A/N: we're getting closer to the big day for Aubrey and Jessica. How are they handling the excitement? Read on to find out...

It had been a frustrating Wednesday morning at the federal courthouse. Having been called as prosecution witnesses for a RICO trial, Agents Aubrey and Bower had waited restlessly to testify while the defense team made what seemed to be endless motions to upend the prosecutor's case. Finally the judge had ended the morning session with instructions for both sides to get their briefs in order before court was back in session that afternoon.

Groaning loudly, Aubrey frowned as he turned to Bower. "I hope you didn't have plans for this afternoon…"

"Nothing important." Bower shrugged as the two men left the courtroom. "I can finish my paperwork tomorrow. I just hope that you can get your testimony over with before you and Jessica take time off for your wedding…"

Aubrey nodded pensively. "Yeah...I guess I'd better talk to Ms. Anderson this afternoon and make sure she knows I'll be out of the office for my honeymoon. Maybe she'll let me give a deposition if things go badly this afternoon." He glanced at his phone. "Hey, I know it's only 11:00, but I'm hungry. How about lunch before we go back to the Hoover?"

"That sounds good, but do you mind if we go to Founding Fathers? Mitzi wants me to watch what I eat and they have a great chef salad." Bower grinned as he patted his belly. "I'm almost down to my fighting weight…"

"Great." Unsure of what to say, Aubrey gestured toward the elevator. "Founding Fathers will be fine. Let's go…"

*/*/*/*/*

Because they'd arrived before the lunch rush, the agents were able to find a table easily. After giving their orders to their server, Bower smiled as he nudged his supervisor with an elbow. "So the big day's coming up soon, huh?"

"Yeah...a little over a week, and I'll be a married man." Aubrey couldn't help but grin like a fool. "I'm so stoked...I mean, I know we've been a couple for awhile and we live together, but just the idea that she's gonna marry me…" Feeling slightly embarrassed, he reached for his glass. "I don't know...it's hard to explain…"

"Nah...I get it." Bower nodded as he stirred some sugar in his tea. "Being married to Mitzi has changed my life for the better in so many ways. Just knowing she'll be there for me every night when I get home...that she chose to be with me...it's just an incredible feeling…"

"Yeah...it is."

They sat in quietly for a few minutes before Agent Bower cleared his throat. "So Magoo's for the bachelor party? That sounds like fun. Thanks for inviting me, by the way…"

"Well, I figure we need an FBI agent around in case things get too wild…" Aubrey grinned at the man sitting across from him, somewhat surprised at how much easier it was to tolerate Steve Bower now that he was married and settled down. "Anyway, your main job is to make sure Booth doesn't sneak out any pictures of me while I'm partying, okay? I don't want my pathetic drunk face plastered all over the FBI…"

'You got it, Boss." Bower laughed to himself as he remembered the pact he'd made with Booth to get as many goofy pictures of Aubrey as possible.

Their lunches arrived, and the men spent the next few minutes in friendly silence as they began eating.

Suddenly their peace and quiet was interrupted by a loud whoop. "Well, I'll be damned...if it ain't Agent Aubrey. How you doin', buddy?"

Caught off guard, Aubrey nearly choked on a french fry. "Hi, Beau. Um...what are you doing in DC? I thought you'd be in Canada right now…"

"Well, with all that shit going down with the Maxwells and the rest of it, my dad has decided to retire from the restaurant business, and he asked me to take over the chain, so I'm in town to meet with the lawyers and accountants to get everything squared away."

"Your dad's retiring? What's he going to do?"

"He and my mom are taking an around the world cruise and then after that they're not sure what their plans are yet. It's wild." Beau chuckled. "Mom told me last week that between her realizing for the first time how stressed out Dad had been as he tried to make enough money to keep her happy and then with him almost going to jail for covering up for his buddies' bad decisions, it dawned on her that life was short, you know? She realized how close she'd come to losing my dad and so she told him how sorry she was for not appreciating him. They decided to make a fresh start, so they're moving on and not looking back."

"That's good for them. I'm glad they figured things out, Beau. They must really love each other.," Aubrey said, surprised at the news he'd just heard. "So...if I'm not snooping too much, have you talked to Daisy or come to any decisions about what you're going to do? The last time we talked in Smithfield, things were...complicated."

"Well, when you and that Booth guy left, I felt like my life was turned upside down, first by my parents. and then by Daisy. As I thought about things more, I've realized that even though she betrayed me and lied to me, I wasn't a great husband to her, either. She worked for several years to be a bone doctor and she had a life before me. I was pretty much asking her to throw everything away just so I could play ball in Canada. It wasn't right."

"Seems like you did a lot of soul searching.," Aubrey commented.

Beau nodded. "I did, man. I was still unsure what to do for a few weeks, but then I saw how my mom and dad turned things around. Mom said that I needed to follow my heart. Daisy and I are married, you know. We need to stay together and work things out."

Surprised a second time, Aubrey dipped his fry in his mayo/ketchup mix as he debated what to say. "So...does Daisy know you're in town?"

"Yeah, we're meeting up tomorrow at the condo. She said she wants to talk to me, too, so she's ready to work things out. The time away obviously did us both some good."

Aubrey kept his expression neutral. "I see..."

Beau nodded with a goofy smile. "Yeah, I can understand where you're coming from Aubrey. It shocked me, too. I'm still mad, but I'm ready to forgive her so we can go back to being a family. I'm sure with me being gone for almost a month, she's ready to be a family again."

Steve said nothing, concentrating on his lunch as Aubrey chewed his lip. "Um, what about Oliver? Aren't you worried about him at all?"

"Nah, Oliver is a lost cause. He's got that scientist girlfriend and really isn't that much of a threat anyway, especially with his brain injury stuff. I've got much more to offer her than that weirdo."

"Wow…," Bower said, obviously stunned at Beau's naivete. Catching a warning look from Aubrey, he returned to stuffing his face with chef salad.

Aubrey grew more concerned as he listened further to Beau. "Hey, you understand that Daisy may feel differently, you know? Oliver may be with Rani, but remember how you two wanted different things? Are you sure she's ready to just...let all that go to give things another chance?"

"Of course she will be. Lance needs two parents, and considering how she's estranged from her family, I'm sure she'll agree that it's best for us to stay married. We'll move past all that crazy Oliver shit. Then, maybe this time next year, we'll have another baby, a souvenir of us getting back together, if you know what I mean..." A laughing Beau punched Aubrey's arm before pulling up a chair to sit down at the table. "Enough about me. What's up with you lately? How's Jessica?"

"Fine...she's fine." Aubrey studied his plate, hoping that Beau would realize how awkward the situation was, but Beau didn't seem to get it. "You know, work...Jessica's still going to school...same old stuff…"

Bower was shocked at Aubrey's assessment. "Same old stuff? What happened to being stoked about getting married?"

"You and Jessica? Are you getting married?" Beau slapped Aubrey on the back. "That's great, buddy! You two certainly dragged your feet long enough. Hey, when's the bachelor party? I'll bring some barbecue…"

Tempted to spill the details in exchange for Pixler's barbecue, Aubrey struggled to maintain his resolve. "I don't think Booth has all the details worked out yet."

"Yes, he does." Bower didn't notice his supervisor's grimace as he turned to Beau. "It's gonna be at Magoo's Adult Amusements...noon on Saturday until noon on Sunday. The more the merrier, right, Boss?"

Seeing Aubrey's noncommittal shrug, he continued to fill Beau in on the plans. "We're gonna play pool...maybe Aerial Attack and some other games like that...maybe some poker...drink...smoke cigars...isn't that what Booth said, Boss? That stuff and whatever else we could think of?"

"Yeah, sure." Wearing a pained smile, Aubrey nodded. "Sure...might as well come, Beau…"

"Cool! I'll bring a whole assortment of food...on me, okay? Don't worry about the cost. I'll cover it.," Beau said gleefully. "So do we need a keg? Maybe some X rated movies or some exotic dancers? My teammates hired some amazing girls for my bachelor party...really big knockers..."

"I think Booth's got the keg under control." Aubrey ran his hand over his face. "Really, you don't have to bring anything, Beau…and we've decided to keep it PG since the priest doing the wedding is going to be there, so no sleazy movies or strippers..."

"I wouldn't dream of showing up empty handed...not for a good friend like you. I'll bring lots of meat and the stuff to go with it." Beau grinned, offering to shake Aubrey's hand. "Hey, I've gotta go...I just wanted to stop and say hi. Congrats on your wedding...I'll see you Saturday."

"Yeah, great. Saturday." Waving as Beau walked away, Aubrey sighed softly, wondering what Jessica would think about the possible future ex husband of her former friend being invited to his bachelor party. Oh well...maybe since we're not having strippers, he won't stay that long…

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

"You invited him to your bachelor party?"

Aubrey brought his dishes to the sink where Jessica was rinsing them off before putting them in the dishwasher. "I wasn't going to, but Bower opened his big mouth and I had no choice. It would be a dick move not to ask him to come after he found out about it."

"So, he thinks he's going to work things out with Daisy?," the redhead asked as she loaded the dishwasher. "That's...good...I suppose."

"That's what he said, but he won't talk to her until tomorrow afternoon. I guess they're meeting up at the condo."

"Well, that's good.," Jessica said again as she slammed the dishwasher door closed. "I suppose he thinks he can sweet talk her into taking him back…and then he'll be at your bachelor party bragging about it."

Aubrey could see the irritation on her face. "Jess, what was I supposed to do? Uninvite him after Bower invited him? That would be an even bigger dick move. I was stuck..."

Jessica exhaled, knowing he was right. "I know. It's no big deal, Aubrey. Maybe he won't stay too long."

"Yeah, that's what I thought, especially when I said I wasn't having any strippers." Aubrey rinsed their wine glasses and gave them to Jessica. "Obviously, after we eat and play some games, he'll get bored. It's all good."

Jessica opened the dishwasher, added the glasses, and closed it again. "Okay. Do you want me to pack up your leftovers for lunch tomorrow?"

Aubrey grabbed himself a container from the cupboard. "No, I'll take care of it. Hopefully, you'll enjoy that luncheon with Dr. B tomorrow at the university while I enjoy this amazing mac and cheese with the smoked sausage."

Starting the dishwasher, Jessica pecked her fiance's cheek before heading out to the living area. "Hurry up, Aubrey. The Man With The X Ray Eyes is on in 15 minutes. I might even make out with you with the lights turned off."

"On my way, Jess." Aubrey shoved his lunch in the fridge, flipped off the light, and joined Jessica in the living room. "Make out time!"

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

The next afternoon, Aubrey was enjoying his lunch when someone knocked on his door. Not happy about being interrupted, he looked up, ready to quickly dispatch who was there. However, the guest took him totally by surprise. "Daisy...hello…"

"Hi, Aubrey...can I come in?"

Trying to keep his frustrations to a minimum, he remembered his manners. "Sure. Have a seat. What can I do for you? Is it in regards to Beau's parents? Because we've managed to keep their names out of everything. You have nothing to worry about."

"No...I talked to Beau on the phone last night and he told me all about that. I-I'm here about...Jessica."

Maintaining a poker face, Aubrey nodded. "Okay, what about her?"

"Um…" Daisy clutched her purse nervously. "Well…you see…"

Aubrey's polite demeanor changed slightly as he grew impatient. "Daisy, I have a lot of work to do today."

"Sorry...I just...how is she doing? We didn't get a chance to talk at the hospital." Daisy gulped. "She showed me her engagement ring...it's beautiful."

"Thank you. Now cut to the chase, Daisy."

The anthropologist shuddered at the agent's annoyed gaze, but she knew she deserved it. "I...would like to talk to Jessica."

"Okay. Call her. Her number hasn't changed. Now if you'll excuse me-"

"Aubrey, please...give me five minutes, then I'll leave you alone." When Daisy saw the man indicate for her continue, she took a deep breath. "I owe her an apology...both of you an apology. I'm sorry for my behavior at the lab last month. I was drunk, and it was inexcusable."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, Daisy." Aubrey wasn't ready to forgive her just yet. "I can move on from what you said about me, but you put my fiancee in an untenable position with your ping ponging between Beau and Oliver."

"There was no affair with Oliver. I didn't sleep with him after I got married-"

"You almost did, Daisy. Then you kept bringing Jessica into your bullshit because you were so hung up on the past that you led one man on and entertained the other for your intellectual jollies. Worse than that, you treated her like shit when she'd finally had enough of your games." Aubrey sat back and looked at his watch. "She was your best friend and always defended you, even when you didn't deserve it. I think you know that, too. Now, it's been almost five minutes. Please excuse me-"

"Aubrey, I really screwed up, okay?" Daisy wiped a tear away before speaking in a stream. "I...started going to therapy a few weeks ago and...I've started going to a support group for grief. I was so...scared...and sad...and angry...about losing Lance...I was afraid to be alone again, and my life seemed to be a never ending cycle of sadness...Jessica had what I'd always wanted...a Prince Charmington who wouldn't leave her, even after you two broke up...and it was without any effort on her part...and I hated her for it, even though I love her so much. My hatred for her disgusted me, and that infuriated me more. It was easier to blame her than to face reality…and that was so wrong."

Aubrey merely watched the anthropologist cry as she sat across from him. Being the gentleman he was, he pulled the box of Kleenex from the credenza behind him and handed it to her. When she nodded thanks, he asked a simple question. "Why now, Daisy? You said that you've been in therapy, but...what brought you to this epiphany?"

"I...don't want to talk about it but...let's just say that I realized how precious life is." Daisy sighed. "Lance wouldn't want me to live like I was, always petty and jealous. I hurt a lot of people and...I can't move forward until I make things right. I miss my best friend and I hope she doesn't hate me for what I said and did."

"Is that why you're here, Daisy? You're afraid Jessica will reject you, aren't you?," Aubrey asked quietly. When the brunette nodded, the agent couldn't stay angry with her, as her fear and remorse seemed genuine to him. "She doesn't hate you, Daisy. She's doing alright, but...she misses you. She even asked Angela about you a couple days ago."

"Really? Even after the nasty things I said to her?"

"Yeah, but she's also still angry with you, and we both know she has a right to be. If you are truly sorry and want to make things right with her, you have to talk to her face to face. No excuses, no half baked apologies, you hear me? Be straight with her about everything and I'm sure she'll forgive you."

Daisy nodded affirmatively. "Okay…I can do that."

Aubrey debated before asking the next question. "It's none of my business, but I ran into Beau yesterday at Founding Fathers..."

"Beau and I have to talk because there are things that need to be said...and decisions that have to be made. I am strong enough to be on my own without settling for a partner who doesn't give me what I need.," Daisy said quietly. "Since my student loans are now paid off, I've also decided I want to buy a house. I'm going to look at one that's two houses down from yours at 3:00 because the schools are so good where you live and it's lovely there. However, before I get interested in a house in that area, I wanted to let you know, since I didn't know how you and Jessica would feel about that."

Aubrey realized she'd made a decision about Beau. Recalling his conversation with him the day before, he resolved to remain neutral. "Daisy, if you became our neighbor and never spoke to us again, we would move on, but I would prefer that you and Jess to be friends again. As for you and I, Sweets was my first friend here in DC...and he thought the world of you."

"Lance liked you, too Aubrey. He even told me that you and Jessica would be perfect for one another, although I disagreed. I'm glad I was wrong about that one." The two chuckled before she continued. "One thing I've learned in therapy is that I have to take responsibility for what I've done. I also remember how things were very...off with Angela, Booth, and Dr. B after Pelant died. I don't want us to be like that, Aubrey."

"What are you saying, Daisy?"

"I'm saying...that I'm sorry for anything that I've said to you these last seven months, insinuated about you, anything that I blamed on you for things that weren't your fault so I could pass the buck...barging into your house the day you came home from the hospital, interrupting your vacation and FBI banquet because of my whining...as a whole, for my bad behavior, which happened because I was jealous of what Jessica had with you...and anything that I'm forgetting to mention." Daisy grabbed another tissue as more tears began to fall. "I'm so sorry for everything, Aubrey…"

As Daisy purged herself, Aubrey closed his office door, walked up to the woman, stood her up, and hugged her. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry, too."

"You have nothing to be sorry for Aubrey.," Daisy muttered into his shoulder.

"I didn't have to be that much of an ass to you that day in your office after that big fight. I was just so frustrated about you and Jess…"

"You had every right to be. You were sticking up for the woman you love against a bitter shrew who wanted to blame everyone else but herself." Daisy pulled out of his arms before putting her hand out. "Friends again?"

Aubrey chuckled before shaking her hand. "Friends again."

Daisy picked up her purse. "Okay, it's time to go meet Beau. I can talk to Jessica after I looked at the house. Is she going to be home tonight?"

"Not until after 7:00, since we rode it together…" Aubrey smiled. "...but I have an idea…"

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

At 5:05, Jessica was finishing up her work as she waited for Wendell to come down from Medical Anthropology. Her back turned to the doorway, the redhead had almost finished putting the remains of the decedent away when she heard her name. Surprised at the voice, she turned around and saw it was Daisy standing there. "Daisy...hi...um, are you here to see Dr. B? You just missed her."

Still a little scared, the petite woman walked past the doorway into the room. "No, actually...um...do you want to get some dinner at Founding Fathers?"

Not sure what to say, Jessica stammered for a minute. "Um...well, Wendell is picking me up to take me to the Hoover…Aubrey is working late."

"Actually, Wendell went home a few minutes ago. If you want to get some dinner and...maybe talk...I can take you home. Aubrey said he would be home after 7:00 and that he could take care of himself for dinner."

"You visited Aubrey today?" Jessica was surprised when she saw her former friend nod. She was still angry over what happened a month prior, but she also knew it took a lot of guts for Daisy to come to the lab not knowing what to expect. "Okay...dinner sounds good, but how about doing take out and coming back to my house instead? It'll be a little quieter."

"That sounds even better."

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

After collecting takeout from Founding Fathers, the two women drove back to Cleveland Park, occasionally talking about the weather and other innocuous chit chat. Letting them inside the house, Jessica fed the cat as Daisy waited at the dinner table for her friend. The redhead brought a bottle of Saoirse Finn Cabernet Franc to the table but was surprised at her companion's response.

"I'll stick with water for a while if that's okay. Maybe I'll have some after dinner." Seeing the redhead's surprise, Daisy explained further. "I'm cutting down my drinking...a lot. Surprisingly, it gets me into trouble sometimes."

"Alright." After pouring herself a glass, Jessica sat down and the two began to eat quietly. "Daisy...you wanted to talk. Let's do that."

"Okay." Putting her fork down, Daisy took a deep breath. "I have a lot to say, Jessica, and I don't know where to start…"

Jessica recognized how scared Daisy was. Putting her hand on the other woman's, she smiled. "Let's start by enjoying this dinner we have here while you tell me how things are with Lance and how your job is going. When you're done, I'll tell you about how Aubrey and I got engaged."

Daisy smiled. "Sounds good."

For the next forty minutes, Daisy talked about the NFL and the challenges she'd faced along with the wins. In turn, Jessica told the story of how Aubrey tracked her down at the Lincoln Memorial after she'd fled West Virginia in a panic.

Daisy sipped her water. "Jessica, Aubrey probably almost had a coronary when he saw that you'd left the hospital AMA."

"He did…" She proceeded to talk about their discussion and their proposals in the rain, including almost losing the ring down the steps.

As Jessica concluded the story, Daisy cracked up laughing. "Only you two would do that. I'm sure that once you got home there was a lot of make up slash engagement sex."

"There was and it was really good. We set the date for June, but because his friend Rodney is going on sabbatical in the UK this summer, we moved the wedding up to April 14th. It's been a crazy few weeks getting things set up."

"Did you ask Angela to help?" Daisy cut into her chicken. "She's really good at that stuff. Did you know she got Dr. B and Booth's wedding together in a matter of hours and it was so beautiful…"

"Yeah, we did. That's a story in itself but she's done a lot for us." Jessica finished off her wine. Pouring a second glass, she was interrupted by the phone buzzing. Looking down, she saw the text message and giggled.

Is it okay if I go have dinner w Booth at FF? Have some wedding stuff 2 go over.

"Aubrey is making sure we didn't kill each other, Daisy...how sweet." Picking up her phone, she sent a reply. Daisy & I r fine. Go eat w your best man. C u at home. Be prepared 2 b w/o pants l8r.

Aubrey's response was a series of emojis with hearts and thumbs up. Setting her phone down, she led the way towards the living room. "Would you like some wine now?"

"Yes, please." Receiving a glass of the light red wine, Daisy sipped as she composed her thoughts. "I'm so sorry for everything that has happened for the last several months, Jessica. My crappy attitude...me dragging you into my drama...always whining to you about stupid stuff...interrupting your vacations...barging in right after you brought Aubrey home from the hospital...not treating you like a best friend should be treated and appreciated. I took you for granted...I was jealous of you, which is stupid...once I got my head out of my butt, I missed you so much and I wanted to talk to you so many times, but I was afraid you would tell me off, which you have the right to do…"

Jessica watched her friend burst into tears. Taking her glass out of her hand, she set it down and hugged her friend. "I missed you, too Dais…"

The two friends hugged and cried for a few minutes until breaking apart. Jessica grabbed the Kleenex from the coffee table and offered it to Daisy, who took one before she did the same.

"Jessica...can I tell you what happened after our fight?"

The redhead saw her friend staring at her hands and knew whatever she wanted to talk about was probably painful. "Daisy, you don't have to-"

"Yes I do. I have to talk about it because ignoring it for so long got me into trouble."

"Okay." Jessica sipped her wine. "Take your time, Daisy."

The brunette sipped her wine and started to explain. "I was so angry and drunk during our fight. When I found out about you talking to Oliver, I blamed you for turning him against me, which was...dumb. Oliver...he helped me forget that my marriage was falling apart…but what we were doing before Gerald Maxwell went after you all...it wasn't right."

Blowing her nose, she composed herself. "Let me start over...when Lance died, I focused on our baby, keeping my feelings buried because I needed to be a mom to our son. When he was born, I was happy to have so many friends to support us, but then things like his first smile...his first laugh...his daddy wasn't there to see, and it hurt so much. I dated here and there, but I just couldn't get interested in anyone because I'd always compare them to my Lancelot. Oliver and I...I don't know what to call what we were. We'd flirted, argued, and always picked at each other. He challenged me...something that I hadn't felt since I lost Lance and...I went for it, and it blew up in my face when he flipped out on me the next day. I felt like I was abandoned all over again, which was stupid because I had Dr. B, Booth, Angela, Hodgins...you...even Aubrey. I wasn't alone...but I felt so empty."

"But then you met Beau when you moved into your new condo."

"Yeah...and he...reminded me of Lance. Not the intelligent, genius stuff, but the kindness, gentleness...the way he was with my son...he reminded me of that fairy tale I thought I would live with Lancelot until he died." Daisy wiped her eyes. "When Oliver came to me right before we got married, I almost gave in but then he couldn't tell me that he wanted me...that he needed me. Just that I deserved better...and...I was so...angry that I told him off and decided that if he didn't appreciate me, that I would be with someone who would."

"Well, you deserve that, Daisy."

"Yeah, I do, but my heart wasn't into being married to Beau. I was so...blinded by my fantasies and I think to a point, yes, wanting to spite Oliver. I convinced myself that I could make Beau smarter and change him into what I needed, but...that was wrong. He wanted a housewife and a large family and he thought I would change in time. We weren't being fair to each other. I'm just sorry it took so long for me to see that."

"Sounds like you did a lot of soul searching, Dais."

"You could say that." Daisy nodded. "When I got home that night and saw that Beau not only knew everything, but had also left me, I felt...abandoned, desperate...ugly...useless...alone. I was just so pissed off, not just at you, but the whole world. For the next several days, when I wasn't home with my son or working, I was drunk, blaming everyone but myself for what was going wrong in my life. Then, March 14th arrived…"

Jessica had a realization. "Sweets' birthday…"

"I tried to talk to Booth and Dr B, but they were always busy. Now, I know it was because you were all preparing for that undercover stuff you were doing in West Virginia. That night, after I dropped Lance off to Hodgins and Angela for a sleepover, I went home and polished off a bottle of wine while looking at old pictures of me and Lancelot. I may have ripped a few of them...burned a couple of things in my fireplace, all while screaming at the world. I don't know why I didn't wake up my son...that's a miracle, I guess. I vaguely remember cracking open another bottle of Merlot but it gets fuzzy after that. Next thing I remember, I wake up on the floor, surrounded by ripped pictures, empty bottles, and a huge streak of red vomit on my nice carpet."

"Oooohhh…," Jessica groaned. "You must have felt like shit."

"Oh I did, Jessica. I got up and went into the bathroom and I looked a mess. As I continued to look at my smeared makeup, the dark circles and bags under my eyes, my hair all over the place, the vomit on my sweater...I had an epiphany. 'Daisy', I said, '...either get yourself together or you're going to die, leaving your little boy all alone…'"

A fresh batch of tears fell down Daisy's face. "Once I realized that, I took a shower and cleaned myself up. Then, I taped together the pictures that I couldn't reprint. I cleaned up the vomit, and then let myself cry, really cry for Lancelot. I'd never let myself do that before then."

"So sorry, Daisy…"

"Don't be. Once I got myself together, I found a card Booth gave me a while back...it was a grief support group he knew of that was at the same place his GA meetings were. He said a few people in his group also attended those meetings. I was so scared to speak, but I did and it...was like a release to be there with those people who knew how I was feeling. Afterwards, Susan, who ran the group, gave me the number to her office so I could start counseling one on one. Then, I called my boss and arranged a two week sabbatical."

"Where did you go?"

"The Outer Banks again. Same house...Lance enjoyed the beach...and I enjoyed the quiet as I decided what to do about my marriage."

Jessica prodded carefully. "What are you going to do about Beau?"

Daisy exhaled. "After I talked to Aubrey, I met up with a real estate agent who showed me a house down the street from here that I would like to buy."

"Wait, that brick house on the corner?" When Daisy nodded, Jessica smiled. "It's a beautiful old house. It needs some work but it's also going for $700,000 right now, Honey. Can you afford that?"

"Well, I have some money left over from Lancelot's insurance policy from the FBI that I received as his beneficiary. Beau...paid off my student loans for me, so I'm out from under that. Between the insurance and my savings, I have enough for a down payment. I was pre-approved for a mortgage on Friday afternoon. That house is amazing, so I made a bid for $650,000, which will probably be turned down, but I have to try."

Jessica put the pieces together. "So if you're buying a house on your own…"

"I told Beau that I wanted a divorce." Daisy shrugged as she stared into her glass. "It's the right thing to do…"

"Aubrey ran into Beau yesterday at Founding Fathers." Jessica exhaled slowly. "He said he wanted to work things out, though. How did he take it?"

"Pissed off...angry. He greeted me with a kiss, and went on a long spiel about how he forgave me for what happened with Oliver, and about how his parents had encouraged him to give our marriage another try before finally saying he was ready for us to get back together. Of course, I told him no and that I wanted a divorce, and he got frustrated. First, he was like 'Daisy, I said I would forgive you for cheating on me with Oliver'. When I didn't budge, he said that with him running Pixler's he would be home now. When I told him that nothing was going to change my mind, he said I was a quitter for giving up on their marriage and taking his son away from him. I told him he could still be part of his life, but Beau wasn't having it. He said he was going to change my mind and win me back."

"Really?" Jessica sipped her wine. "Do you know what he's going to do?"

"No, but I met this morning with a divorce attorney Ms. Julian recommended and then I filed. Beau should be getting the papers either tomorrow or this weekend."

"So are you staying at the condo?"

Daisy shook her head. "No. I talked to Hodgins and Angela and they said we could stay with them in their guest house until I find a place, since it's close to my job, so I packed up my stuff and Lance's and dropped everything off before meeting up with you."

"I'm sorry, Daisy, for how things turned out."

"I am, too. I wanted to stay friends with him because he's such a good father to my son, but Beau wants all or nothing. We can't stay together, Jessica. I hope he understands that in time before he does something crazy to win me back." Daisy looked up at Jessica and smiled. "You and Aubrey can still be friends with him...it's okay. Invite him to the wedding if you want to."

Jessica combed through her hair. "Well, Aubrey invited him to his bachelor party."

Daisy nodded. "I'm glad Aubrey did that. I think Beau needs friends right now."

"Why?"

"His parents are not only retiring but they're also leaving town. Beau said Martin and Denise decided they needed a fresh start, so they're going on a world cruise. After that, who knows."

"So Beau's is taking over as CEO of Pixler's, right? That's what he told Aubrey."

"Yeah. He let the Roughriders know that he's turning down their offer and he's retiring from the NFL. He said he wanted to help his parents move forward, so he's going to be based here in DC now."

"I'm sorry, Daisy.," Jessica said again.

"Don't be, Jessica. I'm not. I mean...I'm sorry I hurt Beau and that we're getting a divorce. However, I'm finally moving forward with my life...something I should have done over two years ago. Lance and I are going to be okay." Daisy took her friend's hand. "Are we going to be okay?"

"Yeah, we are." The women hugged again. "My bridal shower and bachelorette party are both on Saturday if you want to make one or both. The shower is here and we're...having a slumber party for my bachelorette party. All the details are on Facebook and I can have Dr. B send you an invite. Oh, the wedding is at my family vineyard up in Rappahannock County and I'm inviting you to attend."

"Oh, that sounds so much fun! I'm also not missing you and Aubrey getting married for anything." Daisy leaned back in her chair. "Now, tell me about your wedding plans…"

Over the next few hours, the friends caught each other up on things, happy to be together again. Skinner even sat down near Daisy and let her pet him, sensing his mistress was safe.

At 9:00, Daisy looked at her phone. "I should be getting home. Billy is watching Lance and Michael Vincent right now and I don't want to take advantage of him while he's visiting."

"Isn't it cool when you can say Billy Gibbons is babysitting your son?," Jessica said as she grabbed Daisy's leftovers and handed them to her.

"It is…," Daisy replied as the door opened. Turning towards it, the two women saw Aubrey walk in and hang up his coat. "Hey, Aubrey."

Aubrey set his bag down and took off his tie. "Hey Daisy. So...how are things, ladies?"

Jessica greeted her fiance with a kiss. "Things are very good, Superman. Did you enjoy your dinner with Booth?"

"Yeah, we got a lot of wedding stuff done...you know, bachelor party...my suit...you know…groom stuff."

"I'm glad.," Jessica said drolly as she walked Daisy to the door. "I'll text Dr. B to send you an invite. You just need to RSVP with which of the things you're going to."

"Both of course, Jessica. Maybe we can do lunch tomorrow?"

"That would be fun. Night, Dais." Jessica hugged her friend and waved as Daisy walked out the door. Shutting it, she turned to the lanky man as he drank from a bottle of water. "Thank you, Aubrey, for playing with Booth for a while so we could talk."

Aubrey met up with her and they hugged before giving each other a peck on the lips. "Of course, Jess. It sounds like Daisy is getting her shit together."

"She definitely is moving forward and I'm happy for her. However, I'm ready to move forward, too, Aubrey."

Jessica's proximity and her flirtatious smile caused Aubrey to have an immediate reaction. "What are you thinking, Ms. Warren?"

"Something fun…" Jessica's hands moved down and very deftly undid Aubrey's belt and zipper. "Ooooh, seems like you want to do something fun, too. Now drop your pants, Agent."

"Oh yeah…" Aubrey quickly pulled his pants and boxers off, leaving them in a pile at his feet. He then moved in and they kissed while their hands roamed. "Jessica…"

"Yes, Aubrey…," the redhead sensuously replied as he backed her towards the couch.

A horny Aubrey responded by pulling up Jessica's dress and sliding his hands underneath her lingerie to cup her rear end. "Drop your panties...now."

"Sure…" She had barely got them on the floor when her fiance picked her up and collapsed with her on the couch. She kissed him as she felt his hands push up her outfit past her waist. "You sure...oohhhhh…."

Aubrey grinned as his fingers worked their magic on his lover. "What was that?"

"Oh, just fuck me, Aubrey!"

She didn't wait long for him to enter her and after a few minutes of frantic coupling, they climaxed together on the couch. After a minute, they smiled at each other until Aubrey smirked.

"Damn...that was pretty fun...didn't even get my shirt or your dress off...I need to help you reconcile a friendship more often."

"I'm sure we'll find another occasion to screw on our couch, James Aubrey." Jessica giggled as Aubrey traded places with her. Laying her head on his chest, they lay together in the quiet for a while before they grew sleepy.

"Superman, we're going to fall asleep on the couch again...this time half naked.," Jessica mumbled into her fiance as Skinner jumped up on the back of the furniture.

"We're fine...got an alarm...all is good…," Aubrey mumbled.

"Aubrey...we don't have any pants on…"

The agent stroked her head and snuggled her close as he used his phone to shut off the lamp in the living room. "Ssshhhh...nap time…"

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

It was the Saturday morning of the combo shower and bachelorette party, and Brennan was feeling somewhat unsettled as she thought through her list once again. Her unease wasn't put to rest when her husband sauntered into the bedroom wearing a cocky grin.

"So...um...ready for the big day, I see…"

"Booth!" Wearing only her bra and panties, Brennan stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at him with irritation. "Isn't it time for you to leave? I need to finish getting ready and pick up the cake before I go by the liquor store…"

"Okay, okay…" Chuckling at his wife's frustration, he eyed her scantily clad form appreciatively before calmly checking his own list again. "It's only ten, Bones. I'll be shoving off soon…"

"How soon is soon?" Aggravated, she groaned loudly as she took some clothes out of her closet. "I have things to do, and you're in the way."

"I think someone's a little nervous about hosting a wedding shower, and it seems like she's taking it out on her husband." Smiling happily, he embraced her and gave her a kiss. "It's gonna be fine, Bones. Everybody's gonna have a great time…you're really good at the logistical stuff, and Jessica's gonna be happy with everything..."

She sighed softly as she wrapped her arms around him. "I hope so. However, this is the first wedding shower I've hosted, and I'm concerned that I might do something...socially unacceptable…"

"Nah...hen parties like that are pretty much 'anything goes', okay? Besides, if nobody gets arrested, it'll automatically be better than the bachelorette party Angela gave you."

Narrowing her eyes at him, she pretended to pout. "Are you insinuating that I'm competing with Angela and her ability to give parties?"

"Bones, you're a very competitive person…" He paused as his phone rang. "Booth…oh, hey, Hodgins…"

"Hey...I was wondering if it would be okay if I brought Oliver Wells to Aubrey's party. He's in town for a few days on a visit from the rehab facility, and I feel bad about not spending time with him. Besides, if I get drunk out of my gourd, he can help me with my chair…and he's doing pretty well. He has his cane still, but he's made enough progress so that I think he'll be alright."

"Sure...I don't see why not. The more, the merrier, right?," Booth agreed. "Maybe if he's able he can play Aerial Attack with Aubrey. See you two in a couple of hours." Pocketing his phone, he gave his wife another kiss. "Okay, I'll get out of your hair. See you tomorrow, Bones…"

"Remember...don't bring Aubrey home before noon…" She winked at him with a sly grin. "...and you may want to call ahead to make sure we're all clothed…"

"That's no fun...I'd much rather catch all of you in your pjs...that is...if we don't do a panty raid tonight." He laughed as she playfully swatted his arm. "I'll see you tomorrow…love you…"

"I love you, too, Booth...have fun!"

"We will...you, too. Bye."

Jogging out to the SUV, Booth hopped in and pulled out his phone again. "Let's see...we've had the keg delivered...I've been by Red Box for some Stooges movies...picked up the drones...got the noisemakers...so I just need to go get some snacks and chips before going to get Aubrey. "

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

Aubrey came down the stairs with an overnight bag. "I don't like this overnight idea, Jessica. I don't like the fact that I can't sleep with you tonight. I sleep so much better when I'm next to you..."

"Aubrey, you're going to be having too much fun at your bachelor party to be thinking about me.," Jessica chuckled while straightening up the living room.

"I'll be thinking about you, Jess." Aubrey unzipped his bag and pulled out a ripped pair of black panties. "I'll be definitely thinking about you later on…when it's dark and quiet...and these are gonna help me..."

"OMG, Aubrey! Those are my panties from your birthday six months ago…you better not let anyone else see those!" Jessica giggled. "You're such a perv, James Aubrey."

"Yeah, but I'm your perv and after next weekend, I'll be your husband, too." Putting his bag down, he took Jessica in his arms. "So what kind of gifts do you think we'll get at the shower?"

"I'm not sure if we'll get that air fryer toaster oven thingy you were in love with at Bed, Bath & Beyond or any of those other other gadgets you put on the registry there. Don't you think you went a little overboard on those kitchen things?"

"Come on, they're cool. If they don't, maybe we can get them later."

"Perhaps. I may get some fun honeymoon things...like lingerie…"

"Ooohhh, I like that. You won't need to pack much for our honeymoon, Jess, but you can never have too much lingerie." Aubrey smirked as his hand rubbed her posterior. "Hey, maybe we can get a quickie in before-"

"Aubrey...stop...we don't have time…" She moaned softly as he pulled her close. "Okay...maybe a little bit of time…"

Nibbling at her neck, Aubrey whispered in her ear as he caressed her breasts. "We have just enough time…"

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

It was a quarter past eleven when Booth pulled into the driveway of Aubrey's house. He was running a little behind schedule, but he figured the guest of honor wouldn't mind. Knocking on the door, he waited for a minute or two…

...and then waited a few minutes more. "What the hell?" He pounded on the door. "Aubrey...I know you're in there! Leave Jessica alone and let's get going!"

Interrupted by their noisy visitor, Jessica gently caressed an annoyed Aubrey's face before going to the door. Checking the monitor, she opened it to greet Booth. "Hi there…"

"Hey, Jessica. Is Aubrey ready to go?"

"Hey, Booth." Aubrey muttered, not happy that his plans for a quickie were interrupted. He blushed as he self consciously checked the zipper on his jeans. "Sorry I kept you waiting...I was just giving Jess some last minute instructions about how to feed Skinner…"

"Yeah...sure. I bet." Rolling his eyes, Booth nodded at Jessica. "I'm pretty sure she knows how to take care of things around here, so grab your bag and let's vamoose. We're running late…"

Jessica waved as she saw another car pull into the driveway. "Oh, there's Dr. B…"

"Hello, Ms. Warren.," the matron of honor said as she walked toward the front door, followed by Andie and Daisy. "We've come prepared to have a good time. Look…" Each held boxes, along with food for the bridal shower.

"Bones must be planning for an army to come to the shower.," Booth chuckled when he saw all the packages. "Come on, Aubrey. We're being kicked out."

"Well, I think it's important to have everything ready for our guests this afternoon." Brennan pulled out two Pyrex dishes out of the box she carried. "I do need to heat these vegetarian and vegan lasagnas later."

Aubrey salivated as he took in the wonderful aromas. He wasn't crazy about vegetarian food, but the anthropologist's lasagna was always good. "Oh, save me some…not the vegan with the soy cheese...just the other one."

Brennan opened her mouth to defend the vegan cuisine but stopped at her husband's silent direction. "We'll see what we can do."

"Okay, Aubrey...get out." Andie gestured with her thumb before joining the other women in the kitchen. "It's women only as of now and you can't return until 12 noon tomorrow. Wendell will see you at your party. He's helping set up right now."

"But I need to make sure Jessica has things under control. What if the electricity goes off, or maybe the heater won't come on?"

"Quit being such a worry wart." Rolling his eyes, Booth pointed at Jessica. "She's a genius, right? So let's get a move on..."

"Right. Okay, then." Smiling, Aubrey gave Jessica a kiss. "Don't be too wild and crazy, okay? Remember...we're just renting the place…"

"We'll be fine. I promise the house will still be structurally sound when you get home." Jessica playfully pushed her fiance' out the door. "Take good care of him, Booth…"

"I will. Have fun with your party. Bones is really looking forward to it."

"So am I. See you tomorrow." Jessica gave Aubrey a kiss. "Just relax and have fun, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Come on, Groom. It's time to celebrate..." Booth picked up Aubrey's bag, which caused the black panties to slide to the floor. Pointing to the offending item, the agent cringed and shook his head. "I'm not even going to ask why you had those in your bag. In fact, I don't want to know anything about them."

"They're Jessica's, Booth.," Aubrey responded to his friend's cringe, putting them back in the bag before picking it up.

"I said I didn't want to know, Aubrey." Booth barked as he followed the future groom out the door to his SUV. Punching his friend's arm lightly, Booth grinned as he climbed into the truck and started it up. "Okay, buddy. Let's go say goodbye to bachelorhood."