A/N: Angela's water has broken, and, possibly her friendships with Brennan and Jessica have broken as well. What are Aubrey and Jessica going to do now? Read on to find out.
Three hours later, everyone sat in the hospital's lobby, waiting anxiously to hear news about Angela. A late arriving Daisy sat at the opposite end of the room from Jessica, studiously avoiding eye contact with anyone. Wendell, Clark, and most of the group were happily chatting about work and the newest Hodgins. Brennan and Jessica, on the other hand, were full of mixed emotions. They were happy for Hodgins and Angela, but also still angry at their friend because of her recent actions.
Booth and Aubrey were both frustrated as well. They'd been informed in private about the argument their partners had with Angela right before she went into labor. Respecting Brennan's and Jessica's desire to not drag anyone else into the drama or take away from their friends' upcoming arrival, they kept their opinions to themselves.
Jessica grew restless and eventually stood up to stretch. "Superman, I'm going to go down to the gift shop and then the cafeteria to get some tea. Do you want some coffee?"
"Sure…sounds good."
Jessica turned to everyone. "Does anyone want coffee, tea, or anything else?"
Brennan stood up. "I will join you for a few minutes, Ms. Warren. I could use a walk."
When everyone else answered in the negative, the two women left the waiting room. Sitting by themselves, Booth and Aubrey finally vented their frustration in hushed tones.
"I can't believe Angela went off on Dr. B about our honeymoon and then made those comments about Jessica having regrets about marrying me. She's got a lot of nerve. What is her problem anyway?," Aubrey asked in annoyance. "If she wasn't in labor right now, I'd go into her room and give her a piece of my mind!"
"Get in line, Aubrey. Angela has been pissing me off as well, with her 'Brennan can't do anything' know it all attitude of late." Booth shook his head in disgust. "As much as she protests about how her father gets impulsive and pushy without having all the facts, she's a chip off the old block, that's for sure. The only difference is, Billy seems to know when he's gone too far."
"Booth, I know Angela's heart is in the right place, but she seems to think this is her wedding instead of ours. I mean, she's literally decided what Jess and I want and that's it...that's what we're getting. She won't listen to anything we have to say." Aubrey brushed imaginary fuzz off his shirt. "All we wanted was someone to help us with the planning...you know, flowers and DJs and stuff. We knew she'd helped you two put a wedding together in less than a day because your first one got canceled, and she's really good at stuff like this. We just needed someone to organize stuff, you know?"
"I get that. You know, it just felt like one obstacle after another with our ceremony. Max showed up with a bag of dirty money...I mean, he'd dug up a bag of money, so it was literally dirty. There was also a case to solve...and then the damn church burned down." Booth chuckled as he remembered what happened. "I don't know how Angela did it, but she put a wedding together for us at the Jeffersonian...Avalon sang as she walked down the aisle, Aldo married us…and somehow all the guests showed up..."
Booth sighed softly, shrugging a shoulder. "She didn't have the pigs in a blanket that I wanted for our reception, but I got to marry Bones and that was the important thing. It was the perfect day."
"I want April 14th to be the perfect day for us, Booth. I still can't believe Jess actually fired Angela, but I think it's for the best." Aubrey played with his nails. "We'll go over to her house after she comes home and get whatever we need to finish planning. Depending on what Jess wants to do, we may be making some phone calls for cancelations in the next few days. Hopefully, our wedding budget isn't blown."
"Do you guys have enough in the bank to cover any deposits you may have to eat?"
"It'll be tight, but we'll be alright. I have a decent amount in my savings account and Jess has money left over from her trust fund allocation, although I'm not letting her touch that right now. Charlie said he would cover anything we needed, too, but I want to make that a last resort."
Booth put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Hey, we'll help you guys with whatever you need. This wedding is going to work out, Aubrey. I promise you that."
"What about our friendship with Angela?," Aubrey asked sadly. "It's not every day you fire your friend and then she goes into labor on April Fool's Day."
"Stop that, Aubrey. She didn't go into labor because Jessica fired her. I saw her rubbing her back several times today, so her labor probably started several hours earlier. The same thing happened when Bones went into labor with Hank." Booth crossed his arms and sat back. "Once all this blows over, Angela will realize that she became a wedding plannerzilla, apologize, and then the three of you will get past this. Don't let her off the hook so easily, though. All of us have let her get away with her stuff for years but enough is enough. She has to learn there are consequences for her actions."
"I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.," Aubrey said quietly. He leaned back in his seat and stared at the ceiling. I hope it's really that easy...
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Jessica and Brennan came out of the gift shop holding a stuffed rabbit and stuffed cow for the new baby. "I'm such a brat, Dr. B."
"Ms. Warren, you fired a person who was doing a subpar performance in the job you hired her for." Brennan sighed as they walked down the hall. "Angela means well, but she...can be insensitive…"
"I'm sorry she took over all your duties, Dr. B. I know you'll do a good job from here on out."
"Thank you." The two women headed around a corner. "So, do you know when you'll be obtaining all of Angela's notes? I would recommend soon, in case phone calls need to be made. Hopefully, any deposits you put down can be refunded."
"Yeah, we hope so, too but...she's also my friend." Jessica wiped away a tear. "Is she going to hate me forever for dumping her?"
Brennan stopped, reaching out to touch Jessica's arm. "Ms. Warren, she doesn't hate you. She can be insensitive and overbearing, something which you made perfectly clear to her. Before we were interrupted, I sensed genuine remorse from her. That's not to say you should simply forget what happened, because she does owe you...and me...an apology. As for whether she will hate you forever, look at it like we examine forensic evidence. Angela's actions of the past indicate what to you?"
Jessica wiped another tear away. "That she would never hurt a friend intentionally and that she will eventually understand why I was upset."
"Good." Brennan took her stuffed cow and pointed towards the waiting room. "I'll see you in a few minutes."
Jessica nodded before heading to the cafeteria for the tea and coffee. Not seeing any decent snacks available, she stopped at a group of vending machines nearby and searched for the least sugary treat for Aubrey, settling on a bag of gummy bears and some pretzels. Balancing the drink carrier with the drinks and the bunny in her arms, she dug out a few dollar bills and purchased her items. As she turned, she bumped into someone, miraculously not spilling any of her contents.
"Excuse me. Are you alright?" Jessica saw who she collided into and was speechless for a moment. "Daisy…hi."
"Hello, Jessica…" The moment seemed to pass slowly as the air grew thick with nervous tension.
"How are you?," Jessica asked politely.
"Fine. A lot going on, but fine. How about you?," Daisy asked awkwardly.
"Good…you know, busy and all that. You know how it gets the last few weeks of the semester."
"Yeah, I do." Daisy spotted the ruby on Jessica's left hand. "That's a really pretty ring."
"Thanks…it's Aubrey's great great grandmother's ring…my engagement ring.," Jessica stuttered. "Aubrey and I are getting married on the 14th."
"I heard from Angela last week. Congratulations.," Daisy said, looking at the floor. "That's great news, Jessica…"
"Thank you." Jessica shifted everything in her arms. "I should be getting back. Aubrey's coffee is getting cold."
"Yeah…yeah, I'll be there soon. I'm just wanting…a snack…and a Coke…"
Feeling even more awkward, Jessica moved around her. "Okay, see you there."
The redhead walked back, handed Aubrey his snacks and coffee before sitting down to sip her tea quietly.
Aubrey saw Jessica's demeanor and knew something was up. "Jess, what's wrong?"
"Nothing…"
When he saw Daisy walk into the lobby and sit down, while avoiding eye contact at Jessica, he realized what was up. "Ah, that's what's wrong. Did she say anything to you?"
"No, we were pleasant…no bitchiness. Just a whole lot of awkward.," Jessica said as she sipped her beverage.
"Well…that's better than a fight, I guess.," Aubrey remarked as Hodgins, with the assistance of a nurse, was wheeled out into the lobby holding a baby who was wearing a blue nuku hat.
"Who's ready to meet Jeffrey William Hodgins?"
Everyone got up and came to greet the baby. Jessica and Daisy made sure to avoid each other as everyone took their turn holding the infant. When the redhead greeted the baby boy, Aubrey lit up when he had a vision of his fiancée holding their own baby someday. However, their fun with the new arrival didn't last long as the nurse stepped in.
"Okay, everyone, I bent the rules a little bit but it's time to get the baby back to the nursery. He's had a big day and his mother is currently sleeping, so she'll be up for visitors tomorrow."
"Thanks for coming, everybody. I'll see you all soon.," Hodgins replied as the nurse wheeled him back while he held his son.
Jessica and Aubrey said goodbye to everyone as they all separated outside and went home. When the agent pulled into their driveway, he shut off the vehicle. "Jess, what's going on? Are you still upset about seeing Daisy at the hospital?"
"It was awkward, but seeing Daisy isn't the issue." She saw the questioning expression on her fiance's face. "It's not that, Aubrey, I promise."
The agent gulped as he asked what he was afraid to ask. "Is it that you're not happy with…my surprise and you're trying to avoid hurting my feelings? I thought you would love it, but if it's a bad time we can change it to this June like we originally planned."
Jessica squeezed his hand. "No, Superman...don't change it. Spending a week at the cabin for our honeymoon was a wonderful surprise and I admire how you got Dr. B and Cam involved. I'm assuming Booth knew?"
"…and Genny…and Hunter. They were waiting until I surprised you with this." Aubrey's smile grew sad. "If you're not disappointed with my surprise and it's not Daisy, then you're obviously still upset about your fight with Angela, right?"
"Yeah, a little, I guess. Let's go inside, okay? We can talk about what we need to do while we're getting ready for bed."
The couple went inside and after checking on Skinner, they turned on the burglar alarm and went up to bed. While doing their nightly rituals, Jessica and Aubrey discussed what came next.
"So we need to get Angela's notes from all the stuff she scheduled so far like the cake, flowers...bridal shower...and whatever else. At least our venue and reception are all set." Aubrey turned the blanket over on his side of the bed and got in. "Do you want me to talk to Angela?"
"No...we both should do it." Jessica got into bed on her side. "I'm sorry that I fired our wedding planner, Aubrey. I didn't want to rock the boat because she has helped us, but her yelling at Dr. B about our honeymoon just pushed me too far."
Aubrey took her hand. "I understand, and I agree with what you did. Honey, this is supposed to be a happy time for us, but you seemed miserable with all the plans that have been made so far, and I was, too. Angela still needs to learn when to step back, but she'll come around."
"I hope so." Jessica sighed softly. "She's probably leaving the hospital on Monday, but I don't want to jump her just when she gets home."
"I agree. Let's say Tuesday night after work." Aubrey rubbed her back. "Does that work for you? I think we need to do this together."
Jessica nodded. "Yes, that sounds good."
"I have faith that our wedding will go on without a hitch. Everything is going to be fine, Jess." Aubrey kissed her cheek. "I promise."
"I know it will be." Jessica caressed her lover's cheek before kissing him back. "Good night, Superman."
"Good night, Jess."
Aubrey turned the light out as Skinner jumped up on the bed. Coming together in the dark, all three were quickly asleep.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Sunday afternoon at Coup de Foudre, Brennan sipped her water as she waited for Jessica to exit the dressing room. Admiring a pair of lacy red panties, the forensic anthropologist debated before deciding to get them along with two bras and a negligee she'd found after being fitted by their salesperson.
"Booth and I could find some good use of these items.," she said to herself, smiling as she thought of what his reaction would be. "I find I'm looking forward to that…"
Hearing the door open, she turned and saw her intern come out holding several pieces of lingerie. "Ms. Warren, does anything in particular stand out?"
"Well, they all do, Dr. B and they're all so beautiful. However, I shouldn't spend over $1000 on lingerie. This garter belt will go wonderfully with my white lace stockings and the corset I got to wear under my dress." Holding up a nightie, she smiled. "This is definitely the wedding night lingerie. My credit card won't be happy, but Aubrey will love it."
Brennan admired the silk and lace confection. "Very beautiful, Ms. Warren. I know you were reluctant to come here, but I think this has been a fun excursion for both of us."
"Yes, it has. It's a nice treat to find stuff to surprise my husband with…" Jessica giggled. "My husband...it has a nice ring to it."
"It certainly does, Ms. Warren." Holding up the negligee, underwear, and bras she planned to purchase, Brennan smiled. "Booth will appreciate these items."
"Oooh, sexy panties, Dr. B. Booth is going to be all over you." Looking over her options, she made her selections and gave the rest to their consultant. "Thank you very much."
"Congratulations on your wedding, Ms. Warren. Let us know if we can be of more service to you before then."
After paying for their items, the two women walked to the diner for an afternoon cup of tea, where they chatted about their plans.
"So, you are alright with having your bridal shower at your house, Ms. Warren?" Brennan made a note in her tablet. "The large living room will give us space for your presents and the guests."
"Yes, that's fine. If we do games, maybe only one or two, please. I trust your judgement to make sure it's not super cheesy." Jessica paused as a thought occurred to her. "We can just have everyone bring a dish to pass if that works for you. It saves money if we avoid catering."
"An excellent idea, Ms. Warren. I will call the bakery when we finish here and have a cake made...one without strawberries, I promise. Any other food allergies I need to be made aware of?" Seeing Jessica shake her head, Brennan went back to her list. "Now, do you still want to have a bachelorette party?"
Jessica thought about it. "We don't have to if you don't want to, Dr. B."
"Ms. Warren, this isn't about me. It's about you. Would you like a bachelorette gathering and what kind?"
"Yes, but without the bar hopping and strippers, you know?" Jessica shrugged as she sipped her tea. "I don't need anything fancy for a bachelorette party, just my friends. Actually, I had an idea, but it sounds really stupid…"
"I'm sure it's not stupid. Hit me, Ms. Warren."
"Well...I've never had a slumber party, you know? I went to some up at the big house when I was younger, but I never hosted one because I was always afraid of my mother...having a moment and embarrassing me. I think it would be fun. We could go out to dinner before hand and then come back to my house, watch movies in our pjs, talk boys...drink booze…we wouldn't have to worry about making people be DDs."
"DDs?"
"Designated drivers." Jessica saw the expression on Brennan's face and figured she didn't like the idea. "Never mind, it's pretty silly, right? I mean, I'm almost 29 years old. I've outgrown that stuff."
Brennan thought about what she wanted to say. "Actually, I've never had a slumber party, either. I...didn't have a lot of friends growing up, and my peers had other interests than I did. Your idea is sensible because as you said, we wouldn't have to worry about transportation from one bar to the next, we don't risk arrest such as what occurred with my party, and it would be fun."
"So can we do it?"
"Of course we can, Ms. Warren. It's your wedding and it's my job to make sure you enjoy this time. Now, do we still want to have it the same night as the shower?"
"That would probably be best if that works for you."
"It does. Mrs. Applegate has already volunteered to have Hank and Christine overnight with her visiting grandchildren. I'll let everyone know by Facebook about the changes in location and theme." Brennan made another note as her phone rang. "Hello?...hello, Hodgins...yes, I planned to stop at the nursery tonight to see him...how is Angela?...I would come see her, but I have a lot going on…"
Feeling awkward, she waited for her colleague to finish speaking. "Yes, we had a disagreement yesterday before her labor, but I think you should talk to her...yes, I'll see you later tonight. Goodbye."
"Curly doesn't know, does he?"
"I'm not sure, Ms. Warren. He said he sensed tension yesterday but I told him to talk to Angela as it wasn't my place to explain." Brennan stirred cream into her tea. "He also said that Angela and the baby are going home tomorrow afternoon. Do you know when you will get the wedding information from her?"
"Aubrey and I decided to go by the house Tuesday after work. Aubrey and I hope that she volunteers it sooner, but we don't want to hit her up for it right after she gets home."
"A wise idea, but I wouldn't wait past then. Since we may be canceling things, we need to do that as soon as possible. Now..." Brennan continued going through her list. "Now, we need days and times you and Aubrey are available to go to the bakery for choosing a wedding cake."
Jessica pulled up her phone. "Okay."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
After a night of unsuccessful attempts to find out what kind of lingerie his fiancee had bought earlier, Aubrey settled for the two of them planning the reception menu with Jessica's brother Jack on Facebook Messenger. After that, they worked on more wedding plans before falling asleep on the couch together for the night.
Waking up Monday morning to the alarm on his phone, Aubrey and Jessica went upstairs to get ready for their day. As they followed their routines, they discussed the pink elephant in the room.
"So, are we agreed about tomorrow, Jess?" Aubrey, wearing only his dress shirt and boxers, asked as he shaved over his sink.
Putting on her makeup over her sink, Jessica nodded. "Yeah. I don't feel right barging in on them after bringing the baby home, but we can't wait much longer either. We need an update on what has been done and what we need to cancel. Hopefully we don't lose too much of our deposits."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, Jess." Aubrey slapped on aftershave, also worried about how much money they would lose. "It would suck if we lose some money, but we'll figure it out."
"Okay." Jessica kissed Aubrey's freshly shaven cheek. "I'm going to get our lunches set up for today. You're working late tonight, right?"
"Yeah, until about 7:00. Will you have a ride home?"
"Wendell said he could drop me off at the Hoover when we're done. I'll work on research while you finish up all your stuff." Jessica slapped his butt before walking out. "Put some pants on, Special Agent Aubrey."
"You just can't resist my ass, can you, Ms. Warren."
"Nope."
Aubrey smiled as he finished getting ready for work. 'In 11 days, she'll be slapping her husband's ass...and I can't wait.'
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Later that afternoon, Hodgins unlocked the door and after swinging it open, Angela walked in carrying Jeffrey as he followed with her bag on his lap. Shutting the door, he watched as his wife showed their new son the house.
"Jeffrey William, this is your new home." Pointing to the elevator, Angela described it. "That's your daddy's new Dr. Who elevator toy so he can go upstairs and change your dirty diapers…"
"Which I will do with pleasure. Knowing him, he'll be as ripe as his older brother was." Feeling a buzz on his phone, the scientist frowned as he saw the message from Aubrey.
Tried 2 reach Angela to no avail. Figured she & baby were getting discharged from hospital. Plz let her know that Jess & I will b over tmrw night to get all wedding info and lists.
Wheeling into the living room, he found his wife and son sitting on the couch. "Angie, Aubrey just sent me a message saying that he and Jessica will be over tomorrow to pick up all their wedding stuff. I know Jeffrey was born two weeks early but I thought that your plan was to continue working on their wedding since you're now on maternity leave..."
Seeing his wife squirm, he decided to confront the issue. "Okay, I didn't push you about why Dr. B, Booth, Aubrey, and Jessica never came by your room yesterday. Now I get a message that you were unreachable and that our very busy friends are taking over their wedding plans. Angela, I want to know what's up with you and Dr. B, and why are Aubrey and Jessica coming over here tomorrow for their wedding stuff?"
"It's nothing that won't blow over…"
"Angie…" Hodgins wheeled closer up to his wife. "Come on. What's going on?"
"Ooops...our son needs to be changed...and Michael Vincent needs to be picked up from school, Hodgins. Go ahead and get him…" Angela walked away towards the stairs.
"Angela, you're avoiding me."
"Hodgins, our son stinks and our other son needs to come home so he can see his new baby brother…," the artist said as she went up the stairs. "...unless you want to volunteer to change Jeffrey's dirty diaper?"
"Fine...but we're continuing this discussion later." Hodgins grabbed his keys and wheeled himself out to his garage and his vehicle.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Three hours later, their dinner of takeout pizza was done. Michael Vincent looked over towards the living room where Angela had gone to feed Jeffery. "Dad, can I play with my brother?"
"After Mom feeds him and your homework is done."
When the nine year old left the room, Hodgins entered the living room and found the baby being rocked in his bassinet, and that his wife preparing to nurse while accessing her phone via Bluetooth.
"So...our address is 1103 Warrington Way...oh great. Yes, Jessica's bridal shower is at 1:00, so be here about 2:00. I do appreciate the last minute change in location. Thank you very much...goodbye."
Curious, Hodgins moved up to the couch as she began nursing. "Angie...who did you invite to Jessica's shower?"
Startled, the artist turned to her husband. "No one. That was the company I hired the strippers from. Jessica mentioned that her sister-in-law would be uncomfortable being at a bar, so I moved the strippers here during the bridal shower. We'll just do dinner and drinks afterwards somewhere nice."
Hodgins leaned in. "Angie...I talked to Dr. B earlier today when I stopped by the lab to get things ready for my paternity leave. She said the bridal shower was now going to be at Jessica's house, and she didn't mention any strippers."
"Well, Brennan is mistaken, because the shower is here and I've moved the strippers here so Nadia could come out with us for the bachelorette party."
Hodgins sensed a dodge. "Angie, what's going on? I mean really going on, because I'm sensing a connection between this shower and the fact that four of our friends didn't visit you yesterday."
"Fine." Angela gave an exaggerated exhale. "Jessica...may have...fired me Saturday before we went to the hospital…"
"Maybe fired you…" Hodgins saw his wife was avoiding eye contact. "Angie, don't make me call Dr. B, because you know she will be blunt and very truthful about the situation. Now why were you fired as the wedding planner?"
Angela gulped. "Jessica was upset because I confronted Brennan about not giving her that Monday and Tuesday off after the wedding…"
The entomologist sighed. "Why did you do that? Jessica doesn't work under you, and they were keeping mum because Aubrey was going to surprise her with that week long honeymoon."
"Because Brennan wouldn't let Jessica have a honeymoon. Of course, no one told me about Aubrey's surprise, Hodgins. Maybe if they had, this wouldn't have happened."
"Uh uh. Even before Aubrey surprised Jessica, they told people that they were going on one later this summer. As for keeping his surprise from you, a lot of people didn't know, including me. Big deal. The question is why were you sticking your nose into all that? It didn't concern you."
"Because sometimes, Brennan can still be a stick in the mud about this stuff and she needs to be reminded that there's more to life than work. Remember when she wouldn't let me throw her a bachelorette party before her wedding to Booth? I had to talk her into it after the ceremony, but only after Booth gave his consent, which was crap."
"No, you and Booth were still fighting and Dr. B was in the middle. Booth put his feelings aside and encouraged her to let you throw her a bachelorette party. Of course, it turned into a bar fight and Booth had to call in several favors so you all wouldn't be arrested and lose your security clearances."
"It wasn't us, Hodgins...it was that nasty biker woman calling Brennan a skank...I told you that…now Aubrey and Jessica...and Brennan are mad at me, but it will blow over. They'll understand that I was just trying to help everyone."
"Now, there's no way that Jessica fired you just because you had a tiff with Dr. B about her honeymoon." Hodgins considered for a moment. "Spill the rest of it, Angela. Right now."
Hodgins listened as his wife detailed what had happened during their argument. As he pressed her for details, he got more of the story and he was flabbergasted by the end. "You completely took over Aubrey and Jessica's wedding?"
"I didn't take over the wedding...I was helping Jessica…"
"No, you bulldozed over everyone, including the bride. Why didn't you let Dr. B handle the shower and bachelorette party? That's her job as matron of honor-"
"It isn't her thing, Hodgins-"
"Bullshit, Angie. She did a very good job for you when we were first getting married years ago."
"Yes, she did, but she didn't give me a shower or party-"
"We scheduled the wedding for two weeks after you proposed.," an exasperated Hodgins retorted. "Booth couldn't throw me a bachelor party, either, because there was no time."
Angela shrugged as she began burping their son. "But...yeah, we were busy, but if she would have even thrown me a shower at work, or if she and Cam had hosted a brunch of some sort, it would have been nice. I know it's not really her thing, but…"
"You said that you were fine without one, remember? You know Dr. B takes things literally and Cam was still getting to know everyone. Now, Brennan has come a long way in the last 10 years, and that includes not only having the ability to throw Jessica a bridal shower and bachelorette party."
Not willing to concede she was wrong, Angela shook her head. "Hodgins, I was the wedding planner. It's my job to plan the wedding-"
"The ceremony and details. Not that other stuff. The bachelorette party and bridal shower were Dr. B's job to handle, and she would have been fine. However, you decided that you knew better than everyone else, including the bride, and took over the entire wedding. In turn, all of that pushiness justifiably pissed off both of them, as well as the groom and HIS best man. Even now, you don't see what you did wrong, Angie. You deserved to get fired.," Hodgins replied as their baby let out a burp.
"Good boy." Angela put the baby in his bassinet and sat back down. "I did not deserve to be fired, Hodgins. How can you say that?"
Hodgins played a hunch. "Let me see your notes for the wedding...now, Angie…"
Opening the living room desk, Angela grabbed her tablet, unlocked it, found the file and handed the device to her husband. "I don't know why you care about this. I"m the planner, not you."
"No, you're the now fired planner…" The entomologist read over what she had and sighed. "Her bouquet has calla lilies and peonies?"
"Yeah, so? It matched the wedding colors and it's so classic…"
Hodgins read further. "Caterers from the Hays-Adams for the shower?"
"The food is amazing, Hodgins."
"...and you have strippers coming over for the shower. Aubrey told me that he and Jessica don't want strippers. Did she change her mind?"
"Well...she needs to celebrate leaving singlehood in style, you know? I didn't get to do that, and neither did Bren. Plus, look, our wedding was chaos...then we broke up...then we got back together and got married in a jail cell. Booth burned his church down and so I had to come through with a proper wedding for them at the last minute because he wouldn't let me contribute in anyway besides some religious reading. Anyway, Brennan deserved better than a Catholic wedding foisted on her."
"Enough with that whole 'Booth burned his church down' shit, Angie! You know the fire marshal's report said faulty wiring was to blame. It was just a coincidence that it happened right after Booth and Max visited." The entomologist turned to his wife. "You're still pissed that Booth shut you out of the original wedding plans, aren't you?"
Not liking her husband's tone, she began folding all the baby blankets on the couch. "No...that's stupid. It's been almost four years now…"
"No, you're still sore about it, but you need to get over it, Angie." Hodgins wheeled closer. "No wonder you got fired. You picked out the same expensive caterers for Jessica's shower that I hired for our wedding reception, even though she and Aubrey were sticking to a budget. Then you picked out the same flowers for Jessica's bouquet that you had at our first wedding, even though she mentioned to Cam that she wanted tiger lilies in her bouquet."
"Because they're beautiful and they matched her colors…"
"You're having strippers for Jessica even though she made it clear she didn't want them…"
Angela sighed. "Yeah, because she needs to celebrate. Her sister-in-law is being wimpy by not wanting to go to the bar. I'm trying to make up for accidentally taking over, though, by canceling the bar and moving the strippers here. That way, I'm making an effort to show her that I'm listening and that she was hasty in firing me as their wedding planner."
Sitting back in his wheelchair, Hodgins braced for his wife's reaction. "No, you just don't want to admit you're wrong, Angie. You're fired. It's done. Now, if you're smart, you would get this stuff to Jessica and Aubrey as soon as possible and save them the trip here. That way, it shows good intentions to make up for your bullheadedness and insensitivity."
"I'm not being bullheaded and insensitive. I'm trying to help Jessica and Aubrey-"
"No, you're making it into the wedding we didn't have."
Stunned, Angela stopped what she was doing. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Angie, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The same bouquet, same jewelers, same caterers...hell, you're taking over their wedding just like you accused Claudine Hampton of doing all those years ago…"
"She was a fucking pain in the ass, Hodgins-"
"Just like you have been with Aubrey and Jessica." Hodgins wheeled up to his wife. "Angie...I know you're big into grand gestures to make up for mistakes, but...it just doesn't work, alright? Remember how things were still strained between you and Booth after their wedding? Heck, you two are still strained at times."
"I apologized to him…"
"No, you said, 'I'm apologizing for things I've said…' but you've never said the words, 'I'm sorry.', have you?" Seeing his wife dip her head, he got his confirmation. "Angie, you're not always right...I know think you are, but not everyone is as...well, clueless about things like Zach was and sometimes big gestures are just that...gestures. Brennan has grown a lot as a person...so has Jessica. Remember how she was when she first started at the lab? All play...no serious relationships? Now she's happy with Aubrey and they're getting married…"
"Yeah, I know, but I don't want her to have regrets…"
Her words made the entomologist's stomach lurch. "Like you did with me?"
"I did not have regrets, Hodgins." Angela stood up and picked up the blankets. "You were the one who didn't trust me-"
"You didn't tell me you had been married before, Angela. I took that in stride, even though it hurt, but then when your ex hooked up with Cam, you got jealous. Can you understand how that might come across to me, especially with neglecting to mention your previous marriage?"
"Hodgins, that's ancient history.," the artist barked back. "It has nothing to do with now."
"You know, I thought us getting married in a jail cell was pretty fun.," Hodgins said sadly. "If I had known you were having regrets about not having the fancy wedding…"
"Hodgins, how we got married has nothing to do with Aubrey and Jessica's wedding. I got a little carried away, alright? I will admit that. However, Jessica went a little overboard with chewing me out after I stuck up for her. I mean...I'm sorry I forgot she's allergic to strawberries when I ordered her cake, okay? And I was just trying to help her get the best when I scheduled her and Aubrey with Ralston's, and I didn't intentionally mean to upset her about her bouquet. She needs to chill out-"
"No, she didn't need to chill out, Angie. She was frustrated, along with Aubrey, because you weren't planning their wedding...you've been planning yours. This was Aubrey and Jessica's wedding. They just needed someone to help organize the day they wanted and you totally ignored them."
"No-"
"You ignored their budget, their concerns, and the fact that Jessica chose your best friend as the matron of honor, whom you've also treated badly by insinuating she wasn't good enough to help our intern with her day, all because you were trying to relive a day that got blown all to hell 10 years ago." Hodgins swallowed hard. "I would have thrown you a fancy ceremony later on after we got married, Ang. Hell, we could have flown everyone over to Paris after we went there. All you had to do was ask."
"I wasn't…" Angela saw her husband's dour expression. "I didn't mean to hurt them or you…"
"I know, Angie, but you did. Now, you're doing what you did before with Booth and that needs to stop. Honey, you need to admit you messed up. Cancel the strippers…"
"But that will cost money…"
"Cancel the caterers because everyone is going to Jessica's house, it seems…"
"No, her shower is here. Now, I can ask Jessica if she wants them to go there-"
"No, cancel them...then you will come to the lab with me tomorrow under the pretext of bringing the baby to visit and you will apologize to Jessica and Brennan for being overbearing...Aubrey too, if he's there."
"Hodgins…"
"Angie, think about how you felt when Claudine took over our wedding. Remember how upset you were? You even came to me crying one day." Seeing he had her attention, he continued. "Now maybe you'll have some sympathy for Jessica. The only difference is, Claudine Hampton wasn't a good friend of hers and you didn't have to risk a friendship and hurt feelings by speaking up. She did, and it looks like her fears were realized because you won't take responsibility. It's your own fault you were fired, Angie. You have to stop assuming you know everything and learn to really listen. If you don't, someday we won't have any friends because they're going to get sick of your meddling."
Hodgins turned his wheelchair around. "I'm going to check on my spiders in my lab. Think about what I've said."
Angela watched her husband leave and sulked on the couch. "I'm not meddling...I'm not...this stuff with Jessica and Aubrey will blow over…it will..."
Grabbing her phone, she checked Facebook and saw updates in her Events tab. Clicking on it, she was surprised to see an announcement for Jessica's shower. Then she saw the directions for guests.
Bring a dish to share. There will be games and fun as we celebrate the upcoming marriage of Ms. Warren and Aubrey. The couple is registered at Target & Bed, Bath, & Beyond.
Activities may include those of an adult nature.
1:00 PM 1297 Janus Street. Cleveland Park, Washington DC.
She saw a map with directions to the house. Then the next invite surprised her more as it was an invite to a bachelorette party. Clicking on it, her eyes bugged out.
BACHELORETTE SLUMBER PARTY.
We celebrate the marriage of my intern Jessica Warren to Special Agent James Aubrey with a night of female bonding and celebration April 8th, 2017. (Same day as her bridal shower celebration if you were invited to this gathering.)
Needed items:
Pajamas
Sleeping Bag (or Air Mattress) and pillow as beds are scarce.
Movies that celebrate romance or female friendship
Copious amount of alcoholic beverages and snack foods (vegetarian fare welcomed). However, wine will be provided by the guest of honor from Saoirse Finn Wineries.
Ibuprofen for veisalgia (Hangovers for the uninformed) and bottled water.
Times for female bonding. NO ONE OF THE MALE GENDER ALLOWED.
This celebration starts at 5:00 where we will meet at Ms. Warren's house to carpool to Founding Fathers Tavern for a reserved dinner in the back room. At 8:00, we will return to Ms. Warren's for the party to begin. Once again, no one of the male gender with the exception of Jeffrey William Hodgins is allowed. Aubrey will be with his fellow males in another location celebrating until after 12 noon April 9, 2017.
Indicate if you are coming by April 6th below to obtain a final head count for dinner. Any questions, please Facebook Message Dr. Temperance Brennan, Matron of Honor.
Angela sat for a moment as she realized her catered bridal shower affair was being totally ignored. As she thought further, she realized that even after the fight she had with her friends, they still invited her to the bachelorette party.
A slumber party was ingenious. With the exception of a couple of Designated Drivers for heading back to the house, there were no worries about finding designated drivers, having enough money for alcohol and cab fare, or getting arrested.
'Why didn't I think of that? Now all they have to think about is how to keep Aubrey and the other guys from crashing the party...but I couldn't think of it because I was obsessed with planning the bachelorette party I never had when I married Hodgins...and now, even after being an insensitive brat, Jessica still invited me to her shower and bachelorette party, and even invited the baby...'
Angela sat quietly for a moment, considering what she saw and what her husband had to say. The more she thought about it, the more she felt ashamed, not just at what she had done in commandeering her friend's wedding, but also for her behavior around Booth and Brennan's wedding.
"I was super pissed at being excluded, but I didn't do myself any favors by bad mouthing him to anyone I could during all that Pelant crap without getting all the facts. Then, when my friends ask me to help them plan their wedding, I just assume I know everything instead of actually listening to the bride and groom. You would think I would have learned my lesson after what happened with that witchy wedding planner from hell years ago...or at least remember my promise to do better about meddling and jumping to conclusions. I have to fix this."
Pulling up the wedding file on her tablet, she found the phone numbers needed and for the next two hours, made some unpleasant phone calls. Finishing her last one, she shook her head.
"I blew most of their budget on stupid shit they didn't want...just to make a point. Some friend I am." Angela lamented her actions until she was interrupted by her husband.
"Babe, our son needs to be fed again...that is something I can't do."
"On my way." Angie walked up to Hodgins and gave him a kiss.
"What was that for?"
"For making me realize that I was being an insensitive ass. I think instead of visiting Jessica at the lab, it'd be better to take Aubrey and Jessica to lunch. What do you think?"
"I think lunch sounds very good. Aubrey will appreciate it.," Hodgins replied before they chuckled together.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Nineteen hours later, Aubrey walked up to the diner as Jessica came from the other side of the block. Reaching the front, they stopped for a minute and contemplated their situation.
"It was nice that Angela wanted to meet us for lunch instead of making us come over tonight to get that stuff, Aubrey."
Aubrey grimaced. "It was...but...I don't know. A free lunch is probably as close to an apology as we're going to get out of Angela."
"Aubrey, she did give us an apology after nagging us at Genny's wedding."
"She did, but after Hodgins had to say something to her…" Aubrey realized how cold he sounded. "...but I'm being an ass. She did call us to do lunch, so, we should give her a chance."
"Yes, we should.," Jessica replied. "Besides, you're hungry, right?"
Aubrey made a face, realizing he was found out. "Yeah...I didn't get my mid morning snack, Jess. I was stuck in a meeting with Stark and Hacker. Not cool…well, let's go in."
The couple walked in and found Angela looking at her tablet. Warily, the two walked over and got her attention, startling her. "Oh, hey...sorry, I'm just looking over this article."
"Well, it's not every day we get asked to lunch." Aubrey pulled out Jessica's chair and sat after she did. "So...how are you doing? Where's the baby?"
"Home with Daddy, who is enjoying his paternity leave with our son." Angela chuckled before a moment of awkward silence ensued as the trio looked at their menus. After Hilda came by to take their orders, the three looked at each other before the agent finally spoke up.
"So, um, Angela...it's nice that you invited us out for lunch, but we also have something to discuss with you."
Opening her tablet, Angela opened the Microsoft Outlook app and pushed a couple of buttons. "Yeah, we do. I've just emailed you two the list of what I had done and then canceled. The bar returned your entire deposit, but the bridal shower caterers and strippers kept theirs, unfortunately. I called the florist I had arranged for making your bouquet and other stuff, and while they said some things will take up to two weeks to ship, they are on standby for whatever you want. If they can't get your choices in time, Jessica, I have another local florist who will help you. I've also contacted the DJ that we hired and let him know that you two will be the point people from now on. This is the list of songs you need to request...you know, first dance...things like that."
Opening her purse, she pulled out a check and handed it to the couple. Jessica took it and her eyes grew large. "Angela, this is a check for $3200.00."
"It is. That is what I couldn't recoup for your wedding budget because I wasted money on the stupid stuff I ordered. I insist on covering it, as well as waiving the fee we agreed upon when I signed on to be your engagement and wedding photographer."
"Angela...well…" Aubrey didn't know how to accept the money.
"It's your money, Aubrey...and yours, Jessica. You two gave me a budget and guidelines...which I ignored because I...took over your wedding. That was wrong...and I'm sorry for all I did, including forcing an engagement party on you two, ordering a cake that you were allergic to, Jessica, as well as butting into your honeymoon plans, which I had no right to do."
"You meant well…," Jessica trailed off.
"Yes, I did, but I should have listened to what you wanted, not what I thought you needed. Brennan was right that it was none of my business who she gives days off to, and you were right to rip me a new one because I didn't consult you about your bouquet, scheduling you two with jewelers that were way above your budget, and even creating your gift registries to places I liked." Angela sipped her ice tea. "You two reminded me of not only Booth and Brennan, but also me and Hodgins years earlier and...I didn't want you two to be like us...but you're not us...you're Aubrey and Jessica."
Aubrey moved to speak, but Angela held her hand up. "Please, let me finish."
After Aubrey nodded, she continued. "Thank you. I wanted you to have the perfect ceremony and honeymoon so much that I forgot whose wedding it was...and insulted my best friend in the process. All because I had to be right instead of getting all the facts first. I've been guilty of that in the past and I really need to stop and listen instead of jumping in."
"What brought you around, Angela?," Jessica asked. "Not to be rude, but, well...we figured you wouldn't easily apologize, instead you would do some gesture for the wedding to compensate."
"Bingo. I had actually started to do just that, but Hodgins reminded me of how I felt when our wedding planner took over our wedding...how I didn't tell him about being married before...breaking up…" Angela trailed off as she saw the confused faces of the couple. "Never mind that...suffice to say, my husband gave me a rather blunt and strong dose of reality...and he was right. I let my title go to my head and I was just avoiding an apology...much like I did with Booth after they got married. That wasn't right and while we've moved on, there's...still some tension there. I don't want the same with us."
Angela wiped away some tears. "I'm sorry...new mom hormones…" Taking the handkerchief Aubrey offered, she smiled. "Thank you."
"Thank you for apologizing, Angela." Jessica nodded at her fiance'. "Aubrey and I are going to handle the wedding stuff now, but if we have any questions, can we talk to you?"
"Of course, but Brennan and Booth should be your point people. After all, they are standing for you two in...oh gosh, ten days. You two are going to be married in ten days."
"Yeah…shit is getting real…" Aubrey chuckled when Jessica hit his arm. "I'm kidding, Jess. I can't wait to marry you...and Skinner will have a new Mom…"
"You're a dork, but I love you and can't wait to marry you, James Aubrey." They kissed as Hilda brought their lunch.
Angela grabbed her spoon and ate her soup. "Now that we're friends again, Jessica, I got your invite to your bridal shower and bachelorette party. Thank you for asking me...now tell me what Brennan has up her sleeve."
Aubrey sat up with a smile. "I'm pretty curious about this myself."
"Well…that has to wait until there are no boys.," Jessica responded.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Thirty minutes later, Aubrey took the bill out of Angela's hands. "I'll buy today."
"Aubrey, I was the one who invited you to lunch…"
"Yes, and you were the one who gave us a check for over $3000.00. We're friends, alright? Let me pay since you're now saving us more money by refusing to get paid to be our photographer."
"Fine." Aubrey and Jessica got up but she stayed seated. "I'm just going to finish my ice tea and enjoy my freedom before going home."
"Okay. Oh, like the invite said, you're welcome to bring Jeffrey to my shower and bachelorette party if you want to. I figure as a new mom, you need to stay close."
"My dad got to DC an hour ago and offered to babysit. I'll let you know." Angela saw Jessica hesitate. "Jessica, is there something else?"
The redhead looked at Aubrey before turning back. "Um...when I ran into Daisy, she said you'd told her about our engagement. How is she doing?"
Angela hesitated before speaking. "She's had a very rough month as things have...come to a head. However, she's working through it and doing better than she has in a very long time. I'm going to say my piece then shut up...I think you two will work things out someday."
"Okay...if you see her, tell her I said hi." Jessica grabbed her purse. "See you soon, Angela."
Walking outside, the engaged couple held hands as the agent walked his girlfriend back to the lab. "Aubrey, you don't have to walk me back to work…"
"I don't mind. It's a nice day out and so what if I'm a few minutes late." Pulling her closer, he kissed the top of her head. "I'm glad we worked things out with Angela."
"Me too, Superman." She exhaled slowly. "That check Angela gave us...maybe we can use it to start a joint account?"
"You sure you want to do that, Jess? I'm really okay with keeping our finances separate. I trust you.," Aubrey said.
"We can still have our own accounts, but I don't think it would hurt to have a small account at a credit union for incidentals...a honeymoon fund maybe…that way you don't have to worry about us dipping into my trust fund money for anything."
Aubrey sighed. "Okay, I think that's fair."
"Good." She pecked him on the cheek as they continued to walk down Connecticut Avenue.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Booth was in his office eating lunch when he heard a knock on the door. Looking up, he was surprised to see the visitor. "Angela...what's up?"
The artist said nothing at first as she walked up to his desk, set her purse down, and said what she came to say. "I'm sorry, Booth."
Confused, he set his fork down and sat back. "For what?"
"For saying all those horrible things to you while you and Brennan were having issues with Pelant...trash talking you to Brennan behind your back...getting all pissy when you wouldn't listen to any of my ideas for your wedding...making all those tasteless jokes on how you burned the church down and I had to save your wedding...but most of all, for not giving you a true apology sooner."
Booth gulped. "Well, alright, but we've settled this…"
"No, I visited you in your office the day after you called in several favors to get not only your wife, but your friends and me out of jail so we wouldn't lose our security clearances...and jobs. I merely said, 'I said some things...and I'm apologizing.'. I should have said the words 'I'm sorry' over three years ago, and I'm sorry it took until now to do that."
Stunned, the agent merely nodded. "Thank you, Angela. Really. How are things now with you, Aubrey, and Jessica?"
"We made up and I paid them for the money they lost with my stupid ideas. I was wrong to jump in and take over for Brennan. She seems to be doing a good job for Jessica."
"She is. Thank you for acknowledging that. You should go tell her. She will appreciate it."
"She did when I stopped at the lab before lunch to have coffee with her." Picking up her purse, she got ready to leave. "I have to get home and feed my son. Have a good one, Booth."
"You, too." Booth watched her walk away before sending a text to his wife. You won't believe what just happened!
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
At 6:30, Aubrey, Jessica, Booth, and Brennan clinked beer bottles together. "To friendship."
Sipping out of his bottle, Aubrey grabbed a potato skin. "Angela apologized to you, huh?"
"Yeah. I don't know what Bug Boy said to her, but I guess I was still irritated with her these last few years and it was time to let go." Booth chewed on a shrimp. "It was nice she compensated you two for your deposits."
"Yeah." Jessica smiled. "I called the florist and they are able to order the Tiger lillies for my bouquet. I have to pay extra to rush order it, but it will be there by the 13th. They also were willing to change my wedding flowers to the design I wanted and it will cost about the same."
"That's very good, Ms. Warren." Brennan munched on a carrot. "The bridal shower is scheduled for 1:00, so Booth will come pick you up at 11:00, Aubrey, to get you out of the house."
"Yep, that's the plan." Booth grinned at his friend. "Wait 'til you hear what I have planned for the bachelor party…"
"Um...okay…," Aubrey began, unsure if he really wanted to know.
"We're going to Magoo's Adult Amusements...they've got a deal where we can stay in one of their lodges for 24 hours so we can sleep it off if we get too wild…"
"Magoo's!" Aubrey was horrified. "Geez, Booth...I mean, it sounds like fun, but there's no way I can afford that place...we're looking at three thousand at least, plus the food and the beer…"
Booth chuckled, rolling his eyes at Aubrey's outburst. "Relax, okay? I know what your budget is, but here's the thing...Jessica's brothers and her dad all kicked in some cash as sort of a shower gift for you. To quote Stephan, 'he needs a fun evening instead all that girly shit people get at a shower.' Anyway, with what we all put toward the evening, you're actually under budget, so we can get a keg if you want. Jessica's brothers are bringing some wine, too…"
"That sounds good, I guess." Still unsure about Booth's idea, Aubrey sulked a bit. "Do I have to stay the full 24 hours? I can't even come back to spend the night with my future wife?"
"Nope, because we have other plans, Buddy." Booth finished his food with a flourish. "Bones says you're staying with me the night before the wedding, too."
"According to wedding folklore, the groom is not to see the bride the day before the wedding." Brennan grabbed a piece of celery. "Of course, the superstition comes from the fact that most marriages were arranged and the bride's father was afraid the groom would see his daughter and cancel."
"Well, her dad likes me, and I love her, so we're all good. We don't have to hide from each other before the wedding."
"Superman, I think it's best. I don't want to take any chances. Dr. B can spend the night with me and you stay with Booth."
"Seriously?" Aubrey saw Jessica's stern face and acquiesced. "Fine...but we're spending the day together on the 13th."
"If there's time, Aubrey. You have the rehearsal dinner and then the final set up for the ceremony. You're gonna be a busy, busy boy.," Booth said to everyone's chuckles.
Outside, Daisy watched the group laugh and enjoy each other's company. She stepped to the door to go inside and say hi, but changed her mind. Reluctantly, she walked away.