Booth sat at his desk. Or more correctly, slumped at his desk. His head was pounding. Groaning he lowered his head and rested his forehead on his forearm.

"Agent Booth! What are you doing?"

Caroline's voice shattering the tiny moment of peace he had found.

"What?" he groaned without lifting his head.

"Cher, I hope you're not sleeping on the job. I'm not aware that's in your job description." She said as she plopped herself down into the leather chair on the opposite side of the desk.

Booth rolled his head sideways and opened one eye and stared at Caroline, his vision slightly blurry from having been closed.

"I repeat. What?" he said gruffly. His headache choosing that very moment to rear it's ugly head and begin pounding his brain once more.

"Are you sick? Please tell me you're not sick. You can't be sick!" she fired off rapidly. "Booth, we have a lead and I really don't want to hand it to that young buck sitting at the desk outside" she said.

Booth sighed heavily and pushed himself into a semi slouched sitting position, leaning heavily on his forearms and forced himself to look at Caroline. His mouth felt weird, like it was watering. He swallowed "Hate to say it, but I think you might have to Caroline. I'm really not feeling too"

Booth's eyes popped open and he reached down grabbing the waste bin and emptied the contents of his stomach into it. Which would have been fine, if it hadn't been a wire basket.

Caroline stood up, her nose screwed up, and backed away from his desk.

"I don't know what you have, or if it's contagious, but I'm not going to take the chance" she said looking at Booth holding the basket, it's contents dripping out of the sides onto the floor behind his desk. "and for your information, you look terrible Cher. Go home." She added, turning and walking through the door.

"Agent Aubrey! You've got a job to do! " Booth heard her yelling as he dropped back into the chair. He looked at his hand, fingers curled through the wire. He relaxed his fingers and let the bin drop to the floor, hearing the splodge as it landed in something he didn't want to look at lest it set him off again.

He picked up the phone and punched in a number "yeah, Gordon. Um, I've had a bit of an accident in my office. You're gonna need a mop and disinfectant." he said. He listened to the voice on the other end then nodded "Thanks buddy. And I'm sorry." he said, then hung up the phone.

Well, on that note, I think I'll pack up and go home. He stood up, hesitated and then bolted for the door, pushing past Aubrey and Caroline to run to the men's room.

Caroline shook her head, "Lordy Lordy, that man is sick as a ki anraje chen." she looked at Aubrey, who looked confused. "A rabid dog. And I wouldn't suggest going in that office for a few hours until it airs out Cher"

Aubrey frowned, looking in the direction of the men's room and then at Caroline. "Should I?" he gestured with a nod of his head in the direction Booth had run.

"Oh no Cher, you don't want to get all up in that mess. Besides, this is urgent. I suggest you go visit Doctor Brennan at the Jeffersonian and see what they have been able to find from the remains. They've had them for three hours. I'm hoping they have some initial information. Once you get that, I want you out, door knocking that street. Y' hear me?" Caroline said, her forefinger tapping the file she had given him. "We have to move quickly on this one.

"You're the boss!" Aubrey said and walked away quickly, stopping only to grab a set of car keys from his desk.

"You got that right boy" Caroline muttered walking after him.

SB-TB

Booth opened the front door. He'd driven straight home. Hopefully after a few hours rest, he'd feel better and be able to go and collect Christine from day care.

Funnily enough, Bones had woken up and felt perfectly fine. They had assumed it was food poisoning, but now that he had been sick, he was starting to suspect it was more of a stomach flu.

He walked past the kitchen and felt his stomach heave as the aroma of banana's wafted across his path. He took a few steps, willing his stomach to settle, which is did. For about two minutes and then he found himself on his knees in the bathroom.

"Oh God, what is happening?" he said out loud as he closed the lid, flushing and resting his forehead on the cool surface of it.

After about twenty minutes, Booth stood up. He washed his face in cold water in the basin and looked at himself in the mirror. His face, normally bronzed and glowing, was pasty and flat looking. "Lovely" he said to his reflection. He walked to the laundry and grabbed a bucket and then retreated into his bedroom. Lying on his back on the bed, eyes closed.

Please just let me sleep his last conscious thought before drifting off into slumber.

SB-TB

"Thankyou Agent Aubrey, but I'm fairly sure that my assistants know what to do" Brennan said, frowning at James Aubrey, who had just suggested what he thought would be a quicker way of separating silt from liquid. "These people are exceptionally trained professionals, and extremely adept at their jobs. We have been doing this for over ten years now. Perhaps you could just give me the file to look over while you go and perhaps make yourself a cup of coffee. Our lab assistant Jessica brought in some home baked muffins if you would like"

Aubrey's eyes popped open and he turned and literally ran up the steps to the mezzanine floor where the coffee machine, and the muffins were, two at a time.

"one" Brennan finished her sentence as she stood watching him. "he is unusually driven by food" she said to Hodgins who had come and stood next to her, also watching the young agent springing up the steps.

"Like a gazelle" he said in wonder.

"Yes, indeed. He is very spritely" Brennan said, then turned and opened the file.

Hodgins fell into step beside her .

Brennan frowned, and looked at him quickly then back at the file "Can I help you with something Doctor Hodgins?" she asked.

"Look, Dr B. You know I hate being put into this position, but you know how it goes. Ang mentioned to me that you might not be well. And. Well. She asked me to sort of ask you if you're feeling better today." he said.

Brennan stopped suddenly and turned to face him. "I'm not entirely sure that it's actually any of your business how I'm feeling. But, yes. I do know how Angela can be. And it's quite unfair of her to put you in this position. So. You can tell her I'm fine. Thank you" she said, then turned on her heel and walked quickly towards her office.

The truth was she wasn't feeling one hundred percent, but she hadn't vomited today. So that had been a plus. She was still convinced she had had food poisoning. Booth had taken quite some time to convince her not to go to the diner and demand samples of the food to test. According to him, it would have made things very uncomfortable for them next time they wanted to go there for lunch. She had stated that it was simply a case of trying to isolate where the bug had come from. But he had insisted that she, as Christine had been singing recently, let it go. To make a point, he had even sung it to her, which she had found quite amusing, because it was a well known fact that Booth really didn't have the best singing voice. So to appease him, and because she had felt better, she had agreed.

She still had a slight headache, and every now and then she felt slightly nauseas, but it was very mild and she had been able to go about her duties without anyone commenting about how she seemed. Most of all, she'd been able to avoid Angela. She loved her like a sister, but sometimes, Angela just got too invested in her and Booth's lives, making Booth furious.

He and Angela had a history of loving and hating each other. Booth was very protective of her, but so was Angela. Each one felt they had more of a claim on her than the other, and it left her stuck in the middle sometimes, even though she loved both of them dearly. Of course, in different ways. But it was awkward sometimes, when your best friend would badmouth your husband to your face. But that was Angela.

SB-TB

Booth's eyes opened as the shrilling of the phone next to the bed worked it's way into his slumber. He rolled his head to the side and reached out, grabbing the phone. He held it to his ear "Huh?" he mumbled.

"Booth? Is that you?" Brennan's voice came through, forcing him to wake up completely.

"Bones? Yeah. Um, Yeah" he slurred into the phone.

"What's wrong Booth. You sound awful!" Brennan said, concern in her voice. "Where are you?" she asked.

Booth shuffled up the bed, shoving a pillow behind his head "I'm home Bones. I got sick at work today. I'm thinking you must have had stomach flu and given it to me." he said, adjusting the pillow.

"So, how are Christine and I getting home?" she asked, slightly put out.

Booth slapped a palm to his forehead "Ugh, I forgot. I was asleep. Sorry Bones. I'll leave now and come get you" he said swinging his legs off the bed.

"No. It's fine. We'll catch a cab. Shall I bring anything home for dinner?" Brennan said, looking at her handbag as she fiddled with the catch before slinging it over her shoulder and heading towards Christine's day care. It wouldn't be long and she would be leaving day care. Just a few more months. Brennan sighed. Her daughter was growing up fast. She would have a baby and a child at kindergarten!

"Only if you want something. I'm OK. I'm sorry Bones. I'll be fine tomorrow. It'll probably just last 24 hours like with you, I'm sure" he said standing up. His head swum a little, but he took a deep breath and forced himself to walk to the kitchen to get a glass of water. "See you soon" he said, then pressed the disconnect button and shoved the phone in his pocket.

Again, he caught the whiff of ripe banana's and again, his stomach lurched. "Oh my god." He thought, grabbing the fruit bowl and tipping the contents into the trash can. He then picked up the can, trying not to breathe and dropped it outside the back door where he wouldn't have to smell it. He turned and let go of the breath he had been holding. Much better he thought, although Brennan wouldn't be particularly happy that he threw an entire bowl of fruit away. Too bad. I'll tell her I knocked it on the floor he smiled to himself.

He still felt odd, so decided to jump in the shower before Bones and his daughter got home. At least I should feel better after that he thought as he flicked on the mixer and got undressed.

SB-TB

Brennan helped Christine take off her jacket and hang up her little bag "Go take off your shoes and put on your slippers honey" she said patting her daughters head.

Booth was reclining on the sofa watching TV. He looked up over the back of it smiling "Hi Bones. You got home in good time!" he said sitting up. "so, how did today go?" he added.

Brennan sat down next to him, slipping off her boots and dropping them on the floor. "Pretty good actually. I still feel a little queasy, but nothing like yesterday. And not one person mentioned me looking different" she said.

Booth smiled "So I was right. See? I told you nobody could tell by looking at you. What about Angela?" he asked.

"Actually I haven't seen her all day. She was busy with some difficult reconstructions and I managed to keep myself out of her sight all day. Although" she wriggled her toes and smiled at Booth, who took the hint and slid to the end of the sofa and patted his lap. Brennan turned and lifted her feet onto his lap so he could massage her feet "she actually sent Jack to ask me how I was. Clearly, she wasn't just going to let it go. Honestly Booth, sometimes I just feel like she's all up on my bumper" she said closing her eyes and smiling as Booth made circles on the bottom of her feet with his thumbs.

"Up in your grill Bones, your grill" he grinned at her.

Brennan shrugged "Oh. Well, sometimes I just feel as though she needs to know everything that's happening with me all the time. I never really understood that before. I'm going to have to be tough Booth. She's relentless."

Booth changed his hand position and started pulling on her toes, making her groan. He smiled and continued tugging on each one.

"Well, just a few more weeks. And after you've had that first scan, if the doc says it's all good. Well then we can let people know. Just a few weeks Bones. It'll be a snap." he said.

"a snap" Brennan repeated closing her eyes.

Booth's smile faded as he looked at her.

Who am I kidding, this is gonna be a nightmare