A/N: Okay this chapter is from both Brennan and Booth's POV and uses the song Astronauts again. I really love this song and I couldn't get it out of my head. This section of lyrics really just made me think of Bones for some reason so, here's Astronauts (Part 2)!

Astronauts

You float like a baby
Looking for safety
Somewhere on Mars

But if I'm mistaken
Your body's in England
But your head's in the stars

I walked down the hallways of Oxford University unaware of my surroundings. I was walking side by side with Dr. Scott, one of the anthropologists I had made friends with while on Maluku. We had the inter-hominid remains from the islands on a gurney and we had the easy task of wheeling Ricky, as he had been named, down the hall and to a room to prepare him for display in the museum. Okay, I wasn't pushing Ricky down the hall, some interns were.

The day was May 18th. Two more days until I was supposed to meet Booth at the coffee cart. I was engrossed in what I was checking on my phone (the weather for my flight, making sure I wouldn't be delayed) when I ran into someone.

"Sorry," I called over my shoulder.

I decided looking up when I walked would be appropriate to avoid any unnecessary injuries.

We stopped in the prepping room to supervise the interns and other doctors get Ricky ready for viewing. Dr. Scott and I were to do one large press conference with the remains in attendance and then escort them back to the museum for the new exhibit.

I checked and rechecked my reservations for my flight in two days to Washington and even checked to see if there was a way I could take an earlier flight. All flights were booked and I was stuck in Oxford for two more nerve-wracking days.

"Dr. Brennan? It's time for the press conference," Dr. Scott said, pulling my head from the clouds. I nodded, slipped my phone back into my pocket and followed her to where the cameras and microphones were waiting.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

I was sitting in the mess hall. Two more God-forsaken days left until I could go home to see her. I had talked to her on almost a daily basis since that first phone call but it wasn't like seeing her, holding her. It was almost time for me to head back to my tent to get ready for one last day of training men that really shouldn't be here. Most of them were too young; half of them looked hardly a day older than Parker.

There was one TV in the mess hall and they usually could only get a British news station which was fine with me. Most of the news related back to the States anyway so I could figure out what was happening back home.

"And we go live to a press conference now to Oxford University, where our Lindsey McCrutchen is standing by. Lindsey?"

"Hi there, Jaime. I'm at Oxford U where our own Dr. Erin Scott and Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institution of Washington D.C. will be detailing their finds of a set of inter-species hominid remains they uncovered over a year's time in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia."

"Whoa!" I shouted. "Everyone shut the hell up! My girl's on TV! Turn it up, soldier!" I pointed to a young man who I was training and he did as was told.

"We spent a year unearthing these remains of a new species in the Homo genus which has not yet been named." The woman who spoke first I didn't recognize. I guessed that had to be Dr. Scott. Bones still wasn't in frame.

"We have determined that early Homo sapiens mated with Homo floresiensis to create this new species. It is a remarkable find in the evolutionary chain." I heard her but she wasn't on the screen. The camera adjusted to fit Bones in the shot too.

"Ha! There she is! That's my girl!" I announced to the men proudly. I got a lot of "Damn, Sarge, she's smokin'!" or "Sarge, put a ring on it before I do!"

I ignored the other soldiers around me and watched her on the screen. She was over four thousand miles away but she seemed so close.

There were more questions for the women on the screen and there were several more shots of the remains, sealed in a plexiglass case.

"What is the specimen called? There have been reports that it was named," Another reporter was saying.

"The species has not yet been named." Bones stated.

"He means what do we call it," Dr. Scott explained to Bones. "He has earned the nickname Ricky since there is an Australopithecus afarensis named Lucy. You know, like I Love Lucy." Dr. Scott told reporters. Bones still had that 'I don't know what that means' look on her face and I never realized how much I missed her.

XXXXXXXX

My phone buzzed in my pocket and, out of habit, I pulled it out of my pocket to check. Angela sent me a message.

You're on TV!

I know. How are you doing?

We're all fine. When are you going home?

The 20th. I tried booking an earlier flight but everything's booked.

Well, Jack and I are leaving Paris tonight. It's Jack's private plane. We could come up and get you if you're ready!

There is no need. That's a waste of fuel. I'll see you in D.C.

Sorry, Sweetie. Jack already told the pilot we're taking a detour to London. I'll call you when we get there.

I knew there was no way I could get them to change their minds and let me take my own flight. But I knew being home a day early would give me time to readjust slightly to the new time zone.

Have you talked to Booth lately?

I talked to him a few nights ago. He'll get back the day after we land.

Good. I'm sure you miss Studly.

Yes. I miss him very much.

You are too cute. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you sweetie. By the way, you're still on TV. Everyone's watching you text instead of answer questions :)

I looked up and realized Dr. Scott was still taking questions. I stepped off stage, knowing I wasn't needed. Dr. Scott could handle the media on her own. I put my phone back in my pocket and made my way to my rental car to the hotel. I wanted to shower and pack everything before Angela and Dr. Hodgins arrived later. I was startled as my phone rang.

XXXXXXXX

I stood up and pulled a new prepaid calling card from my pocket. Bones and I had used up several hundred minutes talking to each other and now that I knew she was back in civilization, she would have her cell instead of an Indonesian landline.

I activated the calling card and dialed her number from memory.

"Brennan," she answered.

"Bones! How's London?"

"Booth? I'm not in London. I'm in Oxford. London is over an hour away. How did you know I had my cell?"

"I saw your press conference. Nice haircut, by the way. Why didn't you tell me you changed it?"

"I didn't think it was important."

"Oh. Well, it looks nice, Baby."

"How many times have I asked you very nicely not to call me that?"

"Probably over a hundred times. When are you going State-side?"

"Tomorrow. Angela and Hodgins are going to pick me up on their way back from Paris. Apparently, Hodgins has a private plane."

"Why am I not surprised? Listen, I can't get back earlier but we're still going to meet at the coffee cart, right?"

"Of course. I need to go. I have to drive and apart from not being behind the wheel for almost a year, I'm not used to driving on the opposite side of the road."

"Okay, Bones. Be careful."

"I'm not in the jungle anymore, Booth. I'm fine."

"Well, drive safe. I love you."

"I love you too, Booth."

I hung up the phone. At least she's almost home. I could care less if my plane was delayed. I'm just glad she's out of harm's way, except for the whole driving on the wrong side of the road thing.