Morning became early afternoon but Booth kept his promise. They started the drive home but it wasn't long before Evangeline began to fuss for food. Booth pulled into the first rest stop and tossed a football with Parker while Temperance fed Evangeline. Then they got back on the road.

"Daddy, Temperance!" Parker called, "Lynnie has a stinky diaper!" The adults in the car exchanged a look and Booth pulled into another rest area.

"You're changing her," Temperance said, not allowing it to be a question. She took Parker's hand and lead him toward the vending machines and bathrooms. Booth shook his head at Evangeline while he pulled her from the car seat.

"Your mommy is so silly," he said, pulling off the dirty diaper, "and you are so stinky, Squint." Evangeline just looked up at him. Booth finished changing her and lifted her up to his shoulder and just held her for a moment, taking in the sweet feeling of fatherhood. He was still standing there when Temperance and Parker returned. Booth smiled at his wife and placed Evangeline back in her car seat. He checked to make sure Parker was buckled before climbing into the drivers seat.

"Are we ready?" he asked. Everybody nodded, and they set out again.

This time they made a good run of it as Evangeline slept. Parker was a great traveler, entertaining himself with books and toys. Temperance and Booth held hands and discussed security plans. Temperance tried to fight it, but the long week of late night feedings was catching up to her and she yawned. Booth chuckled.

"You're fading on me," he said in a low whisper, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand, "Try to get some sleep. Goodness knows you haven't gotten much lately." Temperance didn't bother arguing and closed her eyes, slipping almost instantly to sleep.

With his two girls contentedly sleeping and his son occupied, Booth got a chance to take a closer look at the car behind them. It was green, small and had been following them since the last rest stop. It looked like a family car, Booth hadn't been too nervous, as D.C. was a popular tourist destination. But the car's occupants seemed to be three grown men, not your typical tourists.

"Daddy," Parker piped up from the back seat, "My batteries are dead. I need new ones!" Booth sighed. So much for concentration.

"Are there more in your back pack, Bub?" he asked. For a moment the only sounds in the car were the rustling sound of paper and the knocking of plastic as Parker rummaged through the bag.

"Nope," came the answer, just as Booth focused enough to catch a glimpse of the driver of the green car. It was enough to know that the man was no stranger, but not enough to distinguish him from hundreds of acquaintances.

"Can you do without that game for another hour or so?" Booth asked his son, "I don't want to wake anybody up."

"Daddy, I've already read all my books before," Parker said. Booth sighed. Of course he had, what with all of the time he'd spent inside over the past months.

"Listen, Bub," Booth said, passing back his interrogation notebook, "I want you to look and see if you can find all of the letters of the alphabet in order on the signs that we pass, okay?" Parker was excited by the task and set to work. Booth refocused on the car behind them. Parker had made it to 'q' before he declared he was hungry. There was a Cracker Barrel restaurant at the next exit, so Booth pulled off, and watched the little green car do the same. He nudged Temperance awake gently. She turned to him with sleepy blue-green eyes and a hazy smile.

"Hungry, Bones?" he asked. She nodded, then stretched, before turning to check on Evangeline. The little one was still sleeping, but beginning to wiggle awake.

Once inside the restaurant, Parker made a beeline for the toy section. Booth went to put their names in, and Temperance stayed out in the rocking chairs with Evangeline so the infant wouldn't be overwhelmed by all the noise. It was a beautiful spring evening, so even when their name was called, Temperance was reluctant to move. But her stomach got the best of her, and she walked inside. As the family walked through the dining room, Parker saw a familiar face.

"Dr. Hodgins!" he cried and ran over to the table where Jack and Angela were sitting with Kenna and Zack.

"Heya, Dr. Booth!" Jack said, opening his arms for a big hug. Angela leapt up and was embracing Brennan in a second. Then she looked down at Evangeline.

"Sweetie," Angela gushed, "She is adorable!"

"Angela, what are you doing here?" Brennan asked. Booth spoke to their waitress and they were all seated at a table together.

"We were coming up to surprise you!" Angela said. "We couldn't wait to see little Lynnie." The topic of conversation was now laying in her godmother's arms, while Kenna was entertaining her godfather with smiles and giggles and funny faces.

"It's a good thing we met up here," Jack said, "We can all ride back together, maybe you guys can take Zack." Booth shook his head.

"Brain Boy stays with you," he insisted, but Parker, who, for reasons unknown to his father, tended to idolize Zack had caught wind of the conversation and began begging Booth to let the boy genius ride with them back to D.C. It grew so annoying that Booth gave in.

Dinner was served and it was a joyous time, all hints of danger banished to the far reaches of everyone's minds. Just before dessert, both little girls cried to be fed, so their mothers stole the keys to the SUV and went to the car for a little privacy.

"How are you feeling, Sweetie?" Angela asked. Temperance sighed before answering.

"I'll feel better when we find Sully," she admitted, "And when Evangeline starts sleeping through the night." Angela smiled tiredly at her best friend.

"It does get better, promise," she said. Most of the rest of their time was spent discussing the finer points of parenting an infant and sharing amusing anecdotes from their time apart. When the girls were finished, they headed back inside. The sharp transition from silence to noise and dusk to bright light scared Evangeline and she began to cry. Brennan rocked her gently, but she kept crying. Booth came over and gently took the wailing infant.

"Go eat your dessert," he told her, "I'll take care of Squint." He walked outside.

"Squint?" Angela asked, watching his retreating back. Brennan nodded and settled in to eat.

"You have to admit," Angela said, "That's adorable."

"It's very Seeley," Temperance said, not even realizing she'd used her husband's first name until Angela brought it up.

"Well, we just spent months living with his mother," Temperance said, "It became a habit." Angela laughed.

--

The happy party made it back to DC and all crashed at Hodgins' and Angela's for the night. Booth tried to sleep, but every sound that echoed through the large manor made him jump awake again. After a couple hours, he resigned himself to a sleepless night and moved to the sitting area of the large guest room they were staying in, so as not to disturb his wife. He sat there, watching his little girl as she slept peacefully. He chuckled at the fact she'd kicked off her blankets. Of all the habits he had to pass on, it was that one. He'd seen it in Parker as well. Rebecca had always kept Parker in warm winter pajamas because even on the coldest nights, the covers ended up at the foot of the bed. It was clear that they would be doing the same with Lynnie. As he watched, she tossed a little, stirring as though she would wake. He reached down and lifted her gently into his arms. Feeling her wet diaper, he shifted her to one arm and found the diaper bag with the other. The little girl didn't even fully wake as he skillfully changed her. He settled back in his chair, cradling Evangeline to his chest.

--

Temperance woke lazily, refreshed by a couple extra hours of sleep. Her first conscious thought was that the baby was sleeping better. The second was that Booth wasn't next to her. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and saw her husband, asleep, cradling Evangeline in his lap. As if she had sensed her mother's awakening, Evangeline gave a little cry of discontent. Booth woke, and, finding both his girls awake, carried Evangeline to her mother. He settled in behind Temperance and supported her as she fed the infant.

After the little one was sleeping safely in her cradle, husband and wife snuggled together. They whispered for a while before each fell into a light slumber.

--

The next day, the Booth family moved back to their own house. They settled Evangeline into the nursery and returned Parker to Rebecca's house. Temperance collapsed, exhausted on the bed and fell asleep. Booth watched her for a while then decided to report back into the Hoover Building. He left a note for Temperance, checked on Evangeline and slipped out the door.

--

Three figures watched from across the street as Booth left the building. They walked calmly across the street and into the building, up the two flights of stairs and into the apartment he had just vacated, pausing to pick the lock.

"Tempe?" they called out quietly. Finding her asleep at the end of the hall they all decided to wait in the living room.

It was nearly an hour before Temperance stirred. Her footsteps were heard padding down the hallway and a door opened. The visitors heard Temperance gently speaking to someone, a tender giggle escaping every so often. A few minutes later she walked into the living room and froze. Her right hand tightened ever so slightly around the tiny infant she held against her shoulder.

"Dad," she said, startled, "Russ, Uncle Mike, what are you doing here?"

"We wanted to apologize and explain ourselves. We tried to call, until your answering machine filled up."

"We- I was out of town for a while, letting a situation cool down," she said.

"Tempe," Russ spoke up, "You said 'we' first. Who's 'we'?"

Temperance hesitated before motioning for them all to sit down again. She herself settled in the new glider that was a gift from Booth. She lowered Evangeline from her shoulder but still held her close. She could see the question in each of their eyes, but decided not to answer it.

"I'm married," she said as a starting point, "to Booth. We've been married for over a year. In fact, we were married the last time I saw you. We spent the last few months at his childhood home in Philadelphia with his mother and son because one of our cases got a little too hot to handle."

"When did you have the baby?" Max asked, leaning in to get a good look at his first biological grandchild.

"She's nine days old," Temperance said, as she adjusted the blanket around her little girl's face.

"Now I have a question for you," she said, "Why?"

"Why what, Tempe?" her father asked.

"Why was the President of the United States found in the basement of your house? Why did you kidnap me?"

The three men all looked at each other for a long time. Then Max took a deep breath and began his story.

--

I was hoping to finish this, but it has its own ideas. So I'll leave you with a cliffhanger instead. Thank you for your patience in waiting for this update.