AN: Hi guys. A million apologies for the delay. I didn't want to be one of those crappy fic writers who leaves you high and dry in the middle of a story. But I am. Anyhow, I'm back and I have the next couple of chapters ready to go before posting this, and I aim to update roughly weekly, so it shouldn't happen again. I hope you still care!

Charlie lumbered down his sweeping staircase, packed bag in hand.

"You are going on vacation.", Ted observed from the bottom step. Still wearing those shorts. "Have you decided where to?"

"Not yet.", Charlie noted the concern in Ted's eyes. "But I'll call you when I get where I'm going."

"So you don't know where you are going. Do you know why you are going?"

Charlie reminded himself that beneath the unassuming, cartoon-like Droopy exterior, his roommate was a pretty astute guy.

He sighed. "Ted, did you ever get exactly what you wanted and then kind of wish that you hadn't?"

"No, not really, Charlie." Ted could not know the context of Charlie's question was women but his mind had immediately flown to Olivia, for whom he had pined for months. Now that they were finally together, he was blissfully, blissfully happy. No regrets. Life was certainly exceeding his expectations right now, he wouldn't have been able to relate to Charlie's predicament even if he had known what it was. "So this thing that you got...it wasn't what you expected?"

Charlie shook his head frenetically. "Oh, it was everything I expected. More, even."

Ted was kind of baffled. It was nothing new, his roommate often did this to him. "So...the problem is..?"

"It just wasn't how I wanted it to be." Charlie saw Ted frown in confusion. "I wasn't how I should have been. I'm not the man I want to be. And I have to ask myself if I ever have been."

"And now you need to go on vacation", Ted suggested whilst nodding, as if one thing naturally followed the other. If he played along long enough, he thought it might all suddenly become clear.

"Exactly.", Charlie agreed, so glad that Ted understood. He made towards the door. "Oh and Ted? If Reese calls, you don't know where I am, right?"

"Uh...okaaay.", Ted drawled slowly. "Shouldn't be so hard since I truly don't know where you're going.".

Charlie had upset Reese. That would be reason to run alright, Ted thought. So that was what all this was about. Another foul up at work? Bad enough that he needed to hide from his partner, the one person who usually had his back? He winced. Jeez, not again, Charlie. Not for the first time he wondered how sustainable an LAPD career was for this guy. Wait. No. Something was different here. He mentally rewound their conversation, Charlie appearing in the morning looking like he had slept in a bush. Seemingly full of remorse. Complaining of not being man enough, or something. Oh, shiiiiit. Could it be that...? Did they finally...? Ted knew how his roommate felt about his partner. This was huge. They had finally got it on! He just knew it. But Charlie wasn't walking on air like he had been when Olivia finally said yes. Maybe it hadn't gone well. Oh, man. There was only one explanation. This was guy stuff, he thought. Maybe Charlie couldn't get it up, or maybe everything was over all too soon. Reese always struck him as a formidable woman. Poor guy. He immediately wanted to tell Olivia.

"Good.", Charlie said solemnly.

"Uh, you know, Charlie...sometimes things happen to a guy...or don't happen. You know? Doesn't mean it's always gonna be that way. There are lots of reasons for it. Sometimes...it's just not the right time." Ted tried to look as sage and as sympathetic as he could. They had shared plenty of heart to hearts over the years but this was kind of delicate.

Charlie looked despondent. Ted felt like he wasn't helping any.

"Uhhh. Does Zen cover this stuff?", he tried.