It had been ten years since Emily left. It hadn't taken her long to abandon the idea of living in a large, expensive piece of real estate. JJ had it on good authority that it hadn't taken Emily long to decide where she really wanted to be. The last place she had truly felt safe: Paris.

They have kept in touch sporadically. Emily has sent post cards occasionally and cards at Christmas. JJ had started out writing monthly, but that had tapered off when she failed to get a response. When she did, Emily's letters were cryptic and coded. JJ wondered if it was simply habit from staying there in Witness Protection, or something more.

The fact was, JJ missed her friend. Life had changed so much in the last ten years. Both Rossi and Hotch had retired. The original team was smaller now, with various replacements that could never really fill the shoes of those who had come before. It was a comfort to be surrounded by Morgan, Garcia and Reid, but when they took a break, JJ knew what she had to do.

Things had changed for her, too. Her eventual marriage to Will had gone south pretty quickly, though they were able to remain civil when it came to Henry. They shared custody and were both committed to remaining his parents, even if they were no longer husband and wife.

It hadn't been an easy road. Sometimes, JJ wished Hotch were still at work, because she wanted to ask how on earth he did it? Their boys were only a few years apart in age. Henry was no longer a sweet toddler but a tall, rangy thirteen year old, with a calm maturity and an unpredictable sarcastic streak that JJ alternately loved and was irritated by. She knew that all too soon, Henry would be on his own, and she would be, too. That's why she decided to take him along with her, when she went to visit Emily overseas.

"So, Emily's the one who had to fake her own death, right? Because of that Irish mob guy?" Henry asked, as JJ made her way slowly through the traffic in the 7th arrondissement.

JJ nodded tightly. "I don't have to tell you not to ask her about that. It's not something she likes talking about."

It's not something I like talking about, JJ thought bitterly.

"Yeah, Mom, I know…" he said, rolling his blue eyes, his braces glinting in the afternoon sun. "I was just wondering, you know, 'cause I've never met her."

"You actually have," JJ pointed out, smiling a little at the memory. "I brought you into the office when I was on maternity leave, after the rest of the team came back from a case."

"Did she like me?" Henry wondered.

"Are you kidding? She loved you. They all did. And we had Christmas parties every year, and sometimes our families came along. So you saw each other there."

"Yeah, but I was just a kid…I don't remember…" Henry pointed out. He continued a little hesitantly. "So, she married a lady, right?"

"Mm-hmm… Christiane was someone she met when she was here the first time. She was really bummed when she had to leave her behind."

JJ didn't add that it had taken months for Emily to come out to her. That she never officially had to the rest of the team. She didn't say that Emily's letters detailed the struggle they had for her partner to get past the fact that she had been so thoroughly lied to, having believed that Emily was an entirely different person. A Parisian artist named Pascale. It had taken years, but eventually, they came to a place of understanding. JJ didn't mention that the subsequent letters detailed what a long road it had been for them to eventually have a child.

"Is anybody else coming to visit her?" Henry asked.

"Nope, just us."

"Oh."

"She doesn't email them?"

"No," JJ answered simply.

The sight of the little cafés set JJ's heart racing. The flight had been nerve-wracking. JJ had thought she'd forgotten the flight over, eleven years earlier, but it was too vivid on the corners of her memory. Henry had blocked her out with headphones and asked her to stop being paranoid. Now, though, he reached over and squeezed her hand. Humor shone in his eyes.

"Relax, Mom. You said Emily loved me, remember? How could she resist this face?" he asked, trying for an angelic smile and only succeeding in making JJ laugh.

It was exactly what she needed.

When the door was pulled open, JJ couldn't help but stare at the passage of time in her friend's eyes. She looked distinctly European, with a scarf around her neck, a neat white blouse and black pants. Her hair had red highlights that were noticeable in the sun. And, she had a child on her hip.

"JJ! Oh, my God! Come in!" Emily exclaimed, her voice colored by a slight French accent that hadn't been there the last time they'd seen each other. At the wedding.

She laughed, her throat full of emotion, and stepped inside, Henry following with their luggage. She was only slightly shocked to have Emily kissing her once on each cheek. Vaguely, JJ remembered it was a cultural greeting.

"Is this Henry? I can't believe it… Has it been that long?" she asked, looking from JJ's face to her son's. She kissed his cheeks as well, and Henry held completely still, appearing surprised, but not commenting.

He set the bags down and extended a hand, making JJ proud. "Hi, I'm Henry. Nice to meet you…even though…ah…I guess technically we've met before, right?" he said, giving her a shy smile.

Emily clearly shocked him by taking him into her arms in a hug and holding on. Then, it was JJ's turn. A fist of emotion lodged in her throat, and she blinked back tears. "I missed you…" she choked. "You said we'd stay in touch…" she accused lightly.

"You, too," Emily said quietly. "I want you both to meet my family. This is my daughter, Caroline," she said, adjusting the girl on her hip. She was delicate and tanned, with startling blue eyes and blonde hair. And she was clinging to Emily for security. "She just turned four."

Emily trailed off, whispering something to Caroline.

"Nice to meet you," Caroline said quietly.

Just then, a woman, who could only be Christiane, rushed in, all apologetic eyes and beautiful French. She was petite and resembled Emily slightly. She was tan and brunette, with a big smile and an open embrace for JJ and Henry. She spoke in a flurry of French and then stopped short, apologizing in English.

"I'm so sorry. Christiane Martin. Pleased to meet you," she said.

"Christiane, these are my friends, JJ and her son, Henry," Emily introduced, in English.

"Of course! Of course!" Christiane continued enthusiastically.

"Come in. We'll get you settled," Emily encouraged, putting an arm around JJ.

The week in Paris flew by. They visited museums and the Eiffel Tower. They ate better than JJ remembered ever eating in her entire life. Henry and Caroline bonded almost instantly. As an only child, Henry had missed out on having siblings and took to Caroline like an older brother. He was always lifting her up to reach things, carrying her around on his back and playing dolls with her. They spoke in a funny mix of French, English and pantomime. Henry knew a grand total of four French words upon landing, and JJ was about the same. The week had her wishing she'd spent more time asking Garcia for key French phrases before coming. But they got along okay.

In the evenings, they would visit over dessert. Caroline would nod off first and Emily or Christiane would put her to bed. A few hours later, Henry would say goodnight to the adults and go to bed, too.

On their last night, Christiane excused herself soon after, giving Emily a kiss and talking to her quietly, before bidding JJ a good night. JJ couldn't help but be grateful. With everything going on, she and Emily had hardly been able to catch up.

"This sucks," JJ sighed, relieved that she didn't have to fake it around Emily.

"What?" Emily asked, curious.

"This. Saying goodbye. Again. And now I'm used to seeing you and your family every single day," she paused, sipping her coffee. "It's been so nice seeing Henry smile again."

"He's not been happy?" Emily asked.

"Well, it's different. Will and I share custody and he does okay, but I'm sure he blames himself. Tries to compensate by over-achieving and not falling into the same traps that the other kids are," JJ shared confidentially.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know," Emily breathed.

"No, it's fine. It happened a long time ago. Not easy to find someone to share your life with. I mean, for most of us. You kinda lucked out," JJ teased.

"Oh, right. I was forty and isolated from everyone who meant anything to me. And the first seven months of our relationship was a lie," she laughed.

"But you got through it," JJ pointed out. "You recognized what you had and you came back and fought for it…" Silence fell then, and JJ filled it eventually. "Caroline is beautiful. You're lucky."

"So is Henry. He's really something," Emily smiled. "Great sense of humor, like his mom."

"Manners, like his dad," JJ put in with a laugh. "He got the best of both of us."

"He mentioned Garcia and Reid. Are they both still in Quantico?" Emily asked curiously. "How's the team?"

"Yeah, Garcia, Reid, Morgan and I are still there. Rossi retired right after you left and Hotch, a few years later. So, we've got replacements. They're good at the job, but they're not you guys…"

Emily smiled ruefully. "Does Garcia still have Sergio? I didn't have the heart to put him on the long flight to France…"

JJ reached out and squeezed Emily's hand. "He died a couple years ago. Garcia was devastated…"

"Aw…poor thing…" Emily said sadly, and JJ wasn't sure if she was talking about Sergio or Garcia. "I miss him…and I miss you…but I'm happy now," Emily confessed, blinking back tears.

"Good, I'm glad." JJ said and meant it.

"Before I forget…I have something for you…" Emily said, composing herself. She got up quietly and removed a large bag from behind her living room couch.

"What is that?" JJ wondered. "Emily, you didn't have to do anything like this. We're fine. We don't need anything…"

"You need this," Emily insisted, pressing it into JJ's hands. "Don't open it now. Open it when you're home. If security checks it, avert your eyes," she joked and then grew serious again. "There's money in there, I don't want you having to pay so much to bring this home when you weren't planning on it."

She tried to refuse the money, but Emily wouldn't hear of it, so eventually, JJ just smiled, and wrapped her arms around her friend. She had so much to say, but couldn't speak a word. Instead, Emily whispered unexpected words in her ear:

"We have Skype. I emailed you our screen name. When you get home, give it to Garcia, and she can make sure everyone has it. I'm not losing touch again. I promise."

"Okay," JJ managed, even this wasn't okay at all. Tears tracked down JJ's cheeks. She wanted to say so much more than that, but that was all that came.

Even though JJ wouldn't have thought it possible, she forgot about the giant package until two days after they landed.

Henry had just come home from hanging out at a friend's and JJ was still trying to get over her jet lag. She was staring at the ridiculous mess her room was and contemplated picking it up, but that would require movement and JJ didn't think she could manage that. She'd have to move soon enough. She was going back to work tomorrow.

"Mom? Are you ever gonna open this?" Henry called, lugging the huge bag into her room and hefting it on the bed. "Because if you aren't going to, then I volunteer…"

"Oh… How did I forget this?" JJ wondered, a little breathless. Emily would kill her, JJ felt sure, and then smiled. Emily had probably counted on jet lag and JJ taking an extra long time to open the mystery package.

Henry sat close to JJ on the bed - close enough for her to get the benefit of his odor.

"Henry… You smell like dirty dog…and boy…" she scoffed, laughing.

"I am a boy. What do you expect me to smell like?" Henry quipped. "Want me to get the scissors?" he asked, as he watched his mom deftly probed the package.

But JJ had already set to work, unzipping the bag and taking a second, heavy-duty garbage bag out. JJ tore into it, careful not to disturb whatever was inside it.

"Whoa…" Henry breathed.

JJ gasped. Inside was a giant frame. Inside the frame was a huge framed photo of the five of them on Emily and Christiane's couch. Emily, Caroline and Christine, all beside each other. JJ beside Emily. Henry beside JJ. Surrounding that were several other candid photos and mementos of their time in France. A napkin from the café. Their plane tickets. Pictures outside the museum. At the Eiffel Tower. Countless more of them just hanging out. JJ had noticed Christiane was a bit of a shutter-bug but had never really put two and two together. Never imagined she and Emily collaborating on something as beautiful as this.

Behind the photos there were beautiful flowers painted in the background. And around the border were wooden scrabble tiles, glued in place. Across the top it read: CAROLINE. CHRISTIANE was built down the left side, off the C. JENNIFER made the right side sharing the E in CAROLINE. EMILY was across the bottom, built off from the E in CHISTIANE and HENRY was an offshoot using the Y in EMILY.

Scrawled in the bottom right corner was not the alias Pascale DuPont - the artist she had been - but Emily Prentiss, 2022. A piece of art that Emily could claim as her own without having to hide anymore.

If JJ squinted, she could see other words, written in Emily's handwriting. They grew out of the names like vines: family, love, adventure and hope… All the things JJ had ever wished for her friend.

"She's happy now, I think. Right?" Henry asked, looking to JJ for confirmation.

"Yeah," JJ confirmed, Emily's own words echoing in her head. "Yeah, I think she is."

The End.