Author's Note: Theres some legal stuff in this chapter, and I'm not sure if its even done this way. But for the sake of the fic, we're going to pretend it is. Feel free to send me a PM if you know for sure its different, tho.

I love my reviewers. =D


JJ stood just inside Emily's kitchen, staring down at the envelope she held with shaking hands, long after the suit was gone and the door shut, knowing that whatever it held, it couldn't be good news.

Emily was trying to figure out how they had known JJ was at her house. It was true that JJ hadn't home since she found the place empty, and she'd been sleeping in Emily's room while Emily crashed on the couch and Penelope had the guest room. Emily owed Penelope big for never leaving her alone with JJ.

But as Emily realized that JJ still hadn't moved, she took a few steps towards her.

"Jayje, whatever is written on those papers is still going to be written on them, whether you open it or not." Her words seemed to break JJ's trance.

"I can't. You do it. I just can't." She said, sounding oddly like Emily had a few days ago.

JJ handed the envelope to Emily and retook her seat at the table, pushing her food around on her plate, suddenly not hungry. Emily continued to stand in the middle of her kitchen as she pulled the papers out and read JJ's fate.

Ms. Jennifer Jareau,

The state of Virginia would like to inform you that William LaMontagne Jr. has filed an Emergency Order of Custody for Henry LaMontagne. An official Custody Hearing will take place on Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 at the courthouse. Judge Warren Walshe will be presiding. You should be present, with or without a lawyer, at 9 O'Clock a.m.

Best Wishes,

Governor Robert F. McDonnell

"I swear to God if I ever get my hands on that bastard." She muttered beneath her breath, but they all still heard.

"Whats it say Emily? That is, if you don't mind, Jayje." Penelope asked, grabbing JJ's hand when she nodded her compliance.

"It says he got temporary custody and theres a real hearing next October 12th." She said in a rush.

"Hotch can they even do that?!" She and Derek exclaimed together, and there was a slight snicker from beside Hotch.

"Rossi, how do you find this funny?" Spencer asked him.

"I don't find this funny. I'm just seeing the irony in that both of them asked Hotch. He is, after all, the only one here who's been "served" before. And he's the only other one with kids." Once Dave had eased his way out of that one, they turned back to Hotch, obviously waiting for an answer. He wasn't the one they got it from, though.

"Actually, yes. If a father petitioned a court, and gave any evidence, just or not, that the mother of a child might be unfit, a judge could see fit to give him an emergency order. At the trial, said mother will have a chance to prove that she is indeed fit, using photos, witnesses, or any other form of proof. They say you don't need a lawyer, but the process is easier if you do have one." It was somehow easier to hear when Spencer explained it as if he were reading from a book.

They sat in silence, not able to look at JJ as she cried in Penelope's arms. Emily, however, tried. And she was so afraid of what she saw. What she felt.

She was jealous. Of Penelope. She wanted to be the one holding JJ as she cried. She wanted to be able to touch the blonde without feeling guilty. Without feeling like her heart was breaking. Suddenly she felt the extra weight of a heavy pair of eyes and she twirled around to find JJ staring at her, as if she had read her mind. The blonde opened her mouth to speak, but Emily was gone, out the door before she could hear a single word.

JJ's eyes filled with tears once more at the obvious rejection, and as Penelope tried to envelope JJ in her arms, she pulled violently away.

"No!" She cried. "No." Like a petulant child. "I want Em. I need Emily." And without another word, JJ was gone, a streak of blonde at the bottom of the stairs, and another at the top as she turned the corner, presumably to Emily's room.

"Well what do they expect us to do now?" Spencer said, frustration evident in his voice.

"I'll go talk to JJ." Derek said, standing, looking around the table for someone to volunteer to talk to Emily. Penelope rose the the occasion.

"I'll go rescue the Princess," she said, heading out the door, even as she said it. Emily wasn't in the hallway, but Penelope had a good idea of where she might be.

Hotch Reid and Rossi looked around at each other, not sure if they should stay or just go home. Deciding they couldn't be of much help, they cleaned up the kitchen (even getting Rossi to wash dishes. Gasp.) and headed out, leaving a note on the table.


"Jayje. Jayje?" Derek pushed the door open and found her sitting on the bed, a framed picture in her hand.

"Whatcha lookin at?" he asked quietly, and she handed it over.

Derek studied the picture, and smiled to himself. It was the one of JJ and Emily he had taken the day they had helped him with his defense training class. They were goofing around before it had officially started, and JJ was standing on a chair behind Emily, her arms around the brunettes neck, her head on her shoulder. Emily's hands were holding JJ's wrists, and they were both smiling like something out of a toothpaste commercial. He laughed a little to himself as he remembered that shortly after the flash, JJ had jumped from the chair, seemingly hoping Emily would catch her, but she didn't, and it brought them both crashing down to the ground. He shook his head at the irony of their current situation.

"She keeps it on her nightstand." JJ spoke, her voice startling him. He sat quietly, waiting for her to continue.

"I can't even have it in the house. I've got that picture framed and on my desk at work because my child's father wouldn't let me have it in the house. Can you believe that? That I just let him rule over me like that? That I let him pick himself over her so many times, without so much as asking me what I wanted?" JJ shook her head and leaned against the headboard, taking the picture back and tracing her fingers over Emily's face.

Derek sat, silent and still, completely speechless. This, whatever it was between the two women, went so much deeper than he thought it had.


Penelope found Emily in the field behind the condominium apartments. She was sitting on the grass staring up at the beginnings of a star filled night sky.

"How did you know I'd be out here?" She asked as Penelope took a seat next to her.

"My hunk of a chocolate god told me once that you were a "star-person."" Penelope answered softly, her reply half swallowed by her awe at the night sky.

"I can't thank you enough, for staying with me while she is, Pen. I just, I can't be alone with her right now." Emily changed the topic.

"Why not Em? She's hurting, and according to her, she doesn't want anyone but you. She wouldn't even let me try to console her. Poor Kitten." Penelope leaned back on her hands, studying Emily's face by the light of a nearby porch.

Emily plucked a few blades of grass from the ground, twirling them in her fingers before letting them blow away in the breeze.

"That night we three went out to the bar and Brad tried to pick me up, you remember, the 'real FBI agent'?" She paused while Penelope nodded. She did indeed remember, once Emily had asked to see his badge and did it look like "this?" As she Emily and JJ showed him theirs.

"Well, as he started talking to me, and I realized that he was trying to pick me up, not just chatting up a girl at a bar, I couldn't think of anything but JJ. And I knew that if I went home with anybody that night, I wanted it to be her. But we both know how that ended."

She pulled a few more blades of grass out of the ground.

"But Em, that doesn't tell me why you can't stand to be in a room alone with her right now." Penelope pushed, trying to make sense of it all.

"I'm in love with her, Pen." Emily said softly.

Somehow, that just wasn't what Penelope had expected.


A/N: Yay, another chapter. Lemme know what you're thinking. I've got the next few chapters written already. All I need is your go ahead to post them.