**Thanks for the faves, follows and reviews, guys! Here's a short chapter to tide you over while I work out the plots for chapters 7-10.**

Chapter 3 – Tension


"Distance not only gives nostalgia, but perspective, and maybe objectivity."

- Robert Morgan


Armed with boxes of their favourite Chinese dishes, a Doctor Who series (not season as Emily and Spence had painfully reminded her several times over the years) boxset that she borrowed from Reid and a bottle of the best wine she could find at ten o'clock in the evening, JJ braced herself and knocked.

The door was wrenched opened with such force that it startled the poor blonde. JJ watched as Emily's demeanour changed, surprise and fear, melancholy, swiftly hidden by a small smile, "JJ…"

"Hey,"

"Wh-"

"I thought if I brought some vino and sustenance, you'd have to let me in."

"I-" You never even have to ask because you're always welcome here, was what Emily had wanted to say but couldn't get it out. "…wine? But, the baby-"

JJ shuffled past Emily placing the bags of food on the table. She took one plastic bag and grabbed a bottle from there, "Grape juice or sparkling cider for me, don't worry, Em." She manoeuvred around the kitchen with practiced ease and felt right at home while Emily tried not to let the picture of domesticity get engrained in her head. "I just thought maybe we could have a girls' night. Like old times?"

They both winced internally at the thought. 'Old times,' like they were the days that the two women could never get back again. Like everything was going to change between them and the gap would only widen from then on.

The doorbell rang again and Emily nodded, "Sure, Jayje. Just give me a second, I ordered pizza a while ago."

Emily set the pizza down beside the carton boxes of noodles and sweet and sour pork.

"Fusion, then?" JJ said, letting out a grin contagious enough to make them at least momentarily forget the tension that was almost choking them.

"Pizza, wine AND Cantonese Chow Mein? It can't get any better than that." Emily grinned as she got the plates and utensils. Her stomach groaned, echoing her excitement.

"I assure you, Agent Prentiss," JJ teased suggestively as she waved the Doctor Who box-set enticingly, "It gets much better."

"A woman after my own nerdy heart." Emily fought through the pain. She could do it. Just put it in a box and smile. She would ignore the faint whispers that told her that JJ had her heart. This was another cover, another mission, all done to in a vain attempt to recover it.

"Ah, ah!" Making a movement away from the avid nerd, JJ teased and waved a finger, "Eat first, nerd fest later."

Eyes softened at the lightness in her tone. Emily did another mock-salute and with a: "Yes, ma'am," they were able to sit down to eat.

They devoured the feast in front of them with vigour, both women too comfortable with each other and too hungry to worry about any sense of propriety. Emily was so occupied that she didn't realize she ate a piece of pizza that JJ had topped with chilli pepper flakes. "Gah!" She jumped, rushing to the tap to get some water.

"For someone who has travelled all around the world, you sure have a weak palette." JJ laughed at the dramatic spectacle Emily was putting on. It was on purpose, she knew. Like always, Emily had this sixth sense whenever JJ was feeling down and she did everything she could do to give some comfort.

"If you had just warned me you put chilli pepper flakes, then I wouldn't have been caught off guard!" Emily argued.

"Em," JJ started before gesturing to the pizza box, "This is my side of the pie, I was just marking my territory. What were you doing scouting on my side?"

Emily shrugged, "That was the biggest slice."

"Then that's your problem," the blonde woman replied mischievously before taking the slice from Emily's plate.

"Hey!" Emily protested then retaliated by snatching the last piece of sweet and sour chicken.

JJ pouted into her stolen slice of pizza, "Hey!"

"Turnabout is fair play, Jayje."

"Fine."

"Keep taking my food and I won't give you Cheetos."

"What?" JJ perked up immediately, all food in front of her completely forgotten.

Emily chuckled and stood up to retrieve the goods from her junk food cabinet, "You don't think I stopped keeping this in stock, did you?"

What went unsaid was the reason why JJ would think Emily stopped carrying her favourite cheesy snack. It wasn't why Emily stopped though; it was why she kept keeping it in stock. She looked at the taller woman and started chuckling herself.

"What?" Emily asked confusedly.

JJ stood and sauntered up to her, "You have some sweet and sour chicken sauce," she took a few steps more, "right," even closer, "over," finally JJ could feel Emily's breath hitching, "here." And then she grinned coyly and wiped the offending stain with her thumb while seizing the Cheetos bag with her other hand. She ran off before Emily could register what had just happened.

"HEY!" Emily hollered after her, running to catch up, "You're a cheater!"

"Here's a tip for future reference: don't keep Cheetos from a pregnant JJ."

JJ laughed and let Emily catch her, making both them fall on the couch in front of the television. Emily manipulated the fall in order to avoid contact with the baby but that didn't stop the rising panic. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" She backed up and looked JJ over for injuries and anger, "Are you okay?"

In response, JJ brought a hand to Emily's cheek, instantly calming the frantic woman down with one touch. "I'm fine, we're fine."

Emily nodded and leaned into the touch, it was so intoxicating. So… dangerous. Her eyes widened and she meant to lean back but was stopped when JJ moved her other hand behind Emily's head, keeping her in place. "Jayje?"

Their eyes were fixed for untold moments and unrealized eternities. Emily felt everything she's been trying to keep locked away surge up to more shallow waters. If she didn't get away from the illusion of promise in JJ's eyes, those feelings would make themselves known regardless of any lock and key.

"Jayje, I…"

This was it, JJ thought. She had no plan, no idea really, of how to approach the scary depths of their connection but it was in danger of being completely destroyed. She would never let that happen. Everything would come out tonight, whether she wanted it or not. As her head gravitated towards Emily's, all of JJ's senses heightened. And maybe it was the fall or the running… or dinner but now all she wanted to do was-

Her hands flew to her mouth in wide-eyed horror.

"Oh God, I think I'm gonna-" she stopped herself, threw Emily off and ran straight to the bathroom. She was still feeling the last bits of morning sickness and they seemed to be brought on more by stress than anything. She moaned into the toilet bowl of shame. This wasn't right. She was supposed to talk to Emily, get all of her feelings out.

She was not supposed to let her entire late fusion dinner out instead.

She groaned again but felt a hand gently rubbing her back and the next she knew, her hair was lifted away from her face. "No…" JJ whined, trying to save Emily from witnessing this humiliation, "Go'way!"

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere."

"You really don't wanna be here." Another wave of nausea hit her, "I don't even want to be here."

"Are you forgetting all the times we woke up cuddled on the couch, Jayje? I swear that morning breath of yours can deaden anybody's sense of smell."

"Jerk!" JJ let out a punch but missed and groaned, "Ugh, don't make me laugh."

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up," Emily said gently as she helped the blonde get to the sink, "I have a spare tooth brush you can have."

Now sitting on the sink counter, JJ felt her stomach settle as Emily gently cleaned her face. It was nice, being taken care of. She was the one that held the group together and although she knew she could count on each and every one of them to do the same for her, Emily was the one who could do it with ease. When she moved, she moved with purpose. Every pat on the leg or hand held did so much more than an entire conversation with someone else. And now, Emily was helping to clean up the remains of JJ's morning sickness.

JJ sighed and started brushing her teeth. If this… whatever it was, was going to happen tonight, she did not want to smell like puke.

"I'm going to get you another shirt, you can hop in the shower if you want. I'll make us some hot chocolate later too."

"That sounds really good right now." JJ smiled wistfully.

Emily nodded before stepping out of the room. The overwhelming need to just do everything she can for that woman was unavoidable.

"Emily?"

She jumped at the sound of her name being called and turned to the speaker, "Sorry, Carrie. Did we wake you up?"

Carrie drowsily shook her head, "No, the time zone change just messed with my sleep schedule," she wiped her eyes and then backtracked, "Wait- we?" the edges of her lips upturned in a sly smile, "Late night guest, Miss Prentiss?"

"No!" Emily's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, making Carrie giggle, "Uh Jayje- I mean Agent Jareau is just here to-"

It was then that JJ interrupted by slinking out with just a towel, completely unaware of the company, "Hey, Em?"

"-Jayj….e?" Emily's voice croaked at the sight while Carrie just giggled at the reaction of both women once JJ realized that it wasn't just Emily out there.

"Oh my God!"

"Hey, Agent Jareau!"

"Hey… Carrie. Didn't know you were in town."

Carrie's eyes reflected nothing but mischief, "I can see you guys were busy-"

"It wasn't like that!" Emily yelped, "She- I…" Words failed to form in her mind until finally she blurted, "She's pregnant!"

"Oh, wow!" Her eyes bounced back and forth between the two flustered, older woman, "Why didn't you tell me you guys were expecting?"

Emily reddened and started to sputter before stating, "JJ and I are not together, Carrie. So not together." She broke off in what she hoped would be a believable laugh and then continued, "Just friends, having an overdue girls' night."

"Interrupted by bad morning sickness." JJ finished, ignoring the drop in her stomach that reverberated with every repeated memory of Emily saying the words "not together," with such finality.

The glances Carrie made this time were more suspicious and observant than anything and after she tactfully apologized considering the strained air, "I'm sorry for getting that mixed up, Em. I'm just going to try and relax in my room then."

"You're welcome to join us!" Emily offered hastily, almost desperate for a third party to interrupt the torturous atmosphere when it was just her and JJ.

The offer, however, made JJ wince, a movement only Carrie noticed because Emily's back was facing the blonde.

"Uh, that's okay. I have some emails to write and stuff to work out with my friends back in Denver. They might be doing a DC trip this summer." The younger girl smiled knowingly, "It was nice seeing you again, Agent Jareau."

"Yeah, you too." JJ made sure the teen was safely tucked in her room before she turned on Emily and dragged her back into the bathroom. "Carrie. ORTIZ?!"

Emily gulped audibly and she wished it was because of the sight of JJ being clad only in a towel.


"It is always the best policy to speak the truth, unless, of course, you are an exceptionally good liar."

- Jerome K. Jerome