Emily sat on her couch, her hand idly running over her dog's head. Since leaving JJ's office, she had been racking her brain for a 'family' outing and so far hadn't found anything that seemed up to par.

Movies seemed a little impersonal and while she was loath to admit it out loud to anyone but her dog, Aurora, she wanted to impress Henry. Bowling was a common outing that was kid friendly but she thought Henry was a bit too young to truly enjoy or grasp the activity.

Her free hand raked through her own raven hair, tugging it in frustration as she did so. "Any suggestions, Aurora?" The doctor asked her dog, not in the least bit caring of how crazy and ridiculous it was to be asking her animal companion.

A huff escaped the dog's lips, as if she were trying to convey how exasperating the interruption was.

"What do I keep you around for if this is how you treat me?" Emily groused; her hand halting its petting motion as she stared down at the annoyed dog.

Aurora snorted and Emily could have sworn she saw her dog roll her eyes and could almost hear the accompanying 'Please, I keep you around.'

"You are so full of yourself," Emily grumbled to herself. "And absolutely useless," her statement punctuated with a hardened glare.

Aurora pushed up off the couch and sat staring expectantly at Emily, as though she were just waiting for her owner to grasp what was right in front of her face.

Emily stared back at her dog, Aurora's unwavering gaze and intelligent eyes starting to weird her out. "Can you not do that? It's bad enough that I talk to you like you'll talk back but when you start staring at me like this, it makes me feel stupid and uncomfortable." She grumbled, wondering, for not the first time, why she felt the need to have one-sided conversations with her sometimes-too-human furry companion.

As if understanding what Emily was saying, Aurora's ears dropped and her head rested gently on the brunettes lap, her eyes slipping closed while her tail quietly thumped against the couch cushions. The doctor resumed running her hand over the dog's head, the motion causing as much comfort for the dog as it did her.

Her brown eyes stared out the window for a solid moment before a thought seemingly slammed into her head. Her free hand smacked into her face as she mumbled to herself how stupid she was for taking so long to realize the most obvious of answers. "Sometimes I really question my intelligence." Emily shook her head in disappointment before glancing back down at her dog. "The answer has literally been staring me in the face the entire time I've been sitting here."

Aurora's head lifted up as her golden brown eyes stared with rapt attention at her owner.

Emily's pale hand swept towards the window overlooking the city, drawing attention to the faintly glowing lights off in the distance. "The carnival," she said after a moment of nothing but a blank stare from her dog. Not that Emily was expecting Aurora to start talking or anything, but she expected at least a tail wag or maybe a head tilt.

"This is the part where you get excited because of how great an idea this is." The doctor said pointedly, sounding more than a little exasperated at how blasé Aurora seemed to be considering how excited she normally was.

Emily quirked an eyebrow and Aurora started to wag her tail excitedly, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she panted and licked Emily's face. The doctor laughed lightly as she wiped at the dog saliva on her cheek and jumped off the couch. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, thanks for placating me. You're such a good dog," she said dryly.

Completely pleased with that, Aurora dropped back onto the couch and resumed her slumber while Emily walked up the stairs, mumbling about getting the only dog with more attitude than her.

Emily drove JJ and Henry to their destination but hadn't mentioned where it was; wanting to see the surprise and shock and hopefully joy on their faces.

The carnival was full of twinkling lights, excited chatter and bustling games; everything Emily thought a carnival should be. The doctor watched with a small smile as Henry took in their location and the sight before him. His small hand tightened its grip on both Emily and JJ's hand as his jubilation grew.

He stood in between JJ and Emily, his blue eyes scanning the area as he excitedly tugged both women through the entrance and towards the first game booth. "So Henry, games first?" Emily asked even though the little boys incessant tugging clearly indicated his agreement.

The first booth they stepped up to was a four player game. The three of them stood before the metal water guns as Emily dropped the six dollar payment onto the counter and waited for the game instructions.

"Welcome to the Water Shootout. The object of the game is to beat out your competitors by hitting the bullseye until the meter fills with water. The first one to fill the meter is the winner and gets a prize of their choice!" The old man behind the booth explained, his eyes showing his excitement at the game while his hand waved with an exaggerated flourish towards the prizes hanging on the wall behind him. "Everyone understand?" He asked happily, looking at JJ, then Henry and finally at Emily.

Emily nodded while Henry just bounced on his stool, his tiny hands grasping the water gun as if it would disappear the moment his grip loosened. "Yeah, we're all set." JJ voiced, sounding just as excited as Henry looked.

"Alrighty then. Ready, set, GO!" A loud buzzer sounded and the meters attached to the bullseyes suddenly flashed with bright lights as a vaguely familiar show tune played in the background. Emily halfheartedly shot at the target but found that watching JJ and Henry battle it out was much more attention worthy.

All too soon, Emily's eyes were snapping back to the meters when a loud clanging sounded, a clear indicator that someone had just won. Her brown eyes locked onto the middle meter, where the lights were flashing in rapid succession and she turned to see Henry pointing towards a small stuffed bear, his chosen prize.

"One bear for the winner," the elderly man behind the stand remarked joyously, his dark brown eyes shining as he handed over the toy with an unnecessary but completely entertaining bow.

"Thank you," Henry said politely before handing the bear to his mother with a shy toothy grin and shining ocean blue eyes.

JJ's eyes widened for a second before a loving smile overtook her face and she gingerly grabbed the offering. "For me?" It shouldn't have been so shocking, especially since Henry was in his 'big boy' phase where he insisted on doing everything himself, but the act did shock her and it made her heart swell with love.

Before JJ could get overwhelmed in that familiar current of emotion and love that occurred whenever it came to her son, Emily was nudging her side and whispering "He's going to be a total heartbreaker." JJ stifled a chuckle before nodding, "You're probably right." The media liaison wasn't cocky or vain in any way but even she had to admit that her blue eyes, which luckily her son had inherited, when used correctly, could melt even the hardest of hearts.

It was because of her blue eyes that she managed to wrangle in the media and keep the unruly and usually pissed off police officers on their cases in good enough spirits. And if her son grew up to be the person she was trying so hard to help him become, she was sure that he would have no shortage of people lining up for him.

"You and him," Emily whispered into JJ's ear, her breath hitting the blonde's skin and sending shivers down her spine, "I never stood a chance, did I?"

JJ bit her lip to keep her ridiculous grin from spreading across her face, her head shaking furiously. "It's all in the eyes," the blonde teased, her eyelashes fluttering dramatically.

Emily simply shrugged her shoulders, already feeling herself being pulled into the hypnotizing current that those baby blue eyes always seemed to produce. "I'm such a sucker for those things."

Before their flirting banter could go any further, Henry was showing his impatience at their lack of progression through the carnival. "C'mon," he said impatiently, his lower lip jutting out in a clearly perfected pout that Emily had no resistance towards.

JJ, already excruciatingly familiar with the pout, just sighed lightly while she followed behind Henry as he clung to Emily's hand and weaved between the crowds.

Once Emily and Henry set eyes on the Ferris wheel it seemed like their next stop was set in stone. Neither the doctor nor the little boy waited to see if JJ was following as they excitedly made their way towards the large attraction.

JJ couldn't help but feel warm at the sight of Emily and Henry talking animatedly about the games and laying out their plan of attack for the night. It was fascinating that one moment Emily could have her son looking shy and bashful and with nothing more than an encouraging smile he was then talking a mile a minute.

It wasn't the first time that JJ had noticed that characteristic about Emily. The brunette had an air of mystery that just sucked people in but for as much pull as the doctor had; there was just as much push. The blonde hadn't seen it much but she did see how a change in posture or subtle shifting of her facial features put her on the defensive and erected this brick wall between her and the world.

Emily was what JJ believed to be the epitome of mysterious and elusive. From what little time they had spent together she quickly learned that there wasn't just one side to Emily Prentiss. In so many ways it seemed like someone had taken a hammer to a marble statue and hit it hard enough to cause cracks and facets but not with enough force to make it crumble.

If Emily had spent more time with the rest of the BAU team she knew they would have just as hard a time trying to figure her out. Especially when it seemed that the brunette had it perfected to a T and it might have been from her upbringing but JJ had a feeling it was something more than that.

With just a smile, Emily could have someone confiding in her and blissfully happy to do so. With one glance of her brown eyes she could send a chill down their spine; whether it was a pleasurable chill or not depended entirely upon whether the light in her brown eyes was there or not. With a touch she could offer sympathy and compassion but if threatened, that touch could be disarming and deadly. And while JJ hadn't witnessed it, she was sure that Emily's words could cut into a person's flesh like razor blades or they could wrap themselves around them and soothe their trouble soul.

It seemed like the more JJ learned about Emily, the more she realized that she didn't quite know anything at all. It was enrapturing and frustrating all at the same time.

But watching her interact with Henry, looking as though they had know each other for forever, she couldn't get hung up on the many faces of Emily Prentiss.

"How about we try the Ferris wheel next?" The brunette offered, her finger pointing towards the giant ride. Though from the fact that they were already standing in line it seemed like the decision had already been taken out of JJ's hands so she settled for simply smiling and nodding.

Henry's eyes were wide with wonderment as he stared at the illuminated wheel. The colorful lights that streaked across the metal barring, the slight swaying of the caged seats as they rose slowly to the top and halted their movement, providing the perfect view of the city.

"Ready?" Emily looked down at the boy, her smile mirroring his.

He nodded hesitantly before the brunette gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. "Let's go," he said more confidently, his face set with a stubborn determination only seen in boys his age.

Their seat on the Ferris wheel started its slow climb towards the top, stopping its movement every time one of the cages reached the top. For Emily, it was like nothing she'd ever experienced. Childhood for her was hardly anything to be proud of, there were no notable child-like experiences or moments, just hard learned lessons and cancelled plans. After awhile she learned to read between the lines; learned that when her mother had told her 'something has come up' was a way of temporarily appeasing her childhood requests before quickly nipping them in the bud.

It hadn't taken long for the young brunette to understand that wanting to go exploring or play in the park was not something a Prentiss should be focusing on. By seven, Emily had given up all hope of fun and focused on her schoolwork, always wanting to show her mother just how great she was; yearning for a sense of praise or acknowledgement for her efforts and accomplishments.

So moments like these, where the wind was gently blowing through her hair and the smell of popcorn and hazardously greasy food permeated the air, were something she would remember and cherish for as long as she lived. They felt like a way to regain a piece of her childhood that had long since eluded her grasp.

It was exhilarating really, the slow climb to the top and the view of a brightly lit city laid out before her. Conquering the world was never an idea she had ever entertained, but right then and there, sitting on a Ferris wheel overlooking the city, right there with JJ and Henry, it seemed entirely possible. In fact, conquering the world seemed like an easy feat.

JJ had noticed the melancholy look on Emily's face and had already figured it was because moments like this were rare and fleeting for the brunette. The blonde had seen the shadows that swarmed behind her chocolate brown eyes, had seen the flickers of pain that flashed when she talked about her childhood. But looking at her now, seeing the light playing on her pale flesh and dark eyes, it seemed like a weight was slowly being lifted.

"Have you ever been on one of these before?" Emily asked the little boy next to her.

His head shook but his eyes never left the bright city lights before him, "Nope."

The brunette hummed at his answer before she felt a pair of eyes on her and turned to see JJ looking at her. It wasn't a particularly strange look but it left Emily feeling exposed and raw, almost as if JJ were reading the secrets that she had tried to keep buried inside of her.

"Have you?" JJ asked quietly, her eyes still boring into Emily's.

The doctor shuddered at the intensity, "N-no," she stammered, Jennifer's blue eyes a little unnerving, "but I always wanted to," she added quickly.

JJ noticed the change in Emily, heard the strange nervousness that crept into her voice and try as hard as she might, she couldn't stop the curiosity from getting the better of her. "I take it you didn't get many chances to do things like this?"

Emily's eyes locked onto the buildings in the distance, trying to see if she could spot her condo from their place on the ride. "No, I was raised not to waste time on things like this. Indulgences like this were a character flaw and a distraction." Steeling herself with a deep breath, she glanced at Henry to make sure he was sufficiently distracted before looking JJ right in the eye. "My mother always used to tell me, 'A Prentiss should never show weakness; we are what others can only aspire to be like. When you show them your inner most desires, thoughts and emotions, you give up control. And no daughter of mine will be seen as weak and powerless.'"

JJ listened to the words and tried to imagine being a child and hearing that, she tried to imagine hiding away all the hurt and disappointment and couldn't even fathom it. "Everyone deserves a childhood." The blonde whispered, glancing between Emily and Henry.

Emily offered a weak smile before her eyes skittered away, feeling as though they were revealing more than her words were. "I had a childhood," the doctor said after a moment, "it wasn't ideal and I don't have many good memories," she said truthfully, unable to really remember a time when she was truly happy and carefree. "But it made me into the person I am today so I guess it all worked out in the end."

That wasn't necessarily a good thing, at least not in Emily's eyes, but it was true. Her life had taken so many twists and turns, not a lot of them being good in the slightest, but it had all led her to this moment. Had she changed one thing she might not be sitting there with Jennifer and Henry. So in a strange way, it all seemed worth it.

By the time the two had lapsed into a comfortable silence, the Ferris wheel was making its way back down to the ground, excited giggles and chatter behind them growing with each lurch forward.

"So, another ride or maybe a game?" Emily questioned once their feet were solidly on the ground.

JJ opened her mouth to suggest they head back when Henry pointed towards one last game. "A shooting game?" JJ asked once her eyes has followed the tiny finger and saw the toy rifles that sat neatly on the top of the counter and the ducks that moved in rows from left to right.

"Afraid you'll lose, Jennifer?" Emily teased, having no knowledge of just how skilled JJ was with a gun, even if it was a plastic toy rifle.

JJ smiled widely, her eyes twinkling with mirth and mischief as she walked towards the booth. "Please," she breathed, her eyes rolling as she bent her arms and flexed her biceps, "these aren't the only guns I'm skilled with."

Emily snorted at how cheesy the line was, "That was terrible, Jen. Funny but terrible."

The blonde just shrugged as she walked up to the game booth.

"Let's see what you got, Jareau." Emily joked, knowing that the game stood no chance against someone who carried a gun all day.

JJ looked back at Emily with a cocky smirk on her face, "Oh Em, I'm going to win this hands down. And when I'm done demolishing this game, you'll have a prize to forever remind you of just how awesome I am."

Emily quirked an eyebrow before waving her hand towards the booth; "Well then, don't let me keep you from winning and gloating rights."

The blonde picked up her rifle and looked expectantly at the man behind the booth. The young man flashed her a wide smile, his eyes roaming over her body as he leaned forward on the countertop. "Good Evening," he said to JJ, his eyes only briefly flickering towards Emily and Henry before looking back towards the blonde before him.

"The object of the game is to knock down all of the moving ducks before the time runs out or the ammo cuts off. If you manage to knock down all of the ducks then you get a prize of your choosing." The young man recited the rules like he had probably done so a million times before but that didn't stop him from leering at the woman before him. "Though, for a pretty lady like you, I'm sure I can manage a consolation prize even if you don't win."

JJ just quirked an eyebrow, unperturbed by the terrible flirting the man was doing. "While I appreciate that, it won't be necessary. I'm not planning on losing."

The man behind the counter was nonplussed at JJ's words, in fact, his smile grew even wider as he pressed down on the start button and continued to openly stare.

Emily stood back and watched the man, her heart hammering as she felt the familiar hot coil of jealousy in the pit of her stomach. It was irrational that she should feel even slightly threatened by the man controlling the game but jealousy was often irrational itself.

It wasn't even the fact that he was flirting with JJ but more the fact that he continued to let his eyes roam her body without shame and leer at her like she was a prime piece of steak. Her glare towards the man faltered when the game tune began and JJ positioned her rifle and started to shoot.

Shifting her gaze, Emily watched with wide eyes and a small smile as one by one the ducks fell. Each pop of the rifle was accompanied by one of the ducks falling backwards. No ammo was wasted and the blonde finished well before time was called and none of the poor little ducks were left standing.

The jealousy and anger the doctor had felt moments before were gone in an instant and replaced with nothing but pride and amusement.

JJ paid no mind to the man behind the counter as she picked out a stuffed turtle and handed it towards the brunette, accompanied by a swift kiss on the lips.

The man behind the counter was left dumbfounded as he watched the exchange.

It wasn't a moment she was particularly proud of, but Emily smiled smugly at the young man as she followed the two blondes ahead of her.

Though this wasn't the first man or woman here to openly flirt or eye the blonde, and maybe it was just because their conversation on the Ferris wheel had left her feeling strangely open and vulnerable or perhaps it was just a culmination of the two, but all Emily knew was that she was not a fan of jealousy.

The only bright side was that JJ hadn't even seemed to notice; whenever someone looked at her with a flirtatious smile and a wink, JJ seemed to be none the wiser. It was absolutely amazing to Emily that someone like Jennifer could ignore all the wanton looks and have eyes only for her, that Emily was the only thing she was romantically interested in.

The brunette gripped her stuffed turtle just a bit tighter as she caught up with Henry and JJ, her free hand sliding easily into the blonde's.

"Thank you for tonight," Emily whispered to the blonde, not bothering to hide the joy that coated the words.

JJ looked at her date, the rosy tint to her cheeks only barely visible among the carnival lights, "Shouldn't I be the one thanking you?"

Emily's head tilted to the side in question, a clear indicator she had spent far too many nights alone at home with her dog, her eyes narrowing slightly in confusion.

"For all this?" JJ added; her hand releasing Emily's so it could sweep back towards the carnival that was still thriving with people. Her voice sounding almost comical in the way it made her gratitude seem so obvious.

To Emily, it seemed like JJ was thanking her for singlehandedly setting up the carnival. Which, she probably would have done, considering she definitely had the funds to do so. The brunette's brow furrowed in thought, finding it incredibly mushy and sappy that she would even consider going as far as to set up a carnival just so she could take Henry and JJ.

'Dear God, what are this woman and her son doing to me? I used to be badass and now I'm turning into a sappy romantic.' Her thoughts came to a sudden stop when Jennifer's hand slid back into hers and their fingers intertwined. 'Okay, so maybe being a sappy romantic isn't all that bad' her inner-voice supplied; mollified by the warmth that only JJ's touch seemed to bring.

Emily couldn't think of an adequate response to JJ's obvious appreciation for their date so she settled for simply squeezing her hand and moving a little closer to her.

For the next hour or so the three continued to visit the game booths and rides until it was clear that Henry was crashing badly from his sugar high.

His feet shuffled slowly as they made their way through the still bustling crowd, his eyes drooping more and more as they walked.

"Just a little further Henry, okay?" JJ said quietly, her hand brushing through his blonde hair.

"I'm tired," Henry mumbled sleepily, as if the sheer act of talking was too exhausting.

Emily debated her next move for a second before she stopped in front of Henry and pulled him into her arms, his arms wrapping around her neck as his legs tightened around her waist. "Better?"

Instead of vocalizing his answer, he settled for nodding his head before burrowing it into the crook of her neck.

While the brunette wrapped her arm securely across his back, she felt a strange sense of comfort surge through her. It wasn't as though she hadn't been around kids before or hadn't held one prior to that moment but it felt different.

It was the way Henry, a boy she barely knew, clung to her so tightly and felt secure enough with the person she was and trusted her enough, to fall asleep the moment his head touched her shoulder.

"You guys look cute together," JJ whispered; a loving smile on her face as she observed Henry clinging tightly to the brunette.

"I'm glad you think so," Emily said just as quietly, "because he doesn't seem like he's going to be letting go anytime soon." She felt like a human teddy bear with the way he was curled around her.

As Emily looked down at the Henry, JJ took out her phone and snapped a quick picture before playing it off like she was checking a text message.

"Case?" The brunette asked as she opened the car door and situated the slumbering boy into his seat before moving to open JJ's door.

JJ's brow crinkled for a moment before the one worded question fully registered and she shook her head in the negative, "Oh, no, just checking my messages." Which the blonde figured wasn't a total lie since she was texting the adorable picture she had snapped to Garcia.

"Uh-huh," Emily said with narrowed eyes, "I know your game, Jareau." The doctor closed the space between them and pressed their lips together, pushing JJ into the car door and effectively closing it with a thud. "Using me for a few good dates while you text your many suitors." Her hands roamed up and down the blonde's sides, enjoying the warmth that radiated from the other woman.

JJ gasped as her back collided into the car door, her skin flush with excitement, "Like I could-" her voice faltered when Emily's lips moved down her jaw to her neck and nipped at her pulse point, "could ever do better than y-you."

The doctor grinned against the other woman's neck, "I'm glad you're so willing to give me your undivided attention, Jennifer." Her statement was punctuated by a well placed thigh between JJ's legs and a trail of nips and kisses along her jaw line.

JJ's eyes slid closed at the sensation, her hands seeking whatever purchase they could on Emily, torn between fisting her shirt or burying her fingers in the doctor's luscious raven locks. "Em," she groaned quietly, her lips desperately connecting with Emily's.

"Jen," the brunette whispered the electric crackle that accompanied any of their touches suddenly making her knees feel weak and her head foggy.

Before things could go any further, a sleepily mumbled, "Momma?" from the backseat had both women shooting apart as if their hands had been caught in the cookie jar.

"Guess that's our cue to go, huh?" Emily asked a bit breathlessly, her voice sounding impossibly husky.

JJ nodded, the timbre of Emily's voice combined with the lustful glaze to her brown eyes making her throat suddenly tight and dry. "I'm right here Henry," she replied to her son after the world came back into focus and her Emily induced state of arousal had subsided.

The doctor opened the passenger door again and waited for JJ to sit before leaning in and whispering, "To be continued," then promptly closed the door and moved around to the driver's side.

JJ groaned to herself, the words and the promise behind them setting her skin on fire, "to be continued," she said to herself, her fingers twitching in anticipation.

When Emily was seated in the driver's seat, she turned towards her date, her eyes were still dark but her expression was far from the lustful look it had been just seconds before. "Good date?" She asked as confidently as she could, hoping her uncharacteristic nervousness wasn't showing.

The blonde smiled gently, her eyes softening as she cupped Emily's face, "Great date," she corrected before pecking the other woman. "It'll be even better once we get back to my house," she breathed into the brunette's ear before smirking and pulling away, her eyes briefly looking into the rearview mirror to check Henry was sound asleep.

Emily's eyebrow quirked before her mouth formed a small 'O' and her devilish smile overtook her face. "Your wish is my command," she husked as she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, intent on seeing just how much better their night could get.