Again, thank you to everyone for the comments and I'm sorry I've not responding individually, but the reason is still the same. Real life is a bitch!

Chapter eleven

The kiss was a hungry exploration of their mouths. It was natural, without restraint and overly sexual.

Emily broke away, suddenly very aware that this shouldn't be happening.

"Shit." Emily couldn't help swearing as they parted. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

"No, its..." JJ was feeling rocked to the core, and wasn't quite sure how to deal with it all. "I... better." She gestured uselessly towards the desk, got up and walked over, grateful that she could put her back to Emily, so she didn't have to deal with the consequences of what had just happened, but feeling guilty because she knew Emily didn't deserve this sort of treatment.

Transference, I've heard Reid going on about it before, that's what this is about. JJ thought to herself as she pulled some papers out of her bag, intent on writing the report about the incident with Morgan for Hotch to read in the morning and mustering all her will, she concentrated on that, and that alone.

In the meantime, Emily was just watching the back of JJ, where she could see the tension almost rippling off her muscles, her shoulders rock solid, trying to gauge and work out what had just happened. Having JJ begin to see through barriers that no-one else had even got close to was bringing up an odd feeling in Emily, one she just couldn't shake off. As for the kiss... She just didn't even want to try and think about that for now.

Finally the night moved on, and Emily and JJ eventually began to talk, in part because JJ had to ensure Emily was getting the right care. It was after all why she was there JJ reasoned, but there was a brutal undercurrent of unease that ran between them, which neither seemed willing to broach.

Eventually, Emily fell to sleep and JJ was able to go to bed herself. She stretched out and with the pillow she covered her face as she lay on her back fearful that if Emily woke up and saw her eyes it would give all her thoughts away. She was still waiting for her heartbeat to return to normal, even hours later, and her body was racked with conflicting emotions. Hell, she'd been the one to initiate the kiss. Who was she kidding, you didn't lean to kiss someone without any other contact first even if it was merely a touch of the hand, no matter how close a friend. Did you? She knew she had absolutely no reference point for something like this happening, and she couldn't deny, Emily had always fascinated her and JJ was now acutely aware she'd often studied Emily, more than any one else she knew. Emily seemed so unaware of her own beauty that had some men staring openly, a quirky dry sense of humour that all the team adored, that she had a stillness and grace that also came to the fore, again Emily was often unaware she was doing it. Hell, even when Emily lost her temper, it was something you could admire. And there was a fierce loyalty to her true friendships that had built up while she had been with the team. It was a rare combination, and JJ just thought how cute it was that Emily had never noticed it, even cuter that she would deny it if someone mentioned something. Now, here she was wondering did others notice it in the same way, or was JJ the only one? Eventually, JJ rolled on to her side, and glanced across at Emily's sleeping form. No, I'm straight I've even got a young child, JJ reminded herself, it was the situation they were in. Nothing more, nothing less. Just transference.

"Keep kidding yourself." JJ whispered, before finally pure exhaustion won the battle and she fell asleep.

As she woke the next morning, JJ felt worse than she had for a long time. Looking across, she was pleased to see Emily was still asleep. Glancing at her watch, she quietly got up, and was washed and dressed in time for Hotch to replace her. She couldn't have been more grateful that Emily was still asleep when she left, and she rushed to work. Once there, she sat down at her desk, still a mix of raw emotion, and she was so caught up in her own thoughts, she didn't even hear Garcia knock and walk in.

"Earth to JJ? Earth calling JJ?" Garcia said, a pile of files under her arm.

"Oh, sorry." JJ snapped out of her reverie.

"Somewhere good with Will I hope." Garcia sat down putting the files in front of her, and immediately could tell JJ was upset. Getting up again, she quickly pulled the door closed, and even locked it.

"What's wrong?" Garcia asked as she faced JJ.

"I was just thinking about Emily." JJ knew she could admit that much.

"Oh honey bee." Garcia walked around and pulling JJ out of her chair, gave her a hug. "About time, I thought you were never going to crack. You want to talk about it?"

"I was just thinking about her, you know. The real her."

"I know." Garcia pulled a tissue out from a little bag she'd had slung over one arm when she'd first walked in. Wordlessly she handed it across to JJ, who took it without argument. Garcia then pulled another tissue out which she kept.

"She really had no idea of how people saw her." JJ continued. "It was an innocence about her." JJ laughed, "God she'd kill you if you said something like that to her face."

"Big hot shot FBI agent, she was... but she wasn't as good at hiding behind those walls as she thought." Garcia said, dabbing her eyes.

"Do you?" JJ really didn't know how the hell she was going to phrase the question, but decided to plough on ahead anyway. "Did you notice anything about her when we talking about dating?"

"Like what?" Garcia looked confused.

"Well, its struck me. Emily always brushed off mention of dates. I hate to think she didn't have anyone at all to turn to, really turn to, not just us. I know we all have a problem with maintaining relationships in this place, but I also know we all have friends out there who help us, as much as we help each other. And I can't help but wonder if we're the only true friends she's had, there always seemed to be a reluctance with Emily to take it any further when talking about anything like close friendships, its like you always got the brush off and I'll admit, I never really noticed it, until now as I thought about it. Now I can see she seemed so uncomfortable about it."

"That ones easy," Garcia said breezily. "She was gay. "

"Pardon?" JJ couldn't keep the shocked sound out of voice. "She told you?"

"As if." Garcia snorted. "But c'mon, all the signs were there. The man's watch, the belt, boots that a Marine would be proud to be seen in, a look that could figuratively kick a man in the balls if he so much as tried to flirt with her, and to top it all, she got a cat!" Garcia ended with a flourish.

"Having a cat hardly qualifies." JJ protested.

"True, but lets face it, having a cat is almost a mandatory requirement for the sisterhood."

"I wish she were here now." JJ finally cracked, and the tears began to flow unchecked. "I wish I could talk to her."

Mistaking what JJ meant, Garcia clasped JJ's free hand with her own, and they cried together.