A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I really do appreciate them. I'm trying to work through this as quickly as I can for you all. We're getting to some good times.


For the next two weeks, JJ and Emily attempted to spend as little time as possible together. On plane rides, Emily always found a spot next to Morgan or engaged in a chess game with Reid. At the BAU, JJ stayed in her office buried in files as much as she could. For a building full of profilers, they were both surprised that the only one to notice their distances from each other was Garcia. Of course, no one else had any reason to think it was strange, either.

"Okay, JJ. It's time to spill. What is going on with you and my princess Emily?" Garcia blurted out when JJ had come into her lair of computers.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Pen," JJ said.

"Oh, bullcrap. I may not be a profiler, but I know my friends, and you guys have barely spoken a word to each other in about two weeks," Garcia said.

"Oh, come on, Garcia. You can't know that. Besides, you spend most of your time in here. You have no idea what we talk about in the office or on a case."

"Buttercup, you forget I have cameras everywhere in the office, and what I know is that when Emily is getting coffee, you wait until she's gone. Or when you're all gathered in the conference room, Emily picks the seat the furthest away from you. So, now, tell me what is wrong with you and Emily. I thought you were becoming good friends."

JJ sighed before plopping down in a chair.

"Oh my God," Garcia said before JJ could speak. "You guys did it, didn't you? You hooked up again."

The look on JJ's face told Garcia everything she needed to know.

"Please don't say anything to Emily," JJ pleaded. "I really screwed up."

"Okay, one: I can break Emily as easily as I just broke you. She's not as tough as she thinks she is. Just don't tell her I said that. And two: I'm so sorry, sweetie, but I seriously doubt you screwed anything up. Emily cares about you."

"Yeah, I think caring about each other is part of the problem," JJ quipped.

"Come again? How is caring about someone a bad thing?"

"I just think, in the beginning, before we really knew each other besides, well, in the biblical sense, it was just easier to put her out of my mind. It had just been sex," JJ said.

Garcia gave her a suspicious look.

"Okay, fine. Mind-blowing, great sex. But still, there wasn't a deep personal connection."

"And now?"

"Now, I care about her. I want to be around her. It takes all my willpower not want to be around her constantly."

"What about Emily, how does she feel?"

"I think she has feelings for me, but that's the problem, she shuts everything off. She's a master at it, so I can't tell. Since we hooked up two weeks ago, she's barely made eye contact with me, much less talked to me about anything other than unsubs."


That afternoon before the team headed home, Garcia texted Emily.

"You. Me. Drinks. Just us. I need some Emily time."

Emily looked at the text and could tell by the implied tone in Garcia's text that telling her no probably wouldn't be worth the effort, so she gave in and agreed.

When they arrived at the bar, they grabbed a couple of drinks from the bartender and found a table near the back.

"So, Emily, how have you been?" Garcia started. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to Emily, but she figured she'd start with a safe question.

"Oh, come on Garcia. I know why I'm here. Let me guess, you cornered JJ to find out why we haven't been talking lately, and she eventually spilled that we hooked up a couple of weeks ago. She begged you not to say anything to me. You somehow made her think you wouldn't without explicitly saying that, and you invited me here to get me to tell you about it so that you wouldn't have to break your promise to JJ. Does that about cover it?"

"Good, god, woman. You're scary good at your job. Remind me never to date a profiler."

"Even Derek?" Emily laughed.

"Oh, well my chocolate God is the exception to every rule," Garcia laughed. "So, Emily, since we're here, do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Pen. It's simply not an option for us, and the best way for us to move past it is to put some distance between us."

"So, it's just like that, huh? You just cut JJ off?"

"I'm not cutting JJ off. I'm protecting her, and me."

"You know, JJ is a pretty tough gal."

"I know that, but even if I was willing to risk my career, and I'm not, I'd never be able to forgive myself for putting hers at risk."

"You do care about her, don't you?"

"What?"

"You care about JJ. I think it's sweet."

"Of course, I care about her, pretty strongly. Why do you think I'm doing this?"

Garcia just smiled.

"Why? Does she think I don't? Is that why you're talking to me?" Emily asked. It never dawned on her that JJ would question her feelings and motives.

"All I'm saying, Emily, is that maybe you and JJ should have a conversation about this instead of pretending like it didn't happen...again."

Emily took a drink of her beer.

"Yeah, maybe you're right."


That night Emily laid in bed unable to sleep. Her mind kept going to JJ. Not just the sex with JJ. It was great, but the time she had spent with the blonde since joining the BAU. JJ made her laugh more than anyone she knew. She also had this sweet, almost naive side to her. Emily knew JJ was anything but naive, but she always made Emily feel comfortable and at home. In a different lifetime, she would do anything for JJ, to run away with her and spend her days just being with her. But that wasn't the life that either of them chose. They dedicated their lives to protect and serve and to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Unfortunately, with that responsibility came great sacrifices.