An/I may or may not be reviewing this story to try to get a better handle on it. I still do have a plan, but hopefully chapters will come a little sooner as a result. Let me know what you think, this chapter is a shout-out to all of you that reviewed encouraging me to continue. Sorry to keep you waiting so long!
"What about that one?" Hotch asked as he pointed to a small simple band with a solitare diamond.
Emily scrunched up her face, seriously pondering whether her boss had any sense of taste at all. No wonder Hailey divorced him, "Erm, No." She said delicately, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
"Okay" Hotch replied, struggling not to roll his eyes at the fact that Emily had said "no" to the last twelve rings they'd looked at. At this rate, it was more likely that Jack would pick out his future spouse's ring before he and his "fiancee" even came close.
"There! That one!" Emily smiled, pumping her fist triumphantly as she pointed to a three stone ring of diamonds offset by two emeralds.
"Would you like to have it engraved?" The salesperson asked kindly as she removed Emily's ring from the cabinet. "We can have it done by the end of the week."
"Of Course." Hotch said quickly at the exact same moment in time that Emily responded with a firm, "No thank you."
Shooting a quick glance at each other, Emily recovered first. "If that's what you want to do babe." She offered a quick smile in Hotch's direction, before turning back to the salesperson. "Yes, we'd like it engraved." She conceded, groaning inside herself at how cliched she felt. At least this wasn't remotely real, otherwise she just might have to shoot herself.
"What would you like it to say?" The salesperson asked chipperly, directing her question to Emily as she shot the profiler an understanding look.
"I don't know, what do you think babe?" She turned to Hotch and asked, having absolutely no idea what she'd even want engraved on the ring.
"Babe." Hotch cringed inwardly, having never been a fan of that particular term of endearment. Fortunately, Emily Prentiss was a tusted colleague and not a romantic interest, because otherwise, he might not be able to handle it.
"The couple's initials and their wedding date are what most couples get." The saleswoman offered helpfully, sensing the tension between the two. "Why don't you go home and sleep on it, and then call us in the morning and let us know what you decide."
"Oh alright. Thank you." Hotch offered awkwardly, smiling gratefully at the relief that washed over him with the prospect of leaving the store. Turning quickly, he was stopped when Emily interrupted him again.
"But I want to take it home today. I can just bring it back if I want it engraved right?" There was no way she was putting herself through all of this again. Spending "alone time" with Hotch was one thing, pretending to be his fiancee for the sake of a cover was another entirely--and she was paid far too little to enjoy this cover.
"Sure thing, ma'am." The saleswoman smiled and Hotch pulled out his checkbook to pay for the ring while Emily left to answer a phone call. As he signed the exhorberant amount, he was momentarilly relieved that it wasn't his money he was spending and once again, he was hit with a realization that he had come to understand more and more frequently. He couldn't wait for this assignment to be over.
"Jayje? It's Em." Emily called softly as she entered the master bedroom at the Montgomery household. "Derek said you wanted help taking a shower?"
"Oh yeah." JJ smiled shyly, her cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I would've asked Garcia but she's busy taking care of Henry..."
"Oh no, it's fine." Emily reassured, completely forgetting her new piece of jewelry. Pointing to a pair of limegreen and pink fluffy pants and top, Emily smirked, "I see Garcia already got you out a new pair of PJ's."
"Yeah, lucky me." JJ laughed which elicited a coughing fit. Emily smiled sympathetically as she watched her pathetic friend regain her composure. "I hate being sick." She groaned.
Emily chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that nobody really likes being sick JJ." She observed with a smirk.
"I feel awful." JJ admitted. "And there's so much to do, but I just don't have the energy--"
"The flu will do that." Emily agreed laughing at her own dry humor as she moved to help JJ out of bed.
JJ swatted her hand away. "I can do this myself. It's Morgan who decided that I can't take a shower by myself." JJ pushed herself off the bed, only to feel her head swim with dizziness.
"Easy there." Emily soothed, putting JJ's arm around her shoulders to help the blonde stand more steadily. She wasn't surprised to discover that JJ's fever had worsened since the last time she had seen her "No passing out on me."
" 'M Fine." JJ sniffed and scrunched her eyes together to keep the world from spinning in front of her.
"I'm sure you are." Emily placated. "Let's help you take a shower and then you can go back to bed." She insisted, rolling her eyes inwardly at her blonde friend who refused her help despite the fact she actually needed it.
It was the late afternoon when JJ found herself curled up on the bed she shared with Derek reading a book. There wasn't much she could do now that Garcia had emphatically declared that she would unleash the very powers of cyberspace if JJ got out of bed. Not wanting to incur her friend's wrath, JJ had reluctantly relented--she didn't feel up to doing much anyway.
"Hey Jayje, you feel like eating anything?" Morgan asked gently as he walked into their bedroom to find her watching a TV movie. It had been two days since Emily had come over to help her shower--since then she'd been able to do it on her own without being overcome by disiness or nausea--and suspiciously Hotch had taken to cooking them dinner and dropping it by for the past two nights.
"Hotch just dropped off some taco soup. He said it was your favorite." If Derek didn't know any better, he'd swear it was some sort of messed up flirting between the two--but JJ was still engaged, so that would never happen.
"It is." JJ nodded, sitting up. "But how did he know? You know what, nevermind. Profilers." She groaned despite the smile that graced her lips. Of course Hotch would remember the one time she had explained that taco soup was her mother's infamous remedy for any illness and had long ago become her favorite vice.
"It is weird that he's been making us dinner every night since you got sick, though." Morgan pointed out, helping her get situated before going to get her soup. "He even knew to send crackers, cheese, and sour cream to go with it. I'm a profiler, and I honestly didn't know that you liked taco soup or that you liked those things in your soup."
"Yeah." JJ said absently as she gingerly savored the taste in her mouth.
Waiting for just a moment, he asked "Are you feeling any better, you're doing okay, right?"
"What?" JJ feigned surprise, "This can't be true! You are actually asking me how I'm doing? I think I need to send out a press release. 'Undercover partner actually has a heart.'" She quoted as if she were reading a news article.
"Well, if you're mocking me, it seems you're healthier than I thought." Morgan laughed. "Seriously girl, how you feeling?"
JJ laughed as she moved to sip another spoonful. "Better, I think I could go back to the school on Monday."
"Lucky you." Derek laughed and JJ rolled her eyes playfully.
"As long as it gets me out of this house, I'm up for anything." JJ laughed.
JJ smiled as she brushed her teeth a week later, getting ready for bed. She chuckled as she realized how easily fell into the role of happy "wife" and school teacher now that she and Morgan weren't trying to drive each other crazy anymore, and she had to admit that as the days past she was feeling more and more relieved that she didn't have to report to Will at every turn. Morgan seemed to notice a change in her, commenting that she seemed to be happier than she had been in awhile, but she just brushed it off as not having to deal with all the wedding plans hoping he would believe her.
In truth, the only vestiges of homesickness she felt were evaporated when Henry came to join them out west. She pushed down the feeling of dread in her stomach that emerged at the thought of having to break up with Will. The only thing that made the dread worse was when she pictured marrying the cajun.
Spitting out the toothpaste, she finished up and crawled into bed next to Derek who was reading the latest phsychiatric journal.
"Seriously?" JJ asked smiling. "You don't get enough of that?" She gestured to the magazine in his hands.
"Not since I've gone back to being a detective." Derek retorted. "And soon, hopefully, we'll catch this UnSub and get to go back."
"Yeah." JJ said, the familiar dread of returning to her real life setting in. Pushing that thought aside, she smirked, "And maybe you'll even be able to ask Emily out on a date."
"Ha ha. You're so funny." Morgan rolled his eyes, smiling softly. Before this disaster of an assignment, he and Emily had just begun to breach the line between friends, and the time that he had to regroup was enough to assure him of what he wanted.
"Be quiet!" JJ shushed, waiving her hand frantically trying to quiet him. "I think I just heard something downstairs."
"I don't hear anything, it's probably just Garcia getting Henry something for a snack." Morgan dismissed. The sound of glass breaking in what sounded like the kitchen had him reconsidering. Grabbing his gun and flashlight out of the safe, he whispered, "Stay here, I'm going to check it out."