It had been a few days since Emily had called the Ambassador, and she desperately needed to pick up some new pants. Garcia and JJ, well mostly Garcia, had begged to join on in the shopping trip, so Emily agreed under the condition that someone had to drive her. Garcia gladly accepted. It was a well-worth tradeoff to watch Emily Prentiss, of all people, have to buy maternity pants. It was like watching a dog walk on it's hind legs. They knew it was possible, but they didn't ever expect to witness it themselves.

After Emily groaned and moaned about two pairs of 'ugly' pants, the group found themselves at a diner near the shops. The old diner, with its movie posters and cracked leather booths, was fairly empty, which Garcia was thrilled about because then her and JJ could interrogate Emily in peace.

"When are we finding out?" Garcia questioned with a wicked grin. "I know you know what I'm asking."

"A few days," Emily chuckled and shook her head. Both blondes were really excited to find out the sex. They cared more than she did. This baby was a bonus to her. As long as they were healthy, she didn't care, mostly. She had one preference but didn't want to put it out there just yet. She didn't want to seem 'disappointed' when she found out.

"Hope they cooperate with you," JJ added before she tucked into her bowl of chili. "We tried at 16 weeks, Henry was in the wrong position. I had never been more disappointed in my life."

"Can you tell?"

"Garcia? What?" Emily laughed and raised her hands a little confused. "How would I know? I don't really have a point of comparison."

Emily had turned and asked the question of JJ, who ignored Emily and decided to change the subject. Sex would turn into baby colors, which would turn into nursery and clothing talk, and that would only make Garcia crazy. "Hey, you haven't told us yet. How did it go with your mom?"

"It went okay," Emily shrugged. She had conflicted feelings about it herself. She wasn't sure exactly sure how to articulate it to her two friends. "She was happy, mostly."

"Mostly?" Garcia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, you know how mother is," Emily slightly chuckled. "She was happy. Not happy enough for a visit, or to say she didn't care how the baby got here, but she was happy. That might actually be a blessing in disguise anyway, but it wasn't bad. It went about as well as I could hope."

Emily's comments had just made JJ feel sad. Sometimes she would look at the other two women and what they had to go through in their families…It wasn't as if JJ had the perfect family either, but she at least had a real mother. She had a warm mother who didn't think twice about her not being married to Will when they had Henry. Her mother didn't judge every time JJ would complain to her about her problems with Will. She was just 'there.' And Emily, and Garcia for that matter, didn't really have that.

"How have things been with Mick?" Garcia changed the subject.

Emily took a long sip of lemonade to buy herself some time. "They've been going well."

"'Well' is better than 'fine,'" JJ laughed to the other blonde. "So things are good then?"

"He's not awful," Emily offered with a small chuckle.

"Big praise," Garcia teased and popped a french fry into her mouth. Strangely enough, Emily was the only one who wasn't eating. She had gotten over the worst of her morning sickness, but greasy food still made her feel a little queasy. All she needed was to get food poisoning.

"He's still—"

"—Arrogant, over-sexed and egotistical?" JJ questioned with a laugh.

Emily shook her head, amused. "Yeah. I don't know. He's not that bad after all."

"Oh is that so, sweetness?" Garcia asked knowingly. "You're happy with him, then?"

Emily took a beat to think about how she wanted to answer the question. She wasn't 'with' anyone in the traditional sense, but they did get along well. They had things in common. They had similar values. She liked spending time with him. He made her laugh and he understood her personality. That's all that she could have hoped for when she found out she was pregnant a few months prior. "He's still extremely obnoxious," Emily stated jokingly. "I don't dislike spending time with him. He's nice enough. He's easy to talk to. He understands when to shut up and listen and when to reply, which is a rare trait in my own experience with men." Neither blonde interrupted her, a signal for her to go on. "We've been getting to know each other. Favorite color is blue, compromising on holidays, decided to go with a nanny, no church, that kind of stuff."

"Who gets what holiday?" Garcia asked excitedly, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. She prayed Emily got Christmas so she could invite herself over.

"We share Christmas. He gets Boxing Day and I get Thanksgiving."

Garcia and JJ both looked confused and asked at the same time, "Boxing day?"

"Day after Christmas, it's a thing," Emily laughed. "He wants to subject his poor child to watch his terrible soccer team. Sorry football club."

Garcia giggled at Emily's imitation of Mick. "What if you have a girl?"

"He still subject her to it."

"Damn right he will," JJ spoke up, excited at least one other person in their extended group liked the sport. Although she was a Liverpool fan herself, and assumed-slash-hoped that Emily didn't mean Liverpool when she said 'terrible team.' "Have you met his sister?"

"She just got a new job in Ireland. She wants to come as soon as he or she is here," Emily answered as she stole one of Garcia's fries. "I talked to her a bit on FaceTime. She's very sweet. I had a baby with the wrong Rawson," She finished with a grin.

"So you met his sister and have been getting along really well. Have you guys?" Garcia asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows, knowing Emily knew exactly what she was hinting at.

"No," Emily choked a little on her lemonade.

"Not even kissed?" JJ asked a little surprised. Well, maybe not that surprised. It was Emily Prentiss after all. The brunette was probably the most stubborn person she knew.

"No," Emily shook her head. "I mean, he still pretends her wants to—"

"—I'm sure he wants to," Garcia laughed.

"I'm pregnant."

"Oh, please," JJ waved off the statement with an eye roll as if it was the stupidest thing she had ever heard. "You're being ridiculous. You're pregnant with his baby. I seriously doubt it puts him off. Em, come on, you haven't thought about it at all? He's hot. Don't try to deny it, and all those hormones…"

"Jaje," Emily began with a laugh, although she might have gotten a little red at the question. It wasn't quite a blush, Emily had turned off that reaction years ago, but she was a little…flushed. "Even if I were to want to— I'm not saying I do— It's not a good idea. Where we are right now is good. We're communicating with no drama. We care about the same things. We're on the same page. That's all that matters."

"And what if he were to want to date someone else?" Garcia asked and pointed a french fry at Emily. "Would you be totally cool with that?"

"It's his right," Emily replied in a disinterested voice. "I'd want— Well, if she was going to be around my kid I'd like to meet her, I guess. He can do whatever he wants outside of that."

"You're saying it wouldn't bother you?"

Emily licked her bottom lip and thought about JJ's question. Would it bother her? Maybe a little, but that didn't change anything. "I couldn't answer you."

"Em—" JJ started before both her and Garcia broke into laughter. It was clear they weren't getting anywhere on the Mick Rawson issue. So they moved on to whether or not Emily was buying a house: she wasn't. If her and Mick had any names: they didn't. And, finally, if Emily had a birth plan: drugged up as much as possible in the hospital.

The group of women all hugged before JJ got in her car to go home, and Penelope and Emily got into Garcia's to drive Emily home. Garcia had wondered all through their shockingly quiet drive home if she should bring it up. She had known what it was like when you pushed Emily too far. The older woman could go from the kindest person in the world to a fully clammed up Elizabeth Prentiss replica in like ten seconds, but Garcia loved her. Garcia genuinely loved Emily, and she didn't want her to screw up her life. She knew what it was like to live with words unsaid. She knew what it was like to have a list of things to say to Emily, and to be left and wishing that Emily would hear them on her voicemail. She didn't think they would ever be in that position again, but she still wanted to avoid the unsaid words. She trusted their friendship was strong enough for her to be honest with Emily, even if the other woman hated what she had to say.

"Why won't you give Mick a chance?" Garcia asked right as they pulled into Emily's parking lot. It had started to rain. The moon was covered by clouds so the only lights above them were the street lamps positioned in front of the rows of cars.

"So that's what you were so quiet," Emily semi-laughed.

"Em—"

"—Garcia, why are you pushing this?"

Garcia took off her seatbelt and moved to face her friend, "I know Mick. When we met him he was cocky, but he wasn't afraid of you. He wasn't intimidated by a strong woman. That's why I liked him for you at first, because you could be yourself. All the guys you've gone out with so far? They didn't want you to be you. But Mick? You wouldn't have to be 'lesser' to make him feel manly."

"Okay," Emily replied in a distant voice. Her body was completely rigid.

"As I got to know him a little better at work...I think he's a really good guy, gumdrop. He's super close with Sam, so I know there's something good in there because Sam doesn't love everyone. Mick is…Mick is like you. He guards it, but he's so pure on the inside. He's really good. And because of that I think he would really understand you. Honey," Garcia said, grabbing Emily's hands in her own, "I love you so much. I love you but you aren't— You've been through so much. And you've stood still because of it. You came back to us and pretended you were fine, and we all believed you. Because we want you to be 'fine' so bad. We all love you so much that we just want to believe what's easy, and for that we've failed you."

"Pen, you haven't—"

"—Emily, I know what he did. We found the computer monitors, where he had the sniper orders given. We know he made you be part of that, watch that, and probably a million other things we don't know about. We have all been so caught up in what we needed from you and you telling us it's all okay, but have any of us told you it's going to be 'okay'? Because I don't think we have. I think you've told us you're okay because you've felt so bad about our grief, but no one has been there for you or yours. No one has told you 'it's okay.' No one has told you you're good, and you're brave, and you deserve the babies you've always wanted, and the guy." Garcia cleared the emotion from her throat and became more serious. "Well, I'm telling you now. Emily, it's over. He's gone. It's all over. It's okay. You're good. You're brave. You deserve the babies you've always wanted, and the matching guy if you want him too. Maybe Mick isn't the guy for you. Maybe I'm wrong about him, but if you do like him? You deserve a life, Emily. I know you all think I'm goofy, old Penelope—"

"—No, Pen—"

"—You all do, and I love that," Garcia admitted with a laugh and smile. "But after I was shot, you encouraged me to cyberflirt with Kevin. JJ told me to go after him, and you both made me feel like I was worthy of love. And Emily, you are worthy of love. You deserve a life, a real life outside of the BAU."

Emily cleared her throat a little at the speech and then joked, "Why aren't you a profiler again?"

"Because you computer-stunted doofuses would be lost in the big worldwide web without me," Garcia joked back before wiping the tears from her eyes. "Will you think about what I said?"

"I will," Emily responded in a soft tone. She leaned forward to give Garcia a long hug. In spite of it all, she felt that she was so lucky. She was so lucky that Penelope Garcia was one of her best friends. "Maybe I'll date Morgan," Emily mumbled into Garcia's hair.

"You're really pushing it here, Madame 007."

Did a double update and haven't had a chance to proofread. Hope there aren't too many errors. I will check later.

Gender reveal tomorrow. Unless there are more suggestions I have that done. No spoilers.