In the last chapter our favorite couple had a fight. Are things any better now? Read on to find out...
In the den, which was now almost as dark as the sky outside, Aubrey lay on the futon with his eyes closed, but he wasn't asleep. All that kept going through his head was the fight he'd had with Jessica earlier in the day.
'She has a hissy fit about me not saying anything about my father, but she can keep her issues with Gerald to herself? No way...not happening. I'm not dealing with that shit again.'
Just then, he heard 'Something Just Like This' ring on Jessica's phone before it stopped. "Hello? Hey, Aaron. How are you?...I'm fine...yeah, Aubrey was discharged today and I brought him home a few hours ago..he's sleeping right now...yeah, they have him on Norco and he's really tired…"
He knew eavesdropping was wrong, but he continued to listen anyway. 'I mean, they're talking about me, right? I have a right to know..'.
"How are the kids?...A visit? Um, I'm not sure he'll be up for company tomorrow, so I would hate for you all to drive down here for the day for nothing..."
"So, she makes decisions for me now, does she? It's not like I'm an invalid.", Aubrey said to himself. Deep down, he knew that he sounded petty, but their argument still cut him deeply.
"Do you have any suggestions for him while he's home? I know it's not your specialty, but Aubrey isn't one to relax and do nothing. However, I want him to recover fully, and I want to help him in any way I can without hovering over him."
Interested in her end of the conversation, Aubrey listened intently.
"No, Aaron, I remember how bad Mom got when we tried to help her, and I'm sure Aubrey will get sick of me hovering over him eventually, too. I can't...what? Of course, I'm fine...why are you asking? No...I do not sound upset..."
As he continued to hear Jessica blow off her brother's concern, his anger at being left out came back to the surface. 'She pulls this crap with her brother, too?'
"Nothing is wrong, Aaron...I'm just a little stressed because my boyfriend was almost shot to death last week and my semester is ending next week, so I have a lot of my plate...if I need anything, you'll be the first person I call, I promise."
"Anyone but me...what a shocker.", Aubrey said to himself bitterly.
"Aaron, I said I was fine..no, I don't need my big brothers to swoop down and save me, alright? I'm 28 years old now and you guys had to do that too many times when I was younger. I'm fine."
"Jesus Christ, Jessica. Your brother is just concerned. All he wants is to help you.", Aubrey muttered to himself.
'If Aubrey and I need anything, I'll let you know, I promise...okay, how about you, Nadia, and the kids come over here for dinner one night during Christmas Break? Aubrey should be healed by then and we can catch up since you'll be here for a few weeks...sounds good. I have to go now. I have to start dinner so he has something to eat before taking his Norco...yeah, talk to you later, Aaron. I love you, too. Good night."
Aubrey shook his head, still warring between being pissed at his girlfriend for refusing to discuss things with him and feeling guilty for the frustrated spill of verbal diarrhea he'd unleashed on her before storming away...or rather, hobbling away on his crutches before slamming the den door that still didn't close completely.
Deciding that a nap would be best, he shut his eyes again to attempt to sleep.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
In the kitchen, Jessica ended the phone call and tossed her phone on the counter. Lying to Aaron was always so hard because he knew her so well. She hadn't lied when she said Aubrey wouldn't be up for company, but she also didn't want her brother's family to make the trip south while things were...difficult between her and her boyfriend. It would raise too many questions, and she couldn't handle that right now.
Getting ingredients out of the fridge, she chopped up smoked sausage, potatoes, carrots, onions, and green beans before dumping them in a large pot. Adding water and some garlic pepper mix and salt, she set the temperature to HIGH. Satisfied that the boiled dinner was cooking, she prepared the Crescent rolls, planning to bake them right before their meal.
For the next hour, as the food cooked on the stove, Jessica sat at the kitchen table and worked on dissertation research...or tried to, as Aubrey's words kept coming back to her.
He shouldn't have to step in and deal with her shit. She was the one who'd gone on the date with Gerald Maxwell...she was the one who'd agitated the bastard. Therefore, she needed to clean up her own mess, not Aubrey.
Then there was his hissy fit about Gerald. Yes, she was scared because her locker and apartment had been broken into, and she felt personally violated because the son of a bitch had stolen her panties and masturbated in her bedroom. Yes, she was terrified since Gerald's behavior was only escalating.
However, Aubrey had so much on his plate. He was in charge of fourteen agents in an important FBI division, and he still worked cases, including the one that got him and Booth shot last week. He had a busy career to navigate, and he didn't have time help her pick up the pieces of her warring emotions.
In conclusion, her boyfriend was angry because she didn't come running to him with all her baggage and he had no right to be. All her life, people had felt the need to swoop in and protect her, and it didn't need be that way. It wasn't like she was some scared little kid. She was an adult, and she needed to deal with her problems on her own.
Then there was last Monday.
She thought she was over what happened regarding Aubrey's father. However, it still hurt that he thought so little of her...that he believed that just because his butthole father may have ordered a hit on someone that she would leave him. He always said she was his best friend, but obviously she wasn't, if he thought she would just take off at the first sign of trouble.
Hearing the buzz on her phone, she looked and saw it was 6:20. Going to the stove, she stirred the boiled dinner and saw it was almost done. Picking up the pan with the rolls she'd prepared earlier, she put it in the oven, set the timer and closed the door.
Opening the fridge, she pulled out a bottle of water and got a Norco out for Aubrey. Walking towards the den, her stomach fluttered nervously. Taking a deep breath, she knocked lightly on the door. Not hearing anything, she opened it to darkness but saw Aubrey lying on the futon with his eyes closed.
Walking up to the man, she shook him gently. "Aubrey, wake up."
"What?", the agent answered sharply as his eyes remained closed.
Shaking her head, she set the pill and the water on the end table. "It's 6:30...time for you to take your Norco. I brought a bottle of water for you to chase it down with and I wanted to let you know that I also have dinner on the stove if you want something in your stomach. If you're going to be ugly, I'll just bring it to you in here so you can pout some more in the dark."
Jessica's sharp words fueled Aubrey's irritation, ignoring the fact that his initial response to her kindness had made things worse. "I'll be out shortly. You don't need to do me any favors, Jessica."
"Fine."
Stomping out of the room, she slammed the door, forgetting it didn't close all the way. Ignoring the loud boom, she was steaming when she got to the kitchen. As she pulled two dinner plates out of the cupboard, she looked down when she felt Skinner rubbing against her leg.
"I was tempted not to give Daddy his pain pill for being an asshole earlier, but...I love him too much. I guess I'm just fucked for life."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Aubrey winced when he heard the den door slam and the resounding boom as it rebounded back. The agent felt guilty as he knew she was only trying to be nice and he was being a dick. 'I'll have some dinner, then I can come in here and watch television. I just can't deal with her tonight.'
The agent swallowed the pill and chased it with the bottle of water. Setting it down while it was half full, he grabbed his crutches. Lifting himself up, he hobbled to the door, where he was assaulted with a wonderful smell. His stomach began to overrule his head.
'I'm still pissed at Jess, but there's no reason why we can't have a meal together.'
Before he opened the door, he overheard her speaking to his cat. "I was tempted not to give Daddy his pain pill for being an asshole earlier, but...I love him too much. I guess I'm just fucked for life."
Feeling more guilt over his behavior a few minutes ago, he hobbled his way towards the kitchen where he saw his girlfriend had set another bottle of water and two plates at his usual place at the table. When he got to the dinner table, he saw smoked sausage surrounded by vegetables. Next to it were two crescent rolls on a plate with honey butter nearby.
Propping his crutches up on the other side of the table, Aubrey noted where she moved the bench on the end and put a chair in its place. Sitting down, he propped up his leg up on the moved bench and he waited to eat until she joined him a moment later with food of her own.
Dinner was a quiet affair as for the next twenty minutes, they ate in silence, the only sounds being silverware hitting the plates in between polite requests to pass salt, pepper or butter. Both felt like they should say something, but anger and frustration held them back. Finally, the agent spoke up as he cut a piece of sausage.
"Thank you for dinner."
Jessica finished chewing her potato. "You're welcome, Aubrey. I kept it simple because I wasn't sure if you could tolerate spicy food yet."
"This was good, Jessica. I think as long as I eat before taking the Norco I'll be fine."
"Good."
They ate in silence for another five minutes. "Jess, can you feed Skinner?"
"Already done."
"Thank you."
The couple finished their meal as they started it. When done, Jessica picked up the dinner plates and took them to the kitchen. "You can have the television, Aubrey. I have research to do for my dissertation. I've also turned over the blanket on the bed in the downstairs guest bedroom for you when you're ready to go to bed."
The lanky man got up and moved slowly into his living room, where he was surprised to see two pillows and blankets in the chair. "Jessica, what's all this?"
The redhead finished loading the dishwasher. "That's for me. I'm sleeping in the living room tonight after you go to bed. That way I can make sure you get your 12:30 pill and 6:30 one tomorrow morning."
Aubrey felt a momentary punch in the gut as he realized they'd rarely slept apart since they'd gotten back together. 'Of course she won't sleep with me. I'm just the annoying pain in the ass boyfriend who wants to be involved in Ms. Independent's life. Well, I don't want to sleep with her, either.'
Putting her laptop back on the table, she walked up to Aubrey. "Do you need anything before I go upstairs and take a shower?"
"No, I'm fine."
Jessica turned her back on Aubrey and walked towards the stairs, barely holding back tears. Getting into the en-suite bathroom, she got undressed while composing herself. 'I won't cry...I won't cry...I'm strong...I'm independent…'
But the tears fell as Jessica purged herself in the shower. She was angry...frustrated...and scared. She was in true danger of losing the one man she loved...and she didn't know what to do. Getting herself together, she finished what she needed to do. Putting on her Michigan State pajama pants and matching shirt, she headed downstairs, hoping that Aubrey couldn't tell that she'd been crying.
In the living room, Aubrey's attention kept drifting to the stairs, still warring between irritation and guilt. When he heard footsteps, he put his attention back to the movie, but his focus turned to Jessica when she sat down at the dining room table and began working. She didn't say a word, but the red eyes and nose said it all as his girlfriend's porcelain complexion couldn't hide anything. In spite of himself, he felt himself softening, but he wasn't ready to give in just yet.
'I'm tired of people feeling the need to keep secrets from me!'
It didn't take long for the FBI agent to start falling asleep while watching the Twilight Zone. Not wanting to take his girlfriend's place for the night, he got himself up. "I'm going to bed, Jess."
Jessica looked up. "Do you need any help?"
"Nope….got it covered.", Aubrey replied as he got himself situated and headed past the redhead.
"Okay. Night."
"Night.", Aubrey said.
Entering the downstairs bedroom, he was glad Jessica turned on the bedside lamp for him. Slowly making his way over, he sat down and propped up his crutches. Settling in with his leg propped up on the extra pillows his girlfriend set out for him, he plugged in his phone and shut the lamp off. Lying on his back, he stared at the ceiling in spite of his drowsiness.
"What are Jess and I going to do now?"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Jessica was attempting to watch television when her phone alarm went off again at 12:30. Getting Aubrey's pill, she walked into the darkened bedroom and woke him up. He was half asleep but he took his pill and downed the entire glass of water. Leaving him to go back to sleep, she shut the door until it was open a crack.
Deciding to get some sleep, Jessica turned off all the lights but the lamp by the couch. Making up her bed, she laid down and contemplated her day for a moment but it came back to one question.
"What are Superman and I going to do now?"
Seven hours later, Jessica lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling. Every time she closed her eyes to sleep, all she heard were either the angry words she and Aubrey had slung at each other or the deafening silence that had accompanied them the rest of the night.
She'd laid into Aubrey for getting on his high horse regarding trust, because he obviously didn't trust her. She didn't need a man to come to her rescue all the time, damn it. She didn't want her boyfriend to play hero by swooping in and kicking ass because then his career would be in jeopardy. Aubrey loved working for the FBI and to lose his life's work would destroy him.
Of course, he would eventually realize that she was to blame and would resent her forever….just like her mother resented always putting her family ahead of her own needs.
Her mother's Bipolar II Disorder had required a delicate balance of an antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs, along with counseling, but, according to her mother, the side effects had made her life impossible, and she wasn't shy about letting Jessica and her siblings know about it. When her mother was off her meds, her family walked on eggshells as she entered her hypomanic phases. When she was in her depression stages, they bent over backwards to help her, but it seemed that no matter how much they tried, it wasn't enough.
Her brothers often had to come to the rescue when she ran away from her parents' fights. Even worse, her father always had to step in when her mother became too much to handle. Finally, he stood up for her one too many times, and he'd pay the price for the rest of his life.
As she contemplated their fight earlier, she remembered the hurt in Aubrey's eyes...and recalled the frustration in his words. Once again, the question flashed in her head. Why did her boyfriend get put out when she solved her problems herself?
The redhead exhaled. As much as she hated to admit it, her past was what drove her to refuse help when she should've asked for it. Jessica felt ashamed as she realized that Aubrey didn't want her helpless and dependent on him. He only wanted to help her…because he loved her.
Like with Gerald sexually harassing her. As the events of the last week had demonstrated, what began as irritation at her rejection had turned into escalating behavior…and it had her scared to death thinking of what the joker would do next. Yes, she was afraid of Aubrey's rarely seen temper taking over, but her attempts to protect him had only hurt him, making him think she didn't trust him to be a professional.
Of course he would be professional. He didn't become a Special Agent in Charge at his age by being a hot head. Just because her mother flew off the handle at everything didn't mean Aubrey couldn't contain himself. She should have trusted him to know what to do. But it was hard to give up that control...or her fear that he might resent her one day.
Then his father. She was still angry that he'd hidden what happened from her, but she began thinking about what Aubrey said yesterday...actually listening instead of hearing and reacting. Looking at things from another angle, she conceded that finding out that his father may have ordered a murder was an obvious shock to him. Perhaps it wasn't lack of trust in her so much as fear of losing what they had if that accusation was true.
Phillip Aubrey obviously still made her boyfriend feel jumbled up inside, but maybe what she needed to do is make it safe for him to talk about it...not jump down his throat demanding every detail.
Remembering her words accusing him of just wanting her for sex made her feel even more guilty. Yes, her boyfriend had come to visit her for a stress fuck, but he was in pain and needed an escape. While it didn't excuse what he did, she could understand. She knew him well enough to know that he respected and cared for her as more than a friend with benefits.
Jessica was afraid she may have pushed James Aubrey's patience too far this time...and it would be all her fault.
Needing to be occupied, the redhead got up and walked into the kitchen, where the neon green stove clock glowed 5:12. Turning on the light, she looked in the cupboard and pulled down ingredients to make oatmeal. She wasn't sure if Aubrey would still be having nausea, but the oatmeal would help if he was.
He would probably sleep past his scheduled time, Jessica realized, and it was important to keep ahead of the pain. Finding the pill bottle, she took out one, grabbed a bottle of water, and tiptoed into the downstairs guest bedroom. As she was sitting the items down, Skinner left his position between his owner's legs and walked over. She winced as he barely missed her boyfriend's injured thigh. She pushed a few buttons on the agent's phone and walked out.
While the food was simmering on the stove, she felt Skinner weave in and out around her legs. Jessica couldn't help but snicker at the cat.
"Somebody wants food, apparently…okay, just a minute."
The redhead found the bag of food and measured it out. Dumping it into the tabby's bowl, he almost knocked her over to get to it. "You're welcome, Skinner."
Needing comfort, she kicked herself for not bringing some of her catnip tea here from her apartment. Knowing that Aubrey kept some hot tea around for her, she reached for the cupboard above her and opened it, where she was surprised to see the same catnip tea. He hated the stuff, always making fun of it when she drank it.
Of course Aubrey would get some of her favorite tea and keep it around for her...because he loved her and wanted her happy.
She filled the electric kettle with water and waited a short time until the water heated. Catching it right away to avoid the whistle waking up Aubrey, she poured into a cup along with a bag of tea. After letting it steep for several minutes, she walked to the kitchen table. Sipping it slowly, she contemplated the last 24 hours and debated what to do next.
Aubrey was sound asleep in bed when a loud buzz went off next to his ear. Startled, he woke up and turned to his left, where his phone was flashing. Shutting off the alarm, he saw a bottle of water and a large white pill next to it. Next to them was a slip of paper propped up in a familiar flowing script.
Take the pill with all the water. Your next pain pill is scheduled for 12:30.
Aubrey closed his eyes for a moment. They had screamed and hollered at each other sixteen hours earlier and then had given each other the silent treatment the rest of the night. He'd practically kicked her out of his house, but she'd still stayed to make sure he was taken care of, even though he told her he didn't need her.
'I can take care of myself my ass…', the agent thought. 'there's an ass all right…and it's me.'
But his anger was still there. Jessica had torn up his ass for not trusting her, but she didn't trust him, either. It hurt that she didn't think enough of him to know that he could control himself in a professional manner regarding Gerald Maxwell, or even his dumbass agent Steve Bower. He knew she wasn't a damsel in distress and he didn't expect her to be, but he wanted her to let him help her once in a while instead of doing everything herself.
Just like his mother. Never asking anyone for help, including him, Rachael Aubrey would do everything herself. She never wanted to bother anyone with her struggles. Her independence was admirable...until it wasn't anymore.
Thinking about the two women in his life, it amazed him how similar they were. Both were beautiful, smart, and kind. However, both were also independent and stubborn to a fault...neither wanted to burden other people with their pain.
Suddenly, he flashed back to the conversation he'd had with Jessica the night of the Star Wars convention back in October:
"I didn't feel like such a burden to anyone here. I didn't want anyone to feel obligated to take care of me. My dad had enough things to do without worrying about me more than he already did, you know…"
Then he remembered what she said after that.
"I've never trusted someone like I trust you, James Aubrey."
It finally hit him like a ton of bricks. It wasn't that Jessica didn't trust him...she didn't want to burden him...much like his mother didn't want to trouble him with her struggles.
She did trust him with the story of her family and her life...things that he knew no one at the lab knew. Of course, she anticipated he would return the sentiment, but what did he do whenever she asked about his father? He would change the subject…or distract her, sometimes with sex. He wanted to tell her so many times, but he could never quite get the words out.
Aubrey felt so many things about his father. He loved him…he despised him…he missed him…he wished him pain and misery…just so the man could get an inkling of what it was like to be Phillip James Aubrey's only son.
His many thoughts were interrupted by a lovely aroma in the air. Recognizing the scent, he realized Jessica had made oatmeal this morning. Hearing noise from outside the bedroom, Aubrey found his crutches and hoisted himself up. Getting himself to the door, he peeked out and saw his girlfriend steeping what looked like tea before sitting at his kitchen table. For several minutes, he watched her as she seemed lost in thought. On and off, she would wipe away a tear or two.
Suddenly, he felt the call of nature hit him. He didn't want to call attention to himself, but he wouldn't be able to hold it much longer. Being as quiet as he could, he tried to be inconspicuous, but it didn't work.
"Aubrey, I know you're there. You don't have to sneak around your own home."
Taking a breath, he made himself look up. "I didn't want to disturb you."
"It's fine.", Jessica replied in a bland tone. "I made you some oatmeal. Come out and eat when you're done or the Norco will mess with your stomach."
'She doesn't seem like she's going to murder me…a good sign.' , the agent thought to himself before he ambled to the downstairs bathroom.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Making his way to the dining room, he sat down to the table just as Jessica put a bowl of oatmeal in front of him. It had been topped with maple syrup, apples, and cinnamon…just the way he liked it. A few seconds later, she brought him a cup of coffee in his Darth Vader cup, the shaker of cinnamon for his coffee, and rye toast just the way he liked it, dark with real butter. Taking a bite, he enjoyed it immensely.
"The oatmeal is really good. Thank you."
Jessica sat down and put blueberries in her bowl. "You're welcome."
They had eaten in silence for the next ten minutes before Aubrey realized something. "I need to feed Skinner…where is he?"
"Napping on the couch…I took care of it already, after I woke up."
Once again, she'd come through for him when he didn't deserve it. "Thank you, Jess."
"You're welcome, Aubrey.", Jessica replied before sipping her tea. "How's your leg today?"
"Sore…but alright.", the agent replied before sipping his coffee. "I shouldn't have moved so fast yesterday. Dr. Elias said I had to take it easy…"
"Yes, you do.", the redhead said quietly. "Even Superman would have to rest if he was shot by a Kryptonite bullet two millimeters shy of his femoral artery."
"Thank you for having my pain pill out for me."
"You're welcome.", Jessica said before taking a bite of her oatmeal. "Did you drink the entire bottle of water?"
"Yeah. Prefer not to take a laxative if I don't need to."
"Good."
They continued to eat their breakfast, the only sounds being the clanging of spoons in the bowls or when they stirred their hot drinks. When done, Jessica cleared the table and put all the dirty dishes in the sink. Turning around, she saw her boyfriend looking at his hands at the table, like he was afraid to say the wrong thing. Suddenly, before she could stop herself, she began to speak.
"I trust you, Aubrey...I love you...but...I'm...it's hard...I do things on my own because...I have to. Too many people have had to...put their lives on hold...or help me and they somehow get screwed over...or just resent me being around..."
Aubrey saw that Jessica was about to burst into tears. Getting up, he hobbled over to stand by her and took her hand. Realizing that this was something she needed to say, he sat down on the nearby stool, ready to listen.
"As you know...my father's stroke was devastating to me and...I find it difficult to talk about."
"I know.", Aubrey said, remaining silent as he saw his girlfriend struggle with her emotions.
"I-I hate thinking about it...it makes me cry…", Jessica said, wiping a tear away. "But...I can't pretend it didn't happen. I accused you of holding back on me about your father, but it was hypocritical of me, because I did the same thing. Sometimes, it's still just so painful to think about."
A light bulb went off in Aubrey's head and it put Jessica's hesitance into clarity. Taking a chance, he asked the question on his mind.
"Did your mother have anything to do with your father's stroke?"
She knew he would ask. James Aubrey was smart and observant, and an excellent investigator. Of course he'd observed the tension between her parents on Thanksgiving. No doubt he knew something was up everytime she avoided talking about her father's stroke except in general terms.
"Not directly."
The agent watched her squeeze the edge of the center island as she tried to come up with what to say. Seeing her obvious distress, Aubrey decided to put a stop to it.
"Jess, I'm sorry. Forget I asked, alright-"
"James Robert Aubrey! You asked a question and I'm trying to give you an answer. Just give me a minute!"
Chastised, the injured man sat and waited for his girlfriend to speak. If her mother was involved, the story would be a doozy. He hoped he was prepared for whatever she had to say.
"You know my dad had his stroke when I was 20, right?", Jessica asked quietly. When Aubrey nodded, she took another breath to compose herself and continued. "The previous week were my final exams for the spring semester. After my last exam, I got everything ready, and then I got up first thing the next morning to drive home to Maryland. That day was also my birthday. My plans for the summer had included being at home until I had to return to Michigan to work on the dig of Fort Michilimackinac the first week of June."
Deciding another cup of tea was best, she filled the kettle with water and turned it on. Finding another bag of catnip tea, she continued.
"We had a family birthday dinner for me and my brother Jack, whose birthday was April 30th, at Old Ebbit Grill with my dad, my brothers and their significant others, including Mike's now ex-wife and Stephan's former girlfriend. My mother said she couldn't come because she was busy with work."
Seeing Aubrey's face, Jessica explained. "By this time, my parents had been divorced for over three years, but things were still...dicey. My father always made attempts to be cordial with her when my siblings and I were in the room. If he couldn't, he would either leave for a few minutes or just not talk. My mother, depending on if she was on her meds or not, would either just sit and glower at him or try to focus all the attention on her."
'Her mother couldn't be enough of an adult to be polite with her ex-husband to help celebrate two of her children's birthdays? What a crock!' Aubrey thought.
"My dad was committed to giving speeches at Columbia and Cornell regarding the latest discovery from his research, so he left that next Sunday morning with a plan to return on Saturday afternoon. Jason was in and out studying for the Bar exam, and I didn't mind so much staying at the house alone for a few days. After all the chaos surrounding my exams, I wanted some quiet."
Looking up, the redhead saw her boyfriend was paying close attention. "Before he left for New York, Dad let me know that he pre-signed some checks for me from my trust fund. One was for my housing that fall in East Lansing that I could send after I chose my meal plan for the next school year. He also had a few checks for me for some books and equipment I would need for Mackinaw City that weren't available until Friday. He also left me his debit card for emergencies."
"That was nice of your father."
"He always took care of me. Stephan and I took my dad to the airport before he took me to Camden Yards to see the Nationals play the Orioles...which they lost…"
"No big surprise….", Aubrey muttered.
"Nope.", Jessica said in agreement. "Aaron and Nadia came by with the kids on Sunday. Jack and Greg were playing catch up at the winery after going to Montreal for my brother's birthday, but they were going to come hang out with me later in the week. Michael lived in Alexandria at the time and...he took me out to lunch Tuesday."
Aubrey heard the shift in tone. "You sound...annoyed. I would think seeing your brother would have made you stoked."
"Yes, Michael is my oldest brother and I was happy to see him.", Jessica said as the whistle blew on the kettle. Getting it, she poured the water into the cup and let her tea steep. "However, he's 14 years older than me, and considers me flighty and sometimes a pain in the ass who always gives my mother a hard time."
Remembering the comments about her brother Mike and how his marriage broke up, Aubrey was annoyed at the attitude of a man he had never met. "That doesn't sound very nice."
"In answer to what I'm sure is your next question, much like today, he was always my mother's champion. He was always the one who picked up the pieces after one of my mother's...episodes. Paying fines, smoothing over relations after my mother pisses someone off, cleaning up her messes…"
"Wow…"
"He loves me, Superman, but...we're just different.", Jessica said quietly. "Lunch was nice, but it seemed like my brother was there more out of obligation as opposed to seeing his sister. Near the end, he let me know that he didn't have time to deal with any trouble I might get into and suggesting that I be more considerate of our mother...like keeping my opinions about the environment to myself. He said I should be more open to her suggestions about how I should dress and people I should meet...stuff like that."
"Sounds kind of judgemental to me."
"It is what it is, Aubrey, but we're not talking about Mike right now.", Jessica said before sipping her tea. "That night, my mother came over to see me. She said hi, gave me a quick hug, and immediately went to the liquor cabinet where my father kept his best sherry. A man was with her...and he was about my age."
Wiping a tear away, she continued. "Aaron and Jason had warned me, but it was obvious she was off her meds again. The boy toy was obviously a boyfriend, because they were pawing at each other while they drank all my father's alcohol as she talked about a person she had met who could get me into Harvard since I was wasting my intelligence at Michigan State. Like I always did, I told her I was happy where I was. After another lecture on how I was wasting my intellectual potential, we sat there for about twenty minutes as I was subjected to the very...overt PSA my mom was enjoying with her boyfriend."
Aubrey shook his head, annoyed once again at Eleanor's obvious disrespect for her daughter's feelings.
"Suddenly, my mother let me know that she wanted to have dinner with me the next night...so we could catch up and that she had already made reservations at Bistro Provence. She seemed so sincere...so I agreed."
Jessica sipped her tea and continued. "We got to the bistro and after we were seated, we ordered drinks. I got a Coke and my mom ordered a $600 bottle of cabernet sauvignon with two glasses. I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that it wasn't just a mother and daughter dinner. Unfortunately, I was proven right when a man came over to our table and she greeted him like he was an old friend."
Aubrey felt a rock in his stomach as his mind raced. "Can I assume that the gentleman wasn't there to see her?"
"You assume correctly. She acted like it was a coincidence, but he sat down without either of us asking if he would like to join us. Mom introduced him as Dr. Michael Warner, a doctor she had met recently at a luncheon in Alexandria. He was 36 and had his own successful practice in Baltimore. His father was also in the the Virginia House of Delegates...just the kind of man my mother thought was well suited for me. She was trying to fix us up, I guess."
"I'm sorry, Jessica."
"Oh, there's more.", the redhead responded before sipping her lukewarm tea. "At dinner we talked about monotonous stuff like his recent foray into Botox injections. My mother was enthralled and I was bored. Just after we ordered dessert, he…"
The rock in Aubrey's stomach turned to nausea as he had a bad idea where the story was going. "He what, Jess?"
"They were talking about a recent party they both attended in DC, and I was checking my phone, counting down the minutes until we could leave. Suddenly, a hand went up my skirt and...caressed my inner thigh."
The agent trembled as he barely controlled his temper. "You mean...he molested you in public?"
"Yeah. I was in shock for a second, but right before he would have reached...between my legs...I reached down and wretched his hand away before I got up and excused myself for a minute. I went to the restroom where I took several deep breaths and calmed down. I decided that he got his free feel up for the night. If he tried it again, I would smack him and threaten to call the police on him."
The redhead inhaled and exhaled. "I came out, but when I got back to the table, I only saw my mother. She looked angry and I thought I would going to be yelled at, but instead, she said she was sorry for his behavior. Of course I forgave her and she brought up a medical procedure that she had to have that Friday. It was to get a series of precancerous moles removed from her back and she talked about how she hadn't heard back from her insurance yet on whether they could cover the procedure. She then said she wasn't worried about it and we decided to get the check. When it arrived, my mother discovered that she'd forgotten her Mastercard in her other wallet. I only had a couple hundred in my checking account, so...I had to use my father's debit card to pay for dinner."
"Really?", Aubrey asked dumbfounded. "Was your dad pissed about that?"
"I'm not done yet, Aubrey."
He got another sinking feeling in his stomach. 'How much worse could this get?'
"She apologized profusely about dinner on the ride back to the house. It wasn't long before I was debating on how I was going to tell my Dad that I had to use his bank card to pay for an almost $1,000 dinner with my mom. Two night later, it was about 10:30 when I heard a knock at the door. Jason was at the library studying so I was home alone. Walking to the door, I saw it was my mother, so I let her in. She was hysterical and all over the place, but once I calmed her down, she explained that when she'd gotten home from working late, she got a letter from her insurance company stating that her procedure that she was having wasn't going to be covered."
Jessica closed her eyes for a moment before continuing. "It was going to be about $2500 and if she couldn't pay at time of service she would have to delay the procedure, which could enable to the moles to become cancer."
"I'm sorry, Jess. You must have both been pretty scared."
"I couldn't let my mother delay her medical treatment, but...I didn't have the money to give her. So...I gave her one of my father's signed checks from my trust fund account because she swore to me she would repay it in two weeks. I knew my father would be pissed, but she was desperate, Aubrey. Mom said she would call my father next week to explain and smooth everything over. 'Jessica, I will take care of everything…' she said. She promised me..."
Taking a minute to compose herself, she wiped a tear away. "The next day, she had her procedure and sent me a text letting me know everything had gone well. My dad arrived home Saturday afternoon and things were all good again."
"I'm glad.", Aubrey said, scared for what was coming next.
"Two days later, my father asked to talk to me in his den. He didn't look happy, but I complied." Jessica drew a shaky breath. "When he closed the door, he told me that he'd gotten a call from my trust fund accountant. Apparently there was a $2500 check that was cashed on that account. The cancelled check was made out to Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center. My father wanted to know if there was something wrong with me medically that I was keeping from him. I told him no, but then said Mom was going to call and explain everything."
Aubrey could only watch as his girlfriend struggled with what she was going to say next. His disdain for her mother was increased the further Jessica went with her story.
"He said he hadn't heard from her yet and asked what I was talking about. So...I told him about the mole removal that her insurance didn't cover and needed to get right away. I told him that she promised to repay my trust fund before the 30 day deadline and also to pay him back for the dinner I had to cover with his debit card."
"Can I assume your father wasn't happy about what you told him?"
"Yeah, it's a safe assumption.", Jessica said with a nod. "My father was quiet, but then he proceeded to explain that after he received the phone call about the trust fund that day, he'd called the outpatient center's accounting department. After telling the clerk that the check they received may have been stolen, he asked who wrote the check and where it had been paid. They legally couldn't give the patient's name, but they told him that it was out of the office of...Dr. Michael Warner."
"The plastic surgeon guy who groped you?", Aubrey said angrily.
"Yes.", Jessica replied. "My father didn't know who that was, so he called Aaron, who told him he was a plastic surgeon and that he did not do mole removals. Aaron also told him that through the grapevine Dr. Warner was known as the go to guy with the elite because of his work with Botox injections. When I told my father that Dr. Warner had dinner with us and that he made a pass at me...he was, really, really angry."
Aubrey heard what wasn't said. "Are you saying that your mother tried offering you up to pay for her Botox?"
"I don't know, Superman. She was always trying to fix me up with rich, successful guys. I don't think even my mother would go that far."
'Charlie must have had steam coming out of his ears.' Aubrey thought. "Go on, Jess."
"My father came to the same conclusion you did and was also angry that she used my trust fund to pay for what he considered was a 'bullshit procedure'. He then asked me to step out of the den for a few minutes and go into the living room with Jason. When I got there, my brother asked me what happened. When I told him, we both knew that another fight was coming. Before we could talk further, my father found my brother and I, gave us eighty bucks, and told us to go out for dinner and not to come back for a couple of hours."
"Your mother was coming over and he was going to confront her?"
Jessica nodded. "Yeah. Jason and I knew better than to argue, so we put our raincoats on and left, deciding to get pizza while we drove through a torrential downpour. We got as far as looking at the menu while waiting for a table, but both of us had a bad feeling. When it was our turn to be seated, we changed our minds and we ordered two pizzas and salad to go. We weren't looking forward to hearing our parents scream at each other, but at least we would be there eating at home."
Looking up, she saw Aubrey looking at her, waiting patiently for when she was ready to continue. "We got back about forty-five minutes later and we saw my mother's car still there. I remember Jason turning to me and said, 'Come on Jessie, let's get this over with.'"
The redhead wiped a tear away. "So we got everything and walked up to the house. Just as we reached the steps, my mother raced out of the house, yelling, 'I called an ambulance for him!' before she jumped in her car and took off."
Jessica wiped a few more tears away. "Jason and I ran into the house and called out for Dad. Hearing a crash in the den, we raced there and found him on the floor barely conscious before the medics ran in with a gurney. When Jason asked what happened, the EMT told him the caller said my dad was having a stroke."
"Your mother left him alone?", Aubrey asked, disgust written all over his face. "How the hell could she do that?"
Ignoring Aubrey's question, she continued. "Jason drove us to the hospital while I called our other brothers.", Jessica said. "My brothers got there pretty quickly, although Mike arrived as the doctor came out and told us my dad had experienced a hemorrhagic stroke. According to my father's chart, he had been diagnosed with high blood pressure several months before and was on medication to bring it down. He was also instructed by his family doctor to slow down in order to control his stress. It wasn't hard to connect the dots. Worked hard at his job, finds out his ex-wife conned him and their daughter out of around 3000 dollars, and that same daughter was also groped by the surgeon who put botulism in his ex-wife's face."
"Oh my God…"
"The doctor said my dad might have died if my mother hadn't called for an ambulance when she did.", Jessica said, obviously choked up. "As we waited to go see him, Jason let everyone know what happened earlier. When he got to the part about Mom running away, Mike...said that Jason needed to consider her side and that she was probably scared and panicked. Jason and Aaron argued with him, but it escalated, with Mike saying that Mom wanted to apologize and come visit. Jack...jumped him and we had to pry them apart."
"Holy crap…"
"Security came to escort them out, but before they left, Aaron said Dad had talked to him earlier in the day. He told Mike to let Mom know that the check had been canceled per my father's request. If she tried to fight it or get money from any of us to cover it, he would get her removed as trustee on my trust fund due to fraud."
"Wait, why didn't she just try to withdraw the money?"
"One of the conditions that my grandparents set up with all the trust funds was that for any cash withdrawals, both parents had to be there and sign off on it. I guess my mother tried getting around it once, but she was...warned not to do it again or she would be removed."
"I know that summer you did work up in Mackinaw City. When did you go?"
"End of June. I planned to stay home and look into transferring to George Mason so I could help with Dad. However, my dad refused, insisting that I go back to Michigan State in the fall. I was going to fight him on it, but Aaron knew of a rehabilitation/nursing home in Towson that had a physical therapist whose specialty was working with stroke victims."
"Is that the place he's at now?", Aubrey asked.
"Yeah.", Jessica said. "Aaron used his connections to get him admitted into the home two weeks after he was discharged. My father had health insurance through the university, but luckily, my grandparents had left him their entire estate in his name only, including the winery, money, stocks, and real estate collecting interest. He has enough that he will be comfortable the rest of his life and that he'll never have to worry about medical bills."
Aubrey thought of his mother and her less than ideal financial circumstances. "Your father was very lucky, Jess."
Jessica knew he was thinking of his mother and she felt bad, but she had to press forward. "He exceeded the doctor's expectations, but going back to teaching, or running the neuroscience program...wasn't possible. As you know...he tires easily and he has difficulty with his speech. Aaron became his health care Power of Attorney while Mike became his financial Power of Attorney because he's an accountant. He pays for all medical expenses not covered by Medicare and his retirement insurance through GMU, including a check to his home every quarter….and that's the way it's been for the last eight and a half years."
The redhead looked up and saw the sympathy in her boyfriend's eyes. Suddenly, she felt overexposed and suffocating.
"I have to go.", she said as she walked quickly towards the front door.
Aubrey saw the sudden shift in demeanor. Grabbing his crutches, he attempted to follow her, but by the time he got to her, she had her boots and coat on. "Jess, sit down...you're upset."
"I can't, Aubrey.", Jessica said through tears. "I have to get out of here…now."
"Jessica, don't-", Aubrey said as he tried to stop her, but she was too quick for him, hobbled as he was by his injury.
"Please just let me go, James.", Jessica said, nearly hyperventilating by this time. "I need some air…I need...to get out of here..."
Grabbing the doorknob, she raced out of the house and slammed the door behind her before walking away briskly, leaving an astonished Aubrey standing alone in the foyer, wondering what had just happened…