I appreciate everyone's patience with me on this story. I work in billing and apparently it's busy as all get out in January so it makes having time to polish up chapters a bit hard, but I will get them out to you I promise.
Ryn, I'll be more on time with the next challenge. LOL
As for today's chapter, Cam & Booth head out to Mississippi plus Aubrey & Jessica have a movie night...with unexpected results.
Cam and Booth arrived at Russ and Amy's around 11:00 PM and the agent enjoyed a quick reunion with his nieces Hayley and Emma, the latter home for Christmas break from Western Carolina University before everyone went to bed.
The next morning, they enjoyed a quick early breakfast with the family before hitting the road around 8:00. Following the Navigator in Angela's minivan, Cam and Booth arrived at Mickey Santana's house in Jackson around 6:00. Greeting his former boss and old friend, the two agents hugged before Booth introduced Cam to Mickey and his wife Jean.
Grabbing their stuff, after a quick debate, Cam got settled in the guest room and Booth camped out in the office with the pull-out bed. When done, the four adults went out for ribs at one of Mickey's favorite places.
"So, I think it's great that you're doing this, Cam. I'm sure your boys will appreciate having those things with them." Mickey chewed a rib.
Cam wiped her hands on her napkin and sipped her beer. "I hope so. My oldest Tyler is having a difficult time adjusting to living with us, plus, the boys lost their mother during the holidays. Maybe having these keepsakes of hers will help him adjust and give the boys something special for Christmas."
"When I got in touch with Sgt. Simmons for the case, he was glad they found a good home. If it wasn't for the fact he's not married, he would have taken them himself. He pulled as many strings as he could to keep them together while they were in foster care. Do you know when you're meeting up with him tomorrow?" Mickey asked.
"Early, around 8:00, then we've talked about driving back tomorrow night."
"You two stay as long as you need to." Jean said. "It's going to take all of Sunday to go through all that stuff. You can use our office to sort through the boxes, Cam, so you can do it in private. If you leave Monday morning you don't have to rush."
"Well, Cam, I did tell Bones it may be Tuesday by the time we get back to DC and Angela said she can help with the kids if needed since she's still on maternity leave." Booth sipped his beer.
"I have Hodgins covering for me until Wednesday and it would be easier." Cam considered before nodding her head. "I'll let Arastoo know when I call home later."
"Excellent." Mickey said with a smile. "Plenty of time to catch up. Now Booth, I want to know what that wife of yours is up to. If it wasn't for Jean, you know I could give you a run for your money…"
Booth threw his napkin at the former agent. "You wish, Santana." He replied to the laughter at the table.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Aubrey fluffed his pillows on the couch before checking his apartment over one more time. He spent the entire day cleaning, dusting, and vacuuming every room. He changed Skinner's box in the spare bedroom and used the lint roller to remove every trace of cat hair he could find on the furniture.
More than once today, he wondered why he was fussing so much. It's not like it's the first time Jessica had been here. Hell, when they were dating, they defiled every room in his two-bedroom living space, including multiple instances in the kitchen, with pride when the apartment was messy. What was the big deal now?
The big deal was it wasn't just any date with any ordinary woman. It was a date with Jessica…albeit a friend date, but a date nonetheless. 'Wait, do friends do dates?' he thought. 'We're not having a date…we're just…hanging out together like we used to do.'
Once again, he wondered what would have happened if he had sucked down his pride and talked to her before she left for Scotland? Would she want them to be friends?
Or would she have wanted him to take her back?
It didn't matter now because Jessica was starting to like him again and it made him very happy. Hanging out after The Last Jedi only proved that he missed her friendship more than he realized. The fact that she returned the sentiment only made his heart grow fonder.
Then there was that same sex dream that had recurring for the last several days. He wasn't ready to date…he just wanted to be friends, right?
Friendship is good. However, a man could still appreciate his friend's figure…amazing, perfect, heart shaped ass…nice, perky boobs that fit perfectly in his hands to play with…long legs that felt so good wrapped around his waist…beautiful green eyes…
Shaking his head, Aubrey got himself together. No sex. He wanted Jessica's friendship back…just her friendship.
'Oh who am I kidding? I want her naked in bed with me…I want to hold her every night…'
He wanted her body, but most of all, he wanted her heart. On the other hand, he wasn't sure if he was ready to take another chance with her. Just like how his mother was emotionally destroyed when his father abandoned them, Jessica broke his heart and soul that day in the interrogation room.
Booth was right. He was angry with her…and maybe a small part of him still was. He had never let himself get close enough to a woman until the intern and eight months later, she told him they had no future. Maybe someday, he could ask her why she stopped loving him, but for now, he would appreciate his best friend coming back into his life. Friendship was best right now.
Hearing a knock on the door, Aubrey raced over and opened it to Jessica looking beautiful in black leggings and a beautiful long green V-neck sweater that made her large eyes pop. She had her hair down and had minimal make up on her face, leaving him mesmerized.
Jessica blushed as her ex-boyfriend stared at her. "Aubrey, can I come in?"
Shaking off his distraction, he stepped aside. "Sorry…come on in."
"Thanks."
Aubrey locked the door after Jessica entered the dwelling. "I see you have brought treats, Jess. What did you make?"
Setting the large container on the center island that separated his living room and kitchen, Jessica opened it up. "Come see for yourself."
"Your grape salad! Yeah!" Aubrey did a quick shimmy to Jessica's chuckles. "Wait, did you…"
Jessica pulled an item out of the paper bag she had with her. "…bring walnuts? Yes I did, Superman. Can't have a grape salad without walnuts."
Aubrey's eyes lit up as he anticipated the feast that would commence shortly. "Cool."
Jessica took off her coat and set it on the back of one of the dining chairs nearby. "What are you feeding me for our movie night, James Aubrey?"
Aubrey waved his arm in the kitchen, which showed a large cookie sheet loaded with a mix of blue corn and regular corn chips buried in cheddar and habanero jack cheeses. Next to it on the stove were two skillets, one with seasoned ground beef and the second with seasoned white meat chicken. "Only my famous Amazing Aubrey nachos, Jessica."
"Yes!" Jessica giggled as she moved the salad into the kitchen. When she saw the condiments available she smiled. "Greek yogurt. You remembered."
"Well, it's healthier and you got me used to it as a substitute for sour cream. I'm making an effort to cut down on the junk food, Jessica."
"I'm glad." The redhead smirked. "Are you still drinking those black kale chia smoothies laced with chocolate syrup still?"
Aubrey's eyes got large. "How did you know…"
"I tasted it whenever you kissed me after drinking one of those things, but it's the thought that counts." Jessica crossed her arms. "Okay Agent Aubrey, get those nachos in the oven. I'm hungry."
"Yes, ma'am."
Jessica snuck a peek when Aubrey bent over to put the pan in the oven. 'He has a really cute, tight butt…it would be nice to get my hands on it again…whoa Jessica…simmer down. He just broke up with his girlfriend…'
Aubrey peeked around and saw Jessica staring at his posterior, barely holding back a smile. "Yeah…she still likes my ass." He muttered quietly.
Startled, Jessica hoped she didn't voice her thoughts out loud. "What did you say, Aubrey?"
'Shit…' Aubrey thought quickly. "Uh, nothing."
Jessica looked at his suspiciously but kept silent. "Okay…now where are your new movies?"
"On the end table. Pick out the one you want to watch first."
When Jessica bent over to see what he had, the agent sneaked a peek of his own. 'Damn Jess has the best ass ever. I just want to grab it, kiss it, nuzzle it…whoa Aubrey…she just broke up with her boyfriend a few weeks ago...settle down…you just want friendship, remember?'
His admonishment came too late as something else came to attention, he groaned. 'Bad, bad time. Calm down!'
"Aubrey, you've got all the Gamera movies."
Still having a partial erection, Aubrey stood behind the couch and began reciting all the winners of the World Series that he could name in his head. "Yeah, found them on Amazon. How cool is a fire breaking turtle that destroys Tokyo?"
"Very cool." Jessica turned around and held out her first choice. "If we choose a Gamera movie, we have to start with the first one."
The agent nodded. "Definitely."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Ninety minutes later, there was a cookie sheet on the table with chip crumbs and burnt cheese. Flanking the silver pan were three empty bottles of Yuengling beer. On the couch, Aubrey and Jessica sat and enjoyed Gamera create a path of destruction through Tokyo on the agent's television screen.
"Mmmm…tasty tower…" Aubrey said in a Kermit the Frog voice as the monster turtle chewed up the Tokyo Tower.
"I still don't think Gamera sounds like Kermit the Frog." Jessica sipped her beer with a chuckle.
"Uh, he totally does. He may be a deformed turtle with teeth due to an atomic bomb, but he's sensitive, too, Jess."
'He called me Jess again…' Jessica blushed again.
"Jess, what are you blushing about?" Aubrey found it so adorable on her as she could hide nothing with her fair skin.
Jessica shrugged before taking another drink. "You're calling me Jess again…I've…missed that, Superman. I've missed it more than I realized."
"I've missed hearing Superman, too. It's nice when you call me that…" Aubrey replied quietly. The two smiled at each other until there was a knock at the door.
"Are you expecting someone else besides me?" Jessica asked.
"Nope. Let me see what's up." Aubrey headed to the door as another set of loud knocks could be heard. Peeking through the Judas Hole, Aubrey groaned. "You have got to be kidding me."
Jessica could tell by Aubrey's reaction who it was. "Just let her in Aubrey. Maybe she'll be quick, okay?"
"She came by yesterday after work to get her stuff, so she doesn't need to be here. Ugh…pause the movie, will you, please?" When Jessica did what he requested, Aubrey opened the door. "Hi Karen, what are you doing here?"
"I still have some stuff in your apartment I need to collect. I was still too upset after you dumped me so horribly Monday night to think straight last night." Karen walked in and saw Jessica. "Ah…didn't take you long to move in on my boyfriend, did it, Jessica?"
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Karen, I'm here hanging out with my friend and watching movies. He's not even your boyfriend anymore."
Karen ignored the redhead's retort. "Watching movies, huh? I bet you have a lot more planned than that later, don't you? I bet you aren't even wearing underwear—"
"Karen, that's enough. Now, I have company that I would like to go back and spend time with, so get whatever you forgot last night so you can leave."
"Trying to get rid of me? I guess I would be a party pooper for when you're getting ready for some sex with the ex."
Jessica could see how embarrassed Aubrey was and couldn't hold back any longer. "You know, it would serve you right if we were naked from hot monkey sex in the living room, but we're only watching movies because that's what friends do. I'm sorry you don't get the concept of friendship because you really don't have any, but I do recommend them. Now, why don't you hang on to the shred of dignity you have left by getting your things, leaving here, and moving on with your life?"
"Well, I…you…" Karen was apoplectic as she couldn't think of a retort before storming into the back of the apartment with the box she was holding.
Aubrey watched her go into his bedroom. "Jess, I need to…"
"Go. I'll be here."
"Thank you." Aubrey left down the hallway to the back of his apartment.
Jessica sat down, annoyed her fun evening with Aubrey was interrupted, but she knew it wasn't his fault. As she heard the profiler stomping around in her former boyfriend's bedroom, she thought about the last five days with Aubrey. Being without him the last eight months have been lonely, but they were becoming friends again and it made her very happy.
She couldn't deny that the lanky man still made her heart aflutter, but where they ready for more than friendship?
In the last week, it was as if their friendship had never ended. She wouldn't deny that she still loved Aubrey deeply, and the sex was amazing. However, while they were together he'd held a small part of himself back from her and it hurt her deeply. It was that lack of trust in her that made her reluctant to reciprocate when he said he was serious about her all those months before.
Maybe someday they could try again as a couple, but right now friendship was the most important thing. Frankly, she was glad they were having fun again and she was content with that. There was plenty of time for romance and a relationship if they make that decision in the future.
"Where are they?!"
"Damn it, Karen. Quit dumping my clothes everywhere. You're making a mess in here and you're pissing me off."
"Oh poor Aubrey." Jessica got up and went to the kitchen where she fixed a large bowl of grape salad for Aubrey and topped it with a generous portion of walnuts. Unfortunately, being in the kitchen didn't drown out the loud noise.
"Aren't you done yet? You didn't keep that much stuff here."
"I'm trying to find my hot pink panties, Aubrey! Quit rushing me!"
"I don't have your damn panties and you know that. Now quit stalling, get your shit, and go."
"You're being so mean."
"Well, you're being a pain on purpose and I'm tired of it. I told you none of your clothes were here. Instead of maybe trusting me on that, you've torn apart all my dresser drawers and what did you find…no lingerie, no shirts, socks, nothing."
"Oh poor Superman…" Jessica set the bowl on the table and cringed before drinking her beer.
"You have my panties, Aubrey…you're probably hiding them so you can give them to Jessica to wear…or keeping them as a souvenir since you're I'm sure by now you're regretting our break up."
"That's disgusting, Karen. I would never give a woman another lady's panties. As for the souvenir bit, I have several instances of you that are burned into my memory so I don't need your underwear to remember you by. As for regrets? I'm ecstatic that I'm single again because dealing with you as my girlfriend stressed me the fuck out. Now, why didn't you call or email me today what items you left here on 'accident'? I would have brought them to you at Quantico on Monday and saved you a trip over here since you're so traumatized by me dumping you."
"I wanted my hair brush and lotion tonight. They're my favorites. As for why I came here, I've already told you that I had panties missing and I didn't want you keeping them or giving them to Jessica to wear in some sex fantasy."
"I'm not going to bother denying anything to you anymore because I don't have to. Since you have what you so desperately had to have tonight, you're all set. If you forget anything else, email me because I don't want you coming around here anymore. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have company."
"Sorry that my possessions have kept you from dirty sex with the ex."
"Leave now so I can straighten up the mess you made and entertain my guest."
As Jessica read her Twitter feed, the profiler stomped back to the living area with her box of possessions. "Well, you won. You got him."
The redhead looked up. "I was never competing with you, Karen but if you insist on pushing the issue, you're the one who started this crap when you convinced me to break up with Aubrey. Don't get pissy when things don't go your way."
Karen was practically breathing fire when she left and slammed the door. Skinner was startled from his nap on the couch. Petting him, Jessica reassured the tabby.
"That mean Karen is gone now, Skinner." After he closed his eyes again, Jessica got up. "I'm going to check on your daddy. Don't eat his grape salad."
Heading to Aubrey's bedroom, she found him folding clothes on the bed and the drawers to his dresser hanging out of their spaces. "OMG, Superman…"
"Yeah. I'm sure you heard that Karen accuse me of being a panty pervert who stole her underwear so you could model them for me."
"That's so…ewwww…"
"It is, isn't it? Shows how well she knows me." The agent folded an old fraternity sweatshirt. "I swear she left that stuff on purpose. I would have dropped it off to her at Quantico or she could have picked the stuff up at my office. Every day I am grateful that I dumped her before we got serious. Dealing with all that is something I don't need right now."
Ignoring Aubrey's last sentiment, Jessica came around and help him fold his shirts. "I'm sure she did, Aubrey. She's angry that you broke up with her and she's not going to let you forget it."
"Well, I don't know anything else I could have done to make things better. I didn't love her and it wasn't fair to either of us to pretend otherwise."
Absentmindedly, Jessica began folding the boxer shorts that were in a heap by the end of the bed. "You screwed up, but you're also human. She'll get over it eventually."
"Yeah, I'm good at screwing up."
Jessica handed the boxer shorts she folded to Aubrey, but when their hands touched, she felt a jolt. "Oh…I'm sorry…I guess me touching your underwear is a bit personal. I wasn't thinking."
'I remember when she used to touch more than my underwear…' Aubrey thought before getting his thoughts out the gutter. "I-it's all right. I mean, it's not like you haven't seen it or anything…"
"These are my personal favorites of your collection." Jessica giggled as she held up his Darth Vader cape boxer shorts.
"Yeah…they made for fun times, didn't they?" Suddenly feeling the sexual tension in the air, Aubrey cleared this throat. "Okay, we're all good. Let's go back and enjoy the adventures of Gamera, shall we?"
Feeling a little embarrassed at where their conversation was going, Jessica agreed. "Yes, let's do that. I scooped you up some grape salad…"
"…because I need to do some emotional eating. You know me too well, Jessica." Aubrey smiled as he indicated for her to leave his bedroom first.
"Are we going to try getting through all the movies tonight?" Jessica asked as they walked down the short hallway to the main area of the apartment.
Aubrey pondered. "Well, seven movies and about 80 minutes each…I don't know, Jess. You think we can make it to Gamera vs Zigra?"
"We did get through The Last Jedi a couple of days ago…"
"…and we did do an all-night Star Wars marathon right before your birthday." Aubrey said before realizing what came next.
"Then you tried to kiss me but I bloodied your nose and we got hit with dirty water…"
"…and we were called to a body." Aubrey cleared his throat as he remembered what that led to. "Okay, Jess, you're on. We'll finishing watching Gamera the Giant Monster, then we'll watch Gamera vs Barogon, Gamera vs Gyaos…"
Jessica handed Aubrey his bowl of salad. "Gamera vs Viras, Gamera vs Guiron…"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Several hours later, Aubrey woke up with a start sitting up on the couch. He saw the DVD screensaver on the television and realized he fell asleep. Remembering he had company, he turned and saw Jessica fast asleep on the other end, her head resting on the arm.
Shaking the sleep out of his head, he reached over and shook her leg gently. "Jess…Jessica…we fell asleep. It's 2:30 in the morning."
"I need my bones, Curly. Dr. B wants cause…of death…"
Aubrey chuckled, knowing that once she talked in her sleep that she was out for the night. Being the gentleman that he was, he tried waking her up again. "Jess, come on. I'll put you in my bed and I'll take the couch."
"Noooooo…stay here…." Jessica whimpered in her sleep.
Realizing that he lost the battle, Aubrey went in his bedroom and got two pillows. Guiding a sleeping Jessica down until she was lying on the couch, he put pillows under her head and covered her up. Remembering that she hated sleeping with her socks on, he pulled them off and put them on the floor next to her.
Standing up, he saw his cat climb down and curl up next to her abdomen on the couch. With Karen, whenever she tried to give him attention, he growled or hissed at her. Jessica though, he snuggled with her the first time she ever came over to his apartment over two and a half years earlier. It was obvious that Skinner missed the redhead more than he realized.
Feeling overwhelmed at the sight before him, Aubrey plugged her phone into his Millennium Falcon charger quietly and after leaving the stove light on, he headed to bed himself. Changing into flannel PJ pants and an FBI shirt, the agent went to bed, a cauldron of mixed emotions.
Her sleeping over on the couch was like old times when she would fall asleep during their movie marathons. He had done the same when they hung out at her apartment when they were friends. However, it also brought back memories of how her sleeping on his couch turned into her sleeping in his bed…then her sleeping naked in his bed next to him.
He could no longer deny that he was still in love with Jessica Warren, but he was also scared to death of taking another chance and failing. He wasn't sure if he could handle being shattered like that again, or the resulting emptiness. He was beyond happy they were hanging out as friends again after secretly wishing for it for the last several weeks. Now, though, he was torn between maintaining a friendship and possibly being open for more if the opportunity came.
'Okay buddy, she's just sleeping on your couch. It's not like she's going to ask you to marry her tomorrow.' Putting his emotions aside, he eventually fell asleep.
Next chapter, Cam & Booth visit Sgt. Simmons. What do they find out?
