What sort of evening awaits our favorite characters as they get ready to attend the Jeffersonian's annual Halloween Gala? Read on to find out.
PS: Special Love & Carbonite Extras coming out for this chapters. Watch for the tweet from mphs95 or lauraopper on Twitter or you can follow me on Tumblr (MIBonesFan).
PPS: Spicy Chapter folks. Find a nice quiet closet at work.
It was 8 AM on Wednesday morning, and Special Agent in Charge Aubrey wore a smile as he came into work that day. Things in his life were good again. The agents in his division were beginning to adapt to his higher standards, and they'd seen a dramatic increase in the number of cases they'd closed successfully. He had a great place to live, and he had the most beautiful girlfriend in the world.
The most beautiful girlfriend in the world...Aubrey sighed with contentment as he thought about the previous evening.
Jessica had gone to Winkleman's Chili House on the way home from the lab and had picked up a couple of large containers of their special Fifth Circle of Hell Habanero Heat. After eating their fill of chili dogs loaded with relish, extra onions, and shredded cheddar, and polishing off several bottles of Yuengling, they'd adjourned to his bedroom for several rounds of Hide the Chili Dog, which Jessica managed to win several times, much to Aubrey's satisfaction.
Once again, it had been hard to leave her all soft and warm in the middle of his bed that morning, but he needed to get to work early today. She'd rolled over and given him a sleepy grin as he sat on the edge of the bed pulling on his socks. "What time is it?" she mumbled.
Aubrey looked at the clock. "6:29. I need to go in early because I've got a ton to do before my meeting with Stark at 10:00 to discuss how things are going since I took over Major Crimes. Kind of a performance review, I guess."
"Want me to make you some breakfast?", Jessica asked in a sleepy voice. "I don't have to be in until 9:00."
"No, I already ate. Get some sleep. I love you…" He leaned over to give her a kiss.
"I love you, too.", she replied before reciprocating with a sultry kiss and chuckle. "Good luck. Try not to think about me lying naked in your bed waiting with open arms for you to come home…"
"Yeah. Thanks a lot, Jess. Bye..."
Naturally he could think of nothing else as he made his way to work, but he willed himself to concentrate. He had too many things to do today to be that distracted, even by his girlfriend, and he definitely wanted to leave the office on time tonight.
Working through the stacks of folders on his desk, Aubrey was pleased. His division had made a lot of progress on almost everything they'd worked on, with one notable exception…the Vacchio case. It had gone stone cold, with every lead turning into a dead end, and nothing new had come up recently.
Frustrated, Aubrey looked through the case folder again, hoping something different would jump out at him. Vacchio knew his killer...Jessica and Hodgins had proven that with the tests they'd run in the lab. He sat back in his chair and gazed out the office window.
"Could it be...someone he worked with at the SEC?", he mumbled to himself.
The thought that one of Vacchio's coworkers had shot the man in cold blood made sense, but it also left Aubrey feeling slightly nauseated. "Looks like he turned his back on the wrong guy…"
Shaking off his disgust, he turned to the next page. "SEC...Securities fraud...sounds like stuff my dad was involved in...I wonder…"
Aubrey closed the folder and drummed his fingers on the cover, trying to decide if he should go interview his dad. He was currently housed at the Hazelton Federal Penitentiary in West Virginia, which was just shy of three hours by car.
It was a crazy idea, but Aubrey was feeling desperate. His dad might know something.
Maybe I should run that by Booth. or maybe even Shaw...see what they think about that.., he mused.
He grabbed his jacket and walked over to Shaw's office, but was surprised to find that she already had a visitor. The tall, blonde man stood with his hands planted palms down on her desk, leaning over her as he smiled broadly. She was leaning forward in her desk chair, giggling at what he'd said, batting her eyelashes as she flirted with the man.
Shaw is giggling? Clearing his throat, Aubrey quietly knocked on the door. "Agent Shaw?"
"Oh...hey, Boss." Genny jumped up from her chair quickly, almost hitting her visitor in the head. "This is Hunter Geren. He's a forensic accountant with the SEC. We were...uh...discussing...a case...the Vacchio case. That's it. Right, Hunter? The Vacchio case?
"That's right, Agent Shaw. The Vacchio case..." Geren smoothed his tie before offering to shake hands with the SAC. "Nice to meet you, Agent Aubrey. I've got to be going. I'll talk to you later, Agent Shaw."
"Oh, don't leave on my account. I may need your input." Aubrey blocked the door so Shaw's visitor couldn't leave so quickly. "So…", the SAC said with a smirk, "...are you two an item?"
He chuckled as he saw Genny blush, knowing the answer to that question. "I see. C'mon, Shaw, it's no big deal as long as you keep things professional in the office." He turned to the accountant. "Well, Mr. Geren, I hope we see you at the Jeffersonian's Halloween Gala. Since the FBI and the Jeffersonian work so closely together, they provide tickets to us at a reduced rate. It's a lot of fun, even if you do have to go in costume."
"Genny and I were just talking about that, Agent Aubrey." Hunter flashed a flirty smile at his girlfriend. "I think it sounds like fun, especially with a cute date."
Aubrey's shoulders slumped a bit. "The only problem is that the Gala is on the same night as Game 3 of the World Series, which really sucks big time. I'm still trying to figure out how I can watch the game and go to the Gala at the same time. There may not be many more chances to watch the Cubs play in a World Series, and I really don't want to miss any of it."
"Ear buds. Plug them in your phone and sneak away from time to time to find out what's happening with the game." Hunter said, grinning slyly. "That's what I plan on doing."
"Hunter!", Shaw scolded before she realized where she was. "Behave yourself!" Slightly embarrassed, she continued. "We were trying to decide what to wear when you came in, Aubrey. You'd think with the theme being 'At the Movies', it'd be easy…"
"I know. Jessica said she was going to pick out our costumes since she has more time to search the 'net. We talked about going as characters from the Wizard of Oz, or something easy like that, but I'm not sure what she decided on. She picked them up Monday, but she wouldn't show them to me. She said it's going to be a surprise, so we'll see. I just hope it's not something beneath my dignity." Aubrey grimaced slightly. "I'm not real fond of costume parties." He laughed to himself. Unless they're in conjunction with Star Wars Conventions…
"I'm sure we'll be able to come up with something by Saturday." Genny rose from behind her desk and winked at her boyfriend. "Come on, Hunter. I'll walk you to the elevator."
The couple walked across the bullpen, talking softly as they waited for the elevator. The doors opened and as Geren entered, Shaw was surprised to see Karen exit the car.
"Good morning, Agent Shaw.", the profiler said with a pleasant smile.
"Hello, Dr. Delfs." Genny quickly turned towards to her office. "Excuse me, but I have some reports to edit."
"Oh, I completely understand.", Karen said cheerfully, startling Genny with what seemed to be sincerity in her efforts to be polite and professional. "Have you seen Agent Bower this morning?"
"He's over there in the bullpen…" Surprised at the question, Shaw gave Karen a sideways glance. "How do you know Steve?"
"Oh...didn't you know? I've known him for quite awhile, but we're officially a couple now." Karen pushed her glasses up on her nose as she smiled. "Are you planning on attending the Jeffersonian Halloween Gala with your new friend? He's very attractive."
Genny exhaled slowly. It wasn't really Karen's business, but she realized the profiler was making an attempt to be cordial. "Yes, I believe so, although we haven't decided on our costumes. Are you going?"
"Oh, yes! I love costume parties. I think Steve and I are going as characters from The Wizard of Oz."
"Really?" Genny pursed her lips as she nodded. Surely that was a coincidence. There was no way Karen would know about Aubrey's costume plans for the gala. "Sounds like fun. I'll see you Saturday evening."
As she walked to her office, Genny wondered if she should give her boss the heads up about Karen and Steve, but she was fairly sure he'd tell her not to worry. Anyway, if the profiler was going to the party with that sorry excuse for an agent, she'd probably leave Aubrey and Jessica alone, so maybe it didn't matter.
Genny chuckled as she sat down at her desk. The Halloween Gala was definitely going to be interesting this year.
Oooooooooo
The day of the Halloween Gala had arrived, and Aubrey was not a happy man.
Normally, he happily went to all of the Jeffersonian's events, knowing that there'd be a whole host of delectable treats available on the extensive buffet tables. For a man who loved food as much as James Aubrey, other than an unexpected case, there were only two things that could keep him away from such a sumptuous banquet.
One of those things involved spending some quality time with his favorite redheaded squint. Thanks to a recent turn of events, that time now also included spending most nights naked with Jessica while making up for the two months they were apart, much to his delight.
The other thing only happened every 108 years or so. His beloved Cubs had finally managed to make it back to the World Series. Tonight was Game 3, and it was going to be televised this evening.
Of course, while his beloved Cubs were playing for some long awaited glory, he would be wearing some stupid costume as he stood around with a bunch of other people wearing stupid costumes at some stupid gala.
That was bad enough, but the Cubs were down two games to one and playing in Cleveland tonight. Aubrey was sure that the only way to guarantee that his Cubbies would win was to be wearing his lucky blue and red striped socks as he had his ass planted on the sofa in front of his television and drinking a beer while he watched the game.
` Unfortunately, his girlfriend vehemently disagreed.
"Come on, Aubrey...even if they lose, there'll still be one more game…" Jessica stood impatiently with her hands on her hips, rolling her eyes at him as he pouted.
"Shhhhhhh!", Aubrey exclaimed in an exaggerated voice. "If they lose? Don't even put that out there, Jess. They're backed into a corner and they need a win tonight."
"Fine. Stay here if you want. However, I need to make an appearance, so I'm going to go change." She made a show of walking across the family room to the stairs. "I wonder if Gerald Maxwell will be there tonight. I hear he's a great dancer."
"Okay, now that was a low blow. Totally unfair, Jessica.", Aubrey whined.
"I know.", she giggled. "Did it work?"
Heaving a very loud sigh, Aubrey turned off the pregame show as he managed to pry himself from the sofa. "Alright. Let's get ready to go to the Gala.", he grumbled as he followed her up the stairs.
As the two entered the master bedroom, Jessica went to the back of the large walk in closet. A few seconds later, she came out with two garment bags and a small pink bag with ribbon handles. After a sly wink, Jessica handed one to Aubrey. "This one is yours. 36 long, right?"
"Yeah." Aubrey said suspiciously as she turned away from him. "Hey, where are you going?"
"I'm going to get dressed in the bathroom so you'll be surprised when you see my costume. You go ahead and get changed out here." Jessica smirked as she picked up her bags. "Trust me. It's going to take a little time, but it'll be worth it."
"Okay...I'll be waiting…" Aubrey watched as she slipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Unzipping the bag, he laughed at the pleasant surprise inside. It was a two piece suit, made of dark blue fabric with a white chalk stripe, cut in the style popular during the Roaring Twenties.
He stripped off his Cubs t-shirt, jeans, and reluctantly, his lucky socks. He quickly buttoned up his white dress shirt and poked his shirt tail into the striped pants before tying the wide blue silk tie. Then he slipped into the slim double breasted jacket, buttoning it as he admired his reflection in the dresser mirror.
"Nice…too bad I can't talk like Edward G. Robinson or Jimmy Cagney..."
"Turn around and let me see." Jessica stood in the bathroom doorway for a few seconds before handing him his accessories. "You do look very nice. Now, here's your blue silk pocket square, and your spats...what's wrong?"
Aubrey shook his head, wide eyed as he looked at his girlfriend. "Nothing...except...you look incredible. Wow…"
Jessica blushed as she smoothed her sleeveless peacock blue silk dress. As she moved, the silver and crystal beading running from the low neckline down the front of the dress shimmered in the light, showing off her slim figure to perfection. "I'm glad you like it." After patting the low twist at the nape of her neck to make sure her hair was in place, she turned her back to him and looked over her shoulder. "Hey, are the seams of my stockings straight?"
Aubrey's eyes followed the silky seams from her slender ankles upward until they disappeared under the hem of her short dress, and he immediately forgot her question. "Those are not pantyhose. You're wearing a garter belt, aren't you?"
Suddenly his suit felt much too warm. His gaze moved further up, and he noticed that the beading on the back of the dress ended right above her cute little ass. And then there was the fringe around the bottom third of the dress...the fringe that swayed back and forth in a tantalizing fashion whenever she moved her hips, catching his eye as it made him wonder what was underneath that dress.
Realizing that she was still watching him, he attempted to control his lustful thoughts. "Um...did you ask me something, Jess?"
"Yes, I did ask you something...about the seams in my stockings. Why did you ask me about a garter belt?", Jessica asked, obviously confused until she realized what her boyfriend was thinking about. "Oh, I get it...you want to know about the lingerie under my dress. I think someone has a lingerie fetish, right?"
Aubrey could only stammer incoherently in response to Jessica's giggles as she pulled on her blue elbow length gloves. "Well, you'll have to wait until later to find out the details, but I'll give you a hint...silver lace." She licked her lips as she arched an eyebrow at him. "And you're right. These aren't pantyhose."
"Jesus, Jess...do you really expect me to make it through a whole party thinking about you wearing a silver lace garter belt under that dress?" Aubrey stuck out his bottom lip in a playful pout. "I wanna see it now…"
She grinned as she shook her head. "No way. If I let you peek now, we'll never make it to the party. You can wait a few more hours."
She walked over to the bed, picked up Aubrey's white felt hat, and ran her fingers across the blue hat band. "Here...try this on." Standing back to admire her boyfriend, she smiled. "Very rakish. So do you recognize the outfit?"
Aubrey turned back to his mirror, pulling on the brim of the hat so it was cocked over one eye. "Maybe. It does look familiar…Star Trek, right? A Piece of the Action?"
"Yeah, it's like the one that William Shatner wore in that episode where the population of the planet lives like gangs from the Roaring Twenties. Those costumes were historically accurate."
She paused as she saw his confusion over her choice. "I know I told you I thought I'd look for something from The Wizard of Oz, but when I found these on line, I realized that they'd be perfect for the gala's theme, so I rented them for us. It's like we're from The Great Gatsby. You do look really hot, James...even better than DiCaprio. Oh, before I forget…"
Jessica handed Aubrey a plastic Tommy gun as she picked up her long silver cigarette holder. "I couldn't get a real gun. Sorry."
"I probably shouldn't carry a real gun to the Gala anyway." He took her hand and pulled her over so she was standing next to him as he admired their reflection in the mirror. "Look at us. We look great! I especially like that white feather in your headband. I bet we're going to be the best looking couple there."
"If we don't get a move on, we'll be the last couple there. Do you have our tickets?"
Aubrey patted the left side of his jacket. "Right here...and here's my ear buds." He jammed them into his pants pocket. "If the Gala gets boring maybe I can listen to the game…"
Jessica was not amused. "So are you planning on being bored while you spend time with me at the party? Maybe I'll have to dance with Gerald after all."
Pulling her close, Aubrey kissed her. "I'll never be bored with you, Jess. Let's go…"
"Nice save, Aubrey.", the redhead giggled as they were walking out of the bedroom. "Did you feed Skinner before the pre-game show?".
"I did." Aubrey replied while they walked down the stairs. "He should be set until tomorrow...we hope."
Oooooooooo
The party was in full swing as Aubrey and Jessica walked up to the newly renovated Jeffersonian wing. In keeping with the theme, red carpets had been rolled out in front of the entrances, and large, old fashioned spotlights shone brightly around the entrance. The atmosphere echoed movie stars attending a Hollywood premiere.
Inside, the decor paid homage to the golden age of film. Large murals of black and white movie stills filled the walls of the ballroom. Tables were set around a large dance floor, each covered with a white tablecloth trimmed with black and gold. The centerpieces were made up of gold vases filled with red carnations, with miniature Oscar statuettes at each place setting. Music was playing loudly in the background, courtesy of a DJ spinning a mixture of old music and new songs.
Taking Aubrey's arm, Jessica pointed to a table in a corner of the room. "There's Dr. B. Do you want to sit with them? It looks like there are two or three tables together for everybody."
"Sure, Doll, whatevah youse wants." Aubrey chuckled at Jessica's confusion. "I thought I'd try a bit of the twenties mobster speak."
"Oh, well...boop boop de doop." Shimmying slightly in her flapper dress, Jessica winked at her boyfriend. "Maybe we should just speak normally, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so, although I may have to say 'you dirty rat' a couple of times before the evening's over." They walked over and greeted their friends, anxious to see everyone's costumes.
"Aubrey's here! Now the party can begin! Man, look at you." Booth grinned from ear to ear as he saw his friend's suit. "Nice threads, man. You look like you and your girlfriend just stepped out of a speakeasy."
"Thanks...I think." Looking at his friend's ragged outfit, Aubrey was confused. "Who are you supposed to be?"
"I'm The Mummy and Bones is the archaeologist who found me." He grinned as he pointed to his wife, who was wearing a white cotton shirt and khaki shorts. "We decided to take a break from being superheroes for a while." Booth pulled at some of his loose bandages. "I wasn't in the mood to wear tights tonight, anyway. Hey, now here's some superheroes…"
Hodgins was dressed as Professor X, the leader of the X Men, complete with a bald skull cap. Angela was dressed as Storm, with a black spandex one piece costume and a long white wig. "Correction.", Hodgins said. "We're not superheroes...just misunderstood mutants."
"You look great, Angela." Jessica stopped to admire her costume. "Maybe you should consider going blonde."
"I don't think so. I don't want to mess with my roots all the time." Angela giggled as she patted her baby bump. "Anyway, I'm not really in shape to be a super mutant." Casting an appraising eye at Jessica, Angela smiled. "That dress is really cute on you. I guess the classics never go out of style. Oh, there's Daisy…"
Daisy, dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, came over to sit with them. "I wish Beau could've been here, but duty calls in London this weekend. Anyway, I love playing dress up like this. Oh, here, Angela...take my picture so I can send it to Beau. He loves showing off his cute wife to all his friends on the team."
As Angela was photographing Daisy, Aubrey held out his hand to his favorite redhead. "Let's dance…"
They walked out to the dance floor as 'All of Me' started to play. Aubrey tried to pull his girlfriend close, only to find that his wide hat brim kept bumping into the large white feather attached to her headband. Frustrated, he saw Wendell, who was dressed as a paratrooper, enter with Andie, who came as a hockey player.
"Hey, Wendell...catch!" He tossed his hat to the intern, who caught it one handed. "Thanks, man. Just put it on the table."
Aubrey turned back to his smiling girlfriend. "That's better, isn't it?", he whispered softly as his hand found its way to the small of Jessica's back. "I know you think I've forgotten about your garter belt, but…"
"Oh, wow, Superman…" Jessica pulled away from him and nodded toward one of the entrances. "Look…"
Steve Bower, dressed as the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz, stood uncomfortably in the doorway with his date, Karen Delfs, who was dressed as the Cowardly Lion.
"Crap…just the person I didn't want to see.", Aubrey muttered. When they saw Karen smile and wave as she and Steve quickly made their way across the dance floor in their direction, he groaned. "…and they're coming this way."
"Oh great…" Jessica felt her boyfriend's pain but she knew they had to be polite. "I understand how you feel, but Steve is one of your agents. Just smile and we'll make an excuse to leave quickly, okay?"
"Hi...or should I say ROAR!" Pretending to flash her claws as she giggled at her joke, Karen wore a giddy grin as she pushed her mane away from her face and fidgeted with the costume's long tail. "You two look nice. What movie are you supposed to be from?"
"The Great Gatsby. How'ya doin', Steve? Having fun?" Aubrey smirked at the other agent, who was well known for his sour disposition. "I gotta say, I never thought of you as a costume party type, let alone as a scarecrow."
"It was either this guy or the Tin Man, and this costume is a lot easier to move in. Karen says The Wizard of Oz is her favorite movie, so here we are."
Karen turned to the younger woman. "Jessica, that costume is super cute. The Great Gatsby, huh?"
"Yes.", the redhead said with a smile pasted on her face as she remembered her initial choice of costumes. "The Wizard of Oz…interesting choice."
"Yeah. Originally I was going to be Dorothy, but I decided I didn't want to tape my boobs down to be a convincing teenager."
Jessica smiled while visions of butcher knives danced in her head. "The Cowardly Lion…good call. Definitely different."
As the women chatted, Agent Bower leaned over to whisper to his boss, winking as he glanced back at his date. "Yeah, I wanna keep Karen happy. I'm hoping to get a big payoff later this evening, if you know what I mean…"
"Whoa...way too much information, Steve…" Exhaling softly, Aubrey almost told Bower to back off, but he decided it was none of his business how the two adults spent their time together. However, if Karen was occupied, then he and Jessica could relax and enjoy the Gala. "Anyway, have fun this evening…"
Flashing a wolfish grin, Bower nodded, licking his lips as he grinned at Karen. "Oh, we will. Count on it." Taking her by the hand, he tugged at her arm slightly. "C'mon, Sugar. They're playing Want to Want Me by Jason Derulo. Let's dance."
Giggling at her date, Karen winked at Jessica. "Steve's so assertive. I just love that in a man."
"I'm glad. I hope you both have a good time this evening." Jessica forced a strained smile, thankful Agent Steve Bower wasn't her date. She'd heard rumors that he was a player, but it wasn't her business. If Karen was happy with him, it would definitely make things easier for everyone.
Just then, Aubrey saw Genny and Hunter come in. "Hey Jess, there's Shaw."
"Cool. Nice talking to you, Karen.". Relieved to be finished with that awkward conversation, Jessica waved to get Shaw's attention. "Genny...why don't you come sit with us?" She nodded to the group of tables. "We're over there."
As Steve and Karen began to dance to the next song, Jessica and Aubrey met up with the other couple at the table. Hunter was dressed as Austin Powers, and Genny was dressed in sixties mod. "You look great, Boss." Genny said, as she admired his costume. "Very stylish."
Aubrey preened a little bit as he ran his hand down the front of his jacket. "Yeah, Jessica did a good job picking out our costumes. I mean, this is kind of like wearing a regular suit except for the cut, so it's actually pretty comfortable." He snickered as he raised an eyebrow at the ASAC's bright green polyester mini dress and her white vinyl go-go boots. "Walking on the wild side there, aren't you, Shaw?"
She cringed slightly under his friendly scrutiny. "Maybe. I don't know how women wore dresses this short in the sixties. I feel like I'm flashing my butt at everybody."
"Yeah, baby!" Hunter commented in his best Austin Powers voice. "Trust me...the view from here is magnificent."
Blushing furiously, Genny reached up to brush away the strands of her long bouffant wig from her face. "Hunter...not in front of my boss!", she hissed. Pulling on the hem of her dress, she winked at her date. "Save it for later when it's just the two of us."
"Are we having fun yet?" Cam and Arastoo, dressed as Cleopatra and Marc Antony, came over to join the group at their tables. "It looks like a good crowd tonight."
"Hmm...Nice outfit, Arastoo.", Angela teased. "You definitely have the legs for that mini skirt…"
"Um, thanks." He tugged at the hem of his costume before pulling his cape over his shoulders. "Cam picked it out…"
Brennan chuckled as she gave an approving nod. "We're all glad she did so, Dr. Vaziri. Won't you join us?"
For the next few hours, the group socialized and enjoyed themselves in between Aubrey's frequent visits to the buffet room.
"Any particular recommendations tonight, Aubrey?", Booth asked as he laughed at his friend's full plate.
"Everything. You know the Gala buffets are alway great.", Aubrey replied with a shrug. "I will say the crab puffs are exceptional this year." He grinned broadly before going back to his plate.
All of the couples, including Jessica and Aubrey, sneaked in a few dances. During REO Speedwagon's Can't Fight This Feeling, the agent leaned close and whispered into his girlfriend's ear. "I still haven't forgotten about your garter belt."
"Soon, Superman." Jessica whispered back in his ear. "You have to be patient."
When they'd finished dancing, they sat down at their table. After fidgeting nervously a few minutes, Aubrey smiled as he leaned over to his girlfriend. "I'm going to go check out the buffet tables again."
"That sounds good. I'll go with you." Jessica rose from her seat, but paused when she realized Aubrey had remained seated. "Aren't you coming?"
"Um, yeah. Actually…" Aubrey sighed, knowing he'd been caught. "I was really going to check the score of the ball game on my phone….but, never mind. Let's go get something to eat."
They went through the buffet line in the dining hall, filling their plates with boiled shrimp, crab legs, and fruit skewers, blissfully unaware of the people behind them until they heard an obnoxious comment.
"Well, what do you know? It's the little thief."
Aubrey and Jessica turned to see Gerald Maxwell wearing an unpleasant sneer as he glared at the intern.
"Oh, hello, Gerald. I didn't notice you there." Jessica smiled at him politely as she moved through the buffet line, hoping to avoid a confrontation with the man. "Hey, Aubrey, hand me some of those ham rolls, okay?"
"I don't believe it. You've got a lot of nerve showing up here tonight. You really ought to be wearing an orange prison jumpsuit as a costume, Ms. Warren.", the antiquities intern replied, obviously spoiling for a fight..
"Thanks for the costume suggestion, but orange isn't really a good color for me with my hair. " Ignoring Aubrey's snickers, she glanced at the antiquities intern, dressed in his red Star Trek uniform and turned back to the buffet. "I guess you finally found the correct occasion for wearing that outfit, didn't you? I hope you two enjoy the Gala this evening." She pointed at a large platter heaped with food. "Look, Aubrey, they've put out more of those crab puffs you like so much."
"Awesome.", Aubrey replied, eagerly heaping several of the delicacies on his plate as he ignored the obnoxious intern. "Come on...let's go back to our table. It's getting really crowded in here."
"Oh, no. You're not getting away that easily." Turning to his date, who was scantily clad as a green Orion slave girl, Gerald pointed at Jessica. "She's the one who stole my car keys at that geeky Star Wars convention, Sheila. Remember me telling you about that? I had to call a tow truck and the jackass scraped my fender. It's all her fault. That's why I wanted your dad to take her to court...so she'd have to pay to fix my car. Have you mentioned that to him yet? I want to sue her for damages to my car, and for pain and suffering, too. I was really upset about my car, and I ended up with a terrible migraine over it, remember?"
Sheila turned to her date with a questioning look. "Is that why you asked me to come with you tonight? So I'd get my father to take your case? He's a high powered corporate attorney, Gerald! He doesn't have time for petty shit like a civil case over a few hundred dollars in car repairs."
"She was going to steal my car, Sheila! That's why she wanted me to meet her there at that stupid convention, so she would have access to my keys!"
"Come on, Gerald. Cool your jets, okay?" , Aubrey began calmly, shaking his head at the intern's histrionics as he grabbed another crab puff. "If she was really going to steal your car keys, why would she return them to you? You'd left them on a table, and she picked them up so she could give them back to you later. No big deal. In fact, she was trying to be nice. She could've just left them there, and then you'd really be out of luck."
"It is a big deal! She played stupid but I know what she was really up to.", Gerald yelled loudly, attracting attention from others in the buffet line.
Staring at the intern, Aubrey pursed his lips and laughed sardonically. "So let me get this straight, Gerald...you're saying that Jessica decided to risk thirteen years of hard work in obtaining her three college degrees, plus the time she's already spent working toward her doctorate, her prestigious internship here at the Jeffersonian, and her future career in forensic anthropology, not to mention the possibility of going to prison...she decided to risk all of that by inviting you to accompany her to a convention she'd previously planned to attend just so she could steal that overpriced hunk of tin you drive? Seriously?"
"I can't even drive a manual, Gerald. Kind of stupid of me to steal a car I can't drive.", Jessica chimed in.
"Says you.", the intern said. "You're just saying that, but I know the truth."
"Whatever." Aubrey shook his head in disgust before turning back to the buffet. He loaded cheese and crackers onto his plate before facing the idiot in front of him. "I know...she came up with her evil car theft plan after you came to her in the lab and begged for a second chance after your less than acceptable behavior towards her at Daisy Wick and Beau Pixler's wedding the weekend before. Remember how you groped her on the dance floor and she almost broke your fingers? How about afterwards when you got drunk off your butt? I mean, what kind of guy gets so intoxicated that he can't even drive his own date home? Not very gentleman-like if you ask me."
Gerald heard the laughter of the people behind him and was determined to get the upper hand with the scrawny FBI agent in front of him. No one humiliated him in public like that and got away with it.
"I happen to believe that she picked my keys up on purpose because she knew I was getting ready to ditch her at that fucking convention. Besides, do you have any idea how much it costs to replace those keys? They've got a special chip in them…" The intern paused as he smirked at Aubrey. "Never mind. Of course you don't know about those keys. You can't afford an expensive car like an Alfa Romeo. You're just a glorified cop, driving a beat up used car, and hanging out with a slutty used girlfriend."
Aubrey's heart broke a little bit as he heard Jessica's horrified gasp behind him. A hush fell over the gala patrons at the buffet table as the agent slowly put his plate down and crossed his arms over his chest, pinning Gerald in place with an angry glare.
"If we were any place else, I'd beat the shit out of you for talking about Ms. Warren that way. However, we're at a fundraising Gala for the Jeffersonian, so I'm going to control myself, because I know how to act like a gentleman in public. That being said, Mr. Maxwell, I will be by to speak with your supervisor on Monday morning about that foul mouth of yours. When we finish talking about that, the three of us will then discuss how you treat women in general, and Ms. Warren in particular. I promise you, the results will not be pleasant for you or your career..."
"Bull shit!" Gerald spat out his words as he shook his finger at Aubrey, angry that the slender man in front of him had actually made him afraid. "You think you're such a goddamn big shot because you work for the FBI, don't you? You think you're the man because you're a Special Agent in Charge."
Gerald's voice was dripping with sarcasm as he made air quotes for Aubrey's job title. "But the truth is, you're just a fucking little jackass, Agent Aubrey. You're all talk...just like some yappy little dog, waiting to hump Uncle Sam's leg, and the fact that you have a cheap whore for a girlfriend just proves how worthless you really are. She's the best you can get, right? She was an easy lay around here before she got all high and mighty with her big shot FBI boyfriend...better make sure that nasty little bitch has been tested for STD's before you get in too deep…"
"That's enough out of you. Just shut the fuck up right now!" Wearing a fierce scowl, Aubrey took two steps toward Gerald, forcing the younger man to step backwards towards the door. Jabbing his finger in the intern's chest, the SAC's voice was a low, threatening growl. "I am the man, Gerald, and it's my job to take down filthy little mother fuckers just like you. You've got about thirty seconds to apologize to my date here if you want to be able to drive yourself and your date home tonight in one piece. Otherwise, you'll be in an ambulance, on the way to the emergency room. Do I make myself clear?"
Surprised and frightened by Aubrey's ferocity, Gerald wet himself as the older man angrily invaded his personal space. Thoroughly embarrassed, he kept himself perfectly still as he nodded in response to the agent's barrage, hoping he'd be able slink away without anyone noticing, but Aubrey wasn't finished with his dressing down of the young man.
"Now...what do you need to say to Ms. Warren?", Aubrey said as he stood with his hands on his hips, silently noting the large wet spot on the front of Gerald's dark pants.
"Sorry, Jessica…" Gerald shifted nervously from one foot to the other, praying his black pants covered up his humiliation.
Aubrey kept his scowl as he lowered his voice to a dangerous whisper. "Now, turn around and walk away. Be warned, Gerald...if you bother us at all for the rest of the evening, things will be much worse for you than they already are. Trust me...next time you'll do a lot more than wet yourself."
Nodding, Gerald quickly turned to make a hasty retreat and collided with Steve Bower, who was waiting in the buffet line with Karen. Embarrassed, and anxious to get away from Aubrey, the intern tried to move around the agent, but tripped over the long tail attached to Karen's lion costume. He fell flat on his face, pulling a squealing Sheila down on top of him as their plates went flying.
"Shit, Gerald!" Sheila tried to push herself up from the floor, but she slipped on some fruit. "That does it. I'm calling a cab. We're done! Never call me again!"
Trying to gather her dignity and what was left of her costume, Sheila stormed out of the room, leaving a squirming Gerald on the floor as he tried to untangle himself from the Cowardly Lion's tail.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, there was a smattering of applause from the patrons as they turned back to the buffet. Aubrey took Jessica's hand in his as he tried to soothe her injured feelings. "What a jerk. Forget about him. The guy's not worth worrying about, okay? You don't care what he thinks, do you?"
"No, I don't care about him." Wiping a tear from her cheek, Jessica smiled as she put her plate down. "I need you to come with me."
"But what about the crab puffs?", Aubrey asked. "I'm still hungry…"
"Forget the damn crab puffs.", Jessica said before yanking on his arm. "You're coming with me now."
"I-whoa….", Aubrey stammered before his girlfriend dragged him out of the buffet room.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Angela and Cam, who were standing near the dining hall, watched as the redhead took the agent by the hand and led him across the dining room and out of the Gala at a brisk pace.
"Just friends, my ass…", Angela commented with a smile before sipping her ginger ale.
"Agreed, Angela.", Cam laughed as she enjoyed her champagne. "They're not fooling anyone, are they?"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Walking quickly across the darkened museum, Jessica led Aubrey toward the lab. Stepping around a saw horse and nearby lumber, she stopped at the interns' locker room and arched an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "Come on. There's something I need to show you…"
Wearing a goofy grin, Aubrey chuckled. "Is it a silver lace garter belt?"
"Maybe.", she giggled as she dragged him into the room. Quickly closing the door and locking it, the redhead pulled him into a passionate kiss. "Oh my God, James...hearing you stand up for me like that...it makes me so hot for you, knowing how much you love me."
"Yeah, well..." He smiled as she gazed up at him intently. "If you're feeling hot, that makes me hot, too. You make me want you so much I can't stand it sometimes..." He ran his hands down her slender arms, taking her hands in his as he looked into her eyes. "You're so beautiful. I love your skin. It's so smooth…" He bent down to kiss her again. "...and you smell so good…"
"I don't want waste a lot of time on foreplay, okay? I want you to make love to me right now, Superman…", she purred as she began to unbutton his jacket. "I want to feel you in me now…" When she was done, she stood with her hands on her hips as she eyed him hungrily. "Come on, Agent Aubrey. Time's a wastin…"
"Jess, we can't do it here...now...can we?" He caressed her gently as he pulled her close for another kiss. "Everybody's going to wonder where we are. I'm sure Karen couldn't wait to tell everyone what happened with Gerald…they're going to expect us back at the table soon..."
"Well, then, I guess you'd better stop talking and get to work." Pushing his jacket aside, she pulled his shirttail free and began to work on his pants. "I can't wait much longer…" She lowered his zipper and began to stroke him frantically through his boxers. "I want you so bad, Superman…"
Aubrey's breathing was ragged as he became more and more aroused. Past the point of no return, he pushed her into the wall before gently cupping her breasts through her silky dress. Realizing she wasn't wearing a bra, he dragged his thumbnails across her tight nipples while he nibbled at her earlobes and the soft skin of her neck. "God, Jess...I can't take much more of that…I feel like I'm going to explode."
"C'mere." She grabbed his tie and pulled him toward a low bench in front of the lockers. "Drop your pants and sit here."
Enjoying the idea that Jessica was going to be in charge of their lovemaking, Aubrey did as he was told. Soon the redhead was kneeling between his legs, taking him into her mouth, teasing him with her teeth as she licked the underside of his penis. Gripping the bench with one hand, he held the back of her head with the other, bucking his hips toward her as her efforts became more insistent, moaning softly when she pulled away from him.
"Jess…why'd you stop…come on, woman..."
"Open your eyes, James. Look…" After throwing her now crooked headband aside, Jessica lifted the hem of her short dress to reveal a silvery lace garter belt riding low on her hips with a sheer silver lace thong underneath it. "Do you like it?"
"Oh yeah." He groaned with pleasure, pulling her onto his lap so she was straddling him with her core pressed up against his erection. He dragged his fingernails across the front of her thong. "This has got to go…"
She reached between them, stroking him firmly once again until he was straining against her hand. "Are you going to tear up another pair of my panties, James?" she teased in a sultry voice in between kisses. "I swear, you must owe me several pairs by now…"
"Shhh...I'm busy." He dipped a finger under the little bit of lace that lay between him and Heaven, loving the moan that came from his lover's lips. After adding another finger, he felt the dampness at her entrance as she trembled with his touch. "Yeah, you're so ready for me…" he whispered.
He tore the lacy thong from her body and threw it aside, massaging her most sensitive spot with his talented fingers as she mewled with pleasure. Reaching under her thighs, he guided Jessica onto his rigid member, gasping at the sheer pleasure of feeling her envelope him with her body.
She soon set a frantic pace for them, wrapping her arms around his neck as she swirled her hips against his. He held her in place with his strong hands, thrusting up to meet her as she crashed down around him over and over again. It wasn't long before she threw her head back, gripping his shoulders tightly as she clenched around him.
"Oh, James…", she breathed in ecstasy. "I love you so much…"
He thrust hard once more before achieving his release, slumping against the lockers as she leaned against his chest. "God, Jess...that was great." He kissed her temple as she hummed with pleasure. "Remind me to yell at Gerald more often."
"Hmmm...that was more than great. That was spectacular. Imagine how much better it'll be when we get home and we aren't in a hurry to get the job done…"
"Yeah...maybe we ought to get ready to go home…" Aubrey wore a crooked grin as he winked at his girlfriend. "I'll be ready for rounds two and three by then."
"Sounds like fun.", she giggled as she pushed her hair off her face. "Where's my headband?" She giggled as she found it under the bench. "Oh, here it is."
As Jessica picked the bedraggled object up and pulled in onto her messy hair, Aubrey glanced at a scrap of lace on the floor. Picking it up, he handed it to her. "Sorry about your panties. They always seem to get in the way, don't they?"
Standing up, Jessica smoothed her dress as she took what was left of the thong from him with a naughty grin and tossed it into her nearby locker. "That's alright. I'll just go commando until we're ready to go home."
"Really?" Aubrey nodded as he thought about her standing next to him at the party, knowing she was practically naked under her dress. That distraction might be too much to handle, even for a well-trained agent who was used to controlling his emotions.
"Yeah, let's go home…"
Oooooooooo
It was getting late, and the crowd had started to thin as people left for the evening. After dancing to a few of their favorite songs, Booth and Brennan took some champagne from a waiter's tray and went back to their table to enjoy the rest of their evening.
"Hmmm…", Booth began, wearing a smug smile. "I wonder where Aubrey and Jessica have disappeared to…"
"I assume they're still around here somewhere." Brennan pointed at the table next to theirs. "There's his hat and her cigarette holder. They're probably getting dessert from the buffet."
"Oh, I think they're having dessert, but it's not the same kind that's served on a buffet plate." Booth chuckled as he spied the slightly disheveled couple walking toward the table, trying to look casual. The feather on Jessica's headband was crooked as it sat on her disheveled hair, and Aubrey's jacket was buttoned wrong, revealing a very wrinkled shirt that was only partially tucked into the waistband of his pants.
"Hey, Aubrey...you might want to check your fly." Laughing at his friend's embarrassment, Booth sat back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest. "So did you two had a good time this evening?"
"Yeah. It was great...one of the best Galas I've ever been to. What about you, Jessica?" Aubrey nudged his girlfriend as she tried to straighten her head dress. "You had fun, right?"
"Oh, definitely. It was lots of fun." She giggled shyly as she looked up at her boyfriend. "Aubrey made sure we enjoyed ourselves."
"I see." Booth nodded as he looked at his wife, who winked back at him.
"Aubrey", Brennan began, "Dr. Delfs and Agent Bower informed us of the confrontation between Mr. Maxwell and yourself in the buffet line. Hodgins was most interested in the story, especially since it appears that Mr. Maxwell initiated the argument with his uncouth remarks about Ms. Warren. I believe he plans on speaking to Gerald's supervisor on Monday."
"Karen also made sure to let us know that you made the little prick piss himself. Nice job, Aubrey." Booth winked at his friend. "Were you being a big meanie to the poor guy?"
"Nah...I just put him in his place. It didn't take much to make him wet his pants. He's just a coward who hides behind his daddy's money. He thinks he's all tough until someone stands up to him. As for what happened, Dr. B, it really wasn't a big deal. I just had to remind Gerald that he needed to mind his manners." Aubrey shrugged as he picked up his hat. "That's all. I think he knows he made a mistake."
"Actually, Aubrey, it is a 'big deal', as you put it.", Brennan said. "All interns have to follow the same guidelines in employee conduct as everyone else who works at the Jeffersonian as a condition of their doctoral program. His demonstration of such poor behavior in the presence of Gala guests could show the Institution in a negative light. Such actions could result in several disciplinary actions, including the termination of his internship. If it was one of my interns, I would recommend termination on the basis of his harassment of Ms. Warren."
"We'll see what happens on Monday, Dr. B.", Aubrey said with a small smile. "Anyway, I think we're going to call it a night."
"Sounds like a good idea. I think we'll do the same. See you on Monday, okay?" Placing his hand in the small of Brennan's back as they rose from the table, Booth guided his wife towards the door. "Night…"
"Yeah, good night." Watching the couple walk away, Aubrey grimaced slightly as he turned to his girlfriend. "Do you think they know about us...that we're together again?"
"Of course they know, Superman. They probably knew after the football game. Booth is an excellent investigator, and Dr. B is extremely observant." Jessica laughed as she brushed the feather away from her face. "I'm sure everyone else knows, too. It's not like we can keep it a secret forever, but I don't think anyone cares, and they won't make a big deal about it." She smirked at him as she looped her arm in his. "Now, we need to go home. Don't forget...you promised me rounds two and three…"
"Trust me, Jess. There's no way I'm going to forget that." He laughed as he put his arm around her. "Best two out of three wins, right?"
"I don't know." She smiled as she leaned against his wiry frame. "We may have to try for three out of five…"
Aubrey nodded happily. "I hope so, Jess...I sincerely hope so."