Disclaimer: I own nothing, sadly.
Rating: M
Author's Note: Alrighty, I'm back, and I have a nice long chapter for you. Sorry about the ridiculously, heinously long delay. I apologize! As always, reviews and ideas are awesome.
"If you make me lift another box, heaven help you. For two tiny women, you have an endless amount of crap. I swear, I bring a box in and then the ones left in the truck multiply exponentially," Morgan complained as he hiked yet another large overstuffed to the second floor master bedroom.
"Logically that can't happen," Reid supplied, countering Morgan's complaint.
"Oh shut up. You have an easy job because you have no muscle."
"That's because my muscle is my brain. That's where you are lacking muscle. And this isn't easy. Emily keeps redoing everything I put away."
Morgan scoffed as Emily rebutted, "If you would just follow the labeling system, I wouldn't have go redo everything. You're a certified genius; it shouldn't be that hard."
"Are you going to feed me ever? Or am I just working for free here?" Morgan shouted as he came down the stairs.
"Whining doesn't suit your muscled physique," Garcia teased from her perch at the granite-topped island. "The pizza should be here soon, so stop your complaining. You will be fed soon enough, and if I recall, there are more boxes in the truck."
Morgan made some slur of noises in response as he trekked out to the car like a sullen child.
"Wow," Emily laughed, "talk about mature..."
"If you keep picking on him, he's going to quit and we will have to hire a mover." JJ said knowingly as she took a sip of her Diet Coke.
"I had planned to, but this just seemed so much more fun. I'm tempted to hire someone to unpack it all. Have you seen how many boxes are supposed to fit in the closet? I'm starting to think we're crazy for trying to make this all fit," Emily countered.
"You're one of the nation's best profilers and you're just now realizing how damn crazy you are. There's something wrong with that, Princess." Morgan teased from behind a new pile of boxes.
"Here let me help you," Emily said, getting up from her bar stool perch.
"Sit your pretty little ass down. If you reopen those damn stitches, I'm going to have you committed."
Emily huffed her disapproval, but sat down anyway. JJ smirked at the exchange, but she was seriously considering super-gluing Emily's wound together with the amount of times it needed to be re-stitched.
"When do you come back to work?" Reid asked.
"As soon as my psych eval is passed, so as soon as the shrink thinks I'm sane, I guess."
"You don't have to wait for all the wounds to heal?"
"Most of them are healed. Just the knife wound, and it's almost there. The stitches just keep coming out for some reason."
JJ glared at her before starting, "That reason would be you can't sit still and have a tendency to do every activity the doctor forbid you to do."
"Wait," Garcia interrupted, "we have to wait for you to be sane? Good god, we are never going to get you back. You're as crazy as the rest of us; I mean you are one of us, after all."
"That's what I keep saying. I mean, I wasn't exactly born sane and normal. What makes him think I will be sane after months of talking to him? My god, the man has an ego that rivals a hot air balloon."
"Em..." JJ started.
"I know. I know. Be nice to the man. He's only trying to help, but I don't need help, Jayje. I'm fine."
The doorbell rang announcing the arrival of the glorious pizza.
"Saved by the bell," JJ hummed as she left the kitchen.
Two hours later, with the house cleared of their motley crew and the couple drowning in cardboard boxes, Emily and JJ sat perched on their kitchen island.
"Welcome home, babe," JJ said sweetly, gently touching her glass to Emily's with a cling. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course," the brunette leaned back, resting her hands behind her on the cool, dark granite.
"Why did you ask me to get married?"
"I'm sorry. What?"
"Why? It's not legally accepted really, and we already planned to have a kid. So why?"
"It's not about whether we're legally seen as a couple or not. I want to stand in front of our friends and family and promise to be yours forever. I want that eternal, united as one thing. We were going to be a family either way, but you deserve a ceremony in your honor, filled with the love I have for you. Does that cover it?"
"Yeah, yeah, it does. Perfectly. How did I get so lucky?" JJ leaned forward, kissing Emily passionately. Emily moaned into the kiss, reveling in the feeling of JJ's soft lips.
"Hmm, I ask myself that everyday. Do you know how amazing you are?" Emily whispered delicately into JJ's ear.
"No, I think you should show me. And as much as I would love to break in our brand new kitchen counter, we should probably move this to our exceptionally new, exceptionally comfy king bed upstairs."
Emily nodded her consent as JJ slid gracefully off the counter, extending a hand for Emily to take. The blonde led the way through a labyrinth of boxes.
Once the bedroom door closed, Emily turned JJ gently and pulled their bodies tightly together. Emily glided them over to the edge of the bed, never breaking the kiss that had been created. She removed JJ's shirt and looked down appreciatively. She skated gentle fingertips down the blonde's sides and over her toned stomach. Emily's lips attached to JJ's pulse point, marking the woman's neck as hers. As JJ moaned, Emily could feel the sensual vibrations through her lips and continued her gentle ministrations. Emily kissed her way down to the full breasts of her lover before kissing the tops of each breast as she reached around and removed the offending item. JJ leaned into Emily's talented mouth and laced her fingers through the silk-like strands of Emily's dark hair. She was distracted by Emily's lips caressing and sucking her tend breast and didn't notice her shorts fall to the floor. Emily pushed her back gently until JJ's knees hit the bed. Taking the hint, JJ sat down and scooted to the center of the bed, coaxing Emily back to her with a curled finger. Emily crawled over her lover before meeting their lips in another romantic, passionate kiss. JJ started to finger the hem of Emily's shirt, but Emily stopped her. Interlacing their fingers, Emily pulled back to shake her head gently.
"Not about me," she said quickly and quietly, averting her eyes from her lover before making her way to JJ's parted legs. JJ knew the brunette was worried about showing her scars, but she also didn't want to emotionally push her too far. The thoughts were placed on the back burner as Emily's fingers danced along the lace edges of her panties.
"Em..." she moaned loudly. "Please touch me."
"But I'm having such fun," Emily countered in a teasing whisper, continuing to sprinkle touches around her lover's center.
JJ moaned loudly. "Not fair," she struggled to say as passion was quickly eroding her ability to speak coherently.
"All is fair in love and war," Emily whispered into JJ's ear as her fingers finally passed the lacy, cotton barrier.
"Jesus, Em," JJ sighed as her lover grazed her needy clit.
"Is that what you wanted?"
"God, yes. More please." JJ squirmed on the bed underneath Emily's expert hand. Within no time, she was reaching her peak and chanting Emily's name. Emily crawled back up to her lover and kissed her gently as she returned from her natural high. JJ kissed back forcefully, hoping to show how much she wanted the other woman. Emily quickly and easily slid from her grasp and off the bed. "I'm uhh going to check the alarm system. I'll be back." JJ sighed as she watched her lover walk to the far wall of their bedroom and check the status of the system.
"Come back to bed," JJ requested. The brunette seemed too intrigued by the system to even turn around. "Emily?" JJ asked. Emily turned slightly, her arms wrapped around her torso. She kept quiet as she stared off into one of the darker corners of the room. "Baby, come here," JJ commanded softly. "Please talk to me. We don't have to do anything else." She watched the brunette shift nervously on the balls of her feet. She slid off the bed and walked over to Emily. Gently placing her hands on either side of Emily's face, she brought the dark brown eyes to meet her brilliantly blue ones. "Talk to me." The request was a little less than a whisper, but its tone resounded in Emily's, echoing around the fortifying walls she built to protect herself. Emily turned out of JJ's grasp and sat gingerly on the corner of the bed. Instead of immediately going to her, JJ rifled through her bag in the corner. She pulled out a big nightshirt and a pair of boxers. Slipping into them, she walked into the bathroom and pulled her messy blonde hair into an unkempt ponytail. Going through her usual nighttime routine, she stopped and stood against the doorframe. Emily still perched uncomfortably on the edge of the bed. JJ crawled to the opposite side of the bed, kneeling behind Emily. She put her hands softly on Emily's shoulders and recoiled when Emily flinched. Emily looked around and apologize immediately when she realized she had flinched at J's nurturing touch. It had happened before; JJ knew why, but that didn't dull the hurt. She smiled sweetly, shaking her head, as Emily apologized over and over again.
"Shhh, it's okay. I'm sorry I scared you," JJ said quietly, hoping her words would reassure her lover in a way her touch couldn't. Emily's eyes followed JJ's movements as she moved to sit next to Emily, side-by-side. JJ interlaced their fingers, almost sighing in relief when Emily didn't move away from the physical connection. "I love you, Em- all of you, your past, your present, your future. Please let me in."
"I'm sorry I flinched, Jayje. I am."
"Not about that. That, I understand. Why don't you want me to see you? Touch you? Make love to you?" Emily shrugged uncomfortably, trying to avoid the thoughts swirling in her mind. "Please, Emily. Please." The soft, pleading tone of JJ's request broke through Emily's defense.
"I'm different. It's not what it used to be." Emily's whisper came out rushed and insecure.
"What?"
"I'm ugly now. What he did, it made me ugly. It's not something you want to see. I don't want you to see it. It's just a painful reminder of my inability to protect myself." This time, her whisper was filled with venom. Anger and disappointment filled each breath.
"Emily," JJ started, startled by the brunette's confession. She would never have guessed Emily felt ugly. "My god, I wish you could see what I see. You are gorgeous. Everything about you is beautiful, and I wish I could make you see. You are so far from ugly. Please let me show you." JJ stood from the bed and moved Emily to stand in front of the full-length mirror in the bathroom. "Do you trust me?"
Emily, resigned and insecure, nodded and bit her lip. JJ slowly removed Emily's clothes and stood behind the injured brunette. "What do you see?"
"I see someone who's broken."
"I see a brave, strong, independent woman who can beat her demons." Emily snorted in disbelief.
"How is what you see so different from what I see?"
"Because I love you regardless of what your skin looks like, how many stitches you have, or how many demons you have swirling in that brain of yours. I love you, and I want to help whether I'm battling demons or reminding you how truly beautiful you are." Emily nodded as a tear rolled down her cheek. Averting her eyes from her lover's gaze, she looked at the floor and unconsciously covered the wound on her stomach. "What is it?"
"I just don't understand."
"What, baby?"
"You." JJ raised her eyebrows. If anything, Emily knew her better than she knew herself.
"What?" she asked again, confusion lacing her question.
"You still want me." Emily's statement, again, surprised the blonde.
"Of course, I do. That won't ever change."
"I just don't understand how you can see these scars, bruises, and everything, and still want me."
"Emily, listen to me," JJ said, moving to stand in front of the brunette, face-to-face. "I'm in love with your personality, your character, and your body. You're a little bruised and battered. That doesn't change my desire for you. In fact, it makes me want to love and worship your body in a way that reminds you how perfect you are, despite other situations. You turn me on and get me off in ways no one else ever could, and now, I'm all yours." JJ stood on her tiptoes and kissed the brunette. "Let me show you," JJ whispered in Emily's ear. Emily nodded slowly, still a little reluctant and unsure. "If you feel uncomfortable, we'll stop. Okay? You're in complete control." She had worked with enough victims to know what they needed, and although she hated referring to Emily as a victim, even in her head, she knew sex, most of all, needed to be treated with kid gloves. Emily nodded again, taking a deep breath. "Don't be nervous. It's just me. I want you to feel beautiful. I want you to feel loved." Emily nodded and finally moved her hands to rest on Jennifer's sides. The brunette played with the hem of JJ's pajama shirt as their kiss deepened. As she tried to lift it over JJ's head, JJ stopped her. "This is about you."
"I want to feel your skin. I need to feel your skin. I don't want to remember his." JJ nodded knowingly and quickly removed her clothes. She led Emily back to their bed before laying her down in the middle. Hovering over her, JJ kissed her eyes, nose, and jaw before landing on her swollen lips. Emily pulled JJ's weight onto her, causing JJ's thigh to grind against Emily's center.
"I don't want to hurt you," JJ said, trying to return to her hovering position as opposed to laying her full weight on the woman below her.
"You're not," Emily replied, holding the blonde firmly in place, before capturing her lips again. JJ ground her thigh against Emily again, causing the brunette to groan deeply. The noise was stifled by JJ's mouth. JJ could feel Emily's arousal against her leg and grinned when Emily lifted her hips to meet JJ's leg again. JJ took that as a cue to continue and kissed down Emily's jaw to her neck. Stopping to suck and lick the hollow of Emily's collar bone, her hands continued to roam as the tenderly glazed over Emily's body. The vibrations from Emily's moaning tickled the blonde's lips, so she moved down slowly before pleasuring Emily's breasts. Emily arched into JJ's touch as her shaking groan sliced the otherwise silent bedroom. JJ's touches moved further south and she stopped to meet Emily's eyes. Emily had her eyes closed and was slightly biting her lower lip.
"Open your eyes. Look at me, Em, only at me. I'm not going to hurt you, okay?" JJ cooed gently, moving her hands higher up on the brunette's body. When the brunette kept her eyes closed, JJ kissed each of her eyelids and then her lips. She whispered again, her lips brushing Emily's. "Emily?" Emily's forehead creased in concentration as her eyes fluttered open, immediately looking to the side. "Look at me, Em." reluctantly, Emily turned her eyes to meet the blue ones she had fallen in love with. "There we go. See? It's just me. We are alone in our new house where we are going to raise a family. You are safe. Do you want me to stop?" her question was gentle, laced with supportiveness and understanding. Emily shook her head no and swallowed deeply, trying to rid herself of the nervous feeling. "Are you sure? We don't have to do this. This is about you, and if you aren't ready, we can stop here for now."
"Okay," her voice came out asan unexpected, hoarse whisper. "Can you just uhh," she paused momentarily, gathering enough confidence to speak, "can you just hold me, please?" JJ gently kissed her in response.
"Of course, i can." she climbed over her lover's body and cuddled close behind her, fitting her body perfectly with Emily's curves. She draped an arm protectively over Emily's middle, holding her close. She breathed in Emily's scent and whispered a final goodnight before dozing off into dreamland.
Emily heard JJ's breath even out and relished in the comfort of JJ's embrace. She wouldn't get too much sleep; she never did, but this was as close to comfortable as she was going to get for the time being.