A/N: I do not own Criminal Minds nor do I own the characters!

Chapter 1

Most of the agents of the FBI had left to go home when Emily Prentiss knocked on her co-worker's door. She heard a muffling sound that was hard to depict. Curiously, Emily knocked on the door again and called out, "JJ! It's Prentiss. Can I come in?"

Among the weird sounds coming from behind the door, JJ replied, "Yeah, come in."

Emily frowned. JJ's voice sounded off. As if she were trying to sound cheerful, even though she was obviously upset. Immediately, she went into the cramped office to find JJ sitting at her desk. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were pink. This worried Emily. It was rare to find the blonde to be so unhappy. "Jayje, are you okay?"

JJ quickly looked down and started to search through the papers on her desk, to make it seem like she was busy. "Yeah, I'm fine," She lied nonchalantly. "Just trying to get my stuff together." She hoped that if Emily didn't see her face, she wouldn't be able to profiler her.

Emily nodded even though she could tell JJ was not telling her the truth. She didn't have to be a profiler to know something was wrong with the liaison. "Are you going to Will's this weekend?"

JJ shook her head somberly and whispered, "I'm going to get some work done at my place. I feel like I haven't been home for a while."

Emily groaned, she hated how JJ was always working. "JJ, you need a break. You work harder than any of us. Do you want to hang out at my place? We can watch a couple of movies, eat junk food, sleep in…" As Emily counted off things that they could do, JJ's face fell further.

Trying to hide her depressed state, JJ put on a fake smile and stated, "Thanks, Emily, but I think I just need a weekend to myself. Maybe next week?" She got up from her stiff chair, still avoiding the curious stare of her co-worker.

Emily tried to hide her disappointment. She was looking forward to the idea of the blonde staying over at her house. "Okay, but you are always welcome. Anytime. I know how hard it is to relax."

JJ nodded, but she didn't really take any of her words in. "I appreciate it. Really, I do. I bet Morgan or Garcia would love to have that weekend with you though."

Emily inwardly groaned. She wanted to have the weekend with JJ. No one else. She pleaded, "Yeah, but you are so much better company. Don't work too much, okay? There is such a thing as over-working."

JJ sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okay— Mom," She tried to joke. Emily could sense her friend's fake humor but laughs anyway. It made the room feel uncomfortable. JJ cleared her throat and told the brunette, "Have a good weekend, Emily."

Emily could tell JJ wanted her to leave. So giving up, she responded, "You too, Jayje. Come by if you ever want to relax or talk… or anything. I'm here."

JJ forced a smile and mumbled, "Will do. See you on Monday."

Emily finally sat down with a wine glass in her hand and Chinese food on her lap when someone knocked on the door. After hours of preparation, Emily was looking forward to this quiet night. She groaned as she got up to see who exactly was at her door. She silently prayed that it wasn't Garcia, who had implied that she wanted to get together with the brunette. Emily was completely surprised to find a different blonde at her door.

JJ was standing there, looking like a total disaster. Her hair was in a messy bun, her makeup was everywhere, and she was in her pajamas. Emily could only gape at the sight of the liaison, who never looked less than professional. JJ blushed, embarrassed of her own actions. She quietly muttered, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. You are obviously busy."

JJ turned back around and Emily grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving. "No, Jayje. Don't apologize. I asked you to come. Come inside, I have enough Chinese food for us to share," Emily insisted as she took an emotional JJ inside her small apartment. "How does Pad Thai sound?" The brunette grinned at the blonde with hope.

JJ returned the smile and said, "Sounds amazing, thanks, Em."

Emily rushed to her kitchen where the rest of the food was. When JJ couldn't see, she blushed and let out a quiet squeal.

"What were you going to watch?" JJ called out as Emily prepared the plate of food for her friend.

"Oh, one of my favorites, Momento. It's strange but good. But we don't have to watch it. I'm happy to find something that we both would like to watch. Or we can just talk." Emily poured another glass of wine and brought the meal into the living room where JJ had sat on her couch.

JJ gratefully took the plate and cup, smiling at her colleague. "I'm good with whatever. Momento is a good movie. I think I saw it with Morgan once."

Emily raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had no idea that anyone else had seen one of her favorite movies, let alone her team. She pondered, "Really? When did you guys have time to watch movies? I feel like this is my first break since I have started working in the BAU."

JJ laughed, for the first time not feeling a weight on her shoulders. "Yeah, it's hard to find time to relax. Actually, I think I watched it at Morgan's place when I first joined. Elle was there too. She tried to drag Reid along, who was new at the time as well, but he didn't come. It ended up just being a bonding moment for me, Morgan and Elle."

Emily nodded, listening to JJ thoroughly. It was strange for her to listen to JJ about a time in the BAU that she wasn't apart of. "Elle was the girl before me, right?" She asked curiously.

"Yep. We were super close. She was the first person to let me in. Coming into a team of Hotch, Reid, Morgan, and Gideon wasn't the easiest. Especially since Reid didn't let anyone in at the beginning," JJ explained as she started to eat the meal. She already gradually became more peppy, like her normal self.

"I can see how that could be difficult. It was hard enough when I joined." Emily admitted carefully. She was surprised to find JJ laughing at her statement. "What?"

JJ grinned and teased, "Em, you had the biggest stick up your ass when you joined. Honestly, I thought you would never put your guard down."

Emily frowned, but she could tell that her friend was joking. However, it stung a bit, still feeling self-conscious about how her team had thought of her. "I never had a team like this before I got here. I was used to sharing no personal information."

"You are all profilers. How much more personal can you get?" JJ asked, still chuckling at her friend's insecurities.

"We don't profile each other, JJ. It's a rule."

JJ snorted with a small eye roll, "You don't honestly believe that, do you? Everyone tried to profile you when you first joined. No one could figure you out. You made it though, that's all that matters." JJ smiled happily at her friend. "I'm so glad that you are here. As much as I love Garcia, having another woman on the team is so helpful. Morgan and Reid just don't cut it."

"They both love you to pieces, Jayje. Everyone does," Emily admitted and blushed immediately. She cleared her throat and added, "I think Hotch praises the ground you walk on. You can do no wrong in his eyes."

JJ shrugged as if it was no big deal. "It wasn't always like that. For a while, he was convinced I couldn't do the job. I think he thought I was too soft. Elle stood up for me, though. She's probably the reason why I'm still on the team." She smiled nostalgically at the memory of her old colleague.

"She sounds wonderful. It was definitely big shoes to fill. You must miss her."

"I do," JJ answered quickly. "But Elle couldn't handle it anymore. And I don't blame her. She was a badass, but she couldn't save herself."

Emily frowned, noticing that she was making JJ sadder, not happier. "I'm sorry, Jayje. I wish she could still be here for you."

"Yeah, but then you wouldn't be here. Prent- Emily. You fit in, okay? Me, the team, we will always be here for you. You don't have to be alone or feel secluded," JJ reassured. She felt the room getting warmer. They intensely looked into each other's eyes, feeling their pulses quicken.

"Thanks. I've never had a family like you guys before. I'm still not totally used to it." Prentiss smiled and squeezed JJ's hand. "I'm here for you too, JJ. I know you carry a lot of the cases on your shoulders. You can let that go, too."

JJ tried to smile, but tears entered her eyes. She let go of Emily's hand and wiped her tears. "Sorry," She rambled. "I don't know why I'm crying, it's dumb."

Reluctantly, Emily put her hand on JJ's shoulder. "Dumb? Jayje, if something is bothering you, it's definitely not dumb. What's going on?"

JJ shook her head as if she were shaking away her feelings. "I'm fine, Emily," she grumbled. "Just a bit emotional. So want to watch the movie?"

That wasn't a satisfactory answer in Emily's opinion. "The movies going to wait. What's going on, JJ? You've been acting down recently. Are you and Will okay?"

Will's name struck a nerve and JJ shuddered. "We're fine. In fact, he proposed."

Emily tried to hide her misery. She faked a smile amongst the confusion. "He proposed? That's great, isn't it?" She pretended to be thrilled for her friend. But she couldn't be more upset. Though JJ was never hers, she realized that if JJ had Will, she would have no need for Emily.

JJ scowled. She had purposely tried to avoid this conversation. She knew Emily would be curious, it was only natural. "Yeah, Will's great." She paused, realizing she had to come clean. "I haven't actually said yes yet."

Emily raised her eyebrows at the younger liaison. While the news had excited the agent, she could tell something wasn't right. And while she would be thrilled if she didn't marry Will, more than anything, Emily wanted JJ to be happy. "Can I ask why?"

JJ shrugged and looked down at her food. Suddenly, she had lost her appetite. She drank the rest of her glass of wine. "He's great. I'm going to say yes, I guess. It just startled me, that's all."

"Oh, so it was a sudden proposal? Was it romantic?" Emily chewed through her words. She tried her hardest to sound supportive of her friend.

"He actually proposed over the phone," JJ admitted sadly. "He started mentioning me quitting the BAU and moving to New Orleans and it freaked me out a bit. I feel really guilty for not answering him. I sort of… hung up on him."

Emily cringed. Nothing scared her more than JJ leaving the BAU. She could handle her falling in love with a man or even marrying someone because she at least had her as a friend. "Well, that's understandable. It's a huge step. Are you really thinking about leaving the BAU?"

"I don't want to," JJ said without hesitation. "The BAU has been my home for so long. It's hard to imagine a life without it. But it's hard to maintain a relationship while working here. You know that. Just think of Hotch and Rossi."

"He could move here," Emily grumbled, hating the gender stereotype. "You shouldn't have to compensate, Jayje. You should do whatever you love."

JJ smiled at the older woman. "Is it wrong that my job might be a higher priority than Will?"

Emily shook her head. "Of course not, JJ. Just because you are a woman does not mean you have to drop everything for a man. And if Will loves you, he'll understand that."

"Thanks, Em." JJ breathed with deep gratitude. "Talking to you makes everything just so much clearer."

Though it was a compliment, Emily wished that JJ felt more than gratitude for her. She knew it was selfish, but she wanted the blonde for herself. And it tore her apart to see her go to someone else. But, Emily wanted JJ to be happy. And if Will made her happy, then what else could she ask for? However, something was still off. Never once did JJ reference her feelings for Will. "JJ? Can I ask you something personal? It may cross lines."

JJ was curious. Emily sounded embarrassed and frightened, which was very unusual for the confident profiler. She replied, "Of course, Emily."

Emily took a deep breath and questioned, "You love him, don't you? You're not just settling for him because he is a nice guy?" Emily looked into JJ's eyes, and couldn't be more surprised by her reaction. Emily was expecting her to profusely explain her love for the detective, but all JJ did was tear up. "Jayje, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend-"

"No, you didn't offend me." JJ choked out. Emily put a comforting hand on her back and took the food off her lap. JJ laid her head on Emily's lap. Emily brushed her fingers soothingly through the blonde's hair. And while this action would have been normally very sensual for Emily, it was calming for them both. "Will is a good guy. And that's hard to find. He loves me, you know? And I love him."

The brunette could read between the lines. "But, you're not in love with him."

JJ nodded, sobbing harder into Emily's lap. "I don't know what to do," she cried out. "I think I could be happy with him. But I don't want to just end up regretting it and hating him for it. I don't want to hurt him."

"You're so selfless, do you know that? You put everyone before yourself. Will, your friends, the cases, the victims. But JJ, sometimes, you have to put yourself first. If you don't see a solid future with Will, you can't marry him. In the long run, it'll hurt you both more."

JJ took a deep breath and whispered, "I was pregnant. That's why he proposed. I told him I was pregnant."

Emily definitely wasn't expecting that. She froze, not knowing how to respond to that news. "JJ, you're-"

"I was. Miscarriage. But you should have heard him when I told him. He was so happy. Proposed immediately, like the gentleman he is. And when I told him I lost it- he said that the offer still stood. A better man than I'll ever know."

Emily's eyes watered. JJ lost the baby. It killed her to think about. "Jennifer, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"It was my fault. I killed it. I could've had a family, Emily. A son or a daughter. A husband. A dog, maybe a cat. A safe job, and I lost it. I killed it." JJ looked up, empty inside.

Tears fell down Emily's cheeks, hating the way the blonde was talking about herself. "No, JJ. You did not kill it. Miscarriages are so common in the first couple of weeks. You didn't do anything."

JJ shook her head, disagreeing with her. "It was a sign. A warning that I can't have a normal happy life. I can't have a fucking baby, I can't love my fucking boyfriend and the most important thing to me is my fucking job."

Emily bit her lip. She pleaded, "JJ. Listen to me. You are the best person I know. You deserve happiness more than anyone. You deserve a child and a family and anything else you want. But sometimes, there are drawbacks. That doesn't mean that you don't deserve that happiness. Maybe Will isn't the one. Maybe you belong with someone else. And you can have their children."

None of the words were sinking in. JJ only heard words, not their meaning. "He doesn't even blame me, for killing it."

Emily almost violently grabbed a hold of JJ and declared, "You. Did. Not. Kill. Your. Child. Okay? I know. I killed mine."

That grabbed JJ's attention. She turned to Emily, confused about the statement. "What are you talking about?"

Emily sighed, wishing she could go back and not have said that. But now that she did, she realized she had to admit some things. She confessed, "I got pregnant when I was 15 in Rome. I had an abortion. No way in hell was the ambassador's whore of a daughter going to have a baby."

"Emily…" JJ murmured speechlessly, searching the brunette's eyes for some answers. "Why haven't you told me this before?"

More tears ran down Emily's cheek. "I'm embarrassed. I tried to forget that part of my life. I made so many mistakes. But having that abortion, it wasn't one of them. Yes, I killed my child. But I wouldn't have been a good mother. I was either always high, drunk, or having sex at the time. There was no responsible bone in my body. Sometimes, sometimes things happen for a reason, JJ. And I know that it feels awful right now. But you did nothing wrong. You will have kids someday and that picture perfect life. You have time."

JJ nodded, moved by her speech. "I'm sorry you had to go through that alone. You have no idea how much I appreciate having you as my best friend. I love you, Emily."

Emily bit her lip. Those words. Those couple words. Her world seemed to have spun in a circle. And while those words weren't said out of romance, they were said from the heart. And that mattered just as much. "I love you too, JJ. But you can't marry Will."

JJ grinned sheepishly at the brunette. "I know."

Emily sighed. The air got a bit lighter and she stood up. "I'm going to get us some more wine and we can talk about a lighter subject. How does that sound?"

"Great, actually."

Emily walked over to get a second bottle of wine and returned to find JJ laying on the couch. Emily grinned at the sight. "Hey! Where the hell am I supposed to sit, couch hog?"

"That sounds like a you problem," JJ joked.

Emily rolled her eyes and fell on top of the blonde. She groaned but joined into the fits of laughter. "You are quite the pillow, Jennifer Jareau."

"Thank you, Emily Prentiss." Their eyes lingered on each other's. And while Emily told herself that it meant nothing, JJ was starting to feel something, something that was deep inside her for a long time.

"Oh, come on, Em. You can't tell me you haven't had feelings for Morgan. You guys are like partners. With the work we do, emotions go wild." JJ said as she launched another piece of popcorn into her mouth.

Emily shook her head, grinning at the playful girl. It made her so thrilled to see JJ look so happy for a change. "Of course Morgan is attractive but I've never had any feelings for him. What about you? Huh, JJ?"

JJ blushed at Emily's quirked eyebrow and revealed, "Of course I'd like to know what he's like in bed, but never I have never had feelings."

Believing her statement, Emily asked, "Okay, what about Reid? When I joined I totally thought you guys were a thing."

JJ burst out laughing and blurted out, "Me and Reid? You couldn't be more off. For a profiler, you seem to have no idea about romance."

Emily grunted and rolled her eyes at her friend. "Shut up. I don't know! You were all so tight when I joined. Any of you guys could have been dating and I wouldn't have been surprised."

"Reid and I were never a thing." JJ reiterated clearly. She didn't want any misconceptions. "We went on a date once. Way before your time. But nothing came from it."

Emily raised her eyebrows. She was merely joking about Reid, but to find out there could have been something there made her curious. "Was the date bad?"

"No," JJ shared thoughtfully. "It was actually nice. He took me to a baseball game. But— we just acted as friends. I mean, there was no romantic spark there. Like I said, nothing came from it. Purely platonic."

"Wait— Reid didn't ask you on another date? That's insane. Who would go on a date with you and not want to be with you?" Emily realized how gay that sounded and cringed at her own words.

JJ blushed and stammered, "You'd be surprised. And what about you- huh? I've never met anyone you've dated."

"That's because I haven't dated anyone," Emily explained simply with a shrug.

JJ gaped at the brunette. "Don't lie," She said and playfully hit Emily's arm. "You've been in this team for two years and you haven't dated anyone? Em, I know our job is super busy and complicated, but that's crazy."

Emily shrugged again, trying to not let JJ's words affect her in any way. "Well, it's the truth. Believe me or don't"

JJ's mouth stayed open. She found it impossible that a person as beautiful as Emily hadn't been dating. "Tell me you have gone on dates since you joined."

"Dating isn't my thing. I hate it, really. I'm not the best at relationships." Emily admitted, avoiding JJ's glances.

JJ tried to understand what that meant. For some reason, Emily's lack of a love life bothered her. Even though she wasn't a profiler herself, she tried to look through the steel walls of Emily Prentiss. "Oh boy. How bad was the breakup?"

Emily glared at JJ. More than anything, she hated talking about romantic relationships. Especially with someone, she thought so highly of. "I haven't broken up with someone since college. One night stands, I can do that well."

JJ tried to not have a reaction. She wasn't expecting that, and she definitely wasn't expecting how she herself felt about that. "Really? Interesting. Okay, how about Hotch. You guys had so much tension when you first joined."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Ew, Jayje. Hotch is like your dad. He's like the dad of the team. Even thinking about it grosses me out."

JJ laughed and agreed, "Sorry, I guess that is pretty disturbing. God, I was so scared of Hotch when I first joined. I think he literally gave me nightmares."

A grin spread across Emily's face. She loved learning these small details about her favorite blonde. "Awe. I can't imagine you being scared of anyone. You're the strongest person I know. I don't think I was very afraid of Hotch. He reminded me of all the adults I grew up around. I guess that was why I was so standoffish."

"You had that in common with Elle," JJ mentioned quietly. Emily quickly realized that she had never heard that name more than with JJ presently. It seemed… off to her.

Hoping that she was invading personal privacy, Emily said, "You're talking about her a lot today. Is there a reason why she is so much on your mind?"

JJ bit her lip. "No… I'm sorry. I forgot that talking about someone you don't know could be quite annoying."

"Well, I think you need to get it out. It's obvious you're afraid to talk about her with the rest of the unit. I mean, everyone is. You don't have to worry about me. I was merely curious."

"I just miss her a bit, that's all. She was my first friend in D.C. She meant a lot to me. But- she didn't let me in. She was struggling for so long and didn't even tell me." Her smile left. Her face looked tired and anxious.

Emily quickly came to her rescue. "Hey, what happened to her wasn't your fault. She didn't let anyone in. That's her fault. Not yours, not anyone else's."

"You do it too, Emily. You don't let anyone in either. Sometimes… sometimes that scares me. I don't want what happened to her, happen to you. I need you too much." Tears re-entered the liaison's eyes, and so did Emily's.

No one had ever said something as passionate as that to Emily before. "Jayje, that won't happen to me, ever. I can handle myself."

"Please," She whispered slowly. "Promise me that if you ever become too lonely or depressed that you'll talk to me. And won't try to handle it all by yourself. Because I couldn't deal if you left me like Elle did. Like Gideon did."

Emily rested her forehead against JJ's. "I promise, Jay. But you have to promise me too. Because if you didn't come talk to me, you might be engaged to a man you don't love right now. You have to promise to let me in as well."

"I promise," JJ said, feeling the attraction radiate her skin. "And I promise, that for the rest of the night, I won't hold anything back. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"Me too," Prentiss promised simply, cupping JJ's cheeks.

JJ looked away, knowing that she was going to ask a question that she already knew Emily didn't want to answer. "Em, why don't you date? You can't honestly tell me that people don't constantly ask you out."

The brunette sighed. She knew JJ wouldn't let it go. "I don't like to get personal. And the last person I truly dated- it didn't end well. And it almost ruined everything for me. Especially since my mother promised she'd disown me if I continued the relationship."

JJ stared at her, waiting for her to continue. "You can't just stop there. I need details."

Emily glared at her friend. Opening up wasn't her strong suit. But Emily realized that JJ was her friend and that this is what friends do. Share. "The lovely ambassador didn't really approve of me and my girlfriend." It came out. It was hard to discern who was more surprised. Emily never thought she would ever come out to any of her colleagues. And JJ- she would have never guessed that Emily would have admitted that she swung that way. Prentiss froze. She didn't know what to do or what to say.

JJ could see how embarrassed and afraid the brunette was and wanted to make her feel better. "My dad never approved of anyone I was dating either. It was never to the extent as yours, but a lot of families deal with that."

"I've never- Jayje, I didn't mean to tell you that," Emily admitted, tears silently falling down her cheeks.

JJ sighed and wondered, "Em, do you really think that I care?"

Emily looked up into JJ's eyes. JJ smiled with admiration and adoration for the woman across her. Emily matched her warm grin. "That means everything to me. I have had so many sexuality fears." She laid down on the carpet of her living room. "I'd overcompensate, which coincidentally ended up in an abortion. Apparently, I couldn't do anything right."

"I hate that you had to go through that," JJ voiced with a fiery passion. She laid down next to Prentiss. "I hate that your mother made you believe that being gay was wrong. But it isn't Em. You know that, right? That you are perfectly normal?"

Emily wiped her falling tears. "I've never felt that way. That's why I've never came out. To anyone. Since my girlfriend, obviously."

"Did you love her?" JJ asked curiously.

"I was in love with her. Katie meant the world to me. She was everything. But I wasn't willing to come out, and she was. She wanted to leave the country, travel, get married, have kids." Emily listed, her voice shaking.

"That sounds beautiful."

"It does. But I said no. Without my mother, I had no money. Katie said we didn't need it- but I didn't know how to live poor. I didn't know how to live without the connections. So she left the country, and I joined the FBI."

"Have you talked to her since?" The blonde asked.

"I don't think I could. She's just a memory of all the things I lost. And while she was also my best friend, I do my best work alone."

"Well, you have me, Emily. I know that you like to be secluded. But sometimes you need your friends," JJ declared and grinned at Emily.

Her dazzling smile enchanted the brunette. So much in fact, that it almost made her forget that JJ would never feel the same way. "I'm starting to learn that. And I have the best teacher." But something still bothered Emily. More than anyone, even her boyfriend Will, JJ talked about Elle. Not that it was wrong to talk about an old colleague, but for JJ it was strange. "JJ, we're being totally upfront, right? So I can ask you a personal question?" At JJ's affirming nod, Emily continued, "What's the story with Elle and you? I can tell that you are trying to hide something about her."

JJ cursed to herself. She thought that she had avoided that topic. Then again, it was her fault that she had kept mentioning the name. She took a long, deep breath and determinedly said, "Elle and I slept together sometimes."

Emily tried to hold in her amazement and confusion. She was expecting JJ to know that Elle had killed that man on purpose, not that they were fucking. "Oh," she hesitated. "Did you love her?"

JJ shook her head. "No, it was to blow off steam when we had a rough case or when we were lonely. I mean after she was shot, we didn't. She wouldn't let me back in."

"I'm sorry. For both of you. I had no idea that it was that personal for you."

"You must see me so differently now," JJ uttered, grimacing. "You probably thought I was so pure and now I'm that slut who had benefits with her co-worker."

Prentiss immediately got up and stated, "Jayje, of course, I don't see you differently. You have the most integrity that I know. And besides, I got pregnant at 15. Who am I to judge? Don't you remember, all of my relationships are one night stands? That way, no one finds out I'm lesbian."

"At least your mom knows that you're gay. Not that I'm not into guys- I am. I'm just into both."

"How did I not know this about you?" Emily joked.

"Because you don't notice any romance even when it is right in front of you. And I thought that every gay person has a gaydar." They both burst out laughing.

"Oh come on! Like you knew I was gay." The brunette was surprised to see JJ shrug. "What? You knew? How?"

"I wasn't positive," JJ confessed. "But the whole team wondered when you first joined. Not that it was bad or anything. But you never once looked at Morgan with puppy lovesick eyes. That was a big sign."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Seriously? What else did they know about me before I said anything?" While it was a playful tone, JJ was worried that she would offend the agent.

"Well, they all guessed that you had mommy-issues. But they did have you pretty wrong at first. They all thought that you joined the team because you wanted to get ahead politically or spy on them." JJ said, but at the sight of Emily's frown, she added, "But they were all wrong. Emily, you know how much they love and trust you."

"I wish I could have made a different first impression. I was so cold at the beginning. I had no idea- no idea how much this team would mean to me. How much of impact each one of you would have on me, " Emily admitted sadly.

"It doesn't matter how you got here, Em. It just matters that you're here. A part of the team, opening that tough shell of yours." JJ got up and cupped her hands around Emily's face. "We all trust you with our lives, Emily. I personally trust you with everything."

Emily stared into those blue eyes, and nothing else mattered in her life. She knew that with JJ, everything was going to be okay. She couldn't hold it in anymore. "JJ, I'm glad that you aren't marrying Will."

Confused by that random statement, JJ asked, "What? What do you mean?"

The profiler blurted, "I'm in love with you. Completely and utterly in love with you. And I know that you probably don't feel the same way, which is fine. I just had to let you know. And maybe it's because I'm slightly tipsy, or possibly because I literally couldn't handle holding it in anymore. You are the most beautiful person. You're intelligent, bright, caring. And I'm being totally stupid-"

"EMILY!" JJ shouted, yelling at the brunette. Emily was too stunned to continue. "Shut up for a second and kiss me."

Without a moment's hesitation, Emily leaned into the most perfect bliss she had ever experienced. All of her emotions were running wild, but none of that mattered. She was with JJ. Emily Prentiss was kissing Jennifer Jareau.

They took each other in. Embracing each other. In perfect harmony, they fell back onto the floor and became entangled with one another. Time seemed arbitrary. They were lost in each other, but they were truly both home for the first time.

"I- don't," JJ started to say between kisses, "Want this to be a one-time thing- Like it was with Elle. I don't- want- to be friends."

"Good," Emily agreed simply. "I don't want to be friends either. Jayje, wanna be my girlfriend?"

JJ stopped kissing because she couldn't control her laughter. "What are you Em, 5 years old?" Emily shrugged and kissed her neck. JJ groaned, "Ok, I guess not. Sure, I'd love to be your girlfriend. As your girlfriend, what exactly would that entail?"

"I think," Emily said between each kiss, "It means we go to my bedroom."

JJ grinned. "I think so too."

Thanks for reading! Please comment and review! xxx