Note 1: hey friends! welcome to the first chapter of my newest JJ/Emily fic. I am - as you will notice - in desperate need of someone to Beta this thing, since I am no native speaker. So, if you like my story (so far) and if you'd like to help me out I'd be more than grateful. Otherwise you'll just have to deal with my interesting attempts on grammar.

Note 2: As you might have guessed by now this story will be mostly based in Boston. We might meet some characters that you know from other crime shows, but since those only have small roles I decided against filing this as crossover. I hope you don't mind.

Note 3: Enjoy!

THE BOSTON FAIRY

Prologue: Once Upon a Time…

For hours she's been driving in circles now. Driving first aimlessly through the grey daylight and later – still without any destination – through the twilight and into the dark night. At least, as dark as night can get, if you are living in a big city. She took turns whenever she felt like it, circled some blocks several times, registering the smudged lights outside for a short moment, before their memory was drowned out by meaningless nothingness again.

At some point rain had started and only after it rattled angrily against the windows she had remembered to get the wipers going. She kept on driving through the night; fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white, her gaze fixed into the dark. She wasn't sure how long she's been driving, when she finally came to a halt in front of an apartment building. After shutting down the engine she kept sitting in her car, hands still holding the steering wheel in an iron grip, illuminated by only one single streetlight while the world around her was silent, except for the raindrops falling onto her car in a steady rhythm.

She didn't stop to glance at the windows in front of her, just took a deep breath as she emerged from the car, slamming the door shut behind her and sprinted towards the entrance. A couple of moments later there was a soft knock on a nearby apartment door.

"Jesus, JJ, do you have any idea how late it… Jen?" If there has been one thing Emily Prentiss hasn't been expecting to happen that night, it would have been seeing Jennifer Jareau on her doorstep – dripping wet, some strands of hair falling out of a carelessly knotted bun. The usually honey-skinned woman was pale, her eyes dark in their sockets, the lips tinted in an unhealthy shade of blue. She was trembling, but didn't seem to recognize it. Emily ushered her in quickly.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, why?" JJ straightened and flashed her friend a smile as fake as it was wide. Emily, while shaking her head wasn't sure if she should feel insulted. She glanced at her watch, 1:05.

"What happened, Jennifer?"

"Nothing."

Emily sighed. By now it was clear that this was going to be a long night. Something was horribly wrong and her friend was too stubborn and proud to just spill what had happened. And she was damn sure that something had happened.

"Come on."

After JJ took of her wet shoes they moved into the condo's living room. The TV was on, but muted, flickering silent lights into the otherwise dark room.

"Discovery Channel?"

"You know, Agent Jareau, I could've had a date over here at this time of the night."

JJ let her eyes wander over her surroundings. A half eaten pizza and several scattered case files. She looked at Emily. "I don't want to meet the person you are planning to seduce with those cat patterned flannels, Agent Prentiss." Emily was looking down at herself, cursing under her breath after she realized that JJ had a point. For a moment she considered slipping into her bedroom to pull on a different pair of pants, but the damage was already done – JJ had already seen her wearing those. She sighed again as she instead wandered over into the kitchen, pulling glasses from the cupboard and rummaging for a bottle of wine.

"Again, JJ, what brings you here in the middle of the night?"

"Middle of the night. Don't be ridiculous, Em, it's only… oh."

"You really were sure that it wasn't already that late, weren't you?"

"Well of course I have known. I mean, we are grown up people. 1am isn't really that late." With a trembling hand the blond rubs her cheek in an exhausted gesture. She's had no idea how late it has been. She only remembered getting in her car, barely remembered sunset, didn't remember night at all. How long has she been sitting in front of Emily's house? How long has she been driving through the city? How has she been able to drive a car considering her condition anyway?

Emily poured herself a glass of wine and took it, along with the bottle as she strolled towards the stairs.

"Hey, where are you going? And way more important, where is the wine going?" JJ made a step in Emily's direction, staring at her with wide, wary eyes.

"The wine and I are going upstairs to fold clothes now. You can come and join us, when you've decided to stop lying to me. In vino veritas, Jen."

The younger woman stared at Emily, until she was out of sight. She let herself fall down onto the couch, eyes wandering to the still flickering TV. Pictures of rainforest, exotic animals and green, so much green blurred in front of her eyes. She picked the remote control up and pushed the red button. Damn profilers.

Emily Prentiss took a sip of wine and neatly folded a sweater. In her head she counted the minutes, as she took another sip and folded another piece of clothing. JJ was late. She had expected her to stand of the other side of the door, demanding more wine, five minutes ago. Another sip of wine and another folded sweater later she flinched, when someone softly knocked at her door. That was new.

"Come in." With her back still facing the door, she pulled another sweatshirt from the pile. The room was silent. Then – suddenly – a quiet voice.

"Will left me. Just packed his things and left."

Emily didn't need more than three steps until she had JJ in her arms, holding her tight, but the blond was just standing there. No sobbing, no crying.

"I am sorry. What happened?"

"He said it is because I became a Profiler. He didn't feel manly enough anymore. Didn't feel good enough anymore. Didn't feel happy in DC from the beginning. Am distant, cold." The room fell into silence again. A single tear rolled down Emily's cheek as she repeatedly stroked through JJ's still damp hair.

"Then he's seeing a different person than I do."

Slowly, oh so slowly JJ laid her head on Emily's shoulder and closed her eyes.