July 6th -8:00am-
Antonia had fallen asleep as soon as Aiden had begun driving. The safety of having him in the driver's seat, and knowing that she could drop her defensiveness gave her the peace of mind enough to let her body completely relax. They had made a stop at a convenience store for gas, and Aiden had returned to the car with an activity book and some crackers for their back seat passenger, as well as a small travel fleece and a bottle of water and a few snacks for Antonia. She cuddled into the blanket, drifting in and out of sleep, when she realized that the car wasn't moving anymore. She shifted a little, groaning at the stiffness in her neck as she looked up sleepily. Aiden wasn't in the driver's seat, and when she looked to the back seat, she saw a little blonde head look up from her book and give a slight smile and a small wave.
Antonia's brow furrowed as she sat up, pulling the seat into an upright position, she looked around outside, noting that they were at a highway rest stop. "Where's Bean?" She signed back to Melody, who pointed over to a small picnic shelter where the tall form of a man was pacing back and forth, speaking angrily into a cell phone. Antonia sighed and looked back to Melody, and then back to Aiden as he walked back and forth, his head down, his free hand was rubbing the back of his neck. She sighed and unbuckled her seatbelt, pulled the keys from the ignition and turned to look at Melody who watched her curiously. "Do you have to go to the bathroom?" She signed, watching the little girl nod her head, Antonia smiled as she climbed out and moved around to the back seat and helped Melody from the car. She lifted her into her arms, and closed the door, pushing the button on the keys to lock them. When she did that, she gained Aiden's attention. He looked apologetic, a half smile on his lips as she lifted her thumb to her forehead, signing to him. "Dad?" She asked. She watched him smile a bit and shake his head.
"Anna." He signed back, watching her nod her head. She pointed to the restroom, and he nodded, watching as she carried Melody toward the restrooms.
He was still on the phone when she exited the restroom building several minutes later, and he looked no less upset than when she had left him. She held Melody's hand and they walked toward the picnic shelter together, watching him send them a slight wave as he rolled his eyes and listened on the line.
"Well this is my job, Anna." He stated firmly into the line. "I didn't plan this, okay? These things come up, it's the nature of the job." He said with an angry tone. "You are telling me that in the entire city of Washington DC, there isn't one person that can help you move your things into the house?" He snapped. "I'm not being sarcastic, I'm being…"
"You're being sarcastic." Antonia mumbled, watching as his eyes snapped up to hers. She smiled sweetly and he gave her a playful glare.
"I don't know what to tell you. I gave you some options, and you said no. So you can either move the stuff by yourself, or you can hire someone from the moving company to do it for you. Well then do it then! You don't need your stupid kitchen table in the house today, you can wait a day or two." He said, sighing. "You can stay at my place." He said, glancing to Antonia. She shrugged her shoulders. "You have the key, just let yourself in and stay there. There's food in the refrigerator, there's linens, a shower. Fi can stay in Melody's room." There was a slight pause and he bit his lower lip. "Melody is our witness, she's a little girl. She's been staying with Antonia and I." He sighed. "Fiona can stay in the bedroom we set up for her, it's fine." He sighed, he looked up and watched Antonia wiggle her fingers for the phone. Aiden shook his head, and her fingers wiggled just a little more.
"Tell her to call Jack." She said, finally.
"Hang on a second." Aiden said, looking down to see that Melody had a bit of a concerned look on her face, clearly because he seemed so upset. He made a face at her, and she smiled shyly at him. He looked up at Antonia with a confused expression. "Jack?"
"Yeah, Jack. Give her Jack's number. He can help move some of her things. He has arms, he has time, and he works with orderlies and stuff, they have to lift heavy things. I bet he can help." She shrugged.
"I'm not having her call JV to help her move. I was supposed to do it, I can pay movers to help her."
"Pay Jack, he's cheaper." She said with a smile. "And he's family." She said, tipping her head. "He owes me."
"He's marrying your sister, I think that makes you guys even." He said, listening to her laugh. "Fine, I'll see if she'll be up for it. How are you feeling?" He asked, leaning forward to kiss her gently.
"Feeling better." She said. "We're going to go back to the car. Tell Fiona that I said…"
"Oh,no." He shook his head, taking her hand. "You are staying right here until I'm done with Anna, and you can talk to Fiona yourself." He said, sighing heavily, he lifted the phone to his ear. "Sorry about that." He said into the line, watching Antonia snake her arm around his back and rest her head on his shoulder, her other arm holding Melody close as he spoke. He gave her Jack's information and phone number, and his tone had calmed considerably. Anna seemed to have relaxed, and he sighed. "Thank you, Anna. She's doing well." He said, kissing the top of Antonia's head. "I'm not sure how long, but we have to keep our witness safe." He said, not offering much more information. "Yes, please." He said. There was a pause and suddenly he had to lift the phone from his ear from the squeaking frustration of the child on the other side of the line. "Hey, slow down, slow down… here's Ant." He said, handing her the phone, she pulled her arm from around him and took the phone.
"Hey, Fiona." She said, cringing at the tone in the little girl's voice, she looked down at Melody and smiled at her as she looked up at her curiously.
"Oh my goodness, Ant! I was so worried! Uncle Aiden said you were okay, but I just couldn't believe him until I heard your voice! Are you okay? You sound like you're okay, are you okay?"
"I'm okay." Antonia said, a bit of humor in her voice. "I'm okay, I promise."
"Where are you?" She asked, seemingly out of breath from her earlier tirade.
"Uncle Aiden and I have to take a work trip." She said, looking to him, and he nodded approvingly at her. "I'm not sure when we'll be home, but it was a pretty quick decision. I'm sorry I wasn't there to see you when you got off the plane." She said, the tone of disappointment was evident in her voice.
"It's okay." Fiona said, though it was mostly because she wasn't sure what else there was to say. "Uncle Aiden drove like a maniac to find you. He said bad words and everything." Fiona tattled.
"He said bad words, huh?" Antonia said, glancing to Aiden as he looked at her with narrowed eyes.
"Yes, and he yelled a lot… and Mom yelled at him. It was really scary." Fiona sighed. "I was afraid that something bad happened to you."
"Nope, nothing bad happened." She shrugged at Aiden. "Nothing to worry about." She said in an almost convincing tone. "I will have a talk with Uncle Aiden about his potty mouth when young ladies are present."
"Thank you, Ant. And if he does it again, you give him a spanking!" She exclaimed, sending Antonia into gales of laughter, as Melody and Aiden watched on curiously.
"I will be sure to do that." She said, wiping tears of laughter from her cheeks as she sighed and watched Aiden continue to glare. "Listen kid, I have to go. You be good for your Mom, and I will be sure to talk to you soon."
"Okay, Ant." Fiona said, feeling much better about everything. "I will see you soon."
Antonia ended the call and handed the phone back to Aiden, who continued to watch her with a suspicious glare. "I told her I was sorry when I talked to her."
"Well, I have to keep an eye on you now." Antonia said, taking Melody's hand, she smiled slyly at him and leaned in for a kiss. "And if you misbehave, I have her permission to spank you." She smiled and walked ahead of him toward the car.
"Well Damn." He said, smiling brightly at the melodic laughter that led him back to the car.
Once they were all in the car, Aiden handed his phone to Antonia and gave her a pointed look. "You have to call your father now." He said, watching the desperate look she threw at him, he shook his head. "No puppy eyes, no sad face. You need to call your father right now. It's bad enough that I left with you and didn't tell him, but now he's going to think I'm keeping you from calling him. Please call him."
"I left him the card." She sighed stubbornly.
"And if I were in his shoes, I'd be really pissed that a card with your chicken scratch is all I got. Call your father." He said sternly, watching her eyes focus on him thoughtfully. "Please, call your father." He said softer.
She rolled her eyes and stared at he phone. "Fine." She muttered, dialing the number of her father's cell phone, she waited only two rings before she heard his voice.
"You son of a bitch! I've been calling your ass all damn morning! Where the hell have you been?" Booth barked into the line.
"Woah!" Antonia exclaimed, listening to his tirade come to a halt. "Do you kiss my mother with that mouth?"
"Toni!" Booth exclaimed. "Where are you?" He asked, the relief flooded his voice and she could almost feel herself relax at the sound.
"Still in Virginia." She said softly. "Aiden is taking us somewhere safe, away from the city, somewhere we can concentrate on the case and not worry about being shoved into small dark places, or have guns shoved in our face." She said with a bit of a dry tone. "I'm okay, Dad." She said softly.
"You should have come to me."
"You wouldn't have let me go, it's better this way. Now you and Mom can concentrate on the case, concentrate on why they want Melody, and not worry about whether or not we are in harm's way." She said into the line, glancing to Aiden. "Aiden is here, he's going to keep us safe." She said, taking his hand as she spoke into the line. "Are you okay with that?"
"He had better keep you safe." Booth said, unsure of saying exactly what he wanted to say. "Antonia, you're sure that you're doing well after the accident?" He asked, trying to keep the intense concern out of his voice, but failing miserably. "Do you need to see a doctor?"
"Dad, I…"
"Don't tell me that you are a doctor. I know you're a doctor. You're a botanist and a forensic anthropologist, okay? You are a doctor of plants and dead people, not babies."
"Way to minimalize my accomplishments, Dad." She scoffed. She waited for him to reply and heard nothing but him breathing angrily through his nose. "I will see a doctor as soon as we're settled where we're going. Aiden will be sure of it." She said, rolling her eyes slightly, but smiling gratefully at him.
"How is Melody?" Booth asked, his voice tender and soft.
"She is well. Some bruising from the seatbelt, and a bump or scratch here and there physically, but she is well. She's a very brave girl." Antonia said softly. "Perpetually hungry, and a good partner."
"Good." Booth said, clearing his throat. "Now that I'm through berating you, maybe you can tell me where the hell you were when you kicked the crap out of those two idiots that snatched you girls."
Antonia let out a light laugh, a sound that felt like music to her own ears as she listened to the tone of pride in her father's voice. "Uh, yeah." She said, sighing. "I'll send you the information via text, there are markers on the way." She said softly . "I don't know if he was bringing us to the third guy, or if they were taking us somewhere to get information. I know the only reason they kept me alive was so that I could interpret what Melody was saying. So whatever they want, she's the key."
"She has no idea what it is they want?" Booth asked, knowing that his question seemed silly.
"She has no idea." Antonia sighed. "Maybe we can get some information on her past, her mother's death? Can Ace get those files?"
"Ace can get those files." Booth replied. "When you get to where you're going, we're going to need you to give a police statement."
"That won't be a problem." She said, smiling slightly as she glanced to Aiden. "I have already written a full account of the entire ordeal." She said, thinking of the small hotel pad that she had slipped into the metal box before she had gone to bed the night before.
"Of course you did." Booth chuckled. "I love you, kid."
"I love you, Dad." She said, feeling her voice wavering a bit as she listened to the emotion in his voice.
"Guess you're not a kid anymore though, huh?" He asked, the sadness evident in his voice.
"I'll always be your kid." She said, letting out a small giggle that warmed both of their hearts. "I'll keep in touch. Let me know if you find anything, and I'll let you know if we figure anything out on our side."
"Stay safe, baby girl." Booth said softly.
"You got it, Dad." She said as she ended the call and sighed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she played the sound of his voice over and over in her head.
"Hey." Aiden said softly, watching her turn her face toward him, swiping a tear with her wrist. "You okay?"
Antonia sniffled and gave him a smile, nodding her head slightly. "Yeah." She said softly. "You know, the past twenty-four hours has been tough, really emotional, you know? Car crash, shoved into a trunk, escaping, finding you… but nothing is tougher or more emotional than hearing my dad call me 'baby girl' when he's about to break down and sob like a baby." She sniffled as she leaned into him.
He held her with his arm around her for several moments, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, Tex." He whispered.
"I love you." She whispered.
"Don't forget to send text your dad the information he was looking for." He said, watching her look up at him.
"You think I'm new at this?" She laughed, sitting up slightly, she glanced back to see Melody watching them curiously. "Let's get back out on the road, that one there is probably about ten seconds away from asking for another snack."
"You got it." He said, grabbing a bag of crackers out of the bag grocery beside her leg, he tossed it back to Melody, who caught it with a laugh, as he winked into the rearview mirror and backed them out of their parking space.