Merry Christmas

This idea popped into my head while I was listening to Christmas music and cooking dinner. I had to get it out. I hope you like it. It's set around the time JJ found out she was pregnant, Henry is in this story and a mention of Will but it's Jemily all the way.

The last year and a half had been very difficult for Jennifer Jareau. Honestly, the only other time in her life that she could even compare to this, was when her sister had taken her own life.

Two years ago, on a case in New Orleans' French quarter, JJ had met Detective William LaMontagne Jr. The two had fallen for each other, JJ wasn't sure if it was love but Will was the first man who she felt like she could connect with. They spent 6 months going back and forth visiting each other, keeping the relationship a secret until JJ found out she was pregnant. Will wanted to get married but JJ told him that she wasn't ready. She was pleased to see he respected her decision.

Just 3 weeks after JJ and Will told the team they were having a baby and Will had gone back to New Orleans to finish up his open cases before he moved to Virginia to be closer to JJ and their child, unfortunately, he would never come back. Will was chasing a lead on a case; he was closer to closing the case than he thought when he ran into a man who had murdered his ex-wife and her new boyfriend. The suspect decided that he'd already taken two lives, taking one more wouldn't be an issue, and opened fire on the unsuspecting detective, hitting him directly in the heart.

Will's best friend was the one who had called JJ. While she knew she wasn't in love with Will, her heart broke when she heard the news. Her heart broke, not just for the loss of someone she cared for, but for her unborn child who would now, grow up without a father.

But, things were getting better and JJ was reminded of this when she heard her son giggle from the other room. The blonde poked her head around the corner to look into the living room and couldn't help the large grin that crossed her face. There on the floor, was the woman who had picked up the shattered pieces of JJ and the woman she fell in love with, Emily, holding an eight month old Henry in the air and making funny faces.

JJ couldn't help herself when she pulled her phone from her back pocket and snapped a picture.

"Next time you try to sneak a picture, make sure the flash is off."

"Busted," JJ dropped her phone and laughed. "I'm sorry, you just look so cute. Big, bad Emily Prentiss giggling on the floor and making goofy faces with an eight month old."

Emily slowly stood from the floor, Henry on her hip, "No one better see that picture."

"Too late, I already sent it to Garcia." JJ laughed again at the groan the came from her girlfriend, "If you're lucky, she won't plaster it all over the office."

"Of course," Emily rolled her eyes as she handed Henry off to JJ. "Are we gunna do this tree or what? It's already 8, this munchkin is supposed to be in bed."

"Your momma's a stickler for bed time, huh?" JJ spoke in a quiet, goofy voice before she heard Emily gasp. "What is it? Are you ok?"

"Y-you called me his momma. You've never done that before."

JJ wiped a stray tear from Emily's cheek, "I-is that ok? I mean, if you don't want me to-"

JJ's sentence was cut off by Emily's lips pressed lightly against her own, "It's more than ok. I love you. I love Henry. I just, I don't know, I wasn't expecting it, I guess."

The two women stood, eyes glued to each other for what felt like hours. They finally broke eye contact as Henry squealed in his mother's arms as he reached for Emily's necklace.

"Alright, let's get this tree done." Emily clapped her hands and reached for Henry.

JJ smiled again as Emily placed the boy on his wobbly legs and hunched over, trying to teach him to walk.

Just as JJ was about to pull her phone from her pocket again, Emily spoke with a laugh, "You take a picture and I'll break the phone."

JJ mumbled under her breath, "Scrooge McDuck."

"Did you just call me Scrooge McDuck?"

"Maybe, maybe not," JJ laughed as she placed a kiss on Emily's head before turning on the stereo. "We can't decorate the tree without Christmas music."

Emily smiled and shook her head as she began placing ornaments throughout the tree with Henry on her hip. The little boy kept trying to grab the ornaments and put them in his mouth, Emily smiled and laughed while JJ almost had nervous breakdown.

JJ stood back a moment, watching Emily and her, no, their son place ornaments and dance to the songs on the radio. She was happy to have this but at the same time, she wished Will could have been there, at least to see his son's first Christmas. JJ hadn't even realized she began crying until Emily turned, having heard a sniffle.

"Baby?"

"I'm sorry," JJ wiped at the tears. "I just, I wish Henry had his dad here. He has us but, he should have his father, too."

Emily frowned a bit, "Here, take Henry a second, I have something to show you."

The brunette quickly made her way upstairs, JJ could hear a dresser draw being opened, a bit of shuffling, and then Emily was making her way back down the stairs.

"I was gunna wait till Henry went to bed," Emily spoke with both hands behind her back. "But, I guess he should see them, too; even if he's too young to know what's going on."

Emily moved her arms from her back, bring a teddy bear and a rather large box into view, "The bear, I was gunna give Henry for Christmas. I had it specially made."

The bear didn't look especially extravagant; it was a small brown bear, wearing a police officer uniform complete with cap and badge. Emily gave the bear a light squeeze around the belly and the quiet room was filled with Will's voice saying "I love you" in his thick Louisiana accent.

"I, uh, I found the message on your answering machine before you moved in with me. I assume he was saying it to you because I'm pretty sure it was before you found out about Henry, but anyway, I thought it would be nice for Henry to have. Will might not be here for his son but we both know Will would have loved him more than anything in the world." Emily reached forward to wipe a tear from her girlfriend's eyes, "I didn't know him as well as you did but this was something I could do for Henry, so he would always know how much his daddy loved him."

JJ smiled as Henry reached for the bear, a wide smile on his face, "This is amazing, Emily. Thank you so much."

"That's not all," the brunette held the box in one hand and opened it with the other. "I know you miss him and-"

"It's not like that, Emily. I love you."

"I know, Jennifer, I know. It's ok for you to miss him. You say you weren't in love with him and even if you were, that's fine. I know there were people before me, baby. But, you do miss him, and you did care about him so I got this for you. I don't want you to ever forget the man that gave you this gorgeous little boy."

Emily moved closer to JJ to show the blonde what was in the box. It was Will's badge, Emily had it cleaned and placed inside a shadow box of sorts. Along with the badge, was a photo of Will and JJ that had been taken the night they told the team she was pregnant, and the folded flag that had adorned Will's casket.

"I hope it's ok that I took this stuff out of the box from the closet." Emily looked JJ in the eye as she spoke, "I can put it all back and we can leave it there if you want but like I said, I don't want you to forget him, Jennifer. And I want Henry to know that his father was a good man, a hero."

"I love you, so much, Emily Prentiss. You are one of the greatest things to ever come into my life. I'm so lucky to have you, and so is Henry."

"I love you, too. I know it's early but, Merry Christmas."

Emily pulled JJ and Henry into a hug. The three stood there for a moment, basking in the lights of the Christmas tree and the light music coming from the speakers.

JJ smiled and held her girlfriend and son tight. She knew that Will would want her and their son to be happy and Emily was their happiness. This may have been the hardest year and a half of JJ's life but she also knew that it made her stronger and she was determined to make the rest of her life count. She would raise her son to be a great man like his father had been. She would continue to do her work and her part of ridding the world of the men like that one who took Henry's father. She may not have been in love with William LaMontagne Jr. but his time in her life made her see what life really was about and she would silently thank him every day of the rest of her life for showing her just how happy she could be.