CHAPTER 8
"Andrew Branson died in 1978. It looks like Max Keenan took his birth certificate and assumed his identity as well. He was married to Elizabeth at the same time he was married to your mother," Booth was explaining to Brennan. She sat at her computer in her office back at the Jeffersonian. They had both gone home to catch some sleep, although Brennan had probably slept all of 1 hour the entire night. It was now 12:38 the following morning.
"So, the only thing left to do is a DNA test, I guess," Brennan replied, leaning forward in her chair. "To be 100 positive."
"Yeah, I've already done that. I rushed it. Results will be in in," he checked his watch, "8 hours now," Booth replied with a genuine smile.
Brennan smiled back. "Thanks, Booth." Brennan held his gaze for a moment as he continued smiling. She raised her eyebrows, "Wow. I have a sister. Well, a half sister, but still……a sister," she said the words as though she had just been given a gift.
"It explains why we found the Columbus coin. Your dad found out about Johnny Red and he didn't want him messing with his daughter. It's just that that daughter wasn't you, Bones," Booth offered. Brennan nodded.
Brennan had come to the realization that she had a sister and truthfully, she was happy. Shocked, but happy. But just as quickly as that realization had come to her, the awareness of the situation hit her even harder. Her expression changed from happiness to worry. Booth noticed the emotional shift.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.
Brennan looked at him intently. "I can't even believe everything she has been through in the past 2 weeks. She was beaten……with a rusty wire. And those monsters, they…" Brennan closed her eyes, envisioning the sight in her mind and then quickly pushing it away, "She was an anthropology student at Yale and now look at her. She became a prostitute and was nearly beaten and strangled to death." Brennan's sisterly instincts were kicking in. "We have to find her abductor, this 'E.'"
"Ernie Raines. That was the next thing I was going to tell you. The picture in Emma's album provided an ID. FBI is bringing him in as we speak," Booth informed Brennan.
"Good. When do we get to interrogate him?" Brennan asked, standing up, a slightly menacing gleam in her eye. She was eager to get the son-of-a-bitch.
"Stay calm, Bones, I can handle the interrogation. Maybe you should go talk to Emma, let her know, well, about everything," Booth suggested.
Brennan had been up all night thinking about what she would tell Emma and she still hadn't come to any conclusions. Now that Booth had found Emma's abductor, she wanted nothing more than to beat the crap out of him. She even surprised herself at how angry she was, but she couldn't help it.
Brennan considered Booth's proposal, balancing the benefits of telling Emma she was her sister and the benefits of possibly kicking Ernie Raines' ass. Rationale told her that she probably shouldn't go anywhere near Ernie Raines. She feared for HIS life.
"Okay, I can do that," she nodded her head as if to convince herself that she was indeed ready to let this girl know about her father's real life and most of all, that she was her sister. "I don't know exactly what I'm going to say, but I guess I'll figure it out."
"You always do, Bones. You know, figure things out. You're pretty smart that way," Booth flashed his charm smile, trying to encourage her.
Brennan smiled back. "Thanks again, Booth. For everything," she told her partner.
"Hey, what are partners for, right?" he said. "Come on, I'll walk out with you," he said and turned towards the door. He looked behind him and saw that Brennan had not moved from her spot. She stood, arms folded across her chest, slightly nodding her head and staring ahead. He watched her for a moment. She had tears in her eyes. He guessed they were a mixture of happiness and grief and astonishment. He walked back to where she stood.
"I don't know what to do. How do I tell someone she's my sister? And that our father kills people as a way of showing his love?" Brennan asked Booth, her cheeks wet with tears.
"You do it like a sister. Like someone who cares. Which you're really good at," Booth answered calmly. "And this might help you break the ice," Booth said as he slid a photograph across the desk to Brennan. It was a picture of a little boy and an even younger girl. The boy was hugging the girl from behind, his arms around her shoulders, a big, bright smile on his face. The girl was in mid-laugh, her mouth half open, eyes wide with laughter. Brennan picked it up.
Brennan wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "This is me and Russ. I have this picture. Where did you find this?" she asked Booth.
"In Emma's photo album. Look at the back," Booth told Brennan.
She flipped the photo over and it read, "Kyle, age 8 & Joy, age 4. Your brother and sister." It was in her father's handwriting.
"Why did he use our original names? He and my mother changed them when I was 2 and Russ was 6," Brennan wondered aloud.
"He probably wanted his other daughter to know you by the names he gave you," Booth replied.
She looked at Booth. He always had a way of making her feel either extremely irritated or extremely calm. Right now, she was the latter. She could do this and she knew she could. She liked hearing Booth's comforting words, though. It helped……a lot.
"Need a guy hug?" Booth asked, smiling.
Brennan laughed. "That would be good," she replied.
The two embraced and Booth rubbed Brennan's back, slightly stroking her hair. He squeezed ever so slightly. Brennan closed her eyes as she returned the embrace. Smiling, she thought of how much he had done for her. She was so thankful to have him there next to her to see her through this……through everything. He was always there for her; that was one thing she did know.
