Now we get to the good stuff...planning a wedding. Of course, we know everything's going to be easy, right? Read on to find out...
It was shortly after 9:00 Tuesday morning when Aubrey came back to bed after feeding Skinner while carrying a tray of warm cinnamon rolls, a carafe of coffee, two cups, and various condiments. He smirked as he saw all of the clothes that had been scattered across the floor during the very athletic final celebration of their engagement several hours before. Looking towards their bed, he saw Jessica rubbing her eyes as she woke up.
"Morning, future husband." Jessica smiled as she admired her fiancé's lean build, especially since he was clad only in C-3PO boxer shorts. "Ooohh, you brought me breakfast in bed."
"Morning, future wife, and yes, I did. I felt you deserved a reward after that stellar performance you put in a few hours ago. I made coffee, too." Aubrey set up the tray, gave her a cup with the amount of cream she preferred along with some cinnamon, and then gave her a kiss. "Did you sleep well?"
"After that last orgasm, I slept very well." Jessica smiled, sipping the brew as she leaned against him. "It was nice that Deputy Director Stark gave you, Booth, and Genny the day off."
"Well, he said we had earned it after all the work we've done in solving the case." Aubrey kissed her head. "So, how about some wedding planning?"
"Good idea. I think I would definitely like a small wedding with just family and all our friends. Will that work for you?"
"Oh yeah. It's our wedding for us to celebrate with the people we care about.," Aubrey responded with a full mouth. "When do you want to get married?"
Jessica nibbled on her cinnamon roll. "When do you want to get married?"
"You're the one who proposed, Jess." Aubrey laughed when she was stunned speechless. "Gotcha. Now spill."
Jessica chewed on her breakfast as she considered her options. "I would love May 4th…"
"Ah...Star Wars Day. That would be so cool…," Aubrey replied as he bit into his cinnamon roll.
"It would be, but it's in the middle of final exams and my birthday is a few days after that. How about after the semester ends on May 12th? I have some time before summer classes start that we could use for a wedding and maybe a short honeymoon."
Aubrey groaned softly. "Booth, Charlie, and I have to get the orientation plan we created prepared by the first week of May...and I have to be at Quantico's graduation ceremony the weekend of the 12th, along with Booth, because we have the new DC recruits starting that Monday."
"Oh, that stinks."
"It does, but don't worry. We'll figure it out." Aubrey looked at the calendar on his phone. "When does your summer semester start, Jess?"
"May 22nd, and I'm helping Dr. B again this summer...but we have a two week break between the six week sessions at the end of June."
Aubrey checked his calendar. "That's perfect."
Jessica sipped her drink before looking at her calendar. "We could even get married on a Friday at the courthouse, just like Steve and Mitzi did. If we take Jack and Greg up on their offer of the tasting room at the vineyard for the reception, we can go to the Rappahannock County Courthouse. It's small, quaint, and kind of nice."
Jessica's idea didn't sit well with the agent, but he kept his disappointment to himself. "Really?"
"Yeah, Superman. No muss, no fuss. Two witnesses for the ceremony and then a nice party afterwards at the winery about fifteen miles away. There are several B & Bs in the area that everyone can stay at if they don't want to drive the two hours back. Or if we decide to stay here, we can have a nice party later on at the Bethesda tasting room instead. Simple and easy..." Jessica looked up from her phone and saw her fiancé was staring into space. "Aubrey, what's wrong?"
He felt like a weenie for saying anything but he knew that she wouldn't let up. "I thought it might be cool to have my friend Rodney marry us…"
"The same Rodney that you got into a fight with before you added a religion minor to your degree at Syracuse? He's an Episcopal priest in Boston, right?"
"Yeah, but it's not a big deal…the courthouse is fine."
Jessica didn't want the pomp and circumstance of a fancy church wedding, but she knew compromise was important, as the day was for Aubrey as much as her. "Superman, if you want a big church affair with a reception with a lot of food and fancy crap, I'm fine with that-"
"Jessica, stop." The agent took her hand. "I don't want a big fuss, either."
Confused, the intern pressed further. "But you said you wanted your priest friend to marry us."
"Yeah, it would be nice, but I'd jump on a plane and marry you in Reno tomorrow if that's what you want."
"You hate touristy, gaudy places like Reno…"
"Yeah, but I just want to marry you, Jessica. Anyway you want." Pushing off his lingering nerves, Aubrey smiled. "If you want a simple ceremony at the courthouse, then that's what we're having."
Jessica heard the disappointment in his voice. "How about we talk to your friend Rodney and if he's interested, maybe we can have him come here? We can have it anywhere with him as the officiant if he's okay with having it outside of an Episcopal Church."
"That's a thought." Aubrey nodded. "So if we're having the reception up at your family's winery maybe we should have the wedding there, too? It's a beautiful area…"
"I'm not sure if my dad can get around some of the areas...we should check with him. If not, there are several pretty areas nearby. I do think we should take Jack and Greg up on their offer. It would save us a lot of money."
"Okay, since it looks like we're getting married in Virginia, we should do research to find out if Rodney needs to do anything special so our marriage is legal." Aubrey did a quick search on his phone. "A marriage license in Virginia is $30.00 and we can drive over to Alexandria to get it...maybe even today if we want."
"So are we going halfsies on the marriage license?, "Jessica asked with a laugh.
"I'll spring for it, but you're buying dinner...and you're wearing that red ribbon teddy on our honeymoon.," Aubrey said with a smirk. "Just so you know, I'm doing you in that thing. It's hot."
"So we're getting married during my two week break...and you'll fuck me in a teddy." Jessica giggled. "This is going to be so nice...that will give us about three months to plan."
"I don't have to wear a tux, do I?" When Jessica shook her head in the negative, Aubrey pumped his fist. "Yes! I'll just get a nice wedding suit. No uber fancy shit. I love it!"
Jessica made a couple of notes in her phone. "Alright, so depending on my dad, either we get married on the property or somewhere nearby. Reception at the family vineyard…"
"Oh, I hope they have those wood fire pizzas they were talking about last time we hung out, but I'm not picky."
"You don't think some people are going to be annoyed that we're going low-key, do you?," Jessica asked. "You know Angela likes a big party."
"Hey, it's our wedding and we'll do what we want. Our friends will be happy we're married and they won't bitch...but I'm sure they will let Hodgins create a couple of specialty drinks along with the wine and cider provided." Aubrey looked down at his phone for a moment. "So in regards to a honeymoon, I've only got a few days available."
"Because of you moving in here...then you being off work because of being shot...then taking time off to take care of me after Gerald assaulted me…" Jessica felt guilty about bringing it up. "Superman, I'm sorry…"
"Hey, no more of that. If we get married on a Friday night or Saturday morning, we can still have a nice weekend, like a Friday to Tuesday weekend and go back to work Wednesday."
"We could also save our vacation time to go on a bigger honeymoon after that. Maybe for our wedding night, we'll just get a nice room somewhere that night and then maybe go to a nice B & B for a long, romantic weekend somewhere."
"There are some nice B & Bs in Smithfield…"
"No!" Jessica smacked Aubrey's arm as he laughed. "We are not honeymooning in a town that smells like bacon. We'll go another time."
"Maybe the cabin we visited on New Years Eve will be free that weekend? It's about 30 minutes away from your family winery."
Jessica smiled. "That would be so nice. Either there, the Mimslyn Inn where we had dinner New Years Eve, or one of the lovely hotels in the area would be nice. Maybe we could even take a day and do a wine crawl…a lot of them have food of some kind."
"Taking me to your old haunts...sampling wine and treats...sounds good. I'm alright with us meeting up with everyone the next morning to open gifts and stuff but after that, we have to have plenty of alone time with lots of sexy lingerie, nudity, and lots of lovemaking...like we're barely leaving the room, Jess. Also no phone calls…"
"Definitely no phone calls…" Jessica finished her cinnamon roll and got out of bed. "Now, I need to do that task we talked about on the way home last night."
Aubrey's face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Oh yeah...I can't wait."
"Wait out here...I want to make an entrance."
Aubrey sighed loudly, but he understood. Moving his head left and right to get the kinks out of his neck, he smiled. "Okay, I'll be here on the bed waiting for you."
Aubrey admired his fiancée's posterior as she walked naked into the bathroom and shut the door. The next fifteen minutes seemed to take an hour as he grew antsy, waiting for her to come out while alternating between looking at his phone and the doorway. Finally, he heard her voice through the bathroom door.
"Aubrey, are you ready?"
Tossing his phone aside, Aubrey perked up. "I am, Jess."
The ensuite bathroom door opened, revealing a freshly showered Jessica wearing only a towel with wet hair that resembled her natural red color. "What do you think? Will you miss me as a brunette?"
Aubrey got up and rubbed her shoulders tenderly. "You did look pretty but I'm sure glad to see you with red hair again. It didn't mess up your stitches, did it?"
"I was very careful when I washed the dye out of my hair, just like Dr. Santos counseled me to be." Jessica rubbed his arm. "Now, would you like me to help you get cleaned up so we can go see my dad in Towson?"
"Does Han Solo drive the Millennium Falcon?" Aubrey smirked as he pulled off his boxer shorts and tossed them aside. The couple giggled as they went back into the bathroom and shut the door.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Ninety minutes later, the couple pulled into the parking lot and Aubrey quickly found a spot. Jessica was about to open her door when she saw that her fiancé was nervous as he sat behind the wheel. "Superman, are you alright?"
"Yeah…I guess I'm a little nervous."
"Why?"
Aubrey shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'm not just your live-in boyfriend now, or just your lover, I'm…going to be your husband."
"Yeah? So?"
Aubrey exhaled, trying to articulate his feelings. "A lot of shit has happened, Jess. You went undercover with me…our suspect almost assaulted you…we were almost murdered…"
"…and I killed a man who was going to murder you." Jessica realized what he was getting at. "Aubrey, my dad isn't going to judge you over what happened."
"How do you know that? He may think that I'm the worst type of husband for you…especially after what happened."
"My father is a very level-headed man. He knows that I took that assignment voluntarily. Remember, we talked to him before going to West Virginia because I wouldn't be around to visit him."
"Yeah, but my dad—"
"Is a disgusting asshole. He saved your life, and for that I'm grateful. However, he's a manipulator and always looking out for himself, even at his only child's expense. Aubrey, my father loves you and thinks of you as a son. Now, we're going in there, telling my dad we're getting married, and then you'll accept the hug my father offers you or when he hits you with his cane again, I'll laugh."
"You would, wouldn't you?" Aubrey chuckled as he pictured just that. "Alright, let's go in."
The couple entered the facility and after checking in, were led to his room, where the lanky redheaded man was reading in his easy chair by the large picture window. Looking up, he gave them his crooked smile. "J…Jessie…James…what…brought…brings…you…there…here?"
"Hi Dad." Jessica hugged her father before Aubrey shook the man's hand. "Well, we have some news…good news…"
The intern held out her left hand, attracting Charlie's attention. The neuropathologist gave a crooked smile as he realized what was going on. "You…mar…marry…ing…my…little…girl…James…"
"I'm not a little girl, anymore."
"Bull…shit…you al…ways…my…little…girl." Charlie looked at Aubrey before holding his walking stick with his good arm. "Take…care…of…her…or…hit…you…with…cane…"
Aubrey crossed his arms and smiled. "I plan on it, Charlie. You should know that she asked me to marry her."
"Not…sur…prised." The older man sat back in his chair. "When…is…w…wedding?"
Jessica and Aubrey looked at each other. "Um…well…we decided late June after Dr B's summer class ends. That way, Jess and I could take a long weekend as a honeymoon and we'll take a longer one later on."
Jessica smiled. "I hope that if you're…feeling up to it, you can give me away?"
Charlie had a tear in his eye. "Not…sure…you…want…me…I…slow…"
"I don't care, Dad." Jessica took his right hand. "I want you to give me away and I want to dance with you at my reception. I don't care if we just shuffle and if people don't like it, they can kiss my ass."
"Charlie, we can't get married without you. We need a father there…you're the only one we've got, you know?"
The retired doctor knew what happened during the weekend and couldn't imagine how the young man was feeling. "Well…then…I'm…pride…proud…to…be…there…for…both…of…you. How…can…I help?"
"Just be there, Charlie. Jess and I don't want an overblown ceremony. Just something small with friends and family. Our friend Angela offered to help us with stuff."
"We're having the reception at the winery's tasting room, but we're not sure where to have the ceremony. The vineyard would be perfect but I'm not sure you can handle walking some of the property with your cane. I mean, we can have the wedding in DC if it's easier-"
"I...handle...just...fine. I...grew...up...there...visited...last...Easter. Had...stroke...not...dead.," Charlie groused as he pointed to his bureau. "Now...open...that...drawer...and…bring...wall...wallet…"
Aubrey did as requested and the couple watched as Charlie pulled through it with his good hand and pulled out an American Express card. "Here…"
"Dad...I don't understand…"
"I...want...to...conta...conr...give...to...your...wedding. I'm...your...dad...my...job…to...pay..."
Jessica sighed. "Dad, Aubrey and I don't need your money…Jack and Greg said they'll provide all the booze and food for our wedding reception, saving us a lot of money."
Charlie looked at the two with sad eyes. "Please...I...want...to…"
"I thought Mike paid all your bills…," Jessica asked. "He's going to wonder if there are strange charges on your American Express card."
"He...does...but...not...senile." Charlie smiled. "If...Mike...gives...me...fuss...I'll...take...care...it. Please...let...me...help. Pay...for...dress..."
Aubrey didn't want the man's money, but he also didn't want to insult his future father-in-law. Keeping his opinions to himself, he watched as Jessica took the credit card.
"How about if Aubrey and I pay for most stuff, but you can pay for the flowers...and my dress. How about that?"
"You...drive...hard...bargain...Jessie." Charlie looked annoyed but acquiesced to his daughter. " Let…me…know…if…you…need…anything…else..."
"We will.," Jessica said. "We're going to ask Aubrey's friend Rodney to marry us later today and we should have a final date really soon, but plan for late June."
"I'm anxious to sample the woodfire pizzas and other goodies the guys created for their upcoming summer menu.," Aubrey said with glee.
"Of course you would, Aubrey. ," Jessica chuckled.
"We'll probably have to get premarital counseling and stuff, too, since he's an Episcopal priest." Aubrey combed nervously through his hair. "But that should be pretty easy."
"Did…you…call…your…moth…mother…yet…Jessie?," Charlie asked quietly. "She...should...know…soon...from you..."
The redhead groaned. "No, not yet. I will later today."
"Good. She's…still…your…mom." The elderly man's green eyes sparkled as he smiled at his daughter. "Let…me…know…if…she…gets…gives…you…bad…trouble…I...set her…straight.."
"I will, I promise."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
The couple enjoyed their visit with Charlie and when it was his lunchtime, the couple left and headed to Alexandria, Virginia to obtain a marriage license. After filling out the necessary paperwork, each signed the application and waited in line with their IDs.
"Okay, Jess, speak now or forever hold your peace…because once we turn in this paperwork, you're stuck with marrying me."
"Okay...let me think it over…" After a few seconds, Jessica rolled her eyes. "Oh…I guess I can take the risk."
"I guess I can, too." Aubrey kissed his fiancée before it was their turn at the front desk.
The clerk looked their application over and stamped it. "This form has to be returned to a county clerk's office within five days with a signature from your officiant or else your marriage is not considered legal. This license can not be used in Maryland or in Washington DC, so if you get married there, you'll need to purchase a license from one of those locations. If your officiant is not from Virginia he must complete documentation certifying his ordination and the religion of which he is a member in good standing to any circuit court in the Commonwealth of Virginia before the ceremony. Your license is good for 90 days and you can marry anytime you want within that time frame. If the license expires, you will have to apply for and pay for a new Virginia marriage license."
"So Jess and I can run out of here, find a justice of the peace, and get married in an hour?," Aubrey asked as a joke.
"Yes, Sir.," the woman said drolly. "Total is $30.00. Cash or credit card only. No checks."
Seeing the woman was not charmed by his humor, Aubrey whipped out his VISA card and gave it to the woman. After signing, he got their copy and they walked out of the Circuit Court and outside into the cold but sunny day.
"So, we are officially getting married in Virginia.," Jessica said.
"Yeah and I'm $30.00 poorer. I think I deserve some sort of special reward for paying for the marriage license."
"Marrying me isn't enough, James Aubrey?," Jessica replied sarcastically. "Or my brothers providing free booze and food for our wedding reception?"
"Well…you're gaining the privilege of becoming Skinner's mom, too, you know."
"You're right…perhaps…there is something I could do for your sacrifice in the name of ensuring our marriage is legal." Jessica tilted her head to one side as she pretended to think things over. "Maybe something involving my mouth?"
Aubrey got a very wide grin as images of his girlfriend on her knees pleasuring him flooded his head. "I think…that could be arranged…"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
The next morning, Jessica arrived at the lab, refreshed but nervous. Today was her first day back since returning from West Virginia and it felt weird to go back to her usual routine after all that excitement. However, she was happy to have things back to normal...or at least, her and Aubrey's type of normal.
Before leaving the locker room, she looked down at her engagement ring again. She loved how the stones were embedded in a bezel setting with small diamonds surrounding the ruby. Not only was it simple and elegant, she could wear it to work without worrying about it catching on her gloves. The fact that it was a part of Aubrey's family history made it feel even more special. Some, like her mother, would look down at the fact it wasn't a diamond, but she didn't care.
As she walked out onto the floor, she grew anxious for another reason. After Aubrey's friend had said he would be happy to marry them and would come down this weekend to talk to them, they'd discussed who would stand up for them. After each had agreed on having only one person, knowing who to ask came quickly. Aubrey would take care of his best man today and she had agreed to take care of her attendant today. She was sure the woman would accept, but she knew it might look awkward to some. However, she knew she had to take a chance.
She headed to Brennan's office, where her mentor was working at her computer. "Dr. B, what would you like me to work on today?"
Brennan turned around and pointed at the platform. "Four more sets of remains have arrived from Ypres for identification for our World War I project. I would like you to start on one of the sets of remains. After lunch, would you like to drive over to the university with me for our class?"
"Yes, thank you, Dr. B." Jessica walked away and headed to her assignment.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
It had been an hour since Aubrey had arrived at the Hoover, and he was shuffling papers nervously as he sat at his desk. He knew he was procrastinating instead of doing what needed to be done, but for some reason he just couldn't help himself. It was a big deal, and talking about it turned out to be harder than he imagined. Annoyed with himself, he stared at his computer monitor as he pecked away on the keyboard. "It's just Booth...it's no big deal...I'll just tell him what's going on…it'll be fine...NBD."
"Hey, Aubrey." Booth poked his head through the door of his friend's office. "What's going on?"
Catching himself before he fell out of his chair, the younger man tried to hide his surprise as he reached for his coffee. "Not a whole lot." He grimaced as he sipped the cold liquid. "Just trying to work on this budget stuff." He shrugged as he gazed at the stacks of paper covering his desk. "It looks like I've been out for weeks instead of a couple of days…"
Booth nodded in understanding. "Yeah...that's what happens when you're indispensable." Both men chuckled at the joke. "So...a word of advice...you need to let Stark know about your wedding plans as soon as possible so you can get time off for the honeymoon. You'll also need to talk to HR about getting Jessica listed on all your paperwork as your wife as well as adding her to your health insurance, FSA, and updating your Thrift Savings Plan so she's your beneficiary."
"Jeez...it's hard to keep all that stuff straight." Aubrey sighed softly. "Thanks for the information. I guess I'd forgotten about informing HR." He coughed nervously. "About my...wife…you know..."
"No problem. I mean, I've been through all that shit, so I might as well give you the benefit of my experience." Hearing his phone buzz, he scowled slightly. "Speak of the Devil. Stark sent me a text to remind me of our SAC meeting this afternoon. I've got things to do before then, so I'll see you later…"
"Wait...wait a minute, Booth." Aubrey rose from his seat and walked around his desk, fidgeting with a paperclip as he tried to relax.. "I was wondering...since you've already helped me out with the wedding stuff today...anyway, I don't have any brothers or cousins or anyone like that...and my dad's in jail...and I have very few friends outside of work…you know...there's Hodgins and Hunter, but...no one that's close...that feels like family..."
"Yeah, I get that. Working for the FBI takes up a lot of time." Booth frowned slightly, trying to figure out the point of Aubrey's rambling. "And speaking of time...I gotta go…"
"Just listen, okay?" Feeling embarrassed, Aubrey averted his eyes. "I'm gonna need a best man, okay? You know, someone to stand up with me at my wedding, and sign the license as a witness...and I'd be...honored...if you'd do that for me…if you feel like it, that is. No pressure..."
A smile spread over Booth's face as he realized what Aubrey was asking. "Really?" Seeing Aubrey nod, he laughed happily. "Of course I'll be your best man! Hey, thanks for asking, buddy." He slapped Aubrey on the back. "Have you two decided on a date yet?"
"We were thinking of having it at the end of June…either a Friday evening or Saturday morning depending on my friend Rodney's availability to marry us."
"That's great. That gives me time to plan a rip snorter of a bachelor party."
"No strippers, okay, Booth?"
"Don't worry, Aubrey. I'm not a big fan of strippers, either." Plopping down in a chair, Booth pulled out a pencil and some of his note cards. "Okay, so...a great party...do I need a tuxedo?"
"Nope. We just need to do some suit shopping at some point. We're still set on a simple ceremony and we're going to have it out at the main vineyard up north with the reception at the tasting room on the property. It's a beautiful area."
Booth made a note on a note card. "Sounds good. I'll keep track of her ring and the marriage license...what else do we need? Oh yeah...toasts at the reception...getting the check to the preacher…"
Aubrey finally smiled. "Angela is going to be our wedding planner, so you can coordinate with her. I really appreciate this, Booth…"
"No problem. I'm glad to help out." Tucking his cards in his jacket pocket, Booth got up to leave. "Okay, this time I'm really leaving. I'll see you later this afternoon, okay?"
"Yeah...later."
As Booth left, Aubrey sat behind his desk and drew a big sigh of relief as he returned to his computer. Mission accomplished.
Smiling happily, Aubrey sent a text message to Jessica. Booth said yes!
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
On the ride over to their class, Jessica and Brennan talked about their lesson for the day and other minute items. As the forensic anthropologist turned onto campus, the redhead decided to ask a question. "Dr. B, I was wondering-"
Brennan's phone rang at the same time. Pushing the button on her steering wheel, she answered. "Dr. Brennan?"
"Bones...hey...what are you up to?" Booth's voice came through in a flirtatious tone.
"I'm on my way to class...and Ms. Warren is with me, so we can't discuss the sexual things we did in your office before we left for lunch earlier."
The redhead chuckled as she heard Booth reply. "Bones! Discretion…"
"Why are you so worried? Ms. Warren and Aubrey have engaged in several activities of a sexual nature and they are now engaged to be married. You said you're going to be his best man."
"I'll...just call you later, Bones. Hi Jessica…"
"Hi Booth." Jessica chuckled as her mentor parked the car near Hamilton Hall. Getting out, she moved to talk to Brennan again, but one of her students walked up as they got out of the car.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Three hours later, the class was breaking up and Jessica waited for her chance. When all the students left, the redhead made her move. "Dr. B, can we talk?"
"Of course, Ms. Warren."
Jessica played with her hair nervously. "I was wondering...if you can't I understand...but it would mean so much to me..."
Confused, Brennan watched Jessica. "Ms. Warren, you know that I've already chosen you as my teaching assistant for my classes this summer…"
"Oh, I'm grateful for the opportunity, but this doesn't have anything to do with that." Jessica smiled. "Actually this is in regard to my wedding."
"Oh, are you looking for suggestions as to the venue?" Brennan packed up her things. "I'm not sure what is available by your family's vineyard since I'm not a frequent visitor to Northern Virginia. However, if you decide to have it here in Washington, Booth and I were married in the courtyard at the Jeffersonian and it was very lovely. The Hays-Adams Hotel where Cam and Arastoo were married was also quite nice, as you recall. I would not suggest getting yourselves jailed like Dr. Hodgins and Angela did, although it helped them settle their previous conflicts so they could marry…"
Jessica chuckled. "No, we're thinking of my family's vineyard since my brother and his partner offered to host our wedding reception, so we got a marriage license for Virginia yesterday. What I need to talk to you about is in regards to the ceremony itself."
"Yes, Booth mentioned at lunch that Aubrey's friend, a priest, was possibly performing the ceremony. If you're uncomfortable about having a religious ceremony-"
Jessica chuckled. "No, I'm trying to ask you if you would stand up for me."
"Ms. Warren, I'll always stand up for you. I've come to care a great deal about you."
Jessica shook her head, amazed at how obtuse her mentor was at that moment. "No, Dr. B...I want you to be my matron of honor."
Brennan was stunned, thoroughly surprised at the young woman's request. "Ms. Warren...I'm flattered, but I assumed you would ask Ms. Roberts or even one of your sisters-in-law. If it wasn't for the unfortunate rift in your friendship, I would assume that you would've asked Daisy."
Jessica sighed. "Honestly, even if Daisy and I weren't fighting, I would have asked you. Last night, while Aubrey and I talked, I did think about asking Andie, but you and Booth have been our cheerleaders we have gotten our shit together, even being honest to the point where it hurt. We wouldn't be getting married if it wasn't for you two."
"Ms. Warren...are you sure?"
"Yes. Andie and I talked about it on the phone after Aubrey and I decided on who to ask, and she's cool with it. She said she would be happy to help with anything you might need, but she agreed that you were the ideal choice."
Still surprised, Brennan was unsure what to say. "I'm...flattered…"
Jessica misconstrued Brennan's surprise for hesitation. "You don't want to because I'm your intern, right, and it would look weird? I understand, Dr. B. It's alright. Andie said she would be happy to do it if you weren't going to. I just...I think we've grown closer since Aubrey and I got together and...I look up to you so much...and your marriage to Booth is what I want with Aubrey...Booth is going to be Aubrey's best man, so I thought it would be perfect...Christine can be in it if we decide to have junior attendants although we want to keep it small...I'm babbling…"
"Ms. Warren, I apologize if I've given the impression that I was not interested in being your matron of honor at your wedding. I accept."
"You do?"
"Of course!" The forensic anthropologist smiled. "Ms. Warren...we have grown closer since you've become involved with Aubrey. I'm still your graduate advisor and supervisor above all, but...I would be honored to stand by you as your matron of honor when you marry Aubrey in your religious ceremony."
Jessica squeezed Brennan in happiness. "Oh! Thank you! Thank you! This means so much to me! Thank you, Dr. B."
Laughing at the woman's exuberance, Brennan accepted the hug before letting go. "You're welcome. Now, my first question is when is the wedding? I have a publicity tour scheduled for mid-August and we have our classes this summer. Unless you are looking at a fall or winter wedding?"
"No, Aubrey and I want to do it during that two week break between our summer classes at the end of June. When we talk to Aubrey's friend Rodney this weekend, we'll finalize a date depending on his availability. Are you still free? If you aren't, I understand but I can work with your schedule..."
Brennan checked her phone. "Ms. Warren, it's fine. This is a wedding Booth and I would not miss for anything except in regards to our children. Now when you finalize your date, we'll get with Angela and start to plan for everything else we'll need."
"If you are available this weekend, can we go look at dresses?"
"Booth likes to take the children to church at 9:00 for Mass on Sunday. Usually I take them to the Natural History Museum afterwards, but I'm sure he would enjoy time with them while we look at dresses." Brennan contemplated the situation. "Now, you mentioned the wedding being at your family winery? That may affect the style of dress you choose."
"Yes, it does, but I do think I want a sleeveless dress. I can swear a shawl if it gets chilly and I promise that I won't make you get an ugly dress. As for the guests, there are very lovely areas to stay in Rappahannock County. My brother would love to host anyone interested in visiting the winery."
Brennan considered for a moment. "Will your mother be involved in the planning? I'm sure you would welcome her assistance."
Jessica's face fell for a few seconds but soon she wore a grim smile. "Not sure yet. I'll be calling her today and letting her know about our plans. My father offered to pay for everything and even gave me his American Express card but we want to do as much of this on our own as we can, you know?"
"Yes, I see, and that's very admirable. Well, let's get back to the lab, Ms. Warren. We have much to discuss and plan, like your colors and your bridal shower. After you two left Founding Fathers Monday night, Angela mentioned that she would like to throw you two an engagement party…"
Jessica grabbed her things and followed her mentor out. "I don't know, Dr. B. Aubrey really isn't an engagement party type of guy...maybe if it had a lot of barbecue…"
Brennan chuckled. "We will pass that along to Angela…"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
The rest of the week for Aubrey and Jessica was a whirlwind of working with Angela on wedding plans. By the end of the week, the artist had helped the couple choose the wedding colors as well as a reception menu with Jessica's brothers at the tasting room, and after much cajoling and bribery from Angela to a reluctant Aubrey in the form of barbecue, an engagement 'gathering' had been scheduled for April 1st at Hodgins and Angela's house. After their meeting with Rodney and the final wedding date chosen, more specific plans would be made.
Saturday morning was an easy one for the couple as they slept in. After doing a couple of quick chores around the house, they left for their meeting with Rodney. It was almost noon when Jessica and Aubrey walked up to the diner.
"So when are you and Dr. B going shopping?, ", Aubrey asked
"We're going tomorrow with Angela…we're going to a couple of resale shops and a couple of bridal salons, including the one who created Dr. B's wedding dress and Angela's dress from her first wedding to Curly."
Aubrey looked at his fiancée and saw her aggravation. "Jess, your mother will get over it…"
"She wasn't happy when I told her we were getting married." Jessica exhaled quietly. "She...said that you were just after my trust fund. I know you're not…I can't believe she wanted you to sign a prenup..."
"I'll sign one if that's what you want, Jess. I told you I don't care…"
"I do, Aubrey." Jessica stopped him. "I care. Her suggestion was insulting and you know it."
"It was, but I only care about what you think.," Aubrey replied. "I'm not worried about what Eleanor thinks. I'm a big boy. I can handle the bitchiness..."
"Okay." Pausing as she reached the door, Jessica grimaced slightly as she wound a coppery strand of hair around her finger. "Are you sure this meeting is a good idea?"
"Yeah...why not?" Aubrey grinned widely at his fiancée. "Listen, I know this makes things between us very real, but Rodney is a great guy, okay? You're gonna like him…"
"But he's a priest, and we're living together before we're married...he might frown on that…" Jessica shrugged, slightly embarrassed at Aubrey's chuckle.
"He's not gonna care, Jess. I promise. Rodney's my friend, okay? I've known him for years, and when I called him and asked him to come down from Boston for the day, he was happy to do it. He wants to officiate at our wedding...he's already told me that."
"Okay...if you say so. You know I'm not religious, but…"
"Rodney won't care about that. Listen...he helped me get over my mom's death without being all preachy to me. He just listened to everything I had to say and offered me some comfort...some hope." Aubrey smiled wistfully. "I know this sort of thing isn't really up your alley, but give him a chance, and then, if you don't like him, we can do something else."
"You'd do that for me?", Jessica sighed softly as she was once again reminded of how much her fiancé loved her. "Alright. Let's go talk to Rodney."
They entered the restaurant and looked around. "There he is. Hey...Rodney!"
"James! How the hell are you?" Rising from his seat, the shorter man laughed happily as he gave Aubrey a hug. "And this must be Jessica…"
"Yes." Jessica smiled as she extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Father Faircloth…"
"Aw, no need for that 'father' jazz. Just call me Rodney. It's easier, and a hell of a lot nicer than what your future husband calls me. How about some lunch?" He patted his belly. "I love greasy diner food, and my wife doesn't like me eating it, but what she doesn't know about doesn't count, right?"
After they sat down and ordered their meal, Rodney propped up his chin in his hands and smiled knowingly. "So...what can I do for you two lovebirds…"
Aubrey glanced at Jessica and shrugged. "We want to get married…"
"Well, duh...of course you do. You said you want me to do the deed when we talked on the phone Tuesday night." Rodney let go a loud laugh. "Am I reading too much into this invite? I'm assuming you want to have the wedding soon..."
Grinning sheepishly, Aubrey nodded. "Yeah, we do want that...if you still want to do it."
"Hell, yeah, I want to do it. The question is, does Jessica know what she's getting into?" Winking broadly at her, he chuckled. "Do you know about the Star Wars Convention when Aubrey and I went to dressed as stormtroopers?"
"Really?" Interested, Jessica nodded. "Tell me more…"
"It was him and me and another one of our fraternity brothers...there was a convention in New York City. We were looking for a good time, and we met these girls…"
"That's enough for right now…" Aubrey pretended to glare at Rodney as he cleared his throat. "Okay, so...we'd like to get married in June...towards the end of the month…"
"Oh." Rodney's smile faded as he pulled out his phone and looked at his calendar. "I'm afraid that's out of the question. My wife and I are going on sabbatical to the UK. We'll be leaving the second week of May and we won't be back until December."
"That's too bad." Obviously disappointed, Jessica reached for her tea cup. "I mean, your sabbatical sounds like fun, but…"
"I'm sure I can find another priest to do your wedding. There are plenty of Episcopal congregations in the DC area." Rodney sighed as he glanced at Aubrey. "Sorry, man…"
"We don't want another priest." Inhaling deeply, the agent shook his head. "We want you because you're my friend, okay?" Drumming his fingers on the table, he decided to take a chance. "Can you do the ceremony before you go on your trip? Like maybe next month?"
"Aubrey!" Jessica was thoroughly surprised. "Seriously?"
The agent turned to his fiancée. "Yeah...why not? I mean, we've got Angela, right? She got Booth and Dr. B married in a day. Why wait? Let's go for it."
"Uh…really? April?" Jessica was obviously shocked. "As in this April?"
Seeing the couple needed to confer, Rodney grabbed his phone and rose from his seat. "I'm going to check in with my parish. Why don't you two talk and I'll be back in a few minutes."
Aubrey watched as his friend stepped out and then turned back at his fiancée. "Jess, what's wrong?"
"Aubrey...April will be here in less than two weeks. Planning a wedding that quick? I'm still in school. We're not going to have much time for a honeymoon, much less get everything done. How can we pull all that off? We told everyone that the wedding was going to be in June...what if they can't fit it into their schedules? What if Angela goes into labor? She's due in a few weeks..."
Aubrey thought about Jessica's words and realized she had a valid point. "Maybe you're right, but I have faith that Angela can help us arrange a nice wedding in a few weeks. However, if you're not sure, or if your brother and Greg can't help us next month at the vineyard, we'll come up with something else, Jess. I'm sorry I sprung that on you. I just...I just want to get married. I want us to start this new chapter in our lives, you know? Maybe I feel that way because of what happened last weekend. I just don't want us to wait anymore or let stupid shit keep us from moving forward."
Jessica saw that Aubrey was sincere. She knew moving the wedding date up two months was going to be tough. April was a busy month for her, but they did have Angela to help as long as she didn't go into labor...and other amazing friends who could assist them as well. In the end, the only thing that mattered was what made her and Aubrey happy.
"Okay, let's do it. Knowing Angela, she has a contingency plan for our wedding when she goes into labor.," Jessica chuckled.
"Really? You're good with getting married next month?"
Jessica nodded her head. "Yeah. We may not be able to find a nice place for a honeymoon weekend with this short of notice, but we'll figure something out. Even if it's just a nice hotel on our wedding night and then we barricade ourselves in our house for a weekend of wedding consummation."
Aubrey took her hand and kissed it. They were so caught up in each other that they didn't notice their guest waiting patiently at the table. Finally, Rodney coughed quietly to get their attention.
"Okay, lovebirds. What's the verdict?"
"Let's get married next month." Jessica smiled at Aubrey. "He can be very convincing."
"If you can do a Friday afternoon or evening, it would be great, Rodney.," Aubrey said. "We would like to enjoy as much as our weekend as we can."
"You were always a charmer with the ladies, James." Rodney sat down and pulled up his phone. "Alright...Fridays. How about April 7th? Or maybe the next weekend...April 14th? I'm free both of those dates, and I'd still be able to arrange for time off from my congregation…"
"Hmm…" Jessica looked at Aubrey, who raised an eyebrow at her.
"Whatever you want, Jess…", he said quietly. "Either way is fine with me."
"Let's do April 14th. That'll give us about four weeks to plan the wedding." Jessica combed her hair back over her ear. "Let me text my brother and make sure it's alright."
It didn't take long for Jack's response. Hell yeah! If it rains they'll be lots of booze 4 guests.
Aubrey chuckled as he read the message. "Alright, we're on board."
Rodney nodded as he entered the information into his phone. "April 14th it is." Smiling at the couple across from him, he laughed as he sipped his coffee. "I'd recommend getting a wedding planner…there's gonna be a lot of stuff to do in a short period of time."
Jessica nodded in agreement. "Oh, we already have one...in fact, Angela would be disappointed if we didn't let her help. She lives for this stuff. She'll consider it a challenge to put it together in four weeks."
"Good." Putting his phone away, the priest opened up his messenger bag and pulled out a legal tablet. "The first order of business will be to get a venue…Aubrey said you've already got the reception hall lined up…"
"Yes, at my brother's winery…"
"Well, I'd suggest looking at someplace close by...it's easier for everyone…"
Aubrey reached over to pat Jessica's hand. "I still think we could have it out in the vineyards...with all the greenery, it'd be really pretty…"
"Oh, I'm still not sure that's a good idea...I know my father said he could manage walking around there, but I don't know..." Jessica bit her lip as she tried to work through the problem. "Okay...we'll start looking for a place to hold it. Maybe we can arrange to have some sort of tent or pavilion set up on my family's property?"
"The second thing is the order of service. It's not a problem for me, as a priest, to do the ceremony since Aubrey was baptized as an infant, so that's taken care of. I know you're not really religious, Jessica, but with a little effort, I think we can put together a semi-traditional wedding that will satisfy both of you." Rodney made some notes on his paper. "I'll leave a prayer book with you...it has a list of the Scriptures which are normally suggested for a wedding service, and you can pick the stuff you like from that or suggest some of your own ideas, if you want. You can ask friends to read the Bible verses at the wedding if you want to...a lot of people like to do that."
Smiling benignly, the priest nodded as he looked over his list. "The last big hurdle is the pre-marital counseling. Six hours are recommended…"
"Wow...really?" Aubrey grimaced slightly as he scratched his chin. "I mean, we've been together for a long time...and we've already been through some really hairy stuff…"
"I know." Seeing Aubrey's surprised expression, Rodney chuckled softly. "I keep track of all of my fraternity brothers...it's kind of a hobby of mine. Anyway, I saw a report on the news…you know, about what happened at that arena in West Virginia. I know you can handle the big stuff, but a lot of times it's the little things that can break up a happy marriage." Taking a bite of pie, he shrugged. "I think we can get by on less than six...maybe three or four." Chewing thoughtfully, he sat back in his seat. "I tell you what...let's finish our lunch and go find a place where we can talk together privately...maybe we can knock out this counseling bit today…and then you can email me the rest of the stuff when you make your decisions."
"Sounds good." Aubrey waved to get their server's attention. "I need another piece of pie for me and my friend…"
oooooooooo
As the couple discussed their plans further with Rodney, Jessica heard her text alert sound. Groaning as she saw the message, she grimaced slightly. "Excuse me...I need to make a call."
"Sure…" Seeing her annoyed expression, Aubrey had a good idea about what was going on. "Rodney and I can catch up on other things…"
"I'll only be a few minutes." Taking a deep breath, Jessica took her phone and left the diner. Sitting on a bench in front of the restaurant, she jabbed at a number on her speed dial. "What do you want, Mom? I'm kind of busy…"
"I want to make sure that you aren't putting together some boho hippie free love marriage ceremony." Eleanor scoffed loudly to punctuate her disdain. "I want you and that Aubrey fellow to have a proper church wedding…"
"As a matter of fact, he and I were in a meeting with the Episcopal priest who's going to do the wedding when you called and interrupted. We've chosen Rite 2…"
"Episcopal? That's wonderful! You can have your wedding at the National Cathedral! I mean, it may not be available until next year, but you can surely wait to have your wedding so we can hold the ceremony in such an important place. Splendid…"
"NO! Not at a cathedral! Listen, Mom...we haven't completely decided where to have the wedding yet, but it's not going to be a lavish affair...just family and a few close friends. Now I really have to go. Father Faircloth is only in town for a few hours more and we still have a lot of things to discuss..."
"Well, we can work that out. However, I do have some important friends that I want you to put on the guest list, so you might need a fairly large venue, and I'm sure your priest will have suggestions about some nice chapels in the area where you can have a lovely, formal wedding."
"We don't want a formal wedding, Mom...that's not really our style…"
"Whatever…I'm sure your father doesn't want to pay for the wedding you deserve, does he?"
Deciding that her mother didn't need to know she had her father's credit card, Jessica was cautious with her response. "Aubrey and I are paying for our own wedding...Dad offered some money, but we don't need any help. It's going to be simple, but meaningful...that's what we want…"
"Fine.," Eleanor sniffed dismissively, ignoring Jessica's frustrated groan. "I'm actually calling to let you know that I got us an appointment at Kleinfeld's Salon in New York at ten on Monday morning so we can look at gowns. It took some arm twisting on my part, but they're going to work us in, so we'll have a couple of hours with a consultant. You can take the train and meet me up there. They have such a fabulous selection...I think you can find a nice dress for a reasonable price...ten thousand ought to be enough…"
Jessica gasped in surprise. "Ten thousand dollars? Oh my God...absolutely not. To begin with, I have to work on Monday, Mother. You should also know I'd never spend that much money on a dress that I'll probably never wear again. Besides, I already have plans to go dress shopping tomorrow with some friends of mine."
"Which friends?", Eleanor asked suspiciously.
"Dr. Brennan and Angela Montenegro. Dr. B is going to be my matron of honor, and Angela is our wedding planner. We're going to look at some vintage clothing stores in town...and maybe a few bridal salons if we can't find anything I like ready made…"
"So you'd rather shop with them instead of your own mother? Darling...are you really going to deprive me of the chance to be a part of my only daughter's wedding? I mean, I can't imagine why you'd want to marry that man anyway, but if you're mind is made up, I want to be involved…besides, why would you want to buy some used, kitschy dress that looks like a costume from a high school play when instead you could have a designer original from Kleinfelds? What would my friends think? I can't have them see you looking like some refugee from a thrift store on such an important social occasion..."
Jessica slowly exhaled as she tried to maintain her composure. Of course, it wasn't really important what her mother's friends thought about her wedding dress, but she could understand why Eleanor wanted to be a part of the shopping trip.
"Okay, Mother, I tell you what. If you can be in DC by one o'clock tomorrow afternoon, you can go with us and then you can meet Dr. B and Angela, but remember...it's my dress and my decision...and I'm not spending over a thousand dollars."
Groaning softly, Eleanor acquiesced. "I suppose I can meet those conditions...but I really think you ought to increase your budget…"
"I have to go. Goodbye, Mom." Ending the call, Jessica sat back on the bench and closed her eyes, immediately regretting that she'd caved in to her mother's demands. "Oh well...maybe I'll find a dress in the first place we look. Surely my mother will behave herself, right?"
Shaking her head, she got up to go back inside the diner. "Yeah...right."