A/N: time for Jessica to spread her wings and fly a little bit as she gets ready for her undercover work. As expected, Aubrey still isn't pleased about it, but he's going to get some sound advice...as is his girlfriend.

Few words were spoken as Booth and Aubrey drove to the ice rink the next morning. After waiting for his normally chatty partner to say something intelligible, Booth finally spoke his mind.

"I know why you're acting so pissy, and I'm gonna tell you one last time...you need to get the hell over yourself, Aubrey."

Stunned and angry, Aubrey turned to his friend. "Just what gives you the right to tell me how to act? You're not my boss…anymore..."

"Oh, that's the way it's gonna be?" Whining in a singsong voice, Booth mocked his partner. "'You're not the boss of me'. What are we, nine year old girls?" Glancing at an irritated Aubrey, he pursed his lips slightly. "So...do you wanna talk about it?"

"Yeah, sure, if it'll get you off my back." Tugging at the large black handlebar mustache he was wearing, the younger man scowled. "How come I always have to wear this goddamn weasel on my face? How come you get the hat and mullet wig instead of me? I can't even grow a convincing beard, let alone something like this stupid thing…I look like Mario and Luigi's long lost cousin, Giuseppe."

Booth chuckled as he checked his rearview mirror. "Simple. I have seniority over you, so I get first pick of the undercover get up. Besides, this is Buck Moosejaw's look, Jimmy boy." He reached up to adjust his ball cap. "But I don't think that's the real problem, is it?"

Getting no response from his passenger, Booth continued. "Look...I get it, okay? Having your girlfriend go undercover on a case is scary. I know...I've been through it myself. But here's the deal...women like Bones and Jessica? Strong, intelligent women? They don't take too kindly to their romantic partners hovering over them. Both of them have worked hard to get where they are, pretty much on their own, and they loathe the idea that they need a man to protect them."

Closing his eyes, Aubrey leaned back against the seat. "Listen, Booth...I know you're trying to help me, but I don't want to talk about the case, okay?"

Ignoring his passenger's grumbling, Booth pressed further. "Are you still mad because you think I twisted Jessica's arm into taking on this job? Because you should know...she volunteered for it…"

"Yeah, she volunteered because she doesn't have any idea how dangerous it can be!", Aubrey growled.

"I know you saw that background check that the Jeffersonian had on Jessica, but did you really read it? You know that your girlfriend did undercover stuff for Greenpeace...very risky undercover stuff."

"Yeah, she got jobs at labs and other places and found out stuff for her group to protest…"

"Aubrey, cut the crap. She wasn't just a spy, and you know it. Her group infiltrated a lab in Ohio that was experimenting on animals and breaking several environmental laws while testing their new hair care products. Her group not only got the evidence, they also staged a major protest which brought massive negative publicity to those assholes."

"Yeah, she helped but-"

"...and I know you read about the time Jessica and two other members of her group got jobs at a recycling plant and caught higher ups cutting corners with the disposal of batteries and other stuff. It was dangerous work, and if she or her friends were caught, they could've been hurt, because there was a lot of money on the line, but she handled it just fine."

"I know all that…two of those dickheads in the recycling thing actually served time along with paying a massive fine. I love that Jess isn't afraid to do what's right, no matter the cost to herself." Aubrey sighed audibly. "It's just…Shit. I don't know how to explain it..."

"It's just that she isn't doing what you want her to do...which is to stay in the lab and play with her old bones." Booth laughed out loud. "You'd better get used to it, Buddy...a woman like Jessica has a mind of her own and rarely does something just because a man wants her to. That's why she had all that trouble with Gerald Maxwell..."

"Well, yeah. Jess doesn't take shit from anybody…"

"Including you...but that's one of the reasons why you love her so much." Booth saw Aubrey cringe and knew he had him. "I know you...you'd hate having a clingy, submissive girlfriend, like Karen Delfs would've been. It's a good thing you were smart enough to not sleep with that one."

Aubrey shuddered at the reminder of the woman who'd made his life difficult for several months. "I don't want Jessica to be all clingy and submissive...that would bore me to tears. I love that she's strong and can take care of herself. I just want her to just take a step back sometimes...not always jump in feet first, you know?"

Booth parked the SUV and turned to his friend. "Look, I understand that you're worried about her...I really do...but we're going to be right there with her, and it's only for a few days. If I hadn't thought Jessica could handle it, I would never put her in that position to begin with, okay? Trust me…"

"Yeah, okay...I trust you." Checking his moustache once more, Aubrey grimaced. I do trust you, Booth...but you're not the one I'm worried about...

Oooooooooo

Arriving at the arena a few minutes later, Jessica found a parking spot far away from Wendell's truck. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she grimaced as she self-consciously ran her hand through her dark brown hair. Turning to Dr. Brennan, she cringed. "I look awful as a brunette…"

"On the contrary, I think it's a good look for you.", Brennan commented as she adjusted her curly 'Wanda' wig. "It makes you look like one of those emu singers that Parker seems to enjoy so much."

Emu? What the hell? Oh… "I believe the type of music you're referring to is called emo, Dr. B...emphasis on the O." Jessica giggled as she climbed out of the vehicle. "I know my hair will be this color for only a few days, but it is quite a drastic change, and, as you can imagine, Aubrey was not impressed…in fact, he hates it. He said it's like he's sleeping with a Katy Perry wannabe or something. It kind of hurt my feelings...and then we were snippy with each other until we went to bed last night. We barely spoke to each other again this morning before you and Booth came to pick us up."

"Well, that's hardly an unusual reaction, considering his opinion on the whole undercover plan." Brennan pulled on the hem of her snug, brightly colored floral shirt before reaching for her equipment bag. "I do think he'll feel better when he realizes that I'll be with you the whole time."

"I'm sure he will." Grabbing her gear, Jessica followed her mentor into the rink. "How long has it been since you've tried curling, Dr. B?"

"It's been many years. A group of anthropology students in one of my undergraduate classes was doing a project about the camaraderie that develops among members of a sports team. Because curling doesn't involve a large number of people, it seemed like a perfect choice for their study. I volunteered to participate, and I enjoyed it very much. Our team wasn't very good, but we did become friends over the course of the project." As they walked toward the curling side of the rink, Brennan turned to Jessica. "How did you get involved in the sport?"

"My dad was always looking for things I could do with my brothers, since I was the only girl in the family. We'd tried lots of different things, but then one day my dad saw curling on the Winter Olympics and he decided we should give it a go. As you know, it helps to have some knowledge of physics and trigonometry to play well, so it enhanced our studies at the Co op, and it had the added advantage in that a person of any size can play, so I could easily participate with my brothers. We used to rotate so that we could all take turns in the different positions. It was fun, and while our family was, and still is, well off financially, there were six children and any activity that was not expensive was always good."

"Very logical." Brennan smiled as they stood in line at the check in desk. "Your father is a very wise, intelligent man. I should go visit Dr. Warren again soon at his nursing home. I do enjoy our conversations...his theories in regard to neuropathology have interesting connotations in relation to forensic anthropology."

"He would be happy to see you, Dr…" Jessica saw her face. "...Aunt Wanda. He always enjoys talking to you, too."

The women checked in with the front desk and were directed to the area where the curling stones were stored on a large rack. "The lanes are down there on the far end of the arena…" Pointing the area, the man shrugged. "It sure seems like a lot of people have become interested in curling all of a sudden. A bunch of big companies around here have teams for fun, although I don't know how sliding a rock down the ice would be that interesting…"

"I suppose it's like bowling.", Brennan said primly in her Wanda persona. "Many people like that sport…including my Buck. He's an awesome bowler."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of some workmen. "Hey, are you Dean?"

Dean, the man running the desk turned to the two repairmen, one sporting a mullet and a hat with 'Buck Truck' emblazoned on it, and the other a wiry type with a large moustache who was wearing jeans and a shirt from the 2015 Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle as well as a Cubs cap. "Yep. Are you the refrigeration guys from Scallion Fridges and Stuff?"

"Yep. I'm Buck Moosejaw, and this here's my helper, Jimmy. We've come to dust your coils." Noticing the two attractive women standing next to him at the counter, Buck offered a wink and a flirty smile. "Evenin', ladies…"

Pretending to be annoyed, Brennan stuck her nose in the air, popping her chewing gum noisily. "Come along, Jessie…we have better places to be."

Jessica gave the smaller man a look over before scrunching her nose. "Okay...Aunt Wanda."

"Well, same to you, Miss Hoity Toity." Jimmy made a face at the retreating brunette. 'Man, she's got a great ass when she walks…I just want to get my hands on it with those legs wrapped around me...make her moan my name over and over as I plow her...'

Seeing his partner's distraction, Buck flipped a pen at the other man, hitting him in the face. "Jimmy! Quit staring at that girl! We've got work to do."

Grabbing his tools, the smaller man followed his partner. "Whatever…"

%%%%%%%%%

As the two women got their gear ready, Jessica looked around the ice rink. "I know that our source said Stephenson usually comes on Thursdays but do you think he'll show up today?"

"Booth thinks so and I agree. With Ms. Rivera's arrest, he needs another player as soon as possible for the bonspiel Saturday. From our research, Mr. Stephenson has a reputation of picking up young ladies as they're curling. I think he'll probably make himself known to us if he's here this morning."

Seeing that Jessica was giggling, Brennan tried to figure out what the young woman was looking at. "What's so humorous?"

Pointing behind her, Jessica gestured at Aubrey, who was pretending to be a refrigeration repair technician as he looked over the large unit nearby. "Look at that silly mustache...just think, he had the nerve to make rude comments about my hair but he's wearing that thing on his face...ha ha! He looks like Luigi from Super Mario Brothers!"

Brennan was confused as she giggled. "I don't know what that means, but Aubrey does look very amusing."

The women were both laughing as Genny joined them. "What's so funny?" she asked, glancing at the direction in which Jessica was indicating. "Oh, my God! Did a skunk die on the boss's upper lip?"

"Genny!" Jessica and Brennan both laughed out loud as they took their places on the lane.

"What?", the agent said as she propped up her broom. "He looks so dorky…"

Leaning towards her friend, Jessica spoke quietly. "He's already pissed about my hair color, so maybe we should give the moustache a rest…"

"No way." Taking out her phone out of her back pocket, Genny snapped a couple of pictures. "We need to save this moment for posterity...I'm sure Bower will get a kick out of it…"

"Oh, Genny...I don't think that's a good idea…", Jessica began, but she was interrupted by 'Wanda.'

"So as skip, Genny will direct our shots...that way she can avoid any activity that might injure her fetus. I will sweep, and Jessica will throw. Is that satisfactory?", she asked in a no nonsense tone. She nodded slightly toward a man who was sitting above them in the stands. "I believe we should begin."

Trying not to appear obvious as they noticed Craig Stephenson, the women got set up to practice. Pointing towards her target, Genny got ready. "Okay, Jessie. Try placing the first one on the button."

After settling into the hack, Jessica pushed off, sliding gracefully down the lane. As she reached the tee line, she gave the stone a slight push towards the house.

"Sweep...hurry, Wanda...hurry...hurry hard…" Genny stuck her tongue out trying to help the rock hit the button. Finally it came to rest just a few inches wide of the target.

"I'm clearly not holding up my part of the equation with my lack of sweeping ability. I'm rustier than I thought.", 'Wanda' said, shrugging at the other women as she chewed her gum. "I'm sorry, girls. Perhaps some more practice will help."

"Actually, I think you did well, Wanda. This would've been a good delivery during a game." Genny smiled as she turned to Jessica. "Let's see if you can knock this stone out of the house."

"Okay." Squatting down into the hack, Jessica eyed the end of the lane carefully before sending the next stone down the lane. It collided with the previous rock with a small 'clack', pushing it away before settling close to the center.

"Wow...great shot!" Genny was genuinely impressed. "I can see why you've played on so many teams. Now let's put a guard in place...right about here…" She indicated a spot in front of the house. "You'll have to get it to curl just so...Wanda, you can sweep it for her…"

The third stone ended up in almost perfect position. Smiling as she strode down the lane, Jessica admired her handiwork. "Not bad, I guess, but I want to practice some more, okay? I want to try out for that league I was telling you about…"

%%%%%%%%%

Meanwhile, Craig Stephenson was watching the proceedings with interest from his perch in the bleachers. It wasn't his normal day to scout out new talent, but with Helen getting herself arrested right before Saturday's bonspiel, he was in a bind. That dumb ass woman even had the gall to show up at Maxco this morning asking about a job. After having her removed and banned from the premises, he had to do some fast talking with that insipid Leonard Maxwell so the guy wouldn't destroy the plan. Between her arrest and creating chaos in his curling team four days before the bonspiel, her usefulness was now at an end.

Fortunately, there was a large crowd at the rink that morning, and he thought maybe he'd have some luck finding a replacement.

It was business as usual for the most part...pudgy middle aged men and older women who were just out getting a bit of exercise. If he was truly desperate, one of those players might work in a pinch, but he had something else in mind.

To him the ideal player was an attractive young woman. Of course, she had to be able to do something at the company besides being cute, but that was a minor detail. Stephenson was a man who appreciated feminine beauty, but he was also highly competitive. He needed a 'pretty girl who could curl'.

He was about to give up and go back to the office when he saw three women get set up on one of the rinks. At first he wasn't that impressed. The petite woman playing skip was cute enough, but he soon caught a glint from the large diamond on her wedding ring. Nope...no married chicks allowed.

The woman who was sweeping was very well built, and Stephenson had enjoyed watching her cleavage peeking out of her low cut blouse as she moved her broom back and forth. Still...the woman was clearly uncomfortable on the ice, and bossy to boot. Not to mention that hair...and the way she smacks that gum…very uncouth...but her breasts are nice...could be interesting one night in the future when I'm in the mood for something different...

Turning his attention to the brunette delivering the stones, he was intrigued. She was good, she was very cute, and her ass looked very nice in those tight pants...but she was also intense, and, it seemed, a perfectionist. Seeing how curling was a game of inches, it might not hurt to see if he could sweet talk her into joining his company, at least on a temporary basis. He needed Maxco's team to be top notch. He couldn't take a team to West Virginia that wouldn't win. No way would Alex's team beat his team again.

He waited until the women took a water break before making his way down to their lane. Tapping Jessica on the shoulder, he smiled. "Excuse me, miss…"

"Yes?" Jessica tried to hide her surprise at coming face to face with their quarry. "Um...do I know you?"

'Oh yes, she would be fun...maybe even more than once.' Stephenson thought to himself. "Probably not, but I'd like to fix that. My name is Craig Stephenson."

"I'm Jessica Gordon…" She turned to her friends, giving them a look so they'd know to play along. "...and this is my Aunt Wanda and my cousin, Genny."

"Hello." After nodding to Jessica's companions, he gave her a wolfish smile. "Nice curling, Ms. Gordon...it seems like you know what you're doing on the ice. You've got a good eye for the game..." His glance fell on her chest. Smaller than I like, but her being young they're perky as hell...and she's definitely easy on the eyes… "Um, forgive me if I'm sounding forward, but are you gainfully employed at the moment?"

"Unfortunately, no. I just moved to the area from Michigan with my cousin Genny, and we're staying with our Aunt Wanda and Uncle Buck while I look for a job. I thought it'd be easy to find an entry level accounting position in the area, but it's been tougher than I thought…"

Brennan put her arm around her intern. "I got Genny in at the bakery shop with me, but when Jessie asked me to get her a job there, too, I said no, because she's a smart cookie...too smart to sell cakes and pies."

Stephenson hesitated for a few seconds. This was almost too good to be true, and it occurred to him that it might be a set up. On the other hand, finding a pretty entry level accountant that could curl was an opportunity that he just couldn't overlook. He was tired of his cousin's bragging about their new trader's curling ability and how his team would win again this year. This girl could make Alex Stevens eat his words.

Smiling, he pulled a business card out of his inner breast pocket and held it out for Jessica. "I'll tell you what...here's my business card. I'm the CFO of Maxco Enterprises and I'm thinking we can maybe help each other."

"Don't you guys make like, computers and stuff?", Genny asked.

"Yes, young lady. We do electronics, computers...lots of different things." Stephenson turned back to Jessica. "We're also always looking for good help in our accounting department. Why don't you come by my office tomorrow morning at 9:00, and we'll see if we can put you on as a temp until we can figure out a more permanent position for you, okay? We're located in Vienna, about 40 minutes from here, just off of 66. Our address is on the card."

Not wanting to seem too eager, Jessica pretended to think over the offer. "I don't know if I can make it tomorrow. My aunt Wanda could loan me her truck but she'll need me to pick her up from work at 2:00…and I'll have to buy some new work clothes...plus I need to get some more curling practice in. I want to make a good impression on you, Mr. Stephenson..."

"We'll get your some nice office stuff, Jessica, on the way home today if you want.", Genny said as she played with a strand of hair. "I love shopping, but I never have any money…" The agent held up her hand to show off her engagement and wedding rings. "My husband had to get this ring set at a pawn shop instead of one of those fancy jewelry shops."

"Oh, we'll have you on your way back home tomorrow in plenty of time so you can help your Aunt Wanda, and you'll have time to get situated and shop for whatever you need, as well as practicing your curling." Stephenson smiled as he furtively enjoyed another glance at Brennan's ample cleavage. "If you join my company, Maxco, you could also join our curling team for our upcoming bonspiel in Morgantown, West Virginia, this coming Saturday...you're free Saturday, aren't you?"

"Well, of course, if it's a work related function." Jessica giggled girlishly, batting her eyelashes at the older man. "Do you mean it? I can work and do curling? Oh, Aunt Wanda...it's a dream come true, isn't it?"

Smacking her gum loudly, 'Wanda' nodded in agreement, brushing her curls over her shoulder and smoothing her blouse over her ample breasts, noting that their suspect was staring at them once again. "Yes, child, it is. See? What'd I tell you? You didn't have to look for a job...a job came and found you. Smart cookies like you always fall on your feet."

"Could my aunt and uncle come and see me curl?", Jessica asked shyly. "They've been so supportive of me since I got to Virginia."

Wanting to ensure the young woman joined the team and also wanting another chance to also enjoy her aunt's impressive figure, Stephenson smiled. "Of course, Jessica. I'll even arrange for front row tickets so they can go, along with your cousin Genny here, if she wants."

"Yay!" Clapping her hands with glee, Jessica jumped up and down before reaching out to shake Stephenson's hand. "Oh thank you, Mr. Stephenson. I'll be there at 9:00 sharp…"

Licking his lips as he looked her over, the man nodded. "I'm looking forward to it. Until tomorrow, Ms. Gordon."

As he walked away, Jessica gave her friends a quick thumbs up. "Looks like we're off to a great start."

Genny grimaced as she stared at the man's back. "I don't like him, Jessica. He's a creep...I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't want more than curling from you…"

Jessica shook her head. "I can handle it, okay? Anyway, it's only for a few days. We're going to try to nail him as quick as we can…I can't deal with Aubrey's attitude much longer than that."

"Just remember your role, Ms. Warren…"

"Observation only. No more...no less. Count on me, Dr. B.", Jessica said. "Now, let's do some more curling. I have some more irritation at Aubrey I need to work off."

%%%%%%%%%%

Aubrey was getting antsy as he waited outside the mens' room for his friend. As Jimmy, he and 'Buck' had fiddled around with the refrigeration system as much as they could without actually tearing the thing completely apart. In the meantime, Craig Stephenson was chatting up his girlfriend, and from the way she was jumping up and down, the jerk had offered her the job.

Of course, Jessica getting the job was part of the plan, but it didn't mean he had to like it. He was anxious, wanting to charge over to see what was going on, but he knew he had to play it cool, or 'Buck' would unload all over him again.

More than once, he'd caught the pig looking at Jessica like a piece of meat. The fact that he was undercover was the only reason why he didn't go over there and rip that manicured asshole's head right off. "If he even thinks of laying a hand on her ass...or anywhere else I'll make him regret it. Only I get to touch her special naughty areas...even when she's being a stubborn pain in the ass."

Then, there was also the frustration of not getting laid in three days. They had a healthy sex life and being denied the pleasure of enjoying Jessica's body made him very annoyed, especially since she had let him sleep in their bed with her last night. His baser instincts wanted to pull her into a nearby storage closet and make her scream as she clawed his back in rapture, but they were undercover...and that had to wait for another time.

Catching Stephenson's glimpse at Brennan's chest, Aubrey's irritability subsided and he had a momentary chuckle. 'He's looking at your woman, too...Buck…'

Five minutes later, Booth came out of the bathroom, chuckling to himself as he saw his friend watching the women with his jaw clenched as Stephenson walked away. He knew Aubrey had probably chewed his nails down to the quick worrying about Jessica, but he didn't want to make a scene.

"Aubrey, quit staring at your girlfriend and come with me."

The two men walked up to the front desk. "Hey, Dean...me and my buddy need some ice skates for a few minutes. Size 11 wide for me and a 12 for him."

Dean chuckled as he grabbed the skates and held them over the counter. "Why? You two gonna pairs skate or something?"

Booth ripped the skates from Dean's hand. "Haha...very funny, asshole. Listen, the only way we're gonna know if the ice is right is to test it out before we get some lunch…"

"Um...Buck...about that." 'Jimmy' was looking kind of pale. "I don't skate all that well…"

"So you fall on your ass. Big deal. It happens to everybody." Handing his friend a pair of skates, 'Buck' grinned. "Here...tie these babies on…"

A few minutes later, Aubrey stepped gingerly on the ice, hoping to God he didn't break his arm or damage his pride in front of Jessica as he took some baby steps across the rink. "Wait just a minute, will ya?"

Laughing as he skated a figure eight, his friend rolled his eyes. "Come on...let's go see what the girls are up to…I bet Jessica can skate circles around you, can't she, Buddy?" Making a silly face, he quickly skated away.

"Son of a bitch! Hey, wait for me…", Aubrey cried. Breathless, he finally made it over to the curling lanes, where the women regarded him with a mixture of astonishment and hilarity.

"What are you doing here?", Jessica asked, crossing her arms in a mixture of lingering irritation and amusement at her boyfriend's predicament. "Are you checking up on me?"

"No!" He glared at her silly question. "You know, me and Buck, we're just checking out the cute chicks at the ice rink…"

"As flattering as that might seem...", 'Wanda' said as she openly admired her husband's trim form when he glided effortlessly by. "...you're not supposed to wear ice skates on the curling lanes. Skates make ridges in the ice that may impede the movement of the stones."

"Oh." Coming to a stop, Booth shrugged sheepishly. "I guess...maybe I didn't know that. Sorry. Anyway, it looks like your part of the deal was successful, right?"

"Yes...I'm going to start work at my new job tomorrow!" Jessica kept her eyes averted from her boyfriend. "I think things are going to be just fine."

About that time, a wobbly Aubrey slipped and fell hard, landing flat on his ass. "Yeah…", he groaned, looking up at his laughing friends. "Just fine…"

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

Ten minutes after Genny had left to have lunch with Hunter, Brennan caught her husband skating between the lanes once again.

"Buck! Don't skate in the curling area or you're gonna mess up the ice and get it all cracked and bumpy. Go over there…"

"Whatever, woman!" Booth turned and saw Aubrey leaning up against a nearby wall sneaking looks at Jessica while she did the same when he wasn't looking. After getting a nod from his wife, he turned to Jessica. "Hey, cutie...let's go skating."

Startled, Jessica turned to Booth. "Me?"

"Yeah...you a cutie, aren't you?", Booth said, still in his Buck persona. "Get some skates. You're hot shit out here in this curling stuff...let's see how well you skate with Buck Truck. I'm still on my lunch break, you know…"

Needing a break herself, Jessica rolled her shoulders. "Sure, why not. I'll meet you over there in a few minutes."

As Jessica walked away, Brennan turned to Aubrey. "Hey...Jimmy...get some curling shoes on and let me show you some stuff...you look ridiculous on those skates and you've already fallen on your ass too many times...and quit staring at my niece."

'Great...they're tag teaming us. Of course, Genny so conveniently went to meet Hunter and Danny for lunch nearby.' Aubrey thought. "Sure...why not."

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

Jessica put on her skates and got on the ice, doing a figure eight with no effort. Finding Booth nearby, she joined him. "Did you put Aubrey on those skates on purpose? He's not a very good skater…"

"Maybe a little, to get back at him for his whining...now come on, let's skate." Booth started down the rink, followed by Jessica.

The two skated next to each other for a few minutes, with Jessica peeking over at the curling lanes to see Aubrey heading over to the rental stand to return his skates. 'He looks funny with that moustache, but he's so adorable...that moustache could be fun if he wore it to bed one night...once he's no longer being a jackass of course...'

She was engrossed watching her boyfriend she didn't hear Booth right away. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Yeah. Bones said that you've done a good job this morning. You kept your cool and stayed in character, even remembering to call her 'Aunt Wanda'." Booth chuckled. "So, how are you feeling now?"

Jessica exhaled as they make their way around the ice together. "Pretty good. I didn't expect Stephenson to make his move so quickly, but knowing he's a perv with women and how desperately he needs another player before Saturday, I shouldn't be surprised."

"Alright." Booth nodded. "Now, how are you really doing?"

Jessica's expressive eyes gave her away and Booth shook his head. "I'm sorry that Aubrey is upset. He's not trying to be an ass, Jessica. He's concerned about you, that's all."

"Yeah, I'm sure he is but he's being a major asshole about it...telling me that I'm not 'allowed' to go undercover and making childish comments about my hair. Whatever." Jessica turned to the older man. "You have me out here so you can talk to me. You want to make it so that I'm not mad at Aubrey anymore, right?"

"I think there are some things we need to discuss...come on." Booth gestured for Jessica to follow him.

"Fine…", the redhead muttered before following her mentor's husband around the curve.

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

Aubrey put on the curling shoes and after standing up, stared at them. "Oh...they're just regular shoes...much better than those skates. I swear Booth did that on purpose."

Looking out at the ice, he saw his girlfriend effortlessly skate around the rink with Booth. "She's beautiful even when she skates...but she's still a major pain in the ass. Changing her beautiful red hair color to...that, wearing that skimpy MSU tank top and shorts set to bed last night that she knows gets me hot. When we're not fighting anymore...oh, she's getting it."

Seeing Brennan's impatience, he quickly walked out onto her curling lane. "Sorry I kept you waiting, Wanda. Now, let's get this show on the road."

Brennan smacked her gum and looked to make sure no one was watching them. "Whatcha talking about, Jimmy?"

"Us out here...Buck with Jess...out there..."

"I don't know what you are referring to, Honey, but I was sick of you killing the ice with your bad skating. You obviously don't know much about curling...and I'm going to teach you." Brennan pointed to the hack. "Get yourself over there and I'll show you form."

Aubrey felt his stomach. "Actually, I'm hungry…"

Brennan looked at Aubrey and popped a bubble. "Your stomach can wait a few minutes. Now get your skinny posterior over there."

Aubrey opened his mouth up to protest, but Brennan's look shut him up again before he walked over to the hack. When she saw she had his attention, she made a production out of showing him things while lowering her voice.

"Ms. Warren has not been as loquacious as she usually is the last couple of days. I was surprised to see her at the 5:00 yoga class yesterday." Seeing's Aubrey question, she moved to explain. "I'm an early riser, and Ms. Warren convinced me to try yoga a couple of months ago. Booth gets the children around Tuesday mornings so I can attend the class."

"Oh...good for you.", Aubrey said quietly before there was a silence between them.

"I know you two have disagreed about her participation in this undercover operation, Aubrey. It's obvious. However, your ego needs to take a cold pill because Ms. Warren doesn't need a man to protect her all the time."

With anyone else, he would bite back at their bluntness, but Dr. B's was one he respected. "This is not an ego problem. I know she's self reliant and independent. However, this isn't a spy job for Greenpeace or one of her protests. One false move and she's dead. She doesn't give a shit about my feelings and that's what makes me angry."

"You're quite wrong about that, Aubrey." Brennan pointed to the stones and then down to the end of the lane. "In fact, you're the reason she is doing this, including putting herself in danger."

Aubrey froze in shock. "What?"

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

"Jessica, Aubrey's ego is not the problem here. He's scared of something happening to you. He's crazy, madly, insanely in love with you, and if he lost you, I don't think he could move on."

Jessica continued to skate with Booth around the rink. "I know he loves me, Booth, but Aubrey doesn't trust me to take care of myself. I'm almost 29 years old...and I won't be alone. I'll have you and him, plus Dr. B is going to be a part of it, too, somehow. I'm scared, but I'm confident that I'll be fine and I trust you and Aubrey to do what's necessary to protect me. I'm not the PTSD riddled girlfriend I was back in January."

"No, you're not, Jessica…"

Jessica flipped backwards and completed the curve. "He just sees me as his girlfriend he has to protect! I'm an independent woman…"

Booth raced ahead of her and went backwards when she turned around. "Jessica, you're right that he loves you, but you're wrong that he sees you as some woman he needs to rescue. I think your independence and courage are the two things he loves most about you."

"Then what's his problem?"

"When it comes to your involvement undercover, he doesn't doubt your abilities. He doesn't doubt that you're smart. He brags about to anyone who will listen about how he's got a genius Mensa girlfriend who can kick a man's ass. The problem is...when he thinks about you on this case, he doesn't just see his girlfriend…he sees his girlfriend who was battered and almost murdered on Limbo's cement floor two months ago."

In shock, Jessica stopped skating. "What? He had nothing to do with that! He saved my life."

Booth turned around and went back to the intern. "He did, Jessica. However, it was pure luck that Gerald was stupid enough to make all the mistakes he did. If it wasn't for all that, and the fact he came to work that morning instead of staying at home...you might not be here."

"But-"

"Listen, he saw you right after you were severely beaten, strangled, and almost raped...not to mention urinated on by that sicko Gerald Maxwell. He then attacked that punk to the point that the man had a legit case of police brutality...hell if it wasn't for Genny and Bower, I'm sure he would have killed the son of a bitch."

Jessica closed her eyes. "Aubrey gets...intense sometimes...he doesn't like to lose control…"

Booth exhaled. "After all that happened, Aubrey wanted to guard you 24-7, but he also knew that you needed your independence. That attack didn't just happen to you...it happened to him, too."

"I know…"

The agent did a figure eight around Jessica. "You're not just his live-in girlfriend and lover...you're his best friend, besides me, and he's scared, Jessica. I know how he feels. Every time Bones go undercover with me...I have that fear that something will happen to her and it'll be all my fault. You don't have children, but I have two sons and a daughter I have to face if something happens to her."

"How do you cope with it?", Jessica asked.

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

Seeing Aubrey's stunned face, Brennan moved forward as she moved him into proper placement in the hack. "First, you and Booth, along with Genny and Hunter, were almost murdered because of the investigation. Furthermore, your father may have some involvement in the death of an SEC agent as well as be a part of an international conspiracy that involves money laundering, tax evasion, and possible terrorism. This is no ordinary case for you. "

"No it's not because it's a conspiracy-"

"Drop the feces, Jimmy.", Brennan said harshly. Looking around, she saw that there was no one nearby. "Your father's involvement is disconcerting to you at best and devastating at most. Ms. Warren has seen what this has done to you emotionally and she has felt helpless to help you...until now."

"By risking her life with these bastards?", Aubrey spit out.

"By giving a part of herself at great risk to take down an international conspiracy that could eventually result in more deaths." Satisfied with his stance, she walked over and grabbed a stone. "Aubrey, she knows how afraid you are for her, but her independence and willingness to stand up for others, even to her detriment, is an admirable trait. She's not the type of person who could...forgive herself if she could help but chose to stand aside. She's proven that by her involvement in Greenpeace and by how much she tried to help Daisy until recently. If I thought she couldn't handle this, I would have never referred her to Booth."

"I know, Dr. B, and I love that about her. She's never been afraid to be herself and she has more courage than anyone I know. If her actions against the Maxwells don't prove anything to others, then they're stupid. But this isn't suing a man for sexual harassment...or protesting an environmental hazard...this is dangerous. If she makes one false move...I may not get to her in time…"

"You're afraid to fail her...but she doesn't feel the same, Aubrey." Brennan squatted down by Aubrey and showed him how to hold the stone. "It's like how I feel with Booth. We're partners and I know he is afraid every time I go in the field with him...even more so when we're undercover. It was there before, but now that we're married with two children of our own and a son that I think of my own...he has even more reason to be afraid. However, I am never afraid when I'm with Booth, because I know he has my posterior, such as when I was accused of murder...and I have his, like when imposter Delta Force troops came into our house and tried to murder him. I had to shoot one of them and another man took me down. He broke that man's neck, and then took three bullets that should have killed him."

"You two are partners…"

"And you and Ms. Warren are not?", Brennan asked, instantly shaming the man in front of her. "If you two are not equal partners, then perhaps you should reconsider your relationship, because from what I've witnessed, along with a very healthy sexual attraction and intellectual compatibility, there is a mutual respect between you two. Booth taught me that when two people are in a partnership, you not only have each other's back, no matter what...but there's also trust. She trusts you, Aubrey to be there for her. She wouldn't do this if she didn't."

"Dr. B-"

"She sees the turmoil you're in about your father and she wants to help because she can. You have to trust not only her to do the job required, but also that you will protect her if something goes wrong and she's in danger." Brennan contemplated her next thoughts. "Booth and I make our undercover cases look easy, but they're not. I know Booth...has reservations about me helping him, especially now that we have Hank and Christine at home. But, we're partners and if we didn't have that, we wouldn't have a relationship."

Aubrey waited for Brennan to finish her quick instruction on how to throw a guard. When she gave the sign, he did but it went past the house and almost hit the wall. "Wow that was a bad one...so what you're saying is that it's okay to be afraid, but...trust that I can protect Jessica if shit hits the fan."

"I find the thought of fecal matter flying through propellers disgusting but if you must use that colloquialism, then yes, that's correct." Brennan stood up and sent a quick message on her phone. "I'm going to get a cup of coffee. After you contemplate what I've explained to you, perhaps you should talk to Ms. Warren. Excuse me."

Aubrey watched her leave and her words kept reverberating through his mind. "Dr. B made some sense...if she's working with me, even if for now I have to stay at a distance...I'll feel better knowing that I can protect her if need be. I still don't like it, but one of the reasons I love her so much is because of her courage."

Looking at the clock, he decided he had a few minutes so he decided to practice throwing stones. "I could do this curling stuff…" Making another shot, he cringed as it didn't reach the house. "Oh well...just takes a little finesse."

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

Booth contemplated Jessica's question. "How do I cope with it? Well...if I have to be honest, I don't 'cope' with it. Bones is my partner...that's just the way it's been for almost 13 years. Bones is the best partner I've ever had, besides Aubrey, and that will never change. She's independent, blunt, and confident. Yes, I'm scared each time we go into the field together, but...we have each other's back. I trust her to take care of herself and I've learned to take my fear and use it to protect her. That's how a relationship works, Jessica. Aubrey knows that, but maybe he needs your help to remember that again."

Booth saw the young woman think about what he'd said. Feeling a buzz in his back pocket, he pulled out his phone and looked. "I'm going to grab a quick cup of coffee. I'll need to steal Aubrey back soon so we don't blow our cover. Think about what I've said."

Knowing she had a lot to think about, Jessica nodded. "I will, Booth. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Booth moved to skate away but turned back. "Glad to have you on the team, Jessica."

"Thanks." Jessica said as the agent skated away. Debating on what to do, she skated over to the partition that separated the skating and curling lanes. Seeing Aubrey try to throw stones made her heart melt a little more. Needing to think some more, she went back to skating as she waited for Dr. B to be ready to leave.

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

Booth made his way quickly to where his wife was sipping a cup of coffee. Taking the one she held out for him, he nodded. "Thanks. Think you got through to Aubrey?"

Brennan nodded. "I think so. He seemed to have more of an understanding about Ms. Warren's role this weekend. It was good that I talked to him, Booth."

"Well, I think they needed to see the other's point of view and it was better I talk to Jessica anyway. I think she's not going to be so hard on Aubrey's position."

"I'm glad we were able to help them again, Booth." Brennan took her husband's hand. "We're good at helping people."

"Of course we are...we're the best example of how friendship makes love stronger...no matter what the obstacle.", Booth replied with a smile.

"You guys done with my skates or what? You're not getting paid to flirt with customers, buddy."

Booth turned around. "Keep your panties on, buddy.I'm just finishing my lunch break with the lady. I'll get my partner and we'll give you the bill in a few minutes."

When Dean walked away, the couple chuckled as Brennan picked up her gaudy purse. "I think we should be good with practice today. As for this weekend, are you two still planning to come to the bonspiel as spectators?"

"Unless we find an in working somewhere at the arena, Aubrey and I will be there as spectators and be on stand by if she or you hears anything. You think Stephenson will let you come with her?"

"Judging by the way Mr. Stephenson stared at my bosom, I'm sure he'll accommodate Jessica's Aunt Wanda, who only wants to cheer on her niece and look out for her. He said he would get her Aunt Wanda and Uncle Buck, along with another guest front row seats."

Booth sipped his coffee as his shoulders stiffened. "He better not be staring too much or trying to touch anything that doesn't belong to him, Bones."

Brennan chuckled. "It's nice I can still make you jealous. Now, Ms. Warren and I will go back to the lab where we can work out a plan for tomorrow and a practice schedule before this weekend. Tomorrow's Thursday."

"I know." Nodding in understanding, Booth finished his coffee. "Aubrey and I plan on going back to work this afternoon, but I'm sure he'll make it an early day since we'll be busy the rest of the week."

Brennan nodded in agreement. "Yes, perhaps he'll come by and visit her...or she'll visit him. That way, they will be alone and can talk with privacy...and that may include some sort of sexual act at some point today."

Booth almost spit out his coffee as he chuckled at her. "And you say you don't do well with the emotional stuff, Bones…"