So our favorite couple is heading out of town to enjoy the rest of their honeymoon. What adventures await them? Read on to find out.
Take note: there are some M rated sections in this chapter, for honeymoon hijinks. Be cautious if reading at work.
April 16, 4:00 PM
"I thought we'd never get here. The grocery store was nuts!" Aubrey sighed as Jessica turned onto the road leading to their cabin. "At least the traffic was light on our trip here from DC, although Skinner was pretty pissy most of the way."
"I guess we shouldn't be surprised that people were doing last minute shopping for their holiday dinners." The redhead expertly maneuvered her Jeep on the single lane dirt road. "But now we have plenty of food for this week and stuff for Skinner, too."
"Yeah, I guess so, although I still think buying cat shampoo and that fancy comb wasn't necessary. He's going to have extra stuff when we get home." Aubrey looked back at the cat, who was currently napping.
"The shampoo is 100% natural without any weird chemicals and I just had a vibe, Aubrey. If we don't use those things, we'll have some backup when we get home." Jessica saw the River Woods sign and cheered. "Yay! We're here!"
Aubrey sipped his Coke. "Good. I'm getting hungry."
Rolling her eyes, the redhead continued navigating the long driveway. "Superman, when aren't you hungry?"
"When I'm screwing my very sexy wife.," Aubrey replied without hesitation. "Duh…"
The couple laughed as they pulled up to the luxurious log cabin. Getting out for a minute to stretch their legs, they looked around, as amazed by the setting's natural beauty as they had been during their last visit. Aubrey picked up the cat carrier as Jessica grabbed Skinner's box of food, litter, and toys before the two made their way up the steps to the front porch. Unlocking the door, the agent held it open for Jessica and once again, the couple admired their temporary home.
The cabin had a high ceiling that was open to the upstairs portion of the building. The leather couch where they'd had sex during their last visit was the same, as were the two chairs. The television was larger than last time, but for the most part, the living room was unchanged. After letting their cat out of his carrier, the two went into the kitchen and noted the sub zero fridge and spacious eating area.
"Remember our last breakfast in this kitchen, Jess?" Aubrey pointed out the stove. "We had a good time on that counter top."
"I remember." Smiling at the New Year's weekend memory, Jessica smiled. "That was a lot of fun."
Grabbing the rest of their stuff from the Jeep, the couple shut the door they'd left slightly ajar and locked it. As Jessica put food in Skinner's bowl and got his litter box situated on the top floor, Aubrey put the groceries away.
Coming back downstairs, Jessica looked around the living area. "Superman, have you seen Skinner? I want to show him where his litter box is."
"He's probably hiding somewhere. He can explore for a while before we show him everything.," Aubrey said, taking his wife into his arms and nibbling on her neck. "Now, that bedroom is calling our names, Jessica…"
"Damn, you are a horny boy…" Jessica moaned as Aubrey's hand made its way under her blouse and onto her breast while she unzipped his pants. "Oh, that feels amazing…"
"It'll be even better when I get my mouth on it...wow…" Aubrey groaned as Jessica's left hand rubbed him up and down inside of his boxer shorts. Reaching his limit, he hefted his laughing wife onto his shoulder and walked them into the master bedroom. "Okay, Jess, time for sex."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Two hours later, Aubrey and Jessica lay in bed, enjoying the quiet. "I'm liking this part of our honeymoon, Superman."
"Me, too." Aubrey kissed his wife's head before looking around the room. "The cabin hasn't changed much since we were here last. Hopefully one night this week it'll get chilly enough so we can use one of the fireplaces."
"That would be nice." Jessica snuggled closer. "So, are we going anywhere tonight?"
"Nope." Aubrey flipped his wife over, to her giggling. "This is our honeymoon, Jessica, and I want to spend as much time in this bed as possible with my wife of two days."
"As much as I want that, too, Superman, we still have to eat, pee, and also feed Skinner." Jessica looked at the clock. "It's almost 7:00."
Aubrey groaned as Jessica got out of bed. "Jess…where are you going?"
"I'm getting hungry, husband of mine. Now, we've got less than two hrs of daylight left if you want to grill the steaks or seafood tonight. If not, I can make some pasta and salad."
Aubrey dug under the covers for his boxer shorts and put them on. "Carbs might be good. Make sure there's also meat though. We need sustenance for the plans I have tonight for you."
Jessica found her lingerie wadded up at the end of the bed. "Good thinking. While you start dinner, I'll go find Skinner and show him where his box is."
"Me?"
Jessica, now clad in her bra and panties, found her jeans and put them on. "You're the one who wants meat for dinner, James. Hop to it. The sooner we eat, the sooner we can test out your stamina."
"Fine, woman…I'll do the cooking." Aubrey pulled on his jeans with a sigh. Heading into the kitchen, he fried up a package of lean ground beef while heating up the puttanesca sauce Dr. B had given them the day before. As the meat finished cooking, he fondly recalled last week's sexy pasta night in their kitchen.
Food never tasted as good as it did when he licked and nibbled it off his wife's delicate skin. Maybe tonight they'd have Round Two with the whole wheat spaghetti they planned to eat. "The best dessert always comes with dinner."
His pleasant recollections were interrupted by Jessica calling Skinner's name repeatedly. Putting the meat aside, he turned off the burner as his wife entered the kitchen.
"Aubrey, have you seen Skinner? I can't find him anywhere."
Turning to his wife, he saw the panic in her eyes. "Jess, I'm sure he's hiding upstairs."
"No, he's not. I've looked in every nook and cranny of this cabin, Aubrey...even behind the toilets in the bathrooms." Looking down at his food and water dish, she grew more alarmed. "He hasn't even touched his food. That is not like him at all…do you think he got out?"
"He never goes outside anymore…" Aubrey exhaled sharply. "…but we're somewhere new with lots of critters and birds he can stalk. Shit!"
"What if an animal gets to him?" Jessica trotted to the bedroom to get her shoes and returned to the kitchen. "I'm going to look for him outside."
"I'm right behind you. Let me go put a shirt and some socks on."
Splitting up, the couple searched the immediate area around the cabin, their fear escalating with every passing minute. Finally, they split up to search the woods behind the cabin, both of them scared, hoping that they'd find him alive and well instead locating his remains.
"Skinner, I love you, but if you get yourself killed and upset your mom, I'm not going to be happy with you…damn brat…," Aubrey muttered as he looked behind a tree. As he searched under some bushes, his frustration that had been building soon grew into fear. "Skinner…quit hiding. You're scaring Daddy now…come on, Buddy. If you come out, I'll give you extra treats…"
Hearing some rustling behind him, Aubrey's heart was in his throat. "Great, now Skinner and I will both get eaten by some big ass black bear on my honeymoon. At least I got laid first..."
Aubrey took a deep breath as he turned around. However, instead of the large animal he expected, he saw a familiar ball of orange fur, his sleek coat covered in mud, twigs, and thorns. "Skinner…oh thank God it's you…oh crap, what did you get into?"
Pulling off his Green Day sweatshirt, Aubrey gently scooped him up, his heart breaking over the cat's discomfort. "Poor little guy…you put a scare in your mom, that's for sure. Come on, let's get you back in the cabin and clean you up."
Slowly walking out of the woods, he encountered his wife. "Jess, I found him."
The redhead saw the bundle in her husband's arms and raced over. "Skinner…oh, poor baby. Now, do you still think that the cat shampoo and comb was a wasted purchase?"
Aubrey nodded in defeat as they entered the cabin. "Nope. I should know better than to laugh at your vibes, dear wife of mine."
Jessica came out of the kitchen carrying the bag with the needed items. "I'll go fill the tub upstairs so he won't get spooked."
"Good idea." After the redhead disappeared, he looked down at the cat. "Please don't give us a hard time. After all, you brought this on yourself...silly kitty."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Twenty minutes later, Aubrey and Jessica were dealing with an irritated cat, who was yowling loudly and trying to squirm away as they washed his matted fur and combed off the thorns into the water.
"Skinner, stop it! I know you hate baths but you're the one who got a wild hare and went outside. You never do that at home!," Aubrey admonished as he gently combed the struggling feline.
"Okay, got most of the mud out…ugh!" Using her arm, Jessica wiped away the dirty water and soap suds that Skinner had splashed in her face. "Yuck."
"You know, one day we may be washing one of our kids like this after they run away from home and play in a mud puddle.," Aubrey chuckled.
"You're probably right. I guess practice makes perfect." Jessica's irritation faded into amusement as well. Grabbing a towel, she laughed. "Happy honeymoon, James."
The agent smiled back as he combed out the rest of the thorns. "Happy honeymoon, Jessica."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
At 11:00 PM the tired couple was lying in bed, experiencing another bit of afterglow after their latest escapade. "This has sure been an interesting day, Aubrey."
Aubrey's hand gently traced Jessica's back. "It has. An amazing brunch at a fancy hotel, the cat ran away and scared the shit out of us…but at least we were able to eat dinner eventually."
"The spaghetti with meat and Dr. B's sauce was good." Jessica smiled happily. "Not as fun without our porno pasta, but I enjoyed it."
"Spaghetti is always good with you, Jess." Aubrey smiled as he stroked her hair. "So, I call for a lazy day tomorrow. Make love, breakfast...make love...lunch...make love again…" Aubrey continued to Jessica's snickers. "Dinner, then of course…"
"Make love…"
"No, dessert.," Aubrey quipped. "What do you think I am, some sex machine?"
"Yeah...yeah, I do, Agent Aubrey." Jessica laid her head on her husband's chest. "Unless you would prefer to turn in for the night…"
"Eventually, but right now, this sex machine has work to do.," Aubrey growled, flipping them over on the bed to Jessica's laughter.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Tuesday was sunny in the Shenandoah Valley as early morning came along. Outside of a large log cabin, birds converged at the feeders while nearby, a woodpecker drilled into a tree.
Inside of the large kitchen, two bowls and four plates sat in the sink with two dirty pans on the stove from the night before. The living room remained untouched as it had been on Sunday afternoon with the exception of a Green Day concert t-shirt on the floor and a pair of boxer shorts leading towards the master bedroom.
In the master bedroom, two wine glasses sat on a large nightstand along with an empty bottle of Pinot Noir. Next to that was a fondue machine, an empty bag of chocolate melting squares and two used dinner plates sitting beside it. On the other side of the room, a cat sat on the dresser and watched out the window, his tail twitching as he stalked his prey from the safety of the dwelling while he ignored the loud noises coming from his owners and the bed they were currently occupying.
"Oh God…James…yes!," Jessica, on her hands and knees with her head just a couple inches from the bed, yelled as her legs wrapped behind Aubrey's legs.
"Christ…wow…this...feels…really good…," Aubrey, on his knees, panted as he thrust into her from behind. "Holy…shit…"
Suddenly, Aubrey felt his wife shudder before she let out a long, satisfied moan. It only took two more thrusts before he exploded into her. Both panted heavily while gathering their bearings before collapsing on the bed, facing each other.
"Wow, Superman…we're so doing that again…," Jessica giggled.
"Damn right we are…wow…that felt…amazing…" Aubrey gently rubbed his wife's arm, ignoring the sweat they created. "I've always loved your athleticism in the morning, Jess."
"And I've always enjoyed your stamina, Superman." Jessica combed back Aubrey's damp hair. "You know, for the most part, this has been a really fun honeymoon...even though we haven't even left the cabin yet."
Hearing short meows, Aubrey looked over at Skinner, whose tail was flicking loudly against the furniture. "Well, except when we had to go outside after he got out..."
"It was a little bit our fault, Aubrey, since we left the door open. I'm just glad he came back." Jessica saw Aubrey's scowl. "Superman, he was probably more scared than we were."
"Yeah, I'm sure he was…but he's still on my shit list."
"No, he's not. You're still worried about him, but he's alright now, and that's what's important." Jessica tilted her head to look him in the eye. "Remember what you said Sunday night as we cleaned him up?"
"That we may experience something similar with one of our children someday?" Aubrey grinned at the thought. "Yeah, I do, but I think we have a little bit of time before that sort of thing, Jess."
Jessica climbed up on her husband. "Yeah, I think waiting until I have my PhD, which hopefully will be December of next year, and me being settled into a job before trying for a mini-Aubrey is a good thing, Superman. Until then, my birth control is our best friend, especially yesterday when my very horny husband barely let us leave this room."
"Oh, you liked it and you know it." Aubrey groaned as his wife began moving over him. "Jessica, keep sitting on me like that and we'll have that first child sooner than you think."
"I took my pill before going to sleep last night, Superman." Jessica traced a finger down her husband's damp chest. "Now, I think today we should go on a wine tour."
"Isn't that where we go to try a lot of different wines, like at your family's vineyard, right?," Aubrey chuckled. "Sounds more like a wine crawl…is it going to be like last summer when we did that one bar crawl in Dupont Circle?"
"Somewhat. Of course, we'll be careful so we don't get buzzed since we have to drive." Jessica smiled. "We can hit some familiar places, but Jack said there are a lot of new places in the area that are really good."
Aubrey's hands slowly moved up from her hips to caress her abdomen. "But...I like it here in our cabin...with you naked…on top of me...or in front of me where I can see your awesome ass..."
Jessica chuckled at Aubrey's whimpering. "I like being naked with you, too, Superman, but it would be nice to venture out and see some of the area while we're here. I haven't had the chance to explore around here in a long time."
Aubrey sighed. "Damn...I thought we would have until at least the end of the honeymoon…the magic is gone..."
Perplexed, Jessica touched Aubrey's face. "What are you talking about?"
"My sexual magnetism...you've lost interest...damn it, our marriage is over already…" Aubrey puffed out an exaggerated sigh.
Jessica bit her lip as she chuckled. "Shut up, Aubrey."
"Well, it's obvious. I've granted you multiple orgasms and other special favors since Friday evening...gave you the privilege of my sexual talents...and now you're bored with me...you'd prefer to get drunk at vineyards rather than ride my very impressive light saber. Hell, what does an FBI agent have to do to get laid on his honeymoon-hey!"
Jessica hit her husband with the pillow. "Quit whining, Aubrey!"
"Whining? Whining? I'll show you whining, woman!" Aubrey flipped her over onto her back. "Now, who's the whiner?"
"Not me...but I'll make you beg and whimper." Taking her husband by surprise, Jessica flipped them over so he was on his back, the blanket now kicked to the end of the bed. "Now...it's my turn."
"Man, when you take charge, it makes me really hot…"
"Good." Nibbling on his neck, she made a trail of kisses down Aubrey's chest and abdomen. "How about I give you another pick me up this morning…and then we go on a wine tour today. A lot of the places have excellent food."
"Yeah…" The agent shuddered as her lips were replaced by her tongue as it gently traced down his pelvis, iliac crest, and finally his shaft. When her tongue became her lips enveloping him, he groaned loudly as his fingers wound in her hair. "Damn woman...oh….whatever….you want...fuck…I love being married to you, Jessica..."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
After a large breakfast and a long shower, the couple fed Skinner and left the cabin at 10:00. Aubrey let Jessica drive due to her familiarity with the area and soon they were on State Route 211.
"This is a nice area, Jess." Aubrey looked out the window and once again admired the scenery. "Do you think we can do that Skyline Drive on Thursday? You know, the one we keep passing when we drive here?"
"I would love to do that, Superman, and then we can explore Luray for a few hours. We can always grab dinner in town before heading back to the cabin." Jessica sighed softly. "The Skyline Drive is really nice in the fall when all the leaves change color. Maybe we can visit in October."
"Sounds like a plan, Jess." Aubrey calculated another weekend trip to the area in his head. "Maybe we can visit your brothers today, too?"
"We can stop at Saoirse Finn if you like. Jack and Greg will give us crap, but we'll score the family discount on wine." Jessica pulled into Dogtown Wineries. "This place is new. Let's check it out."
"Cool." Getting out of the Jeep, Aubrey chuckled as they saw the statues of different dogs marking the trail to the front door. "Skinner would be pissed if he saw this."
Laughing, they walked in and saw one other couple there. "So, we just go up to the bar and ask to taste wine?," Aubrey asked.
"Yep, most give you a number of tastings for like $5.00 or something like that, then we buy what we want." After being greeted by the girl at the counter and given two order forms and pencils, the couple went to work. "So Superman, do you want to try sweet or dry wines?"
"I think I'm going to mix it up." Aubrey made a few selections on the order form, and soon they were given their first samples.
"First, Superman, eat a cracker to cleanse your palate." Jessica handed her husband an animal cracker to eat.
"Cool! Do all wineries offer cookies to snack on?"
"No. Most use special wine tasting crackers, but I know that some do oyster crackers and I've also seen pretzels or bananas. Saoirse Finn used to do wine tasting crackers but when Jack and Greg took over, they wanted something more fun, so they do animal crackers now, too."
"Here we go." Aubrey tried the wine and thought it wasn't too bad. "Jess, want to try this?"
Jessica shook her head before moving her glass towards him. "I'm not a big Moscato fan, but you can try my Pinot Grigio if you want."
After trying their samples and picking out two bottles, the couple got in and got back on the road. "I'm getting hungry…"
Jessica giggled. "Well, the winery we're stopping at in a few minutes has a nice menu of munchies for you to choose from."
"Yay!"
Thirty minutes later, Aubrey enjoyed a glass of Cabernet Rose' with his snacks of pepperoni, crackers, Greek feta salad, three different cheeses, spinach and red pepper flatbread, a charcuterie board, and cherry jalapeno cheese dip.
Aubrey dumped some more of the pink dip on a cracker and chowed down. "This dip is amazing...and it comes from Michigan."
"Traverse City. Went to the Cherry Festival up there one summer. Gets pretty cra-cra, but it's really fun. The wine trails were really good up there, and Sleeping Bear Dunes was fun, too."
Aubrey thought for a moment before sipping his wine, trying to be nonchalant. "They have food at that festival, right?"
"Yeah, cherry slushies, cherry jams, cherry bread, cherry wine, cherry sausage, cherry beer…" Jessica smiled at Aubrey's obvious excitement. "You never went to it while you lived in Detroit?"
"Nope, too busy being a gung-ho rookie FBI agent." Aubrey munched on a pepperoni. "I think we should go one year, though, Jess."
"That would be nice." Jessica sipped her sparkling wine before spreading some cheese dip on a cracker. "Oh, the vineyard is starting another tour of this place in 20 minutes. Want to go walk off this food and the wine we drank?"
"Yeah, sounds good." Aubrey ate some cheese. "We can grab some of this cherry jalapeno dip to take home with us on the way out."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
After stopping at eight different wineries, eating many small meals, and buying 15 bottles of wine, the couple headed towards Saoirse Finn Vineyards. Looking in the backseat, Aubrey saw the two boxes holding their purchases.
"Well, we're well stocked on wine for a bit." Aubrey watched the road as his wife drove. "It's been fun today, but I guess I never realized how expensive it can be."
"Yeah, it can be if you don't budget carefully. That's why I try to make a once a year thing and set a limit...although you blew through that today.," Jessica laughed.
"I'm sorry. Those dessert wines at the last place are amazing, though.," Aubrey said. "I've never had that ice wine stuff before."
"I'm glad you enjoyed our trip today. Before we leave here, we should grab some wine for Booth and Dr. B to take home to them as a thank you for everything they did for us." Jessica pulled past the gates of Saoirse Finn Vineyards and drove down the long driveway towards the tasting room. "How about we have dinner tomorrow night at the Mimslyn Inn? I brought one of your favorite dresses."
"Sounds great, Jess. That'll be a dinner your mom can't crash." As Jessica drove, Aubrey admired the scenery. "It is beautiful here, Jess. You're lucky that you got to visit here as a kid."
"Yes, and all of us worked here in some capacity each summer...the fields...the distillery...and once we turned 21, even the tastings. It was fun, and it helped us appreciate what we have." Pulling up to the parking area, Jessica groaned when she saw the license plate of the one car in the lot.
"What, Jess?"
"Andrew Grimmel is here. Oh goody…"
"Okay, I'll bite. Who is Andrew Grimmel?"
"His dad is a county commissioner and friends with my dad." Jessica sighed softly. "He's also a pompous and annoying dick who likes to throw money around and flirt with all women he comes in contact with, including me. He's so skeezy."
Aubrey's eyes narrowed. "Maybe I should talk to him…"
"Aubrey, no. I mean, he's a blowhard, alright. He works for the ABC commission, so he's probably here to talk to Jack about our wines that are sold in the stores or maybe he's doing an inspection. It's fine. Come on, let's go inside." Jessica led the way to the main doors. "I was thinking later this week we could go on a picnic and hike on one of the trails, too. Thoughts?"
"If it involves food and you, I'm always there, Jess. Silly girl." Aubrey opened the door for his wife and they walked in. "Hey, the place looks pretty good for swimming in sewage a week earlier."
"Yeah, Jack said they paid the cleaners overtime to get it done by this weekend. Luckily, there was only minor damage, and the repairs were minimal, so they could open today."
Looking up from his post, Greg saw the couple walk in as he finished wiping down the counter. "Hey, you two? What are you doing here? I thought you were on your honeymoon."
"Well, we were out visiting several of the wineries in the area, and Aubrey wanted to say hi since we were in the area..."
Greg laughed at their transparent excuse. "...and you wanted to make a wine raid?"
"Yeah. We're going fishing later this week so we need something to go with fish, and the cabin we're staying at is perfect for enjoying some wine in the evening." Jessica walked up to the counter. "It looks good in here."
"Yeah, my dad said the cleaners did a great job and he didn't have to rip out the wood near the baseboards, so that was a relief." Greg tossed the towel into a bucket. "So Aubrey, how was your first wine tasting experience?"
Aubrey slid up to the counter. "It's been really cool. I tried some new stuff I would have never tried otherwise, and I've discovered port wines."
Greg smiled at Jessica's shudder. "Yeah, those are an acquired taste. Jack loves them, but I don't like them and I've been around wines all my life. So, Jessie, how about a tasting for you and your husband before we go find your honeymoon stash?"
The couple smiled as they tried some of the wines. After five tastings, Greg put his bottle down. "So, what kind of wine do you guys want?"
"Why don't you take Aubrey and go pick some out? I can stay here and man the bar for a bit." Jessica walked behind the counter. "I know Andrew Grimmel is here, but I can manage for a few minutes if he shows up. Now go find us some booze."
"Great. Come on, Aubrey."
"But…," Aubrey stuttered before being pulled away by the large blonde man.
"Jessie will be fine, dude. You can have sex when you get back to the cabin. Come on. I'll make sure you pick good white wines, especially if you're fishing this week."
Reluctantly, Aubrey followed his brother-in-law down to the downstairs area where all the wines were on display. "So, what's the story with that guy Grimmel?"
"A blowhard who thinks he's more important than he is and who also flashes his money and status because he's got the hots for Jessie…" Greg saw Aubrey's worry and tried to calm him. "He isn't like that Maxwell asshole. Look, Grimmel trash talked her once after she turned him down. Of course, Jack and I set him straight by kicking his ass. He talks a big game, but he's all smoke and mirrors."
"Alright...alright…" Aubrey relaxed as he looked at the wines and chatted with Greg.
Upstairs, Jessica smiled since she knew Greg was calming her husband's fears. Aubrey's protectiveness and jealousy could be annoying, but she also knew he did it because he loved her so much. After looking over all the wines in the fridge, she grabbed the hand lotion that she knew Greg kept under the bar. Taking off her rings, she was massaging it in as she heard the door open. Looking up, she saw a not-so-pleasant sight. "Great…"
The blonde haired man took a seat at the counter. "Jessica Warren...our beautiful redheaded crime solving hotshot. You're definitely a sight for sore eyes."
"You should get your eyes checked, then." The redhead looked at the annoying ass. "Where's my brother?"
"He's dealing with some wine issue in the distillery. Now that you're here, I think I want to do a tasting." The man leered at Jessica as he received a pencil and order form from her. "Did you hear about me going to Hawaii last week to represent the ABC Commission at our annual conference? I got a very nice award and a nice check."
"No, I didn't., " Jessica replied with lack of interest. "Cool."
Smiling, Andrew continued to talk. "So, I've also heard that your wedding didn't happen last weekend. Lucky for you."
Jessica took a breath to control her anger. "What wines do you want, Andrew, and why do you care about my wedding, anyway?"
"Don't rush me, Red, and I care because it's nice that you've wised up. Besides, you're not the marrying type, especially to a stuffed shirt FBI agent." Taking the order form and pencil, he took his time looking over the list. "You know, it's like I told Greg last month when all that shit went down in West Virginia...your boyfriend's daddy will make you all look bad."
Jessica saw her husband and brother on the top of the stairway holding several bottles of wine. She noted that the agent's face had clouded over before turning back to her customer. "Yeah, after everything that happened, we figured a change was in order...for both of us."
Andrew laughed loudly. "Good for you, Jessica...so, did you give the engagement ring back?"
The redhead stared down the asshole before setting a clean wine glass in front of him. "Nope, I kept it and I got a new ring as well. Now, moving on...what do you want to start with?"
"Lighten up, woman." Leaning closer, he began rubbing her right hand, not seeing the two men walk up behind him. "You know, now that you don't have a fiance to cramp your style, I could rock your world. I do enjoy redheads."
'God, what a chode.' Jessica smiled sweetly. "Well, there's a small problem with that, Andrew…"
"What? You're single and I'm single. No messy commitments...just some fun between the sheets and anywhere else I can get your panties off and bone you." Andrew wore a sickening grin. "Now, how about we get together for dinner tonight and...possibly breakfast tomorrow morning at my house."
'Eeeehhhhh...always a perv…' The squintern shuddered internally. "I'm sorry, but I'm not free tonight for dinner…"
"Well, I'll be in DC for business next week. You can come to my hotel room and we'll order room service. I'll make you forget that ex-fiance of yours."
"Well, I'll be busy then, too." Jessica laughed at the man's annoyance. "You see, while it's true that Aubrey's now my ex-fiance-"
"It's because I'm now her husband, jackass." Aubrey smirked as the shocked man turned to him. "Man, how many women really go for that shit you spewed out a few seconds ago? Women aren't just panty droppers for you to use to get some quick jollies, you know."
"But…Jack said you didn't get married here last Friday..."
"Because there was a sewer back up issue, but you probably talked his ear off about Hawaii and all the fake women you hooked up with before he could tell you. Instead, we got married at a friend's house back home and right now we're on our honeymoon." Jessica put her rings on and held her hand out, making Aubrey and Greg snicker. "See my beautiful engagement and wedding rings?"
Andrew grew red with anger. "You lied…you led me on..."
"No, I said that Aubrey and I decided that a change was in order after what had happened. You see, I am the marrying type, because I proposed to him after we got back from our case in West Virginia." Jessica leaned in closer. "Oh, by the way, tonight, tomorrow morning, and next week while you're visiting DC, my husband, the stuffed shirt FBI agent, will be rocking my world, something you will never get to do."
As the visitor sat steaming, Greg stepped forward. "Andrew, what else can we help you with today? I'm sure we passed inspection as always."
"You know...I'm not going to forget this, Greg Thomas."
"Yeah, you will, Andrew, just like always. Say hi to your dad and Charlie also sends his regards. Nice seeing you as always. Bye."
Greg waved to the man before they watched the man storm out of the tasting room. "See, Aubrey? I told you he's all smoke and mirrors."
As they laughed, a familiar redhead came out of the distillery area. "What the hell are you two doing here? Are you two supposed to have lots of sex at your cabin? Don't tell me you've lost the magic already, G-Man."
"Oh, I'm still magic, but Jess wanted to see you guys.," Aubrey shot back.
"Whatever, Aubrey…" Jessica checked her phone. "While we're here...you guys want to have dinner with us?"
"If you don't mind hanging around the gay couple on your honeymoon, why not?," Jack snickered. "It's nice out, so we can eat out on the patio."
"Can we have some pizza?," Aubrey asked hungrily.
"Sure, new brother, we can have pizza, but you have to help make it.," Jack quipped. "I have the perfect wine to go with dinner, too."
"No problem. I'd be glad to help.," Aubrey replied as the four went to the dining room to eat.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
An hour later, the foursome sat at a table in the vineyard's open patio area, sharing a bottle of wine as three empty pizza pans and salad bowls sat in piles on the next table.
"So, the honeymoon has been good, I see.," Jack quipped. "You two are glowing."
"Well, yeah...it's been good." Jessica took Aubrey's hand. "We have the perfect place to spend time together, and Dad's gift of a stay at the Jefferson last weekend was...amazing."
"Yeah, I heard Mom dropped by to say hi." Jack poured some wine in everyone's glass. "Was she her usual pleasant self?"
Jessica picked up her glass and took a sip. "Of course. She was so obnoxious to James, making shitty comments about him not being able to support me in the 'proper' lifestyle…"
"She even brought up my family. It was awesome." Aubrey grew sullen for a moment as he drank his wine.
Greg saw his face and glanced at Jack. "Maybe we should change the subject-"
"Guys, it's alright." Aubrey held his hand up, feeling bad that his new brothers-in-law felt awkward. "I need to quit being so sensitive about that stuff. It did piss me off, but...we turned the tables on her at the end, so it was all good."
"Oh, we heard all about it.," Greg said. "We were all hanging out at Aaron's soon to be house and she came in all buzzed, bitching about how Dad upstaged her and that she had to buy dinner before you threw her out on the street…"
"We did not!," Aubrey yelled. "Not even close…"
"Relax, man, we know you didn't." Jack held his hand up. "She told us that you treated her like an intruder at dinner-"
"Which she was.," Greg snickered.
"...and that you humiliated her in front of the waiter when the check came." Jack laughed. "Let me guess, her designer knock off knickers were in a wad because her mega check wasn't the top wedding prize, so she figured that Dad would pay for her dinner, too, didn't she?"
"Yep." Jessica nodded. "When the host came to our table and asked if she could join us, Aubrey said it was up to me."
"She said yes…" Aubrey smiled at Jessica. "...so I knew she was up to something…"
"Then I directed that all she ordered be put on a separate bill and not to tell her, hoping she really wasn't there to gouge Dad out of an expensive meal. However, when she ordered that champagne, I knew I was right about why she'd come to dinner…"
"Damn woman isn't supposed to be drinking." Jack shook her head. "What did she order?"
"'75 Krug. $2700." Jessica rolled her eyes as she sipped her wine. "God, she was so obnoxious...and my husband was a saint throughout dinner."
"Yeah, we all apologize for our mother, Aubrey…," Jack grumbled. "She always has something to complain about…"
"Jess, Jack...it's not your fault. Just like it's not my fault that my dad ripped people off and ended up messing around with terrorists. It's just the way it is." Aubrey smiled at Greg. "At least your dad is normal, right?"
"Well, my dad grew up with his dad, and he's been working here since before I was born, so I don't know…," Greg joked before being smacked by Jack. "What, dude?"
"So, did Mom have a major fit when she got the bill?," Jack asked. "I know she must have got all the most expensive things on the menu."
"She did...but oh well." Aubrey shrugged. "I guess she tried to get a room there but when they were full, she tried to bunk with us in our suite, too."
"No way…" Jack almost spit out his drink.
"Way…" Jessica shook her head. "Sorry you guys had to deal with her Saturday night."
"It was a little entertaining to see her stumble into the front door.," Jack chuckled. "Mike put her to bed and probably sang her a lullaby so she would shut up and sleep it off. I would love to know what happened to her boy toy, though. You know that she fucked him at your wedding reception, right?"
"She was grabbing at your friend Daisy's husband, too."
"God, we owe Beau an apology when we get back, but I guess I'm not surprised." Jessica smiled at her husband before shaking her head. "Well, we know what to do. Just go about our lives until we get the phone call from Mike about her getting fired, or in the hospital, or both."
Aubrey saw the trio's faces and felt bad that this was something her family was used to. "I'm sorry that you're all going through this."
"It's alright. We're used to it. She's done worse when she's having one of her hypomanic episodes." Jack turned to Greg. "Remember when she dated your uncle and after he dumped her, she crashed your sister's wedding reception here?"
"Yeah, hard to forget a drunk woman in her late fifties trying to do a lap dance on Uncle John to Nickelback's 'Photograph' while he was sitting with my grandmother."
"Then there was the time I caught her sucking off one of the workers here in the distillery." Jessica shuddered at the memory. "And she lectured me for interrupting them."
Aubrey sat flip-flopping between being horrified and fascinated as he listened to the stories of an out of control Eleanor. "Wow...so was she off her medications?"
"Yep. However, it's during the depressive episodes that things get really, really bad." Jack grimaced slightly. "Like I'm sure Jessie has told you, when she takes her meds, she's almost normal. Still bitchy and snide, but she's almost a normal human. Of course, the meds have unpleasant side effects…and she doesn't like being told what to do…"
"Or the fact that people don't worship her like she thinks they should...or that she's not as wealthy and powerful as she thinks she deserves. Her children have also ruined her dream of influence and power by finding less than suitable mates for her to live through and cannibalize, or in Jack's case, by living a sinful lifestyle with me." Greg swirled the rest of his wine and drank it. "You get used to her after a while."
"Well, I found the mate that was suitable for me, so she can stuff it." Jessica kissed Aubrey to her brothers' exaggerated mocking kisses. "Shut up, you two."
"Hey, Ms. I'll Never Get Married.," her brother shot back. "We're enjoying this for a while. Besides, we like this one."
"Thanks, guys.," Aubrey replied sarcastically as Jessica got up and picked up the pizza trays. "Jess, what are you doing?"
"Helping my brothers clean up so we can go back to the cabin."
Aubrey turned to the two men, who were smiling. "Yeah, it was great seeing you guys…"
"...but you want to see our sister naked. We got this, you two." Jack waved them out as Greg took the stuff from Jessica before hugging her. "Get to your cabin and fuck your night away. At the very least, you need to celebrate Grimmel's jaw dropping when he found out you two had gotten married after all. That was priceless."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Getting back around 9:00, the couple fed an annoyed Skinner before putting a few bottles of their wine in the fridge. "This Chardonnay will go very well with the fish we catch tomorrow."
"Cool." Aubrey handed her two more bottles. "So how early are we getting up again?"
"5:00." Jessica saw Aubrey's shocked face and chuckled. "If we want to get enough fish, we have to strike early. It'll be fine."
"Wow…um, that's pretty early, alright. I mean, I don't know if I want to be up before sunrise..."
Jessica traced her fingers over her husband's zipper, enjoying the almost instantaneous reaction. "I'll wear the blue nightie tonight."
Aubrey made a face and nodded. "Hey, it's early, but that's what coffee is for, right?"
"I'm glad you agree." Jessica took Aubrey's hand and after they shut off the lights, they went into the bedroom and enjoyed the rest of their evening.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
The next morning, Aubrey groaned as he heard his phone alarm go off. Slowly opening his eyes, he turned to his bride. "Tell me again why we have to wake up at 5 AM on our honeymoon?"
"Because we're going fishing, remember? Come on, sleepyhead...up and at'em…" Flinging the sheet aside, a nude Jessica sat on the side of bed. "We need to hurry a bit...we need to stop at the bait store on the way to the lake..."
"I can think of a lot of things I'd rather do…" Aubrey's hand reached out to stroke her back. "We can go fishing later...maybe this afternoon…
Jessica giggled as she looked over her shoulder. "Fish are more active in the morning, so if we want to catch any for tomorrow's dinner, we need to go now." Laying down next to her husband, she smiled. "Why don't you think of it as a way to change things up a bit? We'll go do something outdoors this morning, and then we can have a nice long nap after lunch...we might even get some sleep before dinner. Please, Aubrey? You promised we could go fishing…"
"Oh, alright...but only if we get home in time for an extra long nap…" Yawning widely, he pulled her close and kissed her. "Let's go fishing…"
Oooooooooo
After a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, the couple quickly made some sandwiches and filled a thermos with coffee before they hopped into the Jeep and drove towards the lake. Jessica chattered happily as they made their way down the narrow two lane highway.
"I love to go fishing...it reminds me of when I was young, hanging out with my dad and my brothers. It's so much fun, being out in the country, listening to the birds and watching the water swirl around. It didn't even make any difference if we caught anything as long as we were together…"
"Yeah, well…I'm a city kid, you know?" Aubrey grimaced slightly as he listened to her fish stories. "My dad never took me fishing, even when we vacationed up at the Finger Lakes…it wasn't his thing."
"Oh." Surprised by that news, Jessica paused. "Never?"
"Nope. He was too busy to be bothered with that kind of thing. He hated getting his hands dirty like that, so we played golf instead, since he could hang out with his kid and also impress his clients with his country club membership. I mean, we went boating occasionally with friends, but again, it was a means to an end for him. Besides, he wasn't patient enough to just sit still and hope a fish happened to bite. He hated being outside...unless it was to gawk at women in their bathing suits..."
"I'm sorry, Aubrey. I guess I was so excited about going out to the lake that I never considered that you might not like it…" Jessica sighed sadly. "We don't have to go if you don't want to…"
"No. We're on our honeymoon and I want us to have fun, okay? So if you want to go fishing, I want to go fishing, Jess. I want us to do things together while we're here, like when you took me on that wine crawl yesterday."
"Wine tour…"
Shrugging a shoulder, he smiled at her. ""Whatever. My point is I want to do what you want to do, okay? Fishing sounds like fun. It's just that I may not be very good at it, that's all...but I'm willing to learn, okay?"
"Okay, Superman. I know we'll make a lot of good memories today…" Jessica reached over to pat his thigh. "...and some of them will be from fishing…"
Aubrey mentally went through the lingerie that Jessica hadn't worn yet and decided tonight would be the ribbon teddy she'd worn for part of his Valentine's Day present. "I can't wait…"
Parking in front of Pappy's Bait Shop, the couple walked into the ramshackle building, wrinkling their noses at the slightly fishy odor. After looking around a bit, Jessica walked up to the counter. "Hi. I was wondering if you rent fishing tackle…"
"Sure do." The elderly man behind the counter chuckled as he eased himself from his stool. "What are ya fishing for?"
"Well…" Pondering for a few seconds, Jessica shrugged. "We're going to be fishing in Arrowhead Lake, so…"
"So crappie. Yeah, there's some mighty big slabs in there." The proprietor handed her a lightweight rod and reel. "This oughta work...and one for your husband, too, I suppose…"
Grinning broadly at being called her husband, Aubrey nodded. "Yep...and we need some bait, I guess…"
The old man walked over to a battered refrigerator and pulled out a styrofoam carton. "Nightcrawlers should do the trick…"
Soon the couple was outfitted with tackle, bait, candy bars, chips, and soda...everything necessary to make a fishing trip fun. After paying for their equipment, they waved at Pappy. "We'll have this back to you by early this afternoon…"
"Ah, take your time...this ain't my busy season. Any time later today will work…" He waved back as they left. "Have fun…"
Oooooooooo
After finding a shady place on the lake's bank, Jessica adjusted her bobber and tied a hook onto her line. "See? It's gotta be tight enough so the fish can't pull it loose when it bites…"
Aubrey nodded, but soon became frustrated as he fumbled with the lightweight line and the tiny hook. "Geez...this may take all day…"
Jessica giggled as she watched him struggle for a few minutes. "Would you like some help?"
"Yeah…" He rolled his eyes as she quickly got his equipment ready. "Okay, now what?"
"Now…" She reached into the carton and pulled out a fat wriggler. "...we bait our hooks." She tore the worm in half and gave part to Aubrey. "See? You just thread it onto the hook like this...what's wrong?"
Embarrassed at being so squeamish, he bit his lip. "It's just...I mean, poor little guy, minding his own business, and now he's fish food. Besides, he's kinda slimy, and all that black stuff is coming out all over your fingers…"
Remembering that he'd never been fishing before, Jessica quickly decided that laughing at him wouldn't be a good idea. "Um...I know he was slimy, but they're raised for bait, okay? It's fine…"
After checking his hook, she held up her rod. "So this is how you cast...you put your thumb here on the reel while you release this catch...raise your arm back over your shoulder...when you come forward, you pick up your thumb and the line goes out. Watch…"
She made an effortless cast to an area about 15 feet in front of them. "See? And then you watch the bobber…" A few seconds later, the cork went under the water. "And when it disappears, you yank hard and reel in your line." Soon she had a fat fish on the bank. "It doesn't always happen that fast…."
"Okay...let me try." Holding his breath, he tried his first cast, only to have the line go nowhere. "Dammit…I screwed that up bad..."
"You can't expect to get it exactly right the first time, okay, Aubrey? Try again…"
After several mistakes and yards of tangled fishing line, Aubrey was finally getting the hang of it. "Hey, this is kind of fun…" He sat down on a stump and cast out his bait. "Maybe we can do this again sometime."
"See? I told you! It's relaxing to spend some quality time outdoors, isn't it?" Jessica grinned as she reeled in another fish. "Okay, so here's the rules of fishing...whoever catches the most fish wins, or if we catch the same amount, the biggest fish wins."
Aubrey studied his wife cautiously, sensing some trickery might be afoot. "What do you win?"
"It's not so much what you win...it's that the loser has to clean the fish." Jessica arched an eyebrow at her husband. "I hope you know how to do that, since I'm way ahead of you in the fish count."
Scoffing loudly, Aubrey made a silly face at her. "Right...but what you didn't count on was that I was giving you a head start to make you feel overconfident. I'm about to show you how fishing is done…"
"Really?" Jessica smirked as she pointed to the water. "Where's your bobber?"
"Shit!" Reeling in the line, Aubrey held up an empty hook. "Damn fish ate my worm. Where's that carton?"
Laughing at his intensity, Jessica handed him some bait. "Here you go…"
"I'm gonna catch one of those little beggars if I have to stay here all day!," he fumed. "I'm not gonna be outsmarted by a fish!"
After several more false alarms, Aubrey yelled loudly. "I got one! I got one!" He pulled hard on his rod and was thrilled to see that he'd landed a fish. "Look, Jessica! I caught a fish!"
Thoroughly amused as her husband danced around like a small child, Jessica smiled broadly. "Wow, Superman...that's a nice one."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "You're being sarcastic, aren't you?"
"Well, it's a bluegill, okay? They put up a good fight, so they're fun to catch, but they're not usually big enough to eat." She turned the small fish into the sunlight. "Look at these brilliant colors...this one's a male who's getting ready to mate. Maybe we should throw him back so he can get it on with some nice lady bluegill."
Somewhat annoyed, Aubrey agreed. "Oh, okay...but it still counts towards my fish count, okay?"
"Right." Jessica giggled as she took the angry little fish off the hook and tossed him into the water, happy to see the indignant flip of his tail as he swam away.
The next few hours were spent catching fish and basking in the sunshine. After enjoying their lunch, they lay sprawled out on the grass.
"This was a good idea, Jess." Aubrey grinned as he looked up at the bright blue sky. "I've had a lot of fun. I can see why you like it so much."
"Yeah, I had fun, too." Rolling on her side, she tickled his ear with a long piece of grass. "And I'll have even more fun watching you clean the fish."
"Har de har." He gave her a kiss. "Okay, well, you still owe me a nap, so let's take our tackle back to Pappy's and head back to our cabin, okay?"
"You got it, Superman."
As they packed up their things, Aubrey paused and sighed softly. "You know, I always felt like I missed out on stuff because I didn't have a normal childhood. I mean, my dad wasn't really neglectful...he just didn't go for all the normal things that most dads did with their sons. I used to wonder what was wrong with me…"
He hesitated as Jessica came over to rub his shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with you, Superman…," she said softly. "You're a great guy…"
"I know that now. Whatever happened...or didn't happen...it wasn't my fault...in fact, maybe it wasn't anyone's fault, you know? Maybe it's just the way that things go…" He smiled at Jessica, caressing her cheek. "But you know what? Things are going a lot better now that I have you."
"You say that now...but wait until you clean all the fish…"
Oooooooooo
After making a quick stop at the bait shop, the newlyweds were finally back at their cabin. Feeling romantic, Aubrey took his wife's hand as she climbed out of the Jeep. "Nap time…"
"No...not yet. You need to clean the fish…" Pretending to be stern, Jessica tapped her foot. "Work before play, Superman…"
Undeterred, Aubrey lifted the cooler holding their catch out of the Jeep. "Aw, come on...Pappy gave us some ice for the fish. They'll keep for a couple of hours…"
"Look at it this way...if you clean them now, we can take a nice long shower before our nap, We'll be able to take our time...we won't have to do much of anything else…"
"Oh, alright." Sighing softly, he opened the cooler. "Let's do this."
Jessica giggled as she shook her head. "What do you mean, 'let's do this'? I caught the most fish and the biggest. You're the one who has to clean them…"
"Right." Staring at the six large crappie, he scrunched up his nose. "But there's a small problem…"
"Let me guess...you don't know how to clean a fish. C'mon, Aubrey...you must've done at least one dissection in a biology class…"
Wanting to avoid a repeat of the frog fiasco which had occurred in his freshman biology class, he cringed. "I'm just not good with guts…"
"Funny how you didn't mention that before." Narrowing her eyes at him, Jessica nodded resolutely. "I'll show you how on the first one, but then you're going to help. Wait here."
She hurried into the cabin and came back with a sharp knife, some old newspapers, a tub of water, and a trash bag. "Come on...we can use the picnic table."
After setting up her supplies, she picked up a fish. "Okay...the first thing you need to know is that the fish have died, so we aren't hurting them." She used the knife to scrape the skin. "We're gonna remove the scales first."
After a minute or two, she inserted the tip of the knife into the fish's anus. "Next we split the abdomen up to the head and remove the innards…" She cleared the offal out of the fish with her hands and dumped it into the trash bag. "There we go...easy peasy…"
"Geez…" Feeling his stomach heave, Aubrey turned away. "...that's disgusting…"
"How do you manage at crime scenes if cleaning a fish bothers you so much?" Jessica shook her head, laughing as she worked quickly on the fish. "Okay, I've rinsed it out...I've removed the head and skin...and now I'm going to cut it into fillets...you run the knife down the backbone…"
She glanced at her husband, surprised to see him so pale and sweaty. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah...I'm fine…" He clamped his eyes shut. "Actually...no, I'm not fine." Getting up, he quickly walked away from the table as Jessica started on the next fish. "I'm having flashbacks to high school…"
"Really?" Confused, Jessica scraped at the scales. "I thought you said you didn't know how to clean fish…"
"It wasn't a fish...it was a frog...in freshman biology. I wasn't feeling great on dissection lab day, but I didn't want to miss school and have to make up the work. I was standing there at the lab table, and when my partner cut open that frog, the formaldehyde odor hit me, and I threw up all over the place. I was so embarrassed, you know? And of course, everybody laughed at me, and they gave me grief for weeks. Ever since then, I've been squeamish about this sort of thing. I mean, I can usually hold it together at a crime scene, but it really bothers me sometimes." He puffed out a sigh. "I thought I could clean the fish, Jess...I really did...but…the guts...and the smell..."
"It makes you nauseous. Yeah, I get that. It takes some getting used to…" Filleting the fish, she nodded. "I tell you what...I'll finish cleaning these fish so we can get them in the fridge and then move on to more pleasant things, but…" She shook the knife at him with a smile. "...eventually we're going to desensitize you to fish guts so you can keep your end of the bargain when I beat you at fishing next time. You're also gonna help me clean up this mess. Deal?"
Biting his lip, he nodded. "Deal."
"Good. Why don't you go inside and get me a pan for these fillets? We'll need to soak them overnight to get all the blood out of the meat, and then we can fry some for dinner tomorrow if you want, or we can freeze it…"
"Okay…" He jogged up the steps to the porch as Jessica smiled to herself.
As an FBI agent, her brave husband often faced down hardened criminals. Who cared if fish guts bothered him? She had her own little quirks and phobias, too. "That's part of being married, I guess. Maybe that's what Rodney meant by 'for better or for worse'."
Aubrey soon came back to the picnic table, tentatively looking over her shoulder. "Are you done yet?"
"Here's the last one." She slid the fillets into the pan. "Go put some ice water on these while I put this stuff in the trash." Wiping off the knife, she winked at him. "Since I won at fishing but had to clean the fish, you still owe me a prize."
"I do, huh?" He grinned happily. "I suppose you want a prize that I can give you in the shower, right? Like maybe multiple orgasms?"
Laughing as she rolled up the soiled paper, she quickly agreed. "Well, that'll do for starters. Meet me in the shower in ten minutes, okay?
"Your wish is my command, wife…" As he carried the fish back into the house, Aubrey couldn't help but smile. He might've lost at fishing, but it didn't matter, because, in the long run, he was definitely going to be the winner.
One more chapter to go...