A/N: Here we are...at the end of a long and winding road. There are M rated sections of this chapter, so careful if reading at work.
Thursday began early for Aubrey and Jessica, who were enjoying each other in bed with the sunrise. As the redhead's hands roamed down his back over the scars he'd received from a bombing 18 months earlier, the agent laid on top of her and plunged into her repeatedly, driven by her passionate moans and sighs.
"Yes...yes…," Jessica groaned as her husband's lips traced down her neck. "Yes…"
"Almost there…," Aubrey grunted as he pulled her closer to him, his peak within reach.
Feeling his wife's hands grasp his ass, he thrust even deeper, knowing she was close, too. It wasn't long before she shuddered in his arms and moaned deliciously, much to his delight. Three fast thrusts later, he joined her in ecstasy before they collapsed in exhaustion.
"Wow...good morning, Superman.," Jessica sighed, combing through her husband's wet hair with her hands.
"Good morning, Jess. That was...an awesome way to wake up." Aubrey kissed her tenderly and chuckled. "Well, we almost got a good night's sleep, even if it wasn't quite 8 hours."
"Yeah...well, there's always tomorrow morning. Maybe we can sleep in." Jessica smiled up at her husband before smacking his butt affectionately. "Now, it's time to get up, James Aubrey. We have a road trip waiting for us today."
The couple got out of bed, and after taking a shower, feeding Skinner, and enjoying their own breakfast, they headed into Luray for a trip on Skyline Drive through the Shenandoah National Forest. As they traversed the 105 mile road, they enjoyed the gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge mountains, the tumbling white waterfalls, and the overall natural beauty of the area. After stopping multiple times for photos, they arrived back in town for a late lunch before exploring the town, picking up souvenirs along the way.
Running home, they showered and got ready for their dinner at the Mimslyn Inn. By 6:15, Aubrey waited outside the master bathroom, anxiously looking at the clock while pacing around the bedroom.
"Jess...come on, we're going to be late."
Inside the bathroom, Jessica, standing in her lingerie, finished brushing her hair. "Aubrey, the reservation isn't until 7:00. Take a chill pill."
Slumping on the bed, Aubrey moaned. "But, I'm hungry…"
"When aren't you hungry?" Jessica rolled her eyes. "Now quit nagging me. I'll be out in a few minutes. Did you feed Skinner?"
"Yes." Aubrey answered petulantly.
Jessica stepped into her dress. "Did you make sure we have enough food for the next few days?"
"Yes, woman, we're set. Now hurry up!," Aubrey huffed.
"Nag me one more time, James Robert Aubrey and I'll make us late on purpose. If we miss our reservations, there will be no sexy lingerie honeymoon nookie for you tonight."
Knowing she was serious, Aubrey contained himself. It seemed like eternity, but it was only five minutes later when the door opened and his wife emerged. When he saw what she was wearing, the room's temperature seemed to suddenly grow warmer.
"You...you're wearing the birthday dress.," Aubrey stuttered. "I love the birthday dress."
"I know." Jessica turned her back to her husband. "Can you zip me up, please?"
When she pulled her hair up, Jessica felt his finger lightly caress the lace of her bra before zipping up her dress. When he was done, she then felt his hands move down her backside. Chuckling, she answered his unspoken question. "Yes, Aubrey, I'm wearing underwear tonight."
"What kind?," Aubrey smirked. "Silver lace? Or maybe the black ones?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out….later." Turning around, the redhead shivered at the look of sheer lust in his eyes. Clearing her throat, she grabbed her purse. "Come on, Aubrey. You were the one who whined about being hungry."
"I am hungry...for lots of things…," Aubrey said, following her out of the bedroom. "You know, we could always go tomorrow night…"
"No, you talked about this dinner all day today, and then hounded me to hurry and get ready, Agent Aubrey. Now, let's go to dinner."
"Alright." Aubrey opened the door for his wife and after she stepped through, followed and locked it.
Arriving at the inn 30 minutes later, they were led to a table on the front porch. Settling in, the couple enjoyed the lingering early evening sunshine as they read over the menu.
"Hopefully tonight will make up for last weekend's less than romantic dinner.," Aubrey stated as he looked over the selections.
Jessica set her menu aside with a sigh. "Aubrey, I'm sorry about my mom crashing our dinner. If I'd had any idea she was going to do that..."
"I know." Aubrey realized dwelling on that unpleasantness would only ruin the wonderful memories of their weekend at the Jefferson. "I'm sorry I mentioned it. Your mother aside, I loved Plume, especially the food."
Jessica chuckled. "Of course, you would remember the food…"
"I enjoyed the company of a sexy redhead most of all…" Aubrey smirked as he continued to peruse the menu. "...and having your panties laid out on our table at Quill. That...was a nice show, and I hope to see it again someday soon."
"Keep talking like that and you will..." Jessica gently rubbed up her husband's leg with her foot.
"You're a tease.," Aubrey replied with a smirk, causing Jessica to chuckle as the waiter arrived with a bottle of champagne. Surprised, the agent looked up. "Thank you, um, but I think there's been a mistake. We haven't ordered yet."
The waiter directed the couple to his right. "Complements of the table over there, sir."
Their glances following to where the waiter was pointing, they were surprised to see Alma Nelson and her sister Edna. When the women came over to their table, Aubrey stood up to shake their hands. "Ms. Nelson...and Ms. Nelson, it's good to see you both again, but I can't let you buy us a bottle of champagne."
Edna's head fell back in laughter. "Young man, we saw you in your birthday suit. Call me Edna."
Alma smiled at his embarrassment. "As for the champagne, it's my way of saying thank you for helping me with Craig, and for saving my life."
"You really don't have to do that, Alma.," Aubrey replied. "We were just doing our jobs."
"Yes, we do, Jimmy. May we sit for a moment?" When the couple indicated affirmatively, the sisters sat down in the empty chairs. "You see, I wasn't doing very well after my divorce and...I'd always had a crush on Craig. When I found out about the CEP purchases, foolishly, I went to Craig, and he convinced me to keep quiet by saying that he was trying to protect Harold, who was tricked into working with these Croatians. Of course, I was foolish enough to go along with it. When I grew nervous and wanted to go to Mr. Maxwell and the authorities, he...seduced me...and I let him."
Alma's hands linked together. "I should've gone to Harold Maxwell, his son, or the police instead. Maybe if I had, we could have avoided what happened to you two last month. I'm so sorry, Jessica, for everything..."
Jessica took the woman's hand and squeezed it. "Alma, I'm alright, thanks to Aubrey. I prefer to think about what we accomplished, which was to bring down a major sex trafficking, smuggling, and slavery operation. Are you still at Maxco?"
"Yes, I am." Alma nodded happily. "I thought I would be fired after all this, but Mr. Maxwell appreciated all that I did for the company by creating the new position of Executive Director of Accounts Receivable and Shipping for me." She sighed as she glanced at Aubrey. "Mr. Maxwell is a good man, and he's really taken some of my suggestions seriously as he 'cleans house', so to speak. While he's not as...charismatic as his father, he really seems to care about his employees and the company."
"That's good. That's Leonard Maxwell, right?," Aubrey asked. When Alma nodded, he continued. "So how has he been doing with all this going down?"
"He's fired all of Craig's bootlickers, including that skanky IT manager the old jackass was boffing on the side. Mr. Maxwell also makes weekly videos for the employees on how things are progressing with the SEC and FBI investigations as well as how the company is doing. He's also started making rounds to all the different departments to talk to employees about their ideas and concerns. In that aspect, he reminds me of Harold." She saw the agent's eyes cloud over. "Yes, there were parts of the elder Mr. Maxwell that were questionable, but he always treated his employees very well. I hate to think about what would have happened if Craig had taken over the company instead of Mr. Maxwell's son after Harold died…"
Jessica sipped her water. "Alma, I'm glad things are going well for you. How are Sandra and Lori?"
Alma sighed sadly. "Both girls were both suspended for 30 days for locking you in the storage closet at the arena. Lori returned on Monday and has been minding her p's and q's so far, but we'll see. Sandra...has not returned because she's in rehab right now. Something tells me that young woman will have a hard time."
Alma's lingering sadness changed when she looked down at their hands. "I see you two have made some progress as well. When did you two get married?"
Aubrey smiled. "Last Friday. We started our honeymoon at the Hotel Jefferson and we're spending the week here in Luray for the rest of it."
"We've got an amazing cabin to stay in for the week about a half hour from here and we even brought our cat" Jessica chuckled. "It's been an amazing honeymoon...Aubrey has made it very enjoyable."
"I bet he has." Edna winked at the intern. "You're a lucky girl, young lady. Your husband is definitely an impressive specimen."
Alma clucked at her sister. "Behave, Edna. You're embarrassing the young man."
Jessica chuckled as Aubrey turned red. "Yes, Edna, he is, and he's all mine now. I even have a marriage license to prove it."
After a group laugh, Edna and Alma got up. "We will take our leave because I'm sure you two want to be alone. Have a good night and enjoy the champagne."
"Thanks, Alma." Jessica and Aubrey gave both of the women a goodbye hug. When the two went back to their table, the redhead turned back to her husband. "I'm glad that Alma is doing better."
"Me, too, Jess. Me, too. Now, an important topic must be discussed before our dinner arrives." Aubrey took her hand and gave her a serious look. "What nightie gets to be in tonight's fashion parade?"
"Do we need a nightie tonight?" Jessica gave him a wink as she sipped her champagne.
Aubrey smirked. "Oh, you're a naughty girl...my naughty girl…"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Two hours later, the couple crashed through the front door with their hands and lips all over each other. Frantically, the couple removed each other's clothes until they were down to their underwear
"Dining room table or couch?," Aubrey panted.
"The couch." Jessica put her arms around his neck and felt herself being lifted up. It wasn't long before she was dumped on the couch like a sack of potatoes, followed by her very aroused husband after he stripped off his boxer shorts.
"I can't believe you wore your black crotchless panties tonight. Good planning on your part…," he said breathlessly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome...Ooohhh yes…ohhhhh," Jessica cried out as she felt her husband enter her heat.
"Oh yeah…" Feeling his wife's hands grasping his posterior, he pulled her right leg up to his waist and went deeper. "Fuck…"
For the next few minutes, the only sounds in the cabin were the pair enjoying their coupling and it wasn't long before Jessica hit her peak. "Ohhh….oh...oooohhh,
Superman!"
Two thrusts later, Aubrey joined her as his seed filled her. Collapsing onto his wife, he lay there, exhausted. "Damn…"
Combing her fingers through his damp hair as he continued to breathe heavily, Jessica smiled. "Damn is right. Hopefully we're this hot for each other twenty years from now."
"Jessica…" Aubrey slowly nibbled on her breasts through her bra as he tenderly caressed her. "That's something you'll never have to worry about."
"Good…" Feeling her husband's kisses move down towards her abdomen, she sighed happily. "You can't be up for it again…"
"Not yet, but...it won't be long…no one makes me horny like you do, Jessica…," Aubrey replied, slipping her panties off and tossing them over the couch.
Only a few minutes passed before the redhead felt her husband's long fingers caress her in just the way she liked it. "Oh wow…take your time…"
Enjoying his wife's movements on the couch, Aubrey smiled. "You're right...who needs lingerie, Jess?"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
The next morning, Jessica woke up and found herself alone in their bed. Looking around, she found her husband's favorite FBI sweatshirt and put it on. Picking up the clothes they'd left in the living room the previous evening, she laid them on the couch next to Skinner before finding Aubrey hard at work in the kitchen.
"Good morning, sleepyhead." Aubrey continued to stir eggs in a pan.
"Good morning." Jessica slid up to the counter as Aubrey turned off the burner. "What's for breakfast today?"
"Eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, and melon." Grabbing an electric kettle, he poured a cup of tea for his wife. "Here you go."
"Thank you." Jessica admired Aubrey as he bent down for a moment. "My hubby has a really cute tushy."
"Thank you. I'm particularly fond of yours, too." Aubrey set a plate in front of her and soon joined her with his own. They ate in silence for a few minutes until he spoke up.
"How about having our picnic today?," Aubrey asked as he ate a bite of his breakfast. "The weather's great. We could pack a lunch and go for a hike...you know, nothing too strenuous...maybe one of the shorter trails…maybe take some pictures of wildlife..."
"That sounds like fun." Jessica grinned as she sipped her tea. "Maybe we can also bring a blanket and engage in some more intimate al fresco activities…"
"That's a very good idea. There aren't a lot of visitors up here during the week, so we probably wouldn't be interrupted…" He winked at her. "Of course, I think you kind of like the thrill of having sex in a public place without getting caught…"
"Like you can talk, Mr. 'Stop the elevator at the Jefferson.'" She laughed as he nodded in agreement. "Maybe it is fun to do it without getting caught, but it's not like having sex in the middle of a forest counts as 'being in public'. Besides, it's spring, so we'd just be doing what most mammals do this time of year, right? After all, it is mating season…"
"Well, I guess that's true. We can go out into the wild and let nature take its course, right?" He got up to put his dishes in the sink. Opening the refrigerator, he shrugged as he took stock of its contents. "Looks like we've got lots of options for lunch. We might need a jacket or sweatshirt this morning, but we should probably get ready to go before it gets too hot…"
"Actually, I was looking forward to something hot." Jessica smirked as she patted his butt. "Okay, you get our meal together while I get dressed. I'll be ready to go in fifteen minutes."
Pleased that Jessica had liked his idea, Aubrey grinned as he pulled out some lunch meat and cheese to prepare a few sandwiches. "Yeah...we're gonna have some amazing food..and have some fun in nature...just like the animals do…"
Oooooooooo
They'd chosen a leisurely hike on the Sherman Gap trail. It was a well marked trail with a gentle grade...just right for a nice stroll in the woods. Above them, the sky was a brilliant blue, and with almost no breeze they could easily hear the birds singing as they walked along hand in hand.
They enjoyed their time together with a happy silence, content just to be in each other's company. Occasionally one of them would point out a bird or a wildflower, but they didn't feel the need to chat aimlessly, choosing instead to enjoy the natural stillness that surrounded them and the 70 degree weather.
After a couple of hours, Jessica nodded to a sheltered glade hidden beneath some trees. "That looks like a nice place to stop for lunch."
Aubrey walked into the clearing and looked around. "Yeah, I think so, too. I'm getting hungry…"
"Why am I not surprised?" Sighing contentedly, Jessica smiled as she pulled a blanket from her pack, spreading it out before removing her shoes and wiggling her toes. "Ah...that feels better. What did you bring us for lunch?"
Tossing his jacket aside, Aubrey unzipped his bag with a flourish and began setting out their meal. "Two roast beef and Swiss cheese sandwiches for me...carrots...a few deviled eggs...chips...what's left of your homemade brownies...ranch dip...pasta salad...leftover grilled vegetables...pudding cups...beer, of course…"
Opening her bottle of Yuengling, Jessica smirked at her husband. "Yeah, but what am I gonna eat, Aubrey?"
"I brought you some of that leftover grilled chicken from the other night...and here's an apple…" He narrowed his eyes at her giggle. "Oh, alright...I may share some of the other stuff with you...if you're a good girl…"
She watched her husband dive happily into his lunch. "Oh James...you should know by now that I'm not going to be a good girl." Dipping an apple slice into one of the pudding cups, she slowly licked all the pudding off. "In fact, I think you like me better when I'm a naughty girl…at least you did last night..."
Jessica noted how he paused in mid-chew, watching intently as she leaned over the blanket, giving him a view of her ass in her shorts. "May I have one of your carrots, Aubrey?"
"Yeah...yeah…you can have w...whatever you want, Jessica.," Aubrey sputtered, unable to take his eyes off her.
"Thank you." Jessica smirked seductively before dipping a carrot into the ranch dip. Slowly, she licked it clean before taking a bite out of it. "Yum...I love a nice, firm carrot…they are so...long...and hard. They're definitely a vegetable you need to enjoy slowly..."
Removing another carrot, she repeated her last action before a few drops of ranch landed on her cleavage. "Oops...made a mess…" Grabbing another carrot, she wiped up the dressing. Seeing she had her husband's rapt attention she shrugged before slightly opening her legs. "That's better…"
"Um...Jess…" Squirming slightly as he watched her, Aubrey swallowed hard. "I'm trying to eat…I made sandwiches...they're really good..."
"I see." She gave him an innocent smile before licking a bit of dip from her fingers. "It's just that I think you're eating the wrong thing…but you are a Special Agent in Charge at the FBI, so I guess you know best."
He looked down at his lovely roast beef sandwich before looking over at his wife. She was so cute in her MSU zip up fleece sweatshirt and those little denim shorts...the really short denim shorts…the shorts that fit just right across her ass and covered just enough between her thighs...the shorts that promised heavenly rewards underneath them…
He watched as Jessica hummed softly while lightly traced her finger up and down her inner thigh. After a moment's thought, Aubrey set his sandwich aside. "Oh, I do know best, and I know what you want, too, Jess." Moving to sit next to her, he put his arm around her and moved his hand along her inner thigh. "You know, I wouldn't give up a roast beef sandwich for just anybody…"
"Really? Well then, I feel quite honored…ooh…" She moaned softly as his skilled fingers went to work. "Oh yes...right there…"
Leaning against him, she closed her eyes as he fondled her until he suddenly stopped. Suddenly she turned to him. "Why did you quit? I was enjoying that."
He helped her lay back on the blanket before removing her shorts and panties. He sighed with pleasure at his wife's anticipation. "You did say 'eat', Jess…" He bent over her, his tongue making a trail from her navel downwards. "At least that's what I thought you said…"
"Alright...so quit talking and get busy!," she moaned as he put her legs over his shoulders. "You're killing me…"
"Oh no...I'm not killing you." He licked her inner thighs before finding her sweet spot, making her moan. "I want you to feel alive…"
"I….ohhhh…" A few flicks of his talented tongue were all it took to send her over the edge.
"Oh my God,!" she squealed, arching her back in pleasure. "Wow…"
She reached out for him, pulling him into her arms. "I love you so much…" She smiled as she ran her fingers through his dark hair. "Now it's my turn…lose those pants, Buster..."
He tossed his shorts and boxers in a heap while she pulled off her sweatshirt and the tee shirt she was wearing under it and threw her clothes on top of his. Seeing Aubrey's eyes widen, Jessica giggled. "Yep, the dark green lace bra...it's one of your favorites, right?" She reached behind to unclasp it, but he stopped her.
"Leave it on…" He eyed her hungrily as she straddled him. "Okay, so when we get back home, it's gonna be the green bra and the green shoes...unhh…fuck..." He groaned as she moved her hips across him. "Oh yeah…" He ran his hands over the lacy green cups as she enveloped him, moving her body in rhythm with his loud grunts and moans. "Yeah, keep going…"
It was then when they heard some noisy rustling in the bed of dry leaves next to their blanket.
"What was that?" Jessica paused as she turned towards the noise. "It sounds like something moved over there…"
"Who cares?" Aubrey grabbed her hips and thrust upward. "Come on, Jess…"
A few more thrusts and he yelled out her name, causing a flock of birds to fly from the surrounding trees. Panting as he looked up at her, he laughed. "Wow...well, that was definitely worth a roast beef sandwich."
Jessica wasn't listening to him sing her praises, however. Her eyes were focused on the pile of leaves. "Um, Aubrey? Don't move…"
"What? Why?" Seeing her concern, his eyes darted to the edge of the blanket. "Is it a snake?"
"Nope." She pointed at a small furry animal. "Look…"
Aubrey turned slightly to see a skunk was ambling their way. Stopping to inspect the bits of food left on the blanket after lunch, he poked his nose at Aubrey's half eaten sandwich.
"Shoo! Get out of there...I'm not finished with that…"
"Aubrey! Leave him alone!," Jessica quietly admonished him. "Skunks are normally nocturnal. We must've woken him up...maybe he'll just crawl away and go back to sleep…"
"Maybe so, but I still want my sandwich…I made it just the way I like it this morning...you know, a dollop of mayo...a swipe of mustard...some lettuce..."
Jessica wanted to smack her husband. "Forget the damn sandwich, Aubrey! You have another one in your bag…"
"Hell no! I'll never leave a roast beef sandwich behind." As the agent moved to rescue his food, the little animal hissed and stomped its feet. Seeing that the approaching man wasn't intimidated, it turned and raised its tail.
"Aubrey, quick...get out of the way!.," Jessica yelled. "He's gonna spray…"
Aubrey quickly rolled away with Jessica in his arms, and his sudden movement startled the skunk, who wasted no time in letting his displeasure be known. Soon the clearing reeked of skunkiness before the animal wandered away.
"Jesus…this is awful," Aubrey gagged, picking up what was left of their lunch. Sniffing his sandwich, he recoiled. "Damn it...that fucking skunk killed my roast beef sandwich!"
"I'm sorry about your sandwich, but the good news is that it wasn't us…although our clothes will stink when we get back to the cabin." Jessica cringed as she pulled on her tee shirt and shorts. Holding up her underwear, she shoved them in her bag before snagging Aubrey's boxers as he reached for them.
"Hey…I kinda need those..."
"Aubrey, you don't want to wear these right now, trust me.," Jessica said, shoving them in her bag. "The stench is unreal…imagine that against your junk."
"Yeah, you're right…" He wrinkled his nose as he zipped his shorts. "But you know what? It was worth it...and we'll probably tell this story for years to come…"
"Speaking of 'come', we'd better make up a G rated version…" She smiled as she looked over the glade. "I think we have everything, so I guess we should hit the trail for home…"
"Yeah...I'm looking forward to a nice long shower...with my wife…."
"After we soak our clothes, Aubrey. While the spray didn't directly hit us, the longer we wait, the longer the scent will linger on our clothes. We can't wait until we get back to DC to wash them."
Aubrey picked up his bag as Jessica wrapped up her blanket. "So, Science girl, I suppose you have some fancy know how to use so they won't stink as much?"
"I do...baking soda ought to do the trick. We'll even save the green bra."
"Alright!" Aubrey grinned as he took Jessica's hand. "I love you…"
"I love you, too…now let's go home and hope we don't traumatize our cat."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Two hours later, the weary and malodorous couple walked into the cabin. "Okay, we're home…," Aubrey said as he held the door for Jessica to enter. "Now what?"
"We need the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide from the first aid kit to fill up the upstairs tub. I think our clothes and the blanket should all fit in there."
"Isn't that going to make the tub stink?"
"I'll prop the window open but with the baking soda it should be fine." Jessica pulled her panties and Aubrey's Avengers boxers out of her knapsack. "These are going in there, too, or else they're getting destroyed. You left the windows open in my Jeep?"
"Yeah. I'm glad the spray didn't hit any of our stuff directly, but damn, this is awful. Skunks are assholes." Smelling himself, Aubrey stripped off his jacket and shirt as Skinner came downstairs. "Hey, buddy…"
As soon as Skinner arrived at the bottom of the stairs, he stared and sniffed at his man before running back upstairs in a hurry. Offended, Aubrey gave his cat the evil eye. "That's the love I get after I combed all those damn thorns out of your fur last weekend! Thanks a lot!"
Jessica could see the look of rejection of her husband's face. "Superman, cats are very sensitive to smells, and the skunk odor, while bad for us, is really awful for him. He'll be back in a little while, okay?"
"Alright." Mollified, he pecked his wife on the cheek. "So, my thought is that after we soak these clothes, we give each other a very thorough cleaning, you know, to make sure all the skunk smell is gone. What do you say?"
"That's a very good idea, Superman…" Jessica unzipped Aubrey's pants and they fell in a pool onto the floor. Gently stroking his thighs, she was happy to see an almost instant reaction from the agent. "...after we get the clothes soaking in the tub."
The redhead held her hand out. "Hand them over, Superman."
PIcking up his shorts, shirt, and jacket, a naked Aubrey handed them to his wife. "That's not fair, Jess...teasing a man like that…"
"I'm not teasing you, James. Good things come to those who wait. Now...go get the first aid kit and the baking soda out of the kitchen and meet me upstairs."
Aubrey watched Jessica take off her bra as she walked up the stairs before disappearing from his view. Heading into the kitchen, he grabbed the requested items and headed upstairs, where his naked wife had turned off the water in the now full bathtub.
"So this will save our clothes from reeking like skunk?"
"Yep." Jessica looked at the water and did mental calculations before adding the right amount of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. After adding all the clothes, she turned back to see her husband watching her in fascination. "Superman...why are you staring at me?"
"Sorry...it's just that I love watching your brain work. It's...fascinating, and really hot."
Blushing, Jessica stood up and washed her hands. "We're going to have sex in the shower, Aubrey, after we get cleaned up. You don't have to gild the lily."
Aubrey began washing his hands when she stepped out of the way. "Jessica...I'm not sucking up for sex. You know I love how smart you are...and it really is a turn on. Trust me."
"Thank you. In the future, when I start teaching university classes, I can only imagine how horny you'll be."
"Hell yeah." Smiling, he took his wife in his arms. "We could play teacher and student...hey, you could find some horn rimmed glasses...pin your hair up...wear a short skirt with a garter belt and black stockings...we can screw on your desk...oh, the possibilities…"
"Our sex life will never be boring, will it?" Jessica kissed him back, ignoring the smell. "Let's hit the shower. Play your cards right, we can take a bath later, too…"
"Sexy times before and after dinner! I love this honeymoon…let's go." Aubrey took her hand and pulled her out of the bathroom in a rush, much to Jessica's amusement.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
After a very long and busy shower, Aubrey cooked a dinner of steaks, vegetables, and potatoes on the grill. After a long soak and lovemaking in the tub, interrupted only by Skinner's few seconds of curiosity before he took off, the couple put on their comfortable pajamas, grabbed a bottle of Cabernet Franc wine, and headed out to the deck once again.
The almost 80 degree temperature of the afternoon had dipped to around 65, but the sky was clear as the couple poured glasses of wine. Sitting side by side in two wooden deck chairs, they held each other's hands as they watched the sunset over the mountains.
"It's so beautiful here, Jess…," Aubrey sighed.
"Yes, it is. I do love living in DC, but seeing this reminds me of the nights back at the cooperative and our house growing up." Jessica turned to her husband, who seemed almost lost in thought. "What are you thinking about, Aubrey?"
"My life...my parents...love…" Aubrey gave her a quick grin. "Karen Delfs…"
Jessica's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow...okay...care to share?"
"It's scattered, really. My life has been...a whirlwind so to speak. I was the good son who did what he was told by his father...then I became the son to be proud of so my mother could have something of meaning in her life after all she'd lost…"
Jessica squeezed his hand and waited for her husband to continue speaking.
"I had it all growing up...the latest toys and games...went to one of the best prep schools in Manhattan...I had everything except a father to show me the right way to live my life. I mean, he showed me things, but...even then I knew they were wrong. Then he left us and...our lives changed. My mother had to learn to live on a budget...she sat up many nights wondering if we'd make it until the end of the month." Aubrey inhaled shakily. "I worked so hard to make things better for us, but in the end, she still put me ahead of herself...and she paid the ultimate price."
"All that she did for you was because she loved you, Aubrey, including protecting you while she was sick. She obviously wanted the best for you. I've been told that some moms do that…"
Aubrey turned to his wife with a sigh. "Jessica, I'm sorry...I was insensitive…"
The redhead reined in her emotions, not wanting to make the conversation about her. "No, it's fine. Now, we were talking about your parents…"
Relieved that she seemed okay, he continued. "I was ambitious, you know? I got that from my father, along with what my mother said was 'her smile and his charm.'"
"You are a charming man. You always charm me out of my panties…," Jessica joked.
"Yeah, but I shut myself off from commitment, you know? I told myself that it was because I had to focus on my goals of joining the FBI and then being elected to public office, but that's bullshit. I was afraid of being hurt like my mom was. I didn't want to be broken like her, so I put all my time into my career." Aubrey shrugged. "I wasn't a monk, okay? I had several relationships with women that on paper were perfect for me, but something was always missing…"
Aubrey turned to his wife and squeezed her hand. "That something was you."
She blushed slightly. "I'm honored."
"You changed my life, Jess. You turned it upside down that day in Angela's office when you flew in there like a tornado. Every time I saw you after that, I was happy, scared to death...a lot of things. Then we became friends. I have a lot of casual friends, but close friends...that was a different story. I had Rodney...then Booth...but you…" Aubrey exhaled softly. "You were the opposite of what I thought I needed. The wife of a Senator is supposed to be poised, always knowing what to say, and, ideally, with a spotless background."
"Oh, I'm so far from that…," Jessica laughed. "Sorry…"
"You are, but I don't care because what you have is so much better. Your mind is...always going. When your dam finally bursts, your intellect flows into a stream of consciousness that makes it hard to keep up. Sometimes, you say the first thing that comes to mind and...it's not always the right thing to say. You're unpredictable, and I love that, and your past is colorful to say the least." Aubrey grew quiet. "When I found that stuff in your background check, I'm ashamed to say that I was worried about what it would look like if we were together. However, when you made the very valid point that people change as they grow up, it hit me hard because I realized how empty my life was."
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Aubrey."
"No, you didn't, but it had to be done. You were right to be pissed at me." Aubrey was pensive as he played with his wine glass. "Eventually, we got over ourselves and figured things out, but I blew a big hole in that situation when I trusted Karen Delfs as a friend. I let her make me look...and act like a fool."
"Superman...she had everyone fooled about her true intentions. You didn't know..."
"I should have, especially when she brought up my father after I told her I couldn't go out with her. Worst of all, I trusted her more than I trusted you, Jess...because I was afraid of you." Aubrey saw the look of surprise in his wife's eyes. "You could break me...and you eventually did, but I had some fault in that, too. Karen was always there, always listening, telling me everything I wanted to hear. She...could never break me. It would have been so easy to be with her, you know? No complications...no risk..."
"Emotional complications are scary and can be hard. It's what made casual relationships easier for me, too." Jessica thought about what she wanted to say. "You know, you had every right to be with her if you wanted…"
"But I didn't. I knew she wanted me and she not so subtly pushed for more than friendship, but I couldn't be with her, because I loved you, Jessica." Aubrey gulped. "The night of Daisy's wedding almost killed me when I saw you with Gerald, and then I was a jealous ass to you. I deserved you slapping me."
"I didn't have to hit you."
"No, actually you did, because it led me to get shit faced at Founding Fathers, which led to Booth taking me home with him, which then led to him telling me about not only the rumors going around about me and Karen, but also saying that I needed to grow up and get my head out of my ass." Aubrey smiled sheepishly. "I'm babbling, but...I think we had to go through all we did to get here, Jess. Would we have gotten married with the way things were before? Would we even have a friendship? God forbid if we'd gone to LA together. Would we even be together now?"
"No, we wouldn't." Getting up, she sat on his lap and caressed his cheek. "I guess we had to hurt to figure things out. I wouldn't trade it for anything, Aubrey, because we wouldn't be here together otherwise."
After sharing a kiss, Aubrey picked up his wine glass and held it out. "Here's to us, Jessica. It's not always going to be easy, but, no matter what happens, we'll take this ride together and come out stronger each time."
Reaching for her glass, she clinked it with his before they took a drink. Setting their glasses aside, Jessica snuggled up to her husband and they watched the red and gold of the upcoming sunset together.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Finally, the day of their departure arrived. After partaking in their usual Sunday morning love making activities, the couple had breakfast and showered before cleaning up the cabin and packing up their stuff.
After putting the last of their luggage in the Jeep, Aubrey helped Jessica get Skinner's carrier arranged. "Did you check to see if we left anything behind? I don't want to make another drive up here to pick up a pair of shoes or something."
She nodded at the cabin. "Yes, but it won't hurt to take another look…" After making sure the cat carrier was in the right spot, she wiped her hands on her shorts. "Let's go check one more time."
The couple smiled as they walked through the rooms, reminiscing about all the fun they'd had on their honeymoon. "I'm looking forward to coming back next year, Aubrey." Jessica stood looking out of one of the upstairs windows. Admiring the view, she nodded. "I think maybe we should make it a family tradition…"
"That would be fun...just the two of us at first, and then we'll bring our kids…" He sighed as he put his arm around his wife. "...and then, after we retire, maybe we can bring our grandkids up here for a week or two…maybe we can even take them fishing."
"That would be fun." Jessica was wistful as she looked around the place. "This will be our special place, right? A place our family always looks forward to visiting…"
"Yeah, but you know what?" Aubrey embraced her and gave her a kiss. "Any place you are will be a special place to me…"
"My husband, the romantic." Jessica giggled as she caressed his cheek. "Listen, I know what your intentions are, buddy, but we need to get going, so no more cabin sex today, okay? We have to work tomorrow, so…"
"Oh, alright...if we have to." Shaking his head, Aubrey gave the cabin one last look. "Geez, I hate being an adult."
"I know…" Jessica smiled as she followed him out to the Jeep. "I love you, too. Let's go home."
Oooooooooo
The landscape gradually changed from rural to suburban as they drove the two hours home, and with the change of scenery came a realization of sorts for the couple. Their wonderful honeymoon would live in their memories for the rest of their lives, but now it was time to get down to the actual business of living together as married partners.
"I don't think things are gonna change that much, do you?," Aubrey asked as he checked the rearview mirror. "I mean, we've lived together for several months…"
"I wouldn't say 'several' months, but we do know each other very well. I don't think we'll have too many adjustments to make in that regard. We're used to each other's annoying habits by now, right?" Jessica laughed as she watched the scenery go by. "But we need to make sure all the details are taken care of soon...you know, making sure each other is listed as beneficiary on our insurance...changing our wills...adding each other on all our accounts…"
"Well, we've already done part of that stuff, but you're right...there's still a lot of little things to do. I can take care of most of it tomorrow with HR." He gave her a sidelong glance. "We also have to designate safe spaces…"
Her brow furrowed in confusion, Jessica turned to him in surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"You know...if we have an argument, and one of us wants to pout, we need to know where to go so the other one will leave us alone. We should've done that as soon as we moved in together, but, you know...things happened." He arched an eyebrow at her. "I was thinking of my Star Wars room or the den for me and your office for you."
He chuckled at her glare. "What? Booth told me that his man cave is basically a pout house...although he would deny it. When Dr. B starts in on how bad his diet is, he either goes out to the garage to work on the Mustang or he hides in his man cave."
"I see." Jessica considered his statement for a moment. "Well, I'll let you have the Star Wars room as a safe space for now, but if we ever move, we'll have to renegotiate."
"I hope we don't have to move for a long time." Grimacing slightly, Aubrey shook his head. "I mean, I know Booth might want to sell that house one day, but you know...it's a great house…we've got all our stuff put where we want it...there's room for a family...when we get around to that part, you know..."
"Yeah, I know, but it'll probably be too expensive for us to buy if they do put it up for sale." Jessica shrugged, sighing softly. "Well, as my dad says, don't borrow trouble. Let's just plan on being as happy as we can living there for now…"
Aubrey reached over to pat her knee. "You're so smart. Hey, thanks for marrying me, Jess…"
"You're welcome, but I think I got the better end of the bargain." Pulling out her phone, Jessica checked the time. "I'm gonna text Dr. B and tell her we'll be at their house in fifteen minutes, okay?"
"Yep." He winked at her. "Remember, I don't want to stay long...we have things to do before we go to work tomorrow…"
"You mean things like unloading the Jeep, unpacking our bags, and doing laundry, right? Plus putting the food away...making sure Skinner's taken care of..."
"Well, no...that isn't exactly what I had in mind…" Aubrey groaned softly. "Okay, so we have boring stuff to do first...but we have to save time for some more important things…"
"Aubrey, trust me...we'll always find time for sex." Jessica giggled as she rubbed his shoulder. "It's just that occasionally we have to do housework…"
"I know...and with us going back to work tomorrow, we can't stay up all night, right?" Seeing her nod, he shrugged. "I guess that means we'll just have to go to bed early...like maybe right after dinner…"
"Sounds like a plan. Speaking of dinner...how about finishing up some of the leftovers from our trip so we don't have to do much cooking? It'll be easier to clean up, too…"
"Which means we can go to bed even earlier." He grinned as he pulled into the driveway of Booth and Brennan's house. "Sounds like a plan to me, too. Hey, don't forget the souvenirs..."
"I've got them." Climbing out of the Jeep, she took his hand as they walked up to the front door and rang the bell.
"Hey, look who's back!" Booth greeted the couple with a wide grin as he opened the door. "Did you guys have a good time?"
"Yeah, it was great…," Aubrey began, only to be interrupted by squealing children.
"Uncle Aubrey! Aunt Jessica!" Christine gave both of them a hug while Hank babbled happily. "Now that you're married, I can call you Aunt Jessica, right?"
Surprised and touched, the redhead hugged the little girl again. "You sure can, Christine."
"Yay!" The child bounced up and down in excitement. "Thanks for letting me feed Skinner while you were gone last weekend."
"Well, we want to thank you, too, Honey." Pulling out his wallet, Aubrey produced a twenty dollar bill. "There you go…"
"Aubrey...that's too much money…" Brennan gave him a disapproving look. "Christine was happy to do you a favor…"
"Yeah, but we may need a pet sitter again, so I want to make sure I pay her well this time." He patted the little girl's head. "Hey...who wants presents?"
Christine squealed in delight. "I do! I do!"
Jessica held up two books. "Here's a book about the Appalachian ecosystem for Christine, and an animal picture book for Hank...and each of you get a plush animal." She handed a toy squirrel to Christine, and a toy rabbit to Hank.
Walking over to Booth and Brennan, Jessica presented their gifts as well. "For Dr. B, a tee shirt of the Shenandoah National Forest, and a bottle of wine from Saoirse Finn. Booth, we got you a hat from the Shenandoah Forest, along with a prototype of a bourbon Jack and Greg are working on with Curly. They wanted to get your opinion on it."
Booth grinned happily as he inspected the label. "Alright…thanks! I'll let the guys know how much I appreciate this."
"Thank you very much for the shirt and the wine." Brennan smiled as she admired the logo printed on the shirt. "Not a faithful image of what the Shenandoah forest looks like, but I do like it very much."
Rolling his eyes at his wife, Booth turned to Christine. "Sweetheart, why don't you and your brother go play in your room? Me and Mommy need to talk to Uncle Aubrey and Aunt Jessica for a minute."
"Okay." Armed with their new toys, the children raced down the hall.
"So...why don't you guys come sit down for a few minutes, okay?" Wearing a serious expression, Booth pointed towards the sofa. "We need to talk."
Surprised by the sudden turn in Booth's demeanor, Aubrey shrugged at Jessica before perching on the edge of the cushion. "So, um...what's up?"
'Well, me and Bones want to talk to you about the house...the Mighty Hut." Clearing his throat, Booth sat down across from them. "See, we don't really have time to do all the maintenance required on a rent house…"
"Booth...you know Jessica and I can do most of that." Trying not to panic, Aubrey pinched his lips together. "Besides, almost everything is new…"
"Yeah, but...financially, it just makes more sense for us to sell it. I mean, we have to keep insurance on it, and worry about the upkeep...and pay the property taxes. It's expensive owning two houses in the DC area, not to mention the time involved." Booth sighed softly. "We've been thinking about this for awhile, but we know you like the house, and we didn't want to upset you right before your wedding."
"Well, thanks for that, I guess." Taking Jessica's hand, Aubrey put on a brave face. "So when do we need to vacate?"
Booth shook his head. "Oh, not for awhile. We still have a few things to consider, you know, like if we want to sell it ourselves or hire a realtor…"
"Actually, Aubrey…" Brennan sat on the arm of Booth's chair. "I think we will sell it ourselves. I'm certainly intelligent enough to understand a basic real estate bill of sale…"
Booth grimaced at his wife. "Yeah, but Bones, there's so much to deal with when you sell a house...you have to advertise...have open houses…show it to strangers..." His jaw was set in a stubborn scowl. "You know I don't like the idea of you showing the house by yourself, Bones. We'd both have to be there, or I'd be nervous. That's gonna require too much time, and we'd have to find someone to watch the kids, too.," Booth growled. "Too many crazy guys out there...they might try to take advantage of you…so us selling the house ourselves? Not happening..."
"I can take care of myself, Booth. Besides, if we engage a realtor, we'll lose approximately 7 percent of the sale price as their fee…"
"Well, no matter what you decide about how to sell it, we'll make sure things are clean and Skinner is out of the way when you show the house.," Jessica remarked. "You won't have to worry about that, and we'll be away from home, of course…"
Not wanting to watch their friends bicker, Aubrey squeezed Jessica's hand, and she immediately understood what he meant.
"Anyway, it's been a long week and we need to get home, since we're going back to work tomorrow." Standing up to leave, she tried to smile. "Let us know when you put the house on the market, and we'll start boxing up our things…"
"Just a minute, Ms. Warren…" Brennan chuckled as she pointed at the sofa. "Please don't leave yet. As Booth has said, we want to sell the house, but we've had a difficult time deciding as to the best course of action to make that happen. However, I believe we've finally reached a compromise."
"Yeah, I think it's a good idea, too. I'm glad I thought of it." Booth smiled as he patted Brennan's knee. "How about if you guys buy the house?"
Stunned at the suggestion, Aubrey was speechless for a few seconds. "Well, um...yeah, of course we'd consider it. I mean, it's a great house, but with all the updates and the location I know it's probably way out of our price range…"
Brennan shrugged as she smiled at Jessica. "Dr. Wick could afford to buy a house in that neighborhood with only her salary to consider on the loan application…"
"But Dr. B, the house she bought needs a lot of updating, so she got a really good deal. It was priced well below market value." Jessica sighed softly. "As much as I love the Mighty Hut, I don't think we can afford to buy it…"
Booth laughed out loud. "How do you know that you can't afford it if you don't even know what we're asking for it?"
Frustrated, Aubrey glared at his friend. "Come on, Booth...it's a five bedroom house….almost 6000 square feet, right? It has to be worth at least 800,000 dollars…probably more when you figure all the high end finishes and where it's located…"
"You are correct, Aubrey. When we had it appraised before renting the house to you last fall, it was valued at $997,100.," Brennan replied. "The appraiser stated that if it wasn't for the fact it had to be rebuilt twice, it could easily be worth a minimum of 1.2 million dollars. The house's location is very attractive for families with the park nearby and the excellent public schools."
"Our house is worth almost a million dollars? Wow…" Jessica was stunned. "And we live there?"
"See, it's just like I said, Booth. We can't afford the house." Aubrey stated, obviously unhappy. "I mean, thanks for asking us first, but…"
"Yeah, but you're forgetting something, buddy. As Bones said, that house has been wrecked and rebuilt at least twice, right? Yeah the location is great, but who's gonna wanna buy a house that's been through all that? I mean, I know it's in good shape now, but still..." Booth smiled at his wife, who shrugged in agreement. "Besides, we bought it for a song the first time, and we were compensated for our loss after it was damaged the second time. We don't need to ask a lot for the house to get our investment back."
Aubrey's heart started racing as he looked over at Jessica. She was clearly excited, but he was worried she'd end up being disappointed. "How much are you asking?"
Booth sat back in his chair and pressed his fingertips together. "575,000 dollars."
"Less than what Daisy paid for hers?" Aubrey gasped audibly. "Wow...that's a great price for that house." He nodded slowly as he thought things over. "But a twenty percent down payment is about 110,000 dollars, and I don't know if we can come up with that amount of cash right now. What do you think, Jess?"
She puffed out a disappointed sigh. "I don't know, either. I mean, I guess we could use some money from my trust fund if we needed to since it qualifies as a living expense. I'm sure my dad would sign off on that..."
Aubrey held up his hand to interrupt. "No...that's mainly for your education expenses, and I want you to finish your degree."
After watching the couple go back and forth about how to put together such a large down payment, it was Booth's turn to interrupt. "Look...we don't need you to pony up a lot of cash all at once, okay? I mean, we've got 14,000 dollars of your rent money, Aubrey, so we can apply some of that…"
Brennan nodded as she explained their reasoning. "Perhaps you can think of it as more of a rent to own situation. We'll write the contract to include an interest rate in your payment, of course, but there's really no need for a large down payment." She smiled at Booth before continuing. "In case you can't tell, we both want you two to buy our old house, and we're willing to take whatever steps are necessary to make that transaction feasible. It would mean a lot to us if you'd consent to do so. I know it's illogical, but I have an emotional attachment to that place, and I think it would bother me immensely to sell the house to someone I didn't know...someone who might not care about the house and its history like I do…"
"So what Bones is saying is that you don't have to come up with a hundred large right now. Give us some sort of down payment, like earnest money, and that'll work...if you want to buy the house, that is…"
Still stunned, Aubrey nodded slowly. "Well, I do have some money in savings and a little bit left over from my mom's estate..."
Jessica smiled happily. "And we have the check my mom gave us, Aubrey...that's 5000 dollars...and I've been socking away the rent money I've saved in the last couple of months. If we're both working we can afford the house payment…"
"And it's a better investment than renting…and I do love the house..." Finally he nodded resolutely. "We'd love to buy it, if you're sure that's what you want to do, Booth...Dr. B. I think we can give you about 20,000 dollars to start with...and maybe more…"
"Excellent." Brennan clapped her hands in excitement. "I'll have our lawyer draw up an agreement this week!"
Rising from his chair, Booth shook hands with Aubrey and Jessica. "Congratulations, you two. You've made me and Bones very happy…"
"We've made you happy?" Aubrey laughed as he turned to his wife. "You've made us ecstatic, right, Jess? I mean, we were talking on the way over here about how much we like the house, but I never dreamed we'd be able to buy it. Wow..."
"Trust me…" Booth chuckled as he glanced at his wife. "...I'm really happy. Bones has too many memories attached to that house to let it go to anyone else. This saves me a lot of time and grief."
"Well then, it works out well for everyone." Laughing, Jessica took Aubrey's hand. "We'd love to stay and chat longer, but we need to get going, don't we, James? We still have some stuff to do before tomorrow morning…"
"Yeah, I guess so." Still shocked at their good fortune, Aubrey shook hands with Booth and Brennan once again. "Thanks so much…"
Booth slapped Aubrey's shoulder. "Any time. I'm glad this worked out."
As they watched their guests leave, Brennan turned to her husband. "You had a wonderful idea, Booth. I know they'll enjoy that house almost as much as we did…"
"And, if they're lucky, they'll be just as happy as we were." He kissed her tenderly. "Come on...let's go see what mischief our kids are getting into…"
Ooooooooo
After parking the Jeep in the driveway, Aubrey grinned at Jessica. "Want me to carry you over the threshold again?"
"I don't think that's necessary…it was really special the first time, and I want to remember that moment, okay?" She smiled happily as she looked at the house's pleasant facade. "I can't believe it. We're going to own this beautiful home. It's like a dream come true…"
"Yeah, I know...I get to live in this nice house with my beautiful wife...I have a great job. I'm so happy, Jess...thanks to you…"
"Oh, Superman…" Jessica brushed away a tear. "Is it really possible that we can both be so happy? That we'll be this happy for the rest of our lives?"
"It will be if I have anything to say about it. Now, c'mon...let's get our stuff into the house...our house. I want to get our chores done so we can begin re-christening the rooms of our house as a married couple…" He gave her a flirty wink. "...if you know what I mean…"
"Oh, I definitely know what you mean...and I say we start with the kitchen. Maybe we can find some creative uses for our leftovers?"
"Your wish is my command, wife of mine…"
After unloading the Jeep and bringing in the luggage, Aubrey slumped on one of the barstools. "I'm beat." Scratching the back of his neck, he grimaced as he watched Jessica put some of the food away. "You know what? I think while you're getting dinner ready, I'm gonna go take another shower…I feel kinda sticky…"
"Wait...you're going to shower by yourself? Do you actually know how to do that?" Jessica laughed as he pretended to scowl at her. "What? I mean, you normally insist that we shower together…"
"I know, but this is different. I feel grimy and icky, you know? I'm gonna be in and out in a hurry so we can eat dinner and then go to bed early." Wearing a naughty smile, he pulled her close. "I tell you what...maybe later tonight, we can check each other for ticks…"
"But checking for ticks is gross…", she complained with a shudder.
He winked at her before heading upstairs. "Not the way I do it."
"Fine. I guess now we have something else to look forward to." She exhaled dramatically. "Well, hurry up...go get in the shower. Dinner will be ready shortly!"
"Okay...I'll be down in fifteen minutes."
Laughing to herself, she made sure he was out of sight. "I think maybe a change of clothes is in order for me, too…"
Working quickly, she started reheating some of the leftovers before changing her outfit. Bundling up her jeans, panties, and tee shirt, she stashed them in the laundry room before returning to the kitchen to set the various containers on the bar. "There we go…now, one last touch…"
She opened a drawer and pulled out a red and white apron that had 'Kiss the Cook' printed on the bib, tying it over her outfit before carefully choosing a seat at the counter. "Hmm...I wonder what he'll notice first...me or the food…"
Aubrey came jogging down the stairs in his boxers and an FBI tee shirt. "Is it ready? I'm hungry…"
"Yes, it is." She nodded primly as she pointed out their choices. "Leftover lunch meat and cheese...grilled chicken...a bit of steak from Friday night...some pasta salad...coleslaw…"
"So a little bit of everything...kinda like a buffet." He surveyed the dishes set out before him before filling his plate. "This looks really good."
Jessica nodded in agreement. "I'm glad you think so. How about a beer?"
"Sounds great. Thanks." Aubrey continued to peruse and choose from the counter feast.
Getting up from her stool, she walked past him and went to the refrigerator. Retrieving two bottles of Yuengling, she turned around to hand one to him, laughing at his stunned expression. "What? Don't you like my outfit?"
"Wait…something's missing...you have...you have no..." Setting his plate aside, Aubrey swallowed hard. "What are you wearing under that apron?"
"My green bra. It doesn't smell one bit skunky…" She walked over to the counter where the food was set out, reaching around her husband to grab a slice of cheese. "I guess soaking it in the baking soda worked."
"Um…," he stammered, feeling his temperature rise. "What else?"
"What do you mean, what else? Silly boy...can't you see?" Jessica lifted her leg and planted her foot on the middle rung of the bar stool. "My green wedding shoes…the ones you like so much…"
"Wait…" Aubrey's mind seemed unable to process at the moment. "So you're wearing the green bra...and the green shoes...and the apron...and that's it? Nothing in between?"
"I was hot." She pretended to ignore him as she took some crackers from the pantry, feeling his eyes focused on her naked posterior. "The only reason I'm wearing the apron is so I don't spill anything on my bra...I wouldn't want to stain it since it's one of your favorites…"
"You're right, Jessica…you are definitely hot." Aubrey's eyes lit up as he finally realized what was going on. "I don't think you have to worry too much about spilling stuff...I can always help you clean it up." Pulling into his arms, he reached around and untied the apron strings. Quickly casting the garment aside, he groaned with pleasure. "Oh my God...I was right...you look so damn hot…"
She arched an eyebrow at him. "Good enough to eat?"
"Absolutely."
She nodded. "The only problem is that you're still wearing too many clothes…you really need to work on that, James Aubrey."
"I can fix that." Within seconds his tee shirt and boxers were on the floor. "C'mere…" He deftly picked her up and kissed her. "I think dinner can wait…"
Putting her arms around his neck, she clung to him as he cupped her butt. "I bet we won't have to wait very long…" She wrapped her legs around his waist. "Come on...what's the hold up?" She dragged the heel of her shoe across his ass. "I'm so ready…"
"Unnhhh…" Straining against her, he pushed her against the pantry door. "Oh my God, Jess…" He ran his tongue over the lace cups of her bra as he thrust into her, spurred on by her ecstatic moans.
"God, James...that feels so good…" Jessica leaned against him as he continued to stroke into her. "Yes...yes…"
His pace quickened until they both reached the peak of their pleasure. Panting heavily, Aubrey embraced Jessica as she slumped against him. "Wow...that was…"
"Great? Amazing? Oh yeah…" Rubbing Aubrey's shoulders, Jessica smiled. "Now I know what I'm going to wear every St. Patrick's Day…"
"Definitely." Aubrey grinned as they sat down at the kitchen counter. "Although I hope you'll wear this outfit more often than that."
"I think that can be arranged." Smiling at him, she patted his thigh. "So, what do you think? Ready for leftovers? We need to eat dinner so we can go to bed, right?"
"You're right." He grinned as he reached for his plate. "Or, better yet...we take the leftovers to bed with us…we won't have to change clothes...and we can always clean up tomorrow morning…"
"You're so smart. That's a great idea." Jessica began to gather up the containers. "Let's adjourn to our bedroom…"
"You got it." Grabbing the rest of the food, Aubrey chuckled. "Dinner in bed with my favorite redhead...what could be better?"
Oooooooooo
The alarm went off early on Monday morning, signaling that it was time to get back to reality. Groaning softly, Aubrey rolled over to embrace Jessica. "I really don't want to go to work today. Why don't we just stay in bed together all day, and you and I can l go back tomorrow…"
"Aubrey, if we want to make a house payment, we need to go to work…" Jessica giggled as he snuggled next to her. "I tell you what...we'll get in the shower, and then while you get dressed I'll make us some breakfast before we leave. Then tonight, after dinner, we can have some more naked cuddle time…"
"Oh, okay." He grumbled as he sat up in bed. "If you promise…"
"I promise. Now be good…" She gathered up the dishes from their dinner sex the night before. "We need to leave soon…"
Soon Jessica was showered, dressed, and downstairs, feeding a hungry Skinner before she put together an omelet. She hummed to herself as she cooked, enjoying a sense of domestic bliss. "Just think...I'll get to do this for the next fifty years…"
She smiled as she heard her husband clear his throat when he sat down at the counter. "Are you ready for breakfast, Superman?"
"Yes...but first, you need to open your gift." He held up a small bag for her. "I got you something to put on your desk...something to let everyone know you belong to me." He smiled proudly. "That's something I learned from Dr. B...a man's gotta mark his territory…"
"I see." She smiled indulgently at his attempt to use anthropology. "What do we have in here...oh, my God...it's perfect!" She giggled as she pulled the plush skunk toy out of the bag. "Where did you find this?"
He chuckled as he took a forkful of eggs. "At the gift shop where we got Christine and Hank's souvenirs. When I saw him, I had to have him for you. Good times on our honeymoon, remember?"
She nodded as she sat down next to him. "Yes...I'll always remember those good times." She paused as Aubrey answered his phone. Seeing his grimace, she knew what it meant when her phone rang, too. "We have a case…"
"Yeah...a body was found in an abandoned well. Booth said it's a mess and he needs my help because Chamberlain is out sick." Quickly finishing his breakfast, he put his plate in the sink as Jessica's phone buzzed. "That may be Dr. B asking for you."
Jessica checked her phone and saw the text. "Yep, she needs me to meet the team at the Jeffersonian." She added her dishes to the sink. "Okay...be careful at the scene until I get there. I need you to come home in one piece."
Aubrey paused, taking Jessica into his arms. "I'll always be careful, because I always want to come home to you. For the next fifty years, I'll come home to you…"
"And I'll come home to you...but for right now, I think we should go to work."
He rolled his eyes. "Okay...if you insist. I guess it's just another day in the grind, right?"
Jessica sighed as she caressed Aubrey's cheek. "Maybe so...but it's our grind, and as long as we have each other, we'll be happy."
"You're right. We're going to be very happy...for years and years to come."
He filled up his travel mug and got his briefcase as she loaded the dishwasher. As she grabbed her messenger bag, he followed her out to her Jeep and gave her another kiss. "I'll see you out there in awhile. I love you..."
"I love you, too…"
They left the house together, ready to embark on another adventure...an adventure that would be a small part of an even greater adventure...the adventure of two lives happily joined together for many years to come.
So we've come to the end of the road for now. Laura & I have enjoyed this amazing ride as we've traveled with you for the last three years. We hope that we've built a satisfying and in character conclusion for Aubrey & Jessica to make up for the character trashing to prop up Karen Delfs and the nonsense break up they had at the end of the series.
Their story continues in Aubrey Chronicles under mphs95 if you are interested in more Aubrey/Jessica adventures. There is also a special surprise for our fans on Pinterest. Look up MIBonesFan and choose the Love & Carbonite section.
We will return someday to the universe we created, but in the meantime, keep enjoying Bones fan,fiction, especially in these troubled times.
Thanks for the memories. Laura & Michelle.