On the next day, Bandit, after taking breakfast and saying goodbye to Chilli and his kids, drove to the museum. Once he got there, he went to work on the exhibition of his project. He was building something with stones when Emily arrived, holding her bag.

"Good morning, Bandit" she said.

"G'day" he replied.

That caused Emily to drop a chuckle.

"What?" Bandit asked her, as she headed towards the tables with the bones.

"Nothing, it's just…" she started. "I kind of missed you greeting me with your Aussie slang in that Aussie accent. It's nice to hear it again."

"Good to know you missed my accent and my slang" Bandit replied, with a smile.

"What are you doing there?" Emily asked, as she took out her sketchbook and a camera.

"A hearth" he replied, while position more stones. "If we're going to reconstruct the past, we need to do it as closer as possible."

"And they had a hearth?" Emily asked. "Good to know… Twenty-five thousand years ago, you'd think they'd just have a fire pit."

"All the species of Canis lupus already had thousands of years of experience with fire" Bandit explained. "The stones found at the site indicate they used a domed hearth."

Emily looked around and sighed, while saying:

"This is just becoming so real. I just want to put faces on them all."

"Well, the skulls are there for you" Bandit replied. "That's the reason why we need a facial reconstructionist. Why have just a reconstruction of their environment and exposing the bones, when we can also provide a much better illustration of how they looked like?"

"But how are you going to reconstruct their environment?" Emily asked. "I bet the flora and fauna in Darwin at the time was different than how it is today."

"That's where Dr. Boxer's work is very important" Bandit told. "He was able to determine from particles found on the bones and on the site whatever environment these individuals lived on."

"And that is why my job should have more recognition than the one it has" Dr. Boxer said, while coming in pushing a trolley cart with many plants. "Fortunately, my love for Ancient History is even bigger than my need for recognition."

"Come on, Dr. Boxer, we all know we couldn't do this without you" Bandit replied, while getting up after finishing the hearth.

After sometime, the exhibition was starting to get shape, with Dr. Boxer putting the plants on the set, while Bandit was analysing the bones and Emily was drawing a reconstruction of the individuals as they were when alive at full-body, while giving as much accuracy as possible, as if trying to bring them back to life.

"I think this is going well" Dr. Boxer replied, while admiring his work. "With these conifers, they would have cover so the fire wouldn't be seen by predators."

"Well, we still need to build the shelter next to the hearth" Bandit told. "They used branches and animal skins and they would cover the ground with leaves. Not to mention I should also get moss to the fire, besides wood."

"Wow, you're really being meticulous… even more than usual" Emily commented.

"I need to be" Bandit replied. "Not only because this is my first project as a lead researcher, but also because of the potential this may have. I mean… not only we have the remains of dogs, but also of a male dire wolf."

"And that's… usual?" Emily asked.

"Dire wolves were known to live in the Americas and Eastern Asia" Dr. Boxer explained. "It is possible that one may have been able to reach the Australian continent by crossing the Indonesian archipelago, but…"

"But having the remains of one together with those of dogs… it's unprecedented" Bandit replied. "This may mean that they lived together, shared the same shelter, using the same resources… We may have here a mixed tribe."

"Maybe… but try to keep a wide perspective, okay, Bandit?" Dr. Boxer said, while getting out.

An alarm was heard, coming from Emily's phone.

"Oh…" she said, looking to it.

"What is it, Emily?" Bandit asked.

"I'm sorry, Bandit, but… I have an appointment" she said, while starting to pack up her camera and sketch notes from her working spot. "Do you mind if I…"

"Of course not" Bandit replied. "You can go."

"Thank you very much" Emily said, while putting her bag on her shoulder. "I promise I will have all the sketches ready tomorrow."

"I know I can trust you" Bandit replied.

That statement caused Emily to smile at him, who smiled back at her, and she then headed to the exit.

Later, Bandit came back home. When he parked the car, he noticed a certain pickup truck Bandit knew very well since he was a pup and that was poorly parked. That could only mean one thing: Rad was there.

"I'm home!" he said, while getting inside and closing the door.

"Daddy!" Bluey and Bingo exclaimed, while running towards him and hugging him.

"Hey there, my little furballs" Bandit said, while picking his daughters up. "How was your day?"

"It was fine" Bluey replied. "We played a lot."

"Yeah, but we missed you a lot, Daddy" Bingo told, with some sadness in her voice.

"I know you did, squirt" Bandit replied. "So did I, but your Dad is doing some big work. But don't worry, things will soon get back to normal and you two will have your old dad all to yourselves."

"We can't wait for that!" Bluey exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Bingo agreed.

"Oh, Dad, you won't believe who is here" Bluey said, excitingly.

"Uh, let me guess… could it be… uncle Rad?" Bandit asked.

That caused the two girls to gasp.

"How did you know?" Bingo asked.

"Because I'm Dad" Bandit replied. "I know everything."

The two girls giggled and said at the same time:

"No, you don't."

"Uh, I feel myself offended" Bandit said, with his playful offended voice. "How can you doubt of your father's all-knowing power?"

"You mean like that time at the dump?" Bluey asked.

"Yeah… I should have remembered that" Bandit said, while putting down his daughters.

They went to the living room, where they found Rad and Frisky talking to Chilli, while sitting on the couch. When Rad saw his younger brother, he got up and exclaimed:

"Bandit! Come here, little bro!"

And Rad went to him and gave him one of his strong hugs that caused the older brother to raise the younger one from the floor. Bandit could feel himself almost unable to breath, something that caused Bluey and Bingo to laugh, while Chilli and Frisky chuckled.

"Hey, Rad… What brings you here?" Bandit asked, while trying to breath.

Rad released Bandit, much to the latter's relief, and said:

"I just came to personally congratulate you for your doctorate. I was not able to do it personally when you got it, so, now that we're both together, I can do it finally."

"Yeah… that's great" Bandit replied, with an awkward smile. "Next time, could you ease the hug. I think you almost broke my ribs."

"Sorry, little bro" Rad replied, while tapping his brother's back with too much strength, causing Bandit to feel some pain. "Sometimes I forget the strength I have when I'm excited."

"Hey, girls, why don't you go play?" Chilli asked Bluey and Bingo. "The adults will talk and you may get bored."

"Okay" the two kids replied, running then to the playroom.

"So… how is this new job of yours going?" Rad asked, while the two brothers went to seat beside their respective loved ones.

"Actually, it's going very well" Bandit replied. "I think I may have found something great!"

"Bandit is actually very excited about this" Chilli told.

"That's great, Bandit, I can't wait to know about it" Frisky told.

"Why wait?" Rad asked. "Tell us all about it!"

"You want me to talk about my job?" Bandit asked to his older brother, with a raised eyebrow. "That's hard to believe having in count to fall asleep all the times I do it."

"That's not true!" Rad exclaimed.

"You did it when Bandit talked about that time he helped Dr. Cooper recovering those ancient artefacts of the Australian Aboriginal" Chilli replied.

"And when I participated on the recovery of that mammoth at Canada" Bandit told. "Not to mention when I talk about the latest archaeological discoveries."

Hearing all those examples made Rad feel a little awkward and then say, while scratching the back of his head:

"Yeah… I guess you're right."

That caused everyone to share a laugh.

"I just hope you have a great team helping you, Bandit" Frisky said. "That's essential for any project, being archaeological or not."

"I have the best team I could ask" Bandit said. "My excavation team was so great. They helped me to dig up all the bones quickly, effectively and safely. And Dr. Boxer is a great professional and the best at his field. Not to mention that Emily is really good at her job. You should have seen her sketches."

It was then that Rad chuckled and said:

"It's funny… that last one has the same name as your ex-girlfriend. You know, the one that broke your heart and left you all depressed and playing Blues at the dark in your room."

But Bandit only gave him a serious look, while Chilli whispered to Rad:

"It's the same one, Rad."

Rad got surprised when he heard that.

"Really?" he asked, turning then to Bandit. "Bro, are you crazy?! Why are you working with your ex? Don't you have self-respect?"

"Rad!" Frisky admonished her boyfriend.

"What, I'm just saying" he replied. "I mean, you weren't there when she dumped him. He was miserable. She didn't even tell him why she broke up."

"I have to admit, I did had some adverse feelings about that" Bandit told. "But Emily and I solved our things. Everything is fine between us now… mostly. At least enough for us to work together and be friends."

"What about you, Chilli?" Rad asked his sister-in-law. "Aren't you a little nervous about this?"

"I trust your brother, Rad" Chilli said, while putting one of her hands on Bandit's leg. "I know he loves me and that he is over Emily."

"Okay… if you say so…" Rad sighed. "Hey, let's go talk about something more cheerful, like what is it we're going to have for dinner?"

Everyone laughed as they proceed to change subject.