"How are you feeling?"
"Nervous, I guess."
"Why?" JJ asked in surprise.
"I've never had a family to come home to before."
"You're going to be fine; there's nothing to worry about. Come on."
Emily and JJ had arrived at 1178 Lilygrove Gate, also known as The House Of LaMontagne. JJ had bought this house with Will not long after the wedding, so Emily hadn't been to it before, but she was already impressed that the garage held not only JJ's car—which was a minivan—as well as hers, and that there was also room to spare for Will's car, and Una's, too.
She followed JJ through the garage, into the house, and she found that they were in the front hallway, by the front door.
"What about my luggage, though?" Emily asked as they put their things away. "I've got my purple orchid from Tara, but everything else is in the trunk of my car."
"If we give Una your keys, she'll bring everything in."
"Wow. Really?"
"Mhm. In not so many words, she's the help and does housekeeping while Will and I are gone." JJ pointed towards Emily's waist. "Now give me your gun and holster."
Emily did as JJ asked and watched as she put both of their guns and holsters into the safe.
"Besides the general things that everybody knows about gun safety," JJ said as she closed the safe and turned back to Emily. "We have two specific rules about guns here: when you have yours, you put it away in the safe as soon as you get in, and you don't take yours out to clean unless Henry and Michael are asleep for the night."
Emily nodded to convey her understanding. "Got it."
"Well, alright, then." JJ smiled. "I bet Una and Michael are in the playroom. It's this way."
Emily followed JJ out of the front hall, to a side room and found a room that was filled shelves and a toy chest. Though some of Henry's toys could be seen here, too, most of the toys, puzzles, and books clearly belonged to Michael. Surveying the room, Emily saw Michael happily babbling as he pushed his way along on an activity walker, in a much cheerier mood than he'd been in that morning. He babbled at Una, who gave him affirmation every time he looked at her, and as their 'conversation' progressed, Una cleaned up the last few of the toys they'd been playing with. When Emily saw Una, she had a bit of a start because she looked like she could have passed for JJ's baby sister.
Noticing the arrival of the other two, Una got Michael's attention. "Look, Michael—mama's home."
As if he hadn't been a hellion earlier that day, Michael beamed and ran to JJ at top speed.
"Mama, mama, mama!"
"Hi, Michael!" JJ caught him and sat him on her hip. "I missed you!"
Michael gave JJ a sloppy kiss on the cheek and then fixed his attention on Emily. He knew exactly who she was because he'd seen her on Skype before, and because there were a lot of pictures of her with JJ around the house, but it was blowing his mind that she was actually there.
"What do you think?" JJ asked her son. "That's your Aunt Emily!"
To her surprise and Emily's, Michael leaned out of JJ's arms, towards Emily, with his arms extended. Quickly trading JJ her orchid for Michael, Emily easily took the little boy into her arms. Immediately, Michael hugged her close. Emily felt her heart turn to putty, and she almost started crying on the spot.
"Hey, little guy." she whispered to Michael. "I'm so happy to finally meet you."
Michael maneuvered himself so that he was resting comfortably on Emily's hip, but he slung one arm over his new friend's shoulder while keeping the other one fisted in the cloth of her shirt, so as to maintain his balance. He even trusted Emily so much that he leaned against her and gave her a pat on the back.
Emily turned to JJ in surprise. "I think your kid likes me."
"I think so, too." JJ said, amazed. "He's never taken to anyone as quickly as he's taken to you."
Emily looked back at Michael and kissed his blond locks. "What do you think? Are we friends?"
Michael had a limited vocabulary, but he still used the right word in answering her. "Yep!"
Emily felt like her heart was going to just explode with love, and so as to keep herself grounded in reality, she held a hand out to Una, who was now beside JJ.
"And you're Una, aren't you?"
She nodded as she took Emily's hand and shook it. "Yes. I'm Una Holliday, and I'm so pleased to meet you, Emily."
"Likewi—JJ, what are you doing?!"
For her friend was now fishing in her pockets. Micahel thought it was hilarious and laughed up a storm as Emily turned in a circle, trying to figure out what JJ was up to, while JJ, still clutching Emily's orchid in one hand, fussed at her to stay still. Finally, she emerged victorious, car keys in hand.
"Are you two always this weird?" Una chortled.
"Yes."
"No."
JJ answered answered second, prompting Una to laugh more.
"You two act like siblings."
"Do you have any, Una?" asked Emily.
The girl sighed. "Three sisters and two brothers, and I'm the oldest. What about you?"
"JJ's been my baby sister for a decade, but other than that, no."
JJ tossed Emily's keys to Una. "Will you go to Emily's car in the garage and bring her things up the purple room, please?"
Una caught the keys and bobbed her head. "Sure thing, JJ!"
With a nod to Emily, Una left and headed towards the garage.
"Come on." JJ told Emily. "I'll show you around."
The House Of LaMontagne was big and beautiful, and according to JJ, in the summertime, the backyard was a fun place to be. There just wasn't much to see at the moment because it was getting buried under the snow that had been falling steadily outside all day.
The tour of the house culminated on the second story.
"Will and I sleep there." JJ pointed to an open door at the opposite end of the hallway, where a flight of stairs was visible. "It's like a side attic, but there's a bathroom up there, and everything. We have our own floor, and it's even soundproof."
"That must be nice." Emily commented before pointing to a door on the right of it. "What's in there?"
"My office."
Emily arched an eyebrow at her. "Jayje, you have an office?"
"I do, and forgive me for being cliché, but the reasons why are still classified."
"Of course they are." Emily rolled her eyes. "How many bedrooms are in this house?"
"There are seven full bedrooms, and an actual attic. This house has been was built in 1945, and back then, it was a boarding house."
Emily was fascinated. "That's really neat. What else is up here?"
"Opposite my office is Henry's bedroom, and next to his is Michael's. Their bathroom is next to Michael's room, and on the end here," JJ pointed at the room in front of them. "Is the yellow room. That's where my mom will be sleeping, and she's coming in tomorrow night, on the train."
"I suppose that Theodore and Isobel will be at their house?"
"Uh-huh, and before you ask, they know that you're coming. So does my mom, and she's excited to see you."
"She is? Last time I saw her was at the wedding."
"She has a memory like an elephant." JJ said. "She's also bringing Christmas presents for you."
"She doesn't have to…"
JJ waved a hand in dismissal. "Giving presents is my mom's love language, and she wouldn't want you left out. She also knows that you've saved me from certain death more than once, and she says that because of that, you're as good as one of her kids now."
Emily felt humbled. "Wow. That's amazing; does your mother know about the baby?"
"I told her this morning, over the phone, and she nearly shattered my eardrum, yelling in joy."
"Awww." Emily turned so that they were facing the opposite end of the hallway again. "What's next to your office?"
JJ pointed everything out as she went down the line. "A linen room, Will's office, the entrance to the actual attic, and last but not least, the purple room—it's yours."
Just as she said this, Una came back up the stairs, Emily's luggage in tow. She placed it all in Emily's room for her and bid her goodbye before going back downstairs.
JJ turned to Michael. "Come on, you. Let's go say goodbye to Nanny Una and give her her Christmas present."
Michael was reluctant to leave Emily, but before long, he'd left with JJ, and Emily had her plant back.
Entering the room, Emily saw why it was called purple: while the carpet was gray shag, the walls of the bedroom and the bathroom were light purple. The desk, the dresser, the closet doors, the full bookshelf, and the desk were all dark purple, almost plumb. So were the frames of the artwork on the walls, as well as the standing lamp in one corner. Emily imagined that the yellow room was like this, but with a yellow theme.
"But where's the b—there it is."
She'd been wondering where the bed was, but then she saw it… set into the wall. Upon closer inspection, Emily saw that her bed even a built-in shelf, and a nightlight, too. Emily was very pleased to discover that the alcove was large enough for her to sit up in. Overall, the feel of the whole room was very cozy.
"Well," she said aloud as she put her plant on the dresser and began unpacking her things. "I think I'm gonna like it here."
After getting settled into her new room and putting on some clean, more casual and comfortable clothes, Emily went downstairs, looking for JJ and Michael. They were in the front room. JJ was on the couch, also dressed in casual clothes, and she was knitting, while Michael sat in front of her on the carpet, surrounded by his blocks. He was lost in his own world, happy as a clam.
"Someone missed you." JJ motioned towards Michael. "I only just got him distracted."
Emily laughed and sat in front of Michael, tickling his cheek with one finger. "Hey, baby boy—I'm back! What are we playing?"
Enthused, Michael handed her a block and said, "Bocks!"
"Alright, then—watch this!"
Emily built a block tower that was just a little taller than Michael, and he looked at it in astonishment.
"Come on!" Emily encouraged. "Can you stand up and knock it over?"
Determined to do it on his own, Michael got to his feet and used both hands to knock it over, clapping his hands joyously when the whole thing fell. He then sat down and motioned at Emily to build another tower. Emily was more than happy to oblige him.
Henry got home an hour after JJ and Emily. He remembered that Emily was coming to stay, but he was so excited when he saw her that he almost forgot to change into play clothes. It took Emily a full five minutes to convince him she would wait for him to change.
Very soon, Emily was playing with both of the LaMontagne boys, and they were having a blast together.
JJ watched from the couch as she continued to work on her knitting project. She knew about Emily's wish for babies, and she knew that Emily was very good with kids. Watching her play with Henry and Michael made her believe it even more. She found herself hoping that some way, somehow, Emily would get to become a mother.
Will came home around five-thirty, also on vacation.
About an hour or so after that, he headed to the kitchen to start making dinner. Ten minutes into this, he called Emily into the kitchen.
"What's up, Will?" Emily asked him.
"You're back from Interpol for good now, right, Emily?"
"Yep—I resigned, and now nothing could behoove me to leave the BAU again."
"Good." Will approved. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course. Are you in trouble?"
"No, not at all. I just wanted to get you away from JJ because this is about her, and every pregnancy, she's been a sappy mess and she cries at the drop of a hat. She's been like that even more, this time around."
"Then it could be a girl. Or twins." Emily joked.
Will shuddered at the thought of two more babies. "Did JJ tell you about what happened last week?"
"You mean when she cried at The Virgin Suicides but then started laughing at the first shark attack in Jaws after you changed the channel for her? Yep." Emily patted her friend on the shoulder. "What did you want to ask me?"
"Right—like I said, I'm not in trouble, but just in case anything ever does happen to me, would you look after JJ and the kids? They love you, and you're as good as a sister to me…"
Remembering what JJ had said about Will being shy, she was genuinely touched that he'd managed even that much. Even still, she didn't hesitate to answer him.
"Oh, of course, Will!"
He breathed a sigh relief. "Thanks, Emily."
"Anything for my family." she winked.
Changing lanes because he knew that everyone else was hungry, Will said, "Hey, maybe you could go ask Henry about Christmas ornaments? I heard him going on about some that he made at school."
Interested, she agreed. "Alright—I'll go do that."
Emily returned to the living room, back to JJ, Michael, and Henry.
They, and Will, were her family, and she loved them.
This was going to be her best Christmas ever.
