"Your mouth is made up but your mind is undone."

- Elvis Costello, Accidents Will Happen

The radio played softly in the background as Booth and Brennan drove towards their destination, neither feeling the need for conversation at the moment. Booth's thoughts moved from the case at hand to the woman sitting next to him, to the woman he was currently sharing a bed with. Quite honestly, he didn't want to investigate his feelings on the whole Charlie/Brennan issue but he was beginning to think that he wasn't going to be able to avoid it for much longer. Things with Charlie were easy and fun, not the least bit stressful or complicated. Complicated. Now there was a word he most definitely had to attribute to his relationship with Bones. There wasn't even a word for the co-dependent entanglement their relationship was, and even if there were an appropriate word it would probably be seven syllables long and totally unpronounceable.

Brennan's sudden movement drew him out of his musings with a start. She was digging through her messenger bag, looking for something specific. When she finally found what she was looking for, Booth couldn't have been more surprised.

"Booth, have you seen Charlotte's story in Time?" Brennan held the magazine up for him as he glanced over quickly.

"Uh…not the magazine, no. I already read the story, so I didn't feel the need to read it again."

"There's a picture of you in there."

"Really?" Booth looked at her with raised eyebrows.

Brennan nodded and flipped through the magazine quickly. "See? Right here. It's a good picture of you."

She held it up close to him so he could see without driving them off the road. Booth glanced long enough to see where she was pointing, a photograph taken at their first destination after a long training period near the Baghlan Province. Charlie was in the middle of the picture, flanked by Sambo and Tucker while Booth stood grinning slightly behind them all. They all looked happy…and they were, for a time. A pang of sadness flicked across Booth's face as he turned back to the road, but Brennan was staring at him and he managed to catch it before he covered with a smile.

"Cool. Made a national magazine. Now I'm famous too." Brennan chuckled lightly; trying to ignore the darkness she had seen crossing his face. There would be another time for that conversation, she knew. But now wasn't that time.

Changing the subject, Brennan sighed, "I can't believe that Sweets appealed to the director to get us back in counseling. It's unnecessary."

Booth rubbed his forehead, "I know but I'm sure he thinks he's doing the right thing. We just need to go in there tomorrow, let him see that we're fine and that'll be the end of it."

Brennan wanted to ask if they were in fact 'fine' but she didn't because that too was a conversation for another time. "He said that it's because of the separation. He says it like..like.." She wasn't sure how to complete her thought.

So, he did it for her, "He says it like we're a married couple who were legally separated for seven months – I know."

She shook her head, "Ludicrous."

"It's how he sees us."

"And again that's ludicrous."

Booth nodded in agreement as they pulled up to the witness' house. As Booth was getting out of the vehicle, his phone rang. When he saw who was calling he glanced over at Brennan nervously and then answered the phone. "Booth."

"Hey, it's me. I know you're probably in the middle of saving the world and all that but I wanted to let you know that I have to take a later flight." Charlotte explained quickly. They had only spoken once before in the 10 days she had been gone, the previous night when she called to let him know she was coming back to DC for a few days.

"That's fine." Booth mumbled under his breath, glancing once again at Brennan. "What time?" he asked as he pulled out his notepad.

"My flight gets in at 8:34, American flight 146."

Booth jotted down the info and repeated it to her, "8:34, American 146. Ok, I'll see you then."

"Alright." He could hear the smile in her voice causing him to smile faintly.

He hung up the phone and slipped it back in his pocket. He looked over at Brennan and adjusted his tie, "Ready?"

Brennan smiled, "Sure." She wanted to ask who the caller was but she already knew the answer. Charlotte Townsend was obviously coming back to town.

B&B

A few hours later Booth dropped Brennan off at the lab and as she made her way to her office Angela immediately noticed that something was eating away at her friend. She waited until she saw Brennan get settled at her desk before she approached her.

"Ok, what's wrong?" Angela asked as she sat down and crossed her legs.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"It's obvious that something is bothering you."

Brennan sighed, "I am bothered."

Angela tilted her head, "Ok…about what?"

"Booth is…I'm concerned that the war changed Booth."

"He seems the same to me. A little distracted but he's still Booth."

Brennan leaned on her forearms, "When he was in Afghanistan he met a woman, a reporter named Charlotte Townsend who was embedded in his unit. Apparently it was a relationship that was sexual in nature."

Angela furrowed her brow, "Who goes off to war and finds a woman?"

"Booth, I suppose. The thing is…" She bit her lip, "She's quite a beautiful, intriguing woman…"

"You met her?"

Brennan nodded, "My editor asked me to go listen to a lecture she was giving two weeks ago. I didn't know who she was at the time but I really liked her."

"Did Booth see her while she was in town? Is she still in town?"

"He did see her when she was here and it appears she's coming back tonight." Brennan frowned, "We haven't talked about her, not really." She reached into her bag and pulled out the magazine that was already folded to the desired page, "This is her."

Angela took the magazine from her and commented in surprise, "He looks so…so happy."

"I know. What do you think that means?"

"I don't know, Bren. I wish I did."

Then much to Angela's surprise Brennan blurted out, "She's not right for him. She travels all the time, she's unavailable. It's not good for him – it's not what he needs."

"Maybe not. But maybe it's what he needs right now." Angela stated with a sympathetic smile.

"What do you mean?"

Angela sighed and leaned back in her seat, struggling to find the right words, "Booth has been through a lot in the last two years and maybe he…he just needs something that's not so…all-consuming. Maybe he needs something to-to just let him relax and not worry about all the things that he has assumed responsibility for."

"I have a difficult time seeing him needing that." Brennan scoffed.

"Sometimes we all need to be free of our encumbrances. Have you ever thought about what you might need?" Angela asked knowing that her friend wouldn't have an answer to that question.

B&B

Booth looked at his watch, Charlotte's plane had landed 20 minutes prior and he wasn't sure how to feel about seeing her again. On one hand, he liked, he really liked her, but on the other hand, he knew that 'like' wasn't enough at least not for him. Luckily he didn't have much time to dwell on his dueling hands because seconds later he saw her breezing through the airport.

As soon as he saw her he was reminded of why he was attracted to her in the first place. At first glance she looked like she was completely unaffected by the world, she carried herself like nothing could touch her but then in an instant she would transform into the most sincere, bleeding heart he'd ever met. She smiled as soon as she saw him.

Booth returned her smile and suddenly his debate on how to feel about her flew out the window. He was happy to see her. "Hey there stranger."

"Hey there yourself." They didn't kiss or hug upon meeting again, they just stood and looked at each other.

"How was your flight?" He asked as they started moving toward the exit.

"Your average six hour flight next to a woman who thinks it's cute when her kid screams for over half the trip."

Booth laughed as he slipped her bag off her shoulder, he saw a protest forming on her lips, "Just let me carry the damn bag."

"Fine." She bumped her shoulder with his, "I forget that you're the last chivalrous man on the planet sometimes."

When they arrived at his SUV, Booth gently pinned Charlotte against the passenger door and brushed her hair away from her eyes, "How long are here for?"

"Two maybe three days."

He nodded before kissing her lightly, "Make it three and I'll make it worth your while."