January 22, 2016

Aubrey was sound asleep under the covers except for the top of his bed head when the phone rang just before 6:00 AM. Moving his hand from under the blanket, he groped around and found his phone. After squinting from the bright light, he saw who was calling and answered it in a sleepy voice. "Booth? Oh hey, Doctor B, what's up?"

He listened for a moment before his head came up in a flash. "Hacker wants us to meet with him now? For what?"

Aubrey continued to listen. "Our expense reports from December? Case updates, too? Hacker can't wait two hours for that! Are you kidding me?" The agent said in a raised voice.

The man visibly blanched as he listened to the caller. "Okay, sorry, Doctor B. You're right, I shouldn't kill the courier. Tell Booth I'll meet him there as soon as I can. Thanks. Bye."

Aubrey ended the call and threw his phone on the nightstand before wiping his face in frustration. Deputy Director Stark was off on medical leave due to knee surgery and wouldn't be back for another four weeks. Until then, they had to report to Assistant Deputy Director Andrew Hacker. He met him for the first time last week and the stories Booth gave didn't do him justice.

The adjectives Booth used, 'Doofus', 'Asshole', and 'Jackass' were too nice.

He moved to get up, but was blocked by a weight next to him. "Get up, Skinner. Daddy has go to work with Uncle Booth for a bullshit meeting."

When he moved, he got up and stumbled into the bathroom where he quickly shaved, showered, and brushed his teeth. He quickly got dressed and grabbed his wallet and badge before obtaining his weapon from the mini safe. After feeding the cat, he put on his coat and grabbed his laptop case. Opening the door, he was greeted with the blowing snow outside.

Then, he remembered that he didn't park in the garage the night before due to the late hour he got home…the garage he used faithfully since he started renting Booth and Brennan's restored Mighty Hut last summer.

"Son of a bitch!"

After he started his SUV, it took ten minutes to clear the snow off in the blustery weather. When done, he cursed the large blanket of white that dumped on his driveway during the night before he got in and slowly moved towards the street. It was close, but he was able to get out by a squeaker.

"Thank God I used the snow blower before going out last night."

His morning got worse when he realized he had no time to get a morning donut and coffee for his commute. By the time Aubrey arrived at the Hoover at 7:15, he had graduated to very irritated. As he got out of his vehicle, he saw Booth pull in and get out before slamming his door looking equally infuriated. The two gave a cursory morning greeting before the two entered the building.

As they walked out of Hacker's office at 8:35, Aubrey looked at Booth in silent agreement.

Over an hour of their lives spent with a bucket of hot air that the two agents would never get back. Stark could not come back from leave fast enough to take their division back.

As Booth had predicted in the elevator, the meeting consisted of part picking apart the expenditure reports from December's undercover investigation at the Frontier Games, quick current case updates, time frame for warrant returns, and part fishing expedition regarding Doctor Brennan. It seemed that Hacker relished his temporary assignment, as their division stopped reporting to him years earlier.

While heading to their respective offices, the two men made a plan to work on warrant returns for him and budget reports for Booth for a few hours before leaving by early afternoon to avoid the traffic that would be afoot. Several federal and city buildings were already closed and rumor had it the city itself may do the same.

In the break room, he grabbed a quick cup of coffee with a Styrofoam cup and was pissed to see that there were no donuts left.

Tired and hungry, he walked into his office a few minutes later and closed his eyes before grabbing his The Day The Earth Stood Still mug that Jessica got him for Christmas. He poured the lackluster java into it and took a large chug. When he felt the cobwebs leave his head, he unlocked his computer and found his pepper beef jerky in his emergency food drawer.

As he chewed in satisfaction, he began reading his emails and groaned as he found two by Karen Delfs, one thanking him for the third time for his contribution to her profile for a recent case and a second asking about his weekend plans.

He rolled his eyes as he thought of the numerous times since they had met that she attempted to flirt with him. He was trying to be nice by playing dumb, but he was afraid that one day, she would push boundaries and he would have be blunt in his lack of interest in her.

He was about to type a reply when he heard a buzz and smiled when he saw it was a voice text from Jessica. Pushing PLAY, he listened.

"Where are you, Superman? I came by to start laundry and bring you coffee, but you weren't there. Lucky for us I have your emergency key."

Aubrey sent a text back. Booth & I called 2 mtg at 7ish w Hacker. No bkft!

As he drank another chug of coffee, his phone buzzed again. Seeing it was Jessica, he played it. "What an asshole to call a meeting that early on a day like this. Do you have enough food in your desk stash?"

He laughed at the redhead's response before responding. Yes he is. Have jerky but will get donut soon. C u 4 lunch?

When she responded, he pressed PLAY. "Sure, but the diner is closed due to the snow. I hope you have food at your house."

Aubrey heaved a sigh of relief that he had leftovers as well as groceries he bought Tuesday when he heard about the blizzard coming. Smiling, he sent a message.

We won't starve.

A minute later, he saw she sent another message. "Cool, see you later, Superman."

Smiling, Aubrey put his phone down as he thought of the perky redhead. His best friend…and object of intense lust.

He was lucky to have her as his friend and being her lover would be the cherry on his sundae. Aubrey knew they would get there, but they agreed to be careful with their progress.

But then he remembered last night at her apartment.

After they watched a movie, their conversation turned into a kiss…or maybe two before they lost count when he pulled her into his lap. Soon after that, her shirt somehow became unbuttoned before his lips found the velvet skin on her collarbone and chest area encased in black lace while his hands explored her upper body and eventually, her appealing backside.

Her hands weren't idle as they were under his shirt caressing his skin while her lips were exploring his neck and earlobe when they weren't kissing his lips. They were thirty-two and almost twenty-eight years old respectively, but they were acting like horny teenagers.

And it felt awesome.

Just when things were beginning to get interesting, they were interrupted by her roommate arriving home early around 11:15 PM, soaked from the snow blowing outside. Common sense kicked in as he realized that things may have been going too fast. While his hormonal head was telling him to go for it, his other head splashed the cold water of reality on him.

Reluctantly, he went home, texting her when he arrived so she wouldn't worry. Unfortunately, instead of being tired, he was wide awake as his blood was sizzling. The visions in his head from their date made sleep very difficult.

He wouldn't deny that he was strongly attracted to her physically, but it was more than that for him.

Jessica Warren was kind, generous, loyal, smart as hell with the 168 IQ and Mensa membership to prove it, and while blunt, genuinely cared for others. While in the past, he and a woman would for the most part follow the three date rule with the occasional one night stand, Jessica was different.

She had to be different, because they were different.

What they had was not just a potential relationship, but a possible lifetime together. One false move and not only that, but their deep friendship could be destroyed. Both knew what was at stake here and each were determined not to mess it up.

However, after the bombing, he realized it wasn't just lust he felt or even mere romantic feelings.

He was in love with her. All encompassing, needing, passionate, lifetime commitment love with her. He was fairly certain she felt the same for him.

However, both were scarred in the past from love with parental examples of commitment and marriage sorely lacking. Both focused on their careers to make something of their lives, pushing thoughts of a serious relationship aside. When they had their first post case dinner, they decided to be friends.

But, that pesky love thing snuck up on both of them. Before they knew it, they were having a first date over pigeon and talk of faith in their federal government. Each knew that they sucked at relationships.

However, they were learning together. Sure, others had their opinions of their…whatever the hell it was, but they were finding their way at their own pace…their own time.

Which brought him back to the present. He was concerned that Jessica drove in this horrid weather, but he knew that she would be careful. He was more concerned about a weather report he read on the FBI's intranet advising people to get to where they needed to go by 3:00 PM for the weekend. However, tonight's plans were to attend a party at Daisy's apartment along with Booth, Doctor B., and others from the lab.

Suddenly, a thought came to him.

Two people attracted to the other, a snow storm threatening to shut them in…all night together…maybe tomorrow, too. What could those two people do shut in over a weekend blizzard? Aubrey not only knew…but could see it clear as day.

Jessica naked in his bed with that beautiful red hair spread out on a pillow.

Together in the shower of the master bathroom where he could take her against the tiles, legs around his waist holding him tight.

The two of them in the large tub with bubbles from the bottle of the Japanese Cherry Blossom bubble bath that he picked up from Bath and Body Works as soon as he saw it in her bathroom.

The lit fireplace where the two would lay out on a blanket and love the night away…with Skinner in another part of the house.

He was enjoying their time together getting to know the other, but the further along they were, the more frequent the urge to rip her panties off and hump her beautiful brains out took over his thoughts. Whenever his hands began to have a mind of their own, he remembered that if they were going to be successful, they had to go slowly.

Making love would cross a line that if done prematurely could cause them to lose each other.

They couldn't let that happen.

Pushing his less than friendly thoughts away for the time being, he went back to reading his email. He was about to answer one from Booth regarding a budget item when he heard a knock on his door.

Before he could say anything, a windblown Jessica, red hair covered with a few snowflakes, opened the door. It did not escape him that she was holding a bag from the Royal Diner as well as a drink carrier with four drinks.

"Hey Superman, I know how grumpy you get without food, so I decided to feed you."

The agent smiled before he remembered the snow. "Jess, the weather is shitty as all get out. You shouldn't have done this. Look at you, you're covered in snow."

The anthropologist put a face of mock sternness on her face. "James Aubrey, when a person brings you food, what do you say?"

Humbled, he smiled. "Thank you. Wait a second, you said the diner was closed!"

The anthropologist smiled. "It is, but I was able to sneak in there for a quick breakfast as well as order something for you before Frankie decided to close."

The smells alone were driving the agent mad. "I'm so hungry. You really didn't have to do this, though."

Jessica smiled as she closed the door and walked towards him before setting the items on the desk and grabbing a coffee with a "J" marked in white grease pencil on the top. "I'm taking over your house today to do my laundry as well as make a couple dishes for Daisy's party. The least I can do is feed you some eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, a bagel, large cup of Royal Diner coffee, the coffee I brought you this morning, and an orange juice."

Aubrey quickly opened the cartons. Grabbing a fork, he stabbed a bunch of egg and stuffed it in his mouth. "Does Daisy really think she's going to pull off this party when most people are probably going to stay home tonight?"

"She took little Lance to her parents last night and the guy she's seeing is staying over. I would think that with this weather they would just fuck like rabbits all weekend, but I think she wants to show off her new firefighter to everyone."

"She does realize that they are talking about closing roads, which could make it difficult for people to get there?" Aubrey asked before chomping on bacon.

"It's Daisy, Aubrey. She's got a will, so there's always a way." Jessica said before noting the agent's fatigue and tenseness. "What's wrong, Superman? Is it the meeting you got called to?"

The agent sucked down some OJ before putting the cup down. "Yeah because we had to get up way too early and drive through this mess to explain every item on the Stanley Belridge case on our December expense report and insignificant updates to our cases before he tried to get Booth to spill about Doctor B. Then, Karen sent another email asking if I wanted to go see a play with her at the Round House next weekend. I've tried acting stupid so I don't hurt her feelings, but I can't do that forever."

Aubrey rubbed his temples with his hand, not wanting to explain that the other reason for his tenseness was sitting in front of him. Thankfully, she accepted it.

"I feel like I'm to blame because we decided not to advertise that we're dating. You can tell her if you want."

"No, I don't need to. My personal life is no one's business, especially Karen Delfs. If it keeps up, though I'll do it. I just hate to embarrass her."

The redhead pondered for a moment as she realized her Man of Steel would need more than food to even his balance. Suddenly, she had an idea.

"Those bootleg Perry Mason movies I ordered came in yesterday and I have them with me. Why don't I get out of your hair so I can get laundry and food for the party done so we can chill with a cheesy TV movie before getting ready for the party? We can see who solves the case first and laugh at the 80s clothes and hair."

"If there still is a party—"

"Aubrey, be nice." Jessica said smacking his arm while laughing. "So, cheesy movie with Skinner this afternoon?"

Aubrey looked at Jessica through more alert eyes and saw the dark circles and tiredness. Putting his lustful thoughts aside for the moment, he took her hand. "You look like you could crash, Jess. Up early working on your dissertation again?"

"Yep, four o'clock this morning."

"Jess!" Aubrey yelled. "I didn't leave your place until almost midnight. You haven't slept for shit!"

"I'll be fine, Superman. I'll sack out on your couch for a bit, okay?" The two came together in a sweet kiss before breaking. "I'm sorry Kristi came home early last night."

Aubrey smiled. "It's okay. Besides, I'm enjoying going slow."

"Yeah…slow is good." Jessica said with a smile before yawning. "Now get your work done so you can get out of here."

"Yes, ma'am." Aubrey said. "Send me a text so I know you got there okay."

"Sure thing. Now, enjoy your breakfast, Superman."

"I will, Lois. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Jessica said in a soft voice before turning around and walking out the door. She leaned against the door for a moment and exhaled.

"Slow is not good. Slow is getting frustrating." Jessica muttered as she walked down the hall to the elevator.

Aubrey watched as Jessica leaned against his office for a second before disappearing.

"Slow is not good. Slow is really starting to suck." He said to himself before going back to work.