Disclaimed!
Here's the last couple of chapters, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read and review!
Let me know what you think.
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The tension between the Brunette profiler and her two knowing colleagues was still electric after nearly two weeks had passed since the incident at Rossi's New Year's party. So here Prentiss sat, in JJ's kitchen, feeling uneasy about the close quarters she found herself in with Garcia and her lover's girlfriend.
JJ placed the cups of coffee in front of her two friends before leaning against the counter for support, grateful for the position so she could watch Henry playing in the living room, while sipping her own hot beverage. "So that was a rough case."
"I'm just glad you're all back safely. I worry." Garcia said softly, eyeing the brunette over the rim of the coffee mug.
Prentiss inhaled the coffee and grimaced. "Oh..."
"You okay Em?" JJ asked, seeing her colleague's queasiness.
The Ambassador's daughter nodded slowly. "I think I'm getting flu or something."
"You probably will after running around chasing an UNSUB in the Connecticut Woodland during the middle of a January night." JJ retorted with a concerned expression. "Do you want some medicine? I have a cupboard full upstairs."
Prentiss protested with a shake of her head. "No, I'm fine JJ. You don't have to worry about me."
JJ rolled her eyes, before placing her cup down on the bench and moving to the doorway. "But you know I will anyway."
"Really JJ, I'm good." The profiler insisted meekly, avoiding Garcia's gaze that she could on her.
JJ scoffed. "I'll be back in two minutes with a remedy. Sit tight."
Guiltily, Prentiss met Garcia's neutral expression. "Are you alright PG?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing. It seems like you've been avoiding me for the last couple of weeks." The technical analyst raised an accusative eye.
Prentiss tensed her shoulders. "I haven't."
"Oh really, ever since New Years the only time we meet up is when JJ insist and only when she usually asks in a public arena." Garcia whispered as she leaned against the table they were sitting at.
"Surely that's not true." Prentiss looked at the blonde haired woman in faked disbelief, knowing full well that it was the truth of the situation.
Garcia pursed her lips momentarily before responding. "Please tell me that the only reason you're staying away is because you feel embarrassed and ashamed and not because you're spending all your free time with you know who."
"I promised you that night..." Prentiss began but was cut off as JJ breezed back in the room with her arms full of medicine bottles.
JJ looked between the two women sensing the tension before putting the medicine on the table in front of the profiler. "Most the bottles up there are for Henry so I just grabbed a handful. I always get what he gets so there should be something here to help you."
"Thanks JJ." Prentiss smiled while examining the sticky glass bottles.
Garcia picked up her coffee and blew across the hot liquid. "You're such a good friend JJ. Always taking care of us and being supportive. You know Emily and I would be lost without you, I hope you know how awesome you are and how much we value having you in our lives."
Prentiss stared at the usually bubbly woman understanding the pointed words flowing from her lips. "Yeah, you're amazing JJ."
"What's going on?" JJ asked as she returned to her place next to the counter.
Garcia shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing sunshine, it's just sometimes you're taken for granted. You're a trooper and you never complain about all the hard work and care-giving but we all know we'd be lost without you, both at work and home."
"Okay." JJ chuckled slightly.
Prentiss took a mouthful of the cold and flu medicine before adding. "Garcia's right, JJ."
"I don't really know what I've done to earn this praise, but I'll take it." JJ smirked before drinking her coffee.
The three women made idle chit chat for half an hour before Prentiss stood, leaving her coffee cup still full. "You know, I need some sleep."
"You could always just crash here?" JJ suggested friendly.
Prentiss shook her head as she led the two women towards the front door. "No, I got to go and feed the cat. I'll see you both on Monday."
"Would you like me to drive you home?" Garcia offered.
The profiler shook her head as JJ helped her with her coat. "No, Garcia, I'm good. I'll need my car later."
"Call me when you get home so I know you got there okay." The liaison ordered motherly.
Prentiss hugged JJ tightly while holding back her guilt ridden tears. "I'm sorry JJ."
JJ pulled back and looked in confusion at her taller friend. "What for?"
"Erm, for bailing early, I know we haven't had a girly afternoon in a while." Prentiss recovered quickly, doing her best to quell her guilt.
JJ sniggered. "Emily, you look like crap. Get out of here and go to bed. Make sure you call me if you need anything over the weekend."
"I will do. Bye PG." Prentiss waved once more as she sat in her car, before pulling away.
Instead of diving straight to her apartment, half an hour later Prentiss found herself outside the police department Will worked, feeling as though her head was about to explode from a persistent migraine.
She switched off the engine and looked around at the many men in blue wander in and out of the precinct.
The passenger door opened suddenly, startling the brunette. Her eyes were wide as Will got into the car and leaned over for a quick kiss. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay." They kissed briefly. "It's good to see you."
"How was the case?" Will asked seeing her tiredness.
Prentiss raised an eye. "JJ didn't tell you?"
"I'm asking you." He retorted with a little frown.
She shrugged slightly. "It was bad. There were kids involved."
"Are you feeling okay?" Will wondered as her faced paled more.
Emily sniffled. "I'm feeling a little under the weather."
"Hey, look at me." Will cupped her face with his hands and frowned in concern. "Are you feeling good enough to drive?"
"Yes, it's just a little cold." The non-chalant agent shrugged.
Will leaned forward and kissed her nose before releasing her face. "I'm glad you came by, it was a nice surprise."
"I wanted to see you." Emily said dejectedly after a lengthy pause.
Will's forehead creased. "That doesn't sound as good as it should."
Prentiss bit her lower lip and ran a hand over his thigh. "I talked with Garcia today. I think you should delay breaking up with JJ."
"We agreed on this week." Will stated adamantly, remembering the sinking feeling that hadn't left his gut since their phone conversation a few days earlier, when they'd discussed all the changes that were about to happen.
She smiled weakly. "I know, but Garcia is already suspicious even more so after what happened at New Years. I think we should wait. I want things to go as smoothly as they can."
"If that's what you really want. I'll wait." Will raised the hand that was on his thigh to press a soft kiss on her knuckles.
"It is." Prentiss nodded assuredly. "Now go back to work."
Before opening the door, Will turned and kissed the still agent firmly. "Make sure you go to the doctors."
"I will do." Emily smiled widely as he waved to her as he crossed the street to the precinct before switching the engine back on and heading home.
Turning the corner into her apartment corridor, Prentiss froze as she eyed her colleague sitting against her front door. "Garcia, what are you doing out here?"
"I thought you were going straight to bed?" The TA frowned as she stood from the ground.
The brunette agent shrugged while opening the door. "I stopped at the drug store."
Garcia looked down at her empty hands accusingly. "They didn't have what you wanted?"
Prentiss shook her head and tensed as they stopped in her living room. "Garcia, I think we need to talk."
"That's why I'm here." Garcia picked up Sergio the cat who was rubbing against her calf.
The profiler shook off her coat and indicated that they should sit. Waiting until Garcia was on the couch next to her, Prentiss took a deep breath before speaking. "I made a mistake Penelope. I was drunk and lonely and I leaned on a friend when I shouldn't have."
"JJ's your friend." Garcia's forehead creased in emotion.
The taller woman looked down at her feet guiltily. "I know."
"You don't tear the clothes off your friend's boyfriend." Garcia sighed in frustration placing the cat gently on the floor besides them.
Prentiss leaned back on her couch and wrapped her arms around her stomach. "I know. I screwed up big time. It won't happen again."
"I can't tell whether or not you're lying. I love you Emily Prentiss, but that confident, kick ass profiler I know, wouldn't have been stupid enough to follow a man, she knows to be in a serious committed relationship with a close friend, into a colleague's bathroom and done what you did." The Technical Analyst growled in judgement.
Emily met her friend's gaze and felt tears form in her own eyes. "Penelope, I made a huge mistake. I regret it fully. If I could have changed what happened I'd do it in a heartbeat."
"I hate lying to JJ, Emily." Garcia inhaled slowly. "You are both my family and I hate that you've put me in this position."
"So why haven't you told her?" Prentiss felt her throat close in emotion.
"I'd be ruining a relationship and a friendship as well as a family. I don't want Henry to also suffer because of Will's stupid-ness." Garcia's shoulders sloped forwards.
Prentiss tilted her head to the side and swallowed her emotions away. "Will's really a good man at heart who was having a bad day. I was in the same position and when you throw alcohol into the mix then we were going to do something stupid. If Morgan hadn't interrupted when he did, I'd hate to think about how much worse it could have been."
"You're staying away from Will?" Garcia cleared her throat.
"Of course."
The TA looked over her colleague's pale face as she asked her next question. "You were really at the drug store?"
Prentiss sniffled. "Yes."
"You promise you'll never do anything that stupid again?" The younger woman raised an eye hopefully.
Prentiss reached for the blondes' hands and squeezed them tightly. "Garcia, please forgive me. I know I screwed up. I messed up and I regret it. Please Garcia, I don't want you to hate me."
"I don't hate you." Garcia admitted softly.
Prentiss's eyes widened as she replied meekly. "You don't?"
"No. I don't hate you." The younger woman breathed in slowly. "I'm disappointed in you and Will. I'm pissed off at Will for even thinking of someone who isn't JJ. I wish that Derek hadn't told me what he saw, because I don't like keeping this from a person who has been like a sister to me since I started the BAU."
"Can we get passed this?" The brunette profiler asked in hesitation.
Garcia shrugged her shoulders slightly. "I honestly don't know. But I love you and even though I'm mad, I'll still love you. I just don't know how long it's going to take until I trust you again."
"That's understandable." Prentiss muttered quietly.
Grabbing her friend's hand tightly in her own, Garcia smiled warmly. "Make me believe that nothing is going on between you and Will. That it was a onetime thing. Let me see you moving on."
"How?" She asked in trepidation.
Garcia's eyes widened in excitement, at the prospect of match-making. "Kevin knows this guy..."
Prentiss groaned inwardly. "Oh Pen, I don't think that is such a good idea."
"He's a great guy. A little different to your usual dates but he's nice and funny."
Emily sniffled again, feeling a sneeze in the back of her nose. "I appreciate the offer PG but I think I should stay away from men for a little longer. I should concentrate on getting myself sorted out."
Sneezing, Garcia handed over some tissues that were on the coffee table to her. "Okay, I can live with that. You should get to bed."
"I'm going there now." Prentiss stood gingerly while pressing her cool hand to her clammy forehead.
Garcia beamed widely. "Good, promise me you'll go to the doctors."
"Okay, I'll phone for an appointment before I go to bed." The agent yawned as she led her friend to the door.
"And once you're better we're going out on the prowl." Garcia chuckled while hugging the ill woman.
Prentiss smirked. "Deal."
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Thanks for reading!