When they arrive at the Jareau house, Sandy meets them at the car. As normal, she gets Henry out of his seat and is on her way back into the house with barely a hello to her daughter and daughter-in-law. JJ just laughs.

"Yeah, I love you, too, Mom!"

Alan helps Emily and JJ get the luggage and head into the house. He notices JJ winces as she swings the diaper bag up onto her shoulder. Before he can say anything, Emily does.

"Jen, let me get that or at least carry it by the hand straps."

JJ gets an irritated and stubborn look on her face. "I'm fine, Em."

Emily just shakes her head as the headstrong beauty heads inside, the bag still over her shoulder. Alan looks at Emily.

"Should I ask?"

Emily looks away. "I…she should…it was…a case thing. I'm guessing she didn't tell you all."

Alan raises an eyebrow, showing Emily where JJ gets the same expression. "No. She mentioned you were unfairly suspended after the case but that was all."

Emily nods. "Figures. Well, my suspension is over. And I promise, Alan, if she doesn't tell you what happened before we leave I will."

He nods. "Fair enough. Think she will?"

Emily chuckles. "Doubt it. But we'll give her a chance."

Just then JJ sticks her head out the door. "Did you two get lost? It's freezing outside. Get in here!"

"Yes, ma'am," Emily says with a salute. JJ just rolls her eyes as Alan chuckles.

A little while later, Emily is helping Sandy put together the snack trays that will be put out for the night. JJ and her brother are discussing the football playoffs which, to JJ's chagrin, will not feature her beloved Redskins…again. Shelby and Alan are playing dolls with Abby, while Henry plays with his new activity center and cackling at the barn sounds it makes. Emily smiles at him, love in her eyes.

"He's getting so big," Sandy says.

Emily nods, "Yeah, he is. He has such personality, too. He's going to be a mischievous little tyke. We're going to have our hands full."

Sandy chuckles. "Then he really is just like Jenny. I swear, that girl was always looking for the next way to torment her siblings. And then she would get the most angelic look on her face, as if she would neverdo such a thing."

Emily laughs. "Yeah, I can see that. Between you and me, not sure she's much better," she winks as Sandy chuckles. After a minute, Emily asks something that she had been pondering since her appointment with Westfallen. "Sandy…when she was a teen…was Jen ever just…just a horrible brat to you all?"

Sandy stops what she's doing, staring into space as if looking back in time. "No but…I think Mark and Jenny were the exceptions to that rule." She turns and leans back against the counter, looking Emily in the eyes. "This house was wounded for a lot of years after…after Amy…passed. Jen and Mark tormented each other as siblings would but heaven help anyone else who went at one of them. You picked a fight with one, you picked a fight with both. But I think a lot of their sibling issues were more of the grief process. They were very good to us compared to other teens because they didn't want us to hurt more than we were already hurting. This wasn't a normal teen household after Amy…killed herself. Jenny and Mark were no saints and we did have our bouts with them, but I know it would have been worse if we weren't all so aware of the pain of real loss. "

Emily reaches out her hand and takes Sandy's. "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't think…I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry."

Sandy squeezes Emily's hand. "It's okay. Can I assume you're asking because of some of the issues you're working through?"

Emily nods. "Yes. I was…God, I was a beast to my parents. The doc said that was normal for teens but I don't know. My last couple years of high school we were in Russia. I was home schooled and really had no friends. I was so angry. I finally got sent back to the States for the last half of my senior year to live with a friend of my parents and graduate from a regular high school. I really didn't interact with them that much. I was just a border at their house for the most part." She shakes her head. "I was so horrible I'm amazed my parents want anything to do with me."

Sandy pulls her into a hug. "Oh, honey, let me explain something to you: you will always be your parent's little girl. I heard Jen was a catalyst to bring your mother and you back together. But nothing she did would have worked if neither you nor your mother wanted it. And your father, well, he's just a hero in his own right when it comes to making amends. Take it from one parent to another: you never stop loving your children. And when they are the hardest to love, that's when you fight to love them the most."

Emily smiles, tears in her eyes. "Thank you. I really needed to hear that."

Just then JJ walks into the kitchen. She feels the emotion in the air. "Uh, everything okay?"

Emily turns, quickly wiping away the tears that had snuck down her cheeks. "Yes. Sure. Fine. Just…talking."

JJ looks from her wife, to her mother, who is also wiping away tears. She frowns. "Are you sure? You're both crying."

"I had a question about your teenage years," Emily explains. "Because of my doctor's appointment this morning. We got to tripping down memory lane and, well, blubbering occurs."

JJ smiles and nods. "Okay. Did Mom tell you I was a brat?"

Emily nods. "Oh, yeah. A real hellion. She was ready to sell you to a traveling circus."

Sandy laughs and swats Emily's arm. JJ just chuckles and rolls her eyes. "Remember that, babe, when you're sleeping in the SUV tonight," JJ warns her wife.

Emily reaches out and pulls JJ close. "Actually, she told me you and Mark were exceptions to the rule about teen terrors. Hopefully Henry and any others that follow will be as good as their mother."

JJ smiles. "Let's hope so. At least, this mother. I've heard horror stories from Elizabeth about you."

Emily grimaces and nods. "Yeah, I bet you have. I promise: if I see signs of similarities I'll warn you so we can look into boarding schools."

JJ laughs as Emily gives her a kiss. Sandy just chuckles, loving hearing her daughters talk about their future children.

That evening, the extended Jareau clan play Tripoli until it's time to catch Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve. Emily grins.

"Wow! I haven't seen this since college!"

Mark looks at her in confusion. "What? How? It's been on since the 1800's!" he jokes.

Emily rolls her eyes. "Well, sometimes I was out of the country and other times I was at functions with my mother. In fact, I would have missed it, and all of this, again this year if she and my father hadn't started dating again." She winces. "Yeah, that's not getting easier to say."

Everyone laughs at her. Alan reaches over and takes her hand. "Well, we're glad to have you with us this year, Emily."

"I'm glad, too. Of course, I think you all are just happy to keep winning my pennies away from me."

Alan nods. "Yes, that's true. Very nice indeed."

As the countdown starts, Emily pulls JJ close and whispers. "I get to kiss my wife 'Happy New Year' for the first time ever, Mrs. Prentiss."

JJ smiles and strokes Emily's cheek. "For the first time…but definitely not the last, Mrs. Prentiss."

"Three—two—one—HAPPY NEW YEAR!" they hear Dick Clark call out.

Emily leans down and gives JJ a deep kiss, full of hope and promise. When it looks like it's not going to end, Mark rolls his eyes.

"Mom, get the ice bucket. Otherwise we may not get to wish JEmily a happy new year."

Emily and JJ laugh as they end the kiss. "JEmily?" the brunette questions.

Mark shrugs. "All the big celebs have merged names. Seems a good one for you two."

Emily nods. "Okay. I like it…Marlby. Or would you prefer Shark?"

The family laughs and exchanges hugs. Soon, they are cleaning up the snacks and heading to bed. In their room, Emily starts to undress her wife.

"So, there is an old saying that you should start the New Year doing what you want to do all year long." She kisses JJ deeply as she slips the blouse from her shoulders. She then looks into her eyes hungrily. "I want to do you."

JJ is also working to divest Emily of clothes. "Funny…that's my plan, too."

Soon they are both topless, their hands roaming each other's torso's. As Emily moves her hands to JJ's pants…Henry starts to cry. With groans, they break apart. JJ looks up at Emily.

"Why do I feel this may be the true harbinger of things to come?"

Emily just laughs as she grabs a tee shirt out of her suitcase. "You finish getting ready for me. I'll check on him."

JJ accepts the offer. When Emily comes back 20 minutes later, the blonde is naked…and snoring. Emily chuckles.

"Yep, if we have more kids, I pretty much think this is what's to come."

She quickly strips down and climbs into bed. She pulls JJ close and kisses her neck.

"I love you, Jennifer Prentiss," she whispers. Turning off the lamp, she follows her wife into slumber.

The next morning, JJ is getting dressed as Emily heads out of the room. She bumps into Sandy in the hallway.

"Is Jenny up?"

"Yep. Just got out of the shower."

"Good. Shelby and I are going to the store and I thought I'd see if she wanted to go."

Emily just nods and walks into the office where Henry's crib is set up. Sandy knocks on the door to JJ's room and then opens the door. She gasps as she sees the crisscrossed bruising on her daughter's back.

"Oh, God! Jenny!"

JJ spins around, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Sandy hurries in, shutting the door behind her.

"Jenny, what the hell happened? Turn around!"

"Uh, Mom, look it's…you don't need to…"

"Turn. Around." Sandy orders in a voice that brooks no argument.

Taking a steadying breath, JJ slowly turns around. Sandy runs her hands lightly over the bruising and slight cuts on her daughter's back. There is not a place on the woman's back that is not discolored. Sandy slowly turns her around. This time she sees the remnants of the burn on JJ's chest. Tears fill Sandy's eyes.

"Who hurt my baby?"

JJ can't look her mother in the eye. "I…I made him, Mom. He was hurting a little boy. I wanted him to hurt me, not Scotty. I'm sorry."

Sandy lifts JJ's head and stares into her eyes. "Sorry? Why would you be sorry for saving a little boy from that kind of torture?"

"I…I just didn't…I don't like scaring you, Mom. I didn't expect you to see."

"You weren't going to tell us, were you?" JJ shakes her head. "Oh, Jenny, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Your father and I know your job can be dangerous. But we know you are very good at your job and your team, including Emily, are top notch. We know you all do everything you can to protect each other and to protect innocents. Regardless of how good you are, we're always going to worry about you and be scared for you. When bad things happen, please tell us. We'd rather know than find out like this or some other way."

JJ slowly nods. "Okay," she whispers. "I'll try to be…more open about things. But sometimes…sometimes I'd just rather forget it and I don't want to see the look in your eyes I'm seeing now. Sometimes I think I'm selfish to do what I do. You've already lost one child maybe I shouldn't—"

"Stop! Stop that right now! Don't you make a decision to leave your job based on us or Amy. You are an FBI agent, Jennifer. And a damn good one. Look me in the eye and tell me you could be anything else."

JJ shrugs. "I…I can't. But isn't that selfish?"

Sandy smiles. "No, darling, it's following your calling. Don't you ever sell yourself short."

JJ smiles. "Thanks, Mom. I think I've needed to hear that for a while." She gives her mother a big, grateful hug. Finally she knows she made the right decision turning down the Pentagon appointment.

After spending Saturday and Sunday morning with the Jareau's, JJ and Emily had driven back to Northern Virginia and gone straight to the house they are purchasing that day. Henry would stay with his grandparents until his new room is ready for him. They do the final walk-through of the house with their realtor. As it ends, Emily looks at JJ.

"Well, babe? We ready to sign?"

JJ smiles confidently. "Yep, I'd say we are."

Wanda Orr smiles and leads the way back into the kitchen. A notary from her office waits for them. Emily pulls out the cashier's check for half the sale price of the house. The rest would be mortgaged just for tax reasons. Emily and JJ sign the mountain of paperwork. As they finish and the notary officiates the last form, Wanda smiles at them and hands them the keys.

"It's all yours."

JJ's smile fades as she sees the stunned look on Emily's face. "Em?"

"Oh my God, Jen…we own a house," Emily mutters.

JJ starts laughing. "You know, at least my panic attack came before the paperwork. You better get over the shock now because, baby, I don't think Wanda is going to give the check back."

Wanda and the notary laugh. Emily blushes and shakes her head. "Uh, right. Sorry. Just…I feel so grown up now. Scary."

Wanda and the notary leave. Emily pulls JJ close. "Today's the first day of the rest of our lives together, Jen. You, me, Henry, and any others to follow." She gives her wife a kiss. "I've made a decision. I'm going to work on Tuesday after my doctor's appointment. But then I'm going to get the paperwork done to take a leave of absence for a couple of weeks. I think I need to clear my head or I'm not going to be of any use to the team or, more importantly, to you."

JJ smiles. "I think that's a good idea."

"Plus, with the mover's arriving at the condo on Wednesday and getting everything over here on Thursday it probably makes sense. I know Francesca said she can deal with it but I think that's just not fair to her."

"I agree. I think it's a good thing all around."

"Now, we've got a lot more rooms to furnish. How about we head out tomorrow to start looking at things? Play room furniture being a big necessity," Emily suggests.

"Sounds perfect," JJ agrees. She tilts her head. "Um, what about the bedrooms?"

Emily smiles. "Well, we can start getting Henry's ready. But I think the other kids rooms should wait until we know who's going to be in them. Don't you?"

JJ smiles broadly. "Definitely."

They share another kiss and head out of their new house to start getting their old house ready for the move.