Good Enough for Me and Emily

By: Amanda (13)

I rolled over onto my stomach to hit the off button on the alarm clock. It was dark out and I didn't really want to get up, but I had to. I pushed off the dark blue covers and walked over to the bathroom. As I brushed my teeth, I happened to look at my reflection in the mirror. I shuttered as I saw my reflection. Since I was only wearing a blue spaghetti strap tank and a pair of light blue pajama shorts, I could easily spot the bruises on my arms and legs. I sighed as I turned and exited the bathroom.

"JJ honey," Will called as he entered the bedroom.

"Yes?" I asked him with a fake smile.

"I only have to run to work to get some files so I can work from home," he told me as he gave me a rough kiss. I nodded as he left the bedroom. I waited till I heard the car drive off till I ran to the closet. I pulled out a bag that used to be my over night bag when I worked at the BAU. Quickly I stuffed it with cloths and toiletries. Then as I started to run towards Emily's room (named after her godmother) I stopped and stared at the picture of us, the four of us. I stood there for a moment, remembering the happy times. When Will wouldn't dare lay a hand on me, when the babysitter hadn't shaken Henry till he died, and when we were happy. I grabbed the picture and pushed it into the bag.

I crept into my daughter's room, careful not to wake her. I walked over to her closet and started throwing her favorite cloths into the bag along with a few stuffed animals and books till nothing more would fit. I ran to the front closet where I put on a pair of running shoes, a sweater, and threw my hair into a ponytail.

As I walked back into her room, my cell rang. I looked at the caller ID to see it was Will. "Hey honey," I whispered.

"JJ, why are you whispering?" Will asked me.

"I'm in Emily's room and she's still sleeping," I told him as I put the bag over my shoulder.

"Oh, well my secretary lost the files I needed, so I might be home a little later then I said," he stated.

"Oh, ok," I said in fake sadness. I could almost hear the grin that spread across his face as he hung up. I flipped close the little object and slipped it into my pocket. "Come on Em," I whisper as I pick her up in my arms. She moaned as she moved in my arms. "Shhh," I soothed as I stroked her hair.

I speed walked to my car and strapped her in. I got into the drivers seat before pulling out.

After an hour of driving, I spot a cheap hotel. I smiled as I pulled in. I rented a room and put my sleeping daughter on the bed as I sat down at the table. I looked down at my cell, which is turned off. 'Low Battery' was flashing on the screen. I sighed as I remembered that I had forgotten the battery at home. "Great, when I get on the road I'll have no way of contacting anyone if I break down." Sometime after that I fall asleep. I didn't notice till I woke up. I looked up to see the shiny red digits of 7:34. I groaned as I stretched.

"JENNIFER!" Will yelled as I played with Emily in her room.

"Hold on sweetie," I said as I got up and exited the room to see my furious husband. "Yes Will?"

"WHAT IS THIS!?" he yelled as he pointed to the floor of the living room. There were a few coffee cups and coke bottles, but everything else was clean and smelled of vanilla. Will and I had agreed that we'd clean our own messes when we got married and take turns cleaning after the kids.

"You left them and-" he cut me off with a blow to the head. I screamed as I fell backward, hitting my head against the table.

"Will," I gasped as I stared at him in disbelief.

"You obviously can't do your job and be a good wife so I'm ordering you to quit!" he yelled as he delivered one last kick before turning and marching towards our daughter's room.

"Don't hurt her!" I yelled as tears ran down my face. I scrambled to my feet and ran after him to find him pulling her into his lap so he could read her a story.

"Mommy, what happened?" Emily asked as she stared at the blood that slid down my face from a deep gash on my head.

"I fell sweetie," I told her sweetly.

__________________

"JJ, why are you quitting?" Hotch asked as he saw my resignation on his desk.

"Emily deserves a mother that can pay attention to her," I told him simply as I sat down in one of the chairs across from him.

"I understand JJ, but remember there will always be a place here for you," he told me as he got up and hugged me. I smiled as a tear slid down my face. "You can always come back."

"I'll hold you to that sir," I told him as I turned and exited his office.

__________________

"What the hell is this?" Will screamed as he sat at the other end of the table. I looked up at him.

"Chicken, is something wrong with it?" I asked in worry as my eyes flashed over to my two year old daughter that was looking at her daddy.

"This is cold!" he yelled as he glared at me.

"It can't be, I took it off the stove a few minutes ago." BIG mistake. Will's eyes darkened as he took the plate and threw it at me. I screamed as the hot (not as in spicy) sauce burned my face and shoulders. He grabbed my arms and threw me into the counter. I screamed as he started kicking me.

"Never ... talk ... back ... to ... me ..." he yelled as he kicked me.

"Please Will," I cried as he finally stopped.

I whipped away the tears from my face as I saw my phone vibrate. I nearly screamed as I remembered that Will could track my phone. I ran over to the bed, snatched my daughter, and grabbed my bag as I ran to the car. I buckled her in and once again started the drive.

I smiled as I thought of a safe place, a place that had been a safe haven as a child. I drove to my dead best friend's father's house. I put my hand on the knob and smiled as I realized it was unlocked. "You'll never change," I whispered as I pushed the door open. I entered the dark halls. I walked up the stairs and entered the bedroom that had been assigned to me as a child since he was my godfather. I laid Emily down on the light pink covers.

"Mama?" she asked sleepily.

"Go back to sleep, we're safe," I whispered to her as I kissed her forehead. I put my bag down next to the bed before exiting the room. I walk down the stairs, tears on my pale face as my hand travels to the black and purple tissue around my eye. I entered the living room and laid down on the couch.

Normal POV

Gibbs didn't say anything as he entered his home. He didn't expect to see a girl he hadn't seen for thirteen years asleep on his couch. It surprised him that he saw a little girl kneeling before her sleeping mother. Her hair was wild and she had tears in her eyes, but it was the blood on her hands that worried him. "Sweetie, are you ok?" Gibbs asked as he neared her. "Sweetie?" he asked again. Slowly the child turned to him.

"Why does she keep bleeding?" the child asked him as she turned to face him

Before anyone knew it, it was night fall and Emily was asleep against the cushions of the couch. "Jen, what's going on?" Gibbs asked her as he watched the small blonde woman watching her own daughter.

"Things went bad at home," she whispered, her eyes never leaving her daughter.

"Was it that Will character you wrote me about?" Gibbs asked her, his voice slightly threatening. He didn't like people messing with his loved ones, just talk to the guy who killed Shannon and Kelly. Though you'd have to make a trip to hell.

"Yeah, he kind of went off the deep end after Henry died," she whispered as she turned to face her godfather.

"What made you finally leave?" he asked as they both turned to look at Emily.

"He threatened me, telling me if I ever did anything that he'd hurt her," she whispered as she brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead. "I put up with him hurting me, but it would kill me if he ever raised his hand to her."

"JJ, what is it?" Gibbs asked her as he watched tears slip down her face.

"Two weeks ago, I found out I was pregnant. I was so happy, I went to tell Will. He told me I was trying to replace Henry and that I was a horrible woman to want to replace her son," she whispered. She leaned against him as tears slipped down her cheeks. "He kicked me so hard I lost the baby." Gibbs sighed as he put his arm around her.

Three Years Later

Gibbs smiled as he entered Henry's Coffee Kettle. He was instantly greeted by his goddaughter, Emily.

"Uncle Jethro!" she squealed as she ran into his arms.

"Hey Emily," he said with a smile as he picked up the little girl.

"Hi Gibbs," Ziva and Emily Prentiss greeted from the counter.

"Hey Jethro," JJ said as she exited the kitchen holding a tray of coffee and donuts. "Hey Amber!" she called to a red headed teenager in a black apron that said Henry's Coffee Kettle.

"Coming JJ!" she called as she finished talking an order. She ran over and grabbed the tray while handing the order to her friend. "Table 3 wants two mocha caramel coffees with whip cream along with two vanilla cake donuts and one caramel sugar cookie."

"Thanks Amber," JJ said with a smile as she disappeared into the kitchen again.

"Hey Prentiss, Ziva, JJ," Derek Morgan said with a smile as he entered the coffee shop with Hotch behind him.

"Uncle Derek!" Emily squealed as she wiggled out of Gibbs' arms.

"Hey Ziva," Hotch said as he hugged his fiancée.

Gibbs only smiled as he looked around the coffee shop. Three years ago he'd found JJ on his couch with blood on her daughter's hands. She was a lucky one, she had the courage to leave, something Shannon's mother'd never had the courage to do. JJ was still a sensitive woman who was weary of every man she dated, but it wasn't to late for her

"JJ, why a coffee shop? Why not come back to the BAU?" Derek asked as he sat Emily on his lap.

"Because," JJ said with a firm smile on her beautiful face, "this is good enough for me and Emily."