Time for our favorite couple to go back to work after a long weekend. Will there be smooth sailing until Christmas? Read on to find out...

Humming a happy little tune to himself early Monday morning, Aubrey walked across the parking garage to the elevator that would take him up to the fourth floor. It was wet and chilly outside, being the last week of November, but he hardly noticed the weather. He was determined that nothing was going to spoil his good mood today.

As he waited for the elevator, he smiled to himself as he thought back over the long holiday weekend. Spending the Thanksgiving holiday with Jessica's family had been slightly stressful, but it seemed he'd managed to avoid making too much of a jackass out of himself...except perhaps when it came to dealing with Jessica's mother.

He'd ruminated all weekend about what had happened at Thanksgiving dinner the previous Thursday. As a boy, his parents had expected him to present himself as a well behaved child so he could make a good impression on his father's clients when they met for dinner. His father had insisted that children should be seen but not heard, and his son was expected to act accordingly.

Under his mother's persistent tutelage over the years, he'd learned how a gentleman was expected to act as a guest at someone's home and at their table. He knew he should keep controversial opinions to himself. He shouldn't interrupt, and he should always defer to his elders during a conversation. If in doubt as to the appropriateness of a comment, he should say nothing at all. He was expected to be polite, well mannered, and to do nothing that would call an inordinate amount of attention to himself.

All of those expectations seemed to fly out the window as soon as Eleanor Gordon opened her mouth. Apparently the woman had nothing good to say about anyone. As far as Aubrey could tell, she hated the world, and the majority of her anger and hatred appeared to be focused on her own children.

He got onto the elevator, watching the numbers light up as it took him upstairs to work. As he watched for the number 4 to light up, he pondered further.

After hearing what Jessica had to say about her mother's illness, he'd thought he was emotionally prepared for dealing with the woman whom he hoped would one day be his mother-in-law. Instead, he found himself appalled at the venom Eleanor directed toward the members of her family. Their family dynamics were really none of his business, however, and since his own father was a convicted felon, he was in no position to sit in judgment over any of them.

Getting off the elevator and making his way to the break room, he sighed, wondering if he should've kept his mouth shut at dinner, like his mother had raised him to do. However, Eleanor's tirade against her own daughter...the woman Aubrey loved...simply could not be tolerated. Thoroughly provoked, he spoke his mind in response to the older woman's vitriol.

She basically encouraged her daughter to be a slut so she could marry for money. Imagine thinking Jessica should go out with Gerald just because his old man is rich. Who'd want their daughter to date a lowlife like that loser?

Jessica's father and her brothers seemed pleased that he'd stuck up for his redheaded girlfriend, but he was still unsure about whether he'd done the right thing. Jessica had insisted that she wasn't upset with him, but instead she was pleased with his actions in her defense, and proud to be his girlfriend. Her reassurances were a balm to the chagrin he felt over his outburst, and he finally began to believe that his girlfriend had approved of the way he'd put her mother on notice for her poor behavior.

If nothing else, she had certainly made it a point to demonstrate her approval of him as many times as possible over the past weekend, including some pleasant time spent together in his jet tub Thursday evening.

Deciding he was in the mood for a latte, he found his cup and pressed the correct buttons on the coffee dispenser. Leaning against the counter in the breakroom, Aubrey thought about Thanksgiving weekend. He was pretty sure he was grinning like a fool as he remembered his girlfriend's efforts to soothe his irritation.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Friday morning, Aubrey woke up about 8:00. Moving his arm over to pull his girlfriend close, he felt only cold sheets. Opening his eyes, he saw a note on his nightstand, letting him know that she would be back by lunchtime and that she was stopping at the grocery store on the way home. It was then he remembered that she'd gone out shopping for Black Friday, hoping to snag a few bargains.

When she returned about 11:30, he'd been curious about the things that she'd brought home. However, she smacked his hand away and told him that he'd have to wait until later in the weekend to find out what was in the shopping bags.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

They spent the afternoon together painting the den and former man cave. When they finished removing the last of the painter's tape, Aubrey picked up his girlfriend and twirled her around.

"My house is done! My house is done!"

Jessica laughed. "Yes it is...and it's only a week late."

They celebrated with a dinner made up of various Thanksgiving leftovers. As she picked up the plates from the table, Jessica announced that they were going to play her version of penny ante strip poker. The person losing the hand had to give up a piece of clothing. The winner had to drink a shot of whiskey.

Aubrey wrinkled his nose as he looked at the bottle of Jameson on the counter while Jessica finished loading the dishwasher. "No Old Fogelsong?"

"Um...no…" Jessica turned around and bit her lip as she studied her nails. "The liquor store was out."

The agent noticed she wasn't looking him in the eye. "I think maybe you've forgotten what I do for a living. Using my skills as a detective, I can tell that you're lying, Jessica Warren...but I will forgive you just this once. In the future, however, you'll need to remember that one should never get between a man and his Old Fogelsong."

"I'll keep that in mind.", Jessica laughed before taking his hand and leading him into the living room, where she invited him to sit on the floor next to her. "Here...you deal first."

"Okay." He smiled as he looked over his cards and dropped some pennies into the space between them. "It's been a long time since I've played poker."

"I'm sure you'll pick it up quickly. I'm going to see your bet and raise it…", Jessica said, smirking as she saw her cards. 'Hmm...what to have Aubrey take off first…'

Aubrey saw his girlfriend's leer and decided it was time to make his move. "I call."

The redhead dropped her cards, which were two sixes and two tens with a King. "Two pair, Superman. How are you doing to beat that?"

"Oh, I don't know, Jess…" He laughed happily before laying down his cards. "How about three Kings?"

"Son of a bitch.", Jessica retorted. "No way…"

"Yep, my three kings beats your two pair, Jess...now take off that top." Aubrey took a swig of Jameson as he watched her slowly unbutton her blouse and shrug it off. When he saw the black bra and how perfectly they supported her beautiful breasts, he whistled before running his fingers over the lacy cups. "I already like this game a lot."

"I thought you might." Jessica smirked before playfully smacking his hand away. "No more touching, Aubrey. It's my turn to deal."

"Awwww…."

The anthropologist chuckled while shuffling the cards. "I'm gonna give myself a better hand this time…"

"You do that, Jessica. However, I'm going to get your panties off sooner or later.", the agent said in a cocky tone. "You know that, right?"

"Not before I get yours off first, Special Agent Aubrey.", she giggled. Picking up her cards, she held the tip of her tongue between her lips as she studied them. "Hmm…" Adding some pennies to the pot, she winked at her opponent. "Your play…"

"What?" Aubrey had been busy watching the rise and fall of his girlfriend's breasts as they swelled above their delicate confines. "Oh, yeah...my cards. I'll see your five cents, and raise you five more…"

"Feeling brave, are we?" Jessica shook her head. "I think you're bluffing." As they finished the hand, she showed him her cards. "Two pair…"

Aubrey cocked another grin. "Ha. I've got a straight. Lose the bra…wait a second, though..."

Jessica saw her boyfriend pour his shot. "You're making me wait so you can have a shot?"

"Yep...those are the rules. Besides, a man gets thirsty while looking at a pretty girl."

After pouring it into the shot glass, he slowly tipped back the liquor. He grinned happily as she reached around to unhook the clasp before tossing it aside, admiring the rosy peaks that were just begging to be kissed. "You know, we don't have to play any more if you don't want to, since you're getting beat so bad…"

"I'm not giving up until I win some hands and get you down to your boxers.", Jessica whined. "I don't wanna get skunked…"

"We don't have to play this game for me to get rid of my clothes, Jessica…"

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

By the time they'd played several hands, they were laying on the rug in front of a crackling fire, both of them naked and pleasantly buzzed.

"I'm cold, Superman." Jessica pretended to shiver as she rubbed her arms.

"That's because I'm a much better poker player than you are, Darlin'." Aubrey chuckled as Jessica narrowed her eyes at him. "I let you win those last few hands because I didn't want you to be naked by yourself...although I was enjoying the view…"

"You threw those last few hands? Sure you did, Superman…"

He gently caressed her curves. "Want me to help you get warm?"

Giggling as she pounced on him, Jessica straddled her boyfriend gleefully. "Yep...you better get out some more wood…I'm gonna build a fire..."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

The next day, after their morning in bed was interrupted by Skinner nagging for food, they'd decided to have a clothing optional breakfast. Aubrey got out a mixing bowl and measured out some flour before adding some eggs and buttermilk and mixing it into a thick batter.

"Booth must like me...he gave me his secret pancake recipe." He plugged in the electric griddle to preheat it. "Now all we need is some syrup…"

He turned to his girlfriend, who was sitting up on the counter across from him, and laughed. "What's that?"

She held up a can of whipped cream. "I like this on my pancakes better." She opened the can and sprayed a dollop on her finger. Giving her boyfriend a naughty grin, she slowly ran her tongue up and down her finger before slowly sucking the rest of the whipped cream off. "Syrup is so sticky…"

"Uhh...I see." Biting his lip, Aubrey inhaled sharply as he unplugged the griddle. "I don't suppose you have a can of that for me, do you?"

"Here…" She held out another can for him. "I guess you know what to do with it…"

"Oh, yeah." Shaking the can, he sprayed a trail of whipped cream from her neck to her navel and then carefully licked it off. "You're right...that's a lot better than syrup…"

"We may have to eat those pancakes later, Superman…", Jessica sighed as her lover embraced her. "I'm not hungry for breakfast any more…"

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Most of Sunday morning had been spent folding their laundry, cleaning out Skinner's litter box, and other domestic chores. When they were finished, they sat on the sofa together and watched a Lost in Space marathon with a plan to head over later that evening to Booth and Brennan's for Sunday dinner.

Snuggling up against her boyfriend's chest, Jessica batted her eyelashes at him. "This has been a great weekend, hasn't it? Too bad we have to go back to work tomorrow…"

"Yeah, I wish I had another day off, but I'm sure there's a pile of shit on my desk waiting for me to take care of it. I don't want to take advantage of Shaw, either." He grinned as he pushed a lock of red hair behind her ear. "Maybe we can take off a couple of extra days at Christmas. I have some vacation time coming…"

"That would be nice." She turned back to the television. "Of course, I should probably use my Christmas break to work on my dissertation…"

"I think you're gonna need to take some time to spend with me, too, Jess." He pulled her close and kissed her gently. "Listen...about what I said to your mom at Thanksgiving dinner...I'm really sorry about that, you know? I was raised better than that, and I know I shouldn't have let her get to me like that, but…"

Jessica put a finger up to his lips to quiet him. "Stop, okay? I know you don't normally treat people that way, but we both know my mother isn't normal. She takes delight in tearing people down...even her own children. I guess it makes her feel like she has control over something...control that she doesn't otherwise have because of her bipolar disorder. I don't really know. But to hear you stand up to her like that to defend me...it makes me feel so…so cherished. To know that you won't let anyone put me down just fills me with so much love...so much pride...that a man like you would love me like that...it's the most amazing thing. My father and my brothers were quite impressed with that, and if my sisters in law weren't already married, I think I'd have to keep an eye on them…"

"Of course I love you. You're smart, and funny, and beautiful...you're just so...I don't know how to explain it. You're so wonderful…"

He kissed her again, thrilled as he felt her body respond to him. "Jessica…", he whispered. "...let's go upstairs…"

"Why? I think this sofa is just fine for what I have in mind." She pulled her lover over so he was on top of her. "Show me how much you love me, James…"

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Which he had done with relish several times that afternoon. It seemed he'd never get tired of Jessica's soft moans, or of hearing her scream his name as she clung to him, digging her nails into his back in her ecstasy. His girlfriend had repaid his efforts by initiating a quickie in the shower this morning before they rushed to get ready for work. Today was unusual as she was working for Dr. B because Clark was out of town, and she was anxious to be on time.

All in all, it had been a wonderful weekend. Still, he was uncomfortable with the memory of Eleanor's disdain for him as he stood up to her. I may not have the Maxwell money, but I'm not a pig, either. I'm a good man, with a good job, no matter who my father is…

That had been Jessica's point, too. She loved him just the way he was.

He smiled to himself as he found a fresh box of doughnuts on the counter in the break room. He checked it over carefully, halfway expecting Karen to announce that she'd brought them especially for him. However, she and Bower were an item now, so it seemed the coast was clear.

Munching on his delicious prize as his latte dripped to a finish, he mentally ran through his to-do list for the day. He needed to pick up his dry cleaning, and he needed to do some Christmas shopping on his lunch hour. He chuckled as he thought about the trip he was planning to the lingerie store near the diner to pick out an extra special gift for his extra special girlfriend.

On a more serious note, he needed to check over some case files before they went on to the DOJ, and he had a budget meeting this morning with Stark at 10:00.

Then there was the Vacchio case. It was still as cold as a witch's tit, and there had been very little progress made towards arresting a suspect. It really bugged Aubrey that the case was at a dead end, especially since had been one of the first cases his division had undertaken after he'd been appointed SAC.

Last night at dinner, he and Booth had discussed their joint case over dessert. The Homicide SAC was frustrated as well, and the two men had decided that perhaps a second look at each other's paperwork might be a good thing, since even the gifted forensic scientists working the case had come up with very little new information that might be helpful in cracking it wide open. Aubrey made a mental note to send the Major Crimes file over to Booth's office that afternoon and his fellow SAC would do the same with Homicide's information.

"Oh, hey, Aubrey." Genny Shaw came into the break room and poured herself a cup of coffee before turning to her supervisor. "Enjoy your long weekend?"

"Yeah, it was nice. How did Friday go? Anything I need to know? Anything interesting happen while I was out?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. It seems that most of the bad guys in the area were still experiencing the after effects of their tryptophan overload."

"Well, that's good news." Glancing at his associate, he frowned slightly. Her normally cheerful demeanor was absent this morning. "Seems like maybe you're experiencing a bit of a turkey lull yourself."

"I'm fine, really. Just a bit of a let down after the holiday." She stirred some sugar into her coffee before quietly turning to leave. "See you later…"

"Hey, Genny, wait a minute." Sprinkling some cinnamon on top of his latte', Aubrey hurried to join her. "Wasn't Hunter invited for Thanksgiving dinner at your mother's house? How did that go? I bet he and Danny hit it off, right? I mean, Hunter's a good guy…"

"He's a great guy." Sighing as she took a sip of her coffee, she avoided looking at Aubrey while they walked down the hall together. Shrugging a shoulder, she bit her lip. "I just don't know if things are going to work out between us."

"Look, you know I try not to meddle in my coworkers' affairs, Genny…", Aubrey began.

Rolling her eyes at him, Genny tried to smile. "Really? That's news to me. When did that start?" She turned toward her office. "I've got paperwork to look over, Boss…"

Undeterred, the SAC followed her to her office, standing in the doorway as she sat down at her desk. "So dinner was a flop?"

"Yeah." Sighing, Genny sat back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. "My mom really likes Hunter, and not just because she thinks I need to get married. I mean, she can see what a good guy he is, but Danny...well, let's just say Danny has his doubts...big doubts...about Hunter. My kid refused to even sit down at the table for Thanksgiving dinner because Hunter was there. Instead, he pitched a fit, and I had to send him to his room to calm down. Hunter felt really awkward and he got up to leave, but I asked him to stay and eat, so he did, but we didn't have a lot to say to each other for the rest of the day. He left right after we had dessert. The whole thing was so embarrassing."

"Yeah, I imagine so. Did Danny say what was bothering him?" Aubrey came into Shaw's office and sat down across from her. "He's not afraid of Hunter, is he?"

"Actually, I think he may be afraid of him, in a way. You know, Danny's only eight years old, and for as long as he can remember it's been him, my mom, and me. We don't have any other relatives. Danny's father was killed in a car accident when the little guy was still a baby."

Grimacing slightly, Genny ran her finger around the rim of her cup. "I haven't dated anybody seriously in a long time. I really thought Hunter was gonna be the one, Aubrey, but Danny says he hates him." She puffed out a sad sigh. "I don't know what to do. I love Hunter, but I love my son, too, and it feels like he should be my first priority. Does that mean I have to give up dating altogether so I don't upset him again? How do I decide which side to take?"

"That's a tough one, Shaw." Quietly sipping his coffee as he thought over the thorny problem, Aubrey wondered if maybe he should've minded his own business after all. "You know, I was an only child myself. It was just me and my mom from the time I was thirteen, after my dad left. That can be scary for a kid, wondering about what might happen to you if something happens to your mom. I bet Danny's just worried about what's gonna happen if Hunter sticks around. It's like there's a new guy in his territory, trying to steal his mom from him."

"I understand all that, but what should I do about it? I know Hunter's feelings were hurt, but he called me Sunday and we talked things over. He says he loves me, and he doesn't want to give up on us being together. He wants to try to work things out between Danny and him, but I don't even know how to begin to do that. Danny's smart, and he's gonna think that Hunter is up to something."

"Well, maybe just take it really slow. Maybe the three of you can go get ice cream or go to the park together...low key things like that until Danny gets to know Hunter better." Aubrey scratched his chin as he thought through the problem. "If all else fails, I guess I can talk to Danny if you want. You know, man to man….only child to only child. Maybe if he finds out things worked out for me he'll feel better about you and Hunter being together."

"Yeah, maybe, but I don't want to impose. You've got your own life to live outside of work, Boss. You shouldn't have to worry about me, too." Genny sniffled a bit as she turned to her computer. "We'll figure it out…"

"Genny...you're my friend as well as my coworker. If there's something I can do to help you be happy, as your friend, it's my responsibility to make it happen."

Seeing her embarrassed grimace, Aubrey stood up to leave. "After all, as the SAC, I have to be concerned about the morale of the agents in my division. If I can make morale better, that's what I'm gonna do. Happy agents are better agents...at least that's what Hacker always says…" Aubrey's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "...although, just between you and me, he'd make everyone happier if he took a position somewhere else, like maybe Boise, Idaho..."

Genny couldn't help but giggle. "Well, if it works out, and you have the time, you can talk to Danny." Nodding at her computer, she smiled. "I really do have to look over some files here…"

"Okay." Taking another sip of his coffee, Aubrey walked to the door. "Talk to you later…"

Leaving Genny's office, and turning toward his office down the hall, Aubrey stopped short as he saw the familiar figure of a tall redhead standing in the way. 'Shit….what's Karen doing here?'

He changed direction and went towards the bullpen, hoping she hadn't seen him, but he heard her shrill voice call after him, and he knew he'd been caught. Sighing softly, he reluctantly turned to face her. "Hey, Karen."

"I'm glad I caught up with you, Aubrey." Quickly walking over to him, Karen smiled as she pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. "I was just wondering if you know where Steve is. He was supposed to get back from Wisconsin yesterday, but he never called me to let me know he'd made it home safely. I know he's supposed to be back at work today, but I haven't seen him yet. Since you're his supervisor, I thought maybe you'd seen him."

"Nope. Of course, it's not like everybody has to check in with me as soon as they arrive, and I was in Shaw's office for a few minutes, so I may have missed him." Aubrey glanced around the bullpen, hoping to see the wayward agent. "When he comes in, I'll have him call you, okay?"

"Or maybe I could just wait here for him...if you don't mind, that is. I really missed seeing him over the holiday. He must've been lonely since we were apart for so long…" Karen twisted her hands a bit as she tried to smile. "I talked to him twice at his parents' house, but he was always so busy that he couldn't really talk. I told him I would be up waiting for his phone call when he got home last night…"

Running his hand over his face, Aubrey sighed softly. "Well, I'm sure I don't know why he didn't call you as soon as he got home, Karen. Maybe his flight was delayed by weather and he got home later than he thought he would, or maybe his phone is broken."

He grimaced slightly as another thought crossed his mind. Or maybe it's because you were too busy trying to hump my leg at Booth's house to answer your phone when he tried to call.

"I guess so...you're probably right." She nodded, evidently trying to convince herself that was true.

"Anyway, I guess you can wait around here for Steve if you want. I imagine he'll be here soon."

Karen smiled, mollified. "Thank you, Aubrey. You're right...I'm sure my Steevie Weevie missed his Sugar Booger…"

Aubrey didn't have the stomach for their baby talk. Glancing at his watch, he tapped his foot nervously and began bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Listen, Karen, I'd love to chat some more, but I have to be in a meeting in a few minutes, and I've got to go by the men's room first. You know how it is when you drink a lot of coffee…"

"A meeting? Who will you be meeting with? Do you need a profiler?" Karen was suddenly very interested in the new topic. "Maybe it's something I need to sit in on."

"I don't think so. It's just budget crap. I've really got to go, so I'll talk to you later." He turned to dash to the restroom, but called to Karen over his shoulder. "I won't forget to tell Steve to call you…"

"Thank you." Slightly anxious, Karen shrugged as she slowly walked toward the elevator. "I have an appointment, but I'll be back later. Tell him to call me right away…"

"Okay…" Hurriedly pushing the restroom door open, Aubrey dashed over to the first urinal and undid his fly. Sighing in relief as he finished his business, he relaxed just a bit as he fastened his pants and moved to wash his hands. Reaching for a paper towel, he was startled to hear someone whispering his name behind him.

"Psst...Aubrey."

"What the Hell?" Startled, Aubrey turned toward the voice, swearing profusely under his breath as he cracked his knuckles on the paper towel dispenser. "Son of a bitch! Steve? Is that you? Why are you hanging out in the bathroom? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Is she gone?" Steve stepped out of a stall and looked over Aubrey's shoulder. "She isn't waiting for you outside, is she?"

"She who?" Seeing the panic on Bower's face, the SAC suddenly understood. "You mean Karen? She was in the bullpen a few minutes ago, but I think she said something about having an appointment, so she may be gone by now."

"Oh, thank God…" Steve sighed in relief. "I thought she'd never leave…"

Smirking a bit as he folded his arms across his chest, Aubrey raised his eyebrows at Steve. "Are you really hiding from her? In the bathroom?"

Steve's only response was to stare at the floor. Trying not to laugh out loud, Aubrey leaned against the sink. "You are...you're hiding from Karen. Come on, Steve...you're a highly trained FBI special agent. You've faced down danger more than once, and you're telling me that you're actually afraid of Karen Delfs. Come on...what happened to 'Stevie Weevie and Sugar Booger', and you two being crazy about each other?"

Steve suddenly became animated as he began a loud rant about Karen's behavior. "Crazy is the right word, alright. You have no idea how crazy she is, Boss...I swear she's been stalking me. I mean, we've dated off and on since right before the Jeffersonian Halloween Gala, and we've had a lot of fun. I mean, the sex was fucking amazing...she's up for anything…last week before I left she surprised me with these red crotchless panties-"

"Moving on…", Aubrey said quickly, not wanting to lose his breakfast.

"Yeah, but now I think she wants a lot more than just a good time, okay? It's like she wants to spend every minute with me...I mean, every single...fucking...minute…"

Steve puffed out a frustrated sigh. "It's like I can't even go to the bathroom by myself, you know? And then once I'm in here, I'm afraid to leave. It's really aggravating."

"Yeah, I know." Boy, do I know. Trying to look sincere, Aubrey nodded in agreement. "That's rough, man. Who knew you were such a chick magnet? I guess you need to dial back the charm."

"That's not even the worst of it." Glancing toward the door, Steve dropped the level of his voice to a low whisper. "I gotta break up with her…"

"Wow.", Aubrey gasped. "I did not see that coming. Hey, I really don't need to know about that, okay? That's too much information." Aubrey shuddered as he reached for the door. "Time for me to get back to work."

"I gotta tell someone!", Steve whined. "Just listen for a minute, okay? When I went home to see my parents for Thanksgiving, I ran into an old girlfriend from my high school days, and somehow we managed to pick up where we left off."

'Oh...I have a bad feeling where this is going…' Aubrey thought with a slight grimace. "An old girlfriend, huh?"

"Yeah." Steve pulled out his phone and showed Aubrey her picture. "See? This is Mitzi. Cute, right?"

Aubrey managed to keep a straight face as he saw a selfie of Bower standing with the woman in question. 'Cute? Um...I guess...but not Steevie Weevie's usual type…that's for sure.' He thought. "Yeah...nice."

"Anyway, to make a long story short, she's moving to DC in about six weeks. We're gonna get married as soon as she finds a job, which probably won't take long, since she's a nurse…"

"Jesus, Steve. You are so screwed." Disgusted with Steve's philandering, Aubrey shook his head at the agent. "If you think Karen is crazy now, just wait until she finds out that not only are you're dumping her because you've had another girlfriend on the side, but you're getting married to boot. I don't think you'll be able to find anywhere to hide around here. She'll be stalking both of you. Maybe you should transfer to the city where your fiancee lives instead."

"I thought about that, but they're closing FBI offices in Wisconsin and transferring agents all over the state. I'd be better off staying here, except for being stalked by that crazy woman…" Steve cringed as his phone rang to the tune of Ginuwine's 'Pony'

"Oh, shit...it's Karen again…what am I gonna tell her? Should I break up with her over the phone? That's too crass, isn't it?"

Sending the call to voicemail, Bower put his phone in his pocket as he pleaded with his supervisor. "Can't you help me figure out how to handle this, Aubrey? You know her better than I do...and I've got to tell her sooner or later...maybe you can talk to her..."

"I can't help you with that, Steve. I'm afraid you're on your own with that one. However, you can't stay in the restroom all day, either. You've got work to do." Aubrey glanced at his watch. "I'll expect you back at your desk in fifteen minutes."

"Come on, Aubrey. Have a heart. Don't tell her where I am...please? I'm begging you…", Steve groaned. "Can't you send me out on a case or something? I'm desperate…"

"Fourteen minutes. I'll see you back at your desk soon." Laughing to himself, Aubrey stepped out of the restroom and headed back to his office.

oooooooooo

Sauntering down the hall after his budget meeting with Deputy Director Stark, Aubrey passed through the bullpen before entering his office. He nodded with satisfaction as he saw his name and new title on the door before he went in and sat behind his new desk. It still gave him a little thrill when he realized that this was his office, and he was the person in charge. It was a bit daunting to be at the forefront of such an important division, but he'd been learning some valuable skills on the fly and was feeling more confident every day.

Of course, having Booth as his mentor had been a great help as well, and Aubrey was grateful that he'd chosen to stay in DC to take this promotion instead of going across the country to work with someone he didn't know as well. It was nice to have an experienced guy like Booth on his side as he learned what was expected of a Special Agent in Charge.

Getting up to look out his office window, Aubrey gazed across the distant skyline. He had another reason to be thankful for staying in DC, and that reason made his heart sing. He was so thankful that he and Jessica were finally on the same page, and he couldn't wait to see where they'd go from there.

"Excuse me, Agent Aubrey…" A junior agent stood nervously in the doorway. "This just came for you...special delivery."

"Okay, thanks, Juarez. Just put it on my desk." After the woman left, Aubrey absentmindedly picked up the large envelope and opened the flap. Looking inside, he found a folded piece of paper.

"Why would anybody go to so much trouble just to send me a note?", he muttered to himself. "Why not just send an email?"

Curious, he sat at his desk and unfolded the paper, smoothing it out on his desk as he began to read.

Agent Aubrey:

If you want more information about who murdered Louis Vacchio, pay a visit to your father. He made the plans. He knows who pulled the trigger. Just ask him.

Aubrey felt like his blood turned to ice water as he stared at the brief note. He'd accepted that his father was a convicted felon, but it had never occurred to him that his father might be the sort of criminal who could arrange hits on federal employees from his jail cell.

"Oh, my God. I can't believe it." Swearing softly as he looked through the trash can, he found the envelope and inspected it closely. "No postmark or stamps, so this must've been delivered by a special courier of some sort. I need to check the log sheet downstairs."

He turned his attention back to the note. "This looks like ordinary copy paper. No watermark...typed, with no signature...why would anyone send me an anonymous tip like this by special courier? That seems to be overkill. Someone went to great lengths to keep this note from being traced back to them…"

He sighed as he watched the agents working in the bullpen right outside his door. Anyone of them was fully capable of investigating who'd sent that note to his office, and they could all be trusted to be discreet when it came to the connection between Aubrey and his father. However, he knew there was only one person he could rely on completely. He hesitated slightly, worried that he might be overreacting over a simple piece of paper, but finally he placed the call.

"Booth? I need to talk to you as soon as possible...like today...yeah, it's real important. Maybe after lunch, say about one? Yeah...okay, thanks."

Aubrey ended the call and sat back in his chair, wondering how he'd be able to concentrate on work for the next few hours. After placing the folded note in the inner pocket of his jacket, he opened the Vacchio file on his computer and began to go through it again, looking at it from a new perspective.

Was his father responsible for Louis Vacchio's death? Even though it was difficult to believe, the idea made sense, especially considering that Vacchio was investigating fraudulent securities trades. Aubrey shook his head as he read through the file again. Of course it made sense. His father was a scheming, lying bastard who'd sell his soul to make a buck. He wouldn't bat an eye at having someone killed if it served his purposes.

Slumping back into his chair, he chewed his lip as he tried to process this new revelation. How was he going to be able to face his girlfriend if his father was involved in a conspiracy to commit murder? She'd always said that she knew he wasn't his father, but this...this would probably be a deal breaker. Maybe Eleanor was right. Maybe Jessica needed to find herself a man who wasn't the son of a convicted felon. She deserved someone from a good family, not the son of a cold blooded monster.

He couldn't put her, or her family, through the shameful ordeal of being connected to someone like himself...the son of a murderer. If the allegations in the note were true, Aubrey knew he'd have to give Jessica up for her own good. It would probably kill him to lose her again, but he could not expose her to that kind of pain. He knew her well enough to know she'd put up a fight to stay with him, but he couldn't let her ruin her chances at a good career or a happy life that way.

Anger, fear, hatred, loss...all of those emotions crowded into Aubrey's brain as he contemplated the future investigation of his father's involvement into Vacchio's murder and what it would mean in his own life.

"He couldn't be satisfied with ruining my childhood. He's got to fuck up my future, too." Brushing away tears of frustration, he choked back a sob. "God damn that man…"

Suddenly the walls of his office felt like they were closing in on him. He was lightheaded, needing some air...needing to get away. Shutting down his computer, he picked up his jacket and quickly left his office, stopping by Bower's desk on the way to the elevator. "I'm taking an early lunch, since I need to run an errand. If anyone needs me, give me a call."

Bower cleared his throat as he nodded over his shoulder. "Um...you have a visitor, Boss…"

Aubrey's stomach did a flip as he saw his girlfriend's expectant smile. Shit...just the person I did not want to see right now. I can't tell her what's going on...I'm not even sure I know myself...

"Uh, hey...Jess. I didn't expect to see you here today. I was just leaving…I'm in a hurry." Aubrey hurriedly brushed past her and started across the bullpen toward the elevator.

"Wait a minute...don't you even want to know why I'm here?" Shocked and very annoyed by her boyfriend's abruptness, she stood staring at him. "I know you're busy, Aubrey, but I need your help. Some bastard deliberately slashed both back tires on my Jeep while it was parked in the Jeffersonian parking garage. Triple A is going to tow it to the tire place for me so I can get them replaced, so I was wondering if maybe you could give me a ride over there, and then I can drive it back to work. It's close...it'll only take a few minutes..."

"Nope...I can't." He stopped and slowly turned to face her, nervously tapping his foot as he avoided eye contact, hoping she wouldn't notice how upset he was. "You really should've called first, Jessica. I've got to be somewhere in about ten minutes...um...it's an appointment. You know...a meeting...with someone...it's something I can't get out of… it's too late to call and say I can't make it. Sorry."

He chewed his lip as he averted his gaze. "Hey, I know...maybe Angela can take you over there. Her hours at the Jeffersonian seem to be flexible…" Trying to shrug off Jessica's surprised expression, he quickly strode to the elevator and entered the car, ignoring her angry glare. "I really need to get a move on. I'll talk to you later...maybe tonight? Call me after dinner, okay? Good luck with the Jeep. I've gotta go. Bye…"

The elevator doors closed in front of him, leaving a dumbfounded Jessica and a stunned Steve Bower to stare at each other in disbelief.

"That was weird…", Bower muttered softly. Realizing that Jessica had heard him, he quickly turned back to his computer monitor.

"You're right, Steve. It was very weird. It's not like Aubrey to behave that way, is it?" Pondering the situation, Jessica took out her phone to call Angela. "I mean, I probably should've called him first, but still...he just gave me the brush off, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did. He must be crazy to ditch a cute little thing like you." Steve turned to wink broadly at the anthropologist, offering up a wolfish smile. "Bet I could make you forget about that skinny little putz soon enough. What you need is a real man...someone who could really make you squeal...someone like me..."

"Drop it, Steve. I'm definitely not that desperate.", Jessica snarled, shuddering in disgust. "You're just lucky I didn't tell Aubrey why I 'accidentally' kicked your shin at the diner, or you'd be looking for a different job."

Steve merely shrugged her comment. "There's no reason to be hateful about that playful little nudge under the table, Honey. I'm just trying to be friendly...I wanted to let you know that there are other options out there if you get tired of that beanpole."

The agent's flirtatious tone changed dramatically as he heard Karen's shrill voice in the hallway by the elevator. "No big deal…I didn't mean anything weird, you know? That was a mistake, okay? Let's keep that between you and me." He paused, pasting on an artificial smile as the profiler entered the bullpen. "Hey, Sugar!"

Rolling her eyes, Jessica crossed her arms across her chest. "Whatever, Steve.", she muttered loud enough for him to hear. "Just keep your hands and your feet to yourself next time, okay?"

Nodding at Karen, the redhead scrolled through her list of contacts. Still unsure about what had just happened to make her boyfriend act so strangely, she sighed softly as she called Angela to made arrangements to get a ride to pick up her Jeep.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Trying to calm his roiling emotions, Aubrey silently rode the elevator down to the parking garage, feeling nauseous as he remembered how happy he'd been when he'd come to work this morning.

Now he wondered if he'd ever be happy again.