A/n: Aubrey and Jessica had a wonderful first Christmas together, didn't they? Now it's time for her family to come over for the day. Will that be as eventful as Thanksgiving? Read on to find out.
Hearing a strange noise coming from somewhere close at hand, Aubrey's eyes slowly opened. "Hmm…", he muttered to himself. "...what was that?" After listening for a minute, he turned toward the Christmas tree. "Oh...just the cat."
He watched in amusement as Skinner crawled underneath a pile of crumpled wrapping paper, looking for another piece of ribbon to play with. "Okay…just don't eat any of that stuff, Skinner. Christmas ribbon turds are not the kind of gifts Daddy wants to see in your litter box again this year."
Grinning to himself, he gently pulled his sleeping girlfriend closer so he could complete his nap in comfort. So what if they were lying naked in a pile of cast off clothing, leftover ribbon, torn paper, and empty boxes? It was his house, and they could spend their first Christmas morning together any way they wanted.
Skinner, unfortunately, had other ideas. He was busy crawling into empty gift bags and jumping from box to box, pausing now and then to paw at the tissue paper as it moved ever so slightly. After a few minutes, the tabby was bored with his new playthings, so he jumped up on his man's leg. "MEE-OW!"
"OW! Get those damn claws outta me, you crazy cat!" Taking a gentle swipe at the kitty, Aubrey brushed Skinner away. "What is your problem?"
Undeterred, Skinner rubbed his head down Aubrey's arm before trying to climb onto his chest. "Meow…", the cat responded, kneading his owner's shoulder. "Meow…"
Jessica sighed softly as she snuggled against her boyfriend. "I think he's hungry again. In many ways, he's just like his master…"
"Yeah, but we just fed him, right? I mean we got up at 6:30 and put some food out for him, and now it's…" He paused as he glanced at his phone. "Now it's 10:30. Well, I guess he could be ready to eat...he probably wants his second breakfast."
Surprised as she reached for Aubrey's phone, Jessica gasped loudly. "10:30? Oh, no...Aubrey! My family's supposed to be here in thirty minutes!"
"What? I thought they were coming at 11:30!" Aubrey sat up, running his fingers through his dark hair as he looked around the family room. "And this place is a mess…"
"And neither of us is dressed...we both need showers…"
"Okay, well, we don't have time to talk about what we need to do." He grimaced as he looked at the pile of debris. "I tell you what...I'll start cleaning up this mess and you go shower. That way you'll be ready when everyone gets here...I mean, you know, since it is your family..."
"That's a good idea...although I don't like to shower by myself anymore…" She gave him a sultry grin as she picked up her robe and one of her gift bags. "...but it seems desperate times call for desperate measures. Maybe we can make up for it tonight…"
She licked her lips as she moved towards the stairs. "Just something to think about all day today…Merry Christmas..."
"Wow…" He stopped cleaning to watch his nude girlfriend as she walked up the stairs. "Yeah, I'll definitely be thinking about that all day long…"
Oooooooooo
Zipping in and out of the shower, Jessica laughed to herself as she ran a towel over hair. It was amazing how much quicker it was to bathe when she was alone. It's not nearly as much fun, though…"
Throwing her towel in the hamper, she combed her damp hair away from her face and brushed her teeth. Grabbing a gray MSU sweatshirt and her favorite skinny jeans from the closet, she tossed them on the bed before opening the small bag she'd brought upstairs.
"Look at these cuties.", she cooed as she held up the bright blue crotchless panties. "Might as well get some use out of them…and I've got just the bra to match them, too." Grinning slyly, she giggled to herself. "Aubrey really likes that bra."
Throwing on her clothes, she raced downstairs to find the family room neat as a pin. "Wow...how did you manage to finish cleaning so quickly?" She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's waist as he finished dumping ripped wrapping paper into the kitchen trash can. "You really must be faster than a speeding bullet…"
"Nah...I just put everything in a big trash bag and tossed it in the closet in the man cave...except for my lampshade, that is. I put that on the upper shelf. Anyway, I figure we can go through the bag later and make sure we've gotten the good stuff separated from the trash, and it'll be like Christmas all over again." Aubrey wore a wide grin as he reached over to touch Jessica's new necklace. "Do you really like your gifts, Jess?"
"Yes, I love them." Giving him a kiss and a flirty wink, she pulled away. "And I'll show you how much I love them later. Right now, though, you need to go get in the shower and I need to get the food set out. My family will be here any minute. You know my dad hates to be late...they'll be here at 11:00 sharp!"
"Oh, okay…" Aubrey sighed, drooping his shoulders dramatically. "I guess I can wait until later…"
"Go!" Jessica pointed at the stairs, giggling at his sad puppy eyes. He continued to slowly made his way across the family room until she snapped him with a dish towel.
Hey, watch it there, woman...my ass a hot commodity, you know!"Aubrey yelled as he ran up the stairs to Jessica's laughter.
Oooooooooo
Aubrey was just about to get in the shower when his phone rang. "What the hell?", he grumbled softly. "I'm off today…Aubrey…"
"Hey...it's Booth…Merry Christmas, buddy…"
"Yeah...Merry Christmas to you, too.", Aubrey responded suspiciously. "What's up? Is there a problem? Do we have a case?"
"Well…", Booth began, hesitating slightly as he cleared his throat. "I do have a problem, but it's not work related. Me and Bones...we need a favor…"
"Um...sure...what can I do for you?"
"It's a big favor…but..." Booth coughed nervously. "Look...a transformer blew up on the electrical lines down the street from my house, so we don't have any electricity right now. The power company says it's gonna be out until late tonight...they have to get an emergency crew out on a holiday, so it's gonna take some time to get it fixed. Anyway, we're supposed to have everybody over for dinner today, but…"
"But that's gonna be hard with no power, right?", Aubrey chuckled.
"Yeah. We were in the middle of fixing stuff and the lights just blinked off, you know? I mean, the potatoes are only halfway done…and the pies are still raw." Booth chuckled as he continued. "No pie for you, I guess."
'No pie for Christmas? I don't think so.' Aubrey thought. "Well, that's not gonna happen. Why don't you guys just pack up everything and bring it over here? Call everybody and tell them we'll eat at my house. That'd be the easiest thing to do, right?"
"That's what I was going to suggest, if you don't mind, that is. I mean, it's a little late to cancel the whole thing, but it's not too bad if we just change locations. I know it's an imposition, but you won't really have to do anything. We cooked the ham and turkey yesterday, so that's already done, and people are bringing sides to have with it. We just need to bake the pies and a couple of casseroles. We'd have it at Hodgins' house, but Bones doesn't think Angela's up for it…she's been really tired with her pregnancy…besides, there won't be any Karen this time..."
"No Karen is definitely a point in your favor.", Aubrey said, laughing along with Booth. "Sure, it's no problem. When do you think people gonna get here?"
"Well, let's see...it's almost 11 now...and we have to let everybody know...so maybe 1:00-1:30? Somewhere around in there. Me and Bones will head over there pretty soon so we can get things going. Will that work?"
"Of course. Jessica's family will be visiting and we're having sandwiches and munchies shortly, but, you know...the more, the merrier. We can eat again this afternoon."
"If you're sure...I don't want to intrude on your family Christmas time…"
"No, it's fine. Anyway, I think they'd all like to meet you and Dr. B, so come on over, okay? See you soon."
Ending the call, Aubrey grinned as he turned on the shower. 'So I guess I'm getting one of my Christmas wishes after all. I'm gonna have everybody at my house for Christmas dinner.'
Oooooooooo
Running down the stairs, Aubrey called to Jessica. "Hey...there's been a small change in plans…"
"Oh? What's going on?" Jessica looked as if she might cry. "You don't have to go to work, do you? Do you have a case?"
"No, nothing like that." He grinned as he bent down to kiss her. "Booth and Dr. B don't have any electricity at their house, and it's gonna be awhile before it's restored, so they asked if we could have everybody over here for Christmas dinner. I said yes...I hope you don't mind…"
"Actually, I think that'll work out better. That way we don't have to rush around getting ready to go somewhere later, right?"
"Exactly." Aubrey gave her another kiss. "Have I ever told you that you're brilliant and beautiful?"
"Yes, but I don't mind hearing it again. I love you…", she said, caressing his cheek gently. She was about to kiss him again when the doorbell rang. "My family's here!"
Running to the door, she checked the video monitor before opening. "Merry Christmas!"
"Hey! Merry Christmas to you, too!" Aaron beamed happily as he held the door open for Nadia, who was carrying a plate of Christmas cookies. "The girls are bringing in the rest of the food, and Niki is helping Dad…"
"Come on in...here, I'll take your coats."
After hanging up their outerwear, Jessica indicated a place on the counter for the platters of fresh vegetables and bowls of salad that Annabelle and Charlotte had brought in from the car. "Let's put these here…"
"Aubrey has a nice house, Jessie." Nadia said as she handed Jessica the cookies. "It must be fun to cook in such a nice kitchen.
Turning to the refrigerator, Jessica took out some large trays of cold cuts and assorted sliced cheeses she'd purchased from Mr. Leonelli's deli. Turning back to the counter, she smiled as she saw her nephew and father come into the kitchen. "Hi, Dad. Sorry we're not having a big fancy dinner...but with everything that's happened lately..."
"It's...okay...honey." Charlie wore his usual lopsided grin as he slowly walked into the kitchen, leaning heavily on his grandson's arm. "You've been...b...b...busy."
"You're right." Jessica reached up to give her father a kiss on the cheek. "We have been very busy, but the good news is that Aubrey is back at work, and maybe life finally can get back to normal around here."
Snagging a carrot, Niki gave his aunt a hug. "Does Aubrey still have that sweet gaming system he talked about on Thanksgiving?"
Walking into the kitchen, Aubrey grinned at Jessica's oldest nephew. "I sure do, Niki. First food...then an epic battle on Aerial Attack. You in?"
"So in, G-Man."
Nadia grinned, resting her hands on her baby bump as she heard her son and Aubrey trash talking each other in the living room. "So I see things are going well with your cute FBI agent, right?"
Before Jessica could answer, the doorbell rang again. "I bet that's Stephan and Gail…"
"I'll get it." Aubrey checked the video feed, and then opened the door, smiling as he stepped out on the porch to greet the visitors. "Merry Christmas. Come on in." Taking a container of potato salad from Gail, he grinned. "Oooh, you remembered! I love this stuff."
"Of course I remembered. I knew I'd be in trouble if I didn't bring it.", the mechanic said, smiling as she recited the recipe. "I used Yukon gold potatoes, pickle relish, and Vidalia onions, and, of course, I added extra mayonnaise, just the way you like it."
"And, in keeping with the Spirit of Christmas, she made a double batch so you and I wouldn't fight over it." Towering over Aubrey, Stephan wore a big smile as he shook the agent's hand. "You're looking good, man…I guess you've almost fully recovered…"
"Yeah, pretty much. Jessica's been a big help, you know?" Aubrey grinned bashfully. "I don't know what I would've done without her..."
"Knock, knock. Why are you standing on the porch with the door open?"
The two men turned to see Jack and Greg come up the front walk carrying a pan of brownies, paper sacks filled with loaves of different kinds of bread and assorted condiments, as well as a cloth bag with Saoirse Finn printed on it filled with bottles of wine. "Aren't you getting cold standing out here?", Jack asked. "Or did we decide to have an al fresco Christmas dinner?"
"Merry Christmas, you little shit", Stephan teased as he grinned at his brother. "Come on, let's go inside and have some lunch."
"Only by four years...only four years...but I guess that makes you the big shit right?" Jack joked as the couple followed Stephan into the house. "Nice digs, Aubrey…"
"Thank you.", Aubrey replied before being interrupted by Stephan.
"Screw you, little brother...you know Mike is the biggest shit of all, then it's me.",Stephan responded, laughing as Aubrey closed the door with a large smile on his face.
oooooooooo
A short time later, Aubrey's kitchen counter was transformed into a lavish buffet, with two large platters holding an assortment of cold cuts and cheeses. Another large platter filled with different types of breads was sitting next to the meat, as well as various condiments, and several varieties of pickles and potato chips. Different types of salads and Nadia's cookies were nearby. Next to those were several 2 liter bottles of pop as well as a couple bottles of Saoirse Finn wines. In the fridge were bottled water and beer.
"Wow! Look at this great spread!" Greg smiled at Jack as he fixed himself a sandwich. "Cotto salami or pastrami? I can't decide what to have first!"
"Well, save room for brownies." Jack cut a large section from the pan and put it in the middle of his plate, much to everyone's amusement. "What? These are my favorite and I want to make sure I get one. You know how Aubrey is…I still remember what happened with Aubrey at Thanksgiving..."
"Hey…", Aubrey interrupted. "They're worth fighting for. The ones you sent me while I was in the hospital were great, Jack...once I was finally allowed to eat them. Your sister was mean to me, you know..."
"No, I was making sure you followed the doctor's orders while you were on bed rest, James Aubrey.", Jessica retorted from the kitchen.
"Everything looks good, Aunt Jessie!" Niki grinned as he made himself three roast beef sandwiches. "I'm hungry."
"Somehow I'm not surprised. Okay, everyone...help yourselves to the food, and then join us in the family room." Jessica smiled happily, watching as her family talked and laughed with each other while they filled their plates with food. Turning to her sisters-in-law, she shrugged shyly. "Well, I know it's not a traditional Christmas dinner…"
"...but who has time to cook a big meal anyway, right? I mean, we're all busy with work and with life in general." Gail chuckled as she put a spoonful of grape salad on her plate. "Besides, in my experience with the Warrens, none of us are sticklers for tradition anyway."
'And Mom isn't here to make a scene about us doing things the non-traditional way…' Jessica grimaced slightly as she set out more paper plates. Her mother had sent an email saying she was spending Christmas in Las Vegas with friends from work. "I guess that makes things better for everyone…'
"It also helps that Eleanor isn't crashing this holiday.", Nadia muttered quietly as she spread some Dijon mustard on pumpernickel bread. After layering the bread with some ham and turkey and a thick slice of cheddar, she put the stack together and cut the sandwich into fourths. "I think this was great idea, Jessie. We can fix what we want and then enjoy each other's company, right? And it'll be a lot easier to clean up."
Jessica smiled at her favorite sister-in-law. "Very true."
Nadia carried a plate holding the sandwich and some chips into the family room where Charlie was sitting next to Aubrey. "Here you go tată…"
"Thank...thanks." The older man glared playfully at the agent as he put his plate on a small table next to his chair.. "Hands...off my...sang...sand...wich...buddy…"
"Yes, sir!" Aubrey held up his hands in mock surrender.
"Don't worry, Dad...if he manages to steal it, you can have another one." Stephan came to sit on the other side of his father. "Jessica's got enough stuff in the kitchen to feed a small army. There's lots of lunch meat, so Aubrey can have five or six sandwiches. Remember? Like he did when he used the leftover turkey, mici, some rolls and the rest of the sides to make those mini Dagwoods at Thanksgiving?"
"I have low blood sugar!", Aubrey said, chewing a bite of his sandwich. "I have to eat to keep up my strength. Jess, you've explained that to them right?"
"I did explain it, but I'm not sure they're buying it, Superman." Jessica laughed indulgently as she helped herself to some potato salad before coming to sit down next to her boyfriend. "Hey, I knew I'd have to feed Aubrey, Aaron, Jack, Greg, and Niki today, so I decided it was better to be safe than sorry. Anyway, I'm sure we won't have any leftovers, but even if we do, Aubrey can take them in his lunch next week, since he's back to work full time."
"So you're feeling better, Aubrey?", Aaron asked sympathetically. "You know, you really gave us a scare…"
"Yeah, you did." Gail shook her head as she grimaced slightly. "And what happened the other day at the hospital didn't help any…"
"I feel great. And as for Friday...just another day at the office…" Slightly embarrassed at being the center of attention, Aubrey decided to change the subject. "So Jessica has been telling me about one of your family's Christmas traditions…"
Aaron, Stephan, and Jack all grinned at each other. "New underwear, right?", Aaron asked, delighted to have a chance to tease his little sister. "Yep...it wouldn't be a Warren Christmas without all of us getting new underwear."
"Please tell me we are not going to talk about underwear!" Jessica blushed as she remembered which pair of panties she was wearing under her jeans. "Seriously?" She wore a sly smile when she saw Aubrey's furtive glance, knowing he was thinking about the same thing.
"Yeah, Jessica was telling me about that.", the agent began in a teasing tone. "She mentioned something about getting underwear with ruffles on the seat…"
"Yeah...Granny was sure proud of those, wasn't she, Jessie?" Stephan laughed as he winked at his little sister. "Remember how she wanted you to model them for the rest of us?"
"Oh, really…", Aubrey chuckled. "I bet that was interesting…"
Mortified, Jessica glared at her brothers. "Shut up, you guys! Aubrey doesn't want to hear about that!"
Aubrey interrupted her. "Actually, Jess, Aubrey does want to hear about it. Stephan, please tell the story."
"Aubrey, you asshat!" Jessica was horrified as her brothers began to describe what had happened.
Jack raised an eyebrow as he set the scene. "There were three pair of ruffled pastel panties in the package...yellow, pink, and blue…"
"And Granny wanted to see if they fit…", Stephan added. "So she sent Jessica to her room to put them on…"
"And then hollered for her to come out and show us…" Aaron chuckled at the memory. "Jessie was so mad…her face was about as red as her hair...but Granny wouldn't quit until we got a fashion show…"
"Jessica Elizabeth...I want to see how your pretty new panties fit…", Jack repeated in an old lady's voice to his brothers' amusement until the anthropologist threw her chips in his face. "Hey Jessie...that's not nice…"
Seeing his daughter's embarrassment, Charlie cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Michael...skiing...with...the...girls...Vermont. Called...me...last ni...ni..night. Sent me…" Holding up his phone, he showed them the picture his son had sent of the smiling family bundled up against the cold. "Jay...Jason...with b...b...Beth's...parents...Ja...mai...ca."
"Jamaica?" Nadia arched her eyebrow at Aaron. "I wonder if they're planning a destination wedding. What did he say when he called you last week, Charlie? You asked him about when he was going to propose, right?"
"Jay...said...mind...your own...damn...b...b...business...Dad. He's...funny…"
"That's my little brother. It looks like you had a wonderful Christmas morning, too, Jessie.", Jack remarked. "I really like your necklace. It's new, right?"
"Um...yes, it was Aubrey's Christmas gift to me." Her fingers brushed the tiny lock and key. "I love it…" She gave her boyfriend a sweet smile, which he tacitly acknowledged with a wink.
"Nice job, G-Man.", Aaron replied.
"Yeah...Jessica and I had an excellent Christmas morning…we had a lot of fun opening presents. She got some new clothes, too..." Aubrey dodged Jessica's swipe at his arm as he got up to answer the doorbell. "Booth's here…"
Oooooooooo
An hour later, the pies and potatoes were being pulled from the the oven, and platters of ham and turkey were placed on the counter next to the leftover cold cuts and bread.
"We both appreciate you allowing us to have Christmas dinner at your house, Aubrey.", Brennan said as she stirred the giblet gravy. "I know it was an inconvenience for you and Ms. Warren to have extra guests today."
"It really is no problem, Dr. B. Jessica's family is real easy-going. I guess growing up in that co-op helped them to become more adaptable." Aubrey picked up a piece of turkey and popped it in his mouth. "Anyway, if you want to get technical, it is your house…"
"Yeah, and you'd better remember that, Aubrey.", Booth teased.
"I'm looking forward to conversing with Ms. Warren's father. Dr. Charles Warren is a pioneer in neuropathology and I've read a couple of the articles her brother Aaron wrote for Medicinal Physics Quarterly. Hodgins mentioned that he wanted to 'brainstorm' with her brother Jack about winemaking."
"Yeah, Jack has a PhD in Biochemistry and Bachelors degrees in Chemistry and Biology. I never realized all that science was involved in wine making, although it makes sense.", Aubrey said as he stole some turkey, giving a small piece to Hank. "Greg has a Bachelor's degree in Botany, and an Associates degree in Accounting. It's probably why Saoirse Finn is doing so well."
Hank reached up to put some turkey into his father's mouth, which Booth happily accepted as two children raced by. "Hey, thanks, buddy...Christine, you and Michael-Vincent quit running in the house!" Laughing as he bounced Hank on his hip, the older man ate another bite of turkey and laughed at the surprised expression on his friend's face. "Don't look at me like I'm a mean dad. Just wait 'til you have kids…"
"Whoa...that's a long way down the road...oops, there's the doorbell…"
Walking to the door, Aubrey just barely avoided being hit by a stray nerf dart. Kids and Christmas...for Jessica and me? Maybe someday... "Hey, it's Genny and Hunter...and here's Danny. Come on in."
He reached down to shake the little boy's hand. "I bet you'd like playing with Christine and Michael-Vincent…" Nodding his head vigorously, Danny raced off to play. "So it looks like things are going well…"
Looking up at Hunter, Genny smiled. "Things are going very well."
"Good. Come in and meet everybody…oh, there's Cam and Arastoo with their boys…" Aubrey waved as they started up the sidewalk. "Glad you could make it…"
Soon it seemed every room in the house was filled with lively chatter as Jessica's work family intermingled with her 'real' family. Wendell, Aaron, Charlie, and Brennan were engrossed in a discussion about neurotransmitters. Andie and Nadia were talking shop about the clinics where they worked. Cam, Arastoo, and Stephan were going over the pros and cons of their oldest son getting a motorcycle. Angela and Gail were comparing techniques for sculpting with metals as Hodgins was helping Jack and Greg figure out the most efficient way to ferment grape juice. Booth, Genny, and Hunter were nattering about hockey.
The younger children were playing board games and the older children...and Aubrey...were playing video games. Niki proved to be a worthy opponent on Aerial Attack, beating all comers except Cam's son Isaiah.
Daisy and Beau were sitting at the kitchen table with Jessica. "What a beautiful Christmas tree!, Daisy gushed. "I love all the different ornaments, don't you, Beau?"
"Hmm?" Beau looked up from his plate, unsure of what his wife was talking about. "Oh, yeah. Nice tree."
"I guess you're lucky you didn't have to play on Christmas this year, Beau." Jessica smiled as she bounced Lance on her knee. "It must be fun to open presents on Christmas morning with a little one…"
"Yep.", Beau said as he polished off the last of his potato salad. "That little guy had a blast this morning. There were toys all over the family room…"
"We were at Beau's parents' house, you know, and they got Lance this large battery operated Jeep for Christmas. I don't think he's old enough to use it, but they insisted…"
"But they also got him some really cool little kid toys, too. He'll be fine, Daisy. He'll grow into the car, just like he'll grow into the trampoline." Beau rolled his eyes as he grinned at Jessica. "The little woman is kinda protective of the kid, but I'm going to help him get tough...aren't I, Lance?"
Jessica watched as Beau made silly faces, trying to get the fussy toddler to smile. "I'm sure he will grow into them, but I understand Daisy's concern as well. I mean, those gifts seem like they'd be for older kids…I think things like blocks and books are more developmentally appropriate…"
"Nah, we don't need books right now.", Beau scoffed as he reached over to tickle the baby. "Lance can't even read yet…right, dude? Yeah...you're going to be big and tough so you can tackle guys on the field like your daddy does...yes, you are..."
Jessica was about to say more, but the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Holding Lance as she looked at the video monitor, she was surprised by the visitor's identity. Opening the door, she greeted her visitor. "Oh...Oliver…"
"Hello...or, I suppose I should say, 'Merry Christmas', Jessica. Hello, future Dr. Wicks.", Oliver Wells said, acknowledging the little boy in his colleague's arms before the two stepped into the foyer. "Daisy said it would be okay if I showed up for Dr. Brennan's Christmas party."
"Well...sure. Come in." Jessica smiled at Oliver's companion. "I don't think we've met…"
This is my girlfriend...Dr. Rani Mittipalli. She's a theoretical physicist...head of the physical sciences department at Georgetown…"
"How do you do…", Rani said, flashing a beautiful smile as she brushed her long black hair over her shoulder. "I hope we aren't intruding…"
"Of course not. It's a very informal get together. We have more than enough food…"
"Cool." Holding Rani's hand, Oliver made a point of introducing his lovely girlfriend to Hodgins and Aubrey. "We met at a seminar she was leading about thermodynamics...she's brilliant. She's originally from Mumbai. Tell them about your research, darling…"
Dr. Mittapalli willingly complied, explaining her esoteric mathematical computations as Oliver beamed proudly.
Jessica had returned to join Daisy and Beau, but her fellow anthropologist was in no mood to take part in idle chit chat anymore. "Who's that with Oliver?", she whispered loudly. "I've never seen her before…"
"He introduced her as his girlfriend." Jessica noticed her friend's pained reaction. "She seems very nice…"
Beau turned to see who they were talking about. "She's cute."
"Cute?", Daisy grumbled. "You think every girl is cute, Beau. You even said Jessica was cute…"
"Well, she is." Aubrey laughed as he joined them. "Oliver's girlfriend is really smart. I can't even begin to understand what she's talking about. I think even Hodgins was confused by her science lingo…"
"Hmmph. I bet she just latched onto Oliver so she could get citizenship…", Daisy said in a spiteful tone. "I can't imagine what he sees in her…"
Aubrey caught the bitterness in Daisy's voice, but ignored it as he winked at Jessica. "You mean besides being brilliant, beautiful, and pleasant? Yeah, neither do I. To tell you the truth, I can't understand what she sees in him."
"Oliver's very nice, once you get to know him." Daisy stuck out her chin as she defended her colleague. "He's a very insightful person, too…"
"Yeah, I think he's just a big, ugly scarecrow, but if he's lucky enough to get a woman like that, more power to him." Beau ate a bite of pie and shrugged. "He may almost be as lucky as me...I've got a sweet little woman…"
He reached to put his arm around Daisy, but she ducked out of the way, ignoring the hurt expression that Aubrey and Jessica didn't miss. "Excuse me, please. I need to find the bathroom…"
Rising from the table, Daisy ambled toward the hallway, pausing to stand next to Dr. Mittapalli for a few minutes as Brennan, Hodgins, and Wendell talked to the newly arrived couple. It was obvious to everyone, except perhaps Beau, that the anthropologist viewed the physicist as an intruder.
"Hmph…", Daisy began after listening to the physicist's discussion. "I'm not sure why anyone would care about how fast molecules vibrate. I mean, we can't even feel them move…"
"Please excuse my fellow scientist, Rani. She's only an anthropologist.", Oliver said in a disparaging tone.
Dr. Mittipalli smiled patiently. "If we understand how heat is transferred in various materials, we can use that information to make all sorts of heat sensors. As Oliver has pointed out to everyone, if we can find the right combination of materials, we could make a type of sensor that may help a forensic scientist ascertain how long a person has been deceased by measuring the body's temperature more accurately than what we can do with the technology we have available to us now."
"Sounds a lot like conjecture to me.", Daisy replied spitefully. "Forensics isn't the place for experimentation. Wouldn't you agree, Dr. Brennan?"
"Actually, Daisy, what Dr. Mittipalli is suggesting would be most helpful in narrowing the time frame in which a crime may have occurred. Dr. Hodgins agrees and has suggested that she and Dr. Wells come up with a proposal for building a prototype to demonstrate her theory."
Embarrassed at Brennan's rebuke, Daisy crossed her arms over her chest. "Isn't that going to be expensive? Does the lab have the funds to cover such an endeavor?"
"What the lab won't cover, I will. I'm going create a research grant with my personal funds, Daisy. Their theory is viable and I'm surprised that the NFL isn't all over this.", Hodgins said, turning his attention back to the physicist.
With Hodgins' encouragement, Dr. Mittapalli continued. "We can also design more plastics that change color as they respond to temperature. For example, perhaps we could develop a sort of thermometer for home use that changes temperature as it is laid on the skin, so that it would be easier to gauge whether or not an infant is running a fever. As I'm sure you are aware, because you have a small child yourself, most young children are not always cooperative when it comes to using a normal thermometer."
"My son is well behaved and it isn't a struggle to get him to do anything.", Daisy replied petulantly.
The physicist smiled as she reached for her boyfriend's hand. "That's one thing I love about Oliver. He's always coming up with unique ways of looking at things…he helps me make my theoretical ideas into reality."
"Yeah, he's definitely unique.", Daisy mumbled, glaring angrily at Dr. Wells.
"So how long have you two been together?", Angela asked. "I know he said you met at a seminar…"
"We've dated off and on for almost six months." Rani smiled shyly at Oliver, who winked back at her. "I travel a lot for my work, so I've missed many of his social functions…"
"Six months?", Daisy gasped as she turned to Oliver. "You've been dating her for six months? And you never told me?"
"Why would I tell you?", Oliver snarked. "Daisy, we're only professional colleagues. You know that I keep my personal life separate from my work."
"Hey, Oliver." Beau waved as he strolled over to the group with Lance on his hip. "Good to see you, buddy. So this is your sweetie, huh?"
Glancing over to gauge Daisy's reaction, Oliver put his arm around Rani and gave her a tender squeeze. "Yeah, she's my sweetie. We're even talking about making it permanent…"
Daisy, obviously upset, quickly excused herself. Seeing Aubrey's nod, Jessica casually went to see what her friend was up to, and found Daisy sobbing in the man cave.
"What's wrong?" Jessica sat down next to Daisy, rubbing her arm as she tried to soothe her. "Aren't you happy for Oliver? He seems to have finally found someone…"
"Well, good for him...", Daisy sniffled, "...but it was really inconsiderate of him to bring a date today. You don't bring uninvited guests to Christmas parties with friends."
Jessica decided not to bring up the fact that the sobbing woman next to her was the one who had invited Oliver. "Daisy, I'm not understanding the issue here. You told him off when he said you shouldn't get married to Beau, right? You said it was your decision. Well, he's accepted that, and now he's moving on with his life. He's your friend, and the fact that he's happy should make you happy."
"But who am I going to talk to now, Jessica? I feel so alone..."
"You can talk to me...or you can talk to Andie, or to Dr. B…but most of all, you should be talking to Beau. You two have a future to build together."
"Trying to talk to Beau about anything other than football is so difficult." Daisy shook her head as she wiped tears from her cheeks. "I don't know what I'm going to do…"
"I know." Jessica sighed softly as Daisy continued to cry. "But you and Beau are married with a child. You made a commitment to each other and you can't keep pretending things are alright if they aren't. You two need to have a serious heart to heart talk...no cover ups...no chickening out...no excuses...no picking a fight so you can run away from each other...no using gifts as a distraction. You two need to really discuss where you stand, and you need to do it soon. You can't keep running to Oliver when you have problems, Daisy. That's not fair to Beau."
"You're right. Maybe after the New Year…"
"I wouldn't wait that long, Daisy.", Jessica warned. "Things won't get better by themselves…"
"I know, but I'll take care of it. I know what to do." Daisy tried to smile at her friend.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Yes, Jessica.", Daisy said softly as she wiped her eyes. "Just give me a minute, okay?"
"Yeah...sure." Rising from her seat, Jessica rubbed Daisy's shoulder. "If you need a friend, I'm always here for you…"
"Thanks." Daisy sniffled a bit as she continued wiped her eyes. "I'll be out in a minute."
Nodding, Jessica left the room, closing the door behind her. She wondered if Beau had any idea of the drama that was playing out right under his nose.
Walking back out to the family room, Jessica was surprised to see everyone gathered around Jack and Greg. "Hey, you're just in time, Jessie. We're gonna play 'Name that Christmas Song.' Greg's got an app on his phone…"
"Yeah...it plays a few notes of a song, and we have to guess the title. We're divided into teams…and the team that guesses correctly first gets a point. Okay, everybody...are you ready?"
The game was a big hit, especially since everyone could participate. In the end, the team of Brennan, Arastoo, Hunter, Michael-Vincent, and Angela won the game, thanks mostly to Brennan's eidetic memory, although Arastoo scored several points as well.
"What can I say? Cam starts playing Christmas music November 15th", he laughed. "I guess I picked it up through osmosis."
"That's not how osmosis works, Dr. Vasiri.", Cam grumbled, to everyone's amusement.
oooooooooo
By late afternoon, Charlie was noticeably tired. Aaron glanced at Nadia, who nodded as she began to gather her bowls and platters.
"I think we're gonna grab the kids and hit the road, Jessie. Dad's beat." Giving his sister a hug, Aaron smiled. "You did a great job hosting the party…we all had a lot of fun."
"Thanks, Aaron. It was fun, wasn't it." Jessica watched as Aubrey helped her father get up from his chair. "Maybe we can make this a yearly tradition...you know...having everyone here for the holiday..."
"Here at Aubrey's house? Really? I'm your favorite big brother...is there something I should know?"
Blushing as she realized her slip of the tongue, Jessica hurriedly explained. "I meant us all getting together like this...you know, casually. We can have a formal meal at Thanksgiving and something more informal on Christmas Day…you'll be living in Bethesda full time next year...maybe even Jason can come with Beth..."
"I see." Aaron arched his eyebrow as he grinned at his little sister's stammering. "And, of course, Aubrey will be here…since it's his house..."
"Of course, smartass." Wise to her brother's fishing for information, Jessica giggled as she playfully pushed him toward the door. "I think it's time for you to leave, buddy…"
"Okay...okay. Now, I know you're a big shot intern with a busy schedule, but let's try to get together before Nadia, the kids, and I head back to Richmond next Sunday. Lunch at that diner you always brag about sounds good."
"I guess I could introduce you to the Royal Diner...", Jessica replied as she opened the door for everyone. "Bye, Aaron...bye, Nadia. Bye, Dad. Thanks for coming. Merry Christmas..." Jessica waved as they walked out toward their car.
"Merry Christmas to you, too, kiddo.", Aaron yelled back.
Laughing to herself, Jessica walked back into the house. If I have anything to do with it, Aubrey and I are gonna have everybody come to our house for Christmas for the next fifty years…
Oooooooooo
It was six o'clock in the evening as the last guests left Aubrey's house. Sprawled out on the sofa, he grinned as he looked over at his girlfriend, who had collapsed in a chair. "Wow...I'm exhausted…"
"Yeah, me, too...but I don't want to wake up to a messy house in the morning, especially since you have to go back to work and I have errands to run." Pushing herself out of the chair, Jessica walked over to the sofa and grabbed Aubrey's arm. "Come on...let's go…"
He laughed as he pulled her down on top of him. "Ha! Gotcha! Now you have to stay right here with me…"
"Aubrey…", she giggled, batting her eyelashes at him. "Be nice, okay? Let's pick things up and then we can play. I won't be able to relax until the kitchen and family room are clean…"
"Oh, okay." Giving her a squeeze, Aubrey sat up on the couch. "Have you noticed how often we have to clean the kitchen? I mean, it seems like we have to do this every day…"
"You're so ridiculous." Jessica rolled her eyes at her boyfriend as she headed for the kitchen. "After we have a meal, we have to clean up." Realizing he wasn't beside her, she turned around to find Aubrey still laying on the couch. "The kitchen isn't going to clean itself, Agent Aubrey. Get up."
Standing with her hands on her hips, she surveyed the project, hiding her smirk as her boyfriend trudged into the kitchen with a pretend pout on his face. "Oh stop...it won't take us very long. We'll just put away what's left of the meat and cheese…" She bundled the slices up in some wax paper so she could put them in a large plastic storage container.
"Wait...you can't put all that meat in the same container." Aubrey was shocked. "The flavors will all blend together…believe me, we do not want that to happen." He opened a drawer and took out some smaller boxes. "Here…"
"Don't the flavors blend when you make a sandwich with them?"
"Jessica...there is a fine art to making a sandwich. You don't just slap meat, cheese, and condiments together on a whim and then throw all that between bread. The different ingredients have to be balanced and distinct, creating a perfect blend of flavors that makes the sandwich a true culinary delight. Have you not learned anything from being associated with me for almost two years?"
"I guess not, Master Sandwich Guy." Jessica puffed out a sigh. "Okay, whatever…"
Letting the meat and cheese expert arrange the items so they'd be available for his lunches in the upcoming week, she piled up a stack of dirty paper plates and dropped them into a large plastic bag. "The glasses and silverware can go in the dishwasher...we only have one or two platters…"
"So...um…" Aubrey watched as Jessica wiped down the counter. "...I noticed that you and Daisy took off for awhile…"
"Yeah." Jessica's mouth twisted into a slight frown. "It's kinda weird. I mean, she's married, you know? And yet, she's jealous of Oliver's girlfriend…and not a 'he's my friend' jealous, either. It was more like a jilted lover…"
"Wow...that's crazy. Beau looked really hurt when he tried to put his arm around her and she blew him off to listen to Oliver and his girlfriend." Aubrey shook his head as he put some cut vegetables into a plastic container. "I don't think he's as ignorant as he seems, Jess. Daisy has to realize what she's doing, right? She's gonna ruin her marriage…"
"I wonder if Daisy and Beau should've even gotten married to begin with…", Jessica said as she rinsed out the sink. "As much as Oliver annoys me, he really cared for her at one time, but he wouldn't tell her. He was probably afraid he would seem weak, and so he wanted her to make the first move. She, of course, got fed up waiting for Oliver to tell her how he felt, and he wasn't exactly what she anticipated in regards to a future mate. Of course, she then made a big production about how she'd moved on from...whatever the hell they were. Oliver didn't bite, thinking she was bluffing, I guess, and then she found a guy that matched what she always wanted...a fairy tale prince...so Oliver lost out."
"Just because you want something doesn't mean it's the best thing for you, Jess. I know Daisy had it rough growing up, but a person needs someone that can grow with him or her as they get older...not someone who merely matches their childhood expectations. It's obvious that Daisy has certain expectations that Beau isn't living up to, and I know it must be frustrating her, which leads her to take out her annoyance on him. Beau drives me nuts, but he's never tried to be more than he was. For her to expect something other than that isn't really fair to him."
"I think she still has a thing for Oliver, and vice versa. However, she's married now and he's dating someone else. I told her that she and Beau need to have a serious talk…"
"You're right. They do." Aubrey bagged up the leftover cans and bottles. "Well, you know, except maybe for Daisy, I think everybody had a great time this afternoon. You did a great job putting the party together…"
"I didn't do much...just put out the food…" Jessica smiled as Aubrey embraced her. "But you're right about how much fun we had. I was pleased with how my family was able to mix with the people I work with. Aaron offered to help Wendell with his research, and I think Gail and Angela may put on an exhibit of their sculptures."
"Of course they had fun. We're a fun group of people, right?" He reached down to pat her butt. "I liked hearing the stories from when you were kids together, too...especially the underwear story…"
"Jerk." She laughed as she pretended to slap his hand away. He chuckled as she pretended to pout.
"Aw, c'mon...you know you like to model your underwear for me…"
"No, I'm don't like modeling it for you, okay? Normally, it's just the underwear I happen to be wearing before you rip them off of me because you get so damn impatient, Superman.", Jessica retorted with a chuckle. "You may be buying me a bag of panties every Christmas for the next fifty years at the rate you're going."
"I don't always rip your panties off, just when they're super annoying. Also, a nice attempt at deflecting, but I don't think so. As I was saying, based on how you were blushing earlier today, I think you picked out some of your Christmas panties to wear today, right? Lemme see…" He grabbed the waistband of her jeans, pulling it away so he could peek inside. "Ooooooh! You're wearing the blue ones! Okay...drop those drawers…"
Jessica's mouth twitched into a smile as she concentrated on her task. "Not now, James. I'm busy…''
"Jessica…", he whispered in a sexy voice as he stood behind her. Moving his hands under her sweatshirt, he ran them down her abdomen as he held her tight against his body. "I just wanna make sure they fit right...c'mon...I wanna see…"
Pretending to be annoyed, she turned and faced him, trying not to laugh. "If I show you my new panties, will you leave me alone?"
"Hell, no!"
"Good!" After slowly unzipping her jeans, she shimmied out of them, leaving them in a pile on the floor. "What do you think? They look good with the sweatshirt, right?"
"Wow…" Aubrey was speechless as he took in the view. "You look...you...God…you look so hot…"
"Thanks" Deciding to have a little fun with her boyfriend, she smiled. "So, now that you've gotten what you wanted, can we please finish cleaning up?"
"Nope." He pulled her sweatshirt up over her head and threw on top of the jeans. "And the matching bra, too? Wow...I'm just...I mean…" After staring at his beautiful girlfriend for a few seconds, he took the dishrag away from her and threw it in the sink. "Okay...break time. I want to see how those crotchless panties work."
"James Aubrey, we have to finish cleaning up the kit-what are you doing?" Jessica shrieked as her boyfriend efficiently put his right arm under her legs and scooped her up.
The agent merely smiled, carrying her to the couch as she squealed with laughter. Kissing her gently, he caressed her cheek as he twitched an eyebrow at her. "We can finishing cleaning the kitchen later tonight, right?"
"Maybe…" Jessica wrapped her arms around Aubrey's neck. "...or maybe tomorrow morning…"
Oooooooooo