]JJ walked into the kitchen after getting out of the bath the brunette had ran for her. This case had been especially difficult for the blonde, and Emily knew that. In fact, the whole team did.
It didn't take an expert profiler to see how all the victims on this case resembled Emily. With their ivory skin, brown eyes and dark chocolate, shoulder length hair, they were all miniature versions of the woman she loves. The woman that was now standing in front of the glass door facing the backyard, watching the sunset over the city.
She smiled, thankful for the dark haired beauty. JJ was able to hold it together for the entire case thanks to the older agent. Emily could sense the blonde was having trouble not imagining her body lying on the forest floor in place of the young and innocent 16 year olds. Everyone else saw a young woman whose life was tragically cut short by the hands of a deranged man and his beloved knife. But to JJ, the mangled remains of each body was Emily. The pale, ghostly looking skin; cold, dead eyes; the dark brown hair tangled with twigs; the small it muscular body slashed with deep wounds, marking up her perfect frame like a map leading to the pain and discard the girl felt before the life left her soul. She knew the bodies they found were the missing girls the small town had reported, but her mind kept telling her it was Emily. And not once did the older agent leave her side, knowing exactly what was running through the blonde's head as their hands remained intertwined.
With the warmth and support of Emily surrounding her, she held it together until the very end, when they found the last girl in the basement, hanging onto life by a thread. The blonde had left Emily's side to help the young woman, untying her wrists from the metal pole her lifeless body was dangling from. She hadn't even notice Reid's presence helping the girl to the ground and into JJ's arms, applying pressure to as many wounds his hands could get to. She held the girl, brushing her dirty hair from her sweaty and tear-stained face, trying to calm her down while she coughed and drowned in the blood filling her lungs. At some point the blonde was pulled away from the helpless girl so that the EMT's could give her the real help she needed, but since all of her senses were focused on her unmoving body that she didn't comprehend the arms taking her up the stairs and out the door.
Once the cool, night air hit her, she could feel how much warm and sticky red goo had managed to seep past her vest and into her shirt. Her nerves were shot as Emily wiped her hands and face free of the blood, brown eyes locking with blue as tears were released and strong arms wrapped protectively around a body that was finally falling apart. She held onto the older agent as she took in the fact the girl in the basement being wheeled into the ambulance was not the woman holding her. That girl was on the verge of death whereas this one was very much alive and whispering in her ear to attempt to calm her.
Now, they were back home and her fingertips tingled to touch the ivory skin to make sure, for the hundredth time, that her Emily was still breathing, still there to hold, still alive with a strong, beating heart.
JJ took the steps she needed to reach Emily, her barefeet quietly padding against the floor, the brunette's old college shirt brushing against her thighs. The blonde had found it the first night she slept over and pulled it out of the drawer when she was looking for a top to sleep in. The older agent had taken one glance at the young beauty wearing it and declared it hers to wear whenever she wanted, but only on special occasions, in order for it to "have a special meaning." When JJ got out of the bath, she noticed Emily had set it out for her, hoping it would bring the blonde some extra comfort.
The younger agent smiled as she reached the woman that was in one of JJ's ratty old soccer t-shirts and her own comfy sweatpants, still staring out the door. She easily slid in front of the brunette, feeling hands move her hair to one side and then settle on her stomach. She took a deep breath as lips gently pressed against her neck, strong arms pulling her to lean into the body behind her while her own hands found Emily's to intertwine their fingers, wrapping the arms more tightly around her. Emily brushed her nose into the blonde hair behind JJ's ear, smiling as she breathed in the familiar scent of The woman wrapped in her arms. She kissed warm, freckled skin a few more times before burying half of her face in yellow locks, turning her attention to the view as the sky turned a pale pink.
"Almost as beautiful as you." Emily whispered, pulling the younger woman into her as close as the universe would allow.
JJ smiled, sighing. She continued to watch the sky until it faded from a pink to a mix of pink, yellow and orange, then she realized that Emily had put on her favorite music. The soft guitar and soothing, lullaby voices filled the room, making the blonde smile wider.
She turned around in Emily's embrace, her hands wrapping around her neck as their lips met. "Dance with me." The blonde spoke against the older woman's lips, feeling the brunette take one of her hands and hold it against her chest. Her other hand went to rest of Emily's shoulder, her arm hooked around her back to make sure the brunette couldn't leave. She closed her eyes as her face nestled into Emily's neck, letting the older agent sway them into a perfect rhythm.
JJ left all of the tension in her body and mind fade, focusing on the music, Emily's warmth and love, and the heartbeat she felt pulse alongside her own, signaling the connection they have with each other. The songs started blurring together as the sun completely disappeared below the horizon, time meaning nothing to her as long as Emily kept moving them to the music. After what felt like a quick second, but also an eternity, she raised her head to brush noses with the older agent, forehead to forehead. "I love you."
Emily squeezed the hand in hers, pecking soft lips. "And I love you, with every beat of my heart and every breath I take. You are my beauty, my best friend, my love, and I am never leaving your side." She kissed the blonde again, swallowing the content sigh that came from the younger woman. "I love you. I'm yours forever." She repeated, feeling JJ's nails dig into her shoulder, knowing what was coming next.
"Show me." JJ breathed, untangling her hand from Emily's to place it directly into the brunette's chest, feeling the strong and steady heartbeat fill her palm and fingers with warm.
The older agent took this opportunity to lift JJ's body up off the ground and direct her legs to lock around her waist, finding the blonde's lips for a deep kiss. When they broke apart for air, her arms tightened, holding the small woman closely to her. "Show you what?"
JJ caressed Emily's cheek and jaw with one hand, feeling her heartbeat quicken. "Show me how much you love me." The words were so quiet they barely made a sound, but Emily had heard them perfectly.
The blonde connected their lips again as the older woman walked them into the bedroom. Emily laid the smaller woman down on her back, smiling as they looked into each other's eyes before she backed up. JJ took a quick glance around the room, noticing the multiple candles randomly placed, giving the room a soft glow. The brunette must have lit them while she was in the bathroom. She bit her lip, looking back at the gorgeous woman before her, watching intently as she slipped out of the sweats, then started on her shirt. The blonde just shook her head, using her first finger to signal that the woman should come closer.
Once the older woman obeyed, they both crawled up the bed, JJ stopping the brunette before she could settle down on top of her. She placed her hands on Emily's hips, successfully bringing her down to straddle her still covered torso, but it was the brunette who slid down to JJ's hips so she could scoot her hands under the worn fabric to feel soft, tan skin. The younger woman bit her lip, moving her hands up to Emily's shoulders, tugging slightly to get the older woman to lay down, their lips melting automatically. JJ moved her hands down Emily's back, sending a shiver through the brunette as she allowed JJ to pull the shirt up and over her head, leaving her in just underwear.
They kissed slowly, gently, Emily doing her best to swallow the moans that slipped from JJ's mouth as her hands were gradually making their way up a toned body, the shirt moving up with her movements. When the brunette finally reached perfect mounds, she removed her lips from JJ's, carefully removing the fabric completely from the blonde's body, resuming her actions once the shirt was tossed on the ground. JJ arched her back up into Emily's touch as she tilted her head up to give the older woman more room to kiss down her jaw and neck, ultimately moving further down the younger woman's body.
She took in each sigh as moan from the woman beneath her as lips traveled down the valley of breasts, over stomach muscles, from one side of hips to the other, and the slow attention up and down each thigh. She noticed the sudden intake of breath when she placed her lips on glistening lower ones, the way breathy moans filled the air when she pushed her tongue through folds, the back arching up as she sucked on sensitive skin.
Hands went to tangle in her hair, but not to keep her in place. "Em…" JJ whispered into the dimly lit room. The older woman looked up to find blue eyes pleading with her, feeling the hands remove themselves from her hair to claw at her back. She moved back up, replacing her mouth with her fingers as she settled down next to the blonde, letting her kiss her lips and wrap her arms around her.
Emily once again swallowed breathy moans that came out of the blonde as she skipped her fingers inside the younger woman. She could feel JJ was close, her inner walls tightening, breath hitching, arms anchoring her into place. The blonde had her eyes closed as Emily moved her lips to her ear. "I'm right here, baby. You can let it go." She placed a kiss to the warm skin just underneath JJ's ear. "I'm yours forever…"
Those words echoed in the younger woman's mind, sending her over the edge as Emily held onto her trembling body. She felt the older woman's hands laying on her stomach, her middle finger tracing a small heart over twitching abdominal muscles. Her other hand rested on the pillow by golden locks, running fingers gently through it.
I'm yours forever…
When JJ was recovered from her leap from reality, she turned on her side facing the brunette as she hid her face in Emily's neck. Tears began to spill from her eyes as a sob erupted from her body. She felt the older woman leave her side, panic surging through her as she cried out, "No! Please, don't leave me!"
The brunette hushed her, pulling the covers over them before pulling JJ back into her arms, placing kisses on her forehead as tears continued to pour out. "Shh… Jay, I'm not leaving. I'm right here, baby, I'm right here."
JJ allowed the brunette's voice to calm her down, the sound of Emily's strong heartbeat keeping her centered, the fiery trial of fingers felt when she combed through blonde hair in her back was proof of Emily really being there. She took a few deep breaths, her panicked embrace loosening as she continued to repeat to herself that the woman she loves is in her arms.
"They looked just like you." Her words were whispered, her gaze locked in the black bird tattoo covering the brand Emily had gotten when she was captured. It was not only a reminder of how strong the older agent was, but also how close JJ was to losing Emily. She brought both hands in between then, one flat on Emily's chest, the other tracing the small, black, inked bird. "I was afraid I might lose you… Again."
Emily removed her hand from the younger agent's waist, bringing it up to cup JJ's chin, pushing her face up to look at her. "You can't get rid of me that easily." She smiled, gently pressing her lips to the blonde's, relief washing over her when she felt JJ reciprocate the same pressure back. "I'm not going anywhere. And if I was, you would be coming with me." She kissed her again, hand on her cheek. "Yours forever."
The blonde bit her lip and brushed the side of her nose with Emily's as their legs tangled together. She knew that the brunette knew she loved when she said anything along the lines of "yours forever," but wasn't sure if Emily knew why. "Do you know why I love when you say that?" When the older woman shook her head, JJ stopped touching the tattoo to place her hand on her neck, thumb smoothly running over a soft cheek. "The day before you said you love me for the first time, you fell asleep at my house and started talking in your sleep. You said my name a few times so I assumed you were dreaming about me. The fifth time you said my name. You said, 'I'm yours forever.' I knew that whatever you were dreaming about, it was only me. So, the next day when you said you loved me, I wanted to hear you say those words again, before I said, 'I love you' back."
Emily focused intensely on the blonde as she spoke, her hand resuming their earlier action and continued to brush the blonde hair, smiling.
"I asked you to tell me that you're mine forever, and when you did, I knew that I couldn't love anyone more than I love you." The younger woman laughed at her own sappiness, tears in her eyes again. "And I don't say it nearly as much as you do, but… I am yours forever."
The brunette smiled wider, tilting her head to be able to speak into JJ's lips. "And I am yours forever." She closed the small gap between their lips, trying to show JJ how much she truly did love her with a kiss.