So, we have a lot going on in this chapter, but I think everyone will enjoy it. The shopping excursion is partly based on real life events adapted to our Bones world.
Here we go...
After much discussion over lunch it was decided that Rodney would go see an old friend who was working at a church in the DC area before meeting Jessica and Aubrey at their house for dinner. They'd finish their counseling sessions in one evening, and Rodney would stay the night before taking the red eye flight to Boston the next morning. If all things went well, he'd be back in plenty of time for Sunday services, but he'd called the rector, informing him of the change in plans just in case there was a glitch.
Later that evening, the lasagna pan was sitting empty on the dining room table, and the wine was flowing freely as the friends enjoyed the last of their meal. It was very interesting for Jessica to see how Aubrey interacted with his former fraternity brother. Even though her fiancé was a wonderful person, he seemed to have very few close friends. She supposed that was because he'd usually been cautious about letting people get close, since they might find out his father was a convicted felon.
With Rodney, however, it was different. Aubrey seemed to let down his guard with the jovial man, and she could easily see why. The Episcopal priest had a pleasant, outgoing personality and a great sense of humor. He was sincere about his beliefs without being preachy, and he didn't seemed concerned that Jessica might have some reservations about organized religion, much to her relief.
More importantly, Aubrey seemed to thoroughly enjoy Rodney's company. The two men had told funny stories of their college antics together all through dinner, laughing about their many scrapes and each other's foibles. After seeing how happy they were spending time together, any reservations Jessica might've had about Fr. Faircloth officiating at their wedding disappeared when she realized how close he was to Aubrey. Rodney was the man for the job.
However, that didn't mean that things wouldn't be awkward during their counseling session. After they cleared the table, Aubrey and Jessica sat down on the sofa opposite of the priest, who regarded them with amusement. "So...we've talked about how to handle any money issues that might arise, and about having kids, right? We've discussed how to divvy up the household chores...having a will…"
Jessica nodded as she silently ticked off items on her list. "Yeah. So we're done, right?"
"Oh, no...not by a long shot." Rodney grinned as he leaned forward in his chair. "Now we get to talk about sex."
"What?," Jessica squeaked as she blushed. "Sex? Well, okay...it's great...fine…" She elbowed Aubrey. "You tell him, okay? He's your friend…tell him...things are great..."
Clearing his throat loudly, Aubrey shifted nervously on the sofa. Making up stories about the sex he'd had with various girls while they were fraternity brothers was one thing...telling a priest about his predilection for wearing fake mustaches to make his girlfriend scream his name and eating food off of different parts of her lovely body was quite another. "Well, um...yeah. Things are great in that department…better than great..."
Rodney pretended to glare at the couple before laughing out loud. "I bet. Listen...I don't care what you two do when you're together in the bedroom...or anywhere else, for that matter. Whatever floats your boat, I always say. The important thing to remember about sex in a marriage is that it's supposed to bring you two closer emotionally." He chuckled softly. "There may be times...eventually...where one of you wants it, and the other doesn't."
Seeing their sidelong glances at each other, he shrugged before pointing at Jessica. "I know it doesn't seem possible right now, but wait until she's about nine months pregnant with your second child, Jimmy, especially if the first child is still in diapers. As shocking as it may seem, it might happen that she doesn't want to have anything to do with you for many, many months." They all chuckled at the thought.
"I bet I could convince her otherwise." Aubrey winked at Jessica as she narrowed her eyes at him. "She'd get tired of my whining after a while…"
"Maybe, but the point is that sex in marriage should be fulfilling, both physically and emotionally, for both of you You need to listen to each other...and not just when you're talking dirty, okay? Be sure to make time for actually loving each other...make that one of your top priorities. It can be hard when both of you are so busy, but it's worth the effort. I know having 'date night' sounds like a cliché', but you've got to avoid taking each other for granted. Work at keeping things lively and interesting."
"Things are interesting, alright.," Jessica murmured as she patted her fiancé's thigh.
"Thanks, Rodney. That's good advice." Aubrey pretended to yawn and stretch. After talking about sex, his mind had quickly gone down a one way street. "Man...I'm getting sleepy...it must be time for bed..."
Glancing at his watch, Rodney rolled his eyes. "It's only 8:30, Jimmy boy. We've got plenty of time to finish up our last bit before you and Jessica can practice keeping things lively." He sat back in his chair. "We have one more topic to go over. I've saved the best for last."
"That sounds ominous…," Jessica began, unsure of where the conversation was going.
"Not really." The priest smiled gently at her. "Let's start with you, Jessica. I want you to tell me why you love Jimmy...and then tell me one thing he does that makes you crazy."
She hesitated, thinking things over carefully. "Well...he's brilliant...loyal...he can cook…" She giggled as she heard him puff out a sigh. "We have a lot of things in common...things we like to do together. We look at the world the same way, for the most part. He's handsome...he's always there for me. And what drives me crazy is that he doesn't always pick up his socks…"
"Seriously?" Rodney was surprised. "That's the only thing that bugs you about him? He must've changed a lot since college." He gave her a knowing look. "Or are you just trying to keep from hurting his feelings?"
Jessica inhaled sharply. Evidently Rodney was more perceptive than she'd realized. "The socks do bother me, mostly because I've mentioned it to him before...several times, in fact. Sometimes I don't think he listens to me…"
"I do, too!," Aubrey interrupted, clearly angry at her accusation.
"You'll get your turn...but for now, I'm talking to Jessica." Rodney nodded for her to continue. "Anything else?"
"Well...there have been times when Aubrey has deliberately avoided telling me things...it's like he hides things from me if he thinks it might be difficult for me to handle…"
"Because I'm trying to protect you! Why is that so hard to understand?" Sitting back on the couch, Aubrey glared at his friend. "What the hell, Rodney? Did you really just provoke a fight between me and my girlfriend? Some priest you are…"
"Interesting." Nodding stoically, Rodney gestured at Aubrey. "Okay then...since you're so anxious to talk...tell me why you love Jessica."
Caught off guard, Aubrey stammered a bit. "Um...well...she's a genius...she's got a great sense of humor...she's gorgeous...adventurous…I love spending time with her." He paused, glancing at her. "Am I supposed to say what makes me crazy?"
Seeing his friend nod, Aubrey dove in. "While I trust her more than anyone else, she doesn't always trust me! I mean, I get it, okay? She shot and killed a guy last weekend...something she'd never had to do before. That would mess with anyone's head, but then she just takes off without telling me where she's going! She had a concussion, for God's sake, and she's out driving around by herself! Do you know how idiotic that is?"
Jessica soon interrupted. "But if I had said that I needed time alone, you would've wanted to hover over me, just like you did after Gerald assaulted me back in January. You'd be checking on me every five minutes or so because you'd want to 'make it all better', even though it was something I needed to do for myself! I had to recover on my own!"
"That's just selfish, Jess, and you know it…"
"Selfish?" Jessica was riled up at her fiancé's inability to understand what she was saying. "Should we talk about how you talked to everyone else about being transferred to LA before talking about it with me, including Karen Delfs, who plainly had the hots for you? Then you asked me to move with you while we're at a crime scene! Or how about when your father became a murder suspect?"
Irritated with the nerve had Jessica hit, Aubrey shot back. "How about after I tell you I'm serious about us, instead of telling me I'm going too fast, you take off to fucking Scotland for a class without even asking what I think? Then after I ask you to come with me to LA, six hours later you dump me...in an interrogation room at the FBI!"
After letting them bicker for a few minutes, Rodney finally intervened. "Guys? Hey...guys!"
Cringing self consciously, they both turned toward him.
"Are you done?," he asked quietly. Seeing them nod, he cleared his throat and he smiled at Aubrey. "You're right...I suppose I did start a fight. I wanted to see how you two handle a disagreement."
Seeing both were confused, Rodney eyed them intently and shook his head. "Here's what I hear in all your complaints. There is a lack of trust between you."
He held up his hand to stop Aubrey's heated rebuttal. "You were upset because she left without warning after being injured and traumatized...and it wasn't the first time you've felt pushed aside by her. You also, instead of confiding in her and letting her help you, don't tell her things to 'protect' her, like when your dad was in trouble again, right?"
He turned to the redhead. "Jessica, you've felt shut out by Jimmy, multiple times it seems, when he doesn't tell you everything that is going on with him. You also keep your feelings bottled up, too...for example, the fact that you needed space...to keep him from getting upset, because then he wants to help you to the point where he hovers over you."
He saw the looks on their faces and pointed to each of them as he spoke. "In reality, however, you ran, Jessica, because you weren't exactly sure how he would react to your situation, and you don't tell her things, Jimmy, because you aren't sure how she'll react, either. Does that sound right?"
Seeing them both squirm on the couch, the priest got his confirmation. "And probably this lack of trust comes from some trauma both of you experienced as youngsters. Jimmy, I'm assuming for you it's your mercurial relationship with your father and his abandonment of you and your mother. Jessica, I don't know anything about your family history, but I get the sense it wasn't all sunshine and roses for you growing up, either."
Not hearing a rebuttal from either person, he continued. "You just can't let go of that nagging doubt about each other, can you? You're best friends as well as lovers, but both of you are afraid the other one is going to leave you high and dry."
Jessica nodded silently as Aubrey groaned softly. They both knew he was correct, and it was an awful realization.
"That lack of trust can torpedo a marriage faster than anything else. It leads to suspicions...accusations...and arguments over nothing in particular that can escalate into war. You both need to work on that, as far as I can tell." He paused as he saw the shock on their faces. "But that doesn't mean you can't figure it out. It's just going to take a lot of effort."
They were all silent for a few minutes until Rodney cleared his throat softly. "You know, my wife knows things about me that would make the average person throw up. I mean, if you knew some of those things, Jimmy, you might wonder how I managed to get ordained."
He laughed sadly. "But here's the thing...she knows those things and she chooses to love me anyway. Do you have any idea what a gift that is? That this wonderful woman I married would take me as I am, warts and all? That I can be honest with her about my mistakes...my sins, even...and she still loves me anyway? I wake up every day and thank God that I've found someone like that…"
After hesitating a bit, Jessica spoke up. "Aubrey knows about...some of the stuff I did in my past...my history with other men. I was worried because...sometimes, when a guy I was dating heard about the stuff I did, they'd...push me aside and didn't take me seriously. James is the first man that really took me seriously. He doesn't listen to gossip...he only listens to me."
Aubrey nodded as he glanced at his fiancee. "Jess knows about my dad...about how I grew up and stuff...about my mom...and she has stood by me, even after all this crap with the Croatians and the smuggling. She's looked past all that and sees only me."
Rodney reached for his wine glass and took a sip as he composed himself. "You two have a lot going for you, and I have no doubt that you'll have a good marriage. However, what I want you to see is that you can have so much more if you can both learn to trust each other with everything. When you both realize that the other one isn't going to leave you, no matter what...that both of you are committed to staying and working things out...it will make your relationship so much better."
He grinned slightly as he looked at the chastened couple sitting across from him. "At least you two are entertaining when you argue. I guess you've figured that part out...that you can argue and still love each other…"
"Yeah." Jessica took Aubrey's hand in hers. "My mom and dad had a rocky marriage, but my dad taught my brothers and me that you shouldn't go to bed angry if you can help it. You need to say what's on your mind and don't hold it in. We didn't always talk to each other when we were going together the first time..."
"...because we were afraid of messing up our friendship and ruining things between us, but that's exactly what happened and we lost two months that we'll never get back. We promised each other when we got back together last fall that it would be different, but apparently it's still a work in progress." Aubrey squeezed her hand back. "My mom tried to teach me to listen to others, but I guess I need to work on that, right?"
Aubrey saw his friend nod and it grew quiet before the agent exhaled slowly. "Damn, Rodney...that was rough. Are all your premarital counseling sessions this intense?"
"Nope. We were in a hurry, right? We had to get it knocked out this weekend since you two couldn't wait to get hitched, so I didn't have time to let you come to these realizations by yourselves. I had to move it along at a faster pace." Seeing Aubrey's annoyance, Rodney laughed loudly as he rose from his chair. "Anyway, we've got all of our hours in, and I'm satisfied that you two are gonna be happily married."
He checked his watch. "Man, I need to hit the hay if I'm gonna catch that early flight tomorrow morning. Don't worry about getting up to see me off. I'll call a cab...and send you the bill."
"I bet you will." Aubrey gave the priest a hug before showing him to the guest room. "If I don't see you in the morning, we'll be in touch soon, okay?"
"Great. I'm looking forward to it. Good night, Jimmy."
"Good night."
Rodney gave the redhead a hug. "Good luck with this guy. You're going to need it. He's a pain in the ass..."
"You be quiet!," Jessica scolded playfully as she hugged him back. As she let go, Skinner walked up to them and meowed at their guest.
Rodney stroked the cat and chuckled. "Why does it not surprise me that you have a cat?"
"Go to bed, Rodney.." Aubrey admonished to his friend's chuckles. When he left the room, he turned to his fiancée. "Maybe we should do the same. We both have wedding errands to do tomorrow."
"Good idea."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
The couple was quiet as they got ready for bed, both of them preoccupied with what had been said between them during their counseling. As Aubrey crawled into bed next to Jessica, he reached up and turned off the light before taking her into his arms.
"I'm sorry you felt like I didn't trust you, Jess. I guess I didn't realize I was hiding things from you again...which is stupid on my part. I'm going to try to do better, okay?"
"I know. And I know I need to trust you to let me have some space if I need it. I just need to ask. I know you're protective because you love me…"
"I do love you...more than anything…"
"Warts and all?," she giggled as he caressed her.
"Oh yeah. Are you still gonna want to make love to me when you're pregnant and tired?", he laughed.
"I bet we can work something out." Her fingers worked their way below his navel, tenderly brushing the fine dark hairs that ran down towards the waistband of his briefs. "Wanna practice?"
"You bet…"
oooooooooo
Aubrey was sound asleep at 6:00 the next morning but got a rude awakening when he turned to put his arm around his fiancée and found only cold sheets. "Jess?," he asked sleepily.
Sitting up, he looked towards the en-suite bathroom but only saw darkness. Looking at the end of the bed, he didn't see Skinner and knew wherever she was he was with her. Realizing that Rodney may still be here, the agent got out of bed and walked downstairs, where he saw his cat with his face in his food bowl. At the center island, his fiancée was reading her phone while sipping tea.
"Jess, what are you doing up so early?" Aubrey looked around. "Is Rodney still here?"
Startled, the redhead turned around. "He's in the shower and his cab will be here in about twenty minutes. I…couldn't sleep and got up almost an hour ago. After I fed Skinner, I brewed some coffee to give Rodney for the road, but there's plenty if you want some."
Wordlessly, the agent headed over, walking around Skinner. Pouring a cup of heaven, he sat down next to his fiancée, who moved her phone away. "What? I just want to see what kind of dresses you're looking at."
Jessica pulled her phone further away when Aubrey leaned in closer. "No, you can't see my dress before the wedding, Superman. It's bad luck."
Aubrey rolled his eyes. "You haven't bought a wedding dress yet, Jess…"
"Still, I don't want to push my luck. Right now, I just want an idea of what I'm looking for when I meet up with Dr. B, Angela, and my mom later."
Aubrey saw the worried look on Jessica's face. "That's why you were up at the butt crack of dawn. You're worried about your mom, aren't you?"
"She really did want to be part of my dress shopping today…and seemed hurt when I was going with Angela and Dr. B without her. Of course, she was even more annoyed when I told her I wasn't going to meet her in New York tomorrow to get a designer dress that will cost at least 10,000 dollars."
"Yikes! Spending all that on a dress you'll probably only wear once is stupid. Heck, even the 1,000 dollars you're talking about seems a bit nuts to me. It's just a dress."
"Spoken like a true man." Jessica shook her head. "She was really pushy about us having this big society shindig at the National Cathedral next year to show off for her friends and she wasn't happy when I said no to that, too."
"Why should we kill ourselves financially for some overblown affair just to impress some people? I know Charlie would pay for whatever we wanted, but I think our idea of a small wedding that we can afford is better." Aubrey exhaled softly. "As for the dress, I want you to have the one you want, no matter how expensive. If money's an issue, I'll even pay for it—"
"No way in hell!" The redhead's eyes were blazing at her fiancé. "You are NOT paying for my dress, James Aubrey. I've already agreed to let you pay for wherever we go for a honeymoon since I'm covering the rehearsal dinner, which I have to get scheduled in the next few days...then we have to look at invitations...and figure out where we'll get registered for gifts...pick out flowers..."
Jessica's head went down in her arms on the counter. "Shit…we're getting married in three weeks and there's so much to do…"
"I know, but we'll figure it out." Aubrey was feeling overwhelmed as well, but he didn't want Jessica to panic. As he rubbed her shoulder, he heard the bathroom door open. "Hey, it's Mr. Sunshine."
"Morning, lovebirds.," a freshly showered and dressed Rodney said as he came out to join them. "I still can't believe you helped install that shower."
"Well, I did and everything works." Aubrey asked sarcastically. "You got clean, right?"
"Yep, I'm all good. I could use some coffee though."
"Coming right up." Jessica pulled a mug out of the cupboard and filled it for the priest. "Need any cream or milk?"
"Nah, just some nutmeg if you have some."
"You still into the nutmeg, huh?," Aubrey bellowed. "Cinnamon is still the better spice, dude."
"Whatever you say, Jimmy." Rodney accepted the brew and drank greedily. "Nectar of the Gods...if I didn't love you before, Jessica, I love you now."
"You're welcome. It's the least I can do for the man who has helped Aubrey and me through this maze called planning a wedding. Your advice was really good, Rodney."
"Thank you." Rodney sipped again before Jessica topped off his brew. "You're a good match for Jimmy. You're into Star Wars, which makes you awesome in my book, and you put up with his shit."
Aubrey pointed at his fraternity roommate. "Hey! I have stories about you I can tell your wife the next time I see her."
"Amy knows them all, man and the Church hasn't excommunicated me yet. Just be a good boy until I'm back in a few weeks and I may just bring the wife with me."
"I would love to meet her, Rodney." Jessica sipped her tea.
"Well, she wants to meet you. She's curious about the woman who managed to tame this bottomless pit here…"
"Hey, I just appreciate good food.," Aubrey retorted as a honk was heard outside.
"That's my ride." The priest picked up his bag and held out his arms so Aubrey and Jessica could hug him goodbye. "Email me any changes you need and I'll see you two next month."
Aubrey opened the door and hugged him again. "Thanks again for coming. Give Amy our love."
"I will. She wants you two to make a trip to Boston for a long weekend sometime after the wedding. We've got plenty of room." Rodney smirked as he continued speaking. "Just remember if you're too loud, we'll drown you out."
"Whatever..." Aubrey chuckled as he hugged his friend one more time. "Love you, Rodney. Let me know when you get to Boston."
"Will do."
The couple watched the priest get into the taxi and drive off into the early DC morning. Shutting the door, they continued their conversation from earlier. "It's going to be crazy these next three weeks, but thank God Angela was understanding about the date change when we sent her that text last night. I totally forgot April 14th was her due date."
"Me, too." Jessica combed back Aubrey's unruly hair. "But, she said not to worry and that she had a backup plan if she has the baby before the wedding…although I wish I knew what it was…"
The couple walked over to the center island and sat back down. "Let's just trust Angela, Jess. I'm just glad Booth and Dr. B didn't have any major plans that weekend, either. So far, everyone we've sent messages to said they can make the wedding on the 14th. Hopefully it doesn't rain." Aubrey sipped his coffee again. "Today, I'll be shopping with Booth at Jos. A Banks, Men's Warehouse and a few other places for suits today. Are we still thinking green and blue for wedding colors?"
"Yes, that's fine." Jessica replied.
Aubrey saw Jessica staring into her teacup. "Jess, it's going to be fine. If your mother gets out of line, just put her in her place. Although if Eleanor pulls anything in front of Dr. B, she'll take care of it by being as...direct as always."
The redhead chuckled. "You always know what to say, James Aubrey."
Aubrey tucked a lock of Jessica's red hair behind her ear. "What can I say? I love you."
"I love you, too." Jessica kissed him on the lips. "So, since we're up, would you like some breakfast?"
Aubrey smirked as he got up off his stool. Taking her hand, he gently pulled her off her own stool and led her towards the stairs. "Maybe later. In case you forgot, Jess, it's Sunday. We have standing plans every Sunday…"
Jessica chuckled as the couple walked upstairs. "Making love…always a nice way to spend a Sunday morning."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
It was almost 1:00 and Jessica was at the diner with Brennan and Angela finishing lunch. Looking at her phone, Jessica glanced back at her friends. "My mom should be here any minute. Thanks again for being cool with her coming along."
Brennan smiled. "That's fine, Ms. Warren. I am very interested in meeting your mother."
Angela dumped more habanero sauce in the last bit of her soup. "While we're waiting for her, let's go over some more stuff. So do you know where the ceremony will be?"
"At our family vineyard in Washington, Virginia. Aubrey and I will call around to the local inns and set up room blocks tonight so it doesn't cost everyone an arm and a leg to see us getting married." Jessica turned to her mentor. "Dr. B, I was going to ask you about requesting the 17th and 18th off. We wanted to do a Friday to Tuesday honeymoon if you can spare me."
"Of course she can spare you, Jessica. You're getting married.," Angela chimed in.
"Angela, I do need to check the schedule for other requests. I do know that one of my interns requested the 17th and 18th off due to taxes being due and needing to stand in line for some concert, and Laura needs Mr. Bray for a project in her department." Brennan sipped her coffee. "Ms. Warren, I'll let you know tomorrow."
"Fair enough, Dr. B. I know us moving up our wedding probably will mess some schedules up. If we only get Friday night to Sunday, it's fine. We're still planning on going on a longer trip later on."
"Bren, it's her honeymoon, for crying out loud. Quit being her teacher and be her matron of honor. Give her the time off. We'll survive at the lab." Angela turned back to the bride, missing the hurt look on her friend's face. "Now, in regards to your bridal shower and bachelorette party..."
"I have some ideas—," Jessica started before being interrupted.
"We're going to have it at my house since there's plenty of room and we're going to have a bachelorette party that night, too."
Brennan felt pushed aside. "In regards to Ms. Warren's pre-wedding rituals, as her matron of honor, I was going to talk to her tomorrow, Angela—"
"Now, you don't have to, so don't worry about it. I know this kind of stuff isn't your thing, so I'm taking care of everything." Angela kept talking. "For the bridal shower, I've got April 8th booked and there will be some amazing caterers I've used in the past. They'll be at the house around 10:00, so I'm going to put 1:00 on the invitations if that's okay with you."
Dizzy from the flood of information, Jessica could only respond with, "Sure…but-"
"As for your bachelorette party, there's this bar that I took Bren to for hers and it was so much fun. We caused a fight, but still, it was fun."
Brennan saw the redhead's reluctance. "Angela, I'm not sure if Ms. Warren wants to go to a bar for her party-"
"Of course she does. It's a rite of passage, just like it was for you, Bren. Come on, you have to admit that it was fun and just what you needed."
Brennan turned to her friend. "It was fun, although I would have preferred my husband not having to make several calls to keep us out of jail...and not have the veisalgia I had the next morning."
"Well, Oliver's crap did make us feel better, but just relax, Bren. All you have to do is stand next to Jessica and give a toast." Angela turned back to the intern. "So, I reserved the entire bar for April 8th, so we're all good there."
"Well, I'm not sure if Nadia can handle being at a bar with her pregnancy…"
"She'll be fine." Angela consulted her notes. "I've booked us some hot strippers for the party that will perform for us at the bar, including one who looks really good in assless chaps…"
Jessica smiled as he pictured Aubrey in assless chaps. 'That would be fun one night…' Composing herself, she shrugged. "I don't need strippers, Angela. Aubrey and I agreed to not have them and they're not that impressive."
"Jessica, relax. Aubrey will be fine. What he doesn't know won't hurt him."
The redhead's felt her back go up. "Angela, I'm not going to lie to Aubrey."
The artist rolled her eyes. "Then tell him. If he gets anal about it, just tell him to get over himself. You need to celebrate getting married in style."
Angela made notes as Jessica's mother walked into the diner. The redhead caught the look of disdain in her brown eyes before waving her over. "Mom, over here."
Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Eleanor walked over and sat down by her daughter. "What a...quaint little place."
Embarrassed for her mother's attitude, she moved on. "It's a wonderful place with amazing food. Aubrey and I have lunch here a few days a week."
"Frankie is a master in the kitchen." Angela didn't like the woman in front of her but still held out her hand. "Angela Montenegro."
"Eleanor Gordon…" The attorney immediately smiled when she saw the other woman. "Temperance Brennan…I'm a fan of your books. It's an honor to meet you."
Something about the woman rubbed Brennan the wrong way. "Thank you. People are usually impressed when they meet me."
"Well, I'm sure Jessica mentioned that I'm employed at one of the most important law firms in Pittsburgh. I'm pretty impressive as well."
Brennan remembered what Booth had said about being polite to people. "I see. It's nice you could make the time to go shopping with us."
"Well, someone has to make sure my daughter looks respectable on her wedding day.," Eleanor remarked coldly. "Can you believe she turned me down to visit Kleinfeld's in New York City tomorrow? I had to call in so many favors to get that appointment."
Brennan looked at the attorney in surprise. "Ms. Warren has to work 8:00 – 5:00 tomorrow for me, so yes, I can understand why she chose not to go to New York City. She is a responsible young woman who does not call in sick for silly reasons such as shopping."
Embarassed, Eleanor bit her tongue as she checked her watch. "Oh, Jessica, I've made an appointment for you today at 1:30 at Rizik's to look at dresses."
Surprised, Jessica turned to her mother. "Uh, Mom, we have a couple of places we wanted to look at first."
"Darling, I had to ask one of my friends to call in favors to get them to squeeze us onto the schedule, and I'm sure your friends won't mind indulging me. Now, I've already given them your size and they will have some sample dresses ready when we get there." Eleanor turned to Angela and Brennan. "Ladies, you understand, right? Jessica getting married is something I thought I would never see and I want my daughter to have the best."
"As long as Ms. Warren is alright with your decision. It is her wedding, not ours.," Brennan said succinctly before finishing her coffee.
"Thank you." Eleanor pretended to smile. "Oh Jessica, I have another acquaintance who knows the best wedding planner in New York City. I've already talked to her, and while being frustrated with planning a proper wedding in three weeks, we have a conference call scheduled with her tomorrow evening to go over what she can do for you-"
"Actually, Mom, Angela is my wedding planner, and we've already come up with a schedule." Jessica was embarrassed at how her mother was acting. "It's going to be busy, but we're all set. Thank you, though."
"Nonsense. Claudine Hampton is the best and if anyone can put together a miracle, such as wedding with less than a month to plan, she can. Surely, with Ms. Montenegro's delicate condition and lack of experience, I'm sure she'll understand why you don't need her." Eleanor turned to the pregnant artist. "No offense, Ms. Montenegro."
"None taken, Eleanor, but, just so you know...ten years ago, Hodgins hired Claudine Hampton to plan our first wedding and while the ceremony was lovely...at least until Hodgins and I ran away from the church, she was a difficult pain in the ass to deal with."
A surprised Eleanor cleared her throat. "Claudine is very expensive...and exclusive. If you don't mind my asking, how did you come to have her services?"
"My father is Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, and Hodgins is the sole heir of the now defunct Cantilever Group, so they could afford her over the top rates, and as it turned out, she really wasn't worth it." Angela held back a chuckle at the woman's surprise. "Now, with Jessica and Aubrey's wedding, I have everything covered due to my 'delicate condition' and rest assured that they will get an amazing wedding from me."
"I-I didn't realize that you...were wealthy."
Angela knew it was petty but she wanted to twist the knife a bit. "Thanks to my husband's inventions, we're very wealthy. However, we don't flaunt it because we're not concerned with what people think and those who do brag are usually are trying to compensate for a lack of other things."
Jessica held back a snicker at her mother's embarrassment. "We can go to Rizik's, but then there's a consignment shop we want to go to-"
"Surely, you're not serious?" Eleanor was flabbergasted. "I plan on asking important people to attend this affair and if they see my daughter in some…thrift shop frock…what kind of message will that send to them?"
"That she's wearing the dress she wants?," Angela replied drolly.
Brennan regarded Eleanor with annoyance before explaining. "Actually, this consignment shop that we're visiting specializes in attire and accessories donated from people such as Congressmen and other people who were prominent in Washington DC society. I've found several nice items there, Including items I purchased while there on a trip with your daughter in December. We were shopping for dresses for an FBI gala where my husband, Aubrey, and their colleague Agent Shaw were honored. I can assure you...it's no ordinary thrift shop." Brennan picked up the ticket and pulled out cash to cover the tab. "Now, are we ready, ladies?"
Bolstered by her mentor's ability to put her mother in her place, Jessica pulled some cash out of her wallet. "Yes, Dr. B."
"I'll just go up to the counter and order a cup of coffee to go. Excuse me."
In a huff, Eleanor got up and when she was out of earshot, Jessica turned to Dr. B. "I'm sorry for my mother…she's…"
"It's fine, Ms. Warren. I'm sure she has your best interests at heart."
When Eleanor came back, Angela pulled her keys out of her purse. "Eleanor, would you like to ride with us?"
"Of course. Jessica, I'll be spending the night with you and your…fiancé at your house tonight, but I'll need a lift to the station for my 7:00 train to Pittsburgh. Since we're not going to New York tomorrow, I've rescheduled a deposition for 2:00 that I cannot be late for."
The redhead sighed, not looking forward to letting Aubrey know about the plans. "Of course, Mom. Aubrey can drop you off on the way to work tomorrow. Union Station is near the FBI building."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Forty minutes later, Jessica came out of the dressing room in an Oleg Cassini long sleeved A line dress with a long train. She wasn't a fan of the dress, or any of the others her mother had arranged for her try on, all ranging from $3000 to the most expensive, a Jenny Packham with a dropped waist and capped sleeves, being almost $7000 dollars.
Eleanor fussed over her daughter as she adjusted the train. "Oh Jessica, this is just lovely. The guests I'm inviting will be very impressed with you."
"Mom...this dress feels...ostentatious. I really don't like the off the shoulder lace. I really wanted something simpler."
The brunette rolled her eyes. "Nonsense. You need the best, even if you're marrying that James Aubrey. What you see in that arrogant fool, I'll never know."
"Mom! He's not arrogant and he's no fool. Stop criticizing my fiancé."
"Young lady, he almost got you killed last weekend and he's...disrespectful to me." Eleanor crossed her arms. "You could have your pick of several men from prominent families when you're not being all sanctimonious, but you chose...that man."
"Aubrey is not disrespectful, Mom, just honest and direct, and I like that about him. He also treats me very well and I love him. You will be respectful to him. I mean it."
On the sofa nearby, Angela was enjoying her ginger ale as Brennan sipped her champagne. "Bren, I'm tired of this woman. She's running roughshod over Jessica."
"I know. She is Ms. Warren's mother and I want to say something, but I don't want to interfere and I know my directness can be misconstrued as offensive to others…"
"Yes but I think Jessica needs that directness...right now." Angela pointed over to the two women, who were still in the midst of a heated discussion.
"Mom, I don't want to look at any other dresses here. I don't want some designer puff of a dress that costs several thousands of dollars. I want a nice simple dress, something more vintage."
"Jessica Elizabeth, I said I would pay for your dress when we got here. Now quit being stubborn and try on the next dress. If we don't find one here, there is still Kleinfeld's in New York."
The redhead was growing frustrated. "Mom, you're not buying my wedding dress here, Kleinfeld's or any other fancy bridal salon and that's final."
Not appreciating her daughter's stubbornness, Eleanor stared her only daughter down. "Jessica, I won't let you embarrass me with some thrift shop...thing. I have important guests coming and you will be presentable."
"I don't want a ton of people I don't know at the wedding and neither does Aubrey-"
"Eleanor, the shop I have in mind to visit next has many dresses that I think Ms. Warren would love to see.," Brennan stated as she walked up to the two women.
"Temperance, I do appreciate your efforts to be helpful, but, while we are friends, I'm Jessica's mother and I know what's best-"
"Ms. Gordon, we're neither friends or colleagues...and Ms. Warren has said she doesn't want any of the dresses you've chosen for her. Perhaps you should visit your primary care physician to have your hearing examined." Ignoring the shock on the older woman's face, Brennan turned to her intern. "Are you ready to go to that consignment shop?"
"Yes, Dr. B. I would like that very much. I'll go change out of this dress."
A humiliated Eleanor stood in irritation as Jessica went back into the dressing room. "You did not need to scold me like that in front of my daughter. She can be stubborn, and a wedding is not the place to wear some dime store costume, especially with the people I plan to have in attendance."
Angela got up and ambled over. "Jessica and Aubrey have already given me their wedding guest list, Eleanor. They were very clear on keeping it small and intimate."
"I'm sure they were, but I'm her mother." Eleanor pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and handed it to Angela. "These are the guests I want invited to the ceremony. Some of my colleagues at my law firm and their spouses, along with a few people from Washington society I'm acquainted with from my time living here. If you need another venue to accommodate them, then find one, so I can get the invitations sent out by Wednesday. The women on there will also need invitations to the bridal shower. Jessica and that James will get impressive wedding gifts once they get their registry done. Why haven't they done that yet? Isn't it your job to coordinate all that?"
"When I talked to Jessica this morning, she said that she and Aubrey would decide on where to register later this week." Angela looked over the list of almost thirty people and then shoved it back in her purse. "As for your invitation requests, I'll discuss this with Jessica and Aubrey and let you know what they decide."
Not accustomed by being denied, Eleanor took a deep breath. "Excuse me...you will not make me look like a fool by disinviting my acquaintances."
"Ms. Gordon, even with my rudimentary knowledge of social customs, I know that it's rude to demand guests invited to a wedding that is not your own.," Brennan said plainly.
Jessica came out of the dressing room, not noticing the tension between the three women. "I'm ready to go. I thanked the attendant for her patience with us today."
"That was very nice of you, Jessica. She deserved it.," Angela said. As Brennan and Jessica got their coats and purses, the artist turned to a still apoplectic Eleanor. "You might want to close your mouth so flies don't get in. Now, are you coming with us?"
"Yes. I just need to get my purse. I'll meet you all out there." When Angela waddled out, Eleanor found Brennan's almost full glass of champagne and chugged it. "What my daughter doesn't know won't hurt her. I deserve this much after the fuss she put on today."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
A short time later, the four women walked into the consignment shop and Brennan, as Matron of Honor, immediately took charge as the salesperson came to greet them. "Ms. Warren would like to look at your wedding gowns and I'm interested in any bridal attendant gowns you may have."
"We received several new items last week. You picked a good time as the June brides will be coming in soon."
"Do you have many women coming here for a wedding dress?," Eleanor asked, admiring a beaded purple gown in spite of herself. "I would think most people would want an original instead of a hand me down."
"Yes, ma'am." The saleswoman answered politely, recognizing the lawyer's attitude. "We have dresses from Oscar de la Renta, Jenny Packham, and Vera Wang, among others. They're usually only worn once, and because of that, the price fits more into most brides' budgets. My customers range from college students to Congresswomen who aren't concerned about having an original to wear only once."
"I'd like to stay under 1000 dollars, if possible…", Jessica began. "Will that be a problem? I told my father I'd stick to that budget..."
Eleanor was shocked. "Jessica, honey...if he's paying for your dress, you don't have to worry about the price…"
The proprietor ignored the outburst. "I have quite a few wedding dresses I've received in the last few weeks within that price range, including one from Senator Thoms' wife. Come with me."
The four followed the employee up a set of stairs to the second floor, where there were several dresses in sight. "Now, is there something you have in mind?"
"Well, I want sleeveless, but no cap sleeves." Jessica thought for a moment. "I don't need some large train...and I'm not too picky about color, but I'm hoping to find something with some green in it. It's...my fiancé's favorite color for me."
"I have several styles of that sort here on those racks on your left. I'll let you peruse and you just let me know if you need anything."
"Thank you.," Jessica said happily.
When the proprietor left, Eleanor looked around, surprised at the quality of bridal dresses that surrounded her. Of course, the fact that they were not originals made their value go down in her eyes. Looking through a rack, she found several designer gowns and pulled them out. "Jessica, since you insist on second hand, look at these lovely dresses. This one here is a Vera Wang from last fall's collection. "
The redhead looked at her mother's choices, but wasn't impressed. "Mom, this one has a huge skirt and I want something simple...not clingy, and not all princess like either."
Eleanor exhaled in frustration. "Jessica...a bride is a princess. You need to be the belle of the ball…not some off rack bride. Now, I can't believe you didn't tell me until now that your father was paying for your dress. You could easily have afforded a dress at Rizik's...unless Charles is being cheap."
"He said to get whatever I want, Mom and he would pay for whatever I needed for the wedding that Aubrey and I don't pay for. I'm not taking advantage of Dad's generosity.," Jessica retorted.
As the women argued, Brennan and Angela searched through the dresses and found several that seemed to fit what Jessica was looking for, albeit mostly white and cream colored. "I don't think we'll find green here, Bren."
"I don't think so, either, but we will help Ms. Warren in her goal...Angela…look at this one."
The artist observed the dress her friend had found and was amazed. "Bren, that dress fits Jessica to a 'T'."
"You think so? It's white..."
"Yeah, Bren, I know, but...it's beautiful and nicer than those overrated dresses at Rizik's." Pulling the price tag, Angela read it. "The price also fits Jessica's budget. Let's show it to her."
Holding the dress, the two women walked up to the mother, who continued to hoist dresses into her daughter's arms. "Ms. Warren, we found a dress…"
Jessica turned around and was immediately dazzled at what she saw. Shoving her armful of dresses back at her mother, she looked at it further. Touching it, she sighed at the soft feel of the dress. It wasn't green, but it was simple, elegant, and lovely.
Not appreciating the forensic anthropologist's interference, Eleanor held up her choices. "That dress is certainly very nice, but I'm going to have Jessica try these dresses on. They are Vera Wangs-"
"I want to try on this dress." Jessica interrupted her mother as she grabbed the gown from Angela and made her way to the downstairs dressing rooms.
She barely locked the door before stripping down to her bra and panties. Slipping on the dress, she looked in the mirror and was dazzled once more as she admired what she saw. The dress was spaghetti strapped, and was ruched with a gathered waist. The material was satin with a lovely leaf detail and the embroidered bodice had a straight neckline. There were no ugly ruffles, no petticoats, and no blinding rhinestones. Turning around, she admired it from the back and then the sides. It was a bit big, but a good seamstress could take that in. The dress was floor length but a nice pair of heels would lift the hem. There was no green but she could always wear a green shawl, have green jewelry, green shoes, or even get a green garter.
Jessica found the price tag and was relieved to see the price was several hundred dollars below her threshold. She didn't want her mother buying her dress because it would have to be one she wanted and Jessica wanted her own style. Her father would be alright with paying for whatever she wanted, no matter where she got it, as long as it made her happy.
After the stressful moments of the last ninety minutes, Jessica rubbed away a tear of joy as she realized that this was her dress. She didn't need to look anywhere else.
"Jessica! Are we going to see you or what?," Angela called from outside. "My little boy is sitting right on my bladder and I want to see you before I pee."
Coming out, the redhead did a twirl and couldn't hold back her smile. "This is it. This is my wedding dress…"
Eleanor couldn't help but admire her daughter while also having pangs of jealousy. "Well, it is beautiful, Jessica. I wanted more for you than when I married your father, but it's your wedding. How cheap is this dress?"
"195 dollars. It's...perfect." Jessica smoothed the fabric down her sides. "It's exactly what I wanted."
"Sweetie, Aubrey is going to be dazzled by you when you walk down that aisle." Angela smiled as she saw her friend's excitement.
"Ms. Warren, you look very lovely." Brennan smiled happily. "You could pair this dress with a small veil or I have a comb I could loan you for your hair if you chose an upswept do."
"Temperance, she needs a veil." Eleanor gently touched her daughter's hair.
"Actually, I don't want a veil, Mom. I like the idea of having my hair like the picture I saw of Dr. B when she married Booth."
"Don't be silly, Jessica. You need a veil with your hair down. A tiara like my managing partner's daughter had when she got married would be perfect. I will shop for one when I get back to Pittsburgh."
"No Mom, I don't want a veil, a tiara, or any of that stuff.," Jessica huffed before turning to her mentor. "I would love to borrow that comb, Dr. B."
Angela saw Eleanor's grimace and held back her chuckle. "Well, how about that? Finding your dress on your first day. Now, we need to find a dress for Brennan and then worry about accessories."
"Dr. B, I don't care what you get. Our colors are green and blue." Jessica looked down at the dress again. "I'm sorry. I'm just so happy I found my dress…"
"It's alright and I appreciate you letting me choose my gown. I think I want something like…" Brennan saw a dress on a rack. Walking over to it, she admired the simple cowl style of the back area and its clean lines. Looking at the tag, she chuckled. "Ms. Warren, you'll appreciate this. The color is Vineyard Green."
"That's funny. Jessica laughed as she joined the two women, leaving her mother behind. "It's a beautiful dress, Dr. B, you should try it on."
"I think I will…"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
An hour later, four women came out of the consignment shop carrying bags of merchandise. Even Eleanor had made purchases. 'I'll tell my friends that we shopped at Rizik's. No one needs to know my mother of the bride dress is second hand.'
"So, Ms. Warren, in regards to the alterations…," Brennan started.
"I'll call Annabelle's first thing in the morning to get you two squeezed in so we can get the dresses back in two weeks.," Angela said.
"Actually, Angela, I'm going to take my dress to Millie's on K Street. It's where I took my FBI Gala dress back in December to be altered and they did an amazing job."
Brennan nodded. "I was going to suggest that establishment since they did a wonderful job on several of my alterations in the past as well. We can go over that and other wedding things tomorrow."
"Jessica, I do recommend another color for your wedding. Perhaps a salmon…or persimmon." Eleanor remarked. "Persimmon with sage green and a pastel blue would be a striking combination that would be impressive for photos in the society page."
Angela hated to agree with the woman, but she was right about the color. "Persimmon would be perfect."
Jessica considered as everyone loaded up their purchases in Angela's minivan. "I think Aubrey would go for that. He's pretty easy going."
"We should check in with Booth and see how he and Aubrey are doing on their shopping for today." Brennan got into the minivan and buckled her seatbelt. "Booth said Aubrey decided on suits instead of tuxedos?"
"Yeah." Jessica smiled. "Aubrey was very happy when I told him he didn't need to have a tux."
Eleanor looked at her daughter. "Jessica, in a proper society wedding the groom wears a tux, or even tails for a formal affair."
"Aubrey is fine with a nice suit. We don't want some formal, fancy affair, remember?" After everyone was loaded in the vehicle, Jessica sent a message to Aubrey.
Got my dress! Plus Mom is probably staying with us tonight…
Aubrey's response was quick and made the future bride cringe.
WTF!