AN: Well, that was a long one! I hope you enjoy. Excuse the bit of angst throughout this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.


By the time Emily parked outside of her condo, it was already past midnight. A quick glance in the mirror told her the little blonde was still sleeping. Her head was resting on the side of her seat, lolling a bit forward and her mouth was slightly open to allow soft snores.

Emily took a moment to herself, appreciating the calm and quiet her car offered. Remembering her promise to text Garcia, she took her phone out of her purse and composed her message.

'Just got here. Still sitting in the parking lot ;) all is good. Sleep tight. Em.'

The brunette released her seatbelt and turned around in her seat to look at JJ's sleeping form. She was trying to come up with the best plan of action when her phone buzzed in her hand.

'Take a picture of my 'lil cupcake in her pjs! She's going to look so cute! Btw, our boy genius just sent me a 71 page essay on what happened to them during the case. 71 pages! I need to discuss it. Call me when you can! Xx PG.'

Emily laughed and shook her head as she read the text. She typed back quickly,

'Where are the pajamas from?'

'Children's Place.'

"Ahah!" Emily whispered to herself. She pocketed her phone and got out of the car. She retrieved only the two Children's Place bags from the trunk; she would bring the others in in the morning. There was no way she could haul all of them and the sleeping child in one go.

She managed to unbuckle and lift JJ out of her car seat without waking her. With the push of a button, the Prius' lights flashed and the car beeped. Satisfied, Emily headed inside with her precious cargo.


Unlocking the door to her place proved to be a lot harder than anticipated, and Emily cursed herself as she tried to reach for her keys at the bottom of her purse. When she finally stepped inside, her arms burnt from the efforts. Emily unceremoniously discarded the bags on the floor and walked into her living room where she laid JJ on the couch. The girl rolled on her side to face the back of the sofa and curled up onto herself.

Emily took the pajamas out of their bags and went to the guestroom. She hadn't had anyone over in…well never; the room sure could use a bit of refreshing. She put the clothes absentmindedly on the dresser and opened the windows. The brunette got clean bedding out of the closet and stripped the bed. She was so focused on her task, she didn't hear the small footsteps approaching in the hallway.

"Em'ly?"

The woman startled at the sound of her name.

"Oh, Jayje," she said a little breathlessly. "I didn't hear you coming. Are you okay?"

The little girl stood in the doorway. Her hair was tousled from sleep and she still had the car seat patterns imprinted on the side of her face. Emily smiled at her.

"Sorry," she said with a little grin. "I'm good, but I'm a little hungry." JJ rubbed at her stomach unconsciously.

"Why don't you get changed while I finish here and then we can have a snack," Emily suggested, pointing to the pile of clothes as she talked.

"Okay." JJ nodded and waited for Emily to hand her her pajamas.

The little girl carried the bundle of clothes to the adjacent bathroom and dropped them on the toilet lid.

'What are these?' JJ thought horrified as she sorted through the sleepwear options she had been given.

There was an abundance of pink and…cupcakes. Oh god! Why, oh why had they let Garcia pick out their outfits? This was all Hotch's fault!

JJ spread out her choices in front of her on the floor. There was a pink nightgown covered in rainbow cupcakes, a white onesie (with a zipper!) with little elephants on it, a green two-piece with a funny looking pineapple on the top – JJ actually giggled when she saw it – and a pink one with matching shorts. She couldn't tell if the imprints were supposed to be dogs or what.

She stood there for a while, pondering her options. She had to admit they were all pretty cute…for babies! She was a grown woman for god's sake! But she did like them…a lot. She just wasn't going to tell anyone.

"Sweetie, is everything okay in there?" Emily asked, knocking on the door. JJ had been in there long enough for the older profiler to make the bed, get more pillows and changed into more comfortable clothes; black yoga pants and a red tank top.

"Fiiiine!" came the shrilly reply. "Em! Where do I put my clothes? There are ice cream spots on my shirt. But I don't want you to throw it away!"

"Just bring them out, we'll wash them."

The door opened, and the little blonde came out cladded in green pjs. Emily couldn't help but smile; JJ was simply too adorable. She tried to read what was written on the shirt, but the child held her dirty clothes in a bunch close to her chest, partially covering the drawing.

The profiler was about to follow JJ who was padding down the hallway when she remembered she wanted to check her temperature. The girl seemed well enough, but she decided she would check anyway. Just in case.

"Jayje, can you come back here for a minute? I'd like to take your temperature."

"Why?" she asked, turning around with a frown of confusion. "I'm feeling fine… Wait, did the doctor said we'd get sick? Am I going to die?" Her blue eyes were wide with panic as she ran back to Emily.

'Good job, Prentiss. You probably just freaked her out even more.'

"You aren't going to die, sweetie," Emily reassured her. She knelt down in front of the girl and said, "It's just that you weren't really acting like yourself when we were at the airport-"

"Yeah well I'm not exactly myself, am I?" JJ snapped.

"When I picked you up I noticed you were a bit sweaty… I think you may be coming down with something," Emily finished, choosing to ignore JJ's comment.

"It wasn't because I was sick!" JJ blurted out without thinking. "I'm not sick. Nothing's wrong with me, nothing's wrong with me." She started rocking herself on the ball of her feet. Back and forth, back and forth.

"Oh? What was it then?" Emily asked curiously. It didn't take a profiler to notice how JJ's whole demeanour changed from open and happy to guarded.

"I…I just got scared is all." She stared intently at her feet, suddenly uncomfortable with the way Emily stared at her.

"Scared, but why?"

"I don't want to say it, it's stupid." JJ brought her fingers to her mouth and turned her back on her. She wasn't hungry anymore. Her stomach had quickly become twisted in knots. She wanted to run and hide, or maybe be swallowed whole by the ground.

"You know you can tell me anything, Jayje. I'm never going to make fun of you. If you don't talk about it I can't-"

"I don't want to talk 'bout it!" she repeated through gritted teeth, before fleeing to the guestroom.

The brunette watched JJ take off, opting to give her a bit of space. She ran a hand through her hair in defeat and rose to her feet. What was going on with JJ? What had she been so afraid of?


Emily knocked softly on the doorframe and waited to see if JJ was going to acknowledge her presence before she asked, "May I come in?"

The blonde had climbed in bed and sat in the middle, propped up by a few pillows. Her eyes were slightly red, but there was no tear. She shrugged noncommittally.

"I guess. It's your house," she whispered, never making eye contact with Emily.

The brunette walked in and sat on the edge of the mattress, resting a hand on JJ's short leg.

"Jayje, this is going to be your room for the next few days. If you need to be alone, you just say the word and I'll be out of your hair."

The girl seemed to hesitate, but then said, "It's okay, I don't mind you being here."

She didn't actually want to be alone. Strangely, she wanted Emily to pull her on her lap and hold her. It would be even better if the brunette would play with her hair and sing her lullabies. She knew Emily would do it if she asked her too. Emily was great. Unconsciously, JJ started rocking herself. She used to do it a lot, when she was younger and she felt anxious; it calmed her. It was so confusing, being back in her little child body. Was she reverting back to her old five year-old self? She hoped not. Kindergarten year had been a nightmare. JJ shook her head to rid it of the memories that threatened to resurface.

"You okay, JJ? You kinda zoned out for a minute."

The little blonde shook her head 'no,' but didn't offer more. It was a step at least. She was admitting something was wrong.

"Do you want to head down to the kitchen for a snack? We could talk about whatever it is that's bothering you."

"I'm scared…I was scared, at the airport, that you and Hotch would leave me there," JJ confessed, her words just above a whisper.

Emily's heart tightened painfully in her chest. She wanted to pull the frightened child in her arms, but she didn't want JJ to shut her out if she felt too vulnerable. So instead she schooled her features into a calm expression and said, "You know we would never leave a member of the team behind, Jayje."

"I didn't say it was rational," JJ replied defensively.

The brunette held up her palms in surrender. Apparently this was a touchy subject and it would require kids' gloves to handle it.

"There's nothing wrong with me." JJ closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

"Of course there isn't, sweetie," Emily assured her. She remembered JJ repeating the same phrase earlier and she wondered if Reid hadn't been onto something when he'd mentioned JJ's apparent anxiety issue.

'When is Spencer ever wrong?' Emily thought to herself.

She replayed in her head everything that had happened since JJ and Morgan had been changed into kids. JJ clinging to Hotch and then to her, the tears when someone had barely touched her in the airport and her strange behaviour around Garcia. 'I was scared you and Hotch would leave me'. That was textbook abandonment issue. Had that been a problem for JJ as a child? Would childhood fears resurface now that she was a child again? The more Emily thought about it, the more she realised she really didn't know much about her best friend's childhood.

They had both been quiet for a while, lost in thoughts. JJ was back to chewing her fingers anxiously. Drool was starting to dribble onto her chin. She sat there with her head tilted, as if she were waiting for the brunette to say something.

"Did it happen a lot, um, when you were a kid? That you got scared like that?"

JJ stopped biting her fingers and stared up at Emily who held her breath, apprehensive of the blonde's reaction to her question.

"Uh, uh," JJ said flatly, nodding her head once for emphasis. She lowered her gaze and resumed her chewing and rocking.

"JJ," Emily said softly, "did something happen to you when you were younger?"

The child stopped moving, stopped breathing and she was sure her heart even stopped beating. Emily felt her tense and she immediately regretted asking.

But then, the blonde relaxed and said expressionlessly, "I'm going to sleep now. I'm tired."

"Oh right," Emily said, taken aback by the abrupt change in JJ's behaviour. "I'm sorry I kept you up so late," she apologised, hoping to make JJ feel a little more comfortable.

The girl pushed back the covers with her small feet and laid down, her head turned away from Emily.

The brunette took it as her cue to leave and she rose from the bed.

"Goodnight, Jayje."

"Night."

Emily tucked her in and flicked the lamp on the nightstand off, plunging the room in the dark. She smiled despite herself when she heard JJ sucking on her thumb. She was shutting the door behind herself when JJ called her back.

"Em, c-can you stay with me 'til I fawl aslee'?" she asked shyly.

"Sure, JJ." Emily was happy to oblige and be able to provide some comfort. She was relieved to see JJ wasn't freezing her out completely.

The brunette walked back into the room, leaving the door slightly ajar so the soft glow coming from the hallway would light her steps. She sat down next to the little girl and leaned back against the headboard. She closed her eyes and instinctively treaded her fingers through fine blonde hair, gently combing out the tresses. JJ sighed happily and hummed to herself. Paying attention more closely now, Emily recognized the tune. It was a French lullaby she had often heard in Paris.

"Where did you learn that song, JJ?" She whispered softly, as she kept playing with the little girl's hair.

The blonde turned her head slightly to face her, but she kept her eyes closed.

"My mom used to sing it to me. It's calming, it calms me," she confessed sleepily.

Emily remembered hearing the girl sing to herself quite a lot throughout the day. She wondered if the grown-up version of JJ still hummed it to herself when she was stressed. She had never noticed it before. Emily didn't ask the question though. She simply nodded in the dark.

After a few minutes of silence, JJ whispered, "You must be tired too. I don't mind if you want to lie down next to me."

A smirk curled up the corners of Emily's mouth. The brunette was pretty certain 'I don't mind' translated to 'I really want you to,' but JJ had been too self-conscious to say it.

"Thanks, Jayje, I'm pretty beat," she lied as she stretched out next to the blonde.

JJ scooted closer to Emily and pressed her small body to her side. She then reached for the woman's hand, and put it on her stomach, moving it in a circle motion. Emily understood the silent request. She rubbed JJ's belly and sang 'Au Clair de la Lune' until the child fell asleep.


By the time Emily completed her night routine and made it to her bed it was a little over 2:30AM. Thanks to spending close to a week out in California, her body was still running on the PST time zone, and as drained as she was, she didn't think she could sleep right away.

She stretched her arms over her head and folded her legs Indian style under her blankets. She eyed the book that rested atop her dresser and then her laptop on her nightstand. It might not have been her best option to unwind, but her MacBook was at arm's reach; her decision was made. The profiler flipped the lid and turned her computer on.

The screen lightened on her previous session. Her emails were opened in the top corner of her screen and an article she had started reading was on the other half. Before she had time to refresh her inbox, a message window popped up.

'Aren't sleeping either? I just finished reading Reid's file. It's soooooo detailed, like. My God! How weird it must be for JJ and my D-man!'

'Hey Pen. I know, I can't imagine. It was so strange to watch JJ fall asleep with her thumb in her mouth.'

'Aw! My little cupcake! :D I'm still waiting on that picture! How is she anyway?'

'Sorry I forgot! I'll take one in the morning. I don't really know. She's been pretty moody. She's not at all like herself, which I guess is to be expected. I think she's got some anxiety related issues :/'

'Well yeah, because of her sister…'

'What? … Call me!'

Emily didn't even wait for Garcia to respond. She closed her MacBook and felt around the sheets, searching for her phone. That damn thing always seemed to move on its own. She was sure she had placed it on her pillow next to her. Oh, there it was! And since when did JJ have a sister? What did she have to do with JJ acting so…unsure of herself? The profiler didn't remember her ever mentioning any siblings. They rarely talked about their respective family, but JJ had often referred to her mother who was still living in Pennsylvania, and Emily knew her father had passed away a few years ago. Sergio chose that moment to show his face and jumped on her bed. At the same time, her phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts. She clumsily swiped her thumb across the screen as she dragged her cat on her lap.

"Prentiss," she answered automatically, bringing the phone to her ear.

"What's up, Sugar Puff?" Garcia's greeted in a sing-song voice.

"Garcia, what's the deal with JJ's sister?"

"What? Why, did JJ say something?"

"No, you did! You just told me her anxiety was because of her sister. A sister I have never heard of before! So, what's the story?" Emily felt like she was prying into JJ's personally life, but she reasoned if she was going to be responsible of tiny-JJ, she needed to know what was going on in order to keep her safe and happy.

"Uh…" Garcia sounded a bit deflated. The brunette heard what she thought was Garcia clacking a pen between her teeth.

"Well, her sister committed suicide when JJ was really young. I thought you knew?"

"I didn't, no. That's the reason I asked you to call me."

"Didn't you read Spencer's report? Page 48," Garcia asked, clearly confused about where this whole conversation was going.

Confusion was also on the top of the list of emotions Emily was currently feeling, followed closely by frustration. What? What did Reid have to do with anything? This conversation wasn't going anywhere.

"Garcia, when would I have had time to read his file? When did he get the time to write all of that?" Emily asked, sounding vaguely impressed, despite her growing irritation.

"Well, it was full of graphs and weird looking pie-charts. He could have used more colours… Anyway, he said she suffered from an early onset of bipolar combined with generalized anxiety? She would tell JJ it was dangerous to go outside or go to school, things like that. Must have been pretty intense."

"Shit." Emily was speechless.

"I know…"

"No, I mean isn't that awfully personal to go spreading it around? What was Reid thinking including this in his report? Where did he even get that information?" the brunette asked, scandalized by what the young genius had done. "Garcia, to whom did he send this to?"

Emily could hear the fast clicking sound of keys being stroked on a keyboard.

"Um… Only the team and that doctor in L.A," she told the profiler, trying to keep the wince out of her voice.

"Only?! Delete these emails! Block the file. Do whatever you want, but I don't want anyone to read this! And make sure he doesn't send it to anyone else! Jesus," Emily said exasperatedly. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. She suddenly felt really tired. She knew Reid probably hadn't meant any harm. He could be a bit clueless when it came to personal boundaries, but that was way out of line!

"Alright, alright, I'll do it. Just calm down! You know how he is, he doesn't think like the rest of us," the tech tried to defend Reid's actions, but now that she thought about it, she definitely understood why Emily was so angry.


JJ didn't know where she was. She was standing in the middle of a dark room with nowhere to hide. A single bare bulb hung from the ceiling, bathing the place in an eerie yellow light. Nathaniel Cook sat on a kitchen chair right in front of her; a disturbing grin split his face in half. He had a gun pointed at her chest. JJ reached for her weapon, but found her holster empty. The UnSub had her gun. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her brain was screaming at her to get the hell out of there. Run! Hide! But she was paralysed with fear. Cook laughed maniacally and cocked the hammer of the gun.

"Goodbye, Agent Jareau! See you in Wonderland…"

He pulled the trigger. The shot exploded in her ears; a loud bang that rang out long after the round was fired. JJ was propelled backwards and she fell. And fell. And fell down the rabbit hole.

She landed with a comical bounce in the middle of her bed, back in her parents' house. She was in her room; her pink and purple bedroom, with white unicorns on the drapes and her bedspread. She got up and looked down at herself. Tiny hands, small feet, she was five again. She was wearing a white pinafore over a simple blue dress and black patent leather shoes.

"Jenny! Jenny! Come here, I want to show you something!" She heard someone call. They sounded far away. Were they outside?

"Ross? Is that you?" JJ called back, heading into the hallway. She walked passed her parents' bedroom, passed the bathroom and stopped in front of her sister's room. Her name, Rosaline, was spelled out in glittering letters.

With a trembling hand, JJ pushed the door open and was blinded by a white light. She raised a hand over her eyes and screwed them shut tight to block out the sudden brightness.

"Jenny, what are you doing outside? It's not safe! They'll take you away!"

At the sound of her sister's voice, JJ's eyes snapped opened. She was standing in the middle of their backyard on a hot summer day. The wind pushed the swings, and JJ could hear the familiar creak of their rusty chains as they swung back and forth.

"Come back in, Jenny!" Rosaline yelled panicked, calling from her bedroom window.

JJ looked around her to see what her sister was talking about. She couldn't see anyone or anything. Why was Ross so scared?

"Jennifer Alice Jareau!" her sister kept calling, "Get back inside! What is wrong with you? Are you crazy? They are coming for you, Jenny. You'll be lost forever!"

Alarmed, JJ ran to the back porch and tried to get in the house, but the door was locked. She knocked frantically, begging Rosaline and her parents to let her inside.

"Let me in! The door is lock, Ross, let me in! Mommy, daddy! Help!"

"It's too late, Jenny. He's already here," Rosaline whispered directly in her ear. "There. Behind you!"

Something snatched her from behind.

"No!" JJ jolted awake, her heart hammering against her ribcage and her blood pounding in her ears. She glanced around the room anxiously. Shadows danced on the walls, creeping closer and closer. She fought with the sheets, trying to free herself. They were sticking to her, restraining her, suffocating her. She had to get away from them, from here. 'They are coming for you, Jenny. You'll be lost. Forever.'

Someone was coming for her, but she didn't know who or why. They were probably lurking in the darkness, watching, waiting. Emily, she had to find Emily. She would keep her safe. JJ tumbled out of bed, disoriented, and landed on the floor with a thud. She scurried to her feet and made a run for the door.

"Emily! Emily!"

JJ dashed down the hall as fast as her small legs would carry her. She didn't need to look back to know something was chasing her.


"There!" Garcia said on the other line of the phone, "I just emailed you my cute kitten playlist! If the adorbs fluffiness doesn't take your mind off everything, I don't know what will!"

Emily laughed, shaking her head in amusement. She pushed the sheets back and cradled her phone between her cheek and shoulder, before slipping out of bed.

"Oh I don't know, Pen. Right now a glass of red and my old friend Vonnegut sound like heaven to me."

"Oh wine! What was the name of that good one we had last week? I've been trying to find it!"

"The pinot noir?" Emily asked casually as she carried her laptop to a small desk and grabbed her battered copy of Mother Night. "I'd have to check the label. I still have the bottle downstairs. I think it was Flowers."

"What a romantic name! I can't believe I didn't remember it!" the tech exclaimed. "Oh shit!"

Emily could hear something sputtering in the background.

"Garcia, what are you doing?" The profiler plopped back down into bed with her book. Sergio roused and eyed Emily in mild irritation. She stretched her leg under the sheets and wiggled her toes just to taunt him.

"I was making coffee, but I totally forgot to put water in the machine! I just poured it in and the water exploded everywhere!"

Emily chuckled, "I think that's a sign, Pen. No more coffee for you. How do you expect to ever go to sleep?"

"I don't! We're off tomorrow! I found – well Kevin found this new game and it's amazing! We're going to play all night," Garcia said excitedly. Emily could still hear her bustle around her kitchen.

"Well in that case I'll let you-"

"Emily!" Her bedroom door was flung opened and it hit the wall with a loud bang. The black cat hissed at the intruder and jumped off the bed to hide under it.

"Garcia I have to go." She ended the conversation and let her phone fall next to her.

JJ had already climbed on her bed and was rushing toward her. Before the brunette realised what was happening, arms were thrown around her neck and a small body collided with her own.

"JJ?"

"They're here! Someone is coming for me!" she shrieked, tightening her hold on the brunette.

Emily concluded JJ had just woken up from a bad dream, and she was still trapped in its remnants. She could feel the blonde's heart beating wildly against her chest. Her small body was shaking with the adrenaline from her nightmare and her breathing was coming out in short, ragged gasps.

"JJ, hey, hey, can you look at me?" Emily asked gently as she loosened the child's grip on her neck. "Sweetie, look at me, you're safe. There's no one here."

Wide blue eyes darted around the room, searching for her shadowy pursuers. Emily noted the flushed round cheeks, the thin sheen of sweat coating her forehead and the damped blonde hair. She held the child close to her and stroked her back soothingly, murmuring reassurances.

"It was just a bad dream, Jayje," the brunette whispered. "You're safe."

"No, no, they're… I saw…"

"Shhh, I promise you, nobody is here to hurt you."

Gradually, the last memories of her nightmare faded. Her heart slowed and her breathing deepened. Her eyelids grew heavy and her hold on Emily's shirt weakened. JJ was about to give into sleep, feeling protected, cradled in the brunette's arms, when she was gently shaken awake.

"Mhm?" She felt Emily tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and she opened her eyes slowly.

"How about we get you changed into dry pajamas, before going back to sleep?" Emily asked calmly, readjusting her hold on the girl's body. She didn't know if she should bring up what had just happened, or if it would only serve to distress JJ more.

The blonde nodded, but clung to her, making it clear that she had no intention of letting Emily put her down. Swinging the child on her hip, Emily carried her to the guest bathroom and sat her down on the marble counter by the sink.

"Do you want to talk about your dream?" She asked as she retrieved a cloth from the towel cabinet behind her and wet it with cold water.

"The mean man was there." JJ swung her legs in the air, her heels hitting the cupboard door rhythmically.

"The mean man?" the profiler asked, brushing blonde hair to the side and dabbing JJ's neck with the cool compress.

JJ nodded, her forehead resting on Emily's. The cloth felt good against her skin and she sighed contentedly.

"Cook? He shot me, and then I was back at my parents' house and my sister was there."

Emily didn't say anything for a while. She washed JJ's back, rinsed the cloth and washed her face.

"I didn't know you had a sister," she finally said as she grabbed a pair of pajamas JJ had left on the floor earlier.

"Rosaline." The little girl raised her arms up so Emily could help her out of her shirt, before pulling the fresh one on. "She died when I was a kid... the first time."

"I'm sorry, Jayje," Emily said honestly.

"It's 'kay. She's better where she is now."

It was odd to hear such a wise thing coming out of such a small child.

Emily helped her down on her feet, and JJ followed her out and down the hall, holding her hand.

"How do you feel about sleeping in my bed with me tonight?"

"Okay," JJ readily accepted, relieved she wouldn't have to go back to her room alone. "Can I cuddle with Sergio?"

She sounded so excited at the prospect of kitty cuddles, Emily had to bite her lip not to laugh.

"You bet!"

When they got to the master bedroom, the cat was already waiting for them, sprawled in the middle of the bed. The brunette waited for JJ to climb on the bed before turning the main light off. Once they were both settled with Sergio trapped between their bodies, Emily switched off the lamp on her nightstand.

"Night Em'ly, night Sergio."

"Goodnight, Jayje."

It was silent for a beat, and then.

"You didn't tell Sergie goodnight."

"His name is Sergio. Goodnight Sergio."


The next morning, JJ woke up to a beam of sunlight tickling her nose. She scrunched up her face to suppress the threatening sneeze and rubbed her eyes lazily.

JJ rolled onto her side and came face to face with Sergio. The black cat stared back at her unamused to be awoken this early. The blonde was captivated by the way his golden eyes reflected the light. When she held up her hand to block out the sun, his pupils were big and round, and when she allowed the light to pass between her fingers, they were narrow lines and the dull yellow of his irises turned into a bright gold with flecks of green.

Soon enough, Sergio got tired of the girl's light tricks and he went back to sleep, head tucked between his paws.

"You're no fun," she whispered harshly, scolding the cat.

JJ sat in bed and contemplated what to do next. She brought her knees up and rested her elbows on them. Emily was still sound asleep, her face buried into her pillow. She didn't want to wake her up, but JJ was hungry. Her stomach growled, and she decided she would just grab a granola bar and watch TV in the living room until Emily woke up.

She clambered out of bed and tiptoed softly across the hardwood floor to the door. She walked passed the bathroom and circled back, deciding she really had to go.

In the kitchen, she opened the pantry door and pushed a chair across the room so she could reach the cereal bars. As she climbed on the chair though, JJ spotted the Keurig coffee maker and changed her mind. Damn, she could kill for a cup of coffee!

She jumped off the chair and pushed it once more across the room, close to the kitchen sink. Emily had a fancy metallic Keurig cup rack that spun around when pushed. JJ decided that once she was back to her normal self, she would get one like that too for her apartment.

She twirled the rack around a couple of times before deciding on the little burgundy label that read 'espresso intenso.' She could really use a pick me up! Turning into a child was seriously tiring.

As her coffee brewed, she walked over to the fridge to grab the milk. Why was everything so high up? With an exaggerated sigh, she dragged a stool to the fridge and climbed up to get the jug. As she turned around to place it on the counter before she hopped off, a little 'secret' compartment caught JJ's eye.

'Oh right! Her special chocolate stash!'

JJ giggled as she slid the little door open and grabbed a couple of refined European chocolate bars. This was going to be the best breakfast of the history!

She jumped off just as the Keurig machine beeped. Regaining her balance, JJ set the milk on the floor and padded to the other side of the kitchen. She stretched her arm above her head and grabbed the handle of the mug, careful not to spill the hot liquid.

A few minutes later, the blonde was walking slowly to the living room, coffee in one hand and chocolate in the other. As she set her cup on the table in front of the couch, coffee sloshed over the side and dripped on her hand.

"Ow! That's hot!" she hissed through her teeth. JJ blew on her hand and glared at the offending coffee cup.

The little girl turned the TV on and scrolled down the menu, looking for something to watch. Apparently there wasn't really anything interesting on, on a Saturday at 7 in the morning. She didn't want to watch the news and SpongeBob wasn't on. Lame!

She knew Emily had Netflix though, and after a few minutes of hitting random buttons on the remote, she was able to pick something she liked.


Emily was roused from her dream by a paw hit to her head. Sergio had decided to play with a strand of her hair, swatting at it with his claws retracted.

Grumbling her annoyance, she shooed her cat off the bed and slowly sat up. She pressed her palms to her eyes and then ran her fingers through her hair as she yawned.

After a few seconds of sitting still and staring into nothing, she realised the little blonde wasn't in bed. Stealing a look at the clock she saw it was only 9:30AM. JJ couldn't have been up for too long. They had gone to bed late, and she knew how much her friend liked (and needed) her sleep.

Now that she was paying attention, she could hear the soft sound of voices coming from downstairs. She grabbed her book from the nightstand and headed to the living room, thinking she would finally get a peaceful morning.

The minute Emily walked in her living room, the idea of a relaxing weekend flew right out the window. JJ was upside down on the sofa; her head on the cushion with her legs draped over the back of her couch, watching cartoons and laughing uncontrollably, at what, Emily couldn't tell.

The brunette gasped as she took in the scene. SpongeBob was on her flat screen doing ridiculous things, empty coffee mugs littered the table and chocolate wrappings were strewed on the floor in front of the couch. What the hell had happened in there?

"JJ, how long have you been up?" was the only thing the brunette managed to say.

Startled by the brunette's entrance, JJ lost her balance and fell in a heap on the couch.

"Oopsie!" JJ giggled, covering her mouth with her small hands.

Emily stared at her with wide eyes, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. The little girl didn't seem to notice the look of consternation on the brunette's face; her attention went back to the yellow sponge on the screen.

"How many coffees did you drink?" the profiler asked, struggling to keep the shock out of her voice.

"I don't know," JJ answered, now rolling around on the couch. "Maybe five. The last one was for you but you took too long to get up! More for me!"

"No, no more for you." It came out harsher than she intended and the profiler instantly felt bad.

She stopped squirming long enough to look at Emily, and her brow drew in confusion when she finally took in the brunette's expression. Emily gaped at her, her mouth open. She had a hand bunched in her hair and the other rested on her hip.

Suddenly feeling like she had done something wrong, JJ quickly got off the couch and wrung her hands anxiously together. Emily noticed the smudges of chocolate on the corners of her mouth and she rubbed her forehead to curb the incoming headache. Just how long had JJ been awake?

'Is this how five year-olds behave?' thought Emily. 'I can't leave her alone she could be a danger to herself.'

"I-I c-can make you another cup," JJ offered pitifully. "I'm s-sorry."

Hearing the change in JJ's tone, Emily looked up and she saw JJ's blue eyes brimming with tears. She felt an strong urge to protect her.

"JJ, it's not about you drinking my coffee. Sweetie, please don't cry." But apparently that was the wrong thing to say because the little girl burst into tears.

"Please, don't be mad, Em'ly," JJ wailed through her sobs, hiding her face behind her tiny fists.

"Aw, sweetie, I'm not mad, I'm not mad, I promise." The brunette went to her and put a comforting hand on her back. "It's just… JJ that was a lot of caffeine for such a small body, you have to be careful."

The blonde nodded her understanding, but the tears didn't stop.

Emily muted the TV and pulled JJ back towards the couch with her. She sat with the child on her lap, humming softly an Italian lullaby. She thought JJ would curl up on herself, but instead she stretched out, her back pressed to Emily's front, her head thrown back on her shoulder.

A few minutes past, and JJ's sobs turned to sniffles, only to turn back into sobs again.

"Jayje, what's wrong?" she asked softly, concern showing in her voice.

"I don't feel good," JJ admitted, furiously wiping at the tears that kept rolling down her face. The ridiculous amount of coffee and chocolate she had ingested, mixed with her little couch acrobatics had indeed turned her stomach inside out.

'Please don't let her vomit on my couch.'

If it happened, the brunette would probably cry.

Emily put a hand on her small tummy, hoping the warmth would help soothe the pain and petted her hair with the other. The little whimpers gradually quieted, and they both dozed into a light sleep.


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