A/N: our favorite couple has had a rough couple of days. How are they going to handle the situation? Read on to find out...
After a restless night, Booth crawled out of bed at 5:30. After getting cleaned up, he made arrangements for their suspects to be moved to DC, he sent a text message to Aubrey and made plans to meet him in Morgantown at a small cafe across from the hospital. Borrowing a vehicle from the Clarksburg office, the agent made his way south on the twisty hills of I-79.
Walking into the establishment, he sat down at a table near the front door. Sunlight fought valiantly to penetrate the dirt streaked window next to him, but he was too preoccupied to notice as he thought over the events of the last few days.
He nodded politely as a waitress offered him a cup of coffee and a greasy plastic covered menu. Smiling to himself, he looked over the list of heavy duty selections laden with eggs and his choice of ham, bacon, sausage, or even steak. Maybe it was a good thing that his wife had decided to stay back at Brian's place so she could Skype with their kids, especially since he was really hungry. He'd be able to enjoy a nice big breakfast without her pointed comments about his diet.
After deciding on two scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, and biscuits with extra gravy, he pulled out his phone to check the time. Aubrey would be arriving any minute. Booth liked the guy, but this morning he was dreading his arrival. Giving his friend some unwelcome news wasn't something he relished, but it had to be done.
As the server brought him his meal, Booth looked up just in time to see Aubrey enter the restaurant. "Hey, Aubrey…over here. Bring my friend a cup of coffee, will ya?"
"Sure thing, Hon." The woman eyed both men appreciatively as she retrieved the pot and a mug from the shelf behind the counter. "Cream?"
"Black is fine.", Aubrey mumbled as he emptied some sugar packets into the hot brew. Stirring his coffee absentmindedly, he stared out the window, where the sunny sky began to grow gray as rain threatened to fall. "Nice day."
"No, it's not." Booth pursed his lips slightly as he studied the man in front of him. Usually a picture of neatness, Aubrey's clothes were rumpled and his unruly hair was sticking up at all angles. "You look like shit. What's wrong? Is Jessica okay? Did she have a bad night?"
"Damned if I know." Exhaling softly, Aubrey pinched his lips together as he shook his head. Seeing Booth's confusion, he struggled with his emotions as he tried to explain what had happened.
"She checked herself out of the hospital last night while I was doing the interrogations with you and Shaw. She set me up, Booth...she got me out of the way so she could leave against her doctor's orders...and I have no idea where she is. She hasn't called me, and she isn't answering her phone..."
"What? She just took off without telling you? That's just crazy…" Booth was horrified. "I mean, I know she's upset about shooting Brinton, but it was clearly justified…"
"Yeah, I know. I'm not saying it was logical." He paused as the waitress came by to take his order. "But you know how independent she is. She probably felt like she could handle her feelings better by herself. She doesn't really need me…"
"That's bullshit, Aubrey. She needs you...she just doesn't know that yet, okay? I mean, we've been trained to deal with this sort of thing...having to kill someone on the job...and it's still difficult for us to handle. Now...imagine how she must feel."
"I know...I'm trying to put myself in her shoes, but honestly...I am so angry with her right now that I can't think straight." Aubrey ran a knuckle under his eyes. "It's not just about her any more, okay? She needs to think about how I feel, too. She has a concussion, Booth. No way she should be out driving around in her condition. She could get dizzy or black out...she could hurt herself or someone else, okay? And all because she didn't want me around…"
"Aubrey…", Booth began quietly, hoping to calm his friend. "Look, I don't think she set out to hurt you on purpose. Yeah, you two need to talk about this, but Jessica isn't thinking straight, and it's not only because of her concussion. She's had another trauma in her life, and she's probably in shock. You know how everyone was telling her how much of a hero she was? I'm sure it messed with her mind a bit. Don't forget the hospital staff caught Hannah hounding her, too, and I can tell you from personal experience, when it comes to a story, that woman doesn't know how to accept the word 'No.' Jessica's gonna realize she made a mistake, and she'll be back soon."
Seeing Aubrey's forlorn expression, Booth pointed to his phone. "Tell you what...how about we get Angela to check her credit card usage, okay? Maybe we can at least figure out where she went after she left the hospital."
"Yeah, that's a good idea. Thanks." Aubrey chewed thoughtfully on a slice of bacon. "Anyway, I guess now I'll have time to help you when it's time to talk to Craig…"
Booth shook his head before picking up his mug and taking a drink. Setting the cup down, he sat back in his chair. "You're not talking to Stephenson…"
"What the fuck? Why not?! I have to be there…after everything that happened to me and Jess, I have to talk to that son of a bitch face to face." Aubrey was livid, not caring about the strangers who were staring at him as he shouted at Booth. "I can't believe you're shutting me out on this. I thought we were friends. If anyone knows how it feels to almost lose the woman you love to a bastard like Craig Stephenson, it's you…" Panting heavily, Aubrey pounded his fist on the table and knocked over his glass, sending a flood of water onto his lap. "SHIT!"
Clearing his throat, Booth raised an eyebrow at the younger man, who was waving at the waitress so he could get some more napkins. "Are you done?"
Still annoyed, Aubrey wiped up the mess with the napkins the server brought him. "Maybe. Are you gonna tell me what's going on?"
"Sure...but only if you promise to control yourself, okay? You've already made enough racket to have half the town gossiping about us." Seeing Aubrey's sheepish expression, Booth continued calmly. "This wasn't my call. You're right...I know exactly how you feel, which is why I understand both sides of this coin. Caroline wants to approach Stephenson from a different angle...one where she's very likely to get both some leverage and a conviction, and in order for her to be successful, you have to be completely out of the picture to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest."
"What is it?" Aubrey puffed out a sigh. "What angle is she going for?"
"She asked me not to tell you." Booth grimaced at Aubrey's irritated sigh. "I get it. Of course you want to know everything, but I'm asking you to trust me, okay? I'll keep you in the loop as much as I can."
"I suppose I don't have any choice but to be a good little agent and do as I'm told.", Aubrey said bitterly. "So my girlfriend's left for parts unknown, I don't get to help put the bad guy away...and I'm soaked to the skin. I guess that's my three strikes for the day."
Booth smiled apologetically. "Listen...if I didn't think Caroline had a good idea, I wouldn't have agreed to keep you in the dark. I know you're upset now, but in the long run, it'll be worth it. If I didn't believe that, I'd tell you, but I think you'll be glad when you see how things play out. Frankly, I think you need to concentrate on finding Jessica. She's reeling from what happened, Aubrey, and she's scared about what it means for her, and for your relationship. Maybe you have a right to be mad at her, but try to keep in mind what happened to her yesterday, alright?"
Hesitating for a few seconds, Aubrey finally nodded in agreement. "Okay. So what do you want me to do?"
"Well, if you still have your 'Jimmy' outfit available, you should change clothes and head back to DC. I'll call Angela and give her a heads up to look for Jessica. You go home and lay low until I give you the word." Booth thanked the waitress as she brought him the bill for breakfast. "You gotta be patient, Aubrey...with me, and especially with Jessica. Trust me...things will work out in the end. Go home and take care of yourself and your cat. Get some rest. You're gonna need it later as things come into focus."
Rising from his chair, Aubrey sighed deeply. "Alright...but don't push it, Booth. My patience is gonna wear thin real quick." He put a five dollar bill next to his plate for his part of the tip. "Call me soon…"
"You got it." Waving as his friend left, Booth sent a quick text to Brennan before drinking the last of his coffee. Sighing softly, he called Angela, hoping she could work her magic.
He was going to need all the help he could get.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
At 9:30, Jessica woke up on the couch at her family's house in Bethesda and exhaled slowly. As she stared at the ceiling, the events of yesterday continued to play in her mind. Looking down the barrel of a gun...Aubrey jumping at Brinton...seeing the older man about to crush her boyfriend's skull...seeing the gun on the floor before grabbing it and fired.
It was thinking about the look in Brinton's eyes that was giving her the shivers. They had stared at her in surprise until he'd fallen to the floor with a loud thud, and she knew then he was dead.
Crying again, she rubbed her temples as she nursed a headache. When her tears ended, she groaned inwardly as she realized that while gaining the solitude she needed, she had also run away from the man she loved and put herself in jeopardy as well.
"You have a head injury, Jessica, you dope. Driving in the middle of the night and hiding out was stupid. You could've hurt yourself more...or injured someone else..."
Then she thought of Aubrey. "I'm sure he's really mad...but he must also be so worried about me…"
Grabbing her phone, she checked her voicemail, shedding more tears when she heard a message from 1:42 AM. "Jess, honey, where are you? I'm worried about you...please call me so I know you're alright…"
She wasn't ready for a lecture, but he needed to know that she wasn't lying in a ditch somewhere. After hesitating for a minute or two, she sent a message to her boyfriend.
I'm alright. Needed some space. Please don't be mad at me.
Needing a change of scenery, Jessica got up and put her shoes on. Feeling no dizziness, nausea, and seeing clearly, the intern grabbed her purse and phone before walking out of the refurbished farmhouse. Moping around wouldn't change anything. It was time for some fresh air.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
After fumbling with his keys for what seemed like an eternity, Aubrey was finally able to unlock his front door. He tossed the bag containing his damp clothes next to the stairs as he walked through the foyer, unconcerned about them for the moment. He had more important things on his mind.
Skinner had come running as soon as he'd heard his man's footsteps, meowing frantically as he twined around Aubrey's legs. After getting his ears scratched, the cat swished his tail expectantly before heading for the kitchen.
"Yeah, I know you're starving. Sorry about that, Buddy. Daddy thought he'd be home sooner…" Aubrey filled the cat's bowl and set it down in its normal spot. "I thought I'd have Aunt Jess with me, too, but...that's another story."
The cat looked up from his bowl, regarding his man curiously before returning to his food with a satisfied purr.
"Well, I'm glad someone's happy.", Aubrey muttered as he opened the refrigerator. It had been a couple of hours since he'd had breakfast, and he knew he should be hungry, but nothing sounded good at the moment. "I'm almost too tired to eat."
Grabbing some pastrami and a brick of cheese, he fixed himself a sandwich. He added some pickles and chips to his plate before pulling out a bottle of beer and settling at the counter. He took a big bite and sighed. He'd forgotten how quiet and lonely the sprawling house could be…
As he tossed a scrap of meat to Skinner, he tried to shake off his fatigue, but suddenly he was exhausted. Sleeping on the pew in the chapel the night before had put a kink in his neck, and the upsetting news Booth had given him had tied his stomach in knots. He'd been so preoccupied with worrying about Jessica that he barely remembered the drive home. All he knew at this moment was that he needed to find her as soon as possible.
He took another drink of his beer as he contemplated his next move. How could he find her if he had no idea where to look? Even if Angela could work her magic to find out where Jessica had used her credit card last, narrowing down where she'd gone afterwards was a long shot at best. His genius girlfriend would figure out how to elude his search.
His frustration threatened to boil over again as he tried to think things through. He knew her so well...he should know where she might go, but he was too tired to solve that problem right now. What he needed was a nap. Things would look better after a couple of hours of rest, and he'd be able to focus.
He settled down on the sofa, with his phone on the table next to him. Just as he drifted off to sleep he heard the text alert sound. Grabbing his phone, his heart did a flip when he saw the message was from his girlfriend.
Reading it silently, he shook his head, groaning softly. "Huh. 'Please don't be mad'...well, Jess...I think right now I'm way past mad…"
He tossed the phone aside and stared at the ceiling. "I think I've made it all the way to furious…and I'm not sure how long I'm gonna stay here..."
He was torn. He loved Jessica Warren more than his own life, and he thought they'd gotten past the point where she'd run away like a scared rabbit every time there was an emotional upheaval. He was there for her...why couldn't she see that?
On the other hand, he knew she'd never been in this predicament before. She was a scientist, not an FBI agent. She knew how to handle a gun, but actually killing someone...that was an entirely different matter. She'd need probably need months of counseling before she could forgive herself.
Still...if she'd just asked for some time and some space, he'd have given it to her. She didn't give him a chance...she just took off without a word. She didn't trust him...that was the crux of the issue.
Pushing himself off the sofa, he wandered into his den, looking for something to read. He needed to keep his mind occupied for a while to give Angela time to work. As he looked into the closet, he pushed a box aside, and then he saw the carton containing his mother's things. Lifting the lid, he found the box inside that held her ring...the ring he'd hoped to give to Jessica when they were finally engaged.
He bit his lip to keep from crying. How could he finally make her see that he was there for her? Would she ever allow him that privilege?
"There's only one way to find out." He nodded resolutely as he took the ring from its box. "I've got to ask her...to marry me, but first, I have to find her."
Oooooooooo
Twenty five minutes later, Aubrey escaped the rain outside as he entered the Jeffersonian through the parking garage. Walking inside, he used his badge to get past the sign in desk and walked briskly down the hall, greeting a few people with grunts until he arrived at the office of the person he was searching for.
"Any luck?"
Startled, Angela turned around quickly. "Your ears must have been burning, because I was about to call you. I picked up her phone pinging off a cell tower outside Bethesda, Maryland."
"She must have gone to her family's house...her brother's house!" Tempering his excitement with relief, Aubrey almost ran out of her office. "Thanks, Angela."
The agent was gone before she could respond. "Anytime…"
Aubrey almost ran out to the parking garage and putting the siren on, he drove in a hurry towards the state line. When he got to the house, he would kiss her and make sure she was alright, then he would rip her a new one for worrying the hell out of him.
As he continued on Wisconsin Avenue towards his destination, he noticed a nagging feeling about his plan. When he saw the sign to enter Maryland, his instincts told him to turn around, but why? Angela picked her her cell phone by her family's house.
But suddenly he realized she wasn't there now.
Stopping, he turned into a gas station and headed back towards the museum. As he got back on the road, the Bluetooth on his SUV rang with a call. "Yeah, Angela, what's up?"
"I just got a ping on her credit card at an Enterprise rental lot on E Street. She's probably returned whatever car she rented, but where would she be going now?"
It hit him like a lightning bolt. There was a Metro stop on that street and it would easily take her to the one place she would go when she needed to hide...to contemplate. Cursing himself for not figuring it out sooner, Aubrey turned around and sped down towards Constitution Avenue. "I know where she's going. Thanks again, Angela. I appreciate it."
So...it would be the same plan, but in a different location. He would make sure she was all right...then he would rip her a new one.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Ignoring the rain beginning to sprinkle outside, Jessica paid for her catnip tea and walked up the long steps on the Lincoln Memorial. Being it was mid-morning, there were few people and with the intermittent rain, most were inside or venturing elsewhere. Glad for the solitude, she found a spot near the top of the steps, Abraham Lincoln's towering presence behind her. As she sipped she sat quietly, hoping no one recognized her from the news. After listening to a news report on the radio as she dropped off her rental, she knew Warden Brinton's name had been released as the decedent from yesterday's incident. The press had also reported that Aubrey, Booth, and Dr. B had been present as part of the FBI team, and that another FBI consultant had been identified as the shooter in what was being called a matter of self defense. Hearing her name in conjunction with a man's death was a shock all over again. I really did kill someone...
Hearing her phone, she checked it and saw that she had missed a call from an unknown number. Pressing 'Decline', she sighed before checking the six new messages on her voicemail. Reading them via Voice to Text, she chuckled sardonically. "Hannah Burley...ahhhh, NBC...ABC...Fox News...oh yeah, I really want to be on that channel…60 Minutes...exclusive interview...no…"
Shoving her phone back in her pocket, the intern wiped away fresh tears. "Why can't these people leave me alone? I'm no hero and I don't want to talk about it with anyone about what happened!"
Feeling her phone vibrate again, Jessica grabbed it and burst into tears once more when she saw the phone number. The caller ID had identified it as Hamilton Banks Andrews Law Firm. Recognizing the name of her mother's law firm, the young woman declined the call, shoving the phone back into her pocket. Crying even harder, she shook her head as she muttered softly to herself. "I cannot deal with her right now...not on top of everything else…"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Arriving at his destination, Aubrey turned onto Ohio Drive and lucked out when he saw a parking spot. Booth had mentioned this area was known for its free parking. I need to remember to thank him for that tidbit.
He didn't get far when the light sprinkle started to come down harder. "Well, at least I got a free shower."
For the next several minutes, he grumbled to himself as his irritation with Jessica began to spill over. "That damn woman...putting herself at risk and not trusting me...why does she always run away when she's in trouble? She knows she can come to me and if she would have just said 'I need some space' I would have given it to her. Instead she tricked me! I'm not going to put up with this shit again!"
Walking around the vast monument, he spotted her right away, realizing she was wearing her MSU windbreaker. He stopped for a minute, observing her, and even from as far away as he was, he could see she was a broken person, and the anger in his heart once again turned to sadness. Quickly enough, however, the anger came back and he had only taken two more steps when his phone buzzed. Without looking, he answered. "Aubrey."
Stopping in his tracks, he listened briefly before growling his response. "No comment...no comment...if she didn't agree to an interview I won't either. No comment...bye."
Hanging up, Aubrey realized that he had several calls that he'd ignored earlier. Deciding he should at least see who they were, he was startled to see eight voicemails in the last hour. Reading through them, he groaned. "ABC...CBS...Washington Post...New York Times...the news hasn't been out for an hour and the vultures are already smelling blood. And if I have four voicemails, how many did Jess get this morning?" Aubrey sighed as he thought about something else. "Besides that pain in the ass Hannah Burley, how many reporters tried talking to her last night? When it comes to things like what happened yesterday news always travels fast along the grapevine."
Aubrey looked up at the hunched figure again and sighed. For the first time since she'd taken off, he considered Jessica's escape from another point of view. "She's probably been hounded since yesterday. Between everyone wanting to tell how wonderful she was for shooting that bastard and reporters calling her...she must have been so overwhelmed…"
Aubrey thought back to his shooting almost four months earlier. "Reporters didn't leave me alone, but Jessica ran interference for me...but I wasn't there last night to do the same for her…but she told me to go to work, right?"
He then recalled a conversation he eavesdropped on after their horrible fight the day she brought him home from the hospital and one line in particular stuck out for him. "...I don't need my big brothers to swoop down and save me, alright? I'm 28 years old now and you guys had to do that too many times when I was younger."
That recollection brought him back to their talk at the Mall after the Star Wars convention almost six months earlier. He had been listening intently as she discussed her childhood and the revelation that the Lincoln Memorial was her safe spot.
"I didn't feel like such a burden to anyone here. I didn't want anyone to feel obligated to take care of me...I just wanted to go to a place where I could be just be...me."
That's when it hit him. Maybe she wasn't running away from him...she was running away from what happened. She needed a safe space to contemplate what had happened to her and what to do next. He'd had his moments after he and Booth were shot when he needed to do the same thing, and Jessica had let him do so without saying a word.
Yes, he had a right to be mad for her putting herself at risk, but he also didn't trust her either, and it made him sad. Being around his father had probably brought those old doubts back, but he would work hard to never let them surface again.
If she didn't love him or care about his feelings, she never would have sent him a text message this morning. As the sprinkling graduated to a light rain, Aubrey made the decision to trust Jessica. He would give her the space she obviously needed, but he would also make sure she knew that he was available when she was ready for him.
Getting back to his SUV, he grabbed his phone and sent a simple message. When he hit SEND, he dug into his pocket, he pulled out the small gray box before putting it back and sent one more message. When he was done, he sat back against the seat, Aubrey patiently waited to hear from Jessica, but her response was almost immediate.
Will you come sit with me?
Aubrey didn't even text her a response, merely running out of the SUV and jogging towards his girlfriend, ignoring the rain.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Jessica was sitting quietly, ignoring the falling rain that was soaking her, as she tried to make sense of her thoughts and of what had happened in the last 24 hours. "I killed someone…but he was going to kill Aubrey and me…"
As she attempted to get her jumbled thoughts in some sort of linear order, she felt her phone vibrate. She almost didn't check it, thinking it was another reporter, but what she saw was even better.
I'm here at the LM. I'm here for you but if you prefer, I'll see you at home when you're ready to talk.
Feeling a tear fall, she wiped it away before there was another message.
I'll always wait for you. I love you, Jessica.
'He's mad at me but he's also trusting me...I need my solitude, but I also need him.' Deciding to trust him, Jessica sent back her reply.
Will you come sit with me?
She spotted him immediately as the rain continued to drizzle over them. Jessica observed him stopping at the coffee cart below before he walked up to her. By now, the rain had increased dramatically but she only noticed him walking up to her. "I should have known you would find me, James."
"Of course." Sitting down, Aubrey handed her one of the cups. "Stinky catnip tea for you."
"Thank you."
They were silent for the next minute as the two drank their beverages while at a loss for what to say. Finally Aubrey spoke up. "I'm still very mad at you, Jess."
"I know."
"You took off without letting anyone know where you were going...while you were injured...Jessica you could have blacked out at the wheel..."
"I know...it was very stupid of me to leave the hospital AMA. I'm sorry I worried you, but I needed some peace and quiet. People kept telling me how awesome I was for shooting Brinton and reporters kept calling me. How did they know?"
"I don't know, Jess. Grapevine, I'm assuming."
Jessica sniffled as she sipped her tea. "Hannah Burley snuck in my room and it...I just couldn't take it anymore."
Aubrey had to ask the question. "Did you send me away on purpose?"
"No...I don't think I did. I don't know. I knew you were needed for the interrogations, but I also know if you had been there I wouldn't have been so stupid…"
"I get it, Jess. I know you're used to doing things alone...but you're not alone now. You can't just...take off..."
"I know...I realized that when you sent the message saying you were here. You could have come up here and yelled at me, but you didn't. I know that you...get scared when you're alone…"
Aubrey gulped. "Because of my dad leaving...I should be over it by now…but when you were gone...I…got scared. I thought you were in a ditch somewhere...or God only knows where...Jess, next time, please talk to me before going off alone like that...I'll give you all the space you need...but I was so scared that you were gone for good…"
"Why didn't you come up here, then?", Jessica asked. "You're right...I was an idiot to leave like I did without telling you."
"Because when I saw you…" Aubrey exhaled softly as he pointed at the Mall. "...I remembered what you'd told me that night we talked down there about how this was your place when you needed to think. I realized that you weren't running away from me, but you needed a safe place for a while. We all need that. You gave me that when I was recovering from shooting Vacchio's killer, and I wanted to give you the same."
Jessica wiped away a tear as the rain began falling even harder around them, pelting them. When she didn't move, Aubrey rubbed her hand, scared when he felt how cold it was. "Jess, do you want to move?"
The intern merely nodded as the two walked up under the shelter near the 16th president as they waited for the rain to subside. After standing in silence, Jessica sat down on the top step and Aubrey followed suit. When the silence continued to hang over the air, the agent wasn't sure what to do. Finally he cleared his throat.
"Jess, do you want me to go so you can be alone?"
"No. It's…nice having you here with me."
The couple continued to sit and watch the raindrops skitter across the water in the reflecting pool, both deep in thought. Finally Aubrey spoke up. "Looks like it's just us here. Do you want to talk about what happened?"
Jessica shivered. "Not much to talk about, Aubrey. He was going to kill us and I was the one closest to the gun."
"It's not that simple, Jessica and you know it.", Aubrey said quietly.
The anthropologist considered her words before replying. "I still can't quite register what happened. My head hurt like hell and I felt dizzy...I saw your dad lying there bleeding...I remember you jumping at Brinton. I couldn't get up to help you."
Jessica sniffled as she wiped away her tears. "I saw you two struggling and I was so scared...then I saw him with the curling stone as he kneeled over you...and I remembered when Gerald assaulted us at the lab back in January. He did the same thing to Oliver...and I didn't want you to be like Oliver…"
Aubrey could see her tears and her subtle shaking. Knowing she needed to speak, he merely rubbed her shoulder as she composed herself.
"It was then that I saw the gun on the floor. It was like a flash, you know. I remembered my grandfather lining up the wine bottles and old barrels from the fermentations for me to shoot…'Jessie, if you have a gun it's always you or them…'"
Looking up at him, Jessica sniffled. "It seemed like forever but it was only half a second. I didn't even think...I just grabbed it and pulled the trigger. He looked at me...dead eyes...and just fell on the floor…I've never wanted to hurt anyone but he was going to hurt you. I didn't care about me, Aubrey. He was going to hurt you…I know you're the agent but I couldn't let him hurt my best friend..."
Finally, she broke down and Aubrey put his arm around her and let her purge herself. He didn't say a word as his love finally grieved for what she had done. It had been in self-defense, but she had taken a life and he knew it wasn't something that could easily be forgotten. He knew that for a fact. Thinking of the ring in his pocket, he decided that now was not the time. 'We'll get there when we get there...I can wait.'
Eventually, Jessica calmed down. When she had composed herself, she lifted her eyes and wiped away her tears. "How did you deal with it? I know you saw the FBI shrink and…you talked to me…and Booth, but…I'm not an agent. My career doesn't involve me carrying a firearm unless my destination forces me to otherwise."
Aubrey shrugged as he studied his nails. "It didn't feel real at first. I knew what I did…I remembered what I did, but it didn't register for a few days. Then the trouble started while I was recuperating, and you remember how nervous I was my first day back to work. It helped to talk to Booth. I know some people probably don't get it, but I didn't become an FBI agent to kill someone, Jess. I became an agent to fight injustice. Any day that I go out and come back safe is a win for me."
Jessica took Aubrey's hand. "It's a big win for me, too, Superman."
"You can talk to me, Jess, Booth, or even Dr. B if you're more comfortable with her since she's had to do the same thing…"
Jessica knew what he was referring to. "When the Delta Force shot up their house…our house…"
Aubrey contemplated before continuing what he wanted to say. "This is hard for me, too, Jess. I'm the agent…it's my job to protect you…not for you to protect me."
Rolling her eyes, Jessica turned to her boyfriend. "Oh, so I was just supposed to let him kill you because I'm a dainty female. Is that it?"
"I didn't say that, and you know it, Jessica. Dainty is one thing you're not." Aubrey combed his fingers through his hair. "I just meant that…I like it better when you're safe in the lab, not in the field with me, although you seem to have a knack for undercover work…"
"I'm still...I'm feeling a lot of things about what happened, but if I'm asked to go undercover again, Aubrey, I will."
"I know. You wouldn't be the Jessica Warren I love if you didn't stand up for what was right."
Jessica sat and stared at the ground. "I don't want a party, Aubrey. I don't want to be the center of attention for all this. When Angela called me she said she planned to throw a major celebration and Aaron said Nadia was going to, but I…"
"Don't worry…" Aubrey put his arm around her and kissed her head. "I'll take care of it."
Grateful, Jessica laid her head on his shoulder. "Thank you. I just can't…"
"Jessica, don't worry. I get it." Aubrey continued to hold her. "So, what's next?"
"I don't know, Aubrey…go back home to Skinner…I have to bust ass on my dissertation research since I took time off to work this operation in West Virginia."
Avoiding her gaze, he shook his head. "I meant…for us."
"I don't know what you mean…", Jessica trailed off. "Aubrey, are you breaking up with me?"
He was thoroughly surprised when he saw the panic on her face. "Fuck no! Why would you think that?"
"Well, I know you're mad about me taking off and we're talking about the future and then you're asking what the future means for us and you wouldn't look at me…"
"I'm sorry…" Aubrey shifted on the wet marble, making his foot slip out from under him, which resulted in his keys and another object falling out of his pocket. "Shit!"
Jessica saw Aubrey pick up the two items and shove them back in his pocket in haste. "Aubrey, are you alright? Did you lose anything?"
"Yeah, yeah…I'm fine and I didn't lose anything, thank God.", Aubrey began babbling. "I had a speech planned for you…but then I realized it's the wrong time...but if I lost this everything would have been ruined...it would have been bad."
"James Aubrey! Just say what's on your mind.", Jessica replied.
"Okay…okay…" Aubrey inhaled deeply one more time to calm his nerves. "While I was spitting nails that you were gone and sitting at home…I know we're together, but I realized that while I've told you that I love you, I've never…I've been too much a chicken shit to move forward."
"Chicken shit to move forward? Aubrey, we're living together and planning a future. We've even talked about having a family someday after I get my PhD. I don't get what you mean."
"I mean…" Aubrey dug into his pocket and pulled out the damp gray velvet box. Playing with it, he continued to speak. "…I love you…I want to spend my life with you…create life with you…live our golden years rocking on a porch…but you've just been traumatized...and with everything that happened with my dad, I guess I was too...it's a bad time...God, this isn't coming out right…"
Jessica's eyes were glued to the small box in her boyfriend's hands. "Aubrey…what do you have in your hand?"
'Now or never, Aubrey.' Steeling himself, Aubrey opened the box and showed the contents to his girlfriend. "This."
"Aubrey…that's your mother's ring." Jessica inhaled as the rain began to come down again, soaking the two of them. "Why do you have your mother's ring here? It's going to get wet…it almost fell down the steps..."
"I know. The day you saw it, I told you that it was passed down several generations to the oldest daughter, until me."
"Because you were your mom's only child."
"Yes, and what I told you was the truth, but I held back one thing." Aubrey took her hand and held it as he got the courage to say what was on your mind. "Before she died, she told me that this ring…was to be used as a…um…ring for my…intended…wife…"
Jessica's mouth dropped. "Aubrey, are…are you…"
"Oh shit…I knew it's too soon. Listen, I'm not proposing to you…kind of not…um…urgh…can't get this right…Jessica Elizabeth Warren, this ring is my gift to you as…a promise ring…"
"A promise ring?"
"I know it sounds weird, but I realized while I was pissed off at you that I want to marry you." He saw Jessica's large eyes grow enormous. "Right now, though, with everything that happened, I'm sure that you're probably not ready yet and I'm cool with waiting until you are. Now, I'm giving you this ring because it belongs to you."
"Belongs to me?", Jessica asked. "But…"
"Jessica Warren, you're my best friend and you're the love of my life…and if we get married someday or just live in sin for the rest of our lives, it doesn't matter. This ring is a symbol of my intention of creating a life and future together with you. I don't want a future with anyone else. I don't care how we get there...as long as we get there together."
"So, this ring is not an engagement ring…" Jessica slowly repeated his words.
"No, it's not. It's a promise of my commitment to you, however we make it work."
"What if I'm never ready to get married?", Jessica asked.
Aubrey gulped quietly. "Then we don't get married, but we live together until the day we die. That ring will be yours to give to our daughter someday, or our oldest son if we don't have any girls."
Jessica nodded in understanding. "So, what do I do when I'm ready to get married? Put a banner up on our lawn asking you to marry me? Ask you one night at Founding Fathers? Surprise you one night wearing only 'Marry Me' panties?"
"Doesn't matter. When you decide you're ready to marry me, just say, 'Aubrey, will you marry me?' It'll be a special bonus if you tell me while wearing only panties with 'Marry Me' on it before I plow you.", Aubrey replied, heartened to hear Jessica giggle. "I'll say yes, we'll get hitched and live out our lives together with frequent sex and Star Wars fun."
Jessica contemplated what to do. This handsome man was a lovable sci fi nerd with whom she now shared a cat. At times, he was an asshole, sometimes he still left his socks on the floor, and he ate more food than five men put together. He could be overprotective and was anal about some things.
But he was also warm, charming, and romantic. He was an amazing lover who always made her feel cherished when they made love but who could also surprise her with dirty fucking that could make her see stars. She knew that at times she could annoy him with her insistence on doing things herself, but he always tried to respect her independence, even when it hurt him.
He trusted her with parts of him he had never revealed to anyone else. She had killed a man to save his life and knew that he would always defend her with his own.
They trusted each other. Things would get ugly and rough at times, but their friendship was strong enough to see them through anything. Maybe it was too soon, but there was only one response to give the man in front of her and she wouldn't turn back.
"Aubrey, will you marry me?"
"Yeah, just like that!" Aubrey gestured to her. "When you ask, I'll be ready…"
Jessica shook her head. "Aubrey, will you marry me?"
Aubrey chuckled at his girlfriend. "Jess, you don't have to practice. You've got this…"
"Urrghh…Superman listen to me!" Jessica grabbed his face between her hands. "Aubrey, will…you…marry…me?"
Looking into her eyes, the agent finally understood what his girlfriend was asking him. "Y..you're asking me to marry you?"
Jessica had a few tears well up as the rain began to let up, leaving them both soaked to the skin. "Yes…I'm asking you to marry me."
"We're not rehearsing…"
"No…" Jessica chuckled through her happy tears before feeling a strange sense of deja vu, recalling a scene by the Metro station last summer when Aubrey poured his heart to her. "Did I say the wrong thing?"
"No...no…" An equally wet Aubrey caressed her arms. "It's just...a lot has happened and I thought...you might need time…"
"I'm scared, but I'm ready, Aubrey...but if you're not-"
"No, I am. I really am. I'm ready to get married...to you, of course. No one else." Aubrey took her hand. "I can't believe you're ready...wow…"
Jessica chuckled. "So, what do you say? You want to put that ring on me and then we go get a marriage license?"
"Yeah…hell yeah! Jessica Warren, yes, I'll marry you!" Aubrey grabbed her for a kiss, topping the box out of his hand. "Shit…"
The couple chased it down the wet marble steps until it stopped near the bottom of the Memorial. Picking it up, Aubrey opened it and was relieved to see it was fine. "Thank God…"
Jessica arrived right behind him. "Aubrey, put my engagement ring on me before you drop it in the Reflecting Pool."
"Yes, Ma'am." Getting the ruby ring out of its box, Aubrey put the ring on Jessica's finger and smiled. "It looks…amazing on you."
"It does." Jessica admired the ring before smirking at her fiancé. "But you know what else looks good on me?"
"Whatever wedding dress…or pant suit you want to wear…this is your wedding—" Aubrey was stopped by Jessica's passionate kiss. "Uh…"
"Another think that looks good on me is you, James Aubrey…especially without clothes on." Jessica took his hand. "Come on, let's celebrate our engagement at home."
The intern began to run until Aubrey stopped her. "Wait."
"James Aubrey, what's wrong? I figured you would be dying to rip these panties off me to celebrate getting engaged." Jessica grew concerned. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you changed your mind about marrying me?"
"No, Jess." Aubrey combed back her wet hair through the misty rain. "Before we celebrate in our usual style of debauchery, there's one thing you need to do."
"More important than fucking my brains out with me wearing only my engagement ring?"
The agent shivered as he pictured her naked in only the heirloom ruby ring. "Yes. It'll put my mind at ease."
"What?"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Ninety minutes later, Jessica checked out with Tina, the receptionist, and after being assured the visit was covered by the FBI, entered the lobby. She chuckled when she saw Aubrey munching on a Skor bar while reading his phone.
"All set."
Aubrey ate the last of his candy bar and tossed the wrapper. Standing up, he greeted his girlfriend. "Dr. Santos gave you the all clear?"
"Yep." The couple walked out of the office building on Constitution Ave towards the agent's SUV. "She did...after lecturing me on leaving the hospital AMA. She uses the same medical software as the hospital in Morgantown, so clearing me was easy. I can wash my hair in the morning and I have an appointment next week for her to remove the stitches. She told me to take tomorrow off and take it easy but I was free to do any activities I felt comfortable with. I'm glad she had an opening today."
"Me, too." Aubrey opened the passenger door of his government SUV with a flourish. "Ready to go home, future wife? Skinner needs to know Aunt Jess is becoming his mom and we have an engagement to advertise."
"I am ready to go home, future husband." Making sure the coast was clear, Jessica caressed her fiance's genitals through his jeans. "However, after we let Skinner know, do we have to tell everyone right now? I want to celebrate first..." Jessica leaned into Aubrey's ear. "...I want your tongue doing those very naughty things you're so good at…and then I want to fuck the hell out of you."
Aubrey shuddered happily at the thought. "No…no I guess we can wait a while...get in the SUV, Jessica, because those panties are coming off as soon as we get in the house…"
"I can't wait." Kissing her fiancé, she got in. When Aubrey got settled in, she smiled at him. "Superman...can we use the siren?"
'The siren is only for emergencies...emergencies only...but I'm getting married. You don't celebrate an engagement every day…plus Skinner might be hungry. Can't keep our cat waiting...'
His mind made up, Aubrey started up the vehicle. Flicking a switch, he drove himself and his new fiancee home with the siren blaring to Jessica's squeals of delight..