AN: This story picks up at the end of The Doom in the Boom. Jessica is only mentioned in the episode, but never appears in it, so this my take on what would've happened when she saw Aubrey after the events of the episode. This would've happened just as Hodgins was taken back to the hospital, so Aubrey and Jessica are still blissfully unaware of what had happened.
Formatting issue is now fixed – sorry about that!
Aubrey was looking forward to getting home to his apartment after his dinner with Caroline and Karen Delfs. He hadn't realized how tired and still very much sore he was after the adrenaline of the raid had faded and was looking forward to a good night's sleep in his own bed away from the hospital.
"Jess?" Aubrey said, confused upon finding her sitting on the stoop of his brownstone apartment building, biting her nails and jiggling her foot impatiently. "What are you doing here?"
Jessica's posture visibly relaxed upon seeing him, but her demeanor didn't change. "You're an idiot you know that, Aubrey?"
Aubrey tried to explain but Jessica interrupted and continued to tear him a new one. "You nearly died. I sat by your bed in the hospital for hours not knowing whether you were going to make it or not. And then I see on the news that you've obviously snuck out of the hospital and was goading the killer? Seriously?" The worry was evident in her tone, as well as in her eyes.
When Aubrey took a step closer, she stood up and held her hand in front of her, effectively halting him. "No. Don't come any closer; I need to get this out now. I know we haven't talked about what this is between us, and we're not official or exclusive or anything, but I fought for you. After that background check you ran on me? I fought for us, and I ate pigeon for you! The least you could've done, the least, would have been to call me to let me know you were okay," she said deflated, sitting back down on the step.
"I know," Aubrey acquiesced. "I know you came to see me in the hospital twice, and you don't know how happy I was to hear that you were there. But this wasn't about me. It's about the 4 cops that died in the explosion, and the other 2 bodies that we found. I couldn't stop to think about myself, or about you, until we caught the guys who did this," he said, sitting down on the step one lower than her. "I'm sorry I worried you. And I'm sorry I haven't been in touch, but I just couldn't just sit there in the hospital helplessly. I had to do something."
"I don't do this, Aubrey," Jessica said, her anger fading away, but her sadness and worry still very present. "I'm not a relationship type of girl. I've never been interested in monogamy. Not until very recently. Not until you. And that scares me. I didn't realize how much you meant to me until it could've all been taken away. You really scared me, James." Her use of his first name wasn't lost on Aubrey, knowing that that was probably the first time she hadn't called him Aubrey or Superman.
"I said I was sure about us, Jessica Warren, and I meant it," Aubrey said earnestly. "I'm sorry that in the middle of everything I forgot to consider what my actions would mean for you though. I guess I've forgotten what it's like having someone look out and care for me like that," he said, holding her hand. "If it helps, Booth and Caroline has already given me way more flak about it than you did, so I've had a thorough beating about it," he smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
He continued to hold Jessica's hand as they both stood, Aubrey still standing on one step lower than Jessica, making her a couple of inches taller than him.
"I promise it won't happen again," he said, pulling her in for a kiss. Jessica didn't go down without a fight, but gave in soon enough and melted into the kiss, her arms landing around Aubrey's neck when he winced as she grazed the cut there.
"Oooh, sorry," Jessica winced back in empathy. "Alright I'm taking you back to the hospital, Aubrey. You're clearly still badly hurt," she said taking his hand as she started to lead him away from his front door and back to the hospital.
"No, no I'm fine. I don't need to go back to the hospital," he replied, pulling her back. "I just need to rest, and I'm already home. My bed is like 10 feet away."
"Aubrey, no. Are you kidding? You were in surgery trying not to die not 24 hours ago."
"Please, Jess, I'm already home. I'll go back in the morning just to make sure everything's fine if it'll make you feel better. But all I want to do is crawl into bed right now. Please," Aubrey implored.
"Fine," Jessica sighed, walking back up the steps with Aubrey as he hobbled a little. "But I'm taking you back to the hospital first thing in the morning, and you're not talking me out of it."
Aubrey just smiled in reply, conveying his gratitude through his eyes, when he heard Jessica's stomach growl. "Have you not eaten tonight?" he laughed.
"No! I've been sitting here worried about your sorry ass all night," Jessica replied, annoyed. "Have you eaten? I'm ordering a pizza and you're paying." It was now Jessica's turn to smile, exacting her small revenge on Aubrey for laughing at her.
"Well, yes and no. I was just at the diner with Caroline but that behavioral analyst Karen Delfs stole my burger right from under me, so I could use some pizza too. And maybe some cheesy bread?"
"She stole your burger?" Jessica asked, shocked. "I don't like her already."
"Right?" Aubrey answered, as he continued to amble up to his apartment, his mind now firmly on the pizza they were about to order, momentarily forgetting about the beating his body had just recently taken and just looking forward to his next meal.