Chapter 29

Later the were sat down making a list of the things they wanted their new home to include. Both JJ and Sam wanted a garden even if it wasn't very big. The younger Prentiss wanted a pool table to which JJ added a dartboard. Sam also wanted to decorate her own room.

"What about a bowling alley or a swimming pool?" teased Emily, grinning. All three were aware anything with a pool was out of their price range. But a Games room was certainly a possibility.

"I get to keep the double bed?" asked Sam, grinning. "It's comfy."

"JJ's bed is better," returned Emily without thinking then blushed. Sam laughed, she was seeing a whole new side to her mother.

"Hey," said JJ poking the brunette in the side, "You mean OUR bed."

"Yeah, I meant that," said Emily, smiling sheepishly, sending a mock glare at her daughter who was still chuckling.

It did bring up the topics of bedrooms though. "Do we want an extra bedroom?" asked JJ, more seriously. She noticed her girlfriend glance at her daughter then she nodded.

"It can be a guest bedroom or an office."

"Okay," JJ would find out later what that look meant. The next thing was to make space in her room for Emily's clothes while the brunette moved hers. Sam sat on her bed watching her mom folding her things into a neat pile.

"Making sure I don't forget anything?" asked Emily with a grin.

Sam grinned back, "I'm really not turfing you out, you know."

"I know." said Emily, ruffling her daughters hair.

"So what I told JJ didn't make you do this?" Sam knew the blond would have told her mom what she had said.

"It made me think," admitted Emily, quietly.

"About?"

"How much I care about JJ."

"You didn't know that already?" asked Sam, confused.

"Yes I did. It's complicated." When Emily had told her daughter about her grandmother she had kept to the bare facts. She thought about how to explain it.

"Does it have anything to do with being sent away to school?" asked Sam, she loved boarding school stories in books, but the characters in those books had loving families something her mom did not.

Slowly Emily nodded, "I had to do everything she wanted, so I learned how to control my emotions, reactions. That's the main reason I raised you the way I did. I didn't want you to experience that. And while I learned how to express what I felt it wasn't easy. You were too young to remember me struggling with this." Emily sighed. "With you I could just be myself."

"But I think you are with JJ"

Emily nodded in agreement, "Mostly I am. I've never met anyone like JJ. It's a little scary letting someone new in." Okay maybe ALOT scary but Sam doesn't need to know that.

"So you were holding back?"

"Yes I was."

"And now?"

"No." Emily smiled at her daughter. "Not any more."

"Good." Sam liked her new family. Emily wrapped her daughter in a bear hug.

"I love you more than anyone else in the entire universe, that will never change."

"I think you're allowed to love JJ that much too," countered Sam, hugging her mom back.

"Thank you." It was spoken so softly that the younger Prentiss wasn't positive she heard it at all.

JJ had been meaning to sort through her clothes for a while and this was just the kick in the butt she needed. Half an hour after starting she had four boxes to go to the Salvation Army and more importantly Emily now had half of her closet space. The brunette herself walked in a moment later carrying an armful of clothes, Sam followed carrying another pile.

JJ laughed.

"What?" asked Sam.

"Making sure your mom doesn't forget something or moving her out as fast as possible?"

Sam knew the blond was teasing her. "Both." She grinned cheekily, "So do we need ground rules for you two?"

The two woman looked at each other, "I hold her, you tickle her?" suggested JJ.

Sam's eyes widened in horror then she fled leaving the adults to collapse on the bed laughing.

When the teen emerged from her room she found her mom and JJ sat at the dining table with files and pages full of notes spread all over it.

"Homework?"

"Yep," replied Emily looking up, "Have you done yours?"

"Yes Kendra brought it. I did it while you were putting your stuff in JJ's room... I mean your room." Sam got herself a glass of milk from the refrigerator, "Can I move the furniture around?" She directed the question to JJ as she technically owned it.

"It's yours now," returned JJ, "Do you need help moving it?"

"Thanks, I'll yell if I do. Night." She hugged her mom and then JJ before retreating back to her room.

Emily sighed as she went back to the files on the Coach. "He's smart, I'll give him that."

"When Garcia finds Brooke we might get some answers." said JJ,shuffling her own pile of papers. "I wonder where the attitude towards woman comes from?"

"Could be his own father, an uncle or a girlfriend," replied Emily, it could have been learned from the example of someone else or he could have discovered it on his own during his own encounters with the opposite sex. They still had no evidence that lead them to believe the man was anti-gay personally. "We have to be missing something." she groaned in frustration.

"We'll find it," said JJ soothingly, moving to stand behind her girlfriend to rub her shoulders. "Penelope will find Brooke even if she's in outer Mongolia."

Emily chuckled at that, the bubbly tech expert was a miracle worker.

"Come on it's late, we're both tired and we might miss something. It'll be fresh in the morning. Maybe we could find a reason for Morgan to go and talk to him, we'll know if he's racist at least."

"That's not a bad idea," admitted Emily, "If I talked to him and even suspected that he knew Sam was going to be hurt..."

"Come on, bed." ordered JJ.

"Yes ma'am," replied Emily softly.

This time the brunette wasn't so nervous as she slid in next to the blond. JJ immediately snuggled into her arms. "Good night Jennifer."

"Ditto," returned JJ sleepily.

"Sweet dreams."

TBC...

A/N. Hi guys. Thank you so much for taking the time to read, fav, follow and review. If you're anything like me I have loads of stories I'm following and sometimes I don't get around to reading the new chapters right away. I appreciate the support. Have fun and stay tuned. T-Rex :)