"You have to quiet down," the brunette woman tried to whisper as sweetly as she could, her hand holding tight onto her son's. "We'll be inside in just a minute."

Declan groaned, falling against his mother's side as they waited on the line of mourners who tried their best to get into the church. "Mom, I'm tired." He had waited to see Henry all day, and now he didn't even know if he was going to be awake.

Emily ran her hand over his platinum blond head of hair and shook her head. "We have to not complain tonight, do you hear me? Henry's mom is very upset and we have to do our best to help her."

"How?"

Leaning down, Emily pressed a small kiss to her son's forehead. "We have to be nice and smile at her, and we have to be very quiet."

Declan somberly nodded his head and clutched his mother's hand as they made their way into the church, and he immediately perked up when he saw his mother's fiancé sitting in the front row of the church. "Mommy look!"

The agent quickly quieted her child as she met the eyes of her teammates. "Sweetie, go and sit with everyone, ok? I need to say hi to JJ." She stood up straight and walked forward as her hands smoothed down the black satin of her dress. She had done her best to try and give everything she could to her best friend within that week, offering to help her with the services for her mother and promising to watch Henry for her if she wasn't able to handle the grief Emily knew her friend was going through, but JJ had refused everything she had tried to do for her.

Picking up her head from wiping her tissue underneath her nose, JJ watched as her best friend stepped up to her with a nervous smile on her face. "Hi," she whispered.

"Hi sweetie," the older woman nodded solemnly, thanking God that the blond let her take her hands in hers. "I'm so sorry, Jen. How are you doing?"

JJ slowly shook her head, letting her friend run her thumbs along the backs of her hands. Emily's father had passed away not three years ago, and the mourning woman knew just how hard it was on her friend and how much she did to make Emily feel better. "I've been better." She had never felt so drained in her life.

Emily tried for a smile before letting those soft hands go. "You don't mind I'm here?" she asked carefully, not sure if she had overstepped her bounds. JJ hadn't been in favor of her lately.

"Of course not," the younger woman breathed, shaking her head. "Thank you for coming."

The mother of one gave a tight smile and made her way to the front row, sitting beside her fiancé and boss with her son right on her lap. "Wave to JJ, baby."

JJ smiled as best she could to the blond boy before making her way up to the podium.

Henry squirmed off of his father's lap and stomped around on the tile floor. "Mommy!"

Will shook his head, taking his son's hand in his and tugging him back toward the pew. "Stop it, Henry. Mommy is busy right now."

"Mommy!" he cried, his big blue eyes looking up to his mother at the altar as he pouted.

Leaning down, Emily took the five year old's hand from her fiancé's and led him back to the seat. "Sweetie, will you sit with me and your daddy for a few minutes? Your mommy is really busy right now."

Henry frowned. "Mommy's right there."

"You see everyone around us?" she asked quietly, letting Declan slip off her lap and down beside her on the pew. "Your mommy has to talk to all these people for a little while."

"Why?"

Emily took both of his hands. "You remember what daddy said about your Grandma Sandy? Your mommy has to tell them all about what happened."

Henry pouted and lifted his arms, snuggling into his father's fiancé when she picked him up and settled him on her lap. "I want mommy."

"I know, sweetheart," the agent cooed, hearing her friend greet everyone in the church, "but she'll just take one minute. Can you sit here with Declan and just stay quiet for a little bit?"

The five year old looked up to the woman who held him. "Is mommy sad?"

Emily pressed a gentle kiss to her fiancé's son's forehead and held him tight to her chest. "Mommy's strong," she smiled, her eyes brimming with tears. "She's going to be ok."

JJ bit her lip as she looked out to the crowd that had come for her mother, and her chest tightened. "Thank you all once again for coming," her voice husked, nodding to the other mourners. "I know my mother would love the attention." Hearing the laughter from her friends and family was supposed to make her feel better and easier about the situation, but for some reason her mood darkened. "I'm so sorry that you all have to be here today, I wish we didn't, but these things happen every day. My mother loved each and every one of you, and I know so many instances where she told me what she wanted for her funeral." She took in a breath, her hands gripping the sides of the podium. "This is perfect."

Will felt his fiancé's hand clench around his as they watched the blond up on the altar.

"She would have loved to see every one of you here."

The brunette woman in the front row watched as her friend's knuckles turned white and her eyes widened, and Emily leaned forward in her seat. "Is she ok?" she whispered to her friend beside her.

JJ set a hand to her head. The entire room was spinning.

Emily immediately put Henry in Hotch's lap and whispered harshly to Will to get her some water, running up the marble steps and taking her friend in her arms. "JJ?" she tried, loud enough for everyone else to hear. "JJ, can you hear me?"

"I can't feel my legs."

The agent helped her friend to the seat behind the podium as she heard the guests start to stand and ask questions, her hand immediately going to JJ's forehead. "Honey, can you hear me?"

JJ's eyes were wide, and she slowly nodded her head so the pain wouldn't radiate around her skull. "Emily?"

"That's right Jay, it's me," the older woman smiled, taking the water bottle from her fiancé who knelt next to her on the stage. "Here, open your mouth for me."

Will watched as the blond let his fiancé gently tip her head back and pour a trickle of water down her throat. "Chere? You ok?"

The blond mother of one blinked a few times. "I was seeing spots," she groaned quietly, letting Emily give her another sip of the water.

"You ok?" Emily whispered, squeezing the younger woman's hand and waiting until she could muster up enough strength to reciprocate. "What happened?"

"The fucking service," she cried, letting Emily push back her hair. "I've been up for three nights in a row. I can't sleep, I can't eat," the blue eyed woman complained. "I just want to rest."

Emily felt her eyes sting at the proclamation, and didn't think twice about leaning in and kissing her friend's head. "You sit right here. Don't move, ok? I don't want you to get hurt."

JJ gave a painful shake of the head. "Stop," she begged, knowing exactly what the older woman was going to do as she stood from her seat. "You don't have to."

"Of course I don't," the agent smiled sadly. "I want to."

JJ watched with sad eyes as her friend took her spot at the podium, reassuring all those who had come to mourn the loss of her mother that everything would be ok and that they'd continue on with the service as planned. Emily was the best friend she could have ever imagined, and sitting there with her ex's hand rubbing up and down her shaking arm as the BAU agent took her spot in running her mother's service, JJ made her decision.

She was going to the wedding.