It's the shortest chapter I've written yet, but I wanted to get it up just for you guys.
Love Salem
"A toddler believes that if you love a person, you stay with that person 100 percent of the time."
-Lawrence Balter
His head flopped easily over her shoulder as she grabbed her purse and Henry's bag. Kicking the car door shut with her foot, she fiddled with the keys momentarily before getting them into the lock and turning off the house alarm moments later. Dropping all the bags by the front door, she effortlessly carried the three-year-old up the stairs to his room before changing him into his favorite pair of outer space pajamas. In his disgruntled state, Henry whimpered slightly before clasping his arms around her neck and burying his face in her silky hair.
"Shh," she soothed in his ear while rubbing her hand up and down his back. He talked excitedly after she picked him up from Will's, going on about his fourth birthday party that would be taking place tomorrow. Unfortunately, as it was nearing eight o'clock his energy wavered and he passed out in his carseat while talking animatedly about his Buzz Lightyear cake.
"Mommy," he cried as she laid him down and tucked him into the covers.
Her heart sank hearing him cry for his mother. In the past few weeks, she'd picked him up from daycare or even Will's when JJ had gotten caught up later at the office fielding phone calls, stuck in her monthly meeting with the director or trying to squeeze in a few extra files to help keep up with the workload. As far as Emily was concerned, most people severely underestimated the media liaison. She wasn't just the pretty face of the BAU that spoke to the public, outsmarted reporters and spent more time than any of the other team members with victims' families. No one truly understood all that her girlfriend dealt with on a daily basis and in the past month since they'd begun dating Emily still managed to be amazed by how well the blonde held herself together.
Staring at the little boy in front of her, Emily placed a light kiss on his forehead before tucking the blankets tighter around him. "Snug as a bug in a rug," she whispered, just as she'd seen JJ do hundreds of times. Henry smiled sleepily before grasping her hand and giving it a light tug; she knew this routine too. No matter how tired he may be the miniature JJ always needed story time. There'd only been one other time that Emily had been the one to tell it and she hated that his mother wasn't there to spend time with him before he drifted off into dreamland. Picking the book up off of his nightstand, Emily began to read, "Once there was a baby star. He lived up near the sun. And every night at bedtime that baby star wanted to have fun. He would shine and shine, and fall and shoot and twinkle oh so bright. And he said, 'Mommy, I'll run away if you make me say goodnight.' And then…"
"And then his mommy kissed his sparkly nose and said, 'No matter where you go, no matter where you are, no matter how big you grow and even if you stray far, I'll love you forever, because you're always my baby star.'," JJ finished as she walked into her son's bedroom.
"Mommy!" the little boy squealed excitedly, momentarily forgetting how exhausted he was.
"Hey buddy," the blonde smiled as she settled on the edge of his bed next to Emily. "Did you have a good day with daddy?"
"Party," was all he mumbled as his eyes grew weary once again.
"That's right. Tomorrow is your big party." She smoothed a hand through his shaggy blond hair before planting a soft kiss to his brow. "Goodnight baby."
"Night mommy." Henry's eyes fluttered closed as a yawn escaped his lips. Emily and JJ looked adoringly at the fatigued child before getting up to exit the room. "Night Aunt Emmy."
"Goodnight Henry," Emily responded before switching on his nightlight and pulling the door closed, leaving it cracked only slightly. "I'm sorry. I should've texted you to see where you were so you could read to him and tuck him in to bed. He was just so tuckered out. Will said he'd been running around like a maniac yelling about his party and Toy Story. I just didn't know when you'd be getting in…"
"Em, it's fine," JJ interrupted with a smirk, realizing with every passing second just how in love with Emily Prentiss she was. "He has all day to wear me out tomorrow."
The older woman simply grinned as she followed her girlfriend into the master bedroom where JJ was already slipping out of her work clothes and into her pajamas. Following suit, Emily dug through the younger woman's dresser drawers in search of something comfy. She'd almost forgotten which outfits were hers and which were JJ's. In the past month they'd rarely been apart, opting instead to sleep at each other's homes. Their clothes were all mixed together, Emily's shirts blending with JJ's and vice versa. Settling on a nightgown that she knew for certain belonged to her girlfriend the brunette shed her work attire and pulled the black silk over her head.
"Style over comfort this evening, Ms. Prentiss?" the younger agent joked as she curled up under the covers. Tucked comfortably in her bed, Emily's lasting scent surrounded her as she rolled over towards her girlfriend's 'side' of the mattress. It was almost strange to imagine that they'd only been going through this same song-and-dance regime for a little over a month and yet it felt like it had been a habit for years. She loved walking through the front door of her house and knowing that Emily would be there, standing in the kitchen cooking dinner or lounging on the couch with a glass of wine. She loved using her key to unlock the older woman's condo before going upstairs to snuggle in the bed, awaiting the arrival of her lover. Aside from Garcia and Morgan, the rest of the team was still unaware of their relationship which made life both easier and complicated. They both agreed that they weren't ready for everyone to know; they didn't want to jeopardize their team and all that the BAU had fought for. They each hoped that in time they'd have enough cases under their belt to support the idea that they could function as both a couple and team members in dangerous situations, proving that their relationship wouldn't pose a threat to anyone's safety in the field.
"What did Will say when you told him I was picking Henry up again?" Emily questioned as she easily shoved her lover over and situated herself into her normal spot.
The blonde stuck out her tongue before cuddling into her lover's side. "Not much. He just said that I was lucky to have such close friends, especially when I was working late. Garcia went to Will's last week to get Henry so I'm sure that our relationship is a little less obvious because of that. He assumes that I'm simply surrounded by really great people," JJ answered.
"Um, which is totally true!" the older woman said with a laugh. "So when do we tell Will about our little love affair? Or Henry for that matter? For being only four tomorrow he is ridiculously smart. I'm sure he wonders why Aunt Emily sleeps over all the time- in mommy's bed may I add- or why she holds mommy's hand."
"I was thinking tomorrow I'll tell Will. He may talk slow, but he's not stupid. I'm just…" JJ paused wondering if she should voice her concerns.
"Jen? Tell me what you're thinking," Emily coaxed, running her hand down the blonde's arm.
"Will has been really great about everything: our separation, me living inthe house, evenly splitting our time with Henry even though my hours are unpredictable, keeping Henry when it's not his day or his weekend- totally screwing up his own plans. I just wonder how long he'll continue to be so great, ya know. Eventually something I do is going to push him over the edge and I don't want this to be it. I don't want him to think that I essentially left him for you. And I know he's going to be concerned about what this may mean for our son in the long run, having a gay mother. He can't be Prince Charming forever."
"He obliged Cinderella to sit down, and, putting the slipper on her little foot, he found it went on very easily, and fitted her as if it had been made of wax."
-Charles Perrault
Standing on her back porch, she watched her son play happily with Jack and some of his friends from daycare. It was as if overnight her yard had been turned into a giant toy box; the faces of Buzz Lightyear and Woody could be found everywhere and smack dab in the center was an enormous bounce house. She shook her head as she stared at the offending object yet again. By the end of the day she would regret it being there, knowing that one of the children would practically kill themselves bouncing around like a rag doll. Her team members were milling about, drinking, laughing, and spoiling Henry as always was the case. This was her family, in all of it dysfunction. She spotted Rossi sitting at one of the tables, a glass of amber liquid in hand as he tried to fend off a hyper five-year-old. His face turned into a slight scowl as the little girl climbed onto his lap, talking animatedly as she started scratching at his growing beard.
The blonde let out a sigh, realizing suddenly that she was still waiting for Will to say something. He leaned nonchalantly against the porch railing beside her, still processing the fact that the mother of his son and Emily were in a legitimate committed relationship. He ran a hand through his chestnut hair before turning to face her. He knew that look; the way her blue eyes lightened with hope and yet he could still see the fear hidden in them. Never in his life did he think that his relationship with the beautiful blonde next to him would turn out this way. Yes, they were still great friends and rarely argued, but it wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to be the one holding JJ at night, touching her skin, kissing her lips, and running his fingers through those sunshine tresses. It was supposed to be him, not Emily. Nonetheless, he'd meant what he'd told her that night in his apartment. He just wanted her to be happy.
"I'm so sorry, Will," JJ said after a few more minutes of him remaining silent. "I didn't plan this and I didn't do it to hurt you."
"I know that, chère. You wouldn't willingly hurt anyone," Will spoke up with a slight smile. "You don't choose who you love and as sorry as I am that it isn't me… Emily is a great person and Henry adores the ground she walks on."
JJ held back tears as she wrapped her arms around the man that had given her the greatest gift of all. "You know I do love you, right?" she whispered in his ear. "I don't know if I will ever be able to thank you enough for everything you've given me."
"Don't thank me, JJ," he responded, pulling away.
"I'm serious, Will. You taught me that I don't need to be afraid of loving people or letting people love me. And this is going to sound terrible, but without you I don't think Emily and I would be together. I wouldn't have had the guts to tell her how I feel. I wouldn't be this happy."
The man nodded his head in understanding, ignoring the ache in his chest. It sucked; that much he would admit and later on he would probably drown his sorrows in a few glasses of whiskey, but for now he just wanted to enjoy Henry's birthday party. For now, he wanted to spend time with the mother of his son even if it was merely as friends. "Come on. Let's rejoin all the fun. I'm pretty sure I heard Henry yelling at Penelope about how he was ready for cake," Will said, clasping JJ's hand in his and pulling her off the porch.
"Cake!" Henry screamed as he jumped out of the bounce house, barely landing on his feet as he ran over to the table where all the goodies were spread out. Emily smiled at JJ and Will, noticing their enlaced hands, before she lit the candles and they all began to sing.
"Make a wish, kid!" Morgan yelled as he lifted his pseudo nephew off the ground, hovering him above the cake. The four-year-old basically spit everywhere as he let out a puff of air causing everyone to laugh and clap their hands. "Alright. Who ordered the slobber piece?"
"Quit picking on my son," JJ scolded Derek as she began to cut the slices and pass them out. The man held up his hands in surrender, watching Henry swerve through everyone in an attempt to jump into his father's arms.
"Happy birthday, little man," Will grinned. "What do you say you start bugging mommy about opening presents? Daddy's is the best."
"I heard that," the blonde said with a mocking glare. "How about we enjoy one party event at a time, starting with the cake."
JJ and Emily sat at the kitchen island, both of them slumped over slightly, exhausted from the chaotic birthday party, followed by an equally tiring clean up. Henry had cried dramatically when the bounce house had begun to deflate before he'd started screaming at the top of his lungs, literally throwing a tantrum on the porch as guests had filtered out. Will had scooped up the weary little boy, telling JJ that he'd take him upstairs and give him a bath before putting him to bed. Normally the blonde would have followed, but the yard was still a mess and she didn't want the team to do all of the hard work. She'd rolled her eyes halfway through the clean up before letting out an exasperated sigh as she watched Garcia and Morgan get into a cake fight. Somehow, even poor Spencer had been caught in the middle, taking the brunt of the sticky mess. He'd left looking annoyed thirty minutes later as icing coated his notoriously messy hair.
"I've never seen so many children in my life. He didn't have that many friends over at his third birthday party," Emily whined as she rubbed her neck.
"He could barely form a sentence then. The more he talks, the more everyone loves him," JJ smiled as she stood up from the barstool and began massaging her girlfriend's neck. "I think he get's that from his mother."
"I would make some kind of smart ass comment right now, but what you're doing feels too good," the brunette groaned as JJ's fingers dug into her knotted muscles. "Ugh, God. Right there."
"You're so tight, Em."
"That's what she said," Emily laughed.
"Don't make this dirty," the younger woman reprimanded as she continued her ministrations. "The father of my son is still upstairs."
"Actually, he's right here," Will said as he stepped into the kitchen soaking wet. "The monster is in bed. I tried to clean up the lake on the bathroom floor and I threw the towels in the laundry room. Need any help with the clean-up?"
"Luckily, you missed that part," JJ told him as she removed her hands from Emily's tense shoulders. "Thanks for giving him a bath and putting him to bed. You didn't have to dry up the bathroom either. I would've gotten around to it."
"Jayje, he's part of me too. You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for him or for you."
Emily sat feeling slightly uncomfortable as the two of them continued to talk almost as if she wasn't there. She hadn't felt awkward around Will before, but ever since JJ had told him about their relationship earlier she'd felt as if he was sizing her up. Making sure she was good enough. It hadn't bothered her to see the two of them holding hands while they sang 'Happy Birthday' to Henry or to watch them laughing and jumping together in the bounce house with their son, but she couldn't stop the slight pangs of jealousy that had begun to settle upon her as the day wore on. Will had given JJ something that she never would be able to. There was a small person, equal parts of both of them that represented what he and her girlfriend had once had. She and JJ would never have that, no matter how hard she tried.
"Well, I'm gonna go. I'll pick him tomorrow afternoon," Will informed his ex before giving her a hug and walking towards the front door. He had just reached for the knob when Emily came up behind him.
"Will, wait," the brunette requested. She didn't know what the hell she was doing or what possessed her to do it, but she couldn't stop herself from asking. "Are you okay with this- with me and her?"
The man stood there slightly stunned at the question as he rubbed his head uncomfortably. "I don't really have choice, Emily. I want her to be happy and I can't do that, but you can. I see the way she looks at you. She never looked at me like that." Without another word, he nodded his head at her and walked out the door.
The older woman wasn't sure how to take what he'd just said. Was it approval? She shook her head as she turned around to see an equally shocked JJ standing behind her.
"What the hell was that?" JJ questioned, having not heard the entire conversation. "What was he talking about?"
"I just wanted to make sure he was truly okay with me being here and being a part of his son's life as more than just an imitation aunt," Emily admitted.
"I don't need his permission, Emily. And neither do you."
"I wasn't asking for permission."
"Then what?"
The profiler sighed lightly, trying to hide the neediness that she felt creeping into her voice. "Acceptance."
"Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons."
-Jessica Lange
