A/N:A huge thanks to everybody who has taken the time to read and review this story. This is my first time foraying into the Bones fandom and you guys and gals are making me feel so welcome. Hope you all continue to enjoy this story.
After Booth had paid for his items he headed back into the parking lot where he had left a sleeping Brennan. He could see her still slumped against the passenger side window and his heart ached when he took in her flushed cheeks. He hated to see her suffering and he could tell from the frown lines on her forehead that she wasn't resting comfortably. Unlocking the car he slipped in as quietly as he could not wanting to wake her if he could help it.
"Booth?" she mumbled when he shut his door.
"It's me Bones," he said softly reaching around and placing the plastic bag with his purchases in it on the backseat.
"Did we solve the case? Are we going to get a drink?" she asked struggling to keep her eyes open.
"Yeah Bones we solved it," he said starting the engine, "You rest and I'll wake you when we get to the Four Fathers."
"Thanks Booth," she said her eyes drooping closed.
He watched as her body relaxed into sleep. Her fever was obviously making her delirious and Booth took a moment to brush back a strand of hair that had fallen in her face. He could feel the heat pouring off her in waves from just that brief contact and he faced the cars air conditioning vents on her to hopefully cool her down before pulling out and speeding back towards their hotel.
"We're here Bones," he said shaking her shoulder softly once he had pulled into their parking spot at the hotel.
"Get out of my room Booth," she groaned pushing his hand away, "If my Mom catches you we'll be in so much trouble."
Booth snorted and shook her shoulder again, "I was known for my stealth in high school, nobodies Mom ever caught me," he chuckled, "But you need to wake up so we can get back up to the room and you can have some medicine that will make you feel better."
"No," she mumbled snuggling in and making herself as comfortable as one could get leaning against a car door.
"You can't just say no," Booth said, "I'm not leaving you in the car."
"You're not the boss of me," she said glaring at him when her eyes opened into slits.
"Come on Bones," he sighed, "The sooner you get out the sooner you can lie in a comfortable bed."
She ignored him and Booth struggled to hold in his frustrated sigh. He knew her fever was making it hard for her to think straight and that she was stubborn at the best of times but he wished that just once she would make things easy for him. Unbuckling his seatbelt he grabbed the plastic bag filled with items from the pharmacy before making the short trip around to her side of the car. He knew with the way that she was leaning as soon as he opened the door she would get an undignified wake up call.
Her seatbelt prevented her from falling far but it had the desired effect as Brennan's head lost the window it had been leaning against. She looked around blearily in confusion and Booth took that opportunity to lean in over her and undo her seatbelt.
"Let's go Bones," he said stooping down and slinging her arm around his shoulders and twisting his body so she effectively had no choice but to follow him out of the car or risk losing an arm.
"Ugh Booth I have to stop," she said after they'd taken no less than three steps.
When Booth looked over at her he was sure she was going to be sick. Her pale forehead was beaded with sweat and her eyes were screwed shut.
"You okay?" he asked concerned, "Bones? Are you going to be sick?"
"No," she sighed out eventually, her body seeming to slump against his side.
"Well let's get upstairs and we can get some of this TheraFlu into you," he said starting to walk again with her arm still slung over his shoulders.
"No Booth I-I can't," she groaned, "My head," she said putting a hand up to touch her temples.
"Okay Bones," he stopped again, taking stock of their surroundings. They were about twenty metres away from the front of her hotel and he room was on the fourth floor. Under normal circumstances Booth knew she would kill him for what he was about to do, but these weren't normal circumstances and she wasn't exactly herself right now so he had no choice but to risk it.
Shifting the plastic bag so it was resting in the crook of his elbow he reached down and placed his arms under her knees and shifting his other so it rested across her back. She groaned as he lifted her up and settled her head against his chest, mumbling into the fabric of his shirt.
"It's okay Bones I got you," he said starting towards the hotel.
There were many occasions where Booth had imagined what it would be like to hold her in his arms like he was. None of them included when she was too sick to even be aware it was happening.
Perhaps out of sheer luck the hotel lobby was void of any people besides the few staff that manned the front desk.
"Sir is everything alright?" the concierge asked startled when Booth pushed through the lobby doors with the forensic anthropologist in his arms.
"She's got a pretty bad flu," Booth told the young man, "She's pretty tired so it's easier if I just carry her up."
"Of course," the young man nodded, "Is there anything you need?"
"If you could maybe send some food up to our room. Some of that gross cardboard oatmeal stuff and some fruit and maybe some orange juice if you have it," Booth asked as Brennan moaned into his chest.
"No problems Sir," the concierge said smiling, "What was your room number so we can have it sent up to you?"
Booth froze as her room number escaped his mind. He himself wasn't actually booked into this hotel and Brennan's room key was most likely in her purse which he realised he had left back in the rental car.
"Uh, it's Dr. Temperance Brennan's room," he muttered, "It's on the fourth floor but I can't remember the room number."
The concierge looked at him sceptically but typed into his computer, no doubt checking the details Booth had given him, nodding when they checked out.
"Dr. Brennan is booked into room 409," he told Booth.
"You wouldn't happen to have a spare key to that room would you?" Booth asked flushing, "Bones' key is still in her purse in the car and my Mom always told me it was rude for a gentlemen to go through a lady's purse without her permission."
"I'm going to need to see some sort of ID before I go handing out room keys," the concierge said.
"I have a badge, in my pocket," he said, "I'm FBI."
"I'm sorry Sir, but protocol insists I must see some ID," the concierge argued.
Booth didn't know how he did it but somehow he managed to get his badge out of his jean pockets without dropping Brennan. She mumbled something about jungle snakes but settled back down with her head resting against his head and was quiet again. The concierge nodded when Booth flashed him his badge and handed over the request room key, promising to have their room service sent up as soon as possible.
She was far from heavy but Booth soon found himself wanting to put her down as her fever ridden body was emanating an uncomfortable heat. He knew he needed to cool her down and he knew what the best way would be to do that but he had a feeling that that would cross every line they had ever drawn.