As it turned out, Oscar Lee had been in the beginning stages of starting a counterfeiting ring, and everyone he killed had either figured it out, or had gotten close to it. All of the evidence to this was discovered when the local authorities raided his house. He also had an obscene amount of illegal marijuana growing in one of the back rooms of his house, and after some further investigating, it was discovered that he had already been selling it in the seedy neighborhoods and had had plans to move his business to Florida, and eventually, Cuba. If Oscar Lee hadn't already been dead at this point, the amount of marijuana on his property alone and the sales of it would have been enough to send him to jail for the rest of his life with no chance of parole.
By the time everything was over, JJ and Emily were let out of the hospital and taking it easy, as per the doctor's orders. They were also dreaming of their bed back in Virginia because they'd never missed it more.
The rest of JJ's family that had been flying in from different destinations were all finally in town by the time the ordeal was over and converging at Foxworth Hall. Although the main reason they were gathered was for a funeral, they were pleased to meet JJ's Quantico family, and when they found out that she and Emily were a couple, they were over the moon to welcome her into the fold. They were just as excited to learn about the babies, too.
Because a member of JJ's family had been killed and because he'd spent his entire adult life in the Army, the BAU team stayed for the funeral.
Everything went smoothly during the rest of their time down south… until they ran into a snag when they went to the airport, intending to board their jet so they could go back home.
A snowstorm was coming in, and fast. There was no way that they'd be able to fly any time soon. Adding insult to injury, while the jet pilot still had his room at the hotel, all of the agents' rooms had been given away not long after they vacated them.
In a word, they were stuck in Alabama.
As the team huddled together in a corner of the airport's VIP lounge, it was Emily who thought of the first good idea.
Turning to JJ, she asked, "In your opinion, would Foxworth Hall have room for all of us and your family?"
"Probably," JJ responded as she dug her phone out of her pocket with her good hand. "But if I tell either of my grandparents of our predicament, they wouldn't have the willpower to turn me away because they've spoiled me completely rotten for my entire life, and they also take the meaning of 'southern hospitality' to heart. You all would just have to put up with me speaking French or Russian as a reflex, and slipping all the way back into my southern twang. Once I'm around my mom and everyone, I can't turn it off until I'm on the way home again."
They promised to put up with JJ's ways in her 'natural habitat,' as Derek had so cheekily put it (and after Hotch sent him to arrange for a car that would carry all of them), JJ finally placed the call to the landline at Foxworth Hall.
Her grandmother answered on the fourth ring.
"Hello?"
"Nana, it's Jenny."
Taken aback but thrilled to hear from her again so soon, Pearl chirped, "Jenny, is there something you and your friends need?"
"Yes, actually. We're stuck her because of the storm that's coming, and we don't have anywhere to sleep now."
"Then you all can come here and stay for as long as you need, alright? Everyone is here, bunkering down, but there is plenty of room for you and your team, too. Do you have a car, or should I send one of the chauffeurs?"
At that particular moment, Derek returned and showed them the keys and paperwork he'd obtained for a rental SUV.
"No, nana." JJ told Pearl. "Derek's just gotten us a car."
"Excellent. Then I'll get off the line right now and go make sure there are enough rooms made up for everyone."
"Thank you again." JJ said to her grandmother. "See you you soon."
When she hung up and pocketed her phone, she saw everyone watching her. Except for Hotch and Emily, the rest of them were blank.
"You really weren't kidding about how fast you can slip back into your southern self. That whole conversation was in French."
Blushing, JJ broke things down in English, although she slipped back into her southern accent because she was already at the 'not being able to turn it off' point.
"Nana says that everyone is at Foxworth Hall, but that there's plenty of room for all of us and that we can stay as long as we need to."
The rest of them breathed a collective sigh of relief and as they headed out to wait for Derek to get the car and bring it around to the front entrance of the airport, Emily and JJ trailed a few feet behind them, bringing up the rear.
"Babe," Emily said softly to her girlfriend. "You know what this means, right?"
"That all three of my worlds are colliding?"
"That, and you and I can't leave Alabama without catching your mother up on everything," Emily put a hand to JJ's middle. "That's happened lately."
JJ groaned and held Emily's hands in place as she hung her head. "I forgot."
Emily kissed her on the cheek. "Don't worry. I'll be with you."
"I like the sound of that, but can we sleep first?"
Feeling the exhaustion of the last twenty-four hours, Emily nodded. "Absolutely."
When the team got to Foxworth Hall, they were first greeted by the staff who helped them out of their shoes and coats and even took their bags up the bedrooms for them before JJ's grandfather took Hotch, Rossi, Spencer, Derek, and Penelope on a tour of the house. Kaida, Talley Kay, and Hattie Bell tagged along when Spencer invited them, noticing that they were following him like a trio of baby ducklings. JJ and Emily would have gone, too, but they had a feeling that if they stayed in one spot long enough, Sandy would show up.
Not two minutes later, she did. "Jenny? Emily?"
The pair in question turned to see her walking up to them with baby Annalynn on her hip. Sandy still had bruises from her abduction, but now that she was clean and in her chilhood home with her family and new friends, she was on her way back to feeling like herself again.
"Are you two alright? I know everything is over and that you've both gotten clean bill of health, but I just thinking about your precious cargo."
"We're happy, and so are the babies, mom." JJ told her.
Added Emily, "Thank you for asking."
Sandy smiled at her in a motherly way. "Emily Magdalene, you are as good as my child now, so you're very welcome."
"Hey, wait—how did you know my middle name?"
"Jennifer talks." she winked before turning to JJ and snapping her fingers in front of her face when she saw that she was falling asleep on her feet. "Jennifer Abigail Grace!"
JJ immediately woke up, although in a comical way that elicited giggles from Annalyn and cried, "I'm totally awake!"
Sandy patted her cheek affectionately, smiling in amusement when JJ yawned and rubbed her eyes in an endearing, childlike way with her good hand.
"No, you're not." Sandy laughed. "Go ahead and go to bed with Emily; I can see she's getting sleepy, too."
"But we have things to talk about!"
"It can wait. I made up your old bed for you and Emily. Go sleep."
Grateful, they headed up to JJ's old childhood bedroom and after they making sure that none of their nieces had wandered in, they locked the door, got ready for bed and were asleep in less than fifteen minutes.
Emily woke first almost three hours later, finally feeling back to normal. Her heart jumped when she remembered where they were.
Beside her, JJ was beginning to stir, so Emily positioned herself over her girlfriend's beautiful swollen middle and seeing that her sleeping shirt was askew, she pulled it back just a little it more to reveal JJ's bump. Emily marveled over the sight of it, completely smitten and in love with knowing that two of her children were growing in there.
"Hi, babies." Emily spoke softly to them. "This is your mama talking, and I'm so happy to be able to talk to you now because everything has been crazy lately."
She pressed gentle kisses to the swell, wishing that she could feel the wiggles that JJ was probably feeling on a daily basis. The little one in her own womb was exceptionally wiggly, but she sometimes found herself wondering what it was like the carry twins.
"We need nicknames for you two now because you already have a little brother or sister growing inside me that mommy and I call Baby Bear. What'll it be?"
JJ had woken to the sound of Emily talking to the twins, but she didn't want to ruin the magic, so didn't say anything just yet and listened to her girlfriend talk to the twins for a little bit longer. Emily didn't seem to notice her.
"Call it mama's intuition, my tiny loves," Emily said. " But I think that both of you are baby princesses. That means that we have to think of really cute nicknames, like perhaps Kitty and Ladybug."
By now, JJ was reduced to mush, so she felt obligated to say something. "I think that Kitty and Ladybug are perfect."
Grinning at her approval, Emily kissed her love on the lips, and JJ found herself thinking that it was a good thing that she was already on the bed because she was gasping for air by the end.
"Wow." she propped herself up on her good elbow. "It's been awhile since you've done that."
Feeling lovey-dovey and knowing one of JJ's favorite things to feel were her lips, Emily kissed her a few times on her throat.
"I just love you so much, Jennifer. Meeting you is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
JJ finally sat all the way and, to the best of her ability, hugged her. "And meeting you has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. You are the love of my life, Emilia. You are my always."
Emily deepened the hug. "And you are mine."
They would have stayed happily wrapped in their little bubble, but none of their offspring were having it, and, in different ways, let their mothers know that it was time to get up and rejoin the rest of the family.
Foxworth Hall in its entirety was so huge that after they made themselves decent and they did some exploring, JJ and Emily found the whole of both of their families in one of the larger parlors.
In one corner, they could see Rossi sitting on a char as he recounted a war story to JJ's cousins, Duffy, Samuel, and Connor. They were seated around him on separate chairs, in a semicircle, and Talley Kay on Duffy's lap, taking everything in. Over in another part of the room, Sandy was playing chess against Spencer as Kaida and Hattie Bell watched intently, trying to learn about the game while Derek and Hotch were a few feet away, chatting with JJ's uncles, grandfather, and brother as they took turns reading football scores from the newspaper that they were passing around.
Penelope, meanwhile, was on the couch by the fireplace, basking in the warmth and loving it because she kept palming her baby bump as her little one squirmed around; it got quite respondent to warm temperatures and chattering people. Surrounding Penelope on more chairs or sitting with her on the couch were DeLilah, Archer's wife Cho, Sandy, and JJ's aunts, Magnolia and Sarahjane, and of course, Nana Pearl. They were all knitting together while JJ's relatives shared stories of motherhood with Penelope. Atop a blanket on the floor in front of them, entertaining herself with toys was Annalynn, happy as a clam.
Emily turned to JJ, who was absorbing the scene in wonder.
"What are you thinking?" Emily asked her.
"That's my family hanging out with, loving, and accepting my work family?"
"Uh-huh."
"Then I think that I'm looking at one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen."
Overwhelmed with emotion she turned to Emily and just hugged her again for a minute.
Patient, and remembering that in spite of everything that JJ still had some rehabilitating to do, Emily returned the hug, murmuring comforting things in her ear.
The others noticed that JJ was getting emotional, but let her be for the most part when they saw that Emily was comforting her. Sandy, however, moved one of her chess pieces across the board, called a "Checkmate!" thus ending her game with Spencer, and went to JJ and Emily when saw that they'd moved out into the hallway, away from the noise.
She started the conversation by offering something nice, but also generic. "Nice to see you two awake."
"We are both well-rested." Emily replied.
Glad to the hear this, the older woman turned her attention to JJ and, seeing that she was recovering yet, she reached out and touched her cheek gently.
"Jenny-lou," she used an old nickname on her. "What's happened to you?"
Almost instinctively, JJ turned to Emily, who said, "She's your mother, Jayje. My parents believed you, so if anyone will, we both know that your own mother will."
JJ felt better, so she stood properly and faced he mother, answering her. "I'll explain the story after dinner, but the short of it is that I survived living with a monster. He broke me and I fell apart, but Emily showed up first and has been helping me put myself together. Her parents also helped out when we went to visit over Christmas vacation. I'm sorry I didn't tell you mom. I just wasn't in a good place."
"It's okay, Jenny." Sandy cooed, wiping the tears pouring down her offspring's cheeks. "You said that Emily and her parents have been taking care of you?"
JJ nodded. "Yes, and I really can't wait for you to meet Maximo and Elizabeth because they're both very curious about you."
Sandy smiled at that. "But if you were with three people who really love you during a time when you clearly needed it, then I can't be upset for not telling me until now."
JJ breathed a sigh of relief.
"As long as you weren't alone, then that already make my heart lighter, but I have to ask: is this 'monster' you mentioned the one who broke your arm and put your baby in your belly?"
"He did break my arm in a bad fight, but he, uh, actually put two babies in my belly."
Sandy gasped in surprise. "You're having twins?"
JJ nodded again. "Their father only knew of one of them and he didn't even want the responsibility, but Emily loves them and wants to be their mother."
Sandy looked over at Emily, her heart filling with even more love and affection for her.
"You do?" she managed to ask. "You want to be my grandbabies' mama?"
"I do." Emily answered without missing a beat. "I became smitten when I saw them for the first time on the ultrasound monitor. JJ feels the same way about the baby I'm carrying."
Sandy let up at that and turned back to JJ.
"I may not always be able protect you anymore, Jennifer Abigail Grace, but I will always love you."
JJ came apart at that, crying like a little girl, and Emily just about melted, but then she suddenly felt like she was intruding.
Just as she tried to sneak away, Sandy called out to her. "Wait a moment, Emily Magdalene."
The brunette halted in her tracks, although it was mostly upon hearing her girlfriend's mother middle name her a second time, and watched as she gave JJ what sounded like instructions in Russian. JJ gave a nod of understanding before heading away towards the kitchen.
"You love Jenny?" Sandy asked when they were alone.
"With all of my heart. I know she just told you all of the things that I've done for her, but she's shown me a few things, too."
"Oh?"
Emily's bottom lip trembled as emotions she hadn't shared with her own parents came bubbling to the surface. "JJ was the first actual friend I made when I came to the BAU, and she's also the first friend I've had that has actually stuck with me when it got hard. She even fixed my broken heart."
"Really?"
"Yep, and she even showed me what true love is. I've seen the bond between my parents, and it's really unique because they've been best friends since they were eleven, but I've never had that for myself until I met your daughter. She'll say the same thing about me, that I mended her heart, because she was practically robbed of the ability to process or believe that anyone can love her. She went through a lot, and I'm rehabilitating her because it was that bad, and because I love her."
Sandy didn't say anything, but only because she didn't know quite what to say and she had a feeling that Emily still needed to get some things off her chest.
"I'm older than I look, and this baby," she tapped her middle in indication. "Is the last one that I'll probably ever be able to have because I waited too long, and I already have three angel babies. The first I aborted when I was fifteen because I was really scared, but the other two were IVF babies, and I miscarried both times."
"Does Jenny know?"
"Yes, and I thought it would change how she sees me, but it didn't!" (Emily thought back to the night when she'd told JJ about this) "Now my love is going to be part of the family that neither of us thought we'd ever have!"
Surprised and overwhelmed by the confession, Sandy hugged her close. "Thank you for telling me all of that, sweetheart, and thank you for taking care of Jenny and the babies, especially in the most crucial hours."
"They are my family, and I can't wait to hold those babies in my arms with their little brother or sister so I can give them all kisses, but I really can't wait to spend the rest of my life making JJ happy."
"Are you saying that you want to marry Jenny?"
"Yes." Emily nodded. "I know things have gone fast, but she feels the same way."
"When did you know…?"
"The first time we met, and I've never been so sure of anything in my life."
"Then come find me after Jenny goes to bed." Sandy decided. "I'll probably be in my room."
Emily became taken aback. "I beg your pardon?"
"I have a ring that you can propose to her with. My husband used it to propose to me with, but after he passed away, I sent it down here for nana to keep safe." she explained. "Jenny and I even have the same ring size."
"Wow," was all Emily could say to that.
"Go wash up." Sandy said, nodding towards a door a few feet behind them. "Spruce yourself up so that Jenny doesn't get suspicious."
"Okay." Emily agreed. "I can do that."
The two parted ways, although Emily's head was now filled with ideas of how she could propose to JJ.
