narrow. "Doc, seriously. I don't know anything more, nothing. I thought you liked Fitz."
"I don't like not knowing things. I don't like finding things out second hand, and I certainly don't like the idea of you knowing things before I do!" She growled.
"I was there when it happened. Angela knows." He mumbled.
"Angela knows?" She asked, her eyes wide in disbelief.
"Angela, Grace… probably Jack and Hodgins."
"But not her own parents." Temperance asked. "Is there something wrong with me? Am I a bad mother? We were gone for too long, weren't we? Did I do or say something that…"
"Temperance." Harding said, noticing the surprise in her eyes when he used her first name. "She'll tell you when she's ready. It won't be long. You literally got home about four hours ago. How did you find out?"
"My other daughter was blessed with a penchant for loquaciousness." Temperance sighed.
"Grace is a big mouth."
"Precisely." She sighed.
"So." Harding said, nodding toward the road. "Are we ready to go now?"
Temperance sighed again, nodding slowly as she bit her lower lip. "Yeah, let's go." She said, slamming her foot on the gas without even looking, they flew back onto the road, as Harding held onto the handle above the door, and his other hand on the center console, as he closed his eyes. "Toughen up, Ace."
He glanced over to her as he settled into his seat for the ride. "I see where your daughter gets her driving etiquette." He said, taking a deep breath as he settled in his seat for the ride.