"Anyone who is in love is making love the whole time, even when they're not. When two bodies meet, it is just the cup overflowing. They can stay together for hours, even days. They begin the dance one day and finish it the next, or-such is the pleasure they experience-they may never finish it. No eleven minutes for them."
― Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes
Tara and JJ exchanged glances as they watched Emily, their boss Emily, walk gingerly back into her office and shut the door. They had finished their files and were going through some consultations, but if they were being honest, they were spending more time gossiping than working.
"Should we tell her?" Tara mused, spinning the pencil between her fingers.
Stephen Walker, the newest member of the team glanced up and shook his head. "I've known Emily a long time, she's gonna be PISSED." He leaned back in his chair and stared up at Emily's office door. "Though, it is kind of funny."
JJ nodded, sipping her tea. "Hilarious actually, but...we should probably go tell her. See if she even knows about it." She looked towards Tara who shrugged, getting to her feet. It was better to go in numbers. She knocked at the door softly and let herself in.
"Ummm Em…"
Emily looked up from her work and put her pen down. "Jayje. Tara. What can I help you with?"
JJ sat down across from Emily and looked up at Tara who followed suit. "Um...did you…" She looked at Tara for support who just shrugged. "Emily you have a giant hickey on the side of your neck."
All the blood rushed from her face and Emily rushed from her desk to the small mirror she kept in the cabinet. "That mother fucker." She muttered, looking back at Tara and JJ. "I'm going to kill him."
Tara laughed and got to her feet. "I'll go see if Garcia has a scarf you can borrow." She said, a wide smile on her face.
The blonde walked over to her best friend and gave her a gentle smile. "At least we don't have a case or you don't have a meeting…" She said gently. "It could be worse."
Frowning, Emily tugged at her shirt. "I'm gonna text him right now." She muttered, grabbing her phone and started typing away on her phone. Setting it down with a loud thud she ran her fingers through her hair.
"I'm glad that you and Derek are...having fun?" JJ said, her intonation creating a question.
Dark hair swirled and Emily exhaled loudly. "Just stop trying to make it better, JJ." Sitting down at her desk, she shook her head. "I'm the BAU unit chief and I have a HICKEY. Jesus, if Barnes or anyone else saw…" Her hands shook with anger and she flexed them a few times. A few deep breaths and she exhaled slowly. "We, all of us, me, you, Tara, even Penelope, we all work twice as hard as any of the men to get where we are...and it could get derailed for something as stupid as a fucking hickey."
It was odd hearing Emily swear. She was usually the most put together one out of their group and seeing her this rattled was...unnerving.
"No one saw, Em." JJ reassured her friend. "Just us."
Face darkening, Emily shook her head. "I've been trying so hard to get here and…" Her hand flew up to her neck.
The door opened and Tara stepped in with a couple of different scarves. Reading the room, she stayed silent and handed the scarves to Emily. She wasn't a scarf wearer, but allowed Tara to tie one around her neck to hide the hickey.
Derek wandered up from the Vicap floor, a hoodie in his arms, a smirk on his face. He gave Stephen a salute and nodded at Luke, both of them exchanging worried looks as the other unit chief took the steps two by two up to his fiancé's office. In hindsight, they probably should've warned him.
Knocking on the door, he didn't wait for an answer and swung it open. The three women turned and stared at him, Tara and JJ flanking Emily on either side. His eyes narrowed and he frowned. "Why are you wearing that scarf? Isn't that Garcia's because you don't take me for a rainbows girl…"
Both Tara and JJ exchanged glances that could only be read as worried and the taller of the two raised her hand in a mock salute. "Peace out, Derek Morgan."
"God speed." JJ added as they quickly left, shutting the door behind them.
Emily pulled the scarf off and tilted her head to the side. His eyes fell to the dark mark on her pale skin and a flush of pride washed over him. HE made those marks. Reaching out, his fingers ran over the bruise momentarily, pulling away when her hand slapped his hand away.
Anger flashed in her eyes and she shook her head. "Don't. Don't even go all macho and take pride in the fact that you MARKED me." Emily sat down on her desk and shook her head. "Derek, what if someone else saw this? Someone that isn't on the team?" She shifted her weight from leg to leg, still sore from their night of lovemaking.
He shrugged. "I didn't exactly think about that."
"Obviously." Emily grabbed his hoodie from his arms and put it on.. She sighed heavily, brushing her fingers through her hair.
"I'm sorry." And he was. Honestly and truly sorry. Some things that he did previous, with other partners, didn't fly with Emily. With a few steps, he closed the gap between them and he wrapped his arms around her. "I promise I won't do it again."
That wasn't the solution she wanted, because she LIKED it, but not where it was visible. "How about next time we do it somewhere that we know is going to be covered?" Leaning forward, Emily pecked his lips softly.
"Alright." He returned her kiss gently and zipped it up. "Thankfully neither of us are on call this week." Derek reasoned softly.
"Thank goodness for small mercies." Emily stood up and slowly walked around her desk. His eyes were on her and she sat down
before shooting him a glare. "Yeah yeah yeah Mr. Caveman. I'm still sore. Now go away and get back to work."
His laugh could be heard through the closed door before he emerged and sauntered back to his own floor, his own office. It wasn't until after lunch that anyone dared to visit Emily, who for all intents and purposes, seemed completely normally minus her slower movements.
Despite swearing they weren't going to fill the pool until next year, the heat wave in Virginia made it easy for them to nix that decision and fill it before their housewarming. Emily was wearing a light blue tank top and jean shorts, while Derek wore a light grey tshirt and bright green shorts. The pool was full, with a fence surrounding it. A small fire pit sat in the corner, unlit but ready for sunset. Emily was dumping ice into the cooler and tossing in drinks when their doorbells rang. JJ, Will, Henry, and Michael stood there, JJ with Michael on her hip and food in her free hand.
"Come on in guys." Emily smiled, reaching for the food in JJ's arms. "Derek's out back, we have some games and stuff set up, and the pool is full of water."
Henry cheered and tore through the house, a beach bag in tow with Will fast on his heels.
JJ rolled her eyes and put Michael down, the little boy following after his brother and Dad. "I'm so glad that you guys decided to live in Fairfax." The blonde said, walking over and helping Emily with the drinks. "We're literally like a ten minute walk from each other."
"I'm glad too. It's quiet, easy access to the freeway…" Shrugging, Emily closed the cooler. "It's a good place to...you know. Be married…"
"And start a family?"
Another shrug followed by silence.
The blonde let the topic drop. For now.
Soon, the backyard was filled with people. Stephen and Moncia with Monica and Eli, Tara, Penelope, Dave, Luke, Spencer. The kids were in the pool with Will and Stephen while everyone else mingled. Soon the gate opened, and Taala and Mackenzie appeared, the younger of the two toting a heavy lidded Noah.
"Sorry we're late." Taala apologized, handing Emily a tray of desserts and a salad. "We had to fight Noah to take a nap."
The little boy blinked sleepily before reaching for Emily, leaning so far that he almost slipped from his mother's arms. Emily handed the food off to Penelope and scooped up the little boy. He sighed happily and cuddled into her chest. She did a quick round of introductions before sitting down on the grass with the little boy in her arms. Mackenzie disappeared to talk to Derek and Dave, while Taala grabbed a drink and sat down next to Emily. Noah, for his part, seemed content to cling to Emily until he fully woke up. He gave her a smile, before eyeing up the pool.
"We brought his swim stuff, I can get Kenzie to change him." Taala said as she quietly took in the scene and the people around her. Parties weren't her scene, and parties that she didn't know anyone at even less so. Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair nervously.
Mackenzie returned, passing her wife a bottle of beer before flopping on the grass dramatically. "It's hot." She stated. "Imma go take the Chunk in and we'll get dressed and hop in the pool." She pressed her lips against her wife's ear and whispered something that caused the older woman to laugh. Mackenzie grinned and got up, kissing her wife's head before scooping up their son. "Let's go, Chunk."
They disappeared inside the house with a large bag. Emily gave Taala a smile and motioned towards where the other women were standing. "I'll go introduce you. You'll like them." She said getting to her feet. Taala followed silently, standing nervously to the side until Emily introduced her to everyone. Tara picked up on her nerves and started an easy conversation with the Taala.
Both were well educated and had similar interests.
A few minutes later, Mackenzie reappeared wearing a yellow racing back style bikini top and a pair of low slung board shorts with Noah, in a blue and green swim top, matching shorts and a hat. She dropped the bag off at Taala's feet, her hand brushing over her wife's hand.
"He's sunscreened?" Taala asked, adjusting the little boy's hat.
"Unhappily, but yes, we both are." Mackenzie replied giving the other women a smile before pulling her sunglasses off her head. "Let's go into the water, little man."
Even with a baby in her arms, she turned heads. Tall, dark, fit, with tattoos that adorned her dark skin on portions that would be covered by a uniform. Taala watched her wife before looking back with a blush. "Sorry." She mumbled.
Tara shook her head. "Don't be, your wife is hot." She said raising her beer. Penelope nodded. "Totally."
Rolling her eyes, Taala watched her wife and son in the water before turning back to the conversation.
It didn't take long before people had migrated towards the pool, either full on swimming, or feet in the water. Emily looked around, taking in the scene. This was what she imagined her family to be like. Growing up she didn't have this, she didn't have the laughter or the fun, but it's what she so desperately craved and wanted. Derek sat down beside her, their feet in the cool water and he wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder and just stayed silent, taking in the scene.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Derek whispered.
Emily shook her head. "Just thinking about how amazing this is." She said honestly. Keeping a close eye on the time, Emily nudged Derek to start the grill and got up. The pool emptied out as everyone started to get out of the pool and change.
Scooping up the wet toddler, Taala went and changed him while Mackenzie twisted her hair up on the top of her head and changed into shorts and a USMC tshirt. "We brought some food. Taala made hummus and pitas, I made a quinoa salad and some veggie skewers. Oh, and dessert. Cuz you know, I bake." She said with a shrug. Noah came running out wearing a change of clothes and ran past his mother and straight to Emily.
"Up." He ordered raising his arms and waited until Emily held him. Leaning his head on her shoulder, Noah gave her a small smile. "Nice mee you. I Noah." He said proudly.
"Nice to meet you Noah, I'm Emily." She replied as he giggled, burying his face in her chest. One handed, she started to set out plates. Noah reached down and grabbed a piece of cheese and munched on it proudly.
Raising an eyebrow, Emily brushed his damp curls off his head. "Are you allowed to eat cheese?"
"Yah, I do." He replied seriously before chewing it.
Emily glanced over at Mackenzie who nodded. "Yeah, it's fine. He still breast feeds a bit, but he's on mostly solid foods." She said with a shrug. "Mostly soft foods right now, but cheese is fine. He's a hummus eating machine though." Setting out all of the food, she looked over at Derek. "Yo, G-man, the grill ready to go?"
Laughing, Derek flipped a few more burgers. "Yo, they're ready, Jarhead!" He replied, his voice light with teasing.
Mackenzie rolled her eyes and shot Derek a glare before looking over her shoulder. "Food's on." She called making a small plate for Noah with a pile of hummus, some cut up cucumbers and tomatoes, and some small pieces of cheese. She also had a small bottle of water with a built in straw for him. "Come on, buddy."
The little boy shook his head and clung to Emily. "Emmy." He announced, pressing his face against Emily's, his little fingers tight.
Emily ran her hand over his soft curls. "It's fine, Mackenzie. I'll sit with him, I'll get Derek to make me a plate." She sat at their patio set, adjusting Noah on her lap. Taala and Mackenzie appeared quickly thereafter along with Derek. The darker agent slid his chair next to his fiance's and helped her with the small boy on her lap.
The rest of the team had separated into smaller groups, though far enough away from Derek and Emily that they could speak freely about their friends.
"They should have kids." Penelope said softly, a wistful look on her face. "Baby Morgan Prentisses would be the cutest thing ever."
Spencer dipped his pita in the hummus and chewed it thoughtfully. "Genetically their children would probably be quite attractive. Both of them have good genes, though Derek's recessive genes would be far stronger and they would no doubt end up looking more like him. Especially complexion wise, though did you know that there was a case of a woman who gave birth to twins with her husband in England, and one child was white and the other was black." He stopped and looked at his friends and shrugged. "What?"
Taking a swallow of her beer, Tara shook her head. "Does anyone even know if they want kids?" She reasoned. "I mean I was married and I don't ever want kids."
JJ stayed silent, just watching her best friend with the little boy. Dave took a bite of his burger and shrugged. "Who knows, maybe they're already trying?"
"Totally! After that love bite Prentiss had on her neck this morning, they're totally trying!" Luke exclaimed with a laugh. He raised his hand for a high five before glancing around and slowly dropping it.
"There are lots of other reasons for copulation, not just procreation." Spencer replied seriously.
Closing her eyes and sighed, JJ walked away and went and sat with her family, though kept a close eye on her best friend.