Booth watched as Antonia and Aiden disappeared into the parking lot, shaking his head with irritation. His rage had dissipated, but his anger was still very real. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Booth grunted.
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?"
"In case you have forgotten, my daughter got shot today, asshole." Booth snipped. "Then my other daughter chases after a suspect because you don't know how to keep an eye on squints, the suspect in my daughter's shooting happens to be my nephew who has gotten himself involved in some shady shit, and you just humiliated my daughter in front of her face, and she's going to go into ghost mode. So yeah, I'm a little tightly wound."
"So you have to take it all out on me?"
"I need to take it out on someone, don't I? You're a man, take it like a goddamned man. But no, you take it out on an innocent squint!" Booth growled. "Bones is going to kill you."
"I know that! Do you think that I don't know that?" Ace shouted. "I need to go inside and see my goddaughter before something else happens, like I get hit by a car or something." Ace said, turning sharply, he walked into the front doors of the hospital.
"Hey, at least you know who will be behind the wheel!" Booth shouted after him, as he followed him through the doors.
Aiden and Antonia made it to his car and climbed inside, taking a moment to catch their breath as the argument they had just heard echoed around in their head. They didn't speak of it, only settled in their seats for a moment and watched Booth and Ace continue a far more subdued argument on the sidewalk before Ace just stomped into the building with Booth behind him, still arguing. "Sometimes they act more like a married couple than your parents." Aiden said, reveling in the real laugh that Antonia let out, he reached over the center console and squeezed her hand. "Let's go eat." He said, pulling his hand back to start the car, he backed from the parking space slowly.
"Where are we going?" Antonia asked, just happy to have been pulled from that mortifying situation. She watched Aiden, and looked curiously at his smile.
"You'll see." He said, pulling the car into drive, they were on their way.
Antonia was filled with more thought the further they drove, and leaned her head against the window, watching the snowflakes hit the side of the car. She closed her eyes for a moment, and the next thing she knew, the car was stopped and the heat was off. She lifted her head, and looked to Aiden, who was glancing at his phone. He smiled over at her. "Hey, you're awake."
She scrunched her nose at him and yawned. "I was asleep?"
"For about five minutes, yeah." He chuckled.
"Oh." She said, looking around. "Where are we?" She mumbled. They were parked on a side street in an unfamiliar part of town.
"My place." He said, imploring her, and for a moment there was confusion, but it quickly disappeared. "It's Christmas night, and unless you want bar food, or Chinese food." He said, making a face.
"You cook?" She asked, a teasing smile on her lips, her eyebrows raised.
He scoffed and opened his door. "Yeah." He said, making a face. "I cook. I'm not a caveman."
She just laughed and opened her door, looking up at the building, she climbed out and closed it behind her, looking to Aiden as he waited for her to follow. She hurried behind him, climbing the steps as he held the door open. She thanked him and stepped inside the small foyer of the building. He nodded up the stairs, and she followed him, stepping up to the door, she was impressed with the cleanliness of the building. "How did you find this place?"
"I did research before I got here." He said with a chuckle, and opened the door to his apartment, and ushered her inside. He watched her step inside, and look around, seemingly impressed with the interior. "The building was completely gutted and redone."
"How can you afford this on your salary?" She asked, instantly knowing that it was probably not a polite thing to ask.
"That's not important." He said, looking toward her. "Your coat, miss." He said, watching her laugh as she pulled her coat off and handed it to him. He placed her coat in the small closet by the door, and removed his own, placing his coat there as well.
Antonia slipped her sneakers off at the door and stepped onto the soft carpet, her toes sinking into the fibers. She walked into the small living room area, and looked around. The furnishings were modest, but spotless. She stepped around through to the kitchen, and turned around with a smile, as he watched her with an amused expression. "This place is gorgeous." She said, noting the bay window and the other large windows in the front.
"Bathroom is down that hallway, first door on the left." He said, pointing down the hall. "Two bedrooms, one is an office… that I rarely use, because I'm never here." He joked. "Sit, sit… I'll make us a nice Christmas dinner."
"You don't have any Christmas decorations." She said, sitting down on one end of the couch, looking over to the open kitchen.
"Like I said. I'm never here, there's no point in decorating."
"I'm never at my apartment, and I put a Christmas tree up." She said, settling back on the couch. She yawned and tipped her head back, closing her eyes.
He shook his head and smiled. "Just rest." He said, pulling a couple of pans from the cupboard, he went to work in the kitchen.
Ace stepped into Grace's room just as Booth had caught up with him, finding that she had fallen asleep again, and Temperance looked up from her journal. She gave Ace a smile, but instantly noticed the dark look on his face. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Ace replied.
The door opened, and Booth entered the room with a similar glower, and Temperance didn't need to ask him what was wrong, she already knew. "Did you guys see Antonia and Agent Fitzgerald, they just left."
"Nope." Ace said, sitting down in the chair next to Temperance, he sighed. "How is she doing?"
"She's stable, she should be out of ICU tomorrow." She glanced between the two men and scowled. "Did you two get into an argument?"
"No." they said at the same time, glaring at one another.
Temperance rolled her eyes and sighed. "I have enough to deal with without you two having a lover's spat. Kiss and make up, or hug it out, or do whatever it is that you two do to make things better. Just do it." Temperance said softly, refusing to look at the two of them as she lifted her journal and continued to read.
Aiden walked around to his couch, finding that Antonia had pulled her feet up onto the couch and fallen asleep. He kept his distance, but crouched down to wake her. "Antonia?" he said softly, touching her hand. "Antonia?"
"Mmm…?" she groaned, pushing herself further into the cushions of the couch, she opened her eyes just a little. "Why are you so far away?"
"I didn't want to get hit in the face again." He said, a slow smile rising on his lips.
She smiled sleepily and shook her head. "I'm sorry."
He laughed. "Dinner is ready."
"What? Already?" She asked, sitting up, she could immediately smell tomato sauce. "How long have I been sleeping?"
"Not long. I had made the sauce last night, is pasta okay?"
"Pasta sounds good." She said, pulling herself into a sitting position, she yawned again, stretching out like a cat as he stood up, and reached his hand out for her. She took it gratefully and pulled herself up. He smiled and led her to the table, where it was already set for the two of them. He had made a small salad for each of them as well, and the pasta was steaming on the plates, waiting to be eaten. "This looks so delicious." She said, and he pulled the chair out for her. She gave him an incredulous look and sat down. "Thank you." She said softly.
He turned for the counter, where he pulled a bottle of wine into his hand, and began pouring them each a glass.
"I thought you didn't drink." She said, lifting an eyebrow.
"I drink very, very seldomly." He said, smiling politely. "Only for special occasions."
"Like Christmas?" She asked, accepting the glass of wine, she watched a flick of confusion on his face.
"Uh, yeah. Christmas." He said, winking. He laughed and moved for his chair, watching her for a moment as he sat down and pulled his chair in. "I hope you enjoy it." He said, reaching his fork across the table, she laughed and tapped hers against it. "Dig in."