„Temperance, stop looking for me..." said the voice on the answering machine for the 50th time. She just couldn't stop listening to the tape. Russ fell asleep long ago and Booth had left shortly after midnight. Temperance went to bed shortly after Russ as well, but as soon as she closed her eyes, she saw everything again. The remains of her mother, the murder weapon, with which her mothers' life was taken and McWicker, who was simply disgusting to her. „My father is alive." she thought. Within one week she learned what had happened to her mother and that against all expectations her father was still alive. But was she relieved ?

On the one hand she was glad that he was still alive, but why had he never contacted her before and waited until she started researching ? Why hadn't he gotten her out of foster care ? „Who is my father actually?" she asked herself. „I thought he has been a teacher for my whole life, but he was a bank robber. He changed our names when Russ was 7 years old and I was too young to remember anything."

The fact that Russ didn't tell her anything about that for so long, had been a shock for her. He, who she used to trust the most, who seemed to be the only one left of her family, disappointed her again. She felt betrayed. Just the same as when Russ had left her behind right after christmas. Temperance has been ignoring every of her brothers' attempts to contact her. Too deep was the pain he had caused her back then. She had learned to avoid every relationship that could cause her pain, but afterwards she felt sorry for not giving Russ a second chance.

„But what now?...I can't just stop looking for my dad. Not before I know what happened 15 years ago and why he never returned to Russ and me. Booth would probably support me, but Russ ...? He doesn't seem to be bothered by not knowing why our parents disappeared...if I think about it now, he never said anything about continuing our search. Is he still hiding anything from me? .."

The sound of someone toddling towards her disrupted her thoughts. A moment after Russ' face appeared in the door frame.

„Can't sleep?" he asked her still a little bit sleepy. Then he noticed the flashing answering machine. „ You listened to it again." he already said that almost reproachful.

Temperance put her cup, which she had in her hands all the time, on the counter. „ Yes, I did."

Russ pulled up a chair and sat down opposite her. „Tempe you have to stop with this...please.." he took her hand. „he surely didn't ask us to stop looking for him for no reason. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Mom got killed, Dad never contacted us again. There has to be a reason, Tempe. It's just too dangerous."

She closed her eyes. „ I know,...I would just like to be certain about it...I want to know what happened. Who were our parents...what.." she hesitated.

„NO!" interrupted Russ „No, we won't go on with this! Promise me! We'll follow Dads' instructions!"

Temperance was startled by the intensity of his outburst. And suddenly she was the little sister again, who has to listen to her older brother. She nodded her head. „Ok." she almost whispered it. Russ seemed to relax again. „Good". He was looking at her with a more gentle look.

„I think I'd better go to bed now..." she said quietly after a while and stood up. „Good night" Russ answered, whose voice didn't seem to have anything to do with his outburst just a few minutes ago.

When Temperance closed the door to her bedroom she leaned against the door for a moment. Her brother took her by surprise the second time this week. She was so astonished that she didn't understand anything anymore. This stern angry look in his eyes had intimidated her. Exactly like when she still had been 15 years old.

„It's late, we're probably only overtired." She told herself when she sank into the bed. The alarm on the bedside table showed 3:48 o'clock. Two minutes later Temperance Brennan had fallen asleep.

Russ instead didn't sleep...at half past 4, when he was sure that his sister was finally sleeping, he pulle dout his mobile from his bag. He dialed and already after one ring the person on the other end was answering.

„What is it?" asked a deep male voice.

„I have some problems here. It's possible that I need more time than expected." said Russ

„Problems? You will have real problems if you don't bring me the next delivery in time. Understood ?! I don't care what kind of problems you have. Be in time. You don't want to know what will happen if you fail, are we clear ?!" shouted the man.

Russ didn't want to let himself be intimidated by him, but his knees turned to jelly. „Alright" he answered with a trembling voice.

It was silent on the other end for a moment. Then the man was speaking with a more calm voice. „Good". Then he ended the call.

Russ was standing with trembling legs in the living room of his sister. He still could not believe how he got involved in this...