**FOR THOSE WHO MISSED MY RECENT TWEET...I FORGOT TO POST THE UPDATE FOR CHAPTER 58 ON 7/29. MY SISTER GOT MARRIED THE DAY BEFORE AND I HAD A BRAIN FART. LAURA AND I RECOMMEND READING CH 58 BECAUSE A FEW POINTS IN THIS CHAPTER WILL MAKE MORE SENSE.
SORRY...MICHELLE
NOW...ON WITH THE STORY...
It's time for Aubrey and Jessica to enjoy their long awaited New Year's getaway to their beautiful cabin in the woods. What sort of fun awaits? Read on to find out.
Please note: there are some spicy bits in this chapter, and it's probably not suitable for at work reading.
A/N: Watch for L & C extras posted on Twitter and Tumblr.
Aubrey's bedroom was quiet as the morning twilight began to shine into the room. On the bed, two people were huddled close together and sleeping peacefully, joined by an orange cat dozing at the end. Along the bedroom floor a pair of black stockings, a black lace garter belt, a tuxedo shirt, a pair of black socks, and two pair of shoes were strewn at random intervals.
When the clock on Aubrey's phone moved to 7:00, his alarm went off, leading him to groan his displeasure. Opening one eye, he groaned again. "It's still dark in here…"
Opening the other eye, he felt a familiar sensation. Turning his head, he wasn't surprised to see that he was once again precariously close to the edge of his bed. Looking back, he saw the reason for his current predicament stretched out in front of him across the mattress.
"How does a girl barely 5'6" take up so much room in a king sized bed?", Aubrey mumbled with amazement, chuckling when Jessica snorted in her sleep.
Stretching, he had a contented smile on his face as he recalled how his Jessica was still up for fun and games when they got home after midnight, and play they did. First there was sex on the stairs, something neither of them had ever done before. Then, there was the 3 AM munchies attack that turned into a grand finale in their bedroom a few hours ago, which included them knocking his bedside lamp off his nightstand.
As the first rays of the sunrise peeked in through his curtains, he saw the lamp lying on the floor next to the bed, still intact. 'It lives to see another day.'
Observing the clothes scattered around the room, he noted that his pants and Jessica's dress were missing.
'Her dress and my pants are probably still on the stairs where we left them...it was a lot of fun but perhaps carpet would be better for next time...and without Skinner watching us from upstairs...although it wouldn't be the first time he's watched us having sex.'
His pleasant thoughts were interrupted by a loud meow before an orange creature less than nine pounds pounced on him, missing his junk by a couple of inches.
"Skinner…be careful where you jump on Daddy.", the agent whispered. "That's precious cargo there…I don't think your Aunt Jessica would like it being out of commission again so soon."
Seeing his cat give him the stink eye, Aubrey shook his head before rubbing his girlfriend's arm to rouse her. "Jess…wake up…"
"Curly, I'm almost done removing the particulates…", Jessica muttered in her sleep.
Aubrey snickered before gently shaking her. "Jessica, it's time to get up. You're pushing me off the bed again...and you wanted to be on the road by 8:30, remember?"
"Auuuhhhhhhh.", the redhead moaned before sleepily pulling the pillow over her head. "Too early, Superman…"
"Hey, you were the one who got all crazy with lust for me when we came home last night...oops...this morning.", Aubrey said.
Jessica pulled the pillow off her head before turning to face her boyfriend, with her hair tousled from sleep and sex. "You were the one who barely had the front door shut before you pulled my dress and panties off me so we could have sex on the stairs. Did you forget that they were crotchless after our fun times in your office?"
"No, I didn't, but I had a great view of your butt, and I couldn't resist.", Aubrey said, gently running his hand along his girlfriend's hip. "How are your knees, Jess?"
"A little sore. It was really hot, but if we do that again, it's your skinny ass on the stairs next time, Aubrey.", Jessica said as she sat up. "Now how about you get Skinner fed and I'll get in the shower."
"Sure. I'll be back quick, Jess, so I can get in with you.", Aubrey said. Walking around the room naked, he searched through the clothes on the floor. "Where the hell are my boxers?"
"Probably in the hallway, Superman.", Jessica retorted before yawning. "I think I pulled them off you before we got to the bedroom."
Aubrey looked in the hall and saw the blue silk boxers in a heap from last night. Picking them up, he put them on so he didn't run around naked downstairs. Don't want to risk giving the neighbors a show....
"You may want to hang up your tux or Skinner will sleep on it this weekend. I doubt the rental place wants it returned with orange kitty fur all over it.", Jessica yelled from the bedroom.
Heading to the stairs, he grabbed his tux pants, Jessica's dress, and her panties from where they'd left them earlier. Coming back into the bedroom, Aubrey watched his girlfriend pick up her garter belt and other items from the floor. He enjoyed the view of her backside until he was disturbed by a loud noise.
"Somebody wants to be fed, Aubrey.", Jessica giggled as she stepped into the bathroom.
Looking down, he stared down at the cause of the disturbance rubbing against his leg. "You couldn't give me five seconds to enjoy Aunt Jess's sweet ass, could you, Skinner?" Getting a wide eyed stare in turn, he shook his head. "Of course you don't care. Come on, cat. Let's get you some breakfast."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
By around 8:15, Aubrey and Jessica had his SUV loaded. After making a final check of the house, the couple locked up and headed to the garage. As the agent added the cabin's address into his SUV's Navigator, Jessica sent a text on her phone.
"I just let Andie know we're on our way with the house key. I told her we're stopping at the bakery on the way."
"Do they want anything?"
"I'll ask.", Jessica stated, chuckling at the quick response. "Andie just replied back that they request bear claws, plain and glazed donuts, and a couple of Squealers for Wendell. She told me last week that you'd gotten him hooked on those things."
"Those Squealers are amazing, Jess! Long john with maple frosting and bacon...oh yeah…", Aubrey said with a sigh. "Pure heaven…"
"That sounds soooo disgusting, Aubrey. When I brought those back from Michigan over a year ago, I didn't think you guys would fall in love so quickly."
"Hey, Booth loves them too, although he has to hide them from Dr. B at his office. Now my favorite shop has them, and it's great. Hee hee!", Aubrey replied as he put on his seat belt. Turning to his girlfriend, he smiled. "Ready to start our vacation?"
"I've been ready, Aubrey since you surprised me with it. Onward and upward. To Luray and the East..."
"Paraphrasing from The Chronicles of Narnia...you're awesome."
"Thank you, Superman."
Aubrey backed out of the driveway and pulled onto Janus Street. "We're not that far off our time table, Jess. After we can drop off the donuts and key to Andie and Wendell, we'll still have plenty of time to make it to the winery and hang with your brother and Greg for a bit. What time do they open today?"
"12:00. They're usually pretty busy on New Years Eve, but if we get early enough, we can have lunch with them before they open."
"Cool.", Aubrey replied. "By the way, I read yesterday that The Last Jedi will be out next December 15th."
"So like with The Force Awakens, unless you or I are called out on a case, we're going to the midnight showing, right?", Jessica replied as she plugged her phone into Aubrey's other power port.
"Damn straight we are.", Aubrey exclaimed as he found a parking spot a block from his favorite doughnut shop. Pulling up to the parallel spot, he slid out of the seat. "I'll be right back, Jess."
"I'll come with you. I'm in the mood for a croissant."
The two held hands, laughing together as they walked down the sidewalk. Arriving at the entrance, they spied a familiar vehicle stopping ahead at the intersection when the light turned red. "Jess, isn't that Daisy's car?"
Jessica looked at what she could see of the vanity plate and saw an S and DR. "Yes, it is...that's her Virginia vanity plate, BONES DR. That's weird. She's supposed to be taking Lance over to Dr. B and Booth's about 10:30, but driving into DC only to turn back towards McLean a short time later? I guess she could be running to the NFL..."
They watched as Daisy's car moved straight as the light turned green. "Maybe if she turned left to get on 395. Maybe she's going to see Beau for a few minutes?", Aubrey postulated.
The couple got in line at the shop, waiting to make their purchase. "No, because 495 is east of us and she's going west...I don't know...she was heading towards Georgetown, so maybe she got called to a scene. It's no big deal, I suppose...", Jessica said with a shrug of her shoulders.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Twenty minutes later, Aubrey came out of the bakery holding two boxes while finishing off a chocolate glazed donut. Holding the door open with his body, Jessica came through holding a carrier with four coffees and a paper bag. When they got to the government issued SUV, she held the back door open for Aubrey so he could put the two bakers' dozen inside.
Getting in, Jessica put Aubrey's coffee and hers in the console between them with the other two on her lap. As her boyfriend climbed in, Jessica pulled a glazed donut out of her bag, taking a bite before handing it to him. "Wow...that place was busy, Superman."
"I guess everyone wants their munchies for tomorrow since they'll probably all be hungover.", Aubrey said with a snicker before taking a bite. "Oh yeah...tasty….but not as tasty as you, my dear Jessica."
Both laughed as Aubrey started his vehicle and eased back onto Massachusetts Ave. Fifteen minutes later, they almost to Wendell and Andie's apartment when Jessica's phone buzzed. Reading it, her eyes got large. "What the heck..."
Aubrey finished chewing his donut as he turned onto 15th St NW. "What's wrong?"
"Daisy just texted me.", Jessica said, reading the message out loud. "I need some girl time before you go on vacay with Aubrey, so I'm at that Dog Tag Bakery in Georgetown that Booth turned us all onto picking us up some scones, croissants, and chai tea lattes. I will be at your house in a while."
"I guess I was just supposed to twiddle my thumbs and wait until she was ready for us to go on our vacation, right?" Annoyed, Aubrey took a deep breath. "Do you want me to take you back to the house?"
Jessica could tell her boyfriend was irritated. "No, Aubrey. If it was a true emergency, that's one thing, but it's not. I've looked forward to our weekend away for two weeks now, and I'm not delaying our trip just because she's bored and probably still pissed at Beau. Now let's get this stuff over to Andie and Wendell's so we can be on our way. I'll call her later."
"Okay, Jess.", Aubrey said as he stopped at a red light. When the redhead pulled a croissant out of the bag and held it out in front of him, he took a bite. "Thanks."
"You're welcome.", Jessica said before tasting it. "Yummy…"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Over an hour later, Aubrey and Jessica were traveling west through Virginia on I-66 W and debating on one of their favorite topics.
"Attack of the Clones, Superman. Definitely Attack of the Clones."
Aubrey snickered before drinking his coffee. "Nope, Phantom Menace."
"Aubrey, Attack of the Clones is the crappiest prequel, hands down. Come on, it had Hayden Christensen in it-"
"So did Revenge of the Sith. If his acting was any more wooden, Jess, he would be a tree. However, Phantom Menace brought us Jar Jar Binks and totally wasted Qui-Gon."
"But Attack had him and Padme fall in love.", Jessica replied with quotation marks. "This is supposed to be the love story that started this whole saga and to screw it up was not an option. However, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman had absolutely no chemistry. Padme was five years older than him, Aubrey..."
"Um...I've almost five years older than you, Jess.", Aubrey said. "What's the difference? They were adults by the time they got together in Clones."
"But you're cute and you have substance, plus we met when I was 26 and you were 31. We were old enough to know what we wanted."
"Actually, it was a week before my 31st birthday. Besides, I may have wanted to get to know more about the cute squintern who was working on the Hayes Robertson case.", the agent replied with a chuckle. "I had to check things out carefully, you know? Gather some info…"
Jessica looked at her boyfriend and narrowed her eyes. "Fine, you were 30 and 51 weeks and I was 26, five months, and eight days when we met...and I may have wanted to talk more with the cute agent in Angela's office. My point, smartass, is that while Anakin was 19 in Attack of the Clones, he was totally immature and still way under Padme's league...and that stupid crap took up most of the film."
"Jar Jar Binks annoyed the crap out of me, but I could live with that. What Lucas totally screwed up was giving us badass Qui-Gon, and then killing him off. You don't kill off Liam Neeson. Jess, we have debated this for a year and a half. It's never going to change...and I'll always be right."
"You're deluding yourself, Superman, but I still love you. Now, moving on, I thought it was nice of you to ask Wendell and Andie to join us Monday night."
"Well, they're housesitting for us and we haven't been able to hang out for almost four weeks between me recuperating, Andie's work schedule and all three of you working on your end of semester stuff. Besides, the cabin has three bedrooms. That was okay, right?"
"Of course it was. Andie said they weren't leaving our house this weekend at all unless forced to. I hope you don't mind...", Jessica snickered.
"I'm sure they have some catching up to do as well. Wendell told me the same thing when I was showing him his box of donuts. I let him know that as long as they leave our bed alone and change the sheets wherever they were, they're fine.", Aubrey replied with a chuckle before sobering up. "Did you want to ask Daisy and Beau to join us?"
"Daisy told me when we had lunch a couple days ago that she was working all day Monday and heading straight there. Angela and Curly are going to take Lance overnight since Monday Night Football usually runs late."
Aubrey watched the road as he drove. "Do you think she'll still go to Beau's game if she's still pissed at him?"
The redhead shifted in her seat. "I'm assuming things will calm down by then. If she's decides that she's not going, then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
As Jessica finished speaking, her phone played 'Be Our Guest'. "Shit...I forgot to call her."
"Hey, what Daisy doesn't know won't hurt her.", Aubrey said before the redhead turned down the radio.
"Shhhhh.", Jessica gently admonished before answering. "Hey Dais, what's up?"
"What's up is I'm at Aubrey's house with a box of scones and croissants with two chai tea lattes and no one is home. Skinner is staring at me through the curtain with a mean face. Where are you? Didn't you get my message?"
"I'm sorry I missed you, but Aubrey and I were already on the road early this morning and we were in a dead zone. Right now, we're almost to my family's winery for some booze and visit my brother and his partner before heading to the cabin."
"But I'm bored, Jessica. Lance is with Dr. B and Booth and my husband, who hasn't apologized for being an ass last night is at work. I called Andie but she and Wendell were going over to her mother's house today before they veg at Aubrey's house tonight for New Years."
"Why don't you see what Angela is up to?", Jessica replied. "Dr. B said that Booth and Hodgins were taking the kids to see 'A Christmas Carol' at the Kennedy Center later today with Arastoo, Jordan, and Isaiah before everyone hangs out at their house for the ball drop tonight."
"I tried calling her but had to leave a voicemail. When I called Hodgins, he said she was sleeping in because they got in late from that fancy banquet you all went to last night."
"Angela is almost six months pregnant, Daisy...she's probably exhausted. Aubrey and I had a hard time waking up this morning because we got in after midnight." , Jessica said, trying to ignore Daisy's frustrated tone.
"What the heck kept you there so late last night? They were just handing out some award to Booth, Aubrey, and that Agent Shaw lady, right?"
"Yes, but there was also cocktails and dinner...I met Aubrey's bosses and other higher ups at the FBI. He and I also danced for while in between everyone hanging out together having a good time.", Jessica said, leaving out the later part with her boyfriend in his office. "There was a lot going on besides just the awards…"
"I still don't see how an FBI party can be that much fun, Jessica. I'm sure Dr. B and especially Hodgins and Dr. Saroyan were bored to tears. Angela and Arastoo, too. They're not even part of the FBI. Why they had to go, I don't know."
Deciding to not get into a debate, Jessica moved on. "Did you maybe see what Dr. B's plans were today?"
There was a huffing noise in the phone. "She said she was getting together with Dr. Saroyan this afternoon so they can brainstorm on how to save Andy from what happened in the last book so his survival is realistic."
"Well, Dr. Saroyan is an MD and you know how Dr. B doesn't want inaccuracy in her books.", Jessica said diplomatically. "You know, if you have the condo to yourself, why don't you kick back and enjoy the peace and quiet today? You know...read...take a bubble bath..."
"Jessica…I had to stand in line for over 30 minutes to get this stuff. I've got different scones and other treats for Aubrey as well."
Jessica closed her eyes and counted to five. "Daisy, I do appreciate that but it wouldn't be fair to ask Aubrey to turn around and drive almost two hours back. He went to a lot of trouble to get us this cabin for New Year's and we've only got three nights to enjoy it because of his busy work schedule."
It was quiet on the other end for a few seconds. "Fine. I'll just go to work and get some paperwork done. Enjoy your vacation, Jessica. Say hi to Aubrey for me and Happy New Year."
"I'll tell him. Happy—" Jessica stopped as she heard a dial tone. Ending the call, she rolled her eyes at her phone. "New Year, Daisy."
Aubrey turned to his girlfriend as he got on the exit for US 29 towards Washington, Virginia. "Jessica, did she hang up on you?"
"Yeah, she's a little frustrated that I'm not there and that everyone else has plans today." The anthropologist exhaled softly. "She's going to work at the NFL until Beau comes home. Hopefully they don't fight again before they go over to his parents' house tonight."
"I would think she would enjoy having some time to herself, but oh well.", Aubrey said before continuing his thoughts. "Jess, I love Daisy…I really do, but it seems she's…well…almost taking advantage of you lately. She's been really needy lately..."
"Aubrey! She's one of my best friends, okay? She's going through a hard time right now. She also has a lot of issues to work out."
"I know, but instead of working on them like you've suggested the last few weeks, including on Christmas, she comes running to you, Andie, or even Oliver, of all people. Wendell has been friends with her longer than any of us, and he told me this morning that Daisy has crashed their plans a couple of times in the last few weeks."
"Daisy needs us, Superman.", Jessica said. "She feels awkward bothering Dr. B, Angela, or Dr. Saroyan with her troubles because she feels that they have lives of their own."
"And you don't? Andie doesn't?", Aubrey said, trying to keep his aggravation to a minimum "You've had a full load with finishing your semester, dealing with all the Gerald Maxwell shit, and taking care of me when I got out of the hospital. Andie works a full time job at the hospital, is also going back to school for her Masters and Doctorate to be a nurse practitioner, and trying to find time with Wendell, who's writing his thesis for Dr. B and starting work on his medical anthropology PhD."
Jessica's frustration reached a boiling point. "So are you saying I shouldn't be there for my friend, Aubrey?"
"No.", Aubrey said, keeping his eyes on the road. "That's not what I meant at all. I want you to be supportive and compassionate with your friends. It's one of the reasons I love you so much, but I don't want you to run yourself ragged in the process." Seeing Jessica's glare, he clenched his jaw. "I'm going to shut up now."
The SUV was quiet as the two went to neutral corners for the next few minutes, with the only sound coming from the radio. The agent saw his girlfriend looking pensive as she stared out the window at the Virginia countryside. "I've just fucked up our vacation, haven't I? I don't want to fight, Jess. I'm sorry."
Realizing her boyfriend misunderstood her silence, Jessica took his hand. "I'm sorry, too. I don't want to fight this weekend, either…and you're right. She promised me she was going to work on things with Beau and I'm going to push her to do that."
"Good…", Aubrey said, relieved they'd gotten past that hump. Seeing a highway sign, he gestured. "Now it's 211 we take to get to the winery, right?"
"Yep…then onto Luray.", Jessica replied before picking up her phone again. "I'm letting my brother know that we'll be there in about 30 minutes. I can give you a quick tour if you want."
"Sounds fun.", Aubrey said before turning to his girlfriend. "Sorry it won't be 70 degrees like it was earlier in the week."
"That's okay, Superman. 70 degree weather in January is just weird.", Jessica said with a smirk. "Besides, colder nights gives us more reason to stay in and use the fireplace…"
The couple smirked at each other before Aubrey turned his attention back to the road.
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After an early lunch with Jack and Greg and Jessica giving Aubrey a tour of her family's winery, the couple drove on until they got to the RIVER WOODS sign at the end of a sloping driveway just shy of noon.
"Here we are, Jess.", Aubrey said before turning left onto the winding driveway.
Jessica looked around at the trees surrounding the gravel road. "Secluded...very nice."
Pulling up to the cabin, both got out and admired the large log cabin. Jessica looked in awe at the place where they would be staying for the next three nights. Standing on the lawn, she grinned happily.
"Superman, this place looks gorgeous. It's even more beautiful than the pictures on the website you showed me."
Pleased that she was so excited, Aubrey nodded towards the door. "I know...let's check out the inside."
The couple found the key under the mat and unlocked the cabin. Going inside, both were amazing at how nice it was.
The living room was spacious with hardwood floors, log walls, and several windows set off by a large stone wood burning fireplace. There were two comfy chairs with a large leather brown couch. Going upstairs, the two passed the full guest bathroom lined with marble tiles and admired the space in the two guest bedrooms.
"Wendell and Andie will love it here Monday night, Superman.", Jessica exclaimed.
"I guess this place is 1900 square feet.", Aubrey replied as he peeked back into the guest bathroom. "Very impressive."
Heading back downstairs, they found the master bedroom, or 'master retreat' as it was called on the website. The floors throughout were hardwood, but there was a lovely gas fireplace with a stone hearth. The room was also very spacious with plenty of room for the King sized bed.
"Lots of room for us to move around. Awesome.", Aubrey replied with a chuckle.
"Aubrey, check out the bathroom!"
The agent stepped into the master bathroom and was in awe of the marble floors. The sinks were his and hers with a granite counter top. Robes and fluffy towels were on a shelf and the room was completed with the Jacuzzi.
"Aubrey….this hot tub is almost as nice as yours."
"Woo hoo!" Aubrey got giddy as he imagined the two of them in there. Coming up behind Jessica, he put his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Open a bottle of wine...play some Dylan...relax together…"
"Just relax? Who are you trying to bullshit, Aubrey?", Jessica chuckled. "We will enjoy this very much. Now, we should get our stuff, especially our groceries."
Getting their provisions out of the back end, they walked back in and admired the open dining room and kitchen on the other side of the living area. Aubrey almost drooled at the center island with the stove and granite counter tops.
"Jess! This kitchen is even more amazing up close! Look at all the space."
The redhead chuckled at her boyfriend's glee as she put their bottles of Saoirse Finn in the fridge. "I guess I know where I can find you this weekend."
Aubrey turned to his girlfriend without missing a beat. "Nah, I'll be too busy being inside you for the next three days."
Jessica's mouth dropped in shock as her boyfriend headed back out to their vehicle while whistling The Imperial March.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
After getting settled in, they snuggled on the couch and began their Star Wars marathon. They had fun quoting the dialogue from memory from their favorite movie series. When Attack of the Clones ended, Aubrey and Jessica celebrated before the agent shut off the movie.
"Yay! The shitty sequels are done!", Jessica said with applause.
"Yes, they are! Tomorrow...the classics. Now, it's time to get ready for our evening.", he said, cajoling his girlfriend from his arms. "I'm treating you to a fancy dinner tonight at this restaurant Jack recommended, Circa 31. It's right in town inside the Mimslyn Inn."
"A fancy dinner, huh?" Jessica smiled as she stood up and stretched. "I thought we could maybe do a naked dinner tonight? We don't have to worry about neighbors peeping in through the windows. You could even pee outside if you wanted, Aubrey."
"Very tempting, but the dinner reservations are already made and I prefer to piss inside...but I'll keep that in mind." The agent smirked. "However, I could go for a naked breakfast tomorrow morning. I can't think of a better way to celebrate our first meal of 2017."
Jessica gave her boyfriend a peck on the cheek. "Sounds wonderful. So what's the plan after our meal, sir?"
Aubrey put his arm around her as he led her to the bedroom. "Well, after our fancy dinner, we'll come back here, pop that champagne we snagged from the winery...and have our own private New Year's Eve celebration."
"I can't wait", Jessica said, removing a garment bag out of the closet and pulling out her dress. "Does this dress work for dinner?"
"Very nice." Aubrey admired the simple hunter green flare dress and noted one very important thing. "It buttons up in the front?"
Jessica laid the dress on the bed and gave Aubrey a sultry grin. "Yes, it does. I got it at the consignment shop where I got my dress for the Gala."
'Well...it will be easy to get off her later.', the agent thought happily. "That's a good color for you. I like it."
'He likes that it will be easy for him to get off me later.' Jessica chuckled to herself as she noticed his sly grin. "I'm glad. Now let's hit the shower."
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Two hours later, the couple were at a secluded table at Circa 31. Jessica ordered the four course wine pairing special to share with Aubrey, while he also ordered the restaurant's Surf and Turf. The redhead watched with amusement as her boyfriend sampled her third course on a side plate while alternating with the filet mignon on his.
"Jess…this food is amazing…your chicken is awesome…but the steak…damn…"
Jessica sipped her wine. "I like that they used our chardonnay with this course."
Aubrey chewed his crab cake. "Are you going to tell them that it's your family's wine?"
The anthropologist shook her head. "No. My mother has done that a couple of times and it makes things awkward. They did a good job with all the wine pairings tonight. Thank you for sharing this with me, Superman."
"Well, I'm driving tonight and it seems they are generous with the wine they give you. This way, I can try the wine and the food while letting you enjoy most of it. Anyway, this surf and turf looked too damn good to pass up."
"This has been an amazing New Year's Eve so far, Superman.", Jessica said, putting her glass down on the table. "Any special New Year's resolutions?"
'Yeah…get the balls to ask you to move in with me…then ask you to marry me without wanting to vomit in fear…' Aubrey thought. "Just…to honestly be the best SAC that I can be and to be the best boyfriend I can be to you, including supporting you when that asshole's trial starts on the 23rd."
Jessica's countenance fell. "Genny said that she's having trouble finding other women to testify about what they know about Gerald…"
"Jess, I refuse to believe that the right thing won't happen here. Yes, in a few weeks things will suck, but…I need to have faith that Caroline will get that perverted piece of shit in jail where he belongs. He's dangerous."
"It's going to get ugly, you know.", Jessica said quietly as she sipped her wine. "I don't want this to affect your job, Aubrey—"
"It won't, Jess. Only Genny has access to the case file, because Stark himself locked it down on a need to know basis. He has to approve which FBI personnel have access to it, and I'm not on the approved list, to avoid any appearance of favoritism. Hodgins said that the lab protocol that he set up for Zack's case is being used for your case, too."
"Two people must examine all evidence at all times, and if he's working on my case, I have to go to Limbo or work with Clark." Jessica nodded before looking up from the table. "That's not what I was talking about, James and you know it."
"My job is secure, okay? The Maxwells can try to screw things up but they aren't going to ruin my career because I'm supporting you. Look at me, Jessica.", Aubrey said bluntly. When she did, he took her hand and smiled. "Even if by some stretch of the imagination they did hurt my career, it doesn't matter to me. You're more important than that. I can live somehow without a job...but I can't live without you, do you understand? You're my life."
Her heart skipped a beat he saw the sincerity in his eyes. Holding back her emotions, she smiled. "Okay."
"Good.", Aubrey replied. "Now, we're going to get that prick. He can't weasel his way out of these charges. This way he can't hurt anyone else like he hurt you."
Karen's comments from the night before surfaced in Jessica's mind. She knew it was a cheap shot, but it still hurt. Biting her lip for a moment, she pressed forward. "Do you think Karen was involved with Gerald on this thing? Be straight with me, Superman."
Aubrey exhaled. "I don't think Karen told him to slash your tires or break into your apartment. I do think that she played on his anger so that perhaps he would try to get you fired from the lab."
The redhead nodded. "So that I would be kicked out of my program...causing me to find another university...probably away from DC...and be away from you…and Steve."
The agent nodded in agreement. "I also suspect that there's more to her 'meeting' with Gerald, but nothing criminal."
"Like what?"
"She claims she slept with Gerald after they met by chance and got drunk together. With the time frame she gave, it doesn't make sense. All last month, she paraded Bower around as the love of her life and bragged about how amazing he was. She's many things, but I don't see her cheating on someone...no matter how much she detested you."
"Yeah, but she knew about the artifacts from Thrace…and that wasn't public knowledge, Superman."
"I'm not saying they didn't meet up before or after the Gala.", Aubrey replied before sipping his beer. "I just think that Gerald's actions after he came back from suspension, like confronting you after work, nit picking your wardrobe, and messing with the lab, wasn't just because he was mad that he wasn't getting a slap and a tickle from you."
Jessica realized what her boyfriend was telling her. "So are you saying that you think they met up more than once?"
Aubrey nodded. "Yeah, I am. The first was after my birthday and the Gala."
"And the second?"
Aubrey finished the last bite of his filet mignon. "Thanksgiving weekend."
Surprised at the certainty, she inquired further. "You're that certain?"
The agent sipped her beer. "I am. All through November, she was wrapped up in Steve, but it's common knowledge that he's a flirt. Plus, Karen seemed alright before that weekend, but on Thanksgiving Angela, Booth, Clark, and everyone else said she kept talking about me and asking about when I was supposed to arrive. Daisy said she seemed to be frustrated about being there almost three hours when we came over."
"Her panties were in a wad when she realized that you spent part of the day with my family." Jessica sipped her wine. "Didn't you say that Booth gave her the wrong time because he wanted to teach her a lesson?"
"Yes, he did. Of course, once we got there, she wouldn't fucking leave me alone. Usually, people have been polite and ignored her. That day, I got snarky with her, as did a few of the others, but it didn't faze her. However, you got in her face and embarrassed her more than once."
"Because I called her out on her shit?", Jessica replied. "She was being a bitch. She made nasty comments about me hanging out with the guys at Founding Fathers, kept Christine from sitting with you which is pathetic, plus obviously flirted with you although she had a boyfriend that I was trying to steal. I'm telling you, Superman, she was wearing those hot pink panties on Thanksgiving hoping you would take her home so she could show them off and let you know what she was grateful for on her holiday."
"Ugh….don't remind me…", Aubrey replied with a face of disgust. "Dealing with her...it's like high school and she's trying to...fit into our clique. She acts like you're this mean girl that's plotting against her and forcing us not to let her join. It's just weird.
The redhead considered what her boyfriend was saying. "So, you're saying I pushed her buttons on Thanksgiving and she was so pissed that she met up with Gerald again and told him more lies?"
"Yeah, I am, Jess. According to Karen, Steve was supposedly getting hang up calls from you or you were flirting with him because you were bored with me. Of course, he really was flirting and bothering you. Knowing that dumbass, he was screwing around and played you up to get her off the trail with whomever he was nailing on the side."
"It was probably Candi...you know, that CSI lady I heard about from Genny...and Mitzi, too, I guess."
"Exactly. Steve was probably fooling around on her all through last month. Maybe she heard about it, and knowing that idiot, he encouraged her thinking you were after him to get himself off the hook. I mean, I'm sure he thought it was fun to pretend that a pretty girl was after him, even though she kicked him in the shin, almost broke his fingers, and told him to fuck off on multiple occasions."
"The worst was when he called you a dick and was talking shit about you. If I thought I could have gotten away with it, I would have kneed him, too."
Aubrey chuckled. "Thanks...as I was saying, then, you humiliated her on Thanksgiving and she was super pissed. Deciding that the solution was to get you out of the picture, she used her vocation to play on Gerald's fragile ego with more lies about you…like saying he was gay...that he couldn't get it up, or whatever other crap she told him. However, she didn't know about his history besides what was in the society columns."
"Essentially, she wanted you first and Steve as a backup.". Jessica said. "How lovely."
"Well, Genny said she gave Karen a stern warning about staying away from Gerald, so we don't have to worry about her in that aspect. I just hope she takes the warning I gave her last week about leaving you alone seriously."
Aubrey saw her stiffen before going back to her food. He knew her tells too well. "Jessica, did Karen do something that I don't know about?"
Not wanting to make it into a thing, Jessica sipped her wine. "It's not a big deal, Aubrey."
Aubrey noted she looked everywhere but at him. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that, Jessica."
"Let it go, Aubrey.", Jessica said in an irritated tone, wanting to move on.
Suspicions confirmed, the agent pressed his girlfriend. "Okay, now you're getting pissy and not looking me in the eye, so something did happen. Tell me right now, Jessica. I mean it."
"Fine, since you're not going to leave it alone.", Jessica said, defeated. "Last night, after we split up at the buffet, Karen and I...had a discussion…"
"About what?", Aubrey asked, his concern growing.
"You know, the usual...she made shitty comments on my appearance...needled me about my trust fund...and my previous reputation at the Jeffersonian…"
"Jess, she's just blowing smoke. Usually, you shrug that petty crap off. Now, what else happened, because I know there's more."
Jessica played with her fork, avoiding her boyfriend's intense gaze. "We talked about you...Karen commented on how you needed 'the right woman' on your arm if you're going to move up in the FBI. I said if you weren't going to move up further, you wouldn't be a SAC right now, and whether I stay after graduation...or if I take a job in another city and you come with me, that you will make your mark in the FBI."
"What else, Jess?" When she hesitated, he took her hand. "Jessica...whatever she said next has you upset. Now, please...tell me."
The redhead took a deep breath. "She said that I was selfish to make you move for my job. You also need more than a woman who's a cheap tease, leading men like Gerald Maxwell on. It's those two things which always get me into trouble with men, according to her."
Aubrey took a deep breath as well to calm his temper. 'That...bitch! She's gone way too far this time.'
Jessica saw his eyes harden and knew the look all too well. "Aubrey...please don't get upset. I'm over it, all right?"
"Jess...when we get back home, you're going to file a report for harassment. We're done pussy footing around her."
"No, Aubrey…it's between me and her…"
"Not anymore it's not. I told her to leave you alone and she picked at you anyway. I've had it. You need to file that report."
"No, Aubrey, because that will just add fuel to the fire, okay?"
Aubrey saw his girlfriend wasn't going to budge. "Fine, but Agent Tanner is back from paternity leave on Monday. I'm going to call him and we're going to have a little chat. She's not working in my division anymore unless I personally approve it."
"Aubrey...", Jessica replied firmly. "...you can talk to him when you return on Wednesday."
"I'm not going to wait on this. I'm done coddling her, Jess. I'm calling him Monday."
"Aubrey, don't...please..", Jessica said, shaking her head at him. "I don't want my troubles with Gerald or Karen to take control of this weekend. This is our vacation, and I want to spend it concentrating on each other."
"But Jess—"
"Do you know what my New Year's Resolution is?", the redhead said before squeezing her boyfriend's hand. "It's to continue doing what we're doing so we can have a life together without always being afraid. I love being in love with you…I love that you want to slay my dragon for me, James, just because that's the person you are. I want us to get to the point where there aren't any more dragons...where we don't have to worry about fathers, mothers, or our pasts…that we can just our lives together. I think we're going to get there eventually, don't you?"
Aubrey's heart turned into a puddle of goo as he worked to keep his composure. Suddenly, he realized that there was only one thing he wanted to do at that moment…and it had nothing to do with food. At the same time, the waiter brought her dessert and final glass of wine.
"We need a box and the check, please."
When the waiter walked away, a surprised Jessica looked at her boyfriend. "Aubrey, what about my dessert?"
"You're taking it to go, Jessica.", Aubrey said in a deeper voice. "You're going to finish your wine that comes with it and then we're going back to the cabin."
Jessica heard the desperation in her boyfriend's voice and it started to make her damp. "I guess since it's after 10:00 that it wouldn't hurt to get a head start home. Crazy drivers will be all over after midnight…"
"Yes, they will."
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Forty five minutes later, the couple walked into their cabin. The agent locked it before pushing Jessica up against the wall with his hands all over her. The anthropologist groaned as she felt her boyfriend's lips nibble her ear and neck in the way that drove her crazy.
"Oh God, James…", she moaned as she held his head close to her.
"I love you, Jessica.", he whispered, unbuttoning the front of her dress as his lips found whatever soft skin he could find, intoxicated by the faint cherry vanilla scent of her body wash and spray.
The redhead felt herself get wet as Aubrey's very talented hands opened her dress and explored her body. With haste, she threw his sports jacket on the floor before hastily unbuttoning his button up shirt. When she had her lover naked to the waist, he quickly removed her dress and threw it on the floor with the rest of his clothes. Feeling his hands kneading her rear, Jessica grabbed around Aubrey's neck before he picked her up and held her against the wall.
Aubrey's thought processes dwindled as he kissed and nibbled every inch of Jessica's collarbone and chest before his lips moved down to her breasts, encased in green lace. Suckling the hard nipple of her left breast, his tongue moved around the lace like an ice cream cone. He could feel her excitement as she pulled herself closer to him.
"James…"
Aubrey hoisted Jessica up and carried her through the cabin to the master bedroom. Laying her down on the bed, he followed and pressed up against her as they kissed and caressed each other sensually before flipping her around on top of him. Setting her up, he continued their affection as his hands roamed onto Jessica's back and his lips on her abdomen.
The redhead pressed herself into Aubrey's hardness as his hands moved up and unclip her bra. Moving her arms so he could yank it off her, Jessica moaned even louder when his lips and tongue alternated with his hands on her breasts. Just when she thought she couldn't handle any more, her boyfriend flipped her onto her back and trailed down her abdomen with his lips.
Aubrey's primal instinct was to rip her panties off and pound the hell out of the beautiful woman underneath him. However, craving the emotional connection with Jessica, he instead pulled her underwear off slowly, following the trail down her legs with his lips. Making his way back up, he took the invitation of her open thighs and made his way to her core. He teased her, her shudders pushing him closer to the brink before he finally tasted. Knowing her pleasure points, the agent found them in rapid succession as his hands roamed up and caressed her in response to her loud moans. Thankfully, as he was about to the point of pain, he heard it.
"Now, James….oh God now…"
Whipping off his pants and boxer shorts, Aubrey entered his girlfriend and they froze as the shock of pleasure enveloped them both.
Wrapping her legs around him, Jessica held on tight as he deliciously thrusted into her. Holding him close, the pleasure came through in waves with each jolt. Opening her eyes, she saw her lover's eyes become pure black as he crested the same waves as she did. Feeling herself come close to her end, she held on tighter as her nails dug into his lower back.
"Aubrey…ohhhhhh…I love...you..."
The agent responded by pushing further as his pleasure escalated. As her legs became tighter against him and her nails began to dig, he bucked as hard as he could so he could bring her climax on before his own.
"I love you, Jessica…"
Right after he spoke his emotional declaration, he felt her shake and heard her scream his name before he filled her. They held onto each other as Aubrey rode his own orgasm out until he collapsed on Jessica. For the next several minutes, they kissed and held each other as they recouped from the mind blowing experience they'd just shared.
"You feel so good next to me, Jess…", Aubrey whispered as he caressed his lover's skin.
"So do you, Superman.", Jessica breathlessly replied as her hands roamed over his muscular posterior.
"I'm sorry I dragged you out of Circa 31.", Aubrey replied as his hand lightly touched her breast, loving the slight shiver at his touch. "When you said what you said…about your New Year's resolution…it…affected me...so much..."
"You didn't think it was corny?", Jessica said while looking up into his eyes.
"No…", he said quietly. "It was…probably one of the most beautiful things anyone has said to me. I'm not there yet, Jessica. Mentally I know you're not going to leave me behind…I know you're not always checking to see if the grass is greener on the other side. Emotionally, though, I'm still a mess, but…I'm getting better."
"I'm getting there, too, Superman. Maybe…once the trial is over and we have some breathing room…maybe we can talk about…furthering our relationship….if we're ready…"
"I'd like that, Jess.", Aubrey said softly.
They held each other tight as they kissed, ready to make love again. However, their amorous moment was interrupted by what sounded like firecrackers. "Aubrey, what the hell…", Jessica exclaimed as she pushed her boyfriend up.
Moving up to his elbows, Aubrey jumped out of bed naked and ran to the window. At first, he didn't see anything, but then he saw fireworks in the sky. "What the…wait…Jess…"
"Turn around and look Aubrey."
The agent turned around to see Jessica through the moonlight pointing to a digital clock showing 12:07. "It seems that it's now officially 2017.", she said through giggles. "You know what this means."
Aubrey walked back to their bed and crawled under the covers. "It means we came with the New Year…"
The couple laughed like crazy as they realized what happened. Jessica calmed down first. "So, Aubrey, do you want to continue our celebration of the New Year?"
"I think we can do that." Aubrey said before pulling the blanket over them. "2017, here we come…", he said to Jessica's laughs.
"Wait, what about the champagne we brought from the winery?"
"It can wait an hour...or two."