Disclaimer: Not mine.
AN: First off...The title really sucks but my brain wasn't in a title place. No idea if this is any good but it appeared when I should have been writing one of my other fics but there you go. Enjoy.
Two Hearts Apart
Sometimes a case came along that would really ruin things that were meant to be cause for celebration and happiness. First came Hankel. The case that forever marked the end to happy memories of Superbowl weekend. Then Halloween which had been tainted by the actions of Max Pool and his taunting of his victims before they were taken. Christmas held the reminder in every Christmas tree of the Galen children and their horrific discovery of their slaughtered parents. It was safe to say the BAU team was running out of holidays that still held happy memories and feelings.
The team were sitting around in the bullpen while they awaited their briefing. They hoped that this morning would bring only a stack of case files to consult on from the relative sanctuary of Quantico. They had spent the past week away on a case in Texas and were glad to be back home.
"Good morning my little cherubs." Garcia appeared in the bullpen full of her usual energy and handed out candy hearts to each of the profilers sitting there.
"Love hearts?" Reid looked down at the items in his hand.
"Personalised for each of you." She winked at Morgan as she spoke.
The profilers opened their bags of candy and took them out to read the messages printed on them.
"Chocolate…and cream?" Reid read one of the messages aloud. "Cure for my sweet tooth." Reid frowned slightly as he continued.
"Geek is chic?" Morgan raised one eyebrow at the analyst.
Garcia quickly grabbed the two bags back from the men before handing them back the different one. "Must have mixed those up in my bag of love."
Emily rolled her eyes at the blonde who had perched on the corner of her desk.
"So my little love muffins, who had what planned for tomorrow then?"
"Absolutely nothing." Morgan responded as soon as the question was asked.
Garcia placed her hand over her chest in mock shock. "Derek Morgan…I simply will not hear of you hiding away on a day all about love. In fact, you should be out in public to give all those single ladies some nice eye candy to pass their time watching." She winked at him and was rewarded with his trademark smile.
"Hey kid, what are you doing?" Morgan turned his attention to the young doctor knowing that his Valentine's night would be spent in the bar with Garcia and deciding to drag as many of his fellow team with him as he could.
"I heard there was a Star Trek marathon…" Before he could finish the sentence, he heard the groans from the others. "What?"
"Star Trek? You've seen them all once so you don't need to see them again…Unless that computer of a brain of yours has developed a glitch and you have forgotten something." Morgan couldn't help but give the young man a light ribbing. "Come to the bar with us. You might meet a nice lady."
"You do know that statistically speaking the chances of finding someone on Valentine's day is no greater than any other day of the year? In fact, some studies have shown that the chances are in fact reduced as single women tend to prefer to stay in and watch a movie rather than go out and face all the happy couples."
"Enough man. I'll be there, Garcia will be there and I'm sure the girls will join us too…Right Prentiss?"
Emily looked up from computer at the sound of her name. "Huh?"
"Unless you have a hot date tomorrow night, what do you say to a night at the bar?" Morgan asked.
Emily was quiet for a moment as she tried to think of an excuse not to go. It wasn't that she didn't like the day, it was just she had planned on a movie marathon with such Valentine's day essentials like Bridget Jones' Diary.
Picking up on her hesitation, Morgan immediately got suspicious of the reason. "Have you got a hot date Prentiss?"
Before the brunette could answer, a new voice broke into the conversation. "Hotch is waiting for us in the briefing room." Emily breathed a sigh of relief at having escaped the topic of conversation. It wasn't that she didn't want to go out with the team but there was something bittersweet about being out on Valentine's day without the person you loved. Finding a way to explain that to the others without landing herself in a whole new interrogation situation was something Emily had not been able to figure out yet. The brunette didn't wait for the others as she quickly rose and made her way to the briefing room.
"She so has." Morgan commented as he watched the retreating figure of the brunette.
"Emily has what?" JJ asked as a slight frown creased her brow in confusion.
"Got a hot date tomorrow night."
JJ heard the words and felt something that confused her no end. She felt something that could only be described as jealousy flash in her mind at the words her friend had spoken. "Really?" The blonde finally managed.
"It would appear so." Morgan answered as he made his way out of the bullpen. The rest of the team followed and made their way in to meet Hotch.
After the briefing, Garcia caught Emily's arm and led her out of the bullpen and down to her office. "Sit." She instructed as soon as they were in the room. Emily complied with her friends order and sat in the spare chair in the room and waited to see what she had to say. "Morgan's wrong isn't he?"
Emily looked down at her hands. "I thought you were omniscient?"
"Oh I am but sometimes I like to give people the chance to tell me what I already know as kind of a cathartic experience for them."
Emily sighed. "Morgan's wrong." She confirmed her friend's suspicion and then waited to find out if she was in for an interrogation.
"You're coming out tonight then." She saw the brunette look up and could sense the argument about to come from her friend. She raised her hand to stop the profiler before she started. "JJ is going to be out with Will and you are coming out with us and not moping around at home."
Emily considered arguing with the analyst but knew it would be futile so instead just nodded. "I'm not promising to be great company though, just so you know."
"Trust me sugar, me and my love hunk will have a smile on your face by the end of the night. Or we'll be there to check you in to the ER for alcohol poisoning as a result of trying."
The profiler couldn't help but smile at her friend as she stood and headed out of the room and back to her desk.
The next evening, JJ found herself in the fancy restaurant Will had chosen for their Valentine's meal. JJ had tried to convince him that a meal at home would be better but he had insisted on them going out. It wasn't that JJ didn't like eating out but after the past few weeks she just really wanted a quiet night. The meal itself had been pleasant enough but the conversation had been strained between them. In all honesty, JJ's mind was elsewhere and had been ever since hearing that Emily was seeing someone. Her mind had drifted to the brunette profiler as Will spoke and she only snapped back to reality when she heard him ask a question. She looked over at the former detective and was met with an expectant gaze. Thinking quickly she tried to remember what he had been talking about before she had zoned out and stopped listening.
There had been something about their lives together and Henry and how happy he was. She could see Will still looking at her and a hint of hurt now appearing in his eyes. She really hated that look if she was honest. In her own mind she referred to it as the kicked puppy look. Deciding she had to take a gamble on what the question was, she tried to go with a simple answer and hoped it was right. "Of course." She watched Will's face for a response, something that would let her know if she had guessed the right answer. She watched as the kicked puppy look was replaced by a big smile. She felt the relief wash through her.
The next moment she felt her relief fade away and her heart stop. He had reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. "I wanted to wait until I had your answer before I gave you this. You have no idea how happy I am that you said yes JJ."
Her mind went blank as he slipped the ring onto her finger.
"Isn't he simply hypnotic?" Garcia asked while taking a sip of her cocktail as she watched Morgan dancing.
"Whatever you say Garcia." Emily replied, a slow smile appearing as she watched her friend.
The blonde turned her attention back to the brunette. "I told you there would be a smile tonight."
Emily rolled her eyes at the quirky blonde and lifted her beer to her lips before freezing. Garcia noticed the strange behaviour of her friend and followed the brunette's gaze to the door. She saw JJ walk in with Will behind her. Before she had a chance to say anything, she noticed the younger blonde spot them and wave.
"Hey." JJ greeted her friends as she got to their table. She noticed Emily sitting on her own and was tempted to ask where her date was but didn't want to ask outright. "Where are the others?"
"Morgan is dancing over there and Reid found someone to discuss the statistical probability of the successful conclusion of the mission of the hobbits in the Lord of the Rings or something like that anyway." Garcia filled in.
As Will came back over to the table he handed JJ her drink. Garcia's hand shot across the table and snatched her hand before JJ could clasp her drink. "What is that?" Her eyes shot up to meet her friend's gaze as she finished staring at the ring now adorning JJ's finger.
"Will asked me to marry him."
"And she said yes." Will finished for her before sliding in next to her in the booth.
JJ's eyes had drifted down to stare at the ring on her finger as Will spoke. Morgan had returned to the table and been filled in on the news. He and Will were busy talking as JJ kept her gaze down, not wanting to see the look on her friend's faces. She'd always held out a hope that Emily's flirting with her had held a greater meaning. She'd hoped that the brunette would say something but all she had been told was that she should pursue a relationship with the detective. Garcia knew of the feelings the blonde had for the brunette and how she had pursued a relationship only after she believed Emily held no interest. JJ was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of the brunette excusing herself. She watched the older woman head out of the bar. As JJ looked back down she noticed the brunette's coat resting on the seat.
"I'm going to take her coat out. It had just started to rain when we arrived." JJ explained as she stood. In truth, she just wanted to check the brunette was ok. Picking up the coat she made her way out of the bar in search of the other woman.
As she emerged into the cold night air, she looked around for the older woman. Just as she was about to give up, she caught sight of a figure sitting on a bench down the block a little way. JJ made her way over to the seated figure, coming to a stop beside her. She handed Emily her coat without speaking. She didn't know what to say or why the brunette had rushed out of the bar like that. She could feel the rain starting to soak through her own jacket. "Come back inside Em." JJ's request was greeted with silence. JJ sat down beside the brunette to wait for her to either speak or return to the bar. After a few minutes more silence, the sound of JJ's phone beeping broke into the quiet. She lifted the phone from her pocket and read the message from Will asking where she was. She knew that he would come looking for her soon. "I've got to go back in." She stood from her seat and glanced down at the older woman. "I'm sorry Em." She knew that from the brunette's reaction, she was the cause of the older woman's current mood. She just didn't know how to fix it.
Emily watched as the blonde headed back into the bar before pulling her phone out and texting Garcia.
After JJ had returned, the next hour passed without drama. The team had settled into easy conversation with one another. The only exception was JJ who had only volunteered answers when spoken to directly. Seeing JJ and Will begin to get ready to leave, Garcia grabbed her hand and led her away. She called back over her shoulder, "I'll bring her right back."
"Garcia, where are we going?" JJ asked in confusion at her friends actions.
Garcia didn't respond but continued to lead JJ out to her car. Once there she opened the door and reached in the back where the young blonde noticed a go bag sitting. She could prevent the slight frown that had appeared there. When Garcia emerged, she held a carved wooden box in her hand. JJ read the words on the edges, "Ti osare ad amarmi?" She looked at her friend.
"I have no clue what it says. She'd kill me if she knew I gave it to you but before you make a decision about who you spend the rest of your life with, you should know all the facts Jayje."
JJ opened the little metal clasp on the box and lifted the lid. Inside she saw lots of little scrolls of paper and one larger one. She lifted the larger scroll out and slid the metal curl off that held it rolled up and read the note.
JJ,
Sometimes you have to take a chance in life to achieve your dreams. I might have missed my chance once before but I hope that I get a second chance at my dream. I just wanted to let you know that there are others who love you. I love you. I know that I have done everything to make you think otherwise in recent times but I got scared and pushed you away. I know you might not believe that I love you by my actions so I wrote down all the reasons why I fell in love with you. I started off by hoping to write one for every month that I had known you. I ended up with one for every day. Luckily there aren't 1186 scrolls in here…They wouldn't fit in the box but there are 1186 reasons. I hope that even if you don't feel the same way, you will know all these reasons why I love you.
Em
Emily heard the knock on her door and walked over, expecting Garcia with her go bag. When the door was opened, the sight that greeted her was entirely unexpected. JJ stood there with her go bag in her hands. She passed the bag to Emily as she spoke. "I asked Garcia if I could bring it over for you. I wanted to see if you were ok."
The brunette opened the door further and stepped into her apartment, inviting the blonde to follow in her actions. JJ followed her in and watched as she placed the bag at the bottom of the stairs before making her way into the kitchen. "Would you like a drink?"
"No thanks." She watched as Emily pulled a beer out of the fridge and opened it before taking a long drink. "What happened at the bar Em?" Emily stared down at the bottle, pulling at the corner of the label slightly but remaining silent. JJ waited a moment more before sighing and admitting defeat. As she turned to walk away, she felt a hand on her arm. Turning slowly she found herself face to face with Emily. "Don't marry him."
JJ's brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "Why?"
"It's just…Him. He's not right for you. Don't marry him." Emily explained as best she could.
"He's Henry's dad and he loves me."
"What about you?" Emily's deep brown eyes stared into JJ's blue as she asked the question.
"What do you mean?" JJ knew she was avoiding the question. Still unsure as to whether the brunette still felt what she had written. Especially since she hadn't given her the gift. If it hadn't been for Garcia, JJ wouldn't know it even existed.
Emily slid her hand down from where it still lay against JJ's arm and slipped it into JJ's, before raising her hand up between them. "I know you Jayj. When you take your vows, you will mean every word and you will be in it until death parts you. He's not the one you should spend the rest of your life with. Can you honestly tell me this is the ring you want to have on your finger for the next 60 years or more?"
JJ was quiet for a moment. She knew that Emily was speaking the truth. When she married someone it was forever. She had been raised to work through the problems that may come up in a relationship and not give up on a marriage. Yet hearing Emily speak those words made her realise that she had ended up in a situation that would not lead to her happily ever after. "What if the person I want to spend my life with doesn't want that with me?"
"Then they are a fool." As Emily looked at the young blonde, a frown creased her brow. She waged her own internal battle before continuing to speak. "You are such an amazing woman Jayj. Anyone who couldn't see that and want to spend their life with you is a fool."
"Are you?" JJ locked her blue eyes onto the brown of her companion as she spoke. She knew that she might be about to ruin their friendship if the brunette didn't want the same thing but she couldn't go through with marrying Will if there was a chance that Emily wanted to be with her.
"Am I what?" Emily asked, the confusion evident in her voice.
"A fool." When Emily just stood there staring back at the blonde, JJ stepped closer to the brunette. "Would you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" JJ thought about what she had just said as the brunette just stood stock still, staring at her. "I'm not asking you to marry me. I'm just…I just…Could you ever see yourself doing that?" Once more JJ was greeted with silence. She felt her shoulders slump forward in defeat, her eyes dropping their connection with Emily. She turned once more to head towards the door.
"Yes." The sound of one word stopped her in her tracks. She didn't turn this time, unsure of if she had heard the word correctly. "Yes." The second time she was sure she heard it as the voice was much closer. Slowly she turned to face the other woman. "I made you something." Emily made a move to retrieve her go bag but was stopped by JJ's hand remaining clasped around her own. The frown on Emily's face betrayed the confusion she felt.
"Garcia." The one word was enough to make the frown fade and be replaced by a lopsided smile. "What does it mean?"
"Ti osare ad amarmi?" Seeing the nod from the blonde, Emily continued. "Do you dare to love me."
JJ smiled at the words. Her hand moved up to rest against Emily's cheek. She noticed the way the brunette leant into her touch. Keeping her eyes on the deep brown of the woman before her, she leant forward, brining their lips to within a hairs breadth of each other. "I do." As she spoke the words, the warm air caressed the brunette's lips only to be followed by the touch of her soft lips. Emily surrendered herself to the kiss, her own hands moving to slip around the blonde's waist to draw her closer.
JJ broke from the kiss to speak. "Happy Valentine's day Em." As soon as she had finished her sentence, Emily recaptured her lips. The only thought running through her mind was how different the day had turned out to what she had expected.