What did Jessica decide about taking Gerald to court, and what does Aubrey think about her decision? Read on to find out...

As predicted, Hannah was waiting outside with a cameraman when the couple walked out the front of the J. Edgar Hoover building. After Aubrey told the reporter in no uncertain terms to leave Jessica alone, she shot back with a diatribe about freedom of the press.

"We have a right to know, Agent Aubrey. You can't stop the news, and there's nothing you can do to censor me. I've covered wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and all over the world. Just ask Booth and he'll tell you that I don't scare easily. What do you say about that?"

Aubrey remained calm, pausing slightly before he answered. "I'd say…that you have every right to cover this case. However, I also suspect there must be a good, juicy reason you're now doing local news instead of international news for NBC."

"My career is none of your bus—"

"Now, you have ten seconds to back off my girlfriend immediately so we can go home to some peace and quiet. If you don't, not only will I find out why you're now with Channel 7 and then publicize it, but I'll also use my influence, and Booth's, to get your FBI credentials pulled. Not a good thing for a reporter around here, Ms. Burley. Now…what's it's going to be?"

"Fine, I'll leave, but I'm still covering this story, Agent Aubrey. I don't quit just because some man threatens me." Seething, Hannah turned to Jessica. "It's ironic that you are accusing a man of harassment but you're with someone who's doing the same thing to me."

Jessica's cheeks flushed red with anger. Practically pushing her boyfriend out of the way, she stood toe to toe with the older woman. "Aubrey…is nothing like Gerald Maxwell. Obviously, you've struck out with men since you and Booth broke up or else you would know the difference. Now get out of my face or I'll kick your skinny, Botox injected ass, lady."

Shocked, Hannah slowly backed away with her cameraman and they got back into the Channel 7 news van. Aubrey couldn't help but smile as he watched the vehicle pull away from the parking lot.

"You would take on Hannah Burley to defend my honor?"

Jessica turned to her boyfriend. "If she ever talks that ignorant smack about you again, yes, I would. You sometimes make me mad to the point I want to kick your ass, too, Aubrey, but your worst could never compare to what that bastard has done to me and to those other women. Never."

After a quick kiss, they got into her SUV. After moving it inside the garage, Aubrey jumped out and pulled his vehicle out so she could pull into his space before he drove the two of them over to Founding Fathers.

As they had a beer at the bar while waiting for their order, they saw a Channel 7 news report on her lawsuit on the TV by the bar. Jessica knew she was getting a few stares from the restaurant's other patrons, but Aubrey helped her by keeping her occupied as they waited.

After they took their appetizers home and enjoyed them, he set the DVR to record their Dr. Who movie. Surprised, Jessica watched Aubrey put the remote down on the coffee table.

"Superman, we were going to watch that tonight, right?."

Aubrey shook his head as he gently took her hand. "We will tomorrow, but tonight…I think you need to gather the receipts together for all the stuff you had to replace when Gerald damaged them. I'm not pressuring you, but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared."

Jessica gulped. "They would be in my apartment…and it's almost 9:00…"

Aubrey treaded carefully, knowing she was still nervous about being in her apartment. "Do you want to do this tomorrow?" When he saw her quietly clench her jaw, he took a chance. "Do you want me to come with you tonight?"

The intern answered with a nod and the two grabbed their coats to brave the January cold snap that had hit DC. As Aubrey drove them over, it was silent for a few minutes until Jessica spoke up.

"How hard is it to sue someone, Superman? I don't want a million dollar judgement...but say I decide to sue him to recoup what I had to pay to replace that stuff and the headache in transfering my accounts. Do I need to get a lawyer?"

"You can do small claims court if you just want to recover what he owes you, Jess." Aubrey made a left hand turn onto Connecticut Avenue. "For that sort of thing, you don't need a lawyer. From what I learned in civil law, you are limited to whatever the jurisdiction, in this case, Washington DC, allows as its tort limits. However, if you decide to take him to court for a larger judgment, then you will need a good civil attorney. I don't know any attorneys in civil law, but Caroline might….or if you want to ask her opinion, your mother may have some advice, too-"

"No...I'm good with keeping Mom out of this, Aubrey.", Jessica said. "She hasn't talked to me since all this broke out. Either she's off her meds again or she's super pissed...or both."

'Eleanor...you're a bitch.' Aubrey turned into the lot for Cho's Grocery and pulled up near the back entrance. Walking inside, they took the steps up quietly as to not disturb the neighbors until they arrived at Jessica's third floor apartment. Unlocking the door with his key, Aubrey entered first and turned on the light before Jessica followed him inside.

"It's really cold in here.", Aubrey commented.

Jessica shrugged. "I turned the thermostat down a few weeks ago since I wouldn't be here."

"Good idea.", he responded. "Where should we look?"

"My bedroom.", Jessica replied. "I have the receipt for my tires in my purse, but the ones for my phone, replacement pack of birth control, ID, and other stuff, I put in a lock box under my bed when I came here with Angela after you got out of surgery. I was going to put them in my safety deposit box, but I…never got around to it."

Walking into the bedroom, Aubrey noted the empty space where Jessica's dresser used to be. On the bed, there remained some of her clothes folded in piles, just like when he'd come with her a couple of weeks ago. Next to them was a carton that contained her jewelry box and other items that were removed from the top of the dresser, including a selfie picture of them from the Star Wars movie marathon back in May.

Before bending down to go under her bed, Jessica looked up. "Do you mind if I bring this box of stuff with me, Superman?"

"Of course...you never have to ask to take your stuff over there."

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

Fifteen minutes later, Jessica found what she was looking for and the couple got ready to leave. "Jess, do you want to grab anything else while we're here?", Aubrey asked while holding her box.

The intern shook her head. "The important things are at home. I'm pretty sure I have the email receipt for the panties I purchased in Scotland. The bastard is paying me back for those ones. They cost me 72 pounds."

Surprised, Aubrey calculated in his head. "Wait, you paid…"

"Roughly 97 dollars, Aubrey."

"Seriously?" The agent's eyes got large, and he let go a low whistle. "You paid almost $100 for a a pair of panties?"

"They were silk." Shrugging, Jessica turned around. "Don't act all surprised. I know you paid more than that for all the lingerie you bought me for Christmas, Superman."

"I paid-"

"No!", Jessica admonished. "I told you I didn't want to know how much. I know it was a lot...but part of it was because you'd been going through a long dry spell when you went shopping, remember? As for the underwear I purchased while I was in the UK, you can't complain because you enjoyed them…a lot...when I wore them after I came home…like when we had that quickie in my Jeep when you visited me for lunch at the lab during the Barrington case..."

Aubrey recalled the white silk and lace cheekies and how they molded to his girlfriend's lovely posterior to perfection. "I did…that asshole.", he replied before shutting off the light and locking the apartment door.

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

The next day, Aubrey kept peeking at his phone all morning in case Jessica called or sent a text. When they were getting ready for work earlier that day, she was still unsure on what to do, but he knew that pressuring her would only get her back up.

"She was the one who was victimized...she has to make the call…", Aubrey said to himself as he examined expense reports from Agent Thompson. Suddenly, he head a knock at the door. Looking up, Aubrey smiled when he saw Booth. "Hey, Booth. What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

The older man walked in with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, I'm meeting Bones at the diner. She said Jessica is eating lunch with Andie at the hospital, so you want to eat with us?"

The agent smiled. "Sure…sounds good."

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

Thirty minutes later, the three were sitting at their table enjoying their meals. After discussing the case Booth and Brennan were working earlier that morning, the topic moved to Jessica.

"What do you think she'll do, Aubrey?", Brennan asked before sipping her soup.

"I think she's going to do it, but...I can't pressure her. The fucker deserves it, but I want Jess to have some control over things. He took enough of that away from her...but I'm proud of her for standing her ground.", Aubrey replied before biting into an onion ring.

"It's got to be hard just standing by, though. However, you're doing the right thing, Aubrey. Jessica needs to make the final decisions over this. I remember...when I came home from prison that everything was happening around me and it...made me feel lost. Once we figured out that Durant was behind everything and I was able to jump in and help, I regained some of that sense of...loss, and I began to regain some of my confidence...I began to feel like my old self again...somewhat."

Booth bit into his fish sandwich, knowing that being sent to prison was one of the many things that had sent him down the path of losing his gambling sobriety. That was something he would never take for granted again. "It's hard to explain unless you've been there."

"I know...I just wish I could do more…", Aubrey replied glumly. "I wish that Hodgins and Angela didn't have to jump in and pay her rent, buy her new phone, new tires for her Jeep and all that other stuff. I'm her boyfriend, you know. That's what I'm here for...to help her in times like this. I'm not rich but even with her trust fund, she still lives on a budget and I make two to three times more than she does. I could have helped her...I failed her."

"Aubrey, that's illogical." Brennan sipped her coffee. "You were shot twice, had emergency surgery, and were on bed rest for 72 hours. Your focus needed to be on your recovery. Ms. Warren didn't want to worry you, and, as I'm sure you know, she's very independent. Despite the cultural norms that are often forced upon us, women don't need men taking care of them. We are quite capable of handling difficult situations on our own when the need arises."

Aubrey knew Brennan wasn't being snide, but merely honest. "I know, Dr. B. I'm glad she has the resources available if she needs them, but she deserves restitution for all that stuff. She had to special order her tires from Georgia because her Jeep Cherokee is 15 years old, and then she had to take the next day off to buy a new phone, get a new driver's license, pay out of pocket for her medications, among other things. She lost time that she could've have spent working at the lab, and that cost her money as well."

"Aubrey, even if she didn't take the time off, she wouldn't have gotten much done because we were in the hospital.", Booth added before stealing one of Aubrey's onion rings. "I know what you're saying, but you have to agree with me on that."

"I'm surprised that, with her financial resources, she drives an older vehicle.", Brennan stated. "That seems to be an odd choice."

"Well, it still runs great because she takes excellent care of it, and she loves not having a monthly payment. I suggested once that she get a new car, but it was her father's SUV before his stroke and she doesn't want to get rid of it. I guess it has sentimental value." Aubrey grimaced as he sipped his Coke. "Gerald's lucky there's a restraining order in place. What he did with her nightshirt still makes me want to beat the shit out of that little pussy. His father wouldn't be able to save him from me if we were ever locked in a room together."

"If it wasn't for that restraining order, I'm sure the bastard would try to provoke you into doing something stupid like that." Booth dipped a fry in his ketchup before Brennan followed the same action. "Stay away from that bastard, you understand? He's not worth it..."

"I know...I know…", Aubrey replied. "It's...not easy, though."

"Trust me, I know, Aubrey.", Booth said. "Now, new subject. There is some gossip going around that our mutual friend Agent Shaw is dating that SEC accountant guy who helped us with the Vacchio case. I know he came with her to the Halloween Party and to the Gala, but...it seems like there's been more than just a couple of dates."

Aubrey held back a laugh remembering how he'd overheard them in the covered garden at the Gala. "Not gossip…it's fact. He's made friends with Danny and her mother. They're...pretty close."

"Hmm...wonder if I need to do a background check on him." Feeling his wife's glare, Booth pretended to be annoyed as he turned to her. "What? Genny's been single for a long time, Bones, and she's apt to fall quickly for some sweet talking womanizer. I'm just trying to look out for her, okay? You know how those number crunching types are...he could be taking advantage of her…"

Aubrey laughed as he picked up some more french fries. "Nah...Hunter's a good guy. Besides…", he added, wearing a broad grin. "I already ran the check on him."

"Aubrey!" Brennan gave both men an irritated look. "What is it with men thinking that they have to go all overprotective cavemen on us women?"

"Because we love you women, Dr. B.", Aubrey replied as he turned to Booth. "He's squeaky clean. BS in accounting from Ohio State with a 4.0, and an MBA from Emory...he graduated in the upper ten percent in his class. He's 39 years old and has never been married...no kids...and I don't think he's even had a parking ticket here in DC. You know how amazing that is, right?"

"Yeah...you're right." Somewhat placated, Booth took a sip of his coffee. "He'd better be good to her, though...it's not a good idea to make an FBI Special Agent in Charge annoyed, and I'd definitely be annoyed if he hurt her somehow..."

"Trust me...Hunter knows we've both got Genny's back. Anyway, as far as I can tell, he's crazy about her." Chuckling softly, Aubrey sat back in his chair. "And she's crazy about him, too. I caught her talking baby talk to him on the phone the other day…"

"Okay...too much info." Booth gave Brennan a sly wink. "I think there must be a lot of baby talk going on in Aubrey's division, what with Bower and Shaw both using baby talk on the phone. Who do you suppose they learned that from, Bones?"

"I don't know, Booth." Brennan wore a coy smile as she stirred her tea. "Perhaps from their own Special Agent in Charge? He's probably setting an excellent example for his agents. I'm sure Ms. Warren appreciates hearing some baby talk from time to time…perhaps she also appreciates talk of a sexual nature over the phone as well, since they are in a monogamous relationship."

"Oookay...enough of that stuff!", Aubrey blustered as the waitress brought his cherry pie a la mode. "Let's talk about something else…"

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

In the late afternoon, Jessica was in the middle of her exam of Booth's latest decedent when she heard her name called. Startled, she saw Brennan standing behind her. "Dr. B, I'm sorry. Were you just-"

"Calling your name? Yes, Ms. Warren. However, you were lost in your thoughts."

The redhead exhaled slowly before picking up one of the patient's ribs and examining it. "I'm sorry...I'm just…contemplating things."

Brennan read over what her intern had documented so far about the remains. "You're deciding whether it's worth your time to sue Gerald Maxwell for the damages to your property he committed back in November."

Jessica looked at the floor before meeting Brennan's eyes. "Yeah...Aubrey wants me to...Ms. Julian wants me to...I just don't know if I want to poke that dragon…"

"Dragons are non-existent, Ms. Warren, except in fairy tales.", Brennan responded, bewildered at the reference. "However, if you are hesitant because you are afraid of what Mr. Maxwell will do next, I would advise that you...blow him off and sue his ass for what you can get."

Surprised, Jessica stood up. "Dr. B...you're usually not so…"

"Crude and common with my choice of vocabulary? You are correct, but what I'm seeing in your indecision disturbs me. You're usually very forthright in what you do. I've never seen you this timid."

"I've never had other people to worry about before…", Jessica said quietly, putting the rib down on the table.

Brennan was surprised at what Jessica had said. "Ms. Warren...please explain."

Jessica gulped quietly. "I don't give a damn what others think of me...I really don't. However, I care what people say about my family...and Aubrey. I don't want my actions to reflect on my family's business...or on Aubrey's career. It would kill me if Superman's trajectory at the FBI stalled because I made him look bad. It's unreasonable to think like this, I know...but I don't want him to resent me."

Brennan stood straight. "Ms. Warren...you should be ashamed of yourself."

Stunned, the redhead looked up. "But-"

The forensic anthropologist made her way towards her student. "You're doubting Aubrey again...and that's a mistake."

Tears formed in Jessica's eyes as she turned away. "No, I'm not. I promise that I'll never doubt him again. I love him so much, Dr. B, but...I just don't want his life ruined because of Gerald-"

"Ms. Warren, James Aubrey is a Special Agent in Charge at 33 years old. He's smart, talented, and has proven himself to be an extraordinary agent. As a comparison, Booth wasn't promoted to Special Agent in Charge until he was 35. At the Gala last month, the Director and I had a nice conversation about Booth, Aubrey, and Agent Shaw. Unless Aubrey commits a crime, nothing Gerald does will hurt his career, because he's one that the Director feels could move up the ranks of the FBI. As a matter of fact, Aubrey is being eyed as a potential Director someday...in addition to Booth and Ms. Shaw, of course."

"Really?", Jessica said hopefully. "Karen made some nasty comments to me at the Gala about how I'm going to prevent Aubrey from moving up the FBI ladder. I told her it was bullshit, but it did hurt. I know better now."

"That's good. I believe the problem you're experiencing is that you're scared, with good reason. However, you can't let that stop you from seeking justice. Don't you see that you're never going to be whole again unless you fight back with whatever resources you have?"

"I know...but I feel like I'm burdening Superman…"

"Ms. Warren.", Brennan said patiently. "At lunch today, Aubrey didn't talk about you burdening him. As a matter of fact, he talked about how he felt he hasn't done enough for you. He's so proud of you for taking a stand against the Maxwells and he wants to fight the battle for you, but he knows that you need to win this fight for yourself. He's standing by you with no plans to do otherwise. You also have friends and family who want to support you as well. Let them try to hurt us, because we can take care of ourselves. I'm certainly not afraid of what some skinny penis like Gerald Maxwell and his father can do."

'Skinny penis? Oh...pencil dick.' Jessica thought as she considered her mentor's words.

"Now, I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I'd think you'd want to do whatever you could to get justice for what Gerald Maxwell did to you. He not only damaged your property, but it's obvious even to me that he damaged your sense of security and some of your self-esteem. Are you doing to let him get away with that?"

"No…", Jessica smiled. "No, I won't."

"Good." Brennan looked at her phone. "It's 3:00, Ms. Warren. As soon as you're done with your exam and secure the remains, you're free to leave for the day after you send me your final results."

Jessica nodded, making her final decision. "Thank you, Dr. B."

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

Three hours later, Aubrey walked into his front door and was assailed with a wonderful aroma. "Oh...I know that smell…"

Jessica stirred the soup in the pot before putting the lid back on. "Yes, I decided I was in the mood for my homemade vegetable soup tonight. It's really cold out...I still can't believe the temperature has dropped over 30 degrees from this weekend."

"Yes!", Aubrey fist pumped. Walking towards the kitchen, he loosened his tie. "I have one more question, though."

Jessica smirked before opening the oven and pulling out a tray of biscuits. "I did make my cheddar biscuits, Superman."

"Cool!" Aubrey whipped off his tie before embracing her. "I'm just going to change and I'll be right back."

"That's fine, Superman.", Jessica replied. "I'll get us some beers."

"Great.", he said before stopping at the dining room table, where there were papers laying out next to the receipts they found the night before. "Statement of Claims? Information Sheet? Jess, what is all this?"

The redhead walked up to her boyfriend. "This...is my paperwork for small claims court. I have to get it notarized tomorrow by Oliver since he's a notary, and then take them back to the courthouse."

"So you're suing the bastard?"

Jessica nodded, remembering her mentor's words of wisdom. "Yeah, I'm suing the son of a bitch. I'm done with being his pincushion, Superman. I can't let him get away with all he's done."

Aubrey pulled her into a one-armed hug and kissed the top of her head. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you.", she replied quietly before taking on a mocking serious tone. "Now, get upstairs and change. I'm hungry."

"Yes, ma'am." Aubrey saluted and ran upstairs to change out of his suit.

Jessica giggled as she stirred the soup one more time before turning off the burner. No matter what that piece of garbage Gerald Maxwell threw at her, she was going to be fine.

Just as Aubrey joined her in the kitchen, her phone buzzed. Picking it up, she saw the message from Andie:

Turn on Channel 7 now.

"Superman, turn it on Channel 7."

Doing what he was asked, he changed the channel on the living room TV, where he was greeted by Hannah Burley speaking through the camera. However, it was the chyron on the bottom of the screen that got his attention.

HAROLD MAXWELL HOSPITALIZED

"Jess, get out here."

The redhead heard the announcement before getting in front of the television, which showed Hannah Burley talking in front of an ornate mansion with Great Falls, VA on the screen below her name.

"From what we could gather, it's speculated that Mr. Maxwell may have suffered either a stroke or a heart attack. When the paramedics arrived at the Maxwell mansion, he was unconscious, with his wife crying over him and his son, Gerald standing by, obviously stunned by the turn of events."

The female anchor asked, "Is there anything else you can tell our viewers, Hannah?"

Hannah pressed onto the satellite earpiece as she listened. "From what my sources tell me, Mr. Maxwell was having an argument with his son, Gerald, when he collapsed. I will have more as we get more information. This is Hannah Burley, Channel 7 News."

The couple watched as the action went back to the studio, where the anchor turned to the camera. "Channel 7 will update our viewers of this latest twist in the Maxwell assault cases as our Hannah Burley remains on the scene. Now onto other news. In Bethesda-"

Aubrey turned off the television and turned to his girlfriend, who continued to stare at the television. "Jess…"

"Wow…", Jessica responded without looking at her boyfriend. "Well, I hope he recovers. Ready for dinner, Superman?"

Aubrey was in shock at his girlfriend's blasé response but he decided to play it cool for the time being. "Sure…I'm always ready for your vegetable soup."

Jessica began scooping some into a large bowl. "Great. Here's yours, Superman. I'll put the cheddar biscuits in a bowl—"

"Got it covered." Aubrey grabbed two beers before pulling a large bowl out of a cupboard and loaded the dozen items into it. "Want to sit at the center island?"

"Sure…"

The couple sat together and ate quietly. After about ten minutes, the silence got to Aubrey. "So how was your day at the lab?"

Jessica sipped her soup. "Good. The Virginia State Police brought some remains and it pissed off Dr. B because they usually botch things up when they handle remains. However, she did say they did a good job of preserving the body. We got some good particulates before she went with Booth to talk to a witness over in Great Falls."

"That town is having a bad day today.", Aubrey muttered.

"Yeah it is.", Jessica replied. "I had lunch with Andie...she says hi by the way. Then my afternoon was spent cleaning the bones and during my examination I found several marks which makes me think cause of death was by a hatchet or something like that."

Aubrey finished swallowing his food. "Yuck…"

"Sorry…" Jessica smiled. "Later on, Dr. B and I talked about Gerald…then I picked up the stuff to file a lawsuit against Gerald before running to the store. You?"

"Well, I got to do the fun administrative bullshit that comes with being a Special Agent in Charge. You know, review expense reports, case audits…had lunch with Booth and Dr. B…"

"I know. She told me." Jessica sipped her soup. "Did you really say that you're proud of me for standing up to Gerald?"

"Of course, I am.", he said with his mouth full of biscuit. "I'm always proud of you. I'm proud to have you as my girlfriend…and life partner."

Shocked, Jessica just sat there for a moment. 'Life partner…he sees us together always…maybe that plan of mine on March 1st isn't so crazy…holy shit…am I ready for that though…committing to one man…yeah I am…Aubrey is mine…'

Taking a breath, Jessica spewed her thoughts. "But my life is going to get picked apart in a couple of weeks when the trial starts…I used to sleep around, Superman…I did dumb things…nothing criminal…but the stuff I told you about…Gerald will make it sound bad… which could make you look bad…maybe Karen had a point...Oh God, I said she was right about something..."

"Jessica, stop!" When the redhead stopped babbling, he took her hand. "Jessica, you are standing up to a man who has victimized women for probably most of his life…and to his father, who, it seems, has done the same thing to save his son's pathetic butt. Yeah, they're going to dig through your life and unflattering shit will emerge, but that's because they are desperate. You're many things, but not a liar—"

"But women have come forward in the last week talking about how Gerald has never been abusive to them and that he is—"

"They're snob types like him. Of course he behaves with them…because he's not even that stupid. However, other interns are coming forward with claims that match yours, so he has a pattern of intimidation and sexual harassment. You're going to win, Jessica Elizabeth. I have faith in that. Yes, Lady Justice is blind, but karma is also a bitch. He will get what's coming to him. We're going to get past this and then live our lives. All right?"

Jessica nodded. "Okay, Superman. I believe you…as long as you finish your bowl and biscuit."

"Leave good food unattended? Never." Aubrey smiled before stealing another cheddar biscuit and biting into it.

They chatted for the next twenty minutes until Jessica's phone buzzed again as Aubrey was getting himself more soup. Looking at it, she sighed. The agent saw her reaction as he sat back down with his filled bowl. "Jess, what's up?"

The redhead wordlessly handed the phone to her boyfriend, who read it and sighed as well. "That…is not good."

Jessica took the phone back and read it again.

Coming home tmrw. Asst anthropologist covering 4 me sick so NFL needs me. Beau pissed Lance coming back w me. Can u pick me up from Dulles? Flight comes in at 4:02 P.

'Shit! Cutting it close.' Jessica thought before sending message back. TA 4 Dr B's Human Origins class tmrw 1P – 3:30P. Will get there ASAP.

Okay. Thx. Beau & I taking Lance 2 dinner. C U tmrw.

"Picking her up tomorrow?"

Jessica double checked the arrival time. "Yeah…"

"Wait, isn't your first class with Dr. B at 1:00 tomorrow?", Aubrey asked as Jessica put her phone down. "Even at that time, traffic sucks on 495, Jess. 267 may not be too bad but you're not going to make it there in 30 min. Does Daisy know that?"

"I told her I would get there as soon as I can. Andie has a class after her shift in the oncology lab ends at 3:30 or else I'm sure she would." Jessica sipped her soup. "It's the first class and Dr. B may let them go a little bit early, depending on the students."

"I don't understand why Daisy had to come back because her replacement was sick. I thought they had three other forensic anthropologists at the NFL? No offense, but while she's a good forensic anthropologist, she's no Dr. B."

"I don't know why she's coming home early, Superman. I would think they could survive a few days without Daisy, too, but I'm not sure how the day to day operations work there. I'm not surprised Beau is pissed off that she's returning early with Lance, but…it's on her, Superman. I…have other things to worry about now."

"You do…and I'm going to be there for anything that you need." Aubrey took Jessica's hand and they smiled until the agent's phone rang. "What the hell? Can't a man have dinner with his girlfriend?"

Jessica saw the caller ID. "It's Booth."

Aubrey grumbled about being kept away from his food before answering the phone. "Booth, what's up...really? You're shitting me..."

Jessica saw Aubrey's expression freeze in shock as she listened to her boyfriend's end of the conversation.

"So what was it...a stroke, huh? Well…I'm sorry for the family, but it makes things easier for Jess…yeah, I'll tell her. Thanks for calling, Booth. Good night."

"Aubrey, what's that about?", Jessica asked as her boyfriend put his phone down on the counter. "What will be easier for me?"

"Harold Maxwell died at the hospital ten minutes ago without regaining consciousness. They're going to do an autopsy in the morning because he had a head injury, but all signs point to him having a stroke. Mrs. Maxwell told the doctors and the police that her husband had been complaining of a headache on and off for a week, along with dizziness and balance issues. This morning, he had blurry vision and temporary loss of it in his left eye."

"Holy shit. According to the news, he may have been agitated. If he had a clot, it could have been thrown if his stress level was elevated enough, causing a stroke."

"Yeah, I guess Harold was in the middle of a loud and nasty argument with Gerald over what his wife called, 'personal matters' and then suddenly he spaced out for a second before going down in a heap. He hit his head on a glass table on the way down, cutting his head open. Booth said CSI investigated the scene and it was…a bloody mess."

"Harold Maxwell is dead.", Jessica replied quietly. "Well…it does make things easier. Just one trial to worry about instead of two."

"I'm sorry, Jessica.", Aubrey said. "I know you wanted him tried—"

"Yes, I wanted him tried, Aubrey, but…as much as it sickens me to wish ill of the dead…with Harold Maxwell being gone…things are easier now. It's one less person to intimidate and harass women in this world." She tried to smile as she spooned up a bite of soup. "I feel sorry for his wife, though…"

Aubrey saw through the small smile. "Are you okay, Jessica?"

"No, but I will be. I can still get Gerald, starting with dropping off the paperwork at the courthouse so I can sue him. He'll be served either tomorrow or the next day. The timing is shitty, but I don't care anymore." The redhead sipped her beer before setting it down. "That's bad, isn't it?"

Aubrey took her hand again. "No, it's not."

Jessica kissed her boyfriend's cheek. "Okay, no more Maxwell talk. Let's finish our dinner, get the kitchen cleaned up, and settle in for the night. We have a Dr. Who movie to watch."

"That we do, Ms. Warren."

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

Aubrey had a morning drive filled snow and wind. He and Jessica had promised to text the other when they got to work so each would know the other had arrived there safely. Finally getting in just shy of 8:00, he parked his SUV in his designated spot. After sending a text to his favorite redhead, he chugged his coffee as he headed up to the 4th floor.

Arriving in the break room for a coffee refill, he was happy as he saw who was waiting for him. "Hey, Booth."

The older man turned around and put the coffee carafe back back on the burner. "Morning, Aubrey. How's Jessica doing?"

Aubrey took the coffee and filled his Star Wars mug. "She's doing all right. Knowing Harold Maxwell won't be punished for what he did does kind of suck, but...at least she doesn't have to suffer through a second trial. She's got enough to contend with when Gerald's trial starts on Monday the 23rd."

"It's going to be a shit show around here for the next couple of weeks. Not sure which will be a bigger one...Harold Maxwell's funeral or Inauguration Day the Friday after next.", Booth commented as he sipped his coffee.

The younger man searched the cupboards for a necessity. "You and Dr. B taking Christine and Hank to the parade?"

Booth shook his head in disgust. "Fuck no, Aubrey. Bones and I both agree that this January 20th is not a day to celebrate. Besides, Bones wants to work on her speech for the Women's March the next day."

Aubrey found the cinnamon and sprinkled it into his coffee. "So, have you heard anything else about Harold or what happened?"

Booth checked his watch. "The autopsy should be starting now and the Fairfax County medical examiner said he would give me a call, since the police chief in Great Falls gave the okay for the FBI to have the information. The chief is also going to send me the photographs of the scene as a courtesy, but it sounds pretty legit."

"Think it's true about what Hannah reported last night?"

"About that punk fighting with his dad?" Booth took another drink. "It wouldn't surprise me. Perhaps Harry decided he was fed up with Gerald's shit. I wonder who's paying the civil attorney for that lawsuit he filed against Jessica..."

"If it wasn't his parents, perhaps he soaked Ashley for it.", Aubrey said bitterly. "Angela is working on a new voice algorithm today. If it works, she going to try to narrow down who called in that bomb threat last Friday."

"Think it was Gerald?"

"Yeah. It's the only thing that makes sense. We don't have the phone itself, but the call pinged off a cell phone tower right by Maxco Enterprises. Who else would be stupid enough to risk going to jail for a bomb threat on a federal institution?"

"That's true. I'll give you a buzz when I hear about the autopsy."

"I'll do the same when Angela gets back to Bower." Aubrey hesitated before asking his next question. "Hey Booth...do you still talk to Hannah at all?"

"Nope. When she got back into town about a month after you and Hodgins were in that bombing, she hinted that she would like to pick up where we left off, but I put a stop to that shit. I'm still surprised that she's back in town, but maybe she pissed someone off at NBC or in the military.", Booth responded. "Has Hannah been hounding Jessica again?"

"No, no...not since I warned her off Monday night."

"Good.", Booth said. "If she does, let me know, and I'll take care of it."

"I'll do that. Thanks, Booth.", Aubrey replied before the two separated to go to their divisions.

Arriving at Major Crimes, he greeted his agents before going into his office. He sat at his desk for a moment, thinking about all that had happened in the last couple of days.

'Gerald Maxwell better mind his own business, because if he pulls one more stunt, instead of a men's room trash can, it will be his head that I'll make a dent in.'

Shaking off his lingering irritation, he turned on his computer and read through his mail. Seeing an email from Karen, he couldn't help but ease his curiosity. Reading it, his curiosity turned to annoyance.

Hi Aubrey:

Saw Harold Maxwell's death on the news last night. Hopefully that nor Jessica's latest Maxwell mess doesn't affect things for you at the FBI. You're too good at your job to be stuck as a SAC forever.

If I can help you in any way during this mess when I get back from Cincinnati, don't hesitate to call me.

Karen.

Aubrey took a deep breath at Karen's passive aggressive email, which looked to be sent about an hour before. Clicking 'Reply', the SAC typed a simple response.

Karen, kiss my ass.

However, Aubrey stopped himself and instead of giving her the attention she obviously wanted, decided to be the professional he was and deleted the draft. Last week, he had a meeting with the BRIU's SAC, Jake Tanner where he shared with the other agent the examples of Karen's lack of professionalism, her confrontations with Jessica at the lab, the hospital, and at the FBI Gala on the 30th. At the end, Jake proposed a meeting of with Karen when she returned to DC.

Aubrey sat back and looked at the large stack of case files he had to go through today. Hopefully, he could have lunch with Jessica before her class today since after picking up Daisy from the airport the two women were probably going to have dinner together. Their week started out on such a great note Sunday...

"This week really sucks...I don't think it could get any worse."

Just then, another email popped up in his box. When he saw it was from Agent Tanner, he clicked on it immediately.

Aubrey:

Karen will be returning to DC tomorrow afternoon. I want to talk to her ASAP about what we discussed last week and I would still like you there if you are open to it. Is 8:00 Friday morning a good time?

Jake

'No, I don't want to be in the same room as her.' Aubrey thought. However, when he'd talked about it with Booth while everyone was still at Founding Fathers last Friday, he was surprised to find that the older man agreed with Jake, saying it would be better to have him there. Booth's reasoning was simple:

"Aubrey, she's going to pull her ditzy act and get all sad like she did when you confronted her after your birthday. Jake is a smart guy, but you need to defend yourself and Jessica, too, if need be. I know it sucks, but it's for the best."

Checking his Microsoft Office calendar, he saw that the only thing he had going on was a budget meeting with Stark at 10:30. Emailing Jake back with an affirmative, Aubrey sighed again.

"Yep, it just got worse."