Russ Brennan was born in 1972 as Kyle Keenan to his parents Max and Ruth Keenan and he welcomed his baby sister, Joy Keenan in 1977. Kyle was outgoing and liked to do his own thing with his friends and he watched Joy age into her own unique person: a quite and shy daddy's girl. But when he was about 7 Max told him to forget Kyle, his new name was Russ Brennan and Max would make him repeat his name over and over again. Russ Brennan. Russ Brennan. Russ Brennan. He also saw a man; a man who's name was Vince McVicar. After Max and Ruth abandon him and Temperance (who's originally Joy) in 1992 the 19-year-old decides that his 15-year-old sister is better off without him, so he abandoned her as well, unknowingly triggering years of resentment and a fear of anyone getting close on her part. Russ returned to his little sister, making parole violations. They tried to find out as much about their family history and of their parents as they could and found out their mother was murdered by Vince McVicar. Russ found Father Toby Coulter who claimed to have more information about Max, but who turned out to be Max himself (just with major -plastic surgery- work done to assume a new identity). Russ is arrested and is later joined by Max. Russ marries Amy Hollister and becomes stepfather to her two children, Emma and Hayley. By Christmas time Russ begs Temperance to give them a decent Christmas with the whole family; and for his children not to know that he's in jail and has a criminal past.