Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.
Author's Note: So this chapter is conglomeration of ideas from all my amazing reviewers (Kimd33, crazygirl35, Kat-D11, and CMfan100), so to them, I send out my immense gratitude. Other than that, I love the reviews I get. They make me very happy. So please enjoy and tell me what you think.
After everyone had his or her fill of pancakes, Emily excused herself to take a shower. Breathing heavily as she made up to the top of the stairs, she took a deep breath and slowly made her way to the master bathroom. Stepping into the open shower, Emily groaned as the hot water massaged her sore, stiff muscles. "So good," she moaned. She leaned against the wall; letting her back press firmly against the cool, wet tiles. She sighed at the contrast in temperature and closed her eyes contently.
JJ slipped into the bathroom silently, intent on getting ready for the day. Emily's moans traveled over the steamed shower door and sent bolts of need to JJ's center. Stop it, Jareau. Get yourself together. You are not allowed to get turned on; your wife is recovering, she chided herself as she rubbed lotion over her tanned cheeks. Well it has been over a month, she reasoned. No. You're a grown woman, and if you think about Emily's wet, naked body, you're going to have to make a formal date with your vibrator because you know Emily isn't ready for that kind of physical activity. JJ gasped softly as she heard another one of Emily's moans bend the air around them. I've got to get out of here or I'm not going to be responsible for my actions. God, her mind screamed at her. I just want to jump her bones. JJ quickly settled for brown eyeliner to accentuate her blue eyes. Picking up the sharpened pencil, she slipped from the bathroom again, resigning to put on her make up in the mirror on one of their bedroom walls.
Emily stepped out of the shower and wrapped a white, fluffy towel around her small frame. She walked out of the bathroom and noticed her wife putting on her make up. "You know we have a bathroom for that, right, Jen?"
"Hmm," JJ responded as she tried to think of an appropriate response that wasn't "the thought of your naked body sends me over the edge at the moment." "Yeah, I just wanted to give you your privacy," JJ commented, opting for a little white lie.
"You don't have to do that," Emily replied, moving to the dresser. The sunlight filtered through the partially open blinds, highlighting JJ's blonde hair magnificently. Emily bit her lip as her eyes roamed her wife's body. "You are beautiful, Jen," she murmured as she walked to where JJ stood. Wrapping her pale arms around JJ's middle, Emily rested her chin on JJ's shoulder delicately. "Amazingly beautiful," Emily whispered into JJ's ear. An involuntary shiver ran through JJ's body. Injured wife, injured wife, JJ kept repeating to herself as she tried to keep herself from ripping the towel from Emily's body and reacquainting herself with all of her wife's curves.
"You're not too bad yourself," JJ teased trying to lighten the mood. The sexual tension was palpable in the bedroom. JJ's body hummed at the mere grazes of Emily's fingers against her clothed abdomen. Turning her head slightly, she placed a quick kiss to Emily's cheek before stepping out of Emily's embrace. "We've got to leave for the game soon. You should get dressed. Henry is so excited you're coming to his game."
"Kiss me first," Emily pouted refusing to move from her spot. JJ consented and covered Emily's lips with her own. Immediately, Emily's arms wrapped around JJ's body, her hands coming to rest in the back pockets of JJ's jean shorts. Emily massaged the toned muscle underneath her hands, and JJ moaned into the heated kiss. She reached up, locking her arms around Emily's neck. Emily smiled against JJ's lips as she felt the blonde shudder under her touch. God it has been way too long, Emily thought to herself as her tongue explored JJ's mouth. JJ pulled away as her lungs screamed for air. She rested her forehead against Emily's breathing deeply. "Now, I'll get dressed," Emily said with a victorious smirk.
"You're killing me here, Em," JJ whispered as she willed her body to stop tingling.
"And why is that?" Emily asked knowingly as she dropped her towel, rifling through her underwear drawer.
"I swear all the moisture in my body just rushed south," JJ admitted softly, perching on the edge of their bed.
"Well, I'll have to do something about that later then, won't I?" Emily winked over her shoulder.
"Like I said, you're killing me."
Emily sauntered over to where JJ sat and pulled the blonde into a standing position. "Trust me," she whispered seductively into the JJ's ear. "You aren't the only horny one. I can't wait to feel that talented tongue of yours," Emily started to describe.
"Oh my god, I have to get out of here before you tease me into an orgasm. I'm going to make sure Henry is ready for the game." JJ sighed. She bit her lip and tried to stop the sensual images dancing in her mind's eye.
"You okay, Mom? You seem flustered," Abby asked as she exited her bedroom.
"Yeah, I'm just," JJ trailed off, as she couldn't think of a decent excuse. Her brain was still reeling from Emily's teasing. "You ready to go?" She quickly asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, is it okay if Max picks me up after the game?"
"Sure," JJ agreed as the mother and daughter descended the stairs.
"Where did you put my mitt?" Henry screamed as he pounded on Nate's door. Abby grimaced in JJ's direction as the blonde turned on her heels and climbed the stairs. Henry's clenched fist beat the wooden door soundly. "Nate, damnit. I have to go. Where is it?"
"I don't have it. It's YOUR mitt after all," Nate yelled back as he opened his door.
"You took it to play catch with your friend. Where is it?"
"I don't have it!"
"Hey," JJ yelled over the growing voices of her sons. "HUSH." Both boys turned to look at her expectantly.
"He has my mitt and I have a game like now," Henry started.
"I don't have it," Nate defended.
"You do too," Henry stated again, the volume of his voice rising slightly.
"Obviously, this way of communication isn't working. Let's try something else," JJ suggested. "Nate, where did you put your mitt?"
"In my bag in the garage."
"Henry, go look in his bag and see if he accidentally has two mitts. If not, check the baseball bucket on the shelf in the garage." Henry grumbled, but stomped down the stairs. His cleats violently hitting the wood floor as he trudged towards the backdoor. "Didn't you and your friends play catch in the yard the other day?" JJ asked, now turning to face Nate.
"Yeah," he confirmed.
"Which mitts did your friends use?"
"I don't remember. I didn't go in Henry's bag though, so if his mitt were where it was supposed to be, then it wouldn't be lost. It's that simple."
"Lose the sass, Nate," she commanded.
"Yes ma'am," he responded, though his surly tone partially remained.
"Why don't you go help him find his mitt? I don't care if you didn't take it. Go help him." He grumbled as he closed his door behind him and followed his brother out to the garage.
"Crisis averted?" Emily asked as she stepped out of the master bedroom.
"We'll soon find out. It seems like thy both woke up on the rebellious-teenager side of the bed today."
"Oh, those are just the best day," the brunette commented sarcastically as she slowly made her way to the first floor.
The mitt found JJ and Emily slid into the car with Abby, Henry, and Hayley in the backseat. Rolling down the window, Emily spoke to Nate. "Be home by dinner, okay, kid?" He nodded and offered a good luck to Henry before returning to the house to find his car keys. Merging onto the freeway, the car sped along directed towards the baseball field. A car in the lane to their right swerved wildly into their lane, almost side swiping their vehicle. JJ, often known for her road rage, sent a glare towards the offending car and resisted giving the other driver the middle finger. As she checked her side mirrors to exit, she noticed Emily was deathly pale, and her eyes were screwed shut. Her fists clenched the passenger seat, and she was taking short shallow breaths. JJ reached her hand across the console and placed a comforting hand on Emily's leg. She rubbed her thumb over the exposed skin reassuringly. They pulled into the baseball field parking lot moments later, and Henry jumped out of the car almost before it completely stopped. His team was already running drills on the field. JJ turned to talk to Abby.
"Why don't you take Hayley to go get a drink?" Abby nodded and slid out of the car gracefully with Hayley skipping along next to her. As the doors to the car shut with a soft thump, JJ focused her attention on Emily. The woman still clenched her fists and breathed rapidly, almost as if to stave off a panic attack. "Emily," she spoke the other woman's name softly as not to startle her. "Em, it's okay. Look we're here." Emily's breathing continued to be erratic, and she refused to open her eyes. JJ gently caressed Emily's face. "Look at me, Em, only at me." Emily's eyes fluttered open, and JJ felt a pang of sadness as she looked into the dark chocolate orbs filled with fear. "See," she noted as Emily's eyes opened. "We're here. We're okay. Breathe, Em. In and out," she instructed. Emily took a deep, shaking breath. "Good," JJ encouraged, her hand continuing to tenderly soothe the woman next to her. Slowly, Emily's breathing returned to normal, and her fists unclenched. "You okay," JJ questioned cautiously, not wanting to push Emily any further towards a mental breakdown. She knew her wife would be embarrassed by such vulnerable emotions in such a public place. Emily nodded and swallowed deeply, trying to suppress the fear that had built inside of her. She let out another shaky breath and nodded again.
"Yeah, I'm okay," she confirmed softly, the emotion in her voice giving her away.
JJ smiled encouragingly and laced their fingers together. "Why don't we go have fun as a family? And tonight, we can talk."
"I have better plans for tonight. They don't involve talking," Emily insinuated, her confidence and calm rebuilding.
"Well, we can do both," JJ decided. "Now let's go watch our son destroy the other team's batters." The blonde nodded towards the slowly filling bleachers. Emily laughed and took another deep breath before leaving the car. Walking hand-in-hand, the two women wound their way through the concession stand line before making their way to the bleachers.
"Hello there, ladies," a cool voice greeted them.
"Look, Momma. Granna's here!" Hayley squealed excitedly.
"Mother," Emily asked, flabbergasted. Her voice gave away her surprise as her eyes widened at the sight of the Ambassador sitting on the bleacher between her daughters.
"I told you I was coming, Emily," the Ambassador pointed out.
"Yes, but I didn't know you meant today. I talked to you yesterday. It was yesterday, right?"
"I may have been in the airport when I talked to you. Penelope told me about Henry's game, and I thought I could come support my grandson in his athletic endeavor. Hello Jennifer," the Ambassador continued, offering JJ a brilliant white smile.
"Hi Elizabeth," JJ responded. "Honey, close your mouth. You're going to swallow a bug."
"Are you not pleased to see me, Emily?" Elizabeth asked, her disappointment showing only slightly.
"No of course not," Emily immediately rebuffed. "I'm glad you're here. I am. I'm just a little surprised. That's all. How was your flight?"
"Quite normal actually. Nothing out of the ordinary, so I guess that means it was a good flight. You seem to be recovering quite well," Elizabeth noted, nodding subtly towards Emily's right leg.
"I am. Thank you."
"Look Momma. There's Henry," Hayley exclaimed. She pointed to the pitcher's mound where Henry stood. He seemed controlled and confident, and Emily smiled, beaming with pride.
"My goodness, he's gotten taller," the Ambassador remarked as she watched her grandson.
"He shot up like a bean stalk almost overnight," JJ confirmed. "I'm just glad it's summer and he lives in athletic shorts. That way we don't have to keep buying the boy jeans every time he grows two inches."
"Oh speaking of jeans," Abby interjected. "I need to go shopping."
"For what?" Emily asked. "How could you possibly fit anything else in that closet of yours?"
"Also, about that," Abby started. "My birthday is coming up, and I thought I could have a larger closet."
"How are we going to do that, Abs?" Emily laughed.
"Well, Hayley doesn't need much of a closet. We could just combine our closets, and you could give her a dresser or something." Hayley glared at Abby.
"Don't you touch my closet with your grubbing little fingers," Hayley declared defiantly.
"Don't worry, Hales. Your closet is safe. Abby has just temporarily lost her mind," JJ teased.
"Well, it was worth a try," Abby commented dryly before returning to explain the need for her shopping trip. "So will you take me shopping, Momma?" Emily internally grimaced at the question. First, she wasn't a shopper. She never had been. Her version of shopping was getting in and out of the store in less than ten minutes. The way Abby shopped was nothing short of a marathon day with hundreds of stores and hours of time. Second, she was still easing back into daily life. She wasn't sure if her leg could handle a mall-shopping trip. Abby sensed her mother's hesitation and quickly amended her question. "It's okay if you can't. I understand with your leg and all." Though her words claimed that it would be okay for Emily to decline, the disappointment was evident in Abby's posture.
"Of course we'll go. I may be finding a sitting spot in every store, but we'll definitely go. Do you want to go after the game?" Emily offered. Abby's face lit up with a smile as she nodded her head.
"Thanks, Momma. Oh, there's Max! I'm going to go talk to him."
"Oh I would love to meet him," the Ambassador said.
"You would," Abby asked, her eyes widening.
"Yes, why don't you call him over?"
"Umm…" Abby stuttered. "Yeah, okay." She pulled out her phone and sent her boyfriend a quick text message. Max walked over to the bleachers where he politely greeted both Emily and JJ.
"Hey Mrs. Prentiss. I'm glad you're feeling better," he spoke. "Hi Hayley." The small blonde child looked at him skeptically before waving at him and returning her attention to her book.
"Granna, this is Max. Max, this is my grandmother, Ambassador Prentiss."
He smiled nervously before extending his hand courteously.
"It's nice to meet you," he respectfully commented. "You ready to go, Abs?" He asked turning his attention back to his girlfriend.
"I was thinking we could just walk around here. There's a park over there; we could go swing and hang out," she offered as she descended the bleachers carefully, still holding his hand for support.
"Sounds good to me. Have a great afternoon, ladies," Max said as he tipped his head reverently before following Abby away from the field.
"Well, he seems like a sweet boy," the Ambassador commented. "What do you think, Hayley?"
"I think he talks to me like I'm a four year old. Does he realize I have a higher IQ than he does?" Emily snorted as she tried to hold back her laughter at her daughter's sassy comment.
"He did, didn't he? Well, I for one believe you are much smarter than he is. You're a Prentiss after all. You've got two brilliants mothers." Hayley smiled at her before returning to her book. All three adults returned their attention to the game as Henry walked up to bat. Cheering loudly for their son, Emily and JJ whooped and hollered. He turned around to smile widely at them before knocking home plate once with his bat and assuming his stance. The first pitch sailed through as Henry gauged the pitcher's throws without swinging. On the second pitch, he turned his hips powerfully, and the bat collided with the ball, hurtling it over the head of the second baseman. Dropping his bat, he sprinted towards first base and rounding the corner to try for second. Seeing his opportunity as the right fielder fumbled the ball in his glove, Henry raced for second. Watching his coach carefully, he rounded second and rushed towards third. Seeing the ball fly into his peripheral vision, Henry hit the ground and slid safely into third. The umpire shouted safe, and Henry stood up proudly hovering over the base. His white pants streaked with orange-brown dirt.
With the game over and Henry victoriously chanting with his team, JJ leaned over and whispered into Emily's ear. "Are you sure you're up for a shopping trip?"
"I don't have much of a choice. I'm not going to disappoint her and tell her we aren't going. I want to spend some time with her," Emily admitted. "I'm just going to have to take it slowly and deal with whatever discomfort my leg gives me."
"I know you want to spend time with her, Em, but I'm sure dealing with the discomfort isn't the way to a healthy recovery." Emily shrugged noncommittally.
"Oh well. I'm doing it," Emily said definitively. JJ dropped the subject as she recognized Emily's stubborn persona coming into play.
"Just be careful," JJ made her promise. Emily agreed half-heartedly, but quickly changed her attention to Henry as he ran over to the bleachers.
"Nice job, kid. You were awesome," she congratulated.
"Thanks, Momma. Hey Granna. What are you doing here?" He asked, sweat dripped off his forehead and JJ threw him a bottle of Gatorade from her bag.
"I came to watch you play, of course. You did very well. That was a great slide too."
"Thanks. Dylan invited me to go for pizza. His mom said she would drop me off afterwards. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, go for it. Have your phone?" JJ asked. He nodded and rifled through his bag for his cell before passing her the bag.
"See you later," he called over his shoulder as he ran to catch up wit his friends.