When You Least Expect It

by LuxEtVeritas10

JJ knows there is something important she is supposed to remember, she just doesn't know what that thing is.

The blonde stopped, mid-stride, in the middle of the street. Given the late hour, traffic was not an issue. In fact, she hadn't seen another car besides the one she arrived in. She began to slowly turn around but wasn't able to make it all the way before it happened.

Time had run out.

A deafening explosion interrupted the still night as the facade of a building a mere block north of her location exploded onto the street. The building collapsed within seconds, sending a cloud of dust and debris hurdling towards her. The blonde was violently thrown forward as darkness engulfed her.

The first thing she was aware of was a sound. A sharp beep approximately every second. In the dark haze that literally and figuratively surrounded her, it was impossible to determine the sound's proximity. It could be fifty feet away or it could be all in her head, she just wasn't sure. She tried to focus her thoughts and concentrate on the only stimuli that currently existed to her. As the rhythmic pulse continued it had an almost hypnotizing effect on her.

After an indiscernible amount of time, a new sound began. Muffled at first, gradually growing in volume and clarity. Suddenly the sound became a voice, loud but muffled, as if someone was yelling while underwater. As it cut through the soothing melody, the blonde felt her body tense in agitation.

She did her best to vocalize a response to the voice, but was unable to form actual words. She was aware of a quiet groan escaping her mouth. The groan partially was her best attempt at responding and partially because as the voice became clearer, so too did the pain she felt throughout her entire body and especially her head. Finally, she could make out the words. "Jennifer, can you hear me?"

She tried again to speak, but nothing came out. She struggled to move, determined to find the source of the voice in the darkness. She felt a sensation on her right forearm, as if someone was strongly yet calmly grasping her wrist. The voice came again, this time sounding as if the person was only two feet away. "Jennifer, it's okay. Open your eyes."

It was then that the blond realized the darkness was self-imposed. Her eyes felt impossibly heavy but she concentrated all of her strength and determination on the task of opening her eyelids. Her eye lids fluttered a few times before she finally was able to succeed. The harsh white light that greeted her newly restored sight made her immediately want to close them again.

"There you go," came the voice. "Welcome back, Agent Jareau." As her surroundings game into focus, JJ began to realize that she was in a hospital room, the man speaking to her and touching her arm a doctor.

"Where am I? What happened?" JJ frighteningly realized that she could not recall what events had led her to this situation.

The doctor moved closer to her head, making it possible for him to speak softer as he explained. "I'm Dr. Edwards. You're at the University of Washington Medical Center. You were injured in an explosion and sustained serious head trauma, in addition to some minor trauma to the left side of your body." He paused before continuing, "Out of concern for swelling as a result of your head trauma, you were placed in a medically-induced coma."

A coma? That sounded serious. Was she going to be okay? Was she okay now? Her expression must have given away her thoughts, as the doctor touched her shoulder to recapture her attention before attempting to assuage her fears. "I'm confident that the risk for complications has subsided enough that we no longer need to keep you medicated to that extent."

JJ believed him, but still felt as though the doctor wasn't telling her everything. She was about to ask when a second, more familiar voice filled the room.

"Ah, I see you're finally awake."

JJ looked over the doctor's shoulder to see her boss standing just inside the door to her room. "Hotch." She smiled as she said his name, feeling as if she hadn't seen him in a long time. Then she realized maybe she hadn't.

After the doctor completed his preliminary assessment of her and exited the room, with the promise to return shortly to do some additional checks, Hotch approached her bed. He looked relieved now, but JJ could tell from the dark bags under his eyes that he hadn't had much sleep in days. "Morgan and Reid are in the waiting room. Garcia just left to go back to the hotel for a nap and to freshen up. She's going to be furious that she missed you waking up. We thought they weren't going to reduce your medications until tomorrow."

JJ suddenly felt guilty. She had been so worried about herself, she hadn't even stopped to think of the rest of the team, her colleagues that she considered for all intensive purposes to be family. "What about Greenaway and Gideon?"

The man knit his dark brows together, "I'm sorry?"

"Elle and Jason," she repeated. His hesitation alarmed her, "Are they okay?"

"JJ... Elle resigned four years ago after killing a suspected rapist. Gideon left a year later after suffering a breakdown." The matter-of-fact way in which he stated this clued JJ into that these facts were events that should be known to her.

"Four years ago... how long have I been out of it?" She felt as though she had been asleep for a long time, but certainly not four years.

"Only about three days." Hotch paused, as if considering something. "This must be a result of the head injury you sustained. Do you remember anything about the case we were working? About why we're in Seattle?"

JJ tried to remember details of their case, the fact that she couldn't only occurring to her now. "No. I didn't even know we were in Seattle, although that explains why the doctor said the University of Washington."

Hotch did his best to summarize. "We were in Seattle investigating a group of domestic environmental extremists. We've had their leader, John Wilson, in our custody for the past week. He taunted us with information that a bomb was hidden somewhere in Seattle and we had until midnight Wednesday night to find it. We thought we had time and that it was safe to check out possible bomb locations. But Wilson lied about the time the bomb would detonate and we ran out of time at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, which is when the explosion that injured you occurred. We were called in for this case because Rossi has first-hand knowledge and experience with Wilson, due to being part of the FBI team that extensively investigated him as a possible serial killer in the 70s."

"Rossi? As in Dave Rossi?"

"Yes. He came out of retirement about three years ago to rejoin the BAU. Do you remember him?"

JJ focused on trying to remember Dave Rossi with the team. She could easily picture him but that was expected: everyone at the FBI knew the legendary Dave Rossi. The more she thought about it, the more Rossi being a member of the team seemed to fit, though shouldn't couldn't recall specific cases and circumstances spent with him.

"I think so," she answered honestly. Some pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place. "So Rossi replaced Gideon?"

"Yes, and Prentiss replaced Greenaway." Seeing the blonde's confused expression, Hotch elaborated, "She's an experienced FBI agent. Came to us from the St. Louis field office."

Prentiss. JJ again focused but this one didn't come back to her as easily. In a way, this made sense. Dave Rossi was known to her before his recent stint with the team; Agent Prentiss was not. She could feel the void left by Elle's departure and the arrival of someone new, but that's where the details ended.

"She's not as clear."

"There's something else..." Hotch trailed off, causing JJ to curiously return her attention to him. His usually stoic composure showed signs of hesitation. "I talked to Will. He's still in New Orleans but he was very concerned about your condition. If it's okay with you, I'll continue giving him updates on your progress."

JJ knew what details her boss was leaving out. Will she had no trouble remembering, despite their relationship occurring sometime between when Gideon left the team and now. In a way she realized this made sense, as she worked very hard to separate her home life from her work life. She was not surprised that her occupational memories may be missing, while her private ones intact.

"That's fine, you can continue to update him." As Hotch continued to look at her expectantly, she went on, "Yes, we broke up six weeks ago. It was amicable and not a big deal, which is why I didn't tell the team. Will is a good man, it just wasn't ever going to work out between us." Seeing Hotch was wondering why she could so easily remember Will, she went on to explain her memories rationale.

They were interrupted by the doctor returning. As JJ explained her new symptoms, Hotch decided to return to the waiting room and update the team members present. Dr. Edwards was not surprised at her condition. "Given your injury, this is almost to be expected and not at all unusual. I am not overly alarmed and would expect your memories to return in the coming days and weeks as your rehabilitation progresses." This response was comforting to JJ. Her new darkness wouldn't last forever.

Satisfied with the results of his assessment of her vitals, Dr. Edwards gave her a new dosage of pain medication before excused himself, recommending that JJ try and relax get some sleep, as her unconsciousness of the past three days through medicinal means was not comparable to natural sleep.

Once alone in the room, JJ adjusted her body until she felt comfortable enough to hopefully fall asleep. She could feel the pain medication Dr. Edwards had given her starting to make its way through her body, easing most of the discomfort she had felt since waking up. Knowing she had already been out of it for so long, she really didn't want to sleep but after a few minutes, she felt her eyes grow heavy as her battered mind and body took over and demanded some reprieve.

The next thing she was aware of, she was in the middle of a street. She looked down and her medical gown was gone in favor of clothing that fit her typical work attire.

The street seemed vaguely familiar. She must have been here before. She felt an inexplicable pull telling her to move forward. As she began walking down the middle of the abandoned street, she began to observe and take note of her surroundings. The multi-story buildings lining both sides gave her little perspective of the area beyond the street she currently was on. Nothing about the businesses located on the ground level of the buildings was unusual: a coffee shop, an accountant, a for sale sign in a dusty window display with a Christmas tree behind it, a deli, among others. All were dark and obviously not open. As she continued walking, she started to wonder what time of night it was and what she was doing here.

Thinking she heard a faint noise, she turned to look back in the direction she came. Nothing had changed, the street still was abandoned of any traffic or people.

She started to turn back and continue her walking when suddenly the facade of a building down the street in the direction she was facing exploded upwards and outwards onto the street. As JJ watched in horror, the explosion triggered the collapse of the buildings next to and across from the original structure. The chain reaction continued like dominoes, the collapsing buildings rapidly approaching where she was standing. JJ tried to move her legs to run but found she couldn't. She was transfixed on the scene unfolding before her. As the buildings immediately to either side of her began to give way, she made a futile attempt to cover her head as the debris came raining down around her.

She quickly sat upright as her eyes flew open and immediately landed on the face of her best friend, Penelope Garcia, who was anxiously staring back at her, obviously alarmed at the mental or physical distress JJ must have been experiencing.

"Oh my sweet JJ, are you okay?" Penelope approached her bedside before taking her hand and giving it a light squeeze. JJ was both uncomfortably hot and cold at the same time, which made her aware that she was drenched in sweat.

"I had a nightmare." She eased herself back into the slightly reclined position she had gotten into before falling asleep. She still felt exhausted. "How long have I been asleep?"

The tech analyst glanced at the wall clock before returning her attention to the blonde in the hospital bed. "I'm not sure, I've only been here about fifteen minutes. But I'm so glad to finally see those beautiful blue orbs of yours again. How are you feeling?"

JJ sighed and shrugged slightly. "I've had better days." Silence fell over the room for a few moments as JJ adjusted into a more comfortable position. She could tell something was on her best friend's mind and was about to ask when the bubbly blond began talking as fast as she could.

"I told Hotch about Will. I'm sorry, I know you said not to tell anyone yet but you got hurt and Hotch asked for his number to call him and I panicked and didn't know what to do and I was such a wreck because you were in a coma and so I told him. I did it." She looked at JJ sheepishly.

JJ raised her hands to let her best friend know to slow down and take a breath. "Pen, it's fine. I already talked to Hotch and told him about it myself."

Garcia let a long sigh and released the tension in her shoulders. She obviously had been stressing over how her friend would take this potential betrayal of her trust. "Whew, I was worried about that."

JJ couldn't help but roll her eyes and chuckle. "I'm in the hospital because a building fell on me after an explosion and you're worried about telling my boss that my boyfriend and I broke up?"

Garcia touched JJ's shoulder playfully. "Oh, you know what I mean. I take trust very seriously."

"I know you do, Pen. And I appreciate it. But I'm not mad at you for telling Hotch."

"Kevin said you wouldn't be. I guess he was right," Garcia said absently, before hastily adding, "But don't tell him I said that."

"I won't." JJ smiled, "So, how is Kevin then?"

"Well..." As Garcia delved into details that JJ could only assume were may more personal than she needed or wanted to know, she lost focus on the conversation and her mind began to wonder.

"Okay, you're not listening."

JJ knew she was busted, but she tried to play it off anyway. "What? Yes, I am."

"I just told you I gave birth to a monkey and you just nodded in agreement like it was peachy and not freaky, which it would be if it actually happened. Am I talking too much? Do you want to go back to sleep?"

JJ shook her head in response. "No, no, you're fine." Seeing that Garcia was waiting for her to expand, she continued, "Sorry, something is just bothering me. It's frustrating that there are certain things I can't remember."

"Oh yeah, Hotch mentioned that. Maybe I can help, princess. What do you want to know?" Garcia pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and took a seat. Apparently she expected JJ would have so many questions that standing would become uncomfortable.

JJ hesitated but then decided to go for it. This was her best friend, after all. "Well, this sounds strange to ask but... was I dating anyone? I mean I know Will and I just broke up six weeks ago, but I feel like I was dating someone."

Garcia scrunched her lips to one corner of her mouth and placed a finger on them, contemplating the question and its answer. "Hmm... I don't think you were. But you could have been, in which case I am going to be extremely mad at you for not telling me." Remembering her surroundings, she added, "You know, after you're out of this icky hospital and everything."

The media liaison was confused and somewhat disappointed by this answer. "I wonder what made me think I was dating someone."

"Well, you have been acting strange the past few weeks. You kept insisting nothing was going on so I just assumed it was you adjusting after the break up."

JJ thought about this for a few moments. "But as far as you know, I'm not dating anyone?"

"That's a negative, cupcake."

"I'm not sure why I am concerned with figuring that out. And even if I wasn't dating anyone, it's not like I'm going to be alone forever, it's only been six weeks. I need to focus on getting better and my career right now. Some day I'll find someone who can make me happy." She paused before adding as an afterthought, "Love can find you when you least expect it."

JJ noticed an immediate change in her friend after she said this last part, as if something had clicked. The tech analyst spoke before JJ could inquire as to what was the matter. "What made you say that?"

JJ turned her attention away from her friend as she began fidgeting with the pillows behind her head. "I don't know. I must have heard it somewhere and it seemed to fit what we're talking about. Why?"

Garcia did her best to sound nonchalant. "Oh, it's just that's what Emily said Wednesday morning."

JJ's arms froze as they were adjusting the pillows and she quickly turned her head to look back towards her friend. "What did you say?"

"Prentiss said that same thing Wednesday." Garcia repeated.

"No, you said Emily." JJ corrected, slowly.

"Yeah, Emily Prentiss."

The media liaison went pale.

"JJ? What is it?"

The nondescript black Suburban pulled to a stop on the deserted street. JJ shifted the vehicle into park and surveyed her surroundings.

"Isn't it about time to take that down?"

JJ turned to look at the vehicle's other occupant, who nodded towards the blonde's window. Shifting her gaze, she saw what the agent was referring to. A Christmas tree decorated the display window of one of the buildings. The dust-like film covering the window was enough to assume the property was abandoned.

"Who says you can't celebrate Christmas in March?"

Emily chuckled softly in response. A silence fell over them.

JJ sighed, and stared straight in front of her as she finally broke the silence."Will and I broke up."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the brunette turn to look at her. "What? When?"

"About six weeks ago." JJ knew Emily was still looking at her, but she had yet to direct her gaze from looking beyond the steering wheel of the SUV.

"Why?" Emily's voice was softer than her previous question.

At this, the blonde finally turned to look at the passenger seat occupant, her blue eyes meeting brown ones. "Emily, you know why."

The brunette's eyes softened and her brows knit together. She seemed surprised at the blonde's words, as if she wasn't sure what to say in response. She tilted her head slightly to the side, almost sympathetically. "JJ..." She didn't know what to say next.

"Look, Emily, I know you don't like to talk about these things. You like to keep a safe distance from anyone and anything that requires you to show emotion. But please, just tell me I'm not crazy here. Tell me I haven't been imagining what has been developing between us. That I'm not the only one who feels it." Both her eyes and her voice were pleading for some sort of affirmative response.

But that wasn't what she got. "It's not that easy for me, JJ." The brunette turned to look out the window, not focusing on anything in particular, just unable to meet those bright blue eyes any longer. JJ already could see the walls going up in the brunette's mind. Already, she was shutting her out.

"I know that. But it's like you said this morning, Emily, love can happen when you least expect it." Walls be damned, she was not willing to back down yet.

With this, Emily turned back to the blonde, her eyes wide. "You love me?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what this is," JJ answered honestly. "All I know is that I wasn't happy with Will and I think that has something to do with feelings I think I have developed for you. Please, just tell me what you are thinking." She knew she was pushing but she'd become too involved to back down now.

After a long pause, the brunette finally spoke. "I can't... I just need time to think, to digest this."

This was not what JJ wanted to hear. She was embarrassed and hurt. Embarrassed for what she had said, hurt because apparently she had misinterpreted this thing between her and Emily. There wasn't even a thing between her and Emily, she scoffed to herself. Suddenly, she felt the need to get away. Away from this now awkward situation and, more importantly, away from Emily. Without a word, she reached for the door handle and in one swift motion was on the street.

"JJ, wait!" But the blonde wouldn't listen. She heard the passenger door of the SUV open and close.

JJ kept walking, refusing to turn around. She could tell from the brunette's voice that she also had exited the vehicle and was following her, probably hurrying to close the distance between them. The brunette's next words weren't shouted, but there was no mistaking them.

"I love you, I always have."

The blonde stopped, mid-stride, in the middle of the street. Given the late hour, traffic was not an issue. In fact, she hadn't seen another car besides the one she arrived in. She began to slowly turn around but wasn't able to make it all the way before it happened.

Time had run out.

A deafening explosion interrupted the still night as the facade of a building a mere block behind her exploded onto the street. The building collapsed within seconds, sending a cloud of dust and debris hurdling towards her. The blonde was violently thrown forward as darkness engulfed her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" JJ was looking at her best friend incredulously, her eyes wide with disbelief and fear.

The tech analyst needed only one look at her friend to know exactly what she was talking about.

"JJ..." Garcia began before she was cut off.

"Where is she?" It was a simple question but it came across more as a demand. JJ could feel her blood pressure rising as her heart beat wildly.

Garcia used both hands to grasp JJ's right one. "JJ, first you need to calm down."

JJ ignored her best friend. "How bad is it? Is she alive?" She began to remove the blanket covering her legs, preparing to get up and find some answers. She barely managed to sit up before the adrenaline mixed with the strong pain medication took over and made her suddenly become dizzy, unsteady. She reached for the railings on either side of the bed to steady herself in her sitting position.

"Jennifer! Calm down!" Garcia had moved her hands to firmly grasp each of the smaller blonde's shoulders and force her to stop and look at her. Satisfied that her friend had stopped talking and therefore must be heeding her order, she answered JJ's questions, "She's alive. She's injured but she's going to be fine. We didn't tell you because you're recovering from a serious head injury and you're supposed to remain calm."

JJ's entire body relaxed as the news that Emily wasn't seriously injured sunk in. She eased back into the bed. "Can I see her?"

"No." Garcia responded cautiously, unsure of how the media liaison would take this.

"Why not?"

"Because she's recovering still. She had surgery yesterday," Garcia replied slowly.

"Surgery? I thought you said she was going to be fine!" JJ started to sit up again, alarmed.

Garcia raised her hand and shushed her as she eased her back to her reclined position. "She is, but she did sustain a pretty serious injury to her right leg. I asked the doctors to skip all the gory details but it basically was crushed by some of the debris from the explosion. Her surgery yesterday was to turn her into the bionic woman or something." She finished adjusting her friend's blanket so it covered her legs again. "Okay, I may have exaggerated that last part a bit but you know what I mean."

JJ was silent as she digested this information. She then noticed Garcia was staring at her, apparently waiting for her to say something. "What?'

"Did you only remember that Emily was with you in the explosion or is there something else you remembered, too?" There was a suspicious tone to Garcia's voice.

"What do you mean?" JJ had an idea but she tried to play dumb.

Garcia didn't buy it. "I think you know what I mean."

JJ sighed, "I don't suppose you'd be willing to just drop this, would you?" The look on her best friend's face was the only answer she needed, "Yeah, I didn't think so."

She paused, thinking about what to say, when finally she began, "It turns out, I may have feelings for Emily. And I may have told her about them the day of the explosion." JJ gave Garcia a brief recap of her last conversation with Emily, stopping after the part where she got out of the car and stormed off. Seeing her friend wasn't freaking out so far, she added the last of the story. "And then she told me she loves me and always has."

At this, Garcia's eyes grew wide, "When?"

"Right before the explosion." JJ watched her friend silently digest this information. She could see the wheels turning in the tech analyst's head and the half smile, half smirk that slowly formed. When her friend didn't say anything, JJ finally spoke again, "Alright all-knowing oracle, I know you think you know more so go on, spill."

"You love her, don't you? That's why it didn't work out between you and Will." Garcia phrased these as questions, but her tone indicated that she would be shocked if anything but an affirmative answer was given in reply.

JJ thought about this for a moment. She knew the answer but was afraid to say it out loud. But this was her best friend and they were being honest with each other. "Yes."

Garcia clasped her hands together, ecstatic. She was practically bouncing up and down at this revelation. "I knew it! But every time I tried to hint at it and get you to talk about it, you avoided the topic."

JJ rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah... you know everything." She couldn't help but laugh at the smug, satisfied look on her best friend's face. They were silent for a few moments before Garcia finally spoke, her face now serious.

"She shielded you."

"What?" JJ wasn't following what Garcia was saying.

Garcia explained, "Emily shielded you with her body. She couldn't prevent you from hitting your head as the blast threw you forward but she managed to get to you and cover you as the building came down. She refused to leave your side until they insisted she had to ride in a separate ambulance and even then Hotch had to intervene and order her."

JJ thought about what this might mean. "But I don't get it, Pen. If she really loves me like she said she does and if she was willing to risk her life to try and save mine then why couldn't she just tell me that in the first place in the car? I know it isn't easy for Emily but I was opening myself up to her, practically begging her to tell me something, anything about what she felt. Why couldn't she just tell me her feelings without me having to run away first?"

"Because I'm an idiot."

Both blondes turned toward the new voice entering the conversation. Standing in the doorway to the hospital room, dressed in a hospital gown, robe, and slippers, looking paler than usual and completely exhausted, on crutches and leaning heavily on her left leg, as her entire right leg was in a cast, was Emily Prentiss.

Just seeing Emily for the first time since the explosion immediately brought tears to JJ's eyes. Of course she believed Garcia that Emily was okay, but seeing the brunette finally convinced her. Garcia leapt up and rushed to the Emily's side to steady her, as the brunette still hadn't full regained her strength. Emily had to break the eye contact between her and JJ so she could look down at her feet as Garcia helped her towards the bed. She wasn't an expert at moving around with the cast and the crutches yet and had spent most of her energy just getting to JJ's room.

Once Emily was comfortably seated in the chair next to JJ's bed, Garcia was the first to speak. "Well, I better go update the rest of the team on JJ's progress." And with that, she moved towards the door to the room. Once at the door, she turned and caught JJ's eye, giving her a small wink before she left the room, leaving Emily and JJ alone.

"Are you okay?" the blonde inquired.

"I will be, yes. What about you? You took a pretty serious blow to the head, are you okay?" Emily had a concerned look in her eyes.

"I am now," JJ responded, a small smile forming on her lips.

They both suddenly were shy, unsure of what to say.

"It's true, I am an idiot," Emily finally said.

"No, you're not-" JJ started before Emily cut in, "Yes, JJ, I am. And I'm sorry for the way I acted in the car." She maintained eye contact with the blonde, wanting her to see how sincere her apology was.

"It's okay, Emily, you don't need to apologize," JJ responded, softly.

With that, the brunette reached forward and took the blonde's hand in hers, interlocking their fingers. "Yes, JJ, I do need to apologize. It's true, expressing emotions does not come easy to me but I want that to be different with you." Emily gave JJ's hand a squeeze before continuing, "Because you're not crazy and I also feel this thing between us and I should have told you that." She began to caress the blonde's fingers softly with her own. "I meant what I said, JJ... I do love you. I think I felt it the first time I met you and it's only grown since then. But I had convinced myself it was never going to happen, you were never going to reciprocate, which is why I got so scared when you started talking about it."

In a way, JJ understood what Emily was saying. "I'm scared, too, Emily. This is unfamiliar territory for me. And I'm not saying we need to go out and get married or anything. It's just that I have these... these feelings for you and I don't think they're going to just go away."

"Go on a date with me," Emily said, suddenly.

"What?" JJ was caught off guard.

"Go on a date with me," Emily repeated. "When we're both out of here. Let me take you to dinner."

"Okay," JJ responded, a smile on her face, her blue eyes glowing.

They stared at each other a few moments before JJ removed her hand from Emily's and scooted over in the bed, away from Emily. Once situation, she patted the empty space next to her, a silent invitation for Emily to join her.

Emily smiled before lowering the bed railing and grabbing one of her crutches to assist her in maneuvering to the bed. She stood next to the bed, leaning against her crutch, preparing to slide into the bed. After setting her crutch to the side and grabbing the bed for support, she stopped suddenly. Leaning her lower body into the frame of the bed to steady herself, she suddenly reached forward and placed her hands on either side of JJ's face, forcing her to look at her, their faces only a foot apart.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm disgusting right now. I really need a shower."

Emily placed a finger on the blonde's lips to silence her. "You're beautiful." With that, she closed her eyes and leaned in. As their lips met, Emily felt her heart skip a beat. The kiss was soft and gentle, expressing everything each wanted to tell the other. JJ's hands moved to the back of Emily's head and neck, pulling her into the kiss more. After a few minutes, they parted and smiled at each other.

It took a couple minutes and a lot of maneuvering but Emily was finally able to fully be on the bed. As Emily was sitting up, JJ rolled onto her side, facing away from the brunette. Emily understood and laid down on her side as well, her front snug with JJ's back, her arm reaching around the blonde and her hand resting comfortably on her stomach.

JJ reached down and took Emily's hand in hers, as she used her other hand to press the bed controls to dim the lights of the room for them to rest. JJ's eyes grew heavy and she found it harder and harder to stay awake in this comfortable position. But she wasn't concerned, she knew Emily would be there when she woke up. As she gently caressed the brunette's hand, she spoke, her voice sounding sleepy, "Emily?"

"Hmm?" From the sound of her response, Emily obviously was falling asleep too.

"I love you, too."

Emily softly kissed the back of the blonde's neck and pulled her closer. "I know."