Biography for
Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Character)
from "Bones" (2005)

Dr. Temperence Brennan has had a complicated life.

Ordinary suburban folk, Max and Ruth Keenan produce a son Kyle followed four years later in 1976 by a daughter named Joy. However, a dark secret resides in this seemingly perfect family - Max and Ruth are federal offenders, career criminals who specialise in safety deposit box robberies.

An ill advised partnership and a botched robbery leave Max and Ruth with no alternative but to change their identities hoping to protect themselves and their children from old acquaintances. In an attempt to leave their criminal pasts behind them. Ruth becomes Christine, a bookkeeper and Max becomes Matthew, a high school teacher. 7 year old Kyle becomes Russ Brennan, 3 year old Joy becomes Temperance.

For a few years, the Brennan's lead a relatively normal family life. Temperance, excels at school but is quiet and withdrawn, often only speaking once a day to acknowledge her brother when he calls out for her to check if she is ok.

Then, when Temperance is 15, her parent's criminal associates finally track the family down. At Ruth's urging, she and Max abandon their children in an attempt to protect them. They walk out on their son and daughter a few weeks before Christmas 1991.

Temperance is devastated and lashes out at Russ who, at only 19 years old himself, leaves before the New Year is in. She ends up in foster care working her way through numerous homes before making it out of the system.

As a result, adult Temperance regards herself as an orphan, believing her mother and father would have had to have died to have fallen out of her life so quickly and completely. Socially inept with little popular cultural knowledge she throws herself completely into studying. Emotionally withdrawn, she has trouble connecting with people and in an effort to prevent herself getting hurt again she often distances herself from people, including the victims that lay before her in her lab. However, a few romantic interests come and go through her life and at one point she is involved with her Professor at Northwestern University.

She excels in her field of Forensic Anthropology and becomes a highly respected, world renowned scientist working for the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington DC. She also writes crime novels that become bestsellers and her friends often point out that she writes more of herself and colleagues in the books than she perhaps recognizes.

Never taking a vacation for any reason other than to work, her only trips out of the lab involve investigating human remains in ancient and modern settings. Her job has taken to her to Sudan, El Salvador, Rwanda, Guatemala, Tibet - where she treked through the mountains to avoid the Chinese Army. She helped sort through the remains of those killed in 9/11. One particular ill advised trip results in her being taken hostage, and held in isolation for 3 days under constant threat of death.

At some point however, a friendship is forged with Angela Montenegro, artist and free spirit who lives a full and big life. Angela's support and example inspire Temperance to get out of her lab and experience the world, and not just in a "digging through mass graves" way.

Her chance comes after she acts as consultant to the FBI on behalf of the Jeffersonian. Major Crimes Special Agent Seeley Booth pursues her to consult for him on cases following an initial job for him where he recognized her genius through the difficulties caused by her personality. Temperance, wanting to experience more of life outside her lab, blackmails Booth, insisting she will only work with him if he fully involves her in the cases. He reluctantly agrees.

Against the odds, a wonderful partnership is soon forged. Nicknaming her 'Bones', Booth proves himself to Temperance to be affable, trustworthy and loyal. Through her partnership and friendship with Booth and her Squint Squad - colleagues and interns at the Jeffersonian, Temperance slowly learns to open herself more to the world.

A year into her partnership with Booth, the twisted tale of her disappearing parents and her changed identity emerges with the discovery of her mother's skeleton.The reappearance of her criminal father once again throws Temperance for a spin. With Booth and her friends and colleagues she investigates further and learns more about herself, and the compassion and loyalty of those who love her, then ever before.

Temperance got a seven figure advance for her book in season 3.