A/N: We meet again. Oh my god I haven't seen you guys in so long! Have you grown? Your hair's gotten longer, or did you cut it? It looks good! *chuckles internally and mumbles to self* I'm hilarious. So anyways, here's the next update. Hope you enjoy it and thanks to all of you who have given me such great reviews and I'm glad you all like this so far. I have a few plots and stories left in my arsenal that I want to do, and a few drabble-type moments I'm trying to figure out how to put into a chapter so I don't give you guys a 500-word update after you've been waiting four weeks. I feel like that'd be a little cruel to you all. So, while I do that, if you guys have any plots or moments you guys want to see, feel free to ask me and I'll see what I can do to make you guys happy! Yes, there are a few things I want to happen with Emma and Aubrey and the team, but I'm totally open to ideas for in between or just small little moments as transitions. So, without any other delay, here it is.
Murder always had bad timing. It sucked. Sure, it came at a few good times, to save Aubrey from answering Emma's question which had only two answers, both of which would do nothing but terribleness for him, getting an excuse to stop talking to an annoying person, or a phone call from his brother...but it usually sucked.
This time, Emma and Aubrey had been sleeping, it was three in the morning, and they had had a long night, and not for the reason Aubrey would want primarily, but because they had a lot to do with paperwork and Emma preparing for the next round of evaluations. They had just passed their fourth hour of sleep when Aubrey's phone decided to start a mini earthquake on his nightstand, waking up a groggy Aubrey and Emma.
"Somebody better be dying." Emma's voice was full of moderate annoyance as they both began to sit up, doing their best to become conscious again. Aubrey let out a small sleepy chuckle as he looked at her and her messy hair. "Dying or dead." Emma clarified before Aubrey reached for his phone. He saw the caller ID displaying Booth's name and number.
"Hello?" Aubrey tried to sound as non-drowsy as possible at the moment.
Booth's voice sounded similar to Emma's, mumbly and annoyed at the disturbance. "Body. Forest near Gernian Park. I'll send you the address and information. Emma there?"
Aubrey nodded as though Booth could see or hear him do it as he looked at the woman in question. "Is Emma here?" He said it slowly as a grin started blooming on his face when forming a plan.
She shook her head with a clenched jaw as though she could read his mind. "Don't you dare."
Aubrey's grin became paired with a pair of raised eyebrows as he spoke into his phone. "Of course she's here, and she'd love to come with."
Booth let out a sigh. "Good. Be here in thirty minutes."
Aubrey agreed and hung up, immediately being smacked in the face with a pillow. He scrunched his nose as he looked at her. "That's domestic abuse."
Emma rolled her eyes at him as she got out of bed, followed by Aubrey.
"Nothing like a dead guy in a tree to start your morning," Emma blandly stated, half asleep and half annoyed as she walked up towards the others, "oh wait. I forgot. It's not even morning yet!"
Booth and Aubrey were both wearing their FBI suits standing on the sidelines while the 'squints' went to town on the corpse, rattling off information and facts about the body like they were taking a timed test. Emma came up to stand in the middle of Booth and Aubrey, holding a to-go cup like her life depended on it. She was wearing a DPD tee shirt and jeans, her hair up in a messy bun. She was wearing sneakers and was looking over the crime scene.
"Where'd you get that?" Booth asked, almost sounding jealous.
Emma didn't turn her head or change her voice when she answered. "Newbie agents will do anything if you tell 'em to."
Aubrey's jaw almost dropped. "You made an agent give you his coffee?"
Emma looked at him, still stone faced from her exhaustion. "Of course not. I'm not heartless," Emma took a sip and smirked, "I made him go get it for me."
"Booth." Brennan's voice broke the three of them out of their conversation, all turning towards the others. "We're done here. We'll be able to get more at the lab."
Booth nodded. He circled his pointer finger towards the sky. "Alright everybody. Wrap it up. Everything's going back to the Jeffersonian."
Emma yawned before nodding towards Angela when they made eye contact. "Angela, can you send me the pictures?"
Angela nodded, looking at the camera she was holding. "Sure. I'll upload them and send them your way when we get back."
Emma clicked her tongue while giving a thumbs up. "We're done here, right? Great. I'm gonna go home and sleep." She used her thumbs to point behind her towards the FBI cars. "You guys have fun with the dead guy." She started backing up slowly, inching her way to the car before Booth stuck his hand behind her back, tripping her slightly, but she easily regained her footing.
"Not so fast Em. You don't have your own car, and you've got to go to your office and start shrinking." Emma looked at him and gave a fake pouty face, almost like they were siblings. "You can go sleep in the car, but no driving off."
Emma gave an overly dramatic huff before agreeing, grabbing Booth's keys, and going back to the car. Aubrey watched this all and couldn't help but think about the two of them. Emma and Booth had both reassured him they felt like siblings to each other, and in no way did he feel jealous. There was no reason he should've been, but he was happy that Emma and Booth connected. It would've been a terrible place to work if his partner and girlfriend couldn't stand each other, and he was somewhat proud of Emma for being able to get Booth to open up to her, even if it was the slightest amount. That was still an accomplishment in his book.
When they finally got done with the crime scene, had everything ready to transfer, and were all good to go back to the Jeffersonian, Booth and Aubrey made their way towards the car for them, Emma, and Brennan. Brennan was already there, as the body was in the van next to the car.
"Ready to go Bones?" Booth said, walking a bit faster as they approached the car.
"Of course I'm ready Booth. Why else would I be standing here?" Brennan asked with great confusion over the question and why it was asked, which Booth and Aubrey knew to just let it go.
They all got into the car, waking up Emma, who had laid herself down in the backseat, just long enough for Aubrey to slide in next to her. She immediately went back to sleep, grumbling something about it 'being too damn early for this', resting her head on Aubrey's shoulder.
Once everyone was rested enough, Aubrey and Booth started theorizing and putting together the information when Emma came into Booth's office, looking fairly frazzled.
"Emma?" Aubrey asked as she rushed between the two agents.
Emma put on a nervous smile, her voice a fake cheery and rapid. "Hey guys. How are you? What's going on? Are you two busy right now or planning to leave your office?"
"No. What's going on?" Booth asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
Emma turned abruptly to Aubrey and stuck her hands out to him. "So you hate the one percent, right?" Aubrey's face immediately became irked, and Emma knew she was right, even though she didn't have to ask. "So, does your hatred apply to just the specific people who made the money, or like anyone related to them too, like kids?"
Booth let out a sound of realization of the situation, which Aubrey missed because of his aggravated state of mind. "Yeah. Kids who grew up with that are the same. Spoiled little brats, who are too shallow to know what they have."
Booth visibly winced and Emma let out a sigh. "I was afraid of that. Okay, so you and I are just gonna not be dating for a little bit then."
Aubrey raised his eyebrows. "Wait, what? You want to break up?"
Emma looked up to her left. "Uhh...for like, an hour, maybe two. I'm not sure how long this is going to last."
Aubrey was getting increasingly confused. "How long what is going to last?"
Emma opened her mouth to answer before getting cut off by her phone ringing. She looked at the caller ID and almost grunted in aggravation. "Here we go." She picked up the phone and immediately changed into a smile and perky voice. "Mother." The next few minutes were filled of Emma's face changing between anger and perky smiles as she talked and listened, mostly with 'mmhmm's and 'okay's as Booth and Aubrey silently tried to communicate what was happening. Once she said her goodbyes she hung up her phone and let out an overly dramatic sigh as she sank down into the chair next to her, Booth and Aubrey staring her waiting for an explanation.
"So..." Aubrey drew out, breaking the silence, "what was that?"
"My mom's here. One of you needs to shoot me." She held a gun made by her hand up to her skull before flicking it up, making a sound of an explosion. She looked at Aubrey, who was confused on everything that had happened in the last minute and a half. "She's on her way up here by the way. I'm sorry ahead of time for her, please remember me lovingly."
Aubrey opened his mouth to comment on her overdramatized behavior, no matter how cute she looked, when there was a knock on Booth's office door. The two agents looked towards the noise while Emma just put her head in her hands, still facing away. The woman on the opposite side of the door created almost an instant disdain towards her. The lady was the poster picture of the one percent, wearing a power suit, her hair in a tight bun, her makeup was lightly applied but using darker colors, as if trying to hide her age which seemed to be late forties, and carrying a purple designer hand bag. She looked at the men impatiently, as if waiting for an explanation of why they hadn't immediately opened the door for her.
"Come in." Booth projected to her, only being rewarded with a heavy eye roll as the woman entered. She looked around them before stopping when she laid eyes on Emma, who had stood up, turned was towards her.
Emma had plastered on a smile that both the agents knew wasn't real. "Mother."
The woman smiled as she walked towards Emma to give an air kiss on her cheeks. "Emma, dear. It's been so long," She eyed Emma up and down before pushing Emma's shoulders, "don't slouch. You've already ended one potential marriage. Don't expect to get another decent man with that poor posture," she wistfully sighed, "I still don't understand why you and Evan called off your wedding. It doesn't seem reasonable."
"To you maybe." Emma mumbled between her teeth, causing Aubrey to chuckle internally.
"Darling," her mother started again, "don't mumble. It's rude and unladylike. Are you dating anyone currently?"
"No," Emma said almost simultaneously as her mother asking the question, shaking her head furiously, "nope. Not at all. No one."
Her mother's face lit up, which by Emma facial expression, Aubrey knew it couldn't be a good thing. "Oh that's fantastic. Samuel Carlton just divorced his wife. They had a prenuptial, so he still had his wealth-"
Emma immediately cut her off. "I'm good. Don't need to play matchmaker for me."
The other woman gave a disappointed look. "Well, that's fine I suppose. Just remember, if you're going to try to marry independently he must have?"
"At least thirty million to his name." Emma finished, taking Aubrey by surprise.
He would never have guessed she was rich, much less part of the one percent. He almost immediately understood what Emma had meant earlier about breaking up, and he wasn't sure how he felt. He loved her, deeply loved her. But dear god! He had spent his entire life intensely loathing the one percent as well.
"Emma, after your sister married that David boy, she lost all chance at living a happy life," Emma's mother's voice brought him out of his thoughts, "we had no choice but to cut her off, after her poor choice in careers and decision of marrying for love. Marrying for love," she scoffed, "what a completely mad idea. Love doesn't last, dear, but wealth does, and it lasts through the generations. Don't make the same mistakes Ginnifer made."
All Emma could do was nod, silent until she looked over her mother's shoulder at Aubrey, her face instantly becoming apologetic and almost pained. "Oh, how rude of me. Mother, please let me introduce you to Agent Seeley Booth and Agent James Aubrey. They're the two main agents I work with," she gestured with flat hands towards them and back at her mother, "Agents, allow me to introduce you to my mother, Maria Cautz."
The other woman stood up proudly, raising her eyebrows at her daughter when she stopped talking, as though she forgot to say something. Emma let out a small sigh before reluctantly continuing. "She's the heir of Hudson Corporation, worth currently seven point three billion dollars."
The other woman nodded, satisfied with her daughter's given introduction. Her phone buzzed, drawing her attention to the screen before straightening out her suit, which was already straight that Aubrey could see. "Your sister has just arrived from the airport, so I must go make sure her hotel room is ready and prepared."
Emma's face lit up in a genuine smile, stretching from ear to ear, at the mention of her sibling. "Gen's here? Like, here here?"
"Yes darling, that's what I said, is it not?"
Emma shook her head, her smile not wavering. "No, yeah, of course you did. She's at the airport? Which one? How far away? You said she's staying at hotel? Does she know she can stay with me? Because I have enough room." Emma started rambling, only stopping when her mother held up a hand at her, signaling her silence.
"Emma, dear, you know you shouldn't do that. It's overwhelming and no man will be willing to put up with it."
Aubrey let out a small scoff and mumbled. "I think it's cute." Based on the lack of reaction, Aubrey assumed neither women heard it, although Booth's mouth twitched up at the comment.
Emma and her mother gave quick pecks on their cheeks before the older one pushed back the other's shoulders and left, giving her goodbyes. Emma, who had followed her to the door, closed it immediately, turning back to the two men. "Gen's coming!" She started bouncing up and down enthusiastically, looking like a small child going to see Santa Claus. "She's not even coming. She's here! Like, she's in the city. Now. Oh my god!"
Aubrey walked the few steps over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to stop her bouncing. It worked mostly, she still had a slight bounce working, biting her still grinning lip as she stared at him with wide, excited eyes, her voice a whisper. "Gen's here."
Aubrey nodded in a clearly understanding motion. "I know. She's here," Emma nodded silently, "and you're excited," another nod, "but you need to calm down." Aubrey knew how important her sister was to Emma, and their relationship as kids was really tight. They had spent a lot of time together and Emma had had a hard time deciding whether or not to move to D.C. because of it.
Booth chuckled at the two of them quietly. "How did you come from that woman and turn out like you?"
Emma's smile died and she stopped bouncing, which Aubrey appreciated but also didn't like. He had been going to ask that himself but got distracted by her stage of excitement.
"I was never really around my parents so it was hard to pick up qualities from them. Ginnifer and I were really only around our nanny, Michelle. She was super sweet and knew how easy it was for kids to get swept up in money, so she made sure we didn't," she looked at Aubrey questioningly, "are you okay?"
Aubrey nodded. His dad was a bastard for what he did to Aubrey and his family. Since he was fifteen he had promised himself that he would never have anything to do with the one percent, let alone date one of them. He honestly didn't know for sure, but he knew he shouldn't care about her parents. Only about her. Emma. The daughter of the people he hated most. "Let's just get back to work on this case."
Emma and Booth both agreed and they all went their separate ways. Aubrey didn't miss the way Emma hesitated slightly before leaving Aubrey's grip and walking out the door.
What was happening?
A/N: ...and so the plot thickens. Yes, this will be sort of the main thing for the next chapter, maybe two. I haven't quite decided how long I want to make each chapter, as you've probably noticed there is little consistency in my lengths o' chapters. I'm typing this pretty quickly because I have to pee, and yes I AM aware of the fact that I could go pee and then come back and write this, but I don't want to and I'm lazy. It's getting painful so I'm gonna speed this up. Thanks for following along, thank you to all new followers, favoritors, and reviewers, keep it coming. And if you're reading this please tell me how in fact your hips don't lie and how you know they don't. And done! Time to pee! *Terminator voice* I'll be back!