Chapter 25: Oh Brother

"...Russ?..."

"Her brother?" Hodgins asked surprised.

"Hey little Sis." He smiled lightly as she neared him but it quickly faded as she slapped him across the face. Hard.

"You have a brother?" Booth asked looking to Brennan.

"Can we talk Tempe? ...alone maybe." Russ asked trying to pass the guys but they blocked him off.

"No." She shook her head. "No. I-I have nothing...nothing to say to you. So you should...you should just leave."

"Tempe! Please."

She shook her head and walked away heading down the hall. Russ tried to follow but was blocked once again.

"The lady said leave." Hodgins said with a hard look.

"So I suggest you leave. Before we make you." Booth said giving him a hard look.

"But-"

"Hey Booth you got your cuffs?" Hodgins looked to him.

"Yup. Right next to my gun." He said not looking from Russ's face.

"OK. Alright. I get it. ...I'm leaving. Just... tell her I have a message for her."

"Don't count on it."

"From her father." Russ clarified.

"Her father's dead."

"Is he? Are you sure about that?" Russ turned and left and Booth closed the door behind him.

"...I'm gonna go talk to her." Angela said her arms crossed.

"No. I'll talk to her." Cam said placing a hand on Angela's shoulder and she nodded her consent. And Cam headed down the hall.

She knocked on the door. "Temperance, its Cam. I'm coming in." She said opening the door.

She walked in and slid the door shut behind her.

"Tell him I don't care what he has to say. I'm not coming out to talk."

"I know. The guys handled him. He's gone." Cam said sitting next to her on the bed. "...do you want to talk about it?"

"No. I'm fine Cam. Really I am."

"Brennan, It's okay to freak out, I mean, I would too if my brother I hadn't seen in 20 years showed up at my door."

"14." She corrected. "It'll be 15 in December."

"Damn, you're making me feel old over here." Cam said doing the mental math.

Brennan couldn't help but let a small smile slip. "Sorry."

"It's cool I'm resigned to turning 35."

"... again."

They laughed. "...Honest opinion." Brennan nodded. "No matter what happened, it's never too late to fix things. And he says he has a message from your father. So maybe you should hear him out."'

"My father is dead. Just like my mom."

"...you don't know for sure. No bodies were ever found."

"They're dead Cam. ...they have to be." Brennan said standing, agitated.

"Otherwise they abandoned you." Cam nodded understanding.

"And they wouldn't do that to me Cam."

"I know." She hugged Brennan and after a moment Brennan pulled away.

"Can we please talk about something else?"

"Sure. ...how the Hell did Angela end up married to Hodgins? They hate each other."

Brennan rolled her eyes, knowing Cam had to ask. "Drunken night in Atlantic city. Angela goes a little crazy with tequila involved."

Booth knocked on the door and cautiously entered. "Is everything alright?"

"...Yeah. Come on in." Cam called.

"Angela and Jack left. She says, and I quote, 'I'm still pissed as Hell, but I hope you're alright. See you Monday.'"

Brennan nodded.

Cam looked back and forth between them. "I really need to go. I'll see you Monday. ...call if you need me."

"Bye Cam."

"See ya Cam."

And she was gone.

"Are you okay?"

Brennan sighed. "No. But we're not gonna go there."

"...why didn't you tell me you had a brother?"

"We're so not going there either." She shook her head kissing him. "I'm upset and it's my not-birthday. ...So you ...need to comfort me... Make me feel better". She said unbuttoning his shirt.

"Oh is that how it works?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"See I never would have guessed that." He smiled pulling her up onto him.

"Well now you know." She smiled lightly, looking down at him and she pulled him back into a deep kiss.

He unzips her dress and throws her onto the bed yanking his shirt off before joining her.