A/N: The word for this one is temperature. Takes place season 12 before Max dies…

It was the Friday after Valentine's Day. Booth and Brennan had celebrated the day in their traditional nontraditional way at the shooting range with vintage guns. Booth had convinced Brennan to take a long weekend with him, not to celebrate Valentine's Day, but to just spend time together alone. They hadn't been alone for more than 12 hours since before Hank was born. Brennan agreed and Booth booked them a room at a bed and breakfast in Charlottesville Virginia for a long weekend. Max was going to get Christine from school and Hank from daycare, they were excited about spending the whole weekend with their grandpa. Brennan was meeting Booth at the diner for lunch, she stopped as soon as she saw Booth sitting at their normal table, she knew instantly he wasn't feeling well and they would not be going on their planned weekend getaway. Brennan walked to the table, Booth looked up and tried to smile. "Hey Bones." Booth's voice was hoarse.

Brennan smiled and instinctually touched Booth's cheek. "Hello, Booth. I can tell you're not feeling well…"

"I'm fine, Bones…"

"You are many things, but at this moment fine is not one of them. Your body temperature is elevated and you can barely speak…"

"I do not have a fever…My allergies are acting up, I had to go pull some old casefiles…"

Brennan nodded as the waitress came to take their orders. She ordered a salad for herself and chicken noodle soup and hot tea with lemon and honey for Booth.

"Bones, I don't need you to order for me…"

"You need to save your voice, Booth. You should go home after we finish lunch."

"I have work to do so we can take Monday off…"

"Booth, we're not going on our trip this weekend. You're sick and won't enjoy it."

"I'm not sick, Bones… We're going on our trip…" Their food arrived.

"Come back to the lab so I can take your temperature, if it's normal we'll go. If it's elevated you're going home…"

"No, Bones!" Booth took a bite of his soup and winced slightly as he swallowed it. The rest of lunch was quiet. Brennan kissed Booth's forehead before she went back to the lab. "I really wish you'd go home, Booth. You're warner."

"I'm fine, Bones."

B&B

Ten minutes later Booth stood in Brennan's office doorway. "Bones, take my temperature so I can tell Stark I'm sick and go home. I feel like crap…"

"Go sit down, Booth." Booth walked into the office and all but collapsed on the couch. Brennan grabbed the thermometer off her desk and went over to the couch. A few minutes later she looked at the display "101.3."

"Guess I'll go home…"

"That would be best. Do you want me to inform Stark of your illness and that you're going home?" Booth nodded a little and started to leave Brennan's office.

"Let me know that you got home okay." Booth nodded again. Brennan watched him leave the lab then she dialed Stark.

Forty minutes later Brennan got a selfie of Booth laying on the couch with Christine's large pink and purple fuzzy fleece blanket over him. He looked worse. A few hours later Brennan quietly let herself into the house, she put her bags in the kitchen. When she had a pot of Vegetable noodle soup made she filled two of the large soup mugs Booth insisted they buy and headed to wake him up. "Booth…"

Booth moaned and turned his head away from Brennan.

"Booth, you need to wake up so you can eat and probably take some medication then you can go back to sleep. I brought your soup over so all you have to do is sit up…" Booth groaned again but slowly opened his eyes and sat up. Brennan smiled slightly and handed him his mug of soup. "Thanks, Bones."

"You're welcome, Booth. Do you feel better?"

"No, but I don't feel worse…"

"That's good."

"Yeah. I'm sorry I ruined our trip, Bones."

"You didn't ruin it. I'm spending the weekend with you, that's all I really wanted… I wish you weren't sick so we could really enjoy the children being with dad until Monday afternoon…"

Booth couldn't help laughing, "Me too, Bones. I'm sure Max will keep them for us another weekend."

"Yes. I got the bed and breakfast to give us a credit toward another reservation."

"How'd you do that? They have to have 48 hours' notice for cancellations…"

"I dropped my name, it turns out that the owner is a Kathy and Andy fan…" Brennan blushed.

"I love you, Bones. So much…"

"I love you too, Booth. I was thinking we could use our credit for our anniversary."

"Sounds good to me, Bones."

"Eat your soup, Booth."

"Yes ma'am…" Brennan rolled her eyes and chuckled.