Title: A Christmas Wish

Author: Cherokee62

Fandom: Criminal Minds, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer JJ Jareau

Total words: 3,509

Author's note: This is pure fantasy. An AU where there is no Will and no children. It takes place after Emily Prentiss has returned from Paris and her faked death at the hands of Ian Doyle.

Note 2: I do not own these characters or presumed to own any part of CBS Criminal Minds. I am not selling or plan to make any income off of this story or the Criminal Minds franchise. I am just a long time lover of Jemily, and am still waiting for my happy ending.

Posted on: /cherokee62

Archive of our Own/Cherokee62

A Christmas Wish

As she rushed through the mall, dodging all the other last-minute holiday shoppers, Emily Prentiss cursed under her breath. "Why the hell do you all wait until the very last second to come here? I just want to get to the wine shop and home again, is that too much to ask?"

"Excuse me?" the woman standing at the end of a line of screaming children asked, looking Emily up and down.

"What?' Emily turned to the woman, who was dressed like an elf of all things, and scowled. "Wasn't talking to you, sorry."

"It's ok. You look a little lost, maybe I can help you?"

"I'm looking for the wine shop. I swore it was on this side of the mall, but for some reason, there are a thousand people in here!"

The woman grinned, "Maybe because it's Christmas Eve?"

"Poor excuse," Emily growled and looked around.

"It's around the next bend," the woman supplied.

Emily gave a curt nod of thanks and rushed off. The line was out the door and she hadn't even gotten inside to get what she wanted. Once a year she treated herself to her favorite French wine, closing her eyes to the outrageous price she would pay for the treat. Her reasoning being, surviving another year was worth a hundred dollar bottle of wine. After a few "excuse me, pardon me" and some outright pushing, Emily reached the reserved section, grabbed the bottle and got in line.

By the time she got out, a voice came over the intercom, announcing the mall would be closing in fifteen minutes. "Jesus! How long was I in there?" she muttered as she rushed toward the exit.

"Not going to see Santa?" a voice asked as she swerved around an older couple staring in the window of a store that was closing.

Emily turned her head and saw the elf from earlier. Her long line of children was now just one child waiting for a very weary looking Santa. "I think not," Emily muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Oh c'mon, where's your Christmas spirit?" the elf asked.

"Probably at home with someone who's not me," Emily thought but just grimaced. "Sorry, long day, tired, just wanna go home."

"He's just about done, won't take a minute and it may help put you in the mood."

Emily stopped and stared at the woman, was she addled or something? It was obvious Emily had no child with her and was not exactly a holiday reveler.

"What could it hurt?"

Emily had to admit the woman had an attractive and contagious smile. "I shouldn't."

"Why? Don't you believe in Santa?"

"More like he stopped believing in me," Emily replied with a small smile.

"Nonsense." The woman turned, "Hey Santa, time for one more lost child"

Emily began to protest but Santa smiled and held his hand out, "C'mere honey and tell me what you want for Christmas."

The elf gave her a gentle nudge, and feeling foolish, Emily moved to the old guy. She smiled when he patted his knee, thinking, "In your dreams, buddy," but decided to sit on the very edge of his knee.

"This is stupid," she said.

"It's Christmas Eve, miracles happen, even to sour pusses like you, sweetie," Santa said softly, then smiled. "What can Santa bring you for Christmas?"

"Well seeing as how you're about fort—thirty years late, old man..."

"Ho ho ho," Santa laughed. "Maybe you didn't need me then?"

The woman had moved closer and smiled, "Whisper it if you feel silly, but you should never pass up a chance to put a wish out into the universe."

Emily shrugged, and with her cheeks burning red, leaned in and whispered into Santa's ear. "Impossible, right?" she asked when finished.

"Nothing is impossible, my dear. Have a little faith in old Santa."

Emily stood and smiled at Santa and his elf, "Thanks. I feel so much better now."

"Really?" the elf asked, her eyes wide with hope.

"No." Emily quipped and walked away.

She lit the last candle and sat the opened bottle of wine on the table next to a cheese and cracker platter she had thrown together. She looked around and sighed, she had hired someone to come in and decorate her apartment for the holidays and now she was regretting that decision.

"Looks like the inside of a Macy's," she muttered and flicked the dark red leaf of a Poinsettia plant.

She went into the kitchen and pulled down a crystal wine glass, hesitated and reached in and took out a second glass. She walked back into the living room and sat the glasses on either side of the breathing wine. She went into her bedroom and undressed, putting on a pair of lounging pants decorated with cats wearing Santa hat's and tangled up in strings of Christmas lights. She pulled the matching thermal shirt over her head and looked in the mirror.

She smiled at her reflection, then sighed. "I used to so love this night..." she said to the mirror. "Not like this is the first I've spent alone or the last, don't know why it's bothering me so much this year." With a deep sigh, she headed back into the living room and glanced at the two glasses.

"What bullshit. Miracles indeed." She picked up the extra glass and mumbled, "humbug," and returned it to the kitchen. Folding herself onto the couch, she poured a glass and sniffed deeply.

A small ghost of a smile appeared, "I'll always have Paris," she whispered and stared at the light reflecting off the deep burgundy color of the wine. She jumped when her clock chimed twelve, looking over at it in disbelief.

"What the—that can't be right." She reached for her phone to check, shocked to see that she had sat there just lost in thought for hours.

She took a sip of the wine, sighed with appreciation, reaching for a piece of cheese. She lifted her glass into the air, "Merry Christmas to me," she toasted and after a moment stood and walked over to the large picture window. She looked out, high enough to only see the twinkling lights of Alexandria below. She lifted the glass again and softly said, "Merry Christmas, wherever you are. I hope you are happy, it's all I ever wanted for you."

She wiped a tear from her cheek and downed the rest of the glass quickly. The sound of her doorbell was loud and jarring, making her whirl away from the window in surprise.

"I'm not expecting anyone," she said as she moved slowly to the door, jumping again when the bell rang, followed by an insistent knock. She reached down the side of her sleep pants, frowning when she didn't encounter her holster, before peeking out the eye hole in the door.

All she could see was a fluffy, red, Santa's hat, the person's back to the door looking back down the hall.

"Oh, tell me that's not the chick from the mall..." Emily growled, not even wondering how the woman would have known where she lived.

She pulled the door open quickly and the woman whirled around. Emily's mouth fell open and she simply stared at the vision standing in front of her.

"Nice jammies ya got there Prentiss," JJ said with a wide grin. "And I was betting reindeer, not kitties."

"Jay?" Emily looked passed her then back, "What-? Is something wrong? Are you alright?"

"You going to invite me in? Unless of course, you like your neighbor peeking out her door at your guest."

"Huh?" Emily looked at the apartment down from hers and saw it close slowly, the old woman still visible. "Oh, that's just Mrs. Jackson, she keeps an eye on my place when-wait, why are you here, JJ?"

"Because it's Christmas eve," JJ shrugged, sliding past Emily and into the apartment. She glanced at her watch and smiled, "I stand corrected, it's officially Christmas!" She gave Emily a wide, bright smile, "Merry Christmas, Em!" and leaned forward and kissed her quickly on the lips. "Ooo, wine and cheese," she said moving into the room and heading for the bottle.

Emily stood, her fingertips just lightly touching her own lips in amazement. JJ had just kissed her. "Okay, maybe kissed me, is stretching it," Emily thought as she watched the blonde pick up the bottle to read the label and whistle at it. "but I'll take what I can get."

"Impressive, Prentiss. You always buy high priced wine to drink alone?"

Emily stared for a minute then shook her head, "No. Just once a year."

JJ nodded as if that needed no other explanation, "So..." she began, eyebrow arched.

"So?" Emily repeated. "Oh, where are my manners? Would you like some wine, Jay? Or something else?

"Wine would be perfect, thank you."

Emily nodded and retreated to the kitchen for another glass and poured some for JJ. She stared transfixed as JJ sniffed deeply from the glass and sighed.

"Oh Lord that smells heavenly." JJ lifted the glass to her nose again, "Reminds me of France."She glanced up at Emily, "Is this from the same Vineyard as the one we had in Paris?"

Emily stared at JJ's lips as they touched the rim of the glass, her tongue just darting out for a moment before the wine flowed into her mouth. "Huh?" she gracefully replied.

"The wine, is it from the same area as the one you bought me in Paris?

"Same wine. Same grapes, same vineyard, same year, same...almost same everything." Emily continued to stare at JJ as if she were a mirage, "No, now its the same everything since you are drinking it with me again."

JJ smiled and took another sip, "You always did have excellent taste in wine, Em."

"JJ? What are you doing here?"

JJ held up her glass, "Having wine with you, silly."

"No. I mean yes, I see that but I thought you had plans." Emily frowned, "You said you had plans, you always have plans for Christmas."

"Plans change, Emily." JJ sighed, staring into her glass. "Lots of things change, no one knows that better than you."

"True, but that doesn't answer my question. Why are you here?"

JJ turned and moved toward the window, "Do you believe in miracles, Em?"

"Miracles?" Emily paused, distracted by the change in subject. "I never use to but yes, I do now. Hell, I've had my own, haven't I? I should be dead, Doyle should have killed me. Hell, he did kill me!"

"I hate thinking of that day," JJ rasped, "that bastard! When I think of how I thought I...we had lost you that night, then to watch you walk away in Paris...may he burn in the lowest circle of hell!" JJ shook her head, "No, I will not think of that tonight. Tonight, well I guess this morning, is Christmas. A time of miracles."

Emily moved behind JJ, looking at the two of them in the reflection in the glass. "There was so much I had never gotten a chance to say before Paris."

JJ looked up at the mirror image of Emily and smiled, "I know. It was the first time I realized-" JJ closed her eyes and sighed, she turned and faced Emily, just inches from her. "So what did you ask Santa for Christmas?"

"Jay-" Emily had begun to lean forwards, caught in the sparkle of JJ's amazing blue eyes. "I should have told you that I-" Emily frowned, "Did you say Santa?"

JJ laughed and patted Emily on the chest, lightly, just over her heart. "I was in the mall after work and I swore I saw a woman who looked just like you, sitting on Santa's lap. I was so surprised, I almost walked into the fountain! I was positive I was mistaken, then she turned to smile at the cute elf girl; well, there is no mistaking that Prentiss smile."

Emily blushed, "It wasn't my idea, I swear. The elf forced me!"

"Put you in a lock hold and drug you to the fat guy, did she?" JJ smirked.

"Well no, but she was an elf! How do you tell an elf to get lost on Christmas eve?" Emily grinned back, "Even I'm not that much of a Grinch."

"Didn't hurt she was damn good looking either, right?"

"Was she?" Emily gave a puzzled look, she honestly couldn't remember what the woman had looked like, other than she had pointy, Vulcan like ears. "I don't think I noticed."

"Oh come on!" JJ teased, "You always notice the cute ones."

Flustered, Emily stepped away and picked up the wine bottle. "More?"

JJ nodded and held out her glass. "Anyway, I saw you and I wondered all the way home, what on earth a woman like you, could ask Santa for."

"A woman like me?"

JJ waved her arm in a wide gesture, "Yeah. Well educated, rich, beautiful; you have it all Prentiss, so what could you possibly ask of the jolly old elf? I couldn't stop thinking about it all night. So, I changed my plans and decided to come and ask."

With a grin, Emily looked at her watch, "That was at six, it's after midnight. Took a while to change those plans, eh?"

"Took less time to change my plans then it did to muster up the courage to come over here." JJ walked over to Emily's bookshelf and ran her fingers lightly along the spine of the well-read books. "Do you know this is the first time I've ever been here?"

"No it's not, is it?"

JJ nodded, "I pictured your apartment a thousand times, imagined knocking on your door a million, but never got the nerve."

"Why? We're friends, you would have been welcome."

"Friends," JJ said flatly making Emily cringe. "Yet you never invited me. Morgan's been here. Garcia too. Hell, even Hotch has been here!" JJ gave a depreciating laugh, "I waited, then realized you didn't want me to see this side of your life. I wasn't sure why, but I respected it and stayed away."

"Until tonight."

"Until tonight. I was so afraid I would be interrupting a date or maybe you had someone living here that you never mentioned. I finally decided if you were...busy, you wouldn't answer the door and if someone else was here and you did answer, I would just wish you a Merry Christmas and go on my way."

"There's no one. Hasn't been for a very long time."

JJ looked at Emily, her head slightly tilted as she pondered her response. "You deserve someone, ya know. Someone who loves you. Someone who knows what a special woman you are, what a treasure you are."

"That's a bit much," Emily said, embarrassed. "I'm more an acquired taste than a treasure, I think."

"I could acquire it," JJ mumbled into her glass.

"Did she just say…?" Emily thought then shook her head at her own arrogance.

"JJ, I never meant for you to feel unwelcomed. I just never thought you wanted to come here, that you had better things to do," she confessed. "You were dating, then there was Doyle. I could risk everything, but I would never have risked losing your friendship."

"What did you ask Santa for?" JJ repeated.

Emily sighed, "It's stupid." When JJ just waited, she sighed. "To not be alone tonight. Ok?" Emily gulped the remainder of the wine in her glass. "I didn't want to spend one more Christmas Eve alone. I asked; I said if he were real, could he bring me someone to love."

Emily began to turn away, ashamed of showing such weakness to anyone, let alone to this woman. JJ placed her hand on Emily's arm, "Do you believe, Emily?"

"In Santa?" Emily laughed. "I've asked Santa for that same thing since I was a little girl. Every Christmas morning I came downstairs to a room packed with gifts, stacked to the ceiling! And my mother's assistant, to watch me open them and film it for my parents to watch later."

"Why?"

"Oh, they were always gone by the time I came down or hadn't even returned from the night out. Being an Ambassador is a full time, twenty-four hour, seven day a week job. Aides bought and wrapped my gifts, decorated my tree after I went to sleep and watched me open my gifts." Emily looked at JJ and sighed, "I know, poor little rich girl. It didn't take me long to realize Santa was for other children to believe in. I knew the cold, hard facts. So I stopped asking, stopped wishing."

"And this year?" JJ asked softly, taking one step closer to Emily.

"This year I did what I always do. I put on my mask. Decorated, bought gifts for my friends, and prepared to drink myself into a nice dreamless slumber with the help of excellent wine."

"Have you become so jaded, Emily?"

Emily barked out a cruel laugh, "Jaded? Hell yes, I'm jaded!" She stepped away from JJ, angry. "You see someone with everything. But they are things!" Emily pointed at JJ, "You! You are the one with everything, Jennifer. You have someone to go home to, someone who wants you. Everyone loves JJ, they'll tell you in heartbeat. Hell, even I sing the praises of JJ!"

"Are you so blind, Emily Prentiss, that you can't see how special you are?"

Emily snorted and poured more wine. JJ gently took the bottle from her and with a gentle touch of her palm on her cheek, turned Emily's head to look at her. "I do not have the things you think I do, Em. You're not the only one who can wear a mask, ya know."

Emily closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself the luxury of enjoying JJ's touch, even one given in pity.

"There hasn't been anyone waiting for me to come home for some time now."

"But-"

JJ smiled, "Paris changed everything. Doyle made me see what I was allowing myself to lose. To see how quickly everything could change. It made me see how I had to stop hiding my own truth." JJ smiled, looking into Emily's deep brown eyes, "Open your eyes, Emily. Open them and see me."

"I see you." Emily stammered.

"I'm your Christmas wish." JJ simply said.

"You're my what?" Emily began to breathe heavily, for a moment thinking she had finished the bottle of wine and this, all of this, was just a dream. One of those crazy It's a Wonderful Life moment she used to dream of when she first joined the BAU and met Jennifer Jareau. From that first smile, she knew she would never want anyone as much as she wanted JJ, and had a better chance of winning anyone but her secret desire.

"I came here to tell you what I should have told you that night in Paris before you walked away. What I should have told you before Doyle even happened." JJ took a deep breath, "I'm in love with you Emily. I have been for a long time now." JJ leaned forward and gently kissed Emily on the lips. She moved back, smiling and waited.

Emily was speechless. She stared at JJ for so long, the younger woman began to worry she had read all the signs wrong. Emily reached out and lightly stroked JJ's cheek then touched her own. "Is this a joke? Because if it's like some Christmas prank, it's really not funny."

"Not a joke. Not a prank. I wanted you to know, to finally reveal the last of my truths and tell you." JJ smiled, "Maybe even spend Christmas with you, if you don't have other plans." JJ sounded confident and sure but inside she was shaking, positive that Emily was about to toss her out on her ass.

"Emily? Please. Say something."

Emily wrapped an arm around JJ's waist and pulled her into her arms, her smile finally blooming. She leaned in and kissed JJ like she had always dreamed of kissing her from day one. The kiss seemed to go on forever, then JJ smiled into it. Emily pulled back for just a moment but JJ snaked her hand behind her head and pulled her lips back to hers, slightly parting her lips to allow Emily to deepen the kiss if she desired. The kiss turned passionate and deep as Emily pulled her tighter into her arms. She murmured something against JJ's lips.

JJ broke the kiss, still smiling, "What did you say?"

"There is a Santa Clause, Jennifer. I finally got my wish."

"Are you sure, Emily? I know this is a bit of a surprise but..."

"I love you, Jennifer Jareau. More than I have the words for. Please, stay and we can celebrate the day and this amazing gift." Emily pulled her in for another kiss, and JJ stayed.