This is my first Criminal Minds story and the first thing I've posted in years. So, please be gentle. I don't own Emily or J.J. CBS does. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. I hope you enjoy.
Better
She hears the laughter as soon as she enters the house. She can't help but smile, the sound warms her heart and soul. The agent drops her go bag on the floor next to the stairs, locks her weapon in the gun safe, then tosses her keys onto the table. She walks towards the sound.
Emily stands in the doorway and watches the blonde with their children. The two little boys are laughing as they try to evade the tickling fingers of their mother. Henry is the first to spot her- "Mama!" He runs toward her and jumps in the air.
Surprised by his excitement she just manages to catch him. "Hey buddy." He holds him to her chest. The little blonde holds on like he never wants to let go. His mama kisses his head, " Good hugs," she whispers.
"Missed you Mama," he kisses her face.
"I missed you too baby." Emily fights to keep tears from falling as she kisses his head again. It had been a really long four days.
"I not a baby, I big." His blue eyes meet her brown. "I free," he manages to hold up three fingers.
Before she can tell him he would always be her baby she feels arms wrap around her legs and smiles down at the little brown haired, brown eyed boy looking up at her. Without words she bends down and scoops him up into her arms as well.
"Mama," whispers the boy as he wraps his arms tighter around her neck.
J.J. stands and walks over to her family to join the group hug. She kisses Emily softly on the lips. "I didn't think I'd see you until later?"
"Hotch told us to take the rest of the week." Tears slip from her eyes despite her effort to stop them.
With another press of her lips to the brunette's she asks softly, "That bad?"
"Yeah," is her one word response. She puffs out a long breath of air as she tries to calm herself, holding her family tighter helps.
J.J. forces a smile, "Well, why don't you go get a nice hot shower- or maybe a bubble bath, and I'll take these guys with me and start dinner?"
The older woman shakes her head, not ready to let go of her boys just yet. "Why don't you order pizza or Chinese? I'll get them in their pjs and we'll snuggle together and watch movies?"
She looks into tire, sad eyes and again forces a smile, "That works too." She kisses her again, then goes toward the kitchen and the takeout menus. Once she rounds the corner out of Emily's sight she takes out her phone and hits speed dial. "Garcia, hey- I need to know what happened."
Emily moves toward the stairs with the boys still in her arms. "What movie are we going to watch?"
Henry's eye light with excitement, " Doggies wiff spots!"
She smiles at her son, "101 Dalmatians it is." She looks to the younger boy, "You want to watch doggies Cooper?"
The toddler smiles and nods, "Doggies." She kisses them both as she reaches the top of the stairs.
After pizza, Emily and J.J. follow Henry and Cooper up the stairs. The boys go slowly and the older woman bites her lip nervously as she watches them. Finally she reaches down and scoops up the tiny brunette. The blonde looks at her and she shrugs, the playfully calls out. "Last one up is a..." before she can finish the blonde has Henry in her arms and they race up the stairs.
The younger woman smiles and Henry cheers as they stand on the landing. "We winned!"
Emily smiles a real smile as she makes sure the gate is locked. "Good job buddy." They stop at the bedroom door, but the blonde doesn't, she continues down the hallway.
Henry runs after her unsure. "Wong woom Mommy."
She smiles at her oldest, "You go with Mama and get all comfy, I'll be there before the movie starts." He nods and runs back to Emily. She watches them go into the bedroom.
Once in the room she shares with her wife, she playfully tosses Cooper onto the bed, he giggles. Henry runs to her, " Frow me Mama!" She picks him up and with a smiles does. As laughter fills the room she turns and puts the DVD into the player, then crawls into the bed with her boys.
A few minutes later J.J. comes into the room, the baby in her arms. She smiles at the scene before her, Emily is sitting against the headboard, both boys snuggled on her lap waiting for the movie. The older woman smiles as the younger speaks, "He wanted to join the fun."
She walks to the bed and hands the six week old to his Mama. They wiggle till all three boys are happy . The blonde crawls in beside them and cuddles into her wife's side.
Henry looks up at his mommies, "I push button now?" His Mama nods and he pushes play.
The movie isn't half over, but all three little ones are asleep on their Mama. The baby starts to fuss, "It's okay Sammy, shhh, you're okay Mama's got you." She kisses his head and he settles. She smiles.
J.J. leans her head on her wife's shoulder. " I'm glad you're home, I missed you."
"I missed you-them- this- it helps so much after..." she stops unsure how to say what needs said.
"Yeah it does." She kisses her shoulder. "You ready to talk about the case?"
Emily bites her bottom lip, her eyes flashes to her boys in her arms and she fights tears. She looks into understanding blue eyes, "He killed them Jenn," She starts softly. "Three beautiful little boys- we didn't find them in time." She stops as the tears take over. She fights to compose herself.
The blonde stays where she is, she knows that this position will be easier for the older woman who is still self conscious when her emotions surface. "They should have called us in sooner," she states the younger woman.
"I just- I don't understand how he could- how anyone could" She shakes her head.
"You made sure he can't hurt anyone else."
"Damn right I did," she tries to stop the tears.
Henry's sleepy eyes look up at her, "Bad wowd Mama, time-out." His eyes slip closed.
The mommies look at each other and both fight to keep from laughing, but it's a losing battle. Emily cracks first, the giggle escapes but quietly. J.J. follows, unable to keep it inside.
"Shhh" cautions the blonde.
Emily looks at incredulously, "Did you just shush me?" Her eyebrow raises at her wife.
More giggles fall from the blonde's lips, "You're going to wake them up."
She nods and laughs again, "I can't help it, it was funny."
Henry's eyes open again, "What funny?"
"You're Mama," the blonde says playfully.
Cooper's eyes open slowly, he looks at his Mama, then his Mom, "Sleep." His eyes start to close but open again as Sam starts to cry.
"See?" She looks into brown eyes, "See what you did?"
"Me?" She acts insulted. "It was you with the shushing." She makes a face as the crying gets louder. "Hungry cry's?"
Henry groans, "Not cry Sam."
Cooper adds with a whine of his own, "Him stop." Both of the older boys try to cuddle into Emily as she tries to settle the baby.
"Sounds like yeah, let me have him, Sweetie." She gets the baby and tries without success to quiet him. When he doesn't settle she looks at her family. "I'm going to nurse him, then get him tucked into his crib. Give Mama kisses," she holds the little baby so that Emily can kiss him. She them leans in and kisses her as well. She gets up and leaves the room with the crying newborn.
Emily looks down at the little boys snuggled against her and smiles. She touches each one gently then moves from under them. They grumble, their eyes opening. "Come on guys let's get you tucked in too." She stands and Henry climbs onto her back. She reaches down and picks up Cooper and goes into the hallway.
She smiles as she walks into the nursery, "Tell Mommy night." Emily walks over to the blonde who sits in the bay window nursing Sam.
"Night Mommy," sighs Henry as she kisses him.
"Good night Little Man." She smiles.
"Mommy night," Cooper whispers.
"Sleep tight baby," She kisses him as well.
The brunette kisses her on top of the head and leaves with the boys.
Once in the room that the boys share, she helps each get settled into their race car beds. She presses a kisses each of them on the forehead and smiles. "Mama loves you both very much."
The boys answer, "Love you Mama."
"Lub Mama."
She stands in the doorway as the slip back to sleep, just watching them. Thoughts of the case slowly drifting away replaced by happy times with her family, her boys. Cases with children were always hard, but now- now they where worse. She had to keep reminding herself that they were safe. She and Jenn would always keep them safe.
With her thoughts on her wife she walks back to the nursery, she smiles as she sees the woman she loves has just finished feeding the baby and is staring to burp him. "Here, let me."
J.J. hands him to his Mama. Emily lays him on her shoulder and rubs his back gently. She smiles as she feels arms encircle her waist and lips press against her neck. "Better?" Asks the blonde.
The brunette nods and kisses Sam's head. "This always makes it better, you always make it better." She leans back into her wife's embrace.