Welcome back to Love and Carbonite after a brief hiatus. When we last checked in on Aubrey and Jessica, she was still dealing with the after effects of being assaulted. In this chapter, we're going to see how she's coping.
PLEASE BE WARNED: In this chapter, Jessica has a vivid dream about the assault that may bother some of our readers. It starts in italics in the section directly below the sentence that says the house was quiet and Jessica was tossing and turning in the recliner. You can skip that section and still get the gist of the story.
Things hadn't changed much on Tuesday and Wednesday looked to be about the same. Aubrey took care of Jessica while she was convalescing in the recliner. He rolled with the punches as she alternated between being emotional, withdrawn, or hostile with him. By afternoon, both of their tempers were frayed, but they were trying to avoid a fight.
"What time is Daisy coming over? It's 3:30. Did she call and cancel coming by again?"
"No, she doesn't have a case today. She sent me a text earlier stating that she's working through her lunch hour but that she'd be here before 4:00." Jessica sipped her water. "I'm not looking forward to this, Aubrey."
Aubrey wiped down the countertop. "Well, it's got to be done. She may take it better coming from you."
"Yeah...thanks for the encouragement.", Jessica grumbled.
His girlfriend's bitter attitude hurt, but Aubrey was determined to shake it off. "Well, I'm sorry you have to do it."
"Well, like you said, someone has to do it so it may as well be me.", Jessica retorted as the doorbell rang.
Looking at the video monitor, he saw Daisy and opened the door. "Hey Daisy, come on in."
"Hi, Aubrey." Daisy was carrying a mylar balloon with GET WELL SOON printed on it, a box from Dog Tag Bakery, and what looked like two coffees.
"Here, let me help you." Aubrey sniffed the box hungrily. "Smells good in here."
"I got some scones, muffins, and that dark chocolate and pumpkin pannacotta for Jessica."
"Oh, that stuff is amazing...gimme…" Jessica held out her arms.
Daisy gave Aubrey her coat, walked over to her friend and handed her the treat with a plastic spoon. "How are you doing?"
Jessica set the items down, rubbed her eyes, and sighed. "Sore, but good...I guess. I hate being cooped up here in this chair."
"Hey, you'll be out before you know it.", Daisy said before sitting down opposite of Jessica. "I have to tell you what happened when I tried to visit Oliver today…"
Aubrey rolled his eyes before getting his coat, knowing Jessica wanted privacy for what she had to do. "Listen, I'm going to run to the office and get my laptop. Daisy, do you mind staying with Jess? "I should be back in about an hour with rush hour traffic. "
"Aubrey…", Jessica moaned. "...I'm not a five year old…"
"That's fine.", Daisy said. "Just please be back so I can go see Oliver in the ICU before 6:00."
"Will do." Aubrey gave his girlfriend a pointed glance as he grabbed his keys. "Jess, want anything while I'm out?"
"No, thank you.", Jessica responded in a sullen tone.
"I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't give me that face or roll your eyes.", Aubrey admonished before giving her a kiss. Looking at the box, the agent turned to Daisy. "Is it okay if I…"
"Yes, Aubrey, go ahead."
Stealing a scone, Aubrey left the house. After the door shut, Daisy turned to Jessica. "I need to tell you about what happened when Rani showed up yesterday. That bitch-"
Before her friend started her tirade, Jessica held up her hand. "Daisy, can we talk?"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Ten minutes later, Daisy became quite agitated. "What the hell, Jessica? I thought you were my best friend!"
"I am, Daisy, and as your friend, I'm worried about you and your marriage."
"Beau and I are fine. I can't believe you're taking Rani's side in all this!" Daisy paced the floor. "Oliver is alone and needs me-"
"No, he doesn't! You two almost had sex in your office Friday night, Daisy, after he was a douche to you and you told him off. You're married. People are starting to talk…"
"About what? That I'm concerned about my friend?"
"Daisy, it's more than that and you know it.", Jessica said. "Somebody might talk to Beau about you and Oliver. Do you want to risk your marriage over this?"
"My marriage is fine, Jessica."
"No, it's not if you're visiting another man to the point where you're trying to push his girlfriend out of the picture. Daisy...I don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm fine, Jessica. You hear me? I thought you of all people would understand…"
"What are you talking about?"
"You and Aubrey danced around each other after the break up...and you found each other again. I love Beau but...we're...I don't know...he doesn't get me...I'm so confused…"
"Daisy...I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm trying to help you. I didn't want Rani to confront you and make you look bad, all right?" Jessica saw her friend was hurt. "I don't want you losing your marriage over this. I think Beau suspects something and if you're not careful, all of this will blow up in your face."
"No, he doesn't because there's nothing to suspect, all right?" Daisy crossed her arms over her chest. "I had a weak moment, but I can still have compassion for Oliver."
"Please, just be careful with Rani, all right? She was pretty upset about what happened."
"Well, if she's so concerned then perhaps they aren't as compatible as she thought they were."
Jessica could see that nothing she could say would get through. "Alright, Daisy. Just know I'm here for you, okay...albeit trapped in a chair for a week."
Daisy chuckled. "I know you're looking out for me, Jessica, but I'm fine. Rani has her panties in a knot because she's insecure, that's all. Don't worry...everything will work out as it should…now, is Aubrey being a good boyfriend and taking care of you?"
"He is...way overprotective, but he's being good." Jessica faintly smiled. "I'm very lucky to have him in my life."
"I'm glad you have him.", Daisy sighed. "I have someone in my life that I haven't appreciated lately...but that's going to change."
Daisy's phone rang with the Redskins' fight song. After hearing what her friend just said, Jessica was surprised when she let the call go to voicemail. "Dais, aren't you going to answer that?"
"I'll talk to Beau later. Probably something stupid about Regina again. He acts like that place is manna from Heaven or something."
"But you just said that you have someone in your life that you haven't appreciated…"
"Yes, but I wasn't referring to Beau. I was referring to Oliver. I was such a bitch, getting up in his face when he was with Rani. He's important to me and I plan to let him know that when he wakes up from his coma. The doctors were supposed to wean him off his medication today so hopefully I can talk to him before Beau and Lance come home Sunday."
"Daisy, what about Beau?"
"What about him, Jessica? He's my husband. We have some issues to work out but he's come a long way by agreeing to sign with the Redskins so I can stay at the NFL. Now, if he could just tell his parents to mind their own business."
"What are they doing?"
Daisy exhaled. "They're still pushing him to go to Regina and for me to just follow him. It's my marriage, not theirs."
"He's their son, Daisy. I'm sure they're just concerned, that's all.", Jessica said quietly.
"Well, things are fine. Yeah, he's their son but he's also my husband. Martin and Denise just need to shut the fuck up and concentrate on their own lives."
Stunned at the language, Jessica stammered. "Daisy...that's...wow...kind of harsh, isn't it?"
"No, it's true. Their son should be doing what's best for his wife and son, not them."
Jessica considered her words. "Well, he's making a big sacrifice for you, Daisy. He must really love you and Lance. That's not something you want to throw away on a whim just because something unexpected happens to someone you care about."
Daisy looked suspicious. "What are you insinuating, Jessica?"
"I'm just saying that, you shouldn't make any rash decisions. Be careful with Rani and Oliver. I don't want you to get hurt."
Daisy bit into another scone. "Jessica, I'm not going to get hurt. I'm Oliver's friend, I've known him longer, and she's not going to keep me from seeing him. Life is too short to just settle, alright?"
Realizing that her friend wasn't going to listen to her, Jessica bit into her scone. 'Please Daisy...don't do something stupid to wreck your marriage.'
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Aubrey handed Jessica a bottle of water and sat next to her. "So, do you think she listened to what you were saying?"
"Thank you." Jessica took the water as she put the book she was reading down. "No. Daisy thinks Rani is just some bitch and that she's being a friend that is looking out for Oliver. Oh, Beau is all fine and dandy and life is just flipping grand."
"I'm sorry, Jess…." Before Aubrey could say anything else, Skinner jumped up onto the arm of the new recliner.
"Hi there, Boy. You can sit on Aunt Jessica's lap here. Come on over…"
Before the tabby could move, a pair of hands picked him up and put him on the floor. "Skinner, Aunt Jessica needs to rest. She can't be having you all over her."
"Aubrey, he was fine.", a frustrated Jessica replied. "He can sit on my legs."
"But then he'll want to move up and lay near your ribs. Doctor said no weight on them except for your deep breathing exercises." Aubrey looked at the kitchen clock. "It's been about an hour. Now take in ten deep breaths."
Not wanting a fight, Jessica took a breath, but exhaled quickly as it hurt her ribs. She tried again and got a little deeper, but even with the pain medication, it was a struggle.
"Jess! Deep breaths. You have to do this every hour or you'll be back in the hospital with pneumonia. Do you want that?"
Jessica counted to ten before speaking. "No, but I also don't want my boyfriend acting like a drill sergeant, either. I know how to breathe and I know when to keep a cat off my stomach. Once I can start doing some modified yoga while deep breathing it will be easier."
"Well, it's not going to help if you get pneumonia.", Aubrey bit back. "You need to quit being so damn stubborn."
"You need to quit acting like a know-it-all asshole.", Jessica yelled. "Don't fucking tell me what to do, understand? I'm not one of your agents."
'Booth said she would be all over the place. It's only temporary...it's only temporary.' Aubrey took a deep breath to hold back the retort that was on his tongue. "it's almost 6:00. How about I order a pizza for dinner?"
'God, I'm being a bitch again with Aubrey.' Her nerves shot, Jessica nodded. "That sounds good. Thank you."
"Maybe after that we can watch a movie later. Comet is showing The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai tonight."
Jessica looked up. "Actually, I think I would like to read tonight."
Hurt that she preferred being by herself with a book instead of him, Aubrey gulped before smiling. "Hey, no problem. I'll get the pizza ordered and pick it up. Do you need me to run to the store while I'm out?"
"No, I'm fine, thank you.", Jessica replied quietly before turning on the television.
Seeing that her attention was elsewhere, Aubrey called DiAngelo's and put in an order. After grabbing his coat, he opened the door and turned back. "I love you, Jessica."
"I love you, too Superman.", Jessica said without much warmth.
Shaking off the feeling of rejection, Aubrey walked out to the car, slamming the door as he got into the driver's seat. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, he fought the urge to yell profanities, but to no avail. "FUCK!"
Inside the house, when she heard the engine of his SUV, the redhead began crying. She hated walking on eggshells with her boyfriend, but she either couldn't handle his presence or she was too scared to be alone.
She hoped things would change before it was too late.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
The rest of the night was about the same. While Aubrey watched his movie in the den, Jessica sat in the chair and read quietly. Each of them was full of emotions as they tried to get through the day.
It was after midnight when Aubrey left the den and saw Jessica sound asleep in the recliner. He knew that she hated sleeping in it, but the doctor had said it would be best for her for the first week of recovery. He got closer and his heart ached when he saw that she had been crying again.
He couldn't figure out why she seemed to constantly push him away. She had been through a major trauma and he wanted to give her as much support as he could, but it was either too much or not enough. Nothing he was doing for her the last couple of days was making her happy. He knew sometimes he was trying too hard, and it manifested in him hovering over her, but he couldn't help it. It was his fault she was like this.
Mentally going through every instance he was with Karen Delfs over the last 13 months, he should have seen it coming. He was too wrapped up in getting the balls to move to first base in his relationship with Jessica and working cases with Booth to see that Karen wanted more from him than just being a work colleague. Maybe if he had paid more attention, he could have been firm with her last spring and she would have moved on.
He tore himself up thinking about what an emotional wreck he had been after Jessica broke up with him. Yes, she needed time, but instead of honoring that request, he'd focused on getting her back... when he wasn't wallowing in self pity, that is. Karen, in the meantime, had been available to listen, and he found her attentions flattering, as his loneliness was becoming unbearable. She always knew just what to say to make him feel good, as well as always bending over backward to make sure he was happy. She didn't have commitment hang ups and stubborn opinions about things because she always agreed with him.
Closing his eyes, he shook his head. He had eaten up Karen's attention, which had only led her on. It also kept him from seeing that Jessica ending their relationship wasn't just because of her, but that he had a part to play in that as well. Everyone else saw it coming a mile away...everyone except him.
When Booth had finally set his head straight, he felt shame at what he had done. Yes, he should have been firmer with Karen after his birthday party or filed a complaint, but she had been a good friend to him when he needed it. Plus, he had used her to feel better, so to insult her further by getting her into trouble would make him look like an asshole. In the end, he was still an asshole, because he put Karen on the path to use her anger to ruin the woman he loved, whose only offense was taking him back and loving him. Jessica deserved justice, and not just from the courts.
The agent vowed that the profiler would never pull this shit with anyone else in the Bureau. To facilitate that action, he would pull as many strings as he could to make sure that Karen Delfs would be gone from the FBI. She would learn that James Aubrey fought for the people he loved.
The bitch would rue the day she decided to go after Jessica.
Slipping upstairs quietly, he changed into a pair of flannel pants and a t-shirt. Making sure that Jessica was covered up in the chair, he settled down on the couch. Setting his phone for 5:30 so he could give his girlfriend her pain pill, Aubrey covered himself with a blanket and went to sleep.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Several hours later, the house remained quiet except for Jessica, who was tossing and turning in her sleep.
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**\\
"I'm not going down without a fight, Gerald. It's sad that it takes rape for you to get a piece of ass…", Jessica slurred before hitting him hard in the groin with her knee.
"AAWWWWW! It's time to teach you a lesson.", the larger man bellowed before lifting her and shoving her onto the floor.
Moving was painful, but the redhead did what she could. However, it wasn't enough as Gerald's larger body weight landed on her. Her vision blurred but she could still make out him looking at her neck. Then she felt Aubrey's necklace pulled up and her fear broke through.
"Don't...please…"
"You're gonna beg for this little cheap necklace...that cop of yours doesn't make shit does he…couldn't even shell out for the good stuff for his used slut..." Gerald ripped it off and tossed it. "Now, you nasty little girl...you've been teasing me and it's time for me to collect."
Jessica continued to fight as much as she could until she felt hands around her throat alternate between constriction and release.
"See...there's something about controlling another person that I love...gets me hot.", Gerald said before squeezing again, this time longer before releasing. "I control you...I control whether you live or die...it's the ultimate turn on…oh yes...your face...I love that look of...terror in your eyes...hard it be an uppity bitch when I'm in control..."
Jessica fought harder, but Gerald had a sadistic smile as he squeezed her throat with more pressure. As she struggled to breathe, one of Gerald's hands began going between her legs but stopped when she squeezed his hand tight and scratched him under his eye. When he let go instinctively, she screamed loudly until the larger man responded by squeezing her throat again, this time until she began to lose consciousness.
"Bitch, you should have fucked me instead of teasing me…now you're going to learn how powerful I am…oh yeah…no you're not going to sleep yet…" He let go for a second. "I'm going to fuck you first…then I'll kill you after I'm done…I'm in control…I'm in control, Firecrotch!"
Jessica gasped for air and began to black out again when she felt Gerald's weight lifted off her. As her body began to take in oxygen, her vision blurred as she felt her jeans opened.
"No…." , she choked.
"Shut up, Firecrotch...fuck this shit...I'm tired of you screeching. You're going to be cold in a few minutes but at least you'll be quiet when I fuck you."
Jessica's airway was completely constricted as she fought against Gerald, but he only squeezed further. Desperate, she began punching wildly.
"Stop hitting me! Stop it! Jess...quit hitting me!"
Jessica began to black out as Gerald kept calling her 'Jess.'
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**\\
In the living room, Aubrey barely dodged another fist as he shook her hard. "Jess...Jess...Jessica! JESSICA, WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"
Jessica's eyes opened and she continued to struggle. Nearly hyperventilating, she pushed the person off her as she worked to breathe. In a cold sweat, she looked around and realized she wasn't about to die, but was instead sitting in her living room.
She looked over at Aubrey, who was holding a Kleenex over his lip and she realized what happened. "Oh, Superman...I'm so sorry…"
Aubrey was still a bit shocked at the punch he'd gotten from his girlfriend, but he knew it wasn't intentional. Trying to put some humor in the situation, he smiled. "I'm fine, Jess. I just now know to avoid that deadly right hook."
"Let me see…" Turning towards him, she jostled her ribs, causing her to cry out in pain.
"Let me get you some ice." Aubrey headed to the kitchen. "I could use some, too."
Grabbing a gel pack and a bag of frozen peas, he took both into the living room. He went to place the frozen vegetables by Jessica's ribs, but she slapped him away.
"I've got it, Aubrey. You don't have to baby me, okay?", Jessica whimpered.
"Are you comfortable? Here's let me adjust your pillows…"
Jessica hated being in the recliner, she was still scared from her nightmare, and she was upset about hitting her boyfriend in her sleep. She just wanted to forget everything, but whenever she tried, she couldn't, because Aubrey was either hovering over her to the point of suffocation or she could see the guilt that was eating at him on his face. She just couldn't handle it right now.
"Aubrey, stop!" Jessica smacked his hand away before the tears began to fall. "I'm not helpless, damn it..."
Aubrey took a deep breath. It had less than 72 hours since he brought her home from the hospital, but he felt dizzy from all of Jessica's mood swings the last three days. Wednesday wasn't much better than Tuesday and he selfishly wondered if there would be an end in sight anytime soon. He debated on what to do when he heard the Superman theme from his phone.
He looked at Jessica and for a moment, they forgot all the tension of the last couple of days as they laughed. Jessica held her ribs when they hurt and Aubrey turned off the alarm. "Time for your pain pill, Jess."
"They make me so sleepy, Aubrey."
"I know, but you need to keep ahead of the pain as you heal." The agent opened the bottle of Norco and gave her one. "I'll make us some breakfast. How about oatmeal?"
"That's fine."
Aubrey walked into the kitchen and grabbed a pan. Today would be a better day.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
By lunchtime, tensions had risen between the couple. Jessica was tired of being dictated to and Aubrey was tired of the woman's stubbornness and bitchy attitude.
"Jess, I know it hurts, but you need to try harder to breathe. The doctor said-"
"I know what he said, Aubrey!", Jessica cried. "I took deeper breaths than yesterday but I'm not a machine. Even with the Norco, it hurts. I'm doing the best that I can. Now get off my fucking back!"
Aubrey threw his hands in the air in frustration at Jessica's obstinacy. "Fine...but if you get sick, don't cry to me about it. You're 28 years old, Jessica. Why don't you act like it instead of a child?"
Jessica's only answer was a look that could cut glass before reaching for her Princess Leia book and opening it to read. Aubrey got the message loud and clear.
"Okay...it's getting a little heated in here."
"You think?", Jessica muttered.
The agent went over to the stove and saw the leftover soup from the freezer was ready. Grabbing a bowl, he scooped up some for Jessica and grabbed a sleeve of crackers before bringing it all out to his girlfriend.
"I've defrosted that shrimp chowder you made a few weeks ago and heated it up for your lunch. I'll see you in a couple of hours."
Surprised, Jessica turned to her boyfriend. "W-where are you going?"
Aubrey put on his coat before turning around. "I think we both need a break, Jessica. I'm going to the Hoover to check in with Genny. The remote is next to your glass of water."
"What about you? Aren't you going to eat any lunch?"
"I'll pick up something on the way. Bye, Jess." a solemn Aubrey walked out the door.
Once again, Jessica's anger turned to fear as she began to cry again. 'Why do I keep doing that? Superman is trying so hard and I'm being so mean.'
After thirty minutes, she was finally able to get control of her roller coaster emotions when she heard the doorbell. Surprised, the redhead slowly got up and walked towards the front door. When it rang again, she yelled, "Keep your shorts on, I'm coming."
Looking at the monitor, she was surprised at who was on the front stoop. Wincing through the pain, she unlocked and opened the door. "Agent Bower? What are you doing here?"
The older man was shocked to see her standing. "Why are you answering the door? Where's the boss?"
"He went to check in at the Hoover. Now, did you come here for anything else other than to yell at me? I mean, I could just leave you out here to freeze your ass off, Bower."
Steve cringed before inhaling and exhaling to calm his nerves. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you...if that's okay."
Jessica was still wary of being around him alone but he did look sincere. Besides, she knew that Mitzi could kick his ass and Aubrey would make him suffer if he misbehaved with her again. "Come in."
Bower walked in, looked around, and whistled. "Nice house...how the hell does he afford such a nice place? Whose pocket is he into?" , the agent asked with a chuckle.
Jessica slowly shut the door and gave Steve a dirty look. "Aubrey isn't corrupt, Steve, and I wouldn't joke about that in front of him if you know what's good for you. In actuality, because he helped with the renovations on this house after it was destroyed, Booth and Dr. B give him a deal on the rent."
"Shit...this was Agent Booth's old house that the Delta Force guys shot the shit out of a few years back, isn't it?"
"Yes, this was the house Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan were almost murdered in, Agent Bower.", Jessica snapped back. "Any more questions that are none of your business?"
Steve saw that he'd already got off on the wrong foot with the intern. "Sorry…no, I'm all good."
"Do you mind if I sit down?", Jessica walked back towards the living room. "My ribs hurt."
"Ooohh shit. Yeah, I'm sorry." Steve followed her to the recliner where she eased herself down before covering herself up. "So you've been home for a few days. How are you feeling?"
Realizing she was being snippy towards the man, Jessica made an effort to be nice. "As well as can be, I guess. I'm still on narcotics for the pain, but it's getting better. I'm taking it easy so I can see Dr. B speak at the Women's March on Saturday."
Steve could see the woman was uncomfortable and probably wasn't too happy he was there alone with him. "Listen, I won't take up too much of your time…I'm sure you have to rest and do stuff…"
Jessica noted how the agent looked everywhere but at her. "Agent Bower, quit beating around the bush, please."
Bower fiddled with his tie. "Yeah...um...I just...want to say...sorry...for everything."
Jessica's eyes got large as his words sunk in. When he looked at the floor, Jessica pressed forward. "Did you just...what exactly are you apologizing for?"
Steve took a deep breath. "Mitzi and I talked a lot after I got home last night. She made me realize that no matter what I do...until I own up to the fact that...I'm still a...perv…"
"Okay, I'm really confused now."
"Sorry." Bower thought about his words before they stumbled out. "Um, I realize that I'm partly to blame for Karen doing that stupid shit to you, and I wanted to apologize, you know? I'm also apologizing for hitting on you. I didn't want her to know that I was banging the CSI lady and it was easier to make her think you were after me. You're cute and...I guess it was fun to delude myself for a while with thinking that you were secretly pining away for me instead of hooking up with my boss who is younger than me."
"Wow…" Jessica nodded as she took all that he said.
Mistaking her silence for irritation, Steve cleared his throat. "Shit...not good enough. I told Mitzi I wasn't good at this touchy feely crap. Um, I'm really, really sorry that I made Karen think you were after me, and I was a major asshole when I hit on you...every time. Maybe if I just kept my damn mouth shut Karen would have left you alone…"
Jessica couldn't take the man stumbling over his words anymore. "Agent Bower...Steve!" When the older man was silent, she nodded. "I accept your apology."
"Y-you do?" Bower looked confused. "Just like that?"
"Yeah...just like that." Jessica nodded her head. "It takes balls to apologize to the woman you sexually harassed, and I'm glad Mitzi has encouraged you to do the right thing. As for Karen, you were an idiot, but...she was the one who went to the Maxwells. Don't forget that the first time she did that was before she even dated you."
"Yeah, but I had to open my trap-"
"Which she used as an excuse in her...rivalry with me...if you can call it that." Jessica saw the relief on the man's face and relaxed slightly. "Thank you...Steve. I know how hard it was for you to do this and I appreciate it more than you know."
"Really?" Steve exhaled. "Cool...um, Mitzi was wondering if you were up for her visiting tomorrow. She's off at 3:00 and isn't interested in any of the Inauguration crap. She really likes you and she's...still working on making friends here. I think she intimidates people because of her size, but she's such a sweetheart."
'I know what's it like being the new girl...it's hard. Mitzi can be overbearing but she's nervous about being in a new town and she is really nice.' Jessica smiled. "Sure, that would be fine."
"Cool...she'll be really stoked. I'll let her know to get in touch with you. You're on Facebook and Twitter, right?"
"Yeah, just have her send me a message."
Steve saw how exhausted his boss's girlfriend looked. "Okay, I'm going to grab some food since I'm on my lunch hour. If the boss finds out I've worn you out, he'll have my head."
'Superman scared the shit out of him…' Jessica shook her head. "Oh Aubrey…"
"Not literally, but...he really loves you, Jessica." Steve pondered for a moment before deciding to talk. "When we were heading the lab Sunday, he was on the warpath. Even when we found everyone else, all he thought about was finding you."
"He was?"
"Yeah...Gerald Maxwell has at least fifty pounds on him, but man, Aubrey would have killed him. That man would do anything for you."
'He loves me so much…' Jessica nodded. "Yeah…I would do the same for him."
"You know, Halko didn't give a shit about anything but sitting on his ass in the office and counting down the days until retirement. Aubrey was a pain at first, but he just wanted us to be a better division. Some of the guys tried giving him shit when he started, including...me, but he stood his ground." Steve scratched the back of his head. "He...stands up for all the agents in Major Crimes. He's been a good boss to us."
Jessica smiled with pride. "Yes, he is. Aubrey earns people's respect."
"Yeah…" Steve felt his phone buzz. Looking at it, he smiled. "Mitzi sending me a text saying that she loves me. Man, I'm so lucky that we found each other again. It sounds stupid, but it's like the 26 years between college and Thanksgiving were just...surviving. The women I had been with before were nothing compared to my Mitzi Muffin. I got really lucky that she didn't blow me off when she found out how much of a pig I was, you know? We were stupid and let each other go once, but we're never going to do that again, ever."
Jessica was stunned at the profound emotion behind Steve's words. It was like once he saw his former high school sweetheart again, a switch turned on and the real Steve Bower came out. For him, at least, love had performed a miracle, or in his case, he had experienced a love that never really died.
Steve saw her lost in thought and decided that he was wearing out his welcome. "Sorry that I was babbling. I'm almost 45 years old and I sound like a teenager about Mitzi. We're not teenagers anymore, but..."
"You weren't babbling, Steve. You sound like a man in love, or never really stopped loving the girl he dated in high school. I think it's really sweet, honestly."
Embarrassed, Steve cleared his throat and walked to the door. "Hey, I'll let you go. Don't get up...I'll let myself out. Take care, Jessica."
The redhead watched Steve Bower leave and chuckled. She sat back and relaxed until realizing that the door was unlocked. Knowing Aubrey would lose his shit if he came home to it unlocked, Jessica got up and walked slowly to the door. Right as she was going to turn the deadbolt, the doorbell rang and she opened without thinking about it.
"Steve...I thought you were going back to…." Jessica's voice trailed off. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Karen Delfs took a breath. "Hello, Jessica...may I come in?"