Things are very slowly getting back to normal for our favorite couple, but it's going to take a long time for Jessica to completely heal. How are she and Aubrey handling the obstacles they're facing? Read on to find out...

It was just shy of 7:30 the next morning when a tired Genny and Booth stood in the 4th floor break room, quietly discussing Jessica's case. All the agents assigned to the Jeffersonian case had worked until after 9:00 PM the previous night putting the case together so Genny could present it to Booth, who would be overseeing it at Stark's request. The Major Crimes ASAC and the Homicide SAC hadn't left the Hoover until after 11 PM, and they were both grateful for the jolt of caffeine.

"Booth, I'm not looking forward to telling Aubrey and Jessica about Karen's involvement. I know he'd been suspicious about her, but to hear it confirmed...to know about the depths she went to...", Genny said as she added creamer to her coffee. "The boss is going to lose his shit."

Booth grimaced as he finished pouring his java into his Steelers mug. "I know, but they should hear the truth personally before the arraignment. It's going to be all over the news by lunch, and I don't want them to find out that way."

"Me, neither." Genny sipped her coffee. "Do you think Aubrey will go after Karen?"

Booth paused slightly, staring into his mug. "Aubrey really isn't one to hold grudges and is a very fair man…"

"I know…he's a great boss…he learned from the best…"

"Thank you." Booth took a generous swallow of his brew. "However, he loves Jessica so much…and he's going to blame himself for Karen's part in all this."

"Because he didn't report her right away for sexual harassment and was trying to be nice?"

"Yeah. He felt like he owed her after she was there for him during his breakup with Jessica. He ignored her inappropriate behavior because he felt guilty since he'd led her on."

"You know, Aubrey was no saint, and he did screw up royally, but he's also a human being. The woman he loved had dumped him and he was...well...lonely. Karen was foolish to not see it or to ignore it. The boss took responsibility for what he did and he shouldn't be burdened with all that guilt. Karen was the one who chose to put a bug in Gerald's ear to get rid of Jessica, not him."

Booth smiled. "Shaw, what you're saying sounds logical and exactly like something Bones would say. However, Aubrey is also a decent man with a kind heart and a strong sense of right and wrong. He felt that he did Karen wrong by inadvertently messing with her feelings because he was jealous and angry at Jessica. He wanted to make up for that as well as to thank her for her kindness to him, so he bent over backwards to be understanding. Otherwise, he would have reported her back in October and been more assertive in making his feelings known."

"But Karen took advantage of his guilt and played Aubrey while scheming to get him back, even when she was with Steve. Yeah, she was happy in her...whatever you want to call it...with the guy...but I have no doubt that if her plan worked and Jessica was gone, she would definitely have dumped Bower in a heartbeat and gone after the boss."

"I agree." Booth munched on a donut. "With everything that has happened, Karen crossed the line and Aubrey will also need a place to focus his anger and guilt. If she'd just gone after him, that would be one thing."

"But she screwed up by going after Jessica…"

"That she did, Shaw. So in answer to your question, Aubrey is going to pursue every avenue he can to make Karen pay for what she did. I can't fault him for it, though, because if something like that happened to Bones, I would do the same."

Genny remembered Aubrey beating the hell out of Gerald yesterday. "What if Aubrey...gets…"

"Consumed in all this?" Booth shrugged slightly. "Well, then, as his friends, if it gets to where it takes over his life, we'll help him get his head on straight. I do have faith, though, that Jessica will keep him in check. They aren't going to have an easy road for a while but...once they get past all this, they will be better for it."

"That's good." Genny smiled. "They have helped me a lot with my relationship with Hunter."

"I'm still keeping an eye on that accountant, Shaw. If he tries anything, I'll make him regret it. Aubrey will, too." He saw the young woman roll her eyes. "Hey, we care about you. Deal with it."

"Fine."

Booth sipped his coffee again. "So, what's your take on Karen? I know we talked about it last night, but now we've had some sleep and some time to mull it over...do you think she intended for Jessica to get physically hurt when she started this shit show?"

"No." Genny traced around the rim of her coffee mug. "I think Karen just wanted Jessica out of the way from Aubrey, not intending things to go so far. I still feel the remorse she showed me yesterday was genuine, but...she can't unring the bell and she has to face the consequences."

"How do you think things should proceed with her?"

"I don't like thinking in black and white, but whatever her intentions, what she did was wrong and she should be punished for it. It's just too bad we can't bring criminal charges against her. Until yesterday, I just considered her a sore loser who didn't like the fact that a college student took away her prize. However, after speaking to her, it's obvious that it was her anger at Aubrey for ignoring her and rejecting her feelings for him that started all this crap."

"I mean, it was obvious he wasn't into her like she was to him, right? So you think she took that anger and hurt and then began to focus all of it on Jessica, and that's why she dragged Gerald into the mess?" Booth wanted Genny's observations.

"Yeah." Genny leaned back against the counter and put her thoughts together. "Karen saw Aubrey as this white knight that would fall head over heels with her and so she put him up on this pedestal. The boss is a nice guy and didn't want to hurt her feelings, so he tried avoiding her. Of course, instead of taking the hint that he was interested in Jessica, not her, Karen ignored the obvious and instead chose to push things along, including asking him out on a date in front of his boss, essentially trapping him. She didn't see it that way, of course, but Aubrey shattered her fantasy when he backed out of it."

Remembering how he'd given his friend crap for Karen's crush when she asked him out back in May, Booth cringed slightly. "Yeah, I know. Aubrey and Jessica had just gotten together after tip toeing around each other for months, and he didn't want to mess anything up. When he got Karen alone, he broke the date and let her know that he was seeing someone else."

"Which she responded to by first by rubbing it in about his father and then going one step further by embarrassing him in front of a suspect. Of course, she played it cool later on with the claim that she just wanted a one night stand."

"Yeah, I remember Aubrey telling me about that conversation at Founding Fathers after it happened. I didn't buy it, either.", Booth said. "It was too easy."

"Then, when she transferred back to DC last summer, Aubrey was still with Jessica. Karen played it smart, befriending them and working both of them to the point it that all came to a head around Cam's wedding. Then, when they broke up, Karen saw her chance. In her mind, he would just fall into her arms and forget all about Jessica."

Booth nodded. "Nope...he moped over Jessica instead. Then he began hanging out with Karen, and I had a bad feeling about that. However, Aubrey's a big boy and he had to make his own mistakes...and that was a big one."

"Yep, it was a whopper." Genny stole a donut and took a bite. "As September began to go into October, he didn't fall in line with Karen's fantasies of what would happen and she became angry. Of course, she couldn't blame the man she cared for...that would acknowledge the truth..that he would never want to be in a romantic relationship with her and that he loved someone else."

"So she blamed Jessica."

Genny nodded her head in the affirmative. "She took her frustration out on the person who had interfered with her plans. As Aubrey and Jessica grew closer again, it was easier for Karen to put all the blame on her and try to eliminate the obstacle because it hurt too much to admit to what was right in front of her."

"Explain his birthday party with that G-string. What the hell was she thinking...that thing would lead Aubrey to sleep with her and they would have happily ever after?" Booth shook his head as the considered the nonsense of it.

"Well, from what she told me, she overheard you and Jessica talking about the surprise party and misinterpreted your comments, thinking he would be alone on his birthday. She decided obviously to seduce him and in her deluded mind, maybe thought the G-string would...maybe entice him. Who knows?" Genny finished off her donut. "Of course, her plans went to shit when she arrived at his house and saw there was a birthday party for him going on. That was bad enough, but I'm sure the fact that she was excluded by all of you didn't help…"

"Ah yes...I've heard about how Jessica's mind control keeps Bones and everyone else at the lab from liking Karen." Booth rolled his eyes. "That's bullshit. Karen is a pain in the ass and she really pissed everyone off at that party with her attitude about...everything. The bit about our kids crashing the party pushed Bones too far."

"That was a sweet tell off she gave Karen." Genny smiled.

"Of course, the next day that...profiler hunted down Gerald and started her shit.", Booth growled before refilling his coffee.

"She's a master of the human psyche and very observant. Recalling Gerald Maxwell's fascination with Jessica, she used him to help get rid of her since in her mind, Jessica was the reason her booty call, and all of her other attempts to win Aubrey for herself failed." Genny sipped her coffee. "The fact that she met up with Gerald and then six hours later brought Aubrey breakfast and coffee to our meeting like nothing happened is...horrid."

"Didn't she bring him that nasty ass quad shot foamy crap he likes and bear claws from that bakery near my old house?"

"She did. She practically shoved it in his face when he said no until he flat out told her he didn't want it. Then, when she whipped out the bear claws, he said no thanks because Jessica had already cooked him a big breakfast." Genny chuckled in spite of herself. "He pretty much right there confirmed that he and Jessica had gotten back together after his birthday party. I shouldn't laugh but you could see the smoke coming out of Karen's ears."

Booth chuckled in spite of himself. "Yeah, to have been a fly on that wall…"

"She was practically seething. Aubrey was logical as he recalled everything that happened, including her getting into his apartment, her unwanted touching of him, and her confrontation with Jessica at the lab. He finally lost his temper when she used his father and some psycho mumbo jumbo as the real reason he chose Jessica over her."

"Wow...that was low…", Booth muttered.

"Yep, and he let her have it, warning her to leave Jessica alone and saying that the next time she pulled something he would report her. Of course, she was all pitiful when she asked Aubrey if they could be friends again someday and he, being the nice guy he was, couldn't say no. I told him that was a mistake, but he felt like it would wrong to kick her while she was down. Admirable, but stupid."

Seeing Booth was listening intently, Genny continued. "Of course, then Steve came along, literally right after that meeting. She put her eggs in his basket and for a while things were okay. When he foolishly thought Jessica was checking him out and and then stupidly told Karen about it, all that repressed anger came to the surface. Karen saw Jessica as this...thing that was ruining her life. By now, she had realized that her first attempt to get Jessica fired from the Jeffersonian had failed and she decided it was time to play hardball."

"Meeting with Harold Maxwell…"

"Sort of.", Genny said. "She was pissed but it was Jessica...staking her claim on Aubrey at Thanksgiving that really pushed her to see Harold Maxwell."

"She merely sat with her boyfriend and got Karen to leave when she was talking during the pre-game show. Aubrey was getting freaked out by that woman moving closer until she was practically on top of him. Worst of all, she was jealous of my daughter who only wanted to sit with her Uncle Aubrey, for Christ's sake. I mean, that's kinda creepy..."

Genny nodded. "Yeah. I think she met up with Harold to...speed the process to get rid of Jessica along, not knowing of the Maxwell family's history with women. Karen was too caught up in her emotions to really consider the consequences past getting who she felt stood in the way of her happiness out of the equation."

"I like it, Shaw.", Booth said. "I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head."

"Thank you." Happy that her mentor agreed with her, she smiled. "I still can't believe she shot her mouth off to Gerald that way...just to get Jessica fired."

"Strong feelings of what one thinks is love can make people do crazy things." Booth stole another donut from the community box on the counter.

"I'm just grateful we got to the lab when we did.", Genny replied. "I'm also grateful for the surveillance team and for Gerald's stupidity."

"Amen to that, Shaw." Booth and Genny clicked mugs and drank. "So, Caroline pulled a couple of strings to insure that Gerald will be about halfway down the line at arraignment, which I ballpark to be around 9:30 or 10:00, so you have some time. She's also going to try to combine all of Gerald's new charges into one trial to spare Jessica and the other women."

"That could delay the trial for months, but that will be a little easier on Jessica. Hopefully, Gerald's mom doesn't get a shrink to say he's too incompetent to stand trial."

"No way, Genny. If he tries to buy one, we'll find out about it." Booth sipped his coffee again. "What time are you heading over to the hospital?"

The petite woman looked at her phone. "Right now. I promised to be there as soon as visiting hours started to give them an update on the case."

"Stark is holding off identifying the victims as a favor for Aubrey and me until after the arraignment, but the press is hounding us." Booth finished off his cup. "Caroline and I are meeting up after the hearing to figure out where we go from here. I'll shoot you a text or email on when you and I can meet up."

"Sounds good, Booth.", Genny said as her companion's phone buzzed. "Early bird?"

Booth looked and nodded. "It's Jake. He said, 'Put Karen on admin leave without pay until discipline hearing scheduled for her. Banned her from FBI until then unless specifically requested by you, Agent Shaw, or higher ups. Reassigning her cases now.'"

"Jake Tanner doesn't play.", Genny said.

"No, he doesn't. It made him a good Ranger and now he's an excellent leader in the BRIU." Booth poured himself more coffee before heading out. "Keep me posted, Shaw."

"Will do, Booth." Genny chugged the rest of her coffee and rinsed her cup. When the clock showed the time as 7:50, she groaned. "All right, let's get this over with."

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

Jessica woke up tired and sore. She shifted slightly, wincing at the discomfort. Bruised ribs really did suck, especially since she wouldn't be able to lift or work for the next couple of weeks. The doctor had told her that she could do a modified yoga routine after a few days of complete rest, so at least she had that.

'Making love is out, too.', she mused. 'Aubrey is going to be horny and frustrated again.'

Of course, sex was the last thing she wanted right now as all she could think about was Gerald's disgusting hands on her. To make things worse, the thought of people having to change their lives to assist her while recuperating was upsetting. She hated being weak.

Hearing the shower in the bathroom, she looked over at the couch and saw only a crumpled blanket and Aubrey's clothes from yesterday folded. She felt guilty that he'd been woken up both times the nurse had come in to take vitals. She woke up a third time about three hours ago and watched her boyfriend sleeping with his long legs dangling off the couch and his arm hanging off the furniture.

'My Superman…all arm and leg…but so cute…', she thought. He had to be uncomfortable and now exhausted, but still he'd stayed with her. As much as she hated admitting it, she felt better that he was there with her, even in the hospital. Her sleep was fitful, too, as whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Gerald hovering over her.

The attack would play back like she was watching a movie...but then she felt like she experiencing the attack all over again. She could feel his weight on her as she fought to get away. She felt his hot breath on her face and neck as he ripped off her necklace. Worst of all, she felt the struggle for air as he began strangling her. She woke up each time before he had succeeded in killing her. Now that she had a taste of what Aubrey had gone through last month, she understood how tormented he must have felt.

But his nightmares about the shooting were mostly gone. He had two more sessions scheduled with Dr. Blair for January, and he was finally sleeping through the night again. Of course, now they had her to deal with…and the questions kept going through her mind.

'Why did Gerald go after me like that? Why did he pee on me? Why did turning him down for sex make him want to kill me?'

A couple of tears began to flow, but she wiped them away gently, her face still sensitive where she had been punched yesterday. Unable to contain her curiosity, she opened the drawer and pulled out a small mirror. Lifting it to her face, she gasped as she took in the black eye and large mass of contusions on her left cheek with another one on her right from Gerald's initial blow that had sent her down the stairs. A bandage over her right temple and eyebrow covered the stitches from her laceration and her lip had a nasty bruise where it was cut.

But it was the contusions along her swollen neck…large and various shades of purple...that finally broke her. Twenty-four hours ago, she was a happy go lucky intern who had just finished enjoying being intimate with her lover in the shower. Now, she was a bruised and cut up mess. Before she knew it, the tears flooded down her cheeks as she loudly sobbed.

She was in the middle of her purge when she felt a pair of arms gently embrace her. Startled, she fought back against the person until her back was gently rubbed. She would know that touch anywhere, and she finally relaxed, leaning against him.

"Don't fight it. Let it out, Jessica. It's okay…I'm here…"

As Jessica continued to purge herself of her fear, Aubrey held onto her, being careful to avoid her bruised ribs. He didn't know had what happened to set her off, only rushing to her side as he heard her break down from the bathroom. He knew the redhead was one to hold things in, not wanting to burden anyone. However, she needed to express herself and grieve...and he would be right there with her.

When she calmed down, he slowly let her go. "Are you okay?"

Jessica nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry for being such a damn mess."

'There she goes again…' Aubrey combed her red hair back. "Jessica, you're not a mess. You were viciously assaulted yesterday and you're probably feeling all sorts of things. It's okay to cry."

"No, because I wasn't raped...and I survived. I just had a knee jerk reaction when I saw them. I need to quit being a baby."

"Them?" Confused, Aubrey looked at her and then he saw the mirror in her hand. "Jess, what were you doing while I was in the shower?"

"I-I wanted to see my bruises…I couldn't yesterday..."

"Is that why you were upset?" Taking the mirror, he quickly put it in the bathroom. "You don't need to do that. Yes, you're roughed up, but you'll heal. It will be fine…"

"No it won't!", Jessica cried. "I barely slept…my ribs hurt…my body hurts...I can't work at the lab or for Dr. B…I hate all this…"

"I know…"

"NO, YOU DON'T!", Jessica suddenly yelled before being immediately remorseful. "I'm sorry…"

Aubrey understood that she was lashing out and probably had a lot of justified anger and pain inside her. "It's fine…really…if anyone has a right to be mad, it's you, Jessica, but no one is going to hurt you again, do you hear me?"

Jessica nodded as a knock was heard. When she gave a go ahead, it opened to reveal an aide wheeling in a breakfast tray. "Here's breakfast for you, Miss Warren."

Getting a second tray, she handed it to Aubrey. "The food you ordered, sir. $9.75."

Aubrey paid and the aide left. The agent dove into his bacon but saw his girlfriend pick at her eggs. "I know…the food isn't that great, but you have to eat, Jess."

"Really wasn't in the mood for eggs today, but it was a step up from the Jello and soup I got yesterday." Jessica picked at her food again. "But the doctor said bland and soft food because of the meds and it hurts to eat anything else. Damn it! I just want real food!"

Aubrey was saved from responding to Jessica's flare up by a knock on the door. "Come in."

Genny entered cautiously. "Did I come at a bad time?"

"No, just eating mass produced cuisine." Aubrey picked up his plate of eggs, bacon, and what looked to be grits. "You can have the chair, Genny."

He sat on the bed, but the movement jolted Jessica and she clutched her ribs. "Owww…"

"Shit, Jess…are you all right?"

"Yes…yes…I'm fine. It's my ribs…they're bringing more pain medication soon. Hopefully just the Tramadol I requested, because I hate Vicodin. I don't like how it makes me feel all sleepy and sick."

Aubrey shifted. "Here, Jess, I'll go find a nurse-"

"I SAID I'M FINE!" , Jessica snapped, instantly regretting her outburst. "I'm sorry…it just hurts is all. Please don't disturb a nurse. If I don't move around I'll be good. So Genny...how are things going? Is Gerald being arraigned today?"

"Yeah, in a little while. Ms. Julian is throwing the book at him. Five counts of attempted murder with plans to change one to capital murder if Oliver dies…" Genny saw the redhead close her eyes and moved on quickly. "Also three counts of assault for lacing the coffee as a backup for the security guards if the attempted murder doesn't fly with the jury, a third count of assault for Angela's injury, vandalism for knocking out the light at the entrance and destroying things in that place you call Limbo, improper use of federal property by using Ashley's badge, trespassing, calling in a bomb threat, assault of a Federal Agent, resisting arrest, and violating the restraining order."

"The bomb threat?", Jessica asked. "Does that mean you proved it wasn't Ashley? Angela got her software to work?"

"Yes, she did, and she nailed that piece of shit right before she got hurt. No way Gerald can dispute that it was him that made that phone call the day of his father's hearing."

"Good." Aubrey took Jessica's hand. "So when you interrogated him yesterday, did that son of a bitch confess?"

"Yeah, to Jessica's attack. He had excuses for the other stuff, saying it wasn't intended to hurt anyone else. Of course the motive was his father's death. He said it made him snap and go after you."

Aubrey pondered. "Genny...I know this is your case, but I don't see Harold Maxwell's death just making Gerald snap. I don't buy it."

"I didn't either. I'd showed him the evidence about the bomb threat and after questioning him about what happened, we have a good case for premeditation."

"So...what did he say, Genny?", Jessica croaked.

"A lot."

The couple listened to the ASAC detail everything about Ashley, the bomb threat, the Visine purchase, and all the events that led up to what happened the previous morning. Intermittently, they would interrupt with questions that Genny would patiently answer.

"So he probably planned all this since before New Years...or even possibly even earlier. Dating Ashley wasn't just for his image, but to get her lab access." , Aubrey theorized.

"Do you think he was going to set her up for what happened to me?", Jessica added.

"I don't know...frankly, I don't think Gerald is intelligent enough to go that far. He needed that badge to get in, but it wasn't easy. Ashley told me that she kept it locked up because employees get charged a fine if they have to get it replaced.", Genny replied. "He used her credit card to get the Visine, but his father's meeting with the Governing Board was a complication. I think the bomb threat was a desperate last minute move and so when he was getting the Visine, he also used the card at that KMart to get the burner phone, too. Worst case, it would show up on her credit card statement, not his...but he was a cheap bastard and used her rewards to save less than $2.00."

"He used her naivete to get that access, then decided to get rid of her when she wasn't useful anymore.", Jessica said. "That is so sad…"

"He tried, but she's recovering and volunteered to testify against Gerald.", Genny answered, delaying the inevitable.

"So, when Gerald confessed, did he say why he did all this? It couldn't just be because he was annoyed that I and others decided to fight back and piss on him.", Jessica choked out, her voice still strained. When she saw the other two looking at her, she got defensive. "What...I can't have a little gallows humor about being peed on?"

"Of course not, Jess…", Aubrey stuttered.

"Good." Jessica pondered for a moment. "I still don't understand why he did that to me. That is so…degrading and...specific. I get humiliating me with the rape, and killing me because of the trial, but that is…there must be a reason for it, right Genny? Did he tell you?"

"Yeah…there was.", Genny said quietly.

"Was it because Aubrey made him pee his pants at the Halloween Gala?", Jessica asked. "But it would make more sense to go after my boyfriend..."

Aubrey saw his friend's hesitation. "Genny, out with it."

"You're not going to like it, Boss."

Aubrey got a knot in his gut. "I'm sure I won't, but let's hear it."

"I would like to hear it, too. I need to make some sense of all this.", Jessica whispered.

"You two were right about Karen...she did start some of this." Taking a breath, Genny recounted the rest of the interrogation. When she got to where Gerald called out Karen, she saw the shock on the couple's faces before Aubrey's usually kind and friendly blue eyes went cold.

"What did she say when you talked to her, Genny?", Aubrey asked, restrained anger in his voice. "I know you've done your due diligence and questioned her."

Genny merely opened her bag and pulled out a transcript. "I think it's best if you two read the interrogation transcript."

Taking it, Aubrey situated himself carefully so that Jessica could read with him. What started out as mere anger at Karen turned into absolute fury by the time they finished perusing the transcript. Keeping his temper in check for Jessica's sake, the agent closed it and handed it back to Genny.

"I knew she didn't like me…but I never knew that she hated me that much.", Jessica said quietly. "Aubrey and I suspected she may have shot her mouth off to Gerald but that she went this far...I...what did I ever do to her to…"

"Jessica...it wasn't you. You were just the target of her frustration.", Genny said, trying to placate the shocked woman. "She couldn't quite accept that Aubrey wasn't interested or that her personality pushed away the folks at the Jeffersonian. Instead of seeing that and moving on, it was just easier to blame you for everything and work to get you out of the picture."

Jessica saw her lover in deep thought. "Aubrey...Aubrey...what's going on?"

'It was because of me...I did this to Jessica…' Aubrey felt sick as he contemplated with his ASAC told him, but he didn't want to say anything. Jessica's recovery was more important than his guilt.

Snapping back to reality, he saw both women watching him with concern. "Sorry...just taking this all in. I had hoped we were wrong about her. It pretty much boils down to Karen had a months long temper tantrum because I didn't engage in slap and tickle time with her since I was in love with someone else. Instead of directing that anger and frustration at me, since I was the asshole who unintentionally led her on after Jess and I broke up, she went after my girlfriend instead by provoking the Maxwells to ruin her career and future prospects."

"Mostly that. She also felt that Jessica was plotting to keep the squints from being friends with her." Genny gestured towards Jessica. "On top of that, supposedly you had also hooked up with Steve on the side and plotted to take him away from her because you was bored with Aubrey."

"That's ridiculous.", Jessica said. "I have a good relationship with people at the lab, but I'm not so powerful that I can control people's feelings. As for Steve, that was never something I was interested in. Even if Aubrey wasn't in the picture, he's several years older than me and until he married Mitzi...he was creepy like. Aubrey is not a boring man...in any fashion. He always keeps me interested."

"That's what I figured.", Genny replied with a smirk as she caught Aubrey blushing, remembering her conversation with the other woman at the Royal Diner a few weeks earlier.

Jessica shook her head. "Karen...I...I...I don't know what to think anymore. She's..."

"That woman is so blind to the fact that she causes her own troubles in life.", Aubrey lamented. "My God...I'm sorry life sucks for her but you have to deal with shit and move on for crying out loud."

Genny knew what her boss was saying and understood his anger. "I do believe Karen when she says she didn't intend for all this to happen, Boss, and she does feel true remorse."

"Yeah, I bet she did when she was caught…", Aubrey snarked.

"Of course, I also think that she wasn't going to say anything about her part in the whole affair until I confronted her. Last month, she did tell the truth when she said she hadn't talked to Gerald. By splitting hairs, she wasn't lying to authorities, because the other two meetings were with his now late father. I didn't even think to ask about Harold Maxwell when I first talked to her."

"Genny, who would?", Aubrey asked. "He wasn't even on our radar. I figured Karen lied about Jessica, spreading those disgusting rumors to Gerald, but that it was him that went to his father about that crap. Instead of just copping to what she did, she's making excuses for her jealousy and stupidity."

"I know...she had an excuse for everything until I showed her the crime scene photos and I told her all the gruesome details. It was the only way to get through to her."

"She has a fucking PhD in psychology and instead of using her brain, she ignored all that. Gerald Maxwell was a ticking time bomb, but it didn't matter to her. I want her out of the Bureau.", Aubrey said to himself quietly. "I want that bitch gone."

"She's on admin leave right now, Boss. Agent Tanner let Booth and me know about 7:30 this morning. He's working on scheduling a disciplinary hearing for her, probably this week."

"She's gone too far. I'm not going to stop until she's fired. What kind of person does what she did to Jess?", Aubrey growled. "What kind of person does that to anyone?"

Jessica felt her boyfriend's fury and it unnerved her. "Aubrey…let's see what happens…"

"No, she's not getting away with what happened to you, Jessica. I started this by bending backwards to be understanding and I'm going to finish it by getting her ass canned and then blackballed throughout the system. Where's my phone? I'm calling Stark right now-"

"Aubrey…stop!" Jessica took his arm. "Please…not now."

"Jessica is right, Boss.", Genny said. "Stark knows what happened and believe me, he's not going to let her get away with this. At the very least, she's going to have to go to mandatory training and the sexual harassment classes—"

"Not good enough, Genny." Aubrey stood up in front of his ASAC. "I want her to suffer like Jess has. Karen Delfs is not going to get away with what she did."

Genny saw the redhead was about to fall apart again. "Let it go for now, Boss, before you do something you're going to regret. You have more important things to worry about right now."

Seeing Genny's nod, Aubrey turned and saw Jessica shaking before she began crying again. "Jess, honey, it's alright…"

"No more yelling please. You're scaring me..."

Genny could see that the young woman was going to have a struggle ahead of her. "I'm going to head over to the courthouse for Gerald's arraignment. Caroline plans to ask for remand."

"I'll come with you."

"Boss…"

"I'm staying out of the case like I'm supposed to, but my girlfriend was assaulted and I'm going for her. After that I'll go check in at work." Aubrey turned to to Jessica. "I think Gail said she was coming to have lunch with you today, right?"

Jessica nodded, feeling a sense of abandonment. "Yeah. Dr. Saroyan said she planned to stop by later, too."

"Keep me posted on whether the doctor is going to let you go home tonight." Aubrey kissed Jessica gently. "I'll see you later. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will." Jessica pecked him again. "Be careful today. I love you."

"Love you, too." Aubrey grabbed his coat and turned to Genny. "Want to take one car?"

"Yeah, that's fine. We can drop yours off at the Hoover. I'm going to talk to Jessica for a minute. Want to meet me at the elevator?"

Aubrey understood. "Yeah, see you in a minute."

When the lanky man walked out, Genny turned to the young woman. "I'm sure your first instinct is to do everything yourself, but let him help you. Maybe it will help keep him in line so he doesn't go off on Karen."

The redhead nodded. "What's going to happen to her?"

"There will be a review panel. She did nothing criminal but if she stays in the FBI there will always be an asterisk by her name. If she's fired, wherever she goes in the future will want a reference from the Bureau...and it won't be a good one."

Jessica asked the other question on her mind. "What about Aubrey? I know he beat up Gerald. Is he going to get in trouble for that?"

Genny knew she needed to be honest. "He may go in front of a review panel. However, with the circumstances, if anything happens, it will be probably be a slap on the wrist."

Jessica pondered for a moment. "I just don't want Aubrey in trouble because of me…"

"He'll be fine, Jessica." Genny patted her hand. "I'm going to meet the boss and head over. Any major updates, someone will keep you informed."

"Thanks."

Jessica waved her friend bye but when the door closed, her countenance changed. She needed Aubrey to be with her. His presence made her less afraid, but she knew that he felt guilty for what happened. She knew he was going to blame himself and bend over backwards to get her justice and to earn forgiveness for what he saw as his sin.

There was the quandary. She needed Aubrey around to make her feel safe and protected. However, her feelings were all over the place, and she couldn't deal with his guilt right now. It was taking everything she had not to lose it every time she thought about Gerald Maxwell and what had happened yesterday morning.

'Why couldn't I get away from him? I know self-defense...I've kicked the asses of men who've tried to grope me...why did Gerald hurt me? Why couldn't he leave me alone after I said I wasn't interested? Why did it matter so damn much?'

Grabbing her phone, she saw the picture on her wallpaper, a selfie she'd taken of herself, Aubrey, and Skinner last Sunday. She was so happy...they were so happy...and now…

'Aubrey blames himself for what happened. I can't let him do that...but I need to be...I don't know...I don't know if I can help him and myself.'

But another question raced through her mind...one that had been with her since yesterday. 'Another man touched me...he hurt me. He says he's just happy that I'm okay, but what if...things aren't the same…would Aubrey look at me the same?'

Grabbing her Princess Leia doll, she held it to her chest before beginning to cry again.

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

Brennan checked in on the lab technicians before finishing her rounds as acting head of the lab today. In an hour, she had a budget meeting with Clark, Dr. Anderson, and Dr. Andrews of Archeology as well as supervise the clean up of Modular Bone Storage since the FBI had opened it back up. There was also a class of third graders currently on a tour being lead by her intern, Ms. Finney.

Ms. Warren was the intern Brennan usually had lead this type of venture. Her personality was ideal for these tours as she had a way with children. This week was going to be a busy one as two interns were out for at least two weeks, but it couldn't be helped.

Once again, she was forever grateful that Dr. Goodman hadn't given her the position of Lab Director when he left all those years ago. Dealing with all the bureaucratic...bullshit, as her husband referred to it, was mind numbing. Her place was with Booth solving cases and bringing closure and justice to people.

She continued to process her thoughts in between checking in on her technicians. Satisfied that she was almost done, she turned past the enzyme bath and heard something that disturbed her.

"I'm telling you, Laci. If that Jessica Warren hadn't slept around with all those men, it wouldn't have happened in the first place. Women like her give us a bad name."

"Definitely. That girl was on her back more times than not the first several months she was here...and those skirts and dresses? With all that and her flirting with guys, she asked to get raped by that Gerald Maxwell."

"Laci…"

"Well, maybe if she just kept her damn legs closed and have some pride in herself, no one would have been hurt yesterday-"

Infuriated, Brennan turned the corner. "That's enough. Contrary to what you think, Ms. Fairchild, women don't ask to be raped."

The lab technicians turned to see the forensic anthropologist standing there. Trying to quell her nervousness at the formidable woman in front of her, Laci Fairchild stepped forward. "Excuse me, Dr. Brennan, but this is a private conversation-"

"Which you're having in an area with several other scientists nearby. Privacy ends. Since you are still in the 1950s, Ms. Fairchild, I'll remind you that what a woman wears, her behavior with men, or anything she does doesn't mean a thing. Once she says no, the man stops."

Not liking how easily the forensic anthropologist shamed her, the technician dug in her heels. "I'm entitled to my opinions, Dr. Brennan."

"Yes, you are...even ignorant ones, because you are probably quite bereft of company with the male persuasion.", Brennan shot back, ignoring the quiet snickers in the background from other employees standing around to watch. "It's ignorant opinions like those which you have expressed that keep women from coming forward. I'll say this one more time…."

The anthropologist stepped forward until she was mere inches away from the older woman. "Jessica Warren didn't deserve to be beaten and almost sexually assaulted. No one does...not even the likes of you. Now, if I ever hear you say such asinine things again, I will go to Drs. Hodgins and Saroyan to report that you're creating a hostile work environment for my intern, something that I will not tolerate. Do we have an understanding?"

The technologist knew the woman was serious and could get her fired. "Yes."

"Good." Brennan thought for a minute. "When you're done examining that evidence, there are several DNA results that need to be catalogued into the computer and also several case files that need to be scanned onto the binder program so they can be accessed by our tablets."

Laci was surprised. "That's something usually for the interns or co-op students."

"Usually, but I think it be beneficial to you. You seem to need something to do since you have time to spread meaningless gossip.", Brennan replied. "See me with your report and we'll discuss it before you load in onto your tablet. Good day."

Brennan saw the other technicians. "If no one has cases to work on, they can help Ms. Fairchild in her tasks."

After the onlookers left the vicinity, Brennan walked away, her anger mixed with a smile.

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

The courtroom was packed when Genny and Aubrey arrived. After using their badges to get in, they found seats that were set aside for them.

"There's a seat for you, Boss. How did anyone know you were coming?"

"I had a hunch."

Both turned around to see Caroline standing there. "Thanks, Caroline.", Aubrey said.

Before anyone else could respond, the bailiff introduced the judge and all were seated. Sitting behind Caroline, they watched as several criminals were paraded around to the judge. By around 9:30, Aubrey was getting antsy.

"When are they going to bring out that piece of shit?"

"Soon, Boss. Caroline had him moved to the middle of the pack so I would have time to visit you two, and delay naming the victims a little bit longer."

Nodding, Aubrey kept silent for the next 45 minutes until Gerald, in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit, was accompanied to the podium, where Janis Jergins joined him. When all were situated, the proceedings began.

"How do you plead, Mr. Maxwell?"

"What the hell do you think?", Gerald snarled.

The judge looked to Janis Jergins. "Can I assume that is a 'Not Guilty'?"

"Yes, sir. I am requesting a psych evaluation for my client and also bail."

The judge looked at the lawyer. "You're kidding me, right? He's charged with five counts of attempted murder and a myriad of other serious charges. I'll grant the psych eval, but he's being remanded until trial. He will also surrender his passport to the court."

"Judge, I'm requesting to combine these charges into ones already pending against Mr. Maxwell.", Caroline stated. "The victims, particularly Ms. Warren, are already traumatized. They shouldn't have to deal with one trial and then wait for another."

"Fair request, Ms. Julian." Looking at the calendar, the older man faced the attorneys again. "Today's charges will be combined into one trial. I'm resetting the date for March 28th, 2017. Anything else before we go to the next case?"

"Yes, Your Honor.", Janis stepped up. "I'm hereby giving notice that I will be filing a Motion to Withdraw from this case."

"What?", a stunned Gerald yelled. "You can't fucking do that!"

Surprised at the development, the judge spoke slowly. "Very well, Ms. Jergins. I'll wait to receive your motion. Until this motion is granted, if justifiable, as you know, you will still be Mr. Maxwell's attorney of record."

"Yes sir, I do.", the defense attorney said grimly.

"Very well. Mr. Maxwell will be sent to Medstar George Washington for a 72 hour psychiatric review and then if found mentally fit to stand trial will be remanded until trial." The judge slammed down his gavel. "Next case!"

"You can't do that, you bitch!"

Ms. Jergins picked up her papers and put them in the briefcase. "I can, and I will. You're the worst client I've ever had. Hopefully after tomorrow, the firm and I will be rid of you."

"I will call my mother! She keeps you guys on retainer and you work for us!" , Gerald yelled as he was dragged away by the bailiffs.

"We work for her, asshole.", Janis muttered.

Caroline knew she needed to tread carefully, but she couldn't contain her curiosity. Walking across the aisle, she stood by her colleague. "Janis...I have to admit I'm surprised. You love juicy cases like these. Must be a pretty good reason you want to sever your ties to Mr. Maxwell."

"Two of them actually, but the second one tipped the scale as there is….change in the air.", Janis grabbed her briefcase. "Too bad, really. I do always enjoy a good sparring match with you in court, Caroline. Until next time…"

"Until next time, Janis."

When the defense attorney walked away, the two agents walked up to the US Attorney. "Caroline, did she say why she's going to file a Motion to Withdraw?"

"Young man, you know from that fancy law school of yours that she can't tell me outright...but she hinted that there was a recent change in the situation. I'm sure his belligerence and refusal to cooperate with her was another factor.", Caroline commented as she watched Ms. Jergins chat with another colleague.

"Does anybody else notice that none of Gerald's relatives are here? No mother...siblings…" Genny looked around the gallery again. "I know they are grieving about his father but I would think they would still support Gerald. Their absence is very interesting."

Aubrey smiled as he raised an eyebrow at Caroline. "Could the change in the air be...financial?"

"Well, the scuttlebutt will be around the courthouse sooner than later.", she mused, giving him a coy grin. "Now, who's going to buy me coffee and a beignet? I need my essentials before I go visit my Seeley Booth."

Aubrey chuckled. "I will, for our favorite US Attorney. We can give you a ride, too-"

"My Gremlin will get us there just fine." Caroline picked her briefcase and walked away before turning around. "Well, come on. My beignet isn't going to buy itself, Cher."

Genny and Aubrey chuckled before following the lawyer out of the courtroom.