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In the car and on their way to the lab, Booth filled Bones in on the East Coast Chopper.

"He's suspected of five murders and one attempted murder in the past two years. Two in Maryland, two in Virginia and one here in DC. The murders were never more than a month apart. He stalked his victims closely, and always leaves a bone in their hands."

"Doesn't sound like what we found at the crime scene was enough to pin it on this Chopper guy."

"Did they look alike to you?"

"What?" She looked at Booth, but he stared straight ahead at the road. Both hands gripping the wheel tightly. "You mean the victim and the girl?"

"Yea."

"Well, I don't know about looks. They had similar facial structure. Same approximate height and weight. Same color hair. Why?"

"The EC Chopper always attacks sets of fraternal twins. Boy and girl. He stalks them and waits until they are alone in their house. Knocks out the boy, stabs the girl to death, cuts her hair off and leaves a mysterious bone in her hands. We think the body where the bones are from was probably chopped up. Hence 'East Coast Chopper'." Booth spoke low, not making any motion to look at Bones.

"Did you work those cases?" She asked carefully, hoping she didn't end up saying something she'd regret.

Booth nodded, it wasn't a good time for him, seeing so many kids dead in such a short time span. Booth knew if/when the EC Chopper was caught he probably wouldn't be able to trust himself to question the man, he just might kill him. See how he likes it.

Booth didn't notice Brennen's concerned glances as he took the corners a little sharper than necassary. He kept thinking of the way Kayla had looked at him before she got into the Detective's car, it was like she didn't want to leave his side. Like she was all-alone in the world and terrified. What was it about her that haunted him so?

"Well, if it is the EC Chopper, he's changed his MO. Those two were street kids, no home to attack them in. Plus he attacked the boy, not the girl. Maybe it's a copycat." Brennen stated.

Booth shook his head.

"It's him. I know it's him. His last attack didn't go the way the others had. The boy woke up before the Chopper was through, he tried to fight him, ended up getting beat unconscious. The Chopper took off leaving the boy to die beside his sister. A neighbor heard the screaming, made a call...poor kid was in the ICU for three days. When he finally woke up I questioned him for a few minutes and when I left...he went into a coma."

They were only ten years old, only babies. Booth thought, remembering how fragile the boy had looked when he spoke with him, making so much effort to tell everything he could, one last gift to his sister.

"You think because that attack went wrong he changed his MO?"

"Yep. I think it's been almost two years since the last attack and those kids were victims of opportunity. As far as why Kayla is alive and her brother dead, I have no idea."

"No leads on the past cases?"

Booth shook his head.

"Well then I want the bones from the other attacks. Zach and I might be able to find out who the bones belong to. If there's anything substantial of the skull Angela might be able to give us a face to run through missing persons."

Booth just nodded. For a few minutes they rode in silence.

Brennen noted the change in Booth's demeanor and assumed it was because he hated cases that involved kids. She knew he felt personally responsible for them all.

"Hey Booth, you know you should just give me a gun." Brennen hoped the 'gun subject', as she called it would make Booth tease her and loosen up a bit.

"What?"

"You're always worried something will happen to me when I go somewhere without you, if you gave me a gun…"

"I'm not giving you a gun Bones. And if you wouldn't take off running down dark alleys or sewer tunnels you wouldn't need one." Booth's mood wasn't lightning as Brennen had hoped.

"I'm just saying if you gave me a gun you wouldn't have to worry about me." Brennen was slightly annoyed. She didn't know what was wrong with him and knew she wouldn't find out until he was ready to tell her.

But her comments helped in a way she hadn't expected. It got Booth's mind off the case and onto her.

Booth winced internally, remembering Brennen running down the alley into the darkness, him incapable of stopping her. "Bones, even if I gave you a gun, which I'm not, but even if I did, it wouldn't stop me from worrying about you." Booth glanced at her quickly out of the corner of his eye, she was smiling to herself. She would probably never admit it, but she knew what he said was true, and she was glad.

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