Dr. Temperance Brennan felt like the world was crumpling around her, and she had a very small wall to hide behind. She had returned from Maluku and as she had promised Angela she had found something. Something that changed the meaning of being human. Dr. Temperance Brennan had returned with a flying spirit, a look of peace and eagerness in her eyes, and in moments everything had changed.

The prospect of seeing Booth made her eager, and she urged the cabbie to find a quicker route to the Lincoln Memorial. She glanced out the window at her home. Though the Maluku islands had been wonderful she had missed home, knowing know that that's what DC was. The city zoomed by in a blur and her mind wandered over seeing all her friends again, but most importantly Booth. A year ago they had sat together and toasted to change yet she never imagined that she would be open to change. As Booth had stated the pyramids where better at change than her yet she understood his humorous reference.

Before she knew it they where at the Lincoln Memorial and she paid the cabbie before climbing out and impatient to wait for the slow moving man, grabbed her own small suitcase out of the back. She had shipped most of her other belongings home, and hoped they would be there when she arrived. Her heels clicked on the concrete path and the sun felt warm on her face. Any passerbyer would have been stunned at the beautiful woman practically running towards the coffee cart. Her blue eyes where sparkling like the ocean on a gloriously sunny day, reflecting some form of realization. One could practically see her spirit flying and there was a slight bounce in her practical purposeful steps. The sun had kissed her usually fair skin giving her a glow and her hair had grown out and been restyled, though still slightly tousled. She now sported soft bangs, and she was also slightly thinner and more toned from being out and about.

Brennan's suitcase rolled behind her yet nothing could slow her down. She was 20 feet or so form the coffee cart when she saw him. He was sitting on their bench, looking out at the water, a look of deep concentration on his face. She smiled and stopped just to look at him. He was much tanner and his muscles much more defined from whatever he had been doing out in Afghanistan. His hair was still cut short like the last time she had seen him at the airport. He had been able to go home and change though and was wearing comfortable relaxed attire including his favorite leather jacket.

As if he knew she was watching he looked up and met her eye and smiled. Their eyes just locked for a few moments before he stood and she all but ran to him and threw her arms around him, giving him a massive hug. He held her tightly and she could feel him take a deep breath as his face settled into her hair, one hand at the back of her head and an arm wrapped around her back. She closed her eyes and let the feeling of safety that Booth brought settle over her. She let what was normal settle back like sand and water after waves have sent it all tumbling. She felt safe and she felt at home. They hugged as if they feared that this was just a dream like they had both had numerous times before. Finally she pulled back and looked at him.

"Hey."

"Hey Bones."

She hadn't heard that name in the longest time and it felt like she was finally slipping back into the skin she belonged in. Her mouth rose to one side in her signature smile

"Tell me everything" they both said at the same time and laughed at each other's eagerness.

"You first Booth. Did you save many lives like they thought you would."

They sat down and he handed her a cup of coffee just the way she liked it. He nodded his head. "Ya I did what they wanted. I did my duty. Some of the guys I trained where just kids though, like Teddy had been and I thought a lot about Parker. Realized how much I had missed him and home." He said looking at her and smiling. "I see the jungle didn't eat you up and spit you out." Brennan cocked hr head and her brows furrowed. He smiled and leaned back. "I'm glad to see you Bones."

The two looked at each other again smiling and the world seemed to slip away yet this time Brennan didn't want it to return.

"Booth I found it." She whispered. He looked at her curiously. Just as she was about to answer his phone rang. He looked down at it and smiled slightly. "Hold on a sec Bones." He flipped the phone open and in a joking tone answered "Amazingly Talented and Superior Special Agent Seely Booth Speaking." Brennan had never heard him answer the phone in such a way. Maybe he was trying to be humorous with someone at the FBI. His humor didn't always get through to her. She heard him laugh and she smiled at him. "Veronica I'm kinda busy so let me just meet you there. Ya just pick a place for dinner I really don't care you get to know D.C. by exploring." He laughed again and Brennan felt dread pour onto her like an ice-cold cup of water dripping on to her.

"OK bye," he said flipping shut the phone "What where you saying Bones?"

Her face fell but only slightly. "Who was that?" she asked her metaphorical gut telling her she really didn't want to know the answer.

Booth sat back and sighed and his face sobered. "Her names Hannah. I met her in Afghanistan about 3 months ago and she wanted to see if we could date outside of a war zone. Journalist. Smart. Funny."

Brennan nodded "I'm happy for you Booth from your verbal description she seems to be an ideal match for you." Her words felt thick in her mouth, like trying to chew peanut butter. He gave a small smile and she though she detected a hint of sadness in it. "So what where you saying you found?"

Her eyes seemed to draw into themselves and the blue lost its sparkle. He saw the change but he couldn't understand it. She gazed down at the coffee in her hand. "Nothing. Just a pair of dusty bones."