July 4th - 2:00PM

The sound of Booth's sneakers on the clean floor of the lab squeaked through the hollow halls and as he approached the platform, he let out a low growl. "Can I help you?" Temperance asked, lifting only her eyes to him, she noted his casual dress and the scowl on his face.

"The lab is closed, it's a holiday. Come on, Bones!" He said, his voice nearly a whine. She was almost sure that he even stomped his foot just a little. "The picnic is in full swing, they are going to start the three legged race soon."

Temperance's eyebrow lifted, her eyes still just on him. "Crime doesn't take a holiday." She said with a pointed look, continuing her analysis.

"Yeah, yeah." He said, stepping to the first step to the platform, he watched her stand up straight, turning toward him. "Let's go. Work is done for now, the three legged race waits for no man."

"Have you seen your daughter?" She asked, turning back toward the table to continue writing.

"Uh, not yet. Which one? Why? Bones, what's wrong? You've been acting weird since you came home from the lab last night. Then you came in this morning without even saying anything to me other than the fact that you have work to do. Did something happen after I left the lab?"

"No." She said, staring at what she had written, her pen poised on the paper. She stared at the page as she heard Booth step up onto the platform and run his card. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Come on, Bones." He whispered, dropping a kiss on her ear. "Picnic outside." He said, nuzzling her slightly.

"Booth, we're on the platform." She mumbled, leaning back slightly into his embrace.

"I know where we are. What's wrong?" He asked. "Did one of your awful children do something to make you upset?" He asked, feeling her nod her head slightly into him as she sighed. "What did they do?"

She turned in his embrace, resting her forehead on his. She looked into his dark eyes and swallowed hard as she ran her hands along his arms for a moment. "I don't want to talk about it." She mumbled, trying to turn back around, he reached up and touched her chin, turning her face toward him again. He could see some unshed tears in her eyes, and she watched him read her carefully. "I'm just tired. We had a long flight, and I didn't sleep well. I'm still on Paris time." She mumbled.

"Bones, I know all of that is true, but that's not why you're upset. What's going on?" He asked, watching her eyes focus on him softly. "Who do I have to ground?"

"You can't ground them anymore, Booth." She said softly, almost a whisper. "They're grown ups now."

"They're never too grown up to be grounded, and also never too grown up for a three-legged race." He said with a playful smile, she rolled her eyes and tried to turn away from him. "Come on, Bones. Talk to me."

"Alright you two, get a room." Antonia's voice rang through the lab, sending both sets of eyes to look up at her entrance. She strode in wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, her hair tied up in a ponytail as her rarely worn sneakers squeaked on the floor. "Besides, the platform is a sterile environment, and you're my parents, so ew."

Booth could feel Temperance tense at their daughter's voice, and his eyes narrowed at her as he stood straight and walked toward the steps. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"What?" Antonia asked, looking between her parents. She could see that her mother was avoiding eye contact, and from the almost serious glare in her father's eyes, she was sure she was in trouble. "I didn't do anything."

"Why are you here?" Temperance said, writing more notes down, she refused to look up.

"I needed to talk to you guys." She said, her voice serious as she held her hands clasped behind her back. She knew why her mother was upset, and she could see from her father's expression that she hadn't said anything to him about the engagement. "And I figured since Mom was in here hiding from me, that you would both be in here."

"I am not hiding from you." Temperance snapped, her eyes finally meeting Antonia's, she could see the apology hidden within her dark eyes. "I'm also not hiding things from you." She said, slamming her pen down on the table.

"I'm not hiding things from you either." Antonia snapped, watching as her father watched the exchange as if he were watching a tennis match.

"Don't you lie to me." Temperance snapped, emotion in her voice as she turned toward the steps. "Don't you dare lie to me!"

"I'm not lying to you! I'm here to talk to you, to tell you."

"You're here to tell me because your sister told you that I was angry, that I was upset."

"Tell you what?" Booth asked, watching between the two women as Temperance stepped down off the platform and toward Antonia. "What did she tell you that she told her?"

"I wanted to tell you myself! Grace shouldn't have said anything! It wasn't her news to tell!" Antonia exclaimed, her face turning red in frustration.

"Well nobody else was going to tell me! I had to find out from another source. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?"

"Tell what? What didn't she tell you?" Booth asked. "Bones?"

"It wasn't a secret. I didn't… It had just happened, and… I was going to tell you." Antonia stammered, the fight draining out of her quickly.

"You were pretty quiet about it. It's pretty important news, and everyone else knows except for your own mother!"

"And father! He has no idea what is going on!" Booth said, watching as both of them snapped their attention to him, he held his hands up in surrender and took a step back. "Sorry. I'll just stand over here."

"Well?" Temperance asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What?"

"Let me see it." She said, nodding toward her daughter, her eyes stern and stormy.

"Oh!" Antonia said, beaming as she stepped close to Temperance, her left hand moving toward her mother as she watched the expression on her face soften.

"Oh, baby." Temperance whispered, taking her daughter's hand in hers as she admired the ring. "It's beautiful." She said, looking up at Antonia, the tears in her eyes were no longer from hurt, but a happy loving expression filled her eyes. "I'm so happy for you." She whispered, pulling Antonia into a hug.

Antonia looked over her mother's shoulder toward her father, and could see an expression of shock on his face, his eyes wide with surprise. "Daddy?" Antonia whispered, waving him over, it took him a moment, and after a long pause, he stepped to both of them and enveloped them both in a hug.

"When?" Booth mumbled against his girls, kissing his daughter's brow tenderly. "When?" He asked again.

"Well, unofficially two days ago, but he asked officially yesterday." Antonia said softly. "I was going to tell you, Mom. I was." She said, turning toward Temperance, she pulled her mother in for another hug. "I just wanted to wait just a little bit, it has just been a surreal few days, the Melody thing, Aiden came back from Chicago, and then you guys came home early, and I haven't been feeling well. I really was going to tell you today, I promise." She said, feeling her mother's arms tighten.

"I know." Temperance whispered. "Maybe I overreacted just a little." She said, pulling from the hug, she smoothed her daughter's hair. "Aiden's a good man."

"He is good for me, Mom. I know we've only been going out for a short time, but he really understands me. I feel human when I'm with him. I feel alive. I feel safe."

"Then it's right." Temperance said, leaning forward to kiss her daughter's cheek. She took in a deep breath, and smiled shakily at her daughter. "I never wanted you to grow up." She whispered.

"Well lucky for you, I am resisting." She smiled happily. "Dad, you still feeling limber enough for the old three-legged race?"

"Are you kidding me? We own this race!" He exclaimed, putting his arm around Antonia's shoulder. "Let's go Bones. You have to find your lame partner out there. She should be here by now."

"Grace is not lame! She is just of short stature!" Temperance said, pulling at her lab coat as she walked toward her office. "And stop practicing!" She yelled as she watched Booth and Antonia start walking toward the lab exit with their legs together, laughing as they nearly tripped over one another, and Temperance ran to get her things.

Dun dun dun...