None of this belongs to me (except the story and details I make up); all the characters are from or inspired by Bones, and therefore belong to Fox and Hart Hanson. This goes for the entire story. I'm only going to ask once, so please read and review.

-Aestra Splendent

It was a normal day at the lab. There weren't any cases, so Brennan was working in the bone storage (or as it had been dubbed, Limbo). She had been working in there for the past several days and had identified several dozen sets of remains. She was beginning to get lonely; Booth had taken Parker to Philadelphia, so they everyone at the Jeffersonian was doing the job that they were hired to do (something that did not occur very often anymore).

Brennan was anxiously waiting for a phone call, though. Her 'grandfather' had called her several days prior and informed her that he would be coming to DC for a few days. Abe Hartell would be coming to DC. Abe was the man who rescued her from the foster care system, so Brennan believed she owed him her life. She never understood why he had asked her to consider him as her grandfather- he was nowhere near old enough. He was only around forty-five when he took her in. Brennan realized long ago she did not know much about Abe's past. She knew he had been in the Air Force due to his tattoo on his arm, and that he was ashamed of his life from before they had met. He also had been a father at some point and he had no contact with his children for some reason. That was the reason had taken her in; he was trying to make up for his own children. Brennan had the feeling that his children were dead and he felt responsible, but there was no evidence to prove it, so she had always been open to possibilities of what actually occurred. Beyond that, she knew nothing and respected his wishes and never looked into his past identity. She still remembered the first time they met.

It was shortly after her foster parents had locked her in the truck of their car for accidently breaking a plate. As soon as they had released her she had headed towards the library, not only to study but to get away from them. She had begun to cry on the way to library. Most people on the street didn't even notice the sickly pale, distraught, teenage Brennan, however about a block and a half away from the library, a man stopped Brennan, whose eyes were puffy and still flowing, by grabbing her arm.

"Hey, you alright, kid?" The man looked like life had worn him away. He had dark brown hair that had sections faded to grey, and chocolate colored eyes. He had a five o'clock shadow, which hid some of his wrinkles. It appeared that the man had been worried a lot and under much pressure, but he couldn't be much older than forty.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let go of me," Brennan pulled her arm back away from the man.

"You're crying. I might be new to the area, but where I'm from, that means something wrong. You also look sick. So, I want a truthful answer this time. You okay?" Brennan was stunned by how much this man cared; he didn't even know her.

"I just got away from my foster home for the afternoon…"

"They abuse you?" He suddenly sounded protective of her, which seemed out of place.

"Depending on how you describe abuse. They warned me I would be locked in the trunk if I broke a plate, so they-"

"How long you in the trunk for? Don't you dare lie to me, Missy."

"Two days," she whispered.

"And these people are supposed to be protecting you? C'mon, you're coming with me." Brennan was immediately alarmed. She knew what happened when strangers told you to follow them, especially strange men.

"No." The man sighed.

"Kid, I want to take you to social services. If nothin' else, they need to get you out of that house." The man seemed truly concerned. Brennan reluctantly agreed. She knew the way to the center, so if he attempted to lead her elsewhere, she would run. Surprisingly to Brennan, the man actually did lead her to the social service center. They were told to wait until Brennan's social worker. The man tried to strike up conversation.

"So, kid, what's your name."

"Temperance Brennan."

"What happened to your real parents?"

"I don't know…" Her parents had disappeared a year and a half ago, and she would still not talk about it with anyone.

"Hm… I can relate to that." Brennan looked at the mystery man.

"Did your parents leave you too, when you were my age?"

"Nah, it's something I did." There was silence be for he spoke again. "I'll make you a deal. I won't ask you about your past, and you won't ask about mine."

"That sounds reasonable," she answered quietly. "To be fair, I should know your name, as well."

"Abe Hartell."

"Thank you, Mr. Hartell."

"Call me Abe. And no need to thank me until you get out of a hell hole."

"Usually it's not that bad. Only when I make them mad."

"If they are going to hurt you, then they're shitty people. That was my-" he stopped himself. "I don't like seeing people hurt, something I've been the cause of too many times. Temperance, it's not fair for you to be punished like that."

"I don't want to be moved again though. I only have another six months before I turn eighteen."

"How many times you been moved?"

"Four. I've been in the system for since the beginning of 1992."

"Well, Temperance, what if I see if you can come stay with me? Seems like you're between a rock and a hard place like me. Maybe we're what each other needs."

"I don't know what that means. And I doubt that social services will let a single man take in a foster child." He thought for a moment.

"How do you know I'm single? I've got a ring, don't I?"

"I guess I just assumed. Although usually when I assume I am incorrect. I've been trying to not presume recently."

"Well, don't give yourself a hard time. I'm single; just hold on to it in memory of what I had." There was a moment of silence. Abe broke it.

"What do you know bout your mom's childhood?" With that a plan was formed. Abe pretended to be Christine Brennan's brother. It was very easy to convince the social worker of this, somehow. The man was about ten years older than her mother, but Abe convinced them that he was her older brother. Whatever the case, Brennan soon was living with Abe.

Abe always insisted Brennan think of him more as a grandfather than a father. He said his father had done him okay, but he always like his grandfather more. From then on Brennan introduced him as her grandfather. Sixteen years later, Brennan never told Abe that her father had reappeared in her life though, so she was hoping to introduce them while Abe was in town this week, as well as the rest of her friends. She was very apprehensive about introducing him to Booth. She was afraid they would not approve of each other, which would mean she had to listen to the two alpha males insult each other. Finally her phone rang.

"Brennan."

"Tempe?"

"Have you arrived in DC yet, Abe?"

"Walkin' up to your Jeffersonian right now."

"I don't own the Jeffersonian." Abe let out a sigh.

"Have you ever not been literal?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" He just sighed. Same ole Tempe.

"Tempe, I'm here, but security won't let me through."

"Okay, I'll be up in a minute to show you around." The two phone lines went dead. The thought occurred to her that her father was working today. That would lead to an interesting discussion between the two men.