So this time it only took me two weeks to update. I'm getting better, but still not great. This chapter is not really exciting again, but we have to get some slow chapters through so that we can get to the exciting stuff. So, I hope you enjoy and if I do not update again in the next week, happy holidays! I hope you guys have an awesome holiday season. Well, I hope you enjoy. Happy Reading!

Chapter 4: Connections and Differences

Brennan pulled up to the lab and parked in a reserved spot close to the door. She pulled the keys and opened the door to get out. Booth's voice stopped her, "Are you allowed to park here?"

"Well, technically, no. But this is Dr. Goodman's parking spot and he is on a two month sabbatical. Again. He's been going on a lot lately," said Brennan. Seeing Booth's unconvinced face, she continued, "He's not due back for another three weeks."

"Okay, whatever," said Booth getting out of the car, wishing she had told him this before he had parked, what seemed like, ten miles away. Then he remembered her car, stuck in the garage until this case was solved because nobody wanted to get it. "Why didn't you park here today, with your own car?"

"I was distracted and not really paying attention and forgot that this spot was open. I remembered when I got a sudden phobia of parking garages and realized that my car didn't have to be in one."

"You know it's dangerous to be distracted while driving," was Booth's only response. Brennan rolled her eyes and stepped out of the car.

Booth opened the back door and grabbed the stack of files they had taken to the diner with them. When he closed and locked the door and turned to follow Brennan, he saw that she was already halfway to the door. He ran as best he could with the files in his arms and called, "Hey, Bones. Wait for me!"

Brennan did not even turn around. When she got to the door she stopped and turned to wait for him. When he saw this he slowed from his ungainly run to a more graceful walk. Brennan stood at the door, a smile teasing her lips, while Booth walked across the grass. When he hit the sidewalk, his shoe caught the edge of the concrete and he tried desperately to keep all of the files in his hands and completely organized and keep his balance. Brennan took a step forward to help, but he had already regained his balance and thrown a smile in her direction. Brennan opened the door for him and they walked into the lab together.

They took a pit stop at Brennan's office to drop of the files and for Brennan to grab her lab coat before making their way up the platform where Zach was waiting for them.

"Dr. Brennan, I found something."

He led her over to the remains and pointed to the screen next to the skull where part of the remains had been magnified. Brennan walked right up to the screen and leaned in to take a closer look. She pressed a few keys on the keyboard and leaned back.

Booth, deciding it was time that he was clued in, asked, "What exactly are we looking at?"

"See this on the artic-," started Brennan. She was interrupted by Booth clearing his throat. She paused for a moment before continuing and trying to make her statements simpler, "We're basically looking at the back of the neck. See this and this," Brennan pointed to two discolorations on the screen, "These are bone burns. Similar to the ones found on all the other victims."

"Only it does not look like the stun gun was modified in the same way as for the others," said Zach, "The burns are much smaller and less pronounced. The stun gun that made these burns did not have as much power as the stun gun that was used for later attacks."

"So what you are saying is that on his first victim he used a different stun gun?" asked Booth, trying to get the gist of it.

"At least it was not modified in the same way," said Brennan, "Good work, Zach."

"There's something else," said Zach. Brennan and Booth had already turned around. When they heard Zach, they looked at each other before turning around to see what it was Zach had not told them yet.

Zach moved the magnifier from the neck to the frontal bone. He adjusted magnification and looked up, "I found this after we cleaned the bones."

Zach pointed to the screen. Once again Brennan leaned in to get a closer look. She looked for a minute before turning her attention to the actual bone. She looked up at Zach and said, "Looks like a hairline fracture to the frontal bone as a result of a single blow to the head."

"Yes," Zach said, "And I think the Gravedigger did it."

Booth jumped in at this point, "Why do you say that?"

"Because it happened within a day of her death, there is almost no remodeling, and there is no way she could have done this herself in the casket. I had Angela run through some scenarios. There is also no record of her sustaining an injury like this within a week of her death."

"Why would the Gravedigger -," started Brennan before realization dawned on her, "Oh, the stun gun wasn't as strong. She would have regained consciousness sooner."

Zach nodded but Booth still looked the slightest bit confused, "So?"

"So there is a distinct possibility that she could have regained conscious before she was buried. Maybe in transport or while the Gravedigger dug the grave," said Brennan, "The Gravedigger hit her with something because the stun gun was probably out of reach or put away."

"Oh."

"Great work, Zach," said Brennan. Before turning away she asked, "Anything else?"

Zach shook his head and said, "Thanks, Dr. Brennan."

Zach bent down over the remains again. Brennan and Booth turned away and walked down off the platform and to Brennan's office. They hoped that maybe they would get to read the files uninterrupted this time. As they walked they could see Hodgins hunched over his workstation with Angela standing next to him. Angela was listening to something he was saying and by the look on her face it was probably one of his many conspiracy theories. Cam was standing next to one of the many machines in the lab. She was alternating between staring at it and at her watch. They deduced from that behavior that she was waiting for results.

Brennan led the way into her office, waited while Booth walked in, and closed the door, hoping to limit disruptions. She sat down next to Booth on the couch and pulled a file. It was the Kent brothers. She sighed a little before opening it and starting to read. Booth was more reluctant because he knew the file that was waiting for him and was less thrilled about it than he had been several hours earlier. He picked it up and stared at the front of it for a minute before opening it. May as well get this over with, he thought and had a distinct feeling of déjà vu. He opened the file and read the written copy of the message he received from the Gravedigger informing him of his nightmare's beginning. While Booth and Brennan tried to focus on the files in the back of both their minds, neither could help wondering what would happen next. All they could do was wait and see.

Well, guys, I hope that you enjoyed it. I swear it will get more interesting soon. Please leave a review. I love reviews.