A/N: Well Christmas is over and 2016 is nearing it's end. This chapter has one friend helping another, another friendship blossoming, and another one bringing two people closer together. How does it happen? Read and find out.

It was like everything was in slow motion. Vinnie Sipoletti had fired his gun at Booth, who was sprawled out on the ground, bleeding profusely from his shoulder. "Booth…", Aubrey cried out. "Come on, Booth...get up...you gotta move, buddy…"

Turning to face their assailant, the agent drew his revolver and pulled the trigger. Suddenly there was a searing pain in his leg...there was blood everywhere...things were getting darker...he could hear the ambulance in the distance, but he was tired...he was so tired. All he wanted to do was sleep...but wait...Jessica...gotta tell her...tell her...Jessica…

~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~

Aubrey gasped as his eyes flew open. His heart was pounding, and it took him a few seconds to get his bearings as he looked around the darkened bedroom. Looking to his left, he saw his girlfriend sleeping soundly next to him. There was no blood...no pain...he was safe…she was right there...

"Wow…", he sighed as he glanced at his phone. "4 am and that stupid nightmare wakes me up again."

Grumbling to himself, he rolled over to put his arm around Jessica. His nightmares were becoming less frequent, but they were still a nuisance. "It sucks waking up at 4:00 when I don't need to get up until 5:30.", he muttered softly before Jessica moaned in her sleep before nestling closer to him.

I'm glad I didn't wake her up...I hope I wasn't thrashing around too much. He chuckled softly as his redhead stretched in her sleep. 'Although it might be payback for all the times she's practically pushed me out of bed."

Closing his eyes once again, he tried to relax into his lover's warmth, hoping he could get one last hour of sleep in before a very busy day.

oooooooooo

Almost three hours later, Aubrey opened the stairway door to the 4th floor of the Hoover, carrying the first week of his bakers' dozen Christmas donuts. He was tired from waking up in the middle of the night, but he wanted to get a head start on the week. He had a lot to catch up on, he had to go pick up his tux today, and he was without Genny until Wednesday.

The SAC didn't begrudge her taking the two days off, especially since he was the one who pushed her to do it. As far as he was concerned, with her taking the reins for him while he was recovering, she had earned a little vacation. He nodded to himself happily as he recalled seeing how much she enjoyed herself with Hunter and Danny at his house yesterday. If anyone deserves some happiness, it was Genevieve Shaw.

'It just sucks that Jess is off today and I have to work...oh, well...that's what happens when you're in charge, right? Maybe that means she'll have time to finish cleaning up the family room…', he thought, smiling as he remembered how they spent their Christmas morning.

Deciding that today would be a macchiato morning, he whistled the Star Wars Battle Theme as he walked down the hall. Entering the break room, he greeted a few early bird folks with a smile. Sure, some would wonder why he was so cheerful on a Monday morning, but he didn't care…because he'd spent the weekend with the woman of his dreams.

Of course, the only thing marring his perfect weekend had been the nightmare that had awakened him this morning. He was never able to go back to sleep fully, and it wasn't long before his restlessness woke up Jessica. When she questioned why he was awake, he didn't want to bother her with his problems, but he couldn't lie to her either.

After Aubrey confided about what had disturbed him, she asked what she could do to help. He responded by taking Jessica in his arms and she allowed him to get lost in her with a quick and heated interlude. When they were done, he recalled the last time he used his girlfriend to forget his pain and felt sick. Immediately, he began apologizing for its brevity and lack of tenderness.

"Jessica, I'm so sorry..."

However, Jessica stopped him with a kiss. "It's okay, Superman. You needed me. Now, let's take a shower."

Determined to make it up to her, they spent thirty minutes under the hot water as Aubrey pleasured Jessica with his tongue and hands until she screamed his name. After a quick breakfast of leftover cinnamon pancakes and bacon, he kissed her goodbye before trekking out into the bitterly cold December morning.

'God, I love Jessica so much.' Aubrey thought as he waited for his coffee drink to brew. Unable to wait any longer to enjoy part of his Christmas gift, he pulled out a chocolate glazed donut covered with red sprinkles. Smiling happily as he bit into it, he remembered how he and Jessica had defiled his house over the Christmas weekend.

They'd had sex on the couch…on the kitchen counter…on the dining room table after they'd eaten their pancakes…in the shower before lunch…in the downstairs bedroom…that amazing lap dance in his bedroom chair...twice afterwards in their bed…under the tree Christmas morning…and that was all before their guests came over yesterday.

'Yeah...Merry Christmas to me…' He grinned, tapping his foot as he remembered what Jessica looked like in her new turquoise lingerie last night after they enjoyed her crotchless panties. Those are great colors on her...not that she actually wore it that long...

Leaning against the counter, he was startled when he heard the sound of a lightsaber in his pocket. Pulling his keys out, he stared at the Darth Vader keychain and the new key hanging off it. He still couldn't get over the fact that Jessica presented him with that little token of her trust and affection. He had been afraid the keychain he'd gotten her was too schmaltzy, but she loved it. In fact, she'd loved all of her gifts.

It had been their first Christmas together, and the best one of his life. Nothing could ever top it.

Suddenly, the agent had a vision of a future Christmas morning with Jessica holding a redheaded infant up to look at a glittering ornament on their tree as he watched them with pride. The baby's face lit up with glee as his love pointed to the shiny bauble.

'Whoa…Jess is not even close to babies yet, Aubrey...and neither are you, buddy', the agent thought as he shook his head. He was fairly certain Jessica wasn't ready to move in to his house full time, and he still wasn't certain whether he was ready for her to move in with him full time, either.

Aubrey had loved having her there to take care of him the last month, but he also knew Jessica needed to regain her sense of independence. That independence was one of the reasons he loved her so much, and it had almost killed him that Gerald Maxwell damaged that for her, as well as her self-esteem. He knew she was still afraid to go into her apartment alone. However, the agent vowed to do whatever Jessica needed so that she could feel safe in her own space again, because she loved her little third floor apartment. He wasn't going to push her to make a decision either way. It had to be what she wanted. If she was happy, that was all that mattered to him.

He had to admit...he loved the place, too. The selection of imported food items at the ground floor Korean grocery store was amazing, especially those chocolate treats, the spicy mustard, those Crown biscuits, Pocky treats, and other goodies.

Getting his morning prize, Aubrey carried his donuts and macchiato back towards his office. After he got settled, he enjoyed the quiet that was typical on Monday mornings before his agents reported to duty. He hated being up that early, but he liked doing the long day on Monday to get a head start on the crappy administrative stuff expected of a division's agent in charge. It was nice to complete his work week on Friday with a sense of accomplishment.

Then a recurring thoughts made its way to the surface.

Maybe Gerald wouldn't have gotten the idea to make up lies about having sex with Jessica if he hadn't routinely worked late on Mondays.

'No, that's stupid. I'm not going to let that fuck stick creep into my everyday life.' the SAC thought, enjoying his coffee drink as he completed payroll. As he finished his beverage, he decided to it was time to get another one. "After waking up at 4 am, I'm going to need it."

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

Ten minutes shy of 8:00, he left the break room, stopping to greet a few more agents who had arrived to work. As he entered the bullpen, he thought about some of the recent changes in his life.

His career was going places, as was Jessica's. He was off restrictions and he was able to make love with Jessica again on a regular basis...the two of them were moving forward in their relationship, no longer encumbered by fear of upsetting the other…he was happy with the woman he loved as they had a somewhat normal life together or as close to it as possible…nothing was going to ruin his day today.

Until he saw what was going on inside the newly remodeled conference room.

Through the window, Aubrey could see Steve Bower and his new wife making out. 'Um...wow...It seems the newlyweds are still on their honeymoon.'

Willing to cut the agent some slack, he was about to turn away when he saw Steve grab his wife's ass and push her up against the glass. Shaking his head, he walked up and banged on the glass.

"Take it down a notch, Steve. No one needs to see that here...especially before 8:00."

Startled, the couple broke apart and Mitzi straightened her skirt, smoothing it over her hips. "Sorry, Agent Aubrey. It's our first day back at work after getting married…it's going to be hard to be away from my Stevie Bear." Mitzi reached over to pinch her husband's cheek. "I wuvs my widdle Stevie Bear to pieces...yesh, mama bear wuvs him..."

Baby talk? Jesus, really? Rolling his eyes, Aubrey cringed as he took a long drink of his coffee, exhaling quietly as he tried to remain professional. "On the clock, Steve, okay?"

"Yeah, Boss." Bower pulled his wife close and gave her a big sloppy kiss. "It's even worse for me staying away from you, Mitzi Muffin, especially after the amazing weekend we had after we called our folks for Christmas to tell them we got married. Those new toys you got me yesterday were awesome! I can't wait to see you at home later in that outfit I bought you for Christmas..."

Afraid of where the conversation was going, Aubrey stepped toward the door, wanting to escape to his office as soon as he could. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed your first married Christmas together."

"Oh, it was wonderful." Mitzi batted her eyelashes as she caressed her husband's cheek, her engagement and wedding rings gleaming proudly. "I have to go now, Stevie Bear, for my 8:30 orientation at the hospital, and then I need to pick up some new scrubs so I can be ready to start work at the Psych ward tomorrow. I'm going to miss you, baby, but I'll be thinking about you all day long..."

"I'm going to miss you, too, my little cheese nip…" Steve grinned as he kissed her knuckles. "Hey, don't forget to pick up the chocolate syrup on the way home because tonight is whipped cream and feathers, okay?"

"Anything for you Stevie Bear…"

Seeing them come together to suck face again, Aubrey shook his head and walked away. Ick...I need a shower...

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

At 9:30, Jessica walked into Millie's Tailor Shop on F Street. After giving her name, the seamstress gave her the dress and the redhead almost skipped towards the small dressing booth. Putting on the velvet gown, she smiled before turning around to see how it looked on her posterior side, amazed at how it fit her like a glove.

'I know I went over my budget for this dress and the accessories, but it will be so worth it. Aubrey's going to flip his lid when he sees how I look Friday, especially with the new things I picked up at Karine's last week.'

Realizing the seamstress was waiting for her, she quickly came out of the room. "Sorry…"

"It's okay Ms. Warren.", the older woman said, pleased with her handiwork. "Honey, that dress looks beautiful on you. You're going to knock your boyfriend dead."

"Hopefully not dead…but stunning him speechless would work.", Jessica, smiling as she admired her reflection in the mirror. "I'm so going to that shop again."

As the seamstress checked over her work, Jessica saw a familiar face walk in. When the woman got closer, she called out for her attention. "Genny! I didn't expect to see you today. I figured you would be at work with Aubrey."

The ASAC looked up and smiled when she saw who was beckoning her. "Hey, Jessica. No, the boss said I need to take today and tomorrow off. His words were, 'I promised you December 26th when you covered for me on Thanksgiving...and you earned the 27th off.'"

"He appreciates all you did while he was recuperating at home these last few weeks. It made me feel better, too.", Jessica replied. "Where's Danny?"

"At home with Hunter. Boss loaned Danny his 'Aerial Attack' game yesterday so he could show him how to play." Genny said, smiling happily. "Danny's warming up to him a lot. I think they're finally getting comfortable with each other."

"Aubrey mentioned the chat they'd had that morning he babysat for him, and I'm glad he could help.", Jessica said. "Got your dress altered here, too, I see. It's beautiful."

"I did. Angela suggested the place to me. I got a great deal on this gown, too...only $295.00. No way was I going to spend over a thousand dollars for an alleged one of a kind dress like I heard Karen Delfs bragging about last week."

"Why on earth would anyone pay that much for a dress is beyond me." Jessica said before looking down at herself. "I went over my planned budget for this dress but it's so beautiful and I know I can wear it again. Now I just have to hide it from Aubrey because I want to surprise him Friday."

Genny admired Jessica's gown. "The boss is going to flip when he sees you. That color is perfect. In fact, all the guys at the banquet are going to drool."

"Well…I only care about Aubrey, but I agree. He's going to love this dress. Now, I want to see what you're wearing."

"Ms. Shaw?"

"I'll show it to you in a moment.", the blonde replied before following another seamstress to a dressing room.

Suddenly Jessica saw her seamstress looking impatient. "I'm so sorry. I'll change."

Putting her street clothes on quickly, Jessica came out and handed her attire to the woman just as the ASAC came out wearing her evening gown. Walking over to her friend, Jessica whistled in appreciation. "Genny, Hunter is going to be all over you Friday night…you're smoking, girl."

Blushing, Genny gave a nervous giggle. "I wouldn't go that far, Jessica."

"Uh, I would.", the redhead said as she admired the sleeveless blush colored gown with its pearl studded neckline. "That dress was made for you, Genny."

"Thanks."

"I'll let you get dressed.", Jessica said.

As Jessica paid for her alterations, Genny came out of her dressing room holding her dress. When the agent joined her, the redhead had an idea. "Genny, do you want to get some coffee? Or are you needing to get back to the boys?"

"Coffee sounds nice, actually. It's really cold out today. I haven't had breakfast yet, either, so if you don't mind, maybe we can get something to eat, too..."

Thinking of her shower with her boyfriend, Jessica smiled. "Yeah, I'm getting a little hungry, too. I had an early breakfast with Aubrey this morning before he left for work."

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

"Oooo-kay." Still uncomfortable after his tete a tete with Mitzi and Steve, Aubrey tried to go through the stack of case files piled on his desk. Opening another case file, Aubrey glanced through the paperwork. "How come people commit crimes over the holidays?", he wondered.

Judging the case file to be satisfactory, he put in his completed file on the floor before opening another one. "Hmm...McCarthy forgot to sign his paperwork again…I'll send that back…"

He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't realize he had a visitor until the man coughed softly. "Agent Aubrey?"

Startled, Aubrey looked up and was embarrassed. "Deputy Director Stark! I'm sorry...I was so wrapped up in these files...please come in. Can I get you a bottle of water?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks." Stark smiled as he entered the office, making himself comfortable in one of the armchairs. "I just came by to see how you were doing. Today is your first day back full time after the incident, right?"

"Yeah...I wanted to come back to work earlier, but the doctor wouldn't release me…"

"That's no problem. Believe me, the Bureau would much rather err on the side of caution when it comes to our agents' health. No need to push it, especially with Shaw running the division." Stark raised an eyebrow at Aubrey. "Unless you're really worried about her taking your job…"

Both men laughed at the joke. "Nah...I figure she'll be gunning for your job instead, right?" Aubrey smiled at the man sitting across from him, wondering about his real motives behind this visit. "Anyway, I feel great, so, you know...back to the salt mines…"

"Well, that's good." Stark rose from his chair. "I'm glad to hear it. There is one little detail that you still need to take care of, though…"

"Oh?" Aubrey's brows knit as he thought through the protocols for agents with work related injuries. "I gave the doctor all the paperwork to fill out...she said she would send it in to personnel…"

Stark sighed softly. "That's all been received. That's not the problem. It's Dr. Dalton...she says you haven't made the appointment for the psych evaluation that needs to be done before you can return to field work."

"Yeah...about that…" Aubrey winced as he realized he'd forgotten all about that little detail. "I'm sorry. It completely slipped my mind. I'll call her right away."

"Excellent." Stark nodded as he moved toward the door. "Don't forget about the Gala...my wife and I are looking forward to meeting your girlfriend Friday night…she's one of Dr. Brennan's interns at the lab, correct?"

"Yes, she is. She hopes to have her PhD in Forensic Anthropology in a couple of years." Aubrey smiled with pride. "Jessica and I are looking forward to the Gala. Thanks for checking on me, sir…"

"No problem, Agent Aubrey. Just remember to make that appointment." Waving, the director quickly left the office.

"Great...just what I did not need to worry about today…", Aubrey groused. Sighing loudly, he picked up the phone and dialed the psychologist's office. "Might as well get it over with…"

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

At the Royal Diner, the ladies received their orders from their waitress. "Joanne, what kind of pie do you have today?"

"Pecan and Cherry."

"Aubrey loves Frankie's cherry pie. Can I get some to go? He's staying at the FBI for lunch today because he has a lot of work to do."

The cheery blonde waitress smiled. "His usual two pieces?"

"Yeah. Thanks.", Jessica said. When the woman left, she smiled at Genny. "So…after seeing that dress, I have to ask. Do you and Hunter have plans for after the banquet Friday?"

Genny cut into her pancakes. "Oh, you know…it'll be a late night."

"You should get a room at the Willard if Danny is staying with your mom. Get an award…dance…flirt…then give your forensic accountant some bow chicka bow wow…" Jessica chuckled until she noticed the agent's discomfort. "Um, if I was being out of line, I'm sorry…"

"No, no you weren't." Obviously nervous, Genny picked up her napkin and began to tear it into tiny pieces. "We've just been…busy…you know…with me running Major Crimes while Aubrey was out…Hunter is busy running his division at the SEC… taking care of Danny is a full time job…not that I don't love it…but it's hard being a single mom and a cop, you know…I mean…who has time for…stuff…"

Jessica took a bite of her oatmeal before making a realization. "Genny, if what I'm about to ask is out of line, feel free to tell me."

Afraid that she revealed too much, the agent nodded. "Okay."

The redhead silently debated with herself before spitting it out. "Genny, you and Hunter…haven't…yet…have you?"

"No…and it's…I don't…" Genny took a deep breath. "I want to…I really…really want to, but…it's complicated, you know?"

"Would it help to talk about it?"

"Maybe…" Genny paused as she sipped her coffee. "Well…Danny and Hunter weren't getting along…we're both busy…but…of course, Hunter has dropped hints…"

"Genny…is Hunter pressuring you?"

"No!", Genny exclaimed before realizing how loud she was. "No…he's always been been respectful towards me. It's just…"

"Just what?"

Genny exhaled before taking a bite of her breakfast. "It's just…I haven't been with anyone….long term…since Josh was killed…"

Suddenly Jessica realized what the other woman meant. "Genny…are you saying you haven't been with anyone since Danny's dad died?"

"No…I've had…a few…but nothing…worth bragging about. Obviously it must have been me, right? And I don't want to ruin what I have with Hunter…"

A light bulb went off for the redhead. "Are you nervous about making love with Hunter?"

"It's been a long time, Jessica…it's not like with you and Aubrey…you guys were only apart a couple of months. Josh and I were supposed to be together always…and I thought no one could take his place…I've never cared about anyone else like that, not until Hunter, and I don't…want to…what if I…"

Taking Genny's hand, Jessica hoped she was saying the right thing. "Genny, Hunter is crazy about you. You can't fail with him. He could barely keep his hands off you at the Halloween Gala."

"Well, obviously, I'm not as young as I used to be. I'm an almost 35 year old single mother with a child. I've got a butt and boobs, sure, but let's just say that gravity is starting to be their enemy, and besides that, I'm a cop. That doesn't always inspire hot passion in guys."

"Well, it does in Hunter, Genny. Also, unlike some idiots, I think he knows there's more to cops than just the law. I'm the last person anyone would expect to be with an FBI agent, but I'm in love with one. I can personally testify that Special Agent in Charge James Aubrey has a whole different side when he's not at work…a very…adventurous side…", Jessica said with a snicker before realizing what she said. "Please don't repeat that to him…he's very private about that stuff…"

"Yeah, the less I know about my boss in that aspect, the better it will be.", Genny said with a chuckle. "However, when I stopped at the Hoover earlier to get the charger for my tablet, Aubrey had a smile on his face that could have lit up 100 Christmas trees. I take it you two had a good holiday as well, besides hosting all of us?"

Remembering the multiple times, places, and creative ways they'd made love that weekend, Jessica smiled. "Yes, we did. How about you all?"

"Well, we had a small family Christmas Saturday night with the three of us, my mother, and her new boyfriend. Hunter got Danny a gift certificate for new video games for Christmas and for me he got tickets to see Maz Jobrani at the Kennedy Center and a $50.00 Amazon card. I got Hunter the new briefcase he was eying. What did the boss get you?"

"Um…a book that I can't wait to start, three gorgeous nightgowns, and this beautiful necklace.", Jessica replied as she showed Genny, deciding to keep the keys and bag of panties to herself.

"That necklace is so pretty, Jessica."

Jessica looked down and played with the small lock around her neck. "Aubrey knows me well enough to know that I don't need ostentatious, showy crap. This present is the most…beautiful thing because it shows me how much Aubrey loves me…he doesn't care that I'm going up against a rich bastard…or that I had fooled around with a lot of guys at the lab before I met him…he loves me just the way I am."

"It's nice you have that special someone in your life.", Genny said with a smile.

"So do you, Genny. No pressure, but…you'll know when the time is right. It can be after the Gala..." Thinking about the first time she had been with her boyfriend, Jessica grinned. "...or just be a day with friends when it hits you…but either way, no worries, okay? Hunter adores you. It's obvious."

Genny looked up and saw Aubrey walk in and pointed. "Speaking of men who adore us…"

Jessica turned around to see her boyfriend walk in. Seeing his girlfriend and ASAC, the lanky man came over to their table. "Hello, ladies…fancy meeting you here."

Jessica looked at her phone. "10:30…time for your mid-morning snack."

"Genny, she knows me too well.", Aubrey said as he kissed Jessica. "What are you ladies up to?"

"Well, Jessica and I met up when we picked up our dresses for the banquet on Friday from Millie's Tailor Shop..."

"...And we decided to get a late breakfast and have some…girl talk.", the redhead finished.

Curious, Aubrey raised an eyebrow as he looked at the two women, who giggled as they attempted to appear innocent. "You're not going to tell me what you were talking about, are you?"

"No, Aubrey. Girl talk is like Vegas…"

"Okay, I get it." The SAC held his hands up in mock surrender.

"By the way, Joanne said they have cherry pie, today. I was going to get some and drop it off at your office."

"Shit, they have cherry pie today?", Aubrey asked with childlike glee. "I guess I need a couple pieces of that."

"So are you still going to try picking up your tux today during your lunch hour?"

"I don't know….it may have to wait until after I leave tonight. I have some stuff to catch up on after the holidays, since my right hand agent is off work." , Aubrey said, winking at Genny.

"Boss, I can work tomorrow-"

Aubrey laughed as he shook his head. "Relax, Genny...I'm good. You've earned some time off. I'm a big boy and can handle our fourteen rambunctious agents until Wednesday."

"Alright, Aubrey.", Genny said. "If you change your mind, just give me a call…"

The SAC looked up and saw Joanne with his order. "Okay, need to get back to the old salt mine. I'm planning to be home by 7:00 tonight, Jess. I want to get some administrative crap done since we're going to be gone Monday and Tuesday next week. I'll call you when I leave."

"Okay, I'll see you tonight." Standing up to give her boyfriend a kiss, Jessica grinned as Joanne put two pieces of cherry pie in a box for Aubrey. "Joanne hooked you up with some cherry pie."

"Cool!", Aubrey replied. "Bye, ladies."

The women watched the lanky man pick up his order and walk out the door. When he waved as he walked by the window, they did the same. When he crossed the street, they turned their attention back to each other.

"Aubrey is so crazy about you, Jessica.", Genny said.

"I'm crazy about him, too. But, Genny, Hunter is so crazy about you, too and it's obvious that you feel the same.", Jessica replied as she pulled out her phone and punched some keys. "Just…trust your instincts, alright? Now, if you want to send me your private email address, I have a website you should check out."

Genny sipped her coffee. "It's gsw ."

Jessica looked up and smirked. "Gunshot Wound?"

The ASAC laughed. "You're one of the few who get it. I didn't want it to be my name but not cutesy either. Can I assume what you are sending is definitely not suitable for my work email?

"Nope. It's a link to a site called the Bad Girls Bible. Lots of interesting stuff. Let's just say Aubrey is appreciative of some of the things I've learned from it...Hunter may appreciate it as well."

The two women laughed as they got up to pay for their bills. "I'll keep it in mind, Jessica."

oooooooooo

Booth glanced at his watch as he strode down the hall, hoping to catch Aubrey before he left for lunch. The senior agent had wanted to check in on his friend, wondering how his first full day back at work was going. Seeing Aubrey's door opened, he peeked inside and was glad to see his friend working at his desk.

"Hey, Buddy." Standing in the doorway, Booth stood with his hands in his pockets. "Listen, I have to go pick up my tux for Friday, and I was thinking about going to lunch at that Mexican place...you know, the one that's a couple of doors down from the formal wear shop. Want to come with?"

Aubrey sighed softly as he thought things over. He'd brought some excellent leftovers from the previous day's Christmas feast, but it had also occurred to him that Booth might offer some valuable insights into what was bugging him. Anyway, his lunch would keep nicely until tomorrow.

"Yeah, that sounds good." After shutting down his computer, he grabbed his keys, coat, and phone. "Hey, you got your tux at Al's, too, right? Cool. That works out good for me. It saves me a trip after work."

"Yeah, well, they give us that law enforcement discount, so why not?" The men entered the elevator and rode down to the parking lot. "I've gotten so many tuxedos from that place that normally I just have to call Al and tell him I want the usual."

Grinning slightly, Booth shrugged as he patted his waistband. "Bones made me go get measured this time, even though I said I knew it wasn't necessary. She says I've put on a bit of weight around my middle...part of getting older, right?" He paused as they walked over to the SUV. "But guess what? I'm still a 38 waist, just like always."

"And I know you made sure to tell her you were right." Aubrey chuckled as he glanced at his friend. For being in his late forties, Booth was in great shape. "I had to get measured, too, and then they had to special order it for me, because I'm so slender and wiry."

"Not a bad problem to have. Of course, once you reach middle age like me, your metabolism might slow down and you'll have to cut back a bit, you know? You might only be able to handle three sandwiches for lunch instead of five."

"I know...I work out at home, but Jessica says I might have to cut down on my snacks in a couple of years if I want to stay at my fighting weight. I think she's worrying over nothing. I have a high metabolic rate…I'm like a hummingbird...plus I have low blood sugar..."

"That's bullshit, Aubrey." Booth chuckled as he smiled at his friend. "You just like to eat."

"Yeah, you're right. Still...only three sandwiches? That's just a good snack…"

The men laughed and talked as they drove to the shop, keeping the topics casual as they picked up their clothes for the upcoming event. After locking the tuxedos in the truck, they strolled down the strip mall to Aguilar's Mexican Cantina.

The lunch rush was in full swing as they were shown to their booth. Taking a menu, Aubrey licked his lips in anticipation. "I think I'm going to get the three enchilada dinner with two extra beef tacos, a side of guacamole, rice, and a double order of frijoles borracho."

"Are you sure that's going to hold you until your afternoon snack?" Booth shook his head as he made his choice. "I think I'll have the beef fajita platter. It's meatless Monday at home tonight, so I've got to make up for that, right?"

After giving their server the order, Booth took a sip of his water. "So...first full day back, huh? How are you feeling? Beat, right? Man, after being off for a couple of weeks to recuperate, going back to work can really wear a guy out…"

"Actually, I haven't felt too bad physically, but when I saw the stack of folders on my desk this morning, I almost had a heart attack. I mean, Shaw did a great job filling in for me, but there's some stuff that I have to do myself, like performance reviews and checking expense accounts. I tried to keep up with that stuff from home when I worked my half days, but still…"

"Yeah, I know. It can seem overwhelming. It also feels like you've got to get it all done today, but you don't have enough time, and then people keep stopping by the office to say hi or to check on you…" Booth dipped a tortilla chip into a small bowl of salsa. "...or to drag you out to lunch…"

"But a guy's got to eat, right?" Aubrey filled a chip with queso and added a spoonful of extra hot salsa. "I guess I kind of needed the break, anyway. Besides, I feel like I don't get to talk to you much anymore…what with us both being so busy..."

Even though they'd spent most of Christmas Day together, Booth understood what Aubrey was saying. "Yeah, it's hard to find the time, isn't it, with both of us running divisions." Shrugging as he sprinkled some hot sauce on his fajitas, he continued quietly. "That's why I asked you to have lunch with me today. You've had a rough time over the last month…"

"But I feel good. The surgeon says I'm good to go…", Aubrey protested. "Things are back to normal...all of it…well, almost everything." He stared at his plate, somewhat embarrassed. He was hesitant to share his problems, but he also knew if anyone would understand what he was going through, it would be Booth. Puffing out a sigh, he spoke quietly. "I'm still having nightmares...about...you know…"

Booth raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Yeah...I know...about pulling the trigger, right? I get that. I've had them in the past." He sipped his water before he continued. "Want to talk about it?"

"I don't know if there's anything to talk about, really. It's just a slow motion version of what happened...I pull the trigger and there's blood everywhere…" Aubrey fidgeted with his napkin, unsure of what to say. "...and things get dark, and I want to talk to Jessica. It's silly, really...I mean, I know how things are going to work out. I don't know why I keep getting the instant replay every night."

"Well, for one thing, you were scared shitless, right? Your body was trying to figure out what the hell was going on, and there was a huge adrenaline rush. That kind of trauma is hard to forget." Booth sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "The other reason is probably because you'd never killed anyone before. I'm not saying it like that's a bad thing, okay? I hope you never have to do it again. I'm just saying that your mind has to adjust to the idea that you did that. Look, we both know you did the right thing in a bad situation. You were defending yourself and your partner, but that doesn't change the fact that you did something you would never want to do...something that goes against everything you've ever been taught. It's going to take your brain some time to get used to that."

"How much time? Weeks? Months?", Aubrey asked. "Are the nightmares ever going to stop?"

"I don't know if they'll ever completely stop, but yeah...eventually they'll become less frequent. I can't really give you a time table because everyone's different." Cutting up some his fajita meat, Booth glanced at his friend. "It's only nightmares? Nothing else has been bothering you?"

"Not really. I sleep pretty well most of the time, unless I have a nightmare, and then usually I can't go back to sleep." Aubrey exhaled softly. "It's like in my conscious mind I'm okay, but in my subconscious mind, I'm still messed up."

"Jessica knows about these nightmares you've been having, right?" Booth asked as he put together a fajita. "Shutting her out has gotten you into trouble before."

Aubrey sipped his water and thought of how she comforted him this morning. "Jessica knows everything, Booth. I won't hide things from her ever again...I promise."

"Good." Booth replied. "So have you been to see the shrink yet? Dr. Dalton? She's really good."

"I called to make an appointment this morning but I had to leave a voicemail. Stark says I can't go back out in the field until I see her."

Booth nodded. "That's standard procedure. I went to see her last week."

"Why did you go?" Aubrey was thoroughly surprised. "You didn't pull the trigger…"

"No, but I was scared shitless, too, okay? Getting injured like that and then going back out in the field can make a guy jittery, you know? I just needed to talk some things out, and she was fine with that. That's what she's there for."

"Yeah." Wiping his mouth with his napkin, Aubrey smiled at his friend. "Thanks, Booth. It's nice to know that I'm normal."

"I wouldn't go that far…", Booth laughed as he glanced at his watch. "Hey, I guess we'd better get back to work…"

Getting up from the table, he slapped Aubrey on the back as he picked up the lunch check. "You're going to be fine. If you need to talk some more, I'll be here for you...but you have to buy lunch next time."

"No problem." Sighing softly, Aubrey smiled to himself.

Things were going to be okay.

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

Aubrey walked into his house at 7:40, brushing the snow off himself and taking his shoes off before locking the door. "Hey, Jess?"

"In the kitchen."

Aubrey walked through the open living room and smelled a lovely aroma. "Sorry I got home late. Is that what I think it is, Jessica?"

Closing the oven, the redhead turned to her boyfriend and put her arms around him. "Yes, it's broccoli mac and cheese and I threw some smoked sausage in there. I'm also making a salad as well as roasting some carrots."

"Nice…", Aubrey replied as he kissed his girlfriend. "But...what about our leftovers?"

"I had originally planned to use them, but then I realized that I need food for the next couple of days for lunch at the lab. Plus...I had a vibe that comfort food would sound good to you today."

'You don't know how right you are, Jess.' the agent thought to himself. "I'm going to go change and then I'll feed Skinner...if you haven't yet."

"Thank you. He's been giving me the food stare for the last twenty minutes."

"Okay, be right back.", Aubrey replied but stopped when he saw his cat standing by his dish, watching his man intently as his tail swished. "I guess I'm feeding you first, Buddy."

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

Twenty minutes later, the couple sat down to dinner. As Jessica sipped her rosé wine, she could feel Aubrey's tension. Deciding to ease him into talking, she started with some small talk. "So, how was your first day back full time?"

Thinking about his day, Aubrey shrugged as he chewed the cheese and pasta in his mouth. "Busy as all get out. Steve and Mitzi were making out in the conference room when I came to work, so I had to deal with that before doing payroll. The case audits took longer than usual since we are still training that rookie, Agent Sanderson, from Quantico. His cases have to be scrutinized carefully for errors. Then, to top it off, Stark came in to check on me today."

"You really were busy." Jessica nodded as she took a bite of salad. "So did you enjoy your Christmas leftovers today with your pie?"

"Actually, Booth and I picked up our tuxes together and then decided to have lunch out.", Aubrey replied, playing with his carrots before looking up at his girlfriend. "We talked about...this morning...my nightmare, that is...not what happened afterwards...that's between us."

"Did it help? You were stressed when you left this morning."

"Well, yeah, Jess. I was exhausted and felt like an asshole for wham bamming my girlfriend before 5 AM because of that damn dream." Realizing he was being snappy, he grimaced as he took a breath. "Sorry."

"It's okay, Aubrey. Don't feel bad. You needed to forget that dream, and, besides, you made up for it in the shower." Jessica said quietly before taking a bite of her salad. "So, did it help you to talk to Booth about it?"

"Yeah...yeah it did." Aubrey paused to sip his wine. "Stark came by and said I need to talk to the FBI shrink. I had called before lunch to make an appointment but all I got was her voice mail. Booth pushed me to go ASAP, so when she returned my call after lunch, saying she had a 6:00 opening tonight, I took it. That's why I was late tonight...that and all the snow. Dr. Dalton...helped put what happened with Sipoletti into perspective."

"That's good, Superman.", Jessica said as she took his hand. "What's going to happen now? Can you go back to field work?"

"Yeah, she cleared me, but...I'm going to talk to her next week, too.", Aubrey replied quietly. "It's not that I don't want to talk to you, Jess, but...I don't know…"

"Aubrey...you have nothing to be ashamed of. She's a psychologist and...you were traumatized. I can hold your hand and listen, but it sounds like you may need a professional as well...at least for a couple more weeks. It's okay, all right? Even Superman needs help once in a while." The redhead gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "You've been helping me move forward with all this Gerald shit...let me help you move forward from your problems. That way we can go forward together."

They came together and shared a kiss. Parting, Aubrey melted into Jessica's beautiful green eyes. "How about after we finish dinner and I clean up-"

"You're volunteering to clean up?", Jessica said with a chuckle. "After the way you moaned and groaned about it yesterday?"

"Yes, I'm going to clean up. Anyway, I was going to propose that we spend some time in our jet tub after dinner...you know, some quality time for just the two of us. I was thinking I could give you a shoulder massage...back massage...breast massage…"

"Sounds very nice...but what I am going to do for you?" Jessica licked her lips suggestively as she rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand.

The agent finished the last bites of his meal. "Spend time with me...maybe we can talk about our upcoming vacation…"

"Sounds good, Superman." Jessica finished her dinner and rose from the table. "Now, you take care of this, and I'll get the tub started. Don't take too long...remember, it's not nice to keep your girlfriend waiting..."

Picking up the plates, Aubrey watched her go up the stairs, visibly relieved. He couldn't help but smile as he loaded the dishwasher.

She loves me…'

The Bad Girls Bible does exist...found it while looking up something totally unrelated. Interesting to say the least.