A/N: This is the last chapter and it is really long so I hope ya'll enjoy! Until next time….
Ch 24
The next morning Emily woke up to find JJ still asleep, practically on top of her. Emily smiled as she brushed some of JJ's hair out of her face. JJ's head was still resting on Emily's chest and her left arm was draped hap hazardly across Emily's waist. She also had her left leg thrown over Emily's legs. As Emily rolled her head to her right she found Ethan curled into her right side and Henry sleeping close to Ethan. Emily wished they could just lay like that for the rest of the day but she knew she and JJ had to be at work in an hour and a half. She carefully shook JJ awake.
"Jayje" she said as she shook her
"Hmmm"
Emily smiled, "Come on we have to get up"
"I don't want to" answered JJ
"I know sweetie, me either, but we don't really have a choice" Emily said as she rubbed her right hand up and down JJ's arm.
JJ slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Emily giving her a small smile. Emily returned the smile as she said, "Good morning beautiful"
"Right back at ya" responded JJ
JJ leaned up slightly to look at Ethan and Henry still sound asleep next to Emily. Then she threw her body weight the rest of the way over Emily as carefully as she could so that she was straddling her waist. As JJ stared down at Emily she couldn't help but smile.
"What?" Emily asked as she looked up at JJ with her blue eyes shining and her blonde hair tousled and falling down around her face.
"You are so beautiful Em and I love you so much" JJ answered
Emily returned the smile as she said, "I was just thinking the same thing about you"
JJ then leaned down and pressed her lips to Emily's. However Emily pulled away suddenly and reached for her lip.
"Oh my gosh, Em, I'm so sorry" JJ said apologizing
"Mmm, it's okay JJ, really" Emily said as she kept her hand carefully over her bruised mouth
"No it's not" JJ said as she leaned back
"Hey" Emily said as she sat up and wrapped her arms around JJ's waist, pulling her in for a tight hug, "It's okay alright" she told her as she felt JJ's arms wrap around her neck
Emily slowly pulled JJ back as she looked into her blue eyes, "I'm fine JJ, really. Besides we wouldn't have been able to continue too far since there are two little ones right here" Emily said with a smile as she nodded to her right.
JJ let out a big smile before leaning forward to kiss Emily on the cheek and whisper in her ear, "Well just so you know I can't wait to take our relationship to the next level…I want you so bad" she told her in a husky voice.
Emily moaned at not only what JJ said, but the sound of her voice and her breath against her ear, "Jayje you're killing me" she told the younger woman as her hands dug into JJ's hips
"Then my work here is done" replied JJ as she rolled off of Emily and got up off of the bed and headed into the bathroom
Emily sighed before falling back onto her pillow.
When they made it to work they went straight to Hotch's office. As soon as they entered Hotch could tell something was wrong.
"What is it?" he asked looking from one agent to the other
"We need to tell you something, but the rest of the team needs to know as well" JJ said
He nodded, "Okay well we are meeting in the conference room in ten minutes, you can tell us then"
Emily shook her head, "We'd like to tell you first"
"Okay" replied Hotch as he nodded to the two chairs in front of his desk, as he himself sat down
JJ sat down in one, but Emily continued to pace.
"Em" JJ said softly
Emily stopped to connect eyes with JJ. Then she looked at Hotch and he raised his eyebrow.
"JJ and I are living together and I'm completely in love with her and they said that I was an unfit candidate to become Declan's guardian" Emily spit out so quickly that most of her words ran together
Hotch stared in disbelief from Emily to JJ and then raised his eyebrow at JJ as if to question what Emily had just said.
"Emily and I are in love and we moved into together…permanently" she said
"Oh" Hotch replied with a nod
"We wanted to tell you first, before we told the team" she added, "And because we wanted your blessing"
"My blessing?" Hotch replied, "I'm not your father JJ, you don't need my blessing"
"No but we know the rules about fraternizing with coworkers, especially members of the same team" Emily told him
He nodded again before he spoke, "Well that's true. And it's really out of my control. All I can say is try to keep your feelings and affection for each other out of the office and maybe nobody else will find out"
"Nobody find out…around here" Emily said disbelievingly
Hotch glared at her as he added, "Well I'm sure everyone on the team will have your back in case anything happens"
Emily and JJ nodded before he stood up from his chair, "If that's it then let's go tell the team the news so we can get back to the case"
JJ stood up from the chair and followed Emily to the door, Hotch right behind them when he said, "By the way, I'm happy for you"
Emily turned around to look at JJ and they smiled at each other before the three of them headed out of the office and to the conference room.
Once they told everyone on the team about their relationship they were enveloped in several hugs, even Rossi, who tended to not be much of an affectionate person was grabbing first Emily and then JJ into a hug.
When Hotch was about to review the case, Emily stopped him.
"There's one more thing I need to tell you guys" she announced
They all looked at her and waited for her to start talking.
"You all know that Declan was taken by social services"
Everyone nodded as they continued to listen.
"I put in a request to become his guardian until Garcia can locate his birthmother" she told them as she smiled slightly across the room at Garcia, "The other day I had an interview with the case manager and she denied my request"
"What? Why?" Rossi questioned as his face scrunched up in anger
"She claims that I'm an unfit candidate due to my past…indiscretions. She also said that I didn't have a routine schedule due to my job "
"You are an FBI agent. That doesn't dictate what kind of parent you are" Rossi spoke up again
Emily smiled lightly at him and his protectiveness that he would always deny.
She shrugged her shoulders, "Apparently it does to her"
"I am going to give her a call right now" Rossi said as he walked towards the door
"Rossi" she said catching his attention, "She might also mention my current living situation, which she was not too fond of"
He squinted his eyes in anger as he opened the conference room door, pulling out his cell phone as he closed the door behind him.
JJ smiled as Rossi closed the door. Then she looked at Hotch who seemed to have a small grin on his face. But when he looked in her direction he immediately lost the grin and cleared his throat.
"Okay while Dave is making his call lets go over this case"
Everyone gathered around the table and sat down to discuss the case.
Later that day they managed to catch the suspect and close the case. As the team filed back into the pen Emily collapsed into her chair, Morgan doing the same. JJ perched herself on Emily's desk as Reid leaned up against Morgan's. Moments later Emily's cell phone rang.
"Prentiss" she answered
Her eyes grew wide as she sat up in her chair. JJ noticed her behavior and slid off of Emily's desk to stand closer to her. After a couple of minutes Emily hung up the phone.
"Who was that?" JJ asked
Emily looked up at JJ and Morgan and Reid who had also moved in to surround her.
"The case manager" Emily said still looking dumbfounded, "She wants to have another meeting with me…tomorrow morning…and she wants me to bring Ethan"
"Is this good or bad?" Morgan asked
"I don't know" she answered as she looked up at them
JJ pushed herself away from Emily's desk and walked up the stairs to Hotch's office. She knocked on the door, waiting for him to invite her in, which he did. When she walked in she found Rossi in there as well.
"JJ what's wrong?" Hotch asked as he stood up from his chair, followed by Rossi
"Emily just got a call from the case manager and she wants Emily to bring Ethan down there tomorrow morning for another interview"
"And this is a bad thing?" Hotch asked
"What if she wants Ethan there so she can take him away also?" JJ said in a frightened voice
"Maybe she just wants to meet Ethan and ask him some questions" Rossi said
"Well yeah, so she can claim again that Emily is an unfit mother" JJ said angrily
"JJ calm down" Hotch told her as he walked up to her, "What time is the meeting?"
"I don't know" she answered
"Okay well find out the time and I will meet you guys there" Hotch told her
"I'll go with you" Rossi added as he looked at Hotch
Hotch nodded to Rossi before looking back at JJ, "It's going to be okay"
She nodded before turning and heading back out the door. She stopped in the doorway and turned around to look at both Rossi and Hotch, "Thank you"
They both nodded as they watched her walk out the door and back down the stairs to Emily who was talking to Morgan and Reid.
As JJ reached the three of them Emily spotted her, "Hey where did you go?"
"I filled Hotch and Rossi in on what was happening. They want to know what time the meeting is so that they can be there" she told her
"I will be there too Princess" Morgan added
"Me too" Reid joined in
Emily looked at her three friends as she smiled and nodded, "Thank you"
Morgan and Reid just nodded and JJ smiled.
"What do you say we go home and get some rest before tomorrow morning" JJ suggested
Emily nodded as she grabbed her bag and followed JJ out of the pen. When they got to the hallway Emily stopped when her phone beeped. She pulled it out and saw a text from Garcia.
"Hey JJ I'm going to go see Garcia real quick. Meet you at the car?" she said
JJ nodded as she watched Emily turn around and head to their friend's office.
As Emily entered Garcia's extravagant office she smiled as Garcia sensed her, saying "Emily my strange and great"
She then spun in her chair and smiled at Emily.
"Hey Garcia" Emily answered, "What's up?"
"Okay I have good news and bad news" Garcia said before looking confused and saying, "Or it could be bad news and bad news if you look at it a different way"
"Garcia just tell me. What is it?" she asked the bubbly blonde
Garcia nodded as she spun back around to her computers and pulled up a birth certificate and death certificate as well as some other papers.
"This is a birth certificate for a woman named Rebecca O'Brian born in 1978"
"Okay" Emily said as she walked closer, "Who is she?"
"According to my research, she is Declan's biological mother" Garcia said as she turned to look at her brunette friend
"Really?" Emily questioned with both sadness and happiness
Garcia nodded as she looked at her friend.
"Where is she?"
"That's the bad news Em…this is her death certificate" Garcia said spinning back around and pulling it up on the screen.
Emily stepped closer to look at the year.
"Oh my gosh, Garcia, she died the same year Declan was born"
Garcia nodded, "I know"
"Are you positive that she's dead?"
Garcia nodded, "I double checked everything and made several phone calls across sea. It seems Rebecca didn't have any family. She was raised in an orphanage and at eighteen got involved in the wrong crowd. That's how she met Doyle."
"Do you have a picture of her?" Emily asked
Garcia nodded as she pulled up a picture showing a long blonde haired blue eyed young woman barely over the age of twenty.
"Garcia she's just a baby. She would have just been twenty one when she had Declan and then died"
Garcia nodded again.
"Do you know how she died?" Emily asked, already knowing the answer
Garcia nodded again, "It took me several phone calls, but I finally found someone who sent me the autopsy report. Her body was found dumped in the mountains nine days after she was shot in the head."
Emily closed her eyes and shook her head before opening them and staring at the picture of the young woman on the screen. She could see a lot of Declan in her.
Emily cleared her throat before asking, "Could I get some copies of the death certificate and the autopsy report?"
"Of course my sweet" Garcia replied as she pressed some more buttons on her keyboard.
"Could you also clear up that picture and print me out one?" she asked her friend
Garcia turned around and looked at the brunette.
Emily smiled, "I think Declan would like to have it"
Garcia nodded as she printed out the papers and picture before handing them over to Emily.
"Em I'm sorry" she said as she pulled her friend in for a hug
Emily smiled as she hugged Garcia back before pulling away.
"Garcia I have another meeting with the case worker in the morning and I'm supposed to take Ethan. The rest of the team is coming down there with me and-"
She didn't get to finish before Garcia cut her off, "Of course I'll be there my brunette kitten"
Emily smiled before turning and leaving the office, meeting JJ at the car. As she climbed into the passenger side JJ slipped her hand into Emily's.
"What's wrong?" JJ asked as they sat in the car
"Garcia found Declan's biological mother" Emily answered as she handed JJ the picture of the young woman.
JJ stared at the picture, "She's just a baby Emily. How old is she?"
"She would be thirty three this year"
"Would be?"
Emily nodded as she turned to look at JJ, "She was found with a bullet in her head two months after Declan was born"
"Oh my God" let out JJ as she squeezed Emily's hand tighter
"I know" replied Emily, "I have all the paperwork that Garcia found. I'm going to take it with me tomorrow and after the meeting I want to go see Declan to tell him about Rebecca"
"That was her name" JJ stated more so than asked
Emily just nodded, "Let's go home Jaye. I really need to see our adorable little boys right now"
JJ returned the nod as she let go of Emily's hand to start the car.
Once they got inside Emily's condo they walked inside and Henry was coming around the corner. Emily immediately scooped him up in her arms and held him tight.
"I love you little man" she told him
Henry held onto her as he said, "I wuv you too Emmy"
JJ stood there after she had shut the door and smiled at the interchange between her son and Emily. Seeing another reason why she was in love with the brunette.
Henry spotted JJ and said, "Hi Mommy"
"Hey there little man" she said as she walked closer and stepped up behind Emily to place a kiss on her son's forehead.
Emily then kissed Henry on the cheek before handing him off to JJ. She then went in search of Ethan. She found him sitting on the couch talking to Katie. She smiled when she saw him.
"Mamma" he said as he got up from the couch and walked over to her to give her a hug
"Hey handsome" she said as she bent down and scooped him up in her arms
She held onto him as tightly as she had held onto Henry earlier, "I love you little man" she whispered in his ear as she walked over to the couch and sat down with him in her lap.
"I love you too Mama" he answered as he shifted his weight to look into her eyes, "Are you okay?"
Emily smiled at him and nodded, "I'm much better now" she told him as she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.
JJ came over with Henry and joined them on the couch. As she sat down next to Emily with Henry on her lap Ethan smiled at her, "Hi JJ"
"Hey Ethan" she responded
Ethan then leaned forward and kissed JJ on the cheek. Emily smiled as she looked from her son to JJ and noticed JJ blushing slightly. She could see how much JJ loved Ethan and she knew the feeling was mutual.
"What do you guys want for dinner?" Emily asked as she looked from one boy to the other
They both shrugged their shoulders.
"Okay well then I guess JJ and I are going go find something to make" Emily said as she lifted Ethan off of her lap so she could stand up from the couch.
JJ followed suit as she went into the kitchen behind Emily. They said their goodbyes to Katie telling her she did not need to come in until later tomorrow. As Emily began digging through the cabinets and the refrigerator for something to make for dinner, JJ pulled out a bottle of wine and poured two glasses. She handed one to JJ as Emily pulled some noodles out of the cabinet.
"Thanks" Emily told her as she took a sip of the wine
JJ nodded as she moved to pull some chicken out of the freezer, "Chicken Alfredo?"
Emily nodded as she began to fill the sink up with warm water to defrost the chicken. JJ then walked over and dropped the chicken into the warm water. While that was defrosting JJ grabbed some lettuce out of the fridge to make a salad while Emily cut up some vegetables.
"Think the boys will eat some broccoli with cheese?" Emily asked without looking at JJ
JJ shrugged, "If you put enough cheese on it"
Emily smiled as she cut up some broccoli for the boys. She then placed it in a bowl with a little bit of water in it and placed it in the microwave for later. Then she cut up the other vegetables for the salad. JJ slid the bowl of lettuce to her so that she could add the veggies. Then she placed the bowl of salad in the fridge so that it would stay cool.
Emily turned around and found JJ sitting on the counter sipping her glass of wine. She smiled as she walked up to the blonde and settled herself between her legs before setting her glass of wine on the counter next to JJ's. Without saying anything JJ leaned down and met Emily's lips halfway. JJ made sure to kiss her carefully so that she wouldn't hurt her.
As they pulled away Emily sighed, "I'll be glad when my mouth heals"
"Me too" JJ said with a wink
Emily smiled right before Ethan and Henry came running around the corner.
"Whoa guys, slow down" Emily said as she turned to look at them
Both boys smiled up at Emily and JJ and Emily's hear melted.
"What are we eating?" Ethan asked
"Chicken Alfredo" answered Emily
"Cool" Ethan replied before he turned around to run back to the living room
"Hey you guys go wash up for dinner okay" she yelled after the six year old
Later that night as everyone was getting ready for bed Emily sat Ethan down on the bed in the guest room.
"Hey little man, remember at dinner how I told you that we have that meeting in the morning?"
He nodded.
"Well someone is going to be asking you questions and I want you to tell them the truth okay" she told him as she looked into his brown eyes which matched her own.
"I always tell the truth mama" he told her matter of factly
She smiled, "I know you do sweetheart"
She pulled him into a hug and kissed the top of his head. As they pulled away he looked up at her and asked, "Will it help Mason come home?"
"I hope so baby" Emily answered
Ethan nodded before he turned and climbed under the covers. Emily pulled the covers up to his chin as she leaned down and kissed him on the nose.
"So are you guys going to end up in our bed again tonight?"
Ethan giggled as he smiled at his mother.
"Because if you are you might as well just come in there now" she said
"Really?"
"Uh huh"
Ethan threw the covers off of him as he crawled out from under them. Emily shook her head as she stood up and Ethan jumped on her back. Then she walked into her bedroom and tossed Ethan onto the bed playfully where he continued to giggle. Emily smiled as she saw Henry and JJ already in bed.
Emily climbed in also as she snuggled in next to JJ.
"You do realize one day we are going to have to get them to stay in their own room" JJ stated
Emily nodded before kissing the blonde on the cheek and snuggling down under the covers.
The next morning came too soon and Emily was trying to make Ethan look presentable while JJ was trying her best to get Henry to wear his nice set of clothes. But all that accomplished was a three year old running through the condo in only a pair of underwear as he tried to escape JJ.
Meanwhile Emily was try to comb down Ethan's dark hair and part it to one side. But as they both looked in the mirror they both shook their heads. Emily then took her hand and shook it through Ethan's hair to make it look more shaggy. Then she helped him button up his shirt and tuck it into a pair of khaki pants.
"Mama I don't want to wear this" Ethan complained as she finished his buttoning his white long sleeve shirt
"Ethan you wear nice clothes to a meeting okay baby"
"But it's itchy" he replied as he scratching his belly and his arms
Emily dropped her head and sighed, "And just what would you choose to wear little man?"
Ethan smiled as he ran out of his mothers bathroom, causing Emily to stand up and follow him. When she finally made it to the guest bedroom Ethan had already untucked his shirt and was holding up his blue t-shirt that said 'Property of the FBI,' in white.
"Baby that's not really something you wear to a meeting. Besides it's cold outside" she told him
He turned around and pulled out a white long sleeve shirt to wear underneath it. He was batting his puppy eyes at her and she finally gave up.
"Fine" she said throwing her hands up in the air, "I guess it doesn't matter what you wear anyways"
Ethan smiled as Emily turned to walk out of the bedroom and nearly got run into by a three year old in his underwear. Emily laughed as Henry grabbed hold of her legs to try to hide from his mother.
"Henry I can see you. Now come here so I can get these clothes on you" JJ said sternly
"Just give it up Jayje. I already lost the battle with Ethan. Let Henry wear what he wants" she told the blonde
"But Em"
"It's really not going to matter Jayje. What matters is what Ethan is going to say in that room"Emily told her
Just then Ethan opened the bedroom door and stepped out with his cargo khaki pants, a long sleeve white t-shirt, and the blue FBI shirt on. Henry took one look at Ethan and shouted,
"FBI shirt"
JJ rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air as well.
An hour later Emily, JJ, Ethan, and Henry were walking into the office of the case manager. The secretary informed them that she would be with them shortly. A few moments later the rest of the team filed into the small waiting room. Hotch took one look at the boys and shook his head. They were both wearing khaki cargo pants with white long sleeve shirts and FBI shirts over the top. Ethan's was blue, while Henry's was red. And both boys were still sporting a beanie to keep their head and ears warm. Ethan had a blue one on while Henry had a black one.
"Really?" Hotch asked as he looked from JJ to Emily
"You have no idea" JJ told him
A couple minutes later the case manager opened her door to find a room full of adults as well as two small children. She looked at Emily and then down at Ethan.
"I would like to speak to Ethan first" she said to Emily
Emily was about to speak when Hotch stepped up.
"Actually I would like to talk to you before you speak to the boy"
"And you are?"
"Agent Aaron Hotchner. Emily's superior" he said in an in charge tone of voice
"Well Mr Hotchner if you like I could set up a separate meeting with you at a different time"
"It's Agent Hotchner and my entire team is here now to speak to you. And given the fact that our schedules are unpredictable, it would be much simpler if you would see us today" he told her
Emily and JJ both bit back a smile at Hotch's comment.
The case manager straightened up before looking at her secretary, "Lisa please clear my schedule for this morning"
The secretary nodded as she turned back to her desk.
"Fine. Who would like to be first, since I am assuming all of you here have something you want to say" the woman said
"Oh I have some words for you alright" Rossi said as he stood beside Hotch
"Dave" Hotch said cueing the older man to stand down
"I'll go first" JJ said stepping forward
The woman looked at JJ and asked, "And who are you?"
"Agent Jennifer Jareau, the woman that she cohabitates with" JJ answered
Emily once again bit her lip to keep from smiling.
The woman's demeanor changed as she looked from the blonde to the other members of the team that were standing in the room. The woman could tell that she could not say anything to the blonde in front of the rest of people.
"Fine" the woman said as she turned to hold the door to her office open.
JJ then followed her in.
About an hour later most of the team had had their meeting with the case worker and told her their feelings on Emily and Declan and the whole situation. As Morgan came out of the office the only one left to go in was Hotch. The woman looked at Hotch just as another woman came through the door into the waiting room.
"And who are you?" the case manager asked, clearly annoyed
"Oh this is Declan's therapist" Hotch said as he turned to face the case manager, "The one I was surprised to find out, that you had not even spoken to regarding Declan. It would seem to me if you wanted to find out what was best for the boy that you would have asked his therapist"
The case manager's eyes grew wider as she looked around the room, "I didn't think it was necessary. Nor am I the one on trial here."
"But it appears as though you should be" Rossi said stepping in
"Listen here" she began
"No you listen here" Rossi said raising his voice, "You tell my friend that she is an unfit candidate to become Declan's guardian due to her job and her personal choices. So what, so she made some mistakes, big deal, everyone does. That doesn't make her a bad parent. Look at her and look at those two boys right there"
Everyone turned to Emily who was sitting on the couch with Henry on her lap and Ethan sitting next to her.
"Does it look like she's a bad parent to you? Does it look like those two boys don't love her?"
"That is not the question here" the case manager replied
"Well it should be" Morgan said as he stepped forward, "All that should matter when you are a parent is how much you love the child and how much you take care of them"
"Exactly Agent Morgan" the woman said, "And she did not take care of her own son for the past six years. Instead she had him hidden away with her cousin. She wasn't being a parent"
"My mama loves me!" Ethan shouted as he stood up from the couch, "She did what was best for me. But she always came to see me for my birthday and for Christmas"
"Ethan" Emily said as she grabbed his arm lightly
"No" he shouted as he pulled his arm away, "Everyone thinks kids don't understand. I know what's going on. You want to keep Mason away from us and I think you want to take me away too. But I won't go and Mason should live with us. We love him"
"Young man you don't know what you are talking about" the woman said as she looked at the six year old
"He knows more than you give him credit for" JJ said stepping forward, "He went through being in hiding and lost people he loved, just like Declan did"
"There are so many things wrong here" the woman said as she threw her hands in the air, "You for starters" she said pointing to JJ, "Are living with a woman you work with…a woman. You shouldn't be raising children together"
"JJ loves my mom" Ethan shouted again, "And I love JJ…and Henry"
"You have no right to talk to her that way" Emily said as she set Henry down and stood up from the couch
"I think everyone needs to calm down" said the therapist who had just witnessed everything as she stepped forward
Emily moved backwards taking JJ with her as they sat down on the couch. Emily took Ethan into her arms and started rocking him to settle him down.
The therapist then said, "It seems to me that nobody is listening to the children. And they are what matter. I've talked with Declan several times since he was placed in the group home. And while he is a sweet kid, he's not happy there and he isn't thriving. All he talks about is going home with Emily and JJ. He talks about Ethan and Henry and how cool it would be to have brothers. And from what I've heard from this little one" she said pointing to Ethan, "He's happy and healthy and obviously loved."
The case manager continued to stare at the therapist as she continued, "And I think it is also obvious that Agent Prentiss has a strong support system. While they might not be related by blood, they are still a family. If not, they wouldn't all be here to support her. I turned in my file on the case regarding Declan and the whole situation. And you can bet that I will be reporting you as well"
The case manager huffed as she stared at the therapist, "I recommend you sign the guardianship papers"
"You can sign them, but know that I will be filling out papers to officially adopt him" Emily said as she stood up with Ethan in her arms.
As the case manager turned around to say something Emily beat her to it, "I found out yesterday that Declan's birth mother is dead and that he has no other relatives"
The therapist turned to Emily and said, "I will speak on your behalf but I think a judge will agree to the adoption. And I'm sure Declan would love to see you as soon as possible"
Emily smiled, "Thank you"
The therapist nodded as she handed Emily the guardianship papers, "Here you go. You're finished here. The next time I see you should be on the day you get to adopt Declan"
Emily smiled again as JJ walked up beside her and looked at the therapist, "Thank you so much"
"You're welcome, now go" she said ushering the team out with a smile
As they got into the hallways Emily looked at Ethan and smiled, "You're a brave boy. You know that"
"Just like you" he said
"Exactly like me" she answered as she kissed his cheek and set him down
Then she grabbed JJ and pulled her in for a kiss. Morgan and Garcia smiled, while Hotch, Rossi, and Reid averted their eyes.
"Let's go get him" Emily said as she pulled away
They all nodded and began walking down the hallway. Morgan had swung Ethan onto his back, while Reid carried Henry. When they got outside Emily stopped and turned around to face her team.
"Thank you so much…all of you" she said as she looked around at all of them
They all nodded before Morgan spoke up, "Alright Princess, go get your boy"
"Hey" Ethan said playfully
"My bad, your other boy" Morgan corrected with a smile
Ethan and Henry went with the rest of the team back to Emily and JJ's while the two women went to the group home to get Declan.
When they got there JJ informed Emily she would wait outside while she went in to get Declan. Emily nodded as she took the paperwork inside. After the woman in charge had read over the papers she went to find the boy while Emily paced impatiently. A little while later Declan came around the corner with a bag in his hand. He looked sad until he spotted Emily.
"Emily" he shouted as he ran and lept into her arms, wrapping his arms around her neck tightly
Emily laughed as she returned the hug before setting him back on his feet.
"I get to go home with you?" he asked
Emily nodded, "Yep they approved me to be your guardian. I'm sorry it took so long." She told him as she bent down and kissed him on the forehead.
"That's okay" he replied as he smiled up at her
"Let's go home then" Emily said as she turned to walk down the hallway. As they walked towards the doors Declan slipped his hand into Emily's.
They walked out the doors and just before they started down the steps Declan spotted JJ.
"JJ" he shouted as he dropped Emily's hand and bolted down the steps towards her. He lept into her arms just as he had into Emily's.
"Hey" she replied as she set him back on the ground
"I'm glad you came" he told her as blue eyes met blue
"I wouldn't have missed it" she told him as she ruffled his long blonde hair
He smiled before asking, "Where's Henry and Ethan?"
"They're waiting at home" Emily told him as she threw an arm around him
"Then what are we waiting for?" he asked excitedly and Emily and JJ couldn't help but smile
When they made it back to the condo Declan raced down the hallway to Emily's door before he turned around to look at the two women.
"We're coming" Emily smiled as she and JJ jogged the rest of the way down the hall to the door
Declan then swung open the door and was greeted by a huge Welcome Home sign as well as a room full of people shouting the same thing. He turned around and smiled bigger than Emily had seen him smile since he was four years old and she couldn't help but smile herself.
Henry and Ethan then ran up to him and gave him hugs and everyone started talking as JJ wrapped her arm around Emily's waist.
"We are so lucky" she said to Emily as she rested her head on the brunettes shoulder
Emily nodded as she wrapped her arm around the younger woman's shoulders, "So lucky"
Ethan then ran over to Emily and JJ and looked from one to the other as he jumped up and down excitedly, "Can we paint our room green? Can we? "
Emily and JJ both laughed as Emily answered, "We'll see handsome. Let's just have fun tonight, okay"
"Alright" the six year old said as he dropped his head
"Hey" JJ said as she lifted the boy's chin with her hand. Blue eyes met brown as she smiled, "Why don't you give Mason his present"
"Okay" Ethan said, his eyes lighting back up
Ethan ran off and grabbed the present before taking it back to Declan and handing it to him. Declan ripped the paper off and opened the box, pulling out a t-shirt. As he held it up he turned it around so everyone else could see it. It was a royal blue color and it whit it said 'Property of the FBI.' Everyone smiled and laughed before Declan walked up to Emily and JJ and wrapped his arms around both of their waists at the same time.
"Thank you"
"You're welcome" they answered
Declan immediately pulled off the t-shirt he had on and put on the FBI shirt over his long sleeve shirt. Everyone smiled and shook their heads at the boys.
Hotch walked up to Emily and JJ with a grin on his face, "You two do realize you are in for some serious trouble, especially when they get older"
The both nodded and smiled, "Hopefully it will be worth it" Emily said
"Hotch thank you…for everything" Emily said sincerely
He just nodded and said, "Just take good care of that boy. He's going to need it."
"Of course" JJ replied before turning and answering the door
Morgan helped her as they carried several pizza boxes to the counter. They all sat around and ate pizza and talked and laughed for the rest of the day. Soon people were saying their goodbyes and heading home. Morgan was one of the last to leave and Emily walked him to the door.
"If you need any help with the painting that I assume is going to take place just let me know" he told her with a smile
"Thanks Derek" she said, returning the smile, "For everything"
"Always Princess" he told her as he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek
Once he was gone Emily slumped down on the couch, exhausted from the long day. JJ joined her moments later as they heard yelling and jumping upstairs.
"What have we gotten ourselves into?" JJ laughed as she laid her head on Emily's shoulder
"I don't know" Emily answered shaking her head
They sat in silence for awhile before Emily shifted, "I think I'm going to go talk to Declan…Mason"
"Tonight?" JJ questioned
"Yeah. I don't want him to think I was withholding the information" she said as she stood up
JJ nodded, "You can send the other two down here with me"
Emily nodded as she headed up the stairs. She opened the door to the guest bedroom, which would soon become the room for the boys. They were all laying on the bed on their stomachs playing with action figures.
"Hey guys, I need to talk to Mason for a minute. Can you two go see JJ" she said as she looked from Ethan to Henry
"Okay" Ethan said rolling off the bed
But before Ethan walked out the door he stopped next to Emily and pulled on her arm. She bent down and he kissed her on the cheek, "Love you mamma"
She smiled, "Love you too little man"
Then Henry and Ethan disappeared out the bedroom leaving Emily and Mason. Mason sat up on the edge of the bed, dangling his feet off. Emily walked over and sat next to him with some papers in her hand.
"Mason I need to talk to you about something" she said looking down at the blonde headed boy.
He nodded.
"You know how I said that my friend was looking for your biological mother" she said as she looked at him
He nodded again, "You found her"
Emily nodded but said, "Yes, her name was Rebecca…But Mason she passed away when you were just a baby"
He nodded as he looked down at the floor, "Did my dad kill her too?"
Emily was quiet for a moment before Mason looked back up at her and she answered, "I'm not positive, but I believe he did, yes"
Mason nodded again, "So what does that mean?"
"It means that if you want to, and you'll accept us, that I would like to adopt you…officially" Emily told him
Mason looked up into her deep brown eyes and Emily could see the tears brimming in his crystal blue eyes as she nodded, "Really?"
"Really" she answered
"Yes" he practically cried as he threw his arms around her waist and leaned into her.
She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight as a tear escaped her own eye.
"Mason there' something else too" she said pulling away slightly
"What?"
"I found this picture of your mom and I thought you might like to have it" she said as she handed him the picture of the blonde haired blue eyes young woman.
"She was pretty" he stated as he took the picture
"Yes she was" Emily agreed as she kissed the top of his head
"Thank you" he told her as he hugged her again
A few minutes later JJ was standing in the doorway with Ethan and Henry, "Well?" she questioned
"He said yes" Emily told them
"YAY" Ethan and Henry both exclaimed as they jumped up and down before running over and jumping onto the bed.
Emily and JJ laughed as the two young boys jumped up and down on the bed.
"Guys, guys, be careful" Emily told them in a motherly tone
JJ smiled as she walked over to Emily and leaned down to kiss her. That was followed by several giggles. As JJ pulled away from Emily they both found all three boys smiling and staring at them. They then looked at each other before jumping up and tackling all three boys to the bed, starting a tickling war.
A couple of hours later Emily and JJ got all the boys tucked in before retiring to their bedroom. As Emily lay on her back in bed waiting for JJ she couldn't help but smile and realize how lucky she was. A few minutes later JJ walked out of the bathroom and climbed into bed, but instead of laying down she crawled over to Emily and straddled her waist.
"Hey" JJ said seductively
"Hey yourself" Emily replied as she latched onto JJ's hips
"So about taking our relationship to the next level" she said as she leaned down to kiss Emily
Emily moaned into her mouth as she felt JJ grind her hips into her.
"I'll take it your in agreement with me" JJ said as she pulled her lips from Emily's
Emily nodded as she slid her hands up JJ's body. But JJ grabbed Emily's hands, lacing them together and pinning them above her head. JJ then leaned back down and began sucking on Emily's pulse point, before moving back to her lips. They continued to show each other how much they loved one another, well into the night.
A month later, just after Ethan's seventh birthday, Declan's adoption became finalized. The entire team came over to Emily's condo to have cake and celebrate the day. As Emily, JJ, and the boys entered the condo, Declan got their attention.
"Can I talk to you guys?" he asked
"Of course sweetie" JJ told him as she brushed some of his blonde bangs out of his eyes
"I've been thinking a lot about this"
"About what?" Emily asked as she looked at him
"I want my name to stay Declan…instead of Mason…is that okay?" he asked as he looked from Emily to JJ
"Of course it is sweetie" Emily said as she pulled him in for a hug, "If that's what you want"
He nodded, "Yeah"
"Okay, then I guess you really are Declan Michael Prentiss" Emily said with a smile as she pulled away from the boy
"Cool" he said with a smile
Just then the rest of the team walked in with the cake and balloons and lots of food. They all celebrated the rest of the day.
That night Emily and JJ walked into the boys room which had been transformed so that it now actually looked like a kids room. The walls were a pale green and there was now a wood framed bunk bed, as well as a little bed shaped like a car for Henry. Henry's bedspread was also the theme from the movie cars. While Ethan's bed spread was Star Wars and Declan's bedspread had a sports theme to it. Once they got all of the kids tucked in and kissed goodnight they headed to bed themselves.
Once they were in snuggled into bed JJ said, "You do realize we have our hands full and nothing is ever going to be the same again"
Emily nodded, "I know, but I really look forward to it"
"Me too"
"I love you Jayje" Emily said sincerely
"And I love you too Em" JJ replied
A/N: Well thanks for going along on this crazy ride! Hope ya'll enjoyed it. Please let me know what you guys think. I may have a sequel if you guys want one, I kind of already have some ideas. But let me know, and thanks again!