Word Count: 1301

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. Proof? Will exists...

Author's Note: Look at me. Three chapters in a row over 1000 words. This one is decidedly short compared to the last one, but the date chapter sort of got out of control. Sue me...

I would just like to take a moment to thank all those who have reviewed so far. You really do make my day. The previous chapter got five reviews in less than twelve hours, so I just had to post this next one earlier than I had originally planned. As a further thank you.

LB, you flatter me.

Caramel. Tart.,at my mercy? Quite the opposite my friend. I was hoping people would get that impression of the blood thing, rather than "omg ewe" lol. And as for Emily getting over JJ, you'll just have to keep reading. The same goes for Emily's cutting. I have to admit, I find it pretty hot too tho.

Liz, I'm glad you found my vampire scene intriguing. I'm not sure yet if there will be more.

TXCharm86, smoothly? When is anything ever smooth for Elle or Prentiss? ;)

Prentissfan, I'm glad you stuck with it long enough to fall in love. I hope I don't disappoint.

Oh, and remember how, in Chapter 4, I said I was going to follow the canon? Yeah, well, I lied. Kevin? Who is this Kevin you speak of?


Penelope Garcia loved her job. She was pretty sure she was falling in love with her boyfriend. And she absolutely adored her friends.

But she also loved her sleep.

So when Jennifer Jareau interrupted that sleep at half passed two on a Saturday morning, she was fairly certain she'd have something to apologize for before the conversation was over. But when she heard JJ gasping for breath on the other end of the line, she was suddenly alert.

"Jayje, whats going on?" she asked, sitting up and turning on the light beside her bed.

"Baby..." Someone pulled on her arm, "Get back down here, Mama."

"Shush." She said, shaking his hand off. "JJ, honey, talk to me."

"She won't...She's gone." JJ gasped, trying to gain control of herself.

"Who honey. Who's gone?" Penelope coaxed, worried now.

"Emily...She won't answer her phone. Pen, I can't..."

Penelope didn't need to hear anything else. Filing away the information about Emily, who she knew to be safe at home, for later questioning, Penelope addressed JJ again.

"I'll be right there Jayje. Just don't go anywhere, alright?" Upon hearing the feeble 'ok' from the other end, Penelope stood, heading to her dresser and pulling on some clothes that were slightly more suitable for outside her apartment.

Derek was up the moment she was. He knew she was on the phone with JJ, and from what he could hear, something was seriously amiss. From the looks of it, Penelope was heading over there, and if she was, so was he. Morgan cared about JJ like he cared about his sisters. And if that idiot of an ex-detective wanna be boyfriend almost husband had hurt her, he would pay. Morgan would make anyone pay who hurt his family.

"I guess you're coming?" Penelope asked him as he slipped his shoes on. She didn't ask in a condescending tone. The way he looked after the team was one of the qualities she loved about him.

He nodded, following her out the door, past the other doors, behind which he could only assume were happy, sleeping people, and into the parking garage where Esther had been resting.

***

JJ heard the knock on her door but didn't get up. She stayed curled up on the couch, staring dejectedly at the floor, trying her damnedest to keep from crying. She had unlocked the door for her friend when Penelope said she was coming over. She didn't care that it could be anyone at her door. She fleetingly thought of an ax murderer, and wondered if she would really be upset if one walked through her door. But when the knob turned and the door swung forward on its hinges, Penelope walked through, silently followed by Derek. It wasn't until then that JJ realized she had still been hoping it would be Emily who came to her rescue. With that hope crushed, the tears began to fall, and Morgan pulled her into his arms as Penelope headed for the kitchen to make tea to calm their friend down.

***

They were sitting on the couch, watching her swirl her spoon through her tea, knowing she wasn't really seeing it. They weren't sure what to say, how to get her talking. The only information they'd obtained was that Will wasn't there, and that JJ's parents had agreed to keep Henry for a few more weeks while she "handled some things". It surprised them when she started to talk.

"I'm such a bitch."

"Oh, kitten, don't call yourself that." Penelope tried to soothe her.

"Don't call me that!" JJ's head snapped up quickly.

"Sorry." JJ shook her head. "Its just that..." She trailed off, heading back down memory lane.

"Ya know, Garcia pretty much nailed it when she started calling you 'Kitten'." Emily said softly one night, after she'd taken JJ over the edge countless times.

"Why is that?" JJ asked, turning so she was facing Emily, and stroking her fingers along the brunette's stomach.

"Because you purr." Emily replied, kissing her. "When you're close, and you can't take much more, and you're pleading with me, but all you can get out is my name. You purr."

"Like this?" JJ asked, crawling up Emily's body, whispering her name into her ear, dragging it out.

The brunette let out a breathy moan. "Yes." She managed, pulling JJ's mouth to hers again.

But JJ had different ideas of just where her mouth should be.

JJ came back to the present, cursing the tears trailing down her face and took a few deep breaths preparing to tell them this story. She knew if she did, she would have to tell all of it, outing not only herself but Emily as well. Well, she thought, here goes everything.

"Emily," JJ had to pause, fighting off another wave of tears at having to say her name, "She always used to say how you were right when you called me 'kitten' because apparently I purr."

Penelope and Derek just looked at her, not sure of exactly when JJ was referring to, but not wanting her to clam up either.

"She used to tease me about it. But we both knew she liked it. I could tell, by the way she would bite her lip every time I did. She's so beautiful when she does that." JJ stopped herself before she could go any further down memory lane.

Penelope, who had been pretty sure that there was something between JJ and Emily, had her answer now, and for once, had no idea what to say. Derek, however, was a different story.

"You and Prentiss?" He whistled low. "Hot."

Penelope elbowed him, partly because they were sleeping together, but mostly because JJ was hurting, and he wasn't helping.

"So not the right time Derek."

"No Pen. He's right." JJ spoke softly. "It was hot. Incredibly so. It was downright sexy. She was downright sexy. The way she looked at me like I was all that mattered. The way she always had to make sure I got exactly what I wanted when we made love." JJ choked over some stray tears, not even trying to stop them now.

"Never have I had a more attentive lover. And it wasn't even her skill, although that was amazing, too." JJ smiled at another memory. But when the smile fell from her face, Penelope wanted to cry, too.

"But she was hurting herself." JJ said, cursing herself afterwards. It wasn't her place to tell them about Emily's self injury. She ignored the looks on her friends' faces and just plowed on. "I could tell something was off. At work, she would ignore me. She stopped answering her phone when I called. But every time I showed up at her place she let me in. But last week..." JJ trailed off, trying to figure out how she was going to tell them what had happened without injuring Emily's name more.

"Last week I cornered her in the bathroom, and she told me to stop hurting myself. She grabbed my wrist and played with my ring, and it made me wish so hard that she'd been the one to put it there. And then when Elle noticed it while we were out, I wanted to just deny it all, but I couldn't because what if Will showed up while she was here? I couldn't let him find out I was hiding him again."

JJ set her cup down on the table, untouched, next to Derek and Penelope's half emptly glasses.

"But then...I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore." She said and for the first time, they glimpsed her left ring finger.

And noticed how completely naked it looked without that rock sitting on it.


A/N: Dun dun dun... Want more? Me too. Review.