Wow, so this is a new cahpter that I had originally planned but hadn't written and went back and wrote. Hehe, I'm glad I did too :D I was so excited to post it.

Chapter Five: Possibilities

Temperance arrived in the middle of the afternoon the next day. Getting out of her car, she sighed, observing the house before her. So this is where he lived – not too bad, she had to admit. She walked up the steps and rapped quietly on the door, which opened quickly, as if he had been waiting for her all morning.

"Tempe," Russ breathed when he saw her standing there. Quickly he ushered her inside. "I got your phone call. What's wrong? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

As he talked, he led her down the main hallway to a living room on the left. Her eyes fell momentarily on a table next to the television, which had a picture of her, him and their parents on it, as well as the marble that she had returned to him. Digesting his question, she s

hook her head. "I just wanted a break," she lied, her eyes still scanning the room to avoid Russ' gaze. He placed her down on a sofa, and sat beside her.

"No," he said, narrowing his eyes. "There's something more, isn't there?" He already knew that she needed a place to stay for a while she was in town, and even though it hadn't been too long ago that she finally let him back into her life, he still knew that something was wrong.

She lowered her head, looking at her hands folded in her lap. "Russ…"

"Tempe, tell me," he growled lightly, taking her hands in his. "You know you can tell me anything."

She took a deep breath, and he rubbed her hands supportively. Finally, she let it out, and said softly, "I'm pregnant."

First there was the feeling of joy…his little baby sister? But then, realizing the fact that she was here telling him, his mouth went dry. Something wasn't right. "And the father?" he croaked.

"Doesn't matter," Temperance responded lightly. He already had his suspicions.

"What are you planning on doing?" Russ asked lightly.

Taking a shuddering breath, Temperance spoke only one word, "Adoption."

He nodded slowly, imagining his sister's dislike for that option. While she had once told him she never wanted children of her own (although he always hoped she would change her mind) and he knew that adoption wasn't her favorite choice because of the foster system she had been put through, he also knew that abortion wouldn't be right for her either.

She looked up at him for the first time, her eyes wide and child like – pleading, even. "I can stay with you," she asked, "Right?"

Russ sighed and pulled her into a strong embrace. His heart felt crushed for the pain his baby sister had to endure. "Of course you can," he murmured, holding her as

The ruin was promptly ruined, however, when two young girls came barreling into the room, laughing as they jumped on the couch next to Russ, who had separated from embracing his sister at the sound of the noise. Behind the girls trailed a woman about Temperance's age, with shoulder length blonde hair and vibrant green eyes.

"I'm sorry," she panted slightly, smiling apologetically at Russ and his sister. "I tried to tell them not to bother you but…"

"It's okay," Russ and Temperance chorused. Russ looked at Temperance with a smile as the blonde girl made her way over and as he hoisted one of the two young girls, a girl of about eight with brown hair cropped short, onto his lap, "Temperance, I'd like you to meet Liz, my fiancée, Liz, this is my sister, Tempe."

Temperance took Liz's hand in greeting as her eyes skyrocketed. "Fiancée?" she asked. When she looked to her brother, she saw his face radiating with happiness.

"It just happened recently," Liz explained.

"I was going to call you to tell you, but after your phone call…" Russ added. He trailed off as the girl on his lap clutched at his shirt. He smiled lovingly down at her.

"These are my girls," Liz said as she looked at Temperance. "Maggie, who's eight," she said gesturing to the girl on Russ' lap, "And Grace – four," she said, pointing to the young girl, with long, curly blonde hair who was sitting on the couch between Russ and Temperance, clutching a doll as she observed Temperance.

"Girls," Russ continued, "Meet your Aunt Tempe."

They both babbled their greetings, and Temperance smiled at them and nodded. She looked down when she felt Grace poking at her thigh tentatively. When Temperance looked down patiently, she asked, "Do you want to play dolls with us?"

"Uh…I don't know if I'm qualified to…" Temperance began, and Liz and Russ jumped in to try and explain that Auntie Tempe had had a long drive, but Grace only stared up at her with her blue eyes shimmering with plea. Maggie left Russ' lap to try and help her sister convince their new aunt to play dolls.

"Please?" they both asked at the same time.

"I…uh…" Temperance swallowed and looked down at the both of them. She smiled tentatively, "I guess I could try…" she said, and the second the words were out of her mouth the girls yelled in triumph and grabbed her hands, pulling her off of the couch and towards the room. She looked back over her shoulder to smile at Russ who was still trying to call the girls off.

When she left the room, Liz sat down next to Russ, taking his hand in hers. "She seems sweet," she said sincerely.

Russ nodded, "She is."

"But?" Liz asked. The fact that he had been worried about her when she had called and the look on his face now both confirmed that there was something more going on.

"Well, you see," Russ said, and promptly began explaining his sisters predicament.

XxX

Booth jogged in through the doors of the Jeffersonian, case file in hand as he hummed a happy tune. A new case – especially this one – would cheer Bones up, he thought. He reached the center lab, swiped his car and took the steps two at a time.

His eyebrows furrowed together when he saw no sight of Temperance. "Hey guys, where's Bones?" he asked, his voice causing the three squints, who had been standing around a computer monitor together, to look up. Their eyes – mostly Angela's and Hodgins – resembled that of deer caught in the headlights. He felt his heart thud once against his chest. "Well?"

XxX

Temperance walked back into the living room sometime later. "They fell asleep," she explained, jerking her thumb back in the direction she had come from.

The couple nodded in understanding, and Russ gestured to the couch solemnly. Temperance seated herself tentatively. "Liz and I have been talking," Russ said quietly.

"And we have a proposition for you," Liz picked up, her green eyes focused warmly and sympathetically on Temperance.

So I remembered in "The Woman In Limbo" Russ said the girl he was seeing had two daughters. So that's where that came from. Hope you guys enjoyed that...evil cliffy, huh?
Ponies: Okay so this probably isnt what you were thinking of...but do me a favor and just hang on for a few more chapter, and I promise you that you wont be disappointed...I think...Just wait and see XD (p.s. I'm a stickler for happy endings too ) Thanks for read/reviewing!!

K. - Hmmn, well seeing as I've never been through the experience myself and I was just trying to, you know, make it sound good for fiction...sorry I didnt do the reasearch earlier. Not everything in a story has to go by the rulebooks.

Haley - Too late. Already continue. If you have a problem with that, then just dont read. The least you could have done was tell me why not to continue. Since you didnt bother to tell me why or offer any other criticism, I really dont give a crap about your opinion.