A/N: Hey Bones folks. Long time no see. I loved A Bones Thanksgiving and I asked FaithinBones for a sequel, but she encouraged me instead to one of my own. So I did. Those who are fans of "The Plan" should know that the final chapter is almost done, but with the cra cra holidays, it will be a bit before I can finish. After that I will straddle my BBT stories and Bones.
I hope I do your story justice, L.
It is recommended to read FaithinBones A Bones Thanksgiving first for some context, but not required.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, but I hope DB and ED kick Fox's ass in the coming weeks so we can get a Season 12.
NOVEMBER 19TH
Booth and Aubrey were in the senior agent's office going over what they knew so far about the Vivian Prince case. After a few minutes, Booth needed an answer on something else. "So Aubrey, are you coming for Thanksgiving or not?"
Aubrey contemplated for a moment. "There will be a real turkey, right? Not just that meat substitute that Doctor Brennan was talking about?"
Booth laughed. "I thought you were open minded about Tofurkey after seeing the body?"
"Yeah, but after I had my Thursday lunch I realized nothing can compare to meat."
"I hope I don't regret asking, but what is your Thursday lunch again?" Booth said.
Aubrey sat up straight. "Bacon cheeseburger, fries, apple pie, small fruit salad, chocolate milkshake, and a Coke. Usually I have the diner's tuna melt also, but I didn't have time today."
Booth smiled, amused at the junior agent's never ending love affair with food. "Okay, you're definitely coming. I need an excuse for the bird I bought. Bones thinks it's a waste."
Aubrey sat back and smiled, touched that he was asked to come a second time. Four years of Thanksgivings alone since his mother died ended when he was invited to spend the holidays at the Brennan-Booth household last year. Between the awesome food and company, it was the best holiday meal he ever had.
Booth was watching Aubrey lost in his thoughts. Misinterpreting his silence for contemplation, the agent decided to reel the younger man in, knowing just the way to do it.
"Bones is inviting the squints and squinterns, including that one you hang out with…Jessica. It'll be a full house, but still plenty for you. I think everyone getting together would be fun, don't you think?"
Aubrey's remembrance of last year was bumped by his realization of what his senior agent said. 'Doctor Brennan is inviting her interns?'
Suddenly, he thought about the squintern who had occupied his mind more and more for the past year.
Starting with the Leslie Hodsoll murder, they always ended a case with a casual dinner at Founding Fathers. Over the course of the summer, their time spent together increased to hanging out at his apartment every Friday and/or Saturday night with the occasional visit to hers when her roommate was out sharing a pizza or a home cooked meal, followed with playing a game on the Xbox or binge watching television.
Of course, the fact that she had a nice figure that he admired when not covered in a lab coat had nothing to do with enjoying his time with her. Or the fact that her large green eyes made him forget his thoughts more than once.
But they were only friends…sort of more, but not completely…but mostly friends and probably should stay that way. Whenever he forgot that, all he had to do was remember his own past and it hit him in the face.
Growing up, his father didn't have much patience with his son's interests of computers, books, or puzzles, always immersing himself into the financial markets at home when not at the office or his other interest, secretaries at his brokerage. Philip Aubrey never hesitated to let his only son know of his disappointment for not fitting the image he imagined for his child. He shuddered for a moment as he wondered what kind of man he would be if hadn't made the discoveries he did while snooping on his dad's computer a month before Philip Aubrey was arrested.
After his father's arrest, his adolescent experiences were almost always negative as his peers' parents at the fancy prep school he attended were the victims of the Ponzi scheme and never let him forget it. When his mother couldn't afford private school anymore, he hoped to escape his father's wrongdoings in a New Jersey public school. Those hopes were dashed as fellow students there also singled him out for pranks and hazing, either due to his awkwardness or publicity from his dad's subsequent flight from prosecution.
As he became a man, he kept his vulnerability to himself using his gift of sarcasm, dry humor, and bluntness. He still had friends, but he also didn't want his world turned upside down out of nowhere like his mother's was his father's arrest and abandonment.
Then he saw a very cute, enthusiastic redhead race into Angela's office to demonstrate how his souvenir video of actors on a game-playing stage could lead to a murder suspect.
With Jessica, he could turn off sarcastic, rigid Agent James Aubrey and be James Aubrey, a self-confessed nerd who loved to eat.
Besides being a game and sci-fi geek like himself, she also liked children's movies as well as underappreciated cult flicks like Strange Brew. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel like he was being looked down upon for who he was or needed to become something he was not.
She was more of a fly by the seat of her pants gal while he was a planner with a ten year plan for his future, but for the first time, that didn't seem to matter. Over time, their friendship became the best thing going for him. With that, he realized that the forensic anthropologist had become his best friend. It wasn't without its challenges, though.
He wasn't stupid. He knew that there was more to them than just friends and it was mutual on her end. More than once during the summer, he pushed aside his fears of the past and losing their friendship by working up the courage to tell Jessica how he felt. However, without fail he always got tongue tied like a high schooler when the time came and it made him mad as hell.
Parallel with his anger was the knowledge that if he lost Jessica, he could never feel whole again. So, reluctantly, he decided around when Booth returned to the FBI to maintain the status quo.
Until the Rick O'Malley case.
While only friends, he did have his moments when he wondered what it would be like for her to stand by him on Capitol Hill. She wouldn't just be his friend, but his partner, like Booth and Doctor Brennan were to each other. Their family would be the envy of others in Congress with tall, dark haired sons and beautiful red-headed girls with green eyes, all geniuses like their mother.
Those fantasies were shaken by what he found in her background check ordered by Caroline. Momentarily, he felt betrayed as he knew a future with her would challenge his ambitions, but he remembered they were only friends and not lovers planning a future. He did have a job to do though, and he would do it.
Aubrey went to the Jeffersonian with the intention of keeping an open mind, even buying her some catnip tea from the cart outside the facility to soften the blow. However, after she was honest with him, he had a knee jerk reaction of closed minded judgement. Her response struck a chord as she reminded him that people change with time, even asking him whether he was the same person he was when he was thirteen.
He tried, but both knew that they could not take back the last five minutes of conversation as nothing the other could say could make them forget the words spoken. All along the drive back to the Hoover, his ten year plan didn't look as perfect as it did earlier in the day. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he acted like an asshat.
After they arrested O'Malley's Chief of Staff and finished processing him, Booth said something that stuck with him.
'Aubrey, if being elected a Senator means sacrificing what you want most in life to appease a few people, then fuck them. Before my promotion to Germany was tanked, an idiot said to me that Bones' past could put that in jeopardy. However, Pops told me a long time ago that if people don't like you for who you are or for who you love, they can take what they think and stick it in their ears because opinions are like assholes. Everyone's got one. No job or goal is worth losing someone you care about.'
Later that night, as he was getting ready to go out with Jessica, he thought about those words as well as pondering other things.
'Could he really be like those back-stabbers? Was it really the best way to help people by sacrificing who you were?'
No, it wasn't.
After feeding Skinner his dinner, he went to Jessica's where he was pleasantly surprised to her in a tank dress with various shades of purple. The matching sweater only made her prettier, if that was possible.
At the restaurant, he managed to convince her to try pigeon. She admitted to him afterwards that didn't hate it, but it would not an item she would eat regularly. However, true to his word, she didn't vomit.
When he walked her to her door at the end of their evening, she commented that his blue dress shirt brought out his eyes.
Since that night, there was less game playing and more nights either talking or out to dinner with him wearing a jacket with a blue button up shirt. Jessica in turn always wore sleeveless dresses that showed her alabaster skin which made the freckles on her shoulders stand out. While she lamented them, he kept the fact that he secretly wanted to play Connect the Dots with his lips and tongue to each freckle to himself.
Friends could still admire things about the other.
"HELLO! EARTH TO AUBREY!"
Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked at the other agent. "Sounds fun. Count me in, Booth."
After a few minutes more of dissecting their case, Aubrey got up and walked back to his office. After he opened the door to his floor, he stopped in his tracks. "Ugh, crap!" He muttered to himself.
He was so caught up in his Thanksgiving slash Jessica haze that he forgot that she had plans to spend Thanksgiving first with her father and brothers followed by with her former mentor Barrett McLaughlin and members of her educational commune at his long term care facility. As of now, she didn't know what time or how long she would be.
'No, educational cooperative.' He thought, knowing she hated it being referred to as a commune. 'Damn it!'
Suddenly a debate formed in his mind. 'Wait, why am I making a big deal out of this? We're just two people who enjoy each other's company...we're friends…mostly…well maybe more…no, just friends testing the waters so to speak…yeah, that's it… '
As he grabbed a small bag of pepper jerky from his desk drawer and ate, he contemplated some more.
'…but do friends make comments about how shirts match your eyes? Do friends take the time to go the extra mile with the dress and high heels that highlight an impressive set of legs when you go out to dinner? Do friends look at you with green eyes so intense they make you forget about food? Why does it matter if I see Jessica on Thanksgiving? It's not like we'll never see each other again.'
As soon as he finished his thought, he knew why.
They weren't just friends anymore, but they weren't officially dating, either. However they were inching closer to the latter.
He momentarily considered not going to Booth's house, but knew what he would do. Thanksgiving at the Brennan-Booth house should be fun and it was nice to be with people on this holiest of food days, even if the person he wanted to see the most would be elsewhere.
NOVEMBER 25TH
"I'm sorry that I can't go to Doctor Brennan's Thanksgiving dinner. Wendell said he and Andie were going to try and stop for dessert after her parents' house, as will Daisy and little Lance."
Jessica and Aubrey were at Founding Fathers enjoying munchies from Happy Hour after work. Each secretly wanted to see the other before the holiday tomorrow, but officially the reason was convenience after working all day, each missing lunch.
Aubrey took a drink from his Yuengling before taking another bite of his meatball slider. 'Oh, so good.' He thought. "Well, you can try to stop for dessert, too."
Jessica bit into her shrimp and chewed. "I will definitely try, but I don't know when we will be done."
"Are all your brothers coming here?" Aubrey asked. He was still amazed that she had five older brothers ranging from thirty-one to forty-five.
"Mike, Jason, and Jack are coming into town late tonight and leaving Friday. Stephan and Aaron are with their families."
"Are they staying with you?" Aubrey asked before shoving a mozzarella stick drenched with ranch into his mouth.
"They are since my roommate went back to Michigan for the weekend. I'll sleep in Krissy's room, so one gets my room, one gets the couch, and the other gets the floor. Of course, my brothers are always late, so I am debating whether to wait up tonight or just sleep until they arrive and listen to them bellyache about the drive. Ugh!"
She wiped her face for a moment. "In the morning, we're going to stop and see my father at his retirement home before my brothers and I head over to see Barrett around one o'clock."
Aubrey noticed someone not mentioned. "What about your mother?"
Her facial expression became neutral as she grabbed her beer. "Spending the holiday with her latest boyfriend somewhere tropic instead of her family. Not a big surprise…"
Aubrey wisely kept his opinions to himself, knowing that her mother was not a subject she enjoyed talking about. He continued to listen to her.
"…but what time we get to eat is, well…that will be a surprise."
"Well, that sucks." Aubrey said trying to hide his disappointment.
Jessica was disappointed as well, almost wishing her family wasn't coming so she could spend the day with Aubrey and everyone at Doctor Brennan's house. Suddenly, she got an idea.
"You know, since the Jeffersonian is closed for the holiday weekend, we can go to the Blue Duck Tavern Friday night. You've been raving about their food for a while now. It won't be as busy with people gone or tired from Black Friday."
The mention of food took Aubrey out of his funk. "Sounds like fun."
They smiled at each other before each went to the drink menu for another beverage.
Jessica looked up at Aubrey and felt the butterflies in her stomach again. It amazed her that over a time of six months, a casual beer after a case turned into every Friday or Saturday hanging out together. Sometimes, it was both Friday and Saturday.
As the two got closer, she confided in Aubrey her mixed feelings about growing up as the youngest of six children with older parents, her father being fifty and her mother forty-four when she was born as well as their subsequent bitter divorce. She would also talk about her experiences as a child prodigy, first at the educational cooperative she was raised in, then later when she attended Michigan State University, and now as she attended American University and mentored by Doctor Brennan.
The more connected they became, the emptier the days were when she didn't see him. It also scared her to death.
The men in her past were a mixed bag, with the majority breaking her heart in some way. Eventually, she resolved to stick with casual relationships to protect herself, like the one she had with Doctor Sweets before he reconciled with Daisy the last time.
However, James Aubrey was different than any guy she had been with. He was smart, driven, loyal, and a lot of fun. He was also cute.
No, more than cute. He was hot.
They both shared interests that others found weird and he seemed to enjoy her the way she was. Sure, he could be straight laced at times, but at times she needed to be reined in and they seemed to fit together.
There was potential there on both ends. Thanks to Angela's talk slash monologue, she made it her goal to tell Aubrey how she felt. However, each time she would get her courage up since the senator's murder, her fears of her past and of losing the man who became her best friend over took her. It made her feel like such a coward, the antithesis of what she was. She hated it.
"I love their Beef Tartare." Aubrey said. "Wait, their Roasted Chicken is to die for, but I do like their crab also."
Knocked out of her thoughts, hearing his enthusiasm for the food made her smile. Her guard down, she blurted out, "Maybe you can wear that blue shirt you wore the night we went to the Indonesian restaurant?"
Realizing what she said, Jessica looked up and saw Aubrey's eyes darken into a deeper shade of blue. She knew what that look always meant and ooohhh did she like it.
Realizing where her thoughts were going, she mentally smacked herself. 'Oh my God, Jessica, Danger Zone.' She scolded internally. 'Wait what am I so worried about? Good grief, Jessica stop! He's a friend…wait no he's not…but he is….'
As her debate raged in her mind, she looked up and seeing him continue to look at her, causing her thoughts to go haywire.
He was a handsome friend with gorgeous blue eyes set off with black hair. The small gap between his front teeth only made him hotter. He was lean in stature, but the hints of definition she could discern from his arms made her want to take a bite of him. He also had a nice butt, as well as an intensity that told her that sex with James Aubrey would be phenomenal.
Unaware of his companion's inner conflict, Aubrey's thoughts zeroed in on Jessica in another sleeveless dress that he was in the process of slipping off followed by his lips on her skin. Feeling his pants start to tighten, he quickly brought himself back to reality. Remembering her question, he responded. "Really? Any particular reason?"
"N-no reason. I've already told you that you look good in blue."
In an attempt to calm down, she searched for a way to make things light and friendly again. Seeing that Aubrey was looking at the last meatball slider, the redhead saw her chance and picked it up before he could get it.
"Sorry, Superman. Friends share."
The agent's pants slowly became more comfortable as he cleaned up the not-so-friendly pictures in his mind. After a second of mocked annoyance, he smiled. "That, they do."
NOVEMBER 26TH
Aubrey indulged in another chicken square and after savoring the taste, walked away, not wanting to incite the anger of the hosts with eating all the food. Finishing off his bottle of Mexican Coke, something he needed to thank Doctor Brennan for finding, he looked around to all the guests in awe.
He saw his mentor playing a video game with his eldest son in the living room. Their easy camaraderie made him envious for a moment.
In another part of the room, he saw Christine and Michael Vincent coloring at the table. 'I really need to get me a couple of those.' He thought to himself.
After noting Cam and Rudolfo talking, he popped another chicken square and watched as Angela and Doctor Brennan talked while holding the newest Mini-Booth.
While he was going to miss seeing Jessica today, he was glad he accepted Booth's invitation this year. Being part of this group made him feel like he truly belonged somewhere, a feeling he never really had, even in his own family.
Feeling a buzz, he got his phone out and smiled when he saw it was from Jessica.
Brothers arguing over game w elderly rez. Dinner won't b 4 another hour & appetizers suck. Only thing good is pie. So need 2 b elsewhere.
Aubrey quickly texted her back. Sorry. Want 2 meet at diner tonight? Earliest I can leave is 2-3 hrs.
He barely put his arm holding the phone down when he felt a buzz.
Sure. C u soon.
Aubrey smiled before coming to a realization. "Soon? She won't be having dinner for at least another hour. Oh well. Guess I will just have to have another awesome chicken square."
Unable to help himself, he reached for one more square. After that, he resigned himself before grabbing a plate, put a few more of the appetizer on it, and headed over to talk with Cam and Rudolfo.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Ten minutes later, he was helping set the table when he realized there was one extra setting than the guests in attendance. "Um, does anyone else know who else is coming?" Aubrey asked.
"I'm not sure." Cam said. "Doctor Brennan, who else is coming?"
The forensic anthropologist looked like a deer in headlights. "Oh…um…my dad."
"I thought your father was visiting your brother in North Carolina?" Rudolfo asked.
"Well, he changed his mind." Angela said quickly. "He's entitled, right?"
The Cuban looked chagrined. "Of course, Ms. Montenegro. My apologies."
"It's okay." Angela said before smiling at Brennan, who returned the action.
Sensing something was up, Aubrey opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, dinner was ready. As everyone gathered at the table, he dumped his empty bottle in the recycling bin before grabbing a beer from the fridge. He then set it down before taking the turkey out of the oven. A second later, there was a knock at the door.
"That must be Max. I'll get it." Cam said.
"No, Cam!" Brennan yelled to everyone's shock. Awkwardly, she turned to the junior agent standing by the turkey. "Aubrey, can you get the door?" Brennan asked with a smile.
Aubrey looked at Booth who also had a puzzled look on his face. "Sure Doctor B."
When he opened it a few moment later, he was in shock. "Jessica?"
"Hey there, Superman." The redhead said as she held a pie. "Told you I'd see you soon."
"Wh-what are you doing here? What about your brothers and your friends?"
Jessica laughed. "I guess I can let myself in."
Aubrey realized he was being rude. "Sorry, Jess." He got out of her way. "I thought you were with Barrett and your friends and family and where did you that beautiful pie?"
"From Barrett's retirement home. There were ten others not eaten since half the residents don't have teeth, so it won't be missed. Curly was nice enough to pick me up since I rode to Maryland with my brothers. I was out in the car changing while he came in."
"Is that Ms. Warren?" Brennan said as she came to the door. "Come in, please. Booth will be pleased with the pie even though there are already three here."
After Brennan took the pie, Aubrey looked back at Jessica, who was removing her sweater. 'She wore another sleeveless dress. YES!' he said to himself. "Why did you leave?"
"Barrett told me to. I saw my dad, my brothers, and some of my former friends from the cooperative. It was nice to catch up, but after a while, everyone was either bitching about the game or arguing about Donald Trump. When I went outside for some fresh air, Barrett told me that he could tell I wanted to be elsewhere, so I needed to go. I had no ride, so I sent a text to Angela, who got ahold of Doctor Hodgins who was on his way here. When Curly pulled up, I said a quick goodbye to Barrett, stole a pie, and ran out really fast!"
Aubrey couldn't contain himself. "I'm glad you're here. Really glad."
Booth came up to the couple. "Hey, we've got a bird we're about to serve. First come first serve, but Aubrey, let everyone else get some food first. You ate a third of my turkey last year and most of Max's cake! I also didn't get my wishbone!" He said before smacking him in the arm.
"Hey, it was Doctor Brennan's father who stole the wishbone. Do you hit him?" Aubrey said to Jessica's snickers.
"I'm not allowed." Booth said. "So I get to hit you. Now quit lollygagging. I'm hungry and I want to eat so I can go comatose while watching the Philly-Detroit game on the DVR."
The senior agent walked away leaving the couple by the front door. "So I guess we should head over." Jessica said before she surprised Aubrey by linking her fingers with his.
"Hell yeah. I can't let anyone get the drumstick." He said before pulling Jessica to the table with her laughing.
THE END
A/N: For those not familiar with Mexican Coke, it's just Coke in a glass bottle from Mexico that's made with cane sugar instead of HFCS. Yummy yummy.