Chapter 2

2:17. It had only been three hours and forty minutes since he dropped her off at the airport, and he was already going crazy. It didn't matter that sometimes they wouldn't talk for a few days at a time if they didn't have a case, just knowing she was thousands of miles away from him was like a punch in the stomach.

He sighed and drove back to his office, taking this opportunity to try getting some paperwork done. But as soon as he sat at his desk and looked at the file from their last case, Bones' careful script reminded him just how far away she was. For the twelfth time that day, Booth sighed and set his face in his hands. Cullen chose that moment to knock unceremoniously on his door.

"Booth, you look like hell."

"Thank you, sir." He said sarcastically.

"Why don't you take the day off." The statement disguised as a question.

"No thank you, sir, I need something to keep me occupied." As he shuffled papers, looking for a file that wouldn't remind him of her.

"Alright, if you say so."

"Yes sir. Thank you." Booth appreciated his boss's sudden and surprising empathy, but if he went home he knew he'd just sit around and miss her.

Dr. Brennan dusted the dirt off her jeans and looked up at the sun, which was quickly setting behind a cluster of exotic trees. The sky was lit up in an array of pink and purple hues, and Bones vaguely expected to hear Booth's voice break her reverie and his hand guide her gently to his SUV after a long day in the field. She closed her eyes and imagined the feeling, finding solace in picturing his face. Opening her eyes, she shook her head at herself. This was stupid. It had only been a week.

She sighed and heard the voice of Dr. Paige behind her.

"Dr. Brennan, are you alright?" The anthropologist asked gently.

Bones paused for a moment to consider the question.

"Yeah. Let's head back, it's getting dark." Bones said.

"You know, there's a phone in our hotel. I've used it once already, I'm sure Ngawe would let you use it if you asked."

"No, that's okay." Bones said, smiling half heartedly, willing away the frightening feeling of solitude that suddenly took hold of her.

Two weeks. Had it really only been two weeks? It felt like forever. Every breath he took seemed to cause him pain. On a whim, he jumped into his SUV and drove to the Jeffersonian. He thought he wouldn't want to go there and be reminded of her, but somehow it made him feel closer to her. Angela hung up her cell phone with a grin as Booth strode in.

"Hey Ange." He said, smiling. It was good to see her. He could pretend at any moment Bones would come out her office door and spout off some terms he'd pretend to understand. But her office door was closed and the lights were off.

"Booth! You missed it, I was just talking to Bren!"

"What! She called?" He exclaimed, a little hurt she hadn't called him first. But just then, his phone rang. Angela laughed and he grinned for the first time in two weeks.

"Bones?" He answered. After a moment of the connection crackling, she responded.

"Booth, how'd you know it was me?"

He laughed, "I just had a feeling. How are you?"

"Great. We're making good progress on the site here." Booth, oblivious to Angela watching his expression carefully, walked out into the hall. "The villagers seem to think we're some kind of celebrities." Booth laughed. "How are you? I just talked to Angela and the guys at the lab."

"I know, I actually just walked in when you hung up."

"Really? What are you doing there? Is there a case?" She asked quickly, hoping irrationally that he hadn't been paired with another anthropologist.

Booth laughed at her anxiety, "No, I just wanted to come visit. It reminds me of you." He said softly, before thinking then held his breath, hoping he hadn't just crossed a line. But he heard the smile in her voice.

"Why Booth, you miss me!"

"Never thought I'd see the day."

She laughed, and Booth closed his eyes to imagine her face.

"I miss you guys too."

Booth frowned a little. That wasn't quite the response he was looking for, but it'd have to do for now. They chatted a bit more and she promised she'd call again in another few weeks when she could.

Booth strode back into the lab with a smile, Angela immediately pouncing on him from nowhere to make him repeat every word of their conversation. He left the lab soon after, with the promise to not be a stranger.

Yay! Two chapters up! I only have another week and a half before I go home for the summer and have to leave my boyfriend :( I'm just saying. I only hope he's as miserable as Booth is in my story!

Hold on a second, aren't you forgetting something? Review!

Austin B.