A/N: My sweet readers, thank you for sticking with me through this story. Thank you for reviewing and thank you for reading. We have reached the inevitable; the final chapter. Enjoy, one last time my friends.

"I may not always be with you
But when we're far apart
Remember you will be with me
Right inside my heart"
Marc Wambolt

A few months later

Emily stood in front of the mirror in one of the spare bedrooms in Rossi's house. Rossi was nursing a scotch in the corner while Derek nursed a beer as he lay on the bed. Emily looked over her outfit again, she was wearing a white suit with a lace top. Similar to the suit she wore at their engagement.

Emily could hear Penelope run around in the other room where she and Reid helped JJ get ready. Emily could see Hotch in the garden, where most of their friends and families were already seated. Waiting for them to appear.

''You good?'' Derek asked as he eyed the pale brunette, ''Mmmh. Yes'' Emily nodded. ''Pre-wedding yitters'' Rossi nodded knowingly ''I've had them at all my weddings too''. Emily threw a pillow in his direction ''and look how that ended'' she retorted.

''You'll be fine. You two have been dating for practically 10 years'' Morgan smiled as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, '' Wha-.. not 10'' Emily shyly replied. ''Don't even try it Emily, you weren't all that subtle'' David pointedly said.

Emily laughed slightly before her eyes landed on the clock. It was time to go. Rossi and Morgan followed her gaze before both standing up, putting on their jackets. ''Are you ready?'' David asked, just like he had done a few months ago, his arm outstretched, ready to accompany Emily down the aisle ''as ready as I'll ever be'' Emily nodded before placing her hand on his arm.

Derek held the door open for them, and Emily leaned heavily onto David as they made their way down the stairs. Derek held the door open to the garden when the music started playing, Derek gave her one more reassuring smile before taking his seat.

David squeezed her hand gently before leading her down the aisle, he was the one keeping her steady on her feet as she made eye contact with her friends. David turned her around so that she was looking at him when they reached the end of the aisle.

''I'm proud of you Emily, never forget that'' he said before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, Emily nodded her head as she held onto David tightly ''Thank you Dave'' she eventually managed to say before taking her stand down the aisle.

Henry stood next to her, holding a blue velvet pillow with two rings on it. ''Hey bud'' Emily whispered, tears already taking charge of her. ''Hey'' the boy sheepishly replied, unaware of his surroundings.

The music sped up again when the door that led from the house to the garden opened up again, Penelope and Spencer darted forward, and they took their seats before JJ appeared behind them, holding onto her mother for dear life.

Tears filled Emily's eyes the second her eyes met JJ's, JJ was wearing a long white dress with lace and a sweetheart neckline. Her blonde hair was braided, and she was wearing white flowers in her braid, probably courtesy of Penelope.

She was the most beautiful woman in this garden and Emily could not take her eyes of the blonde coming her way as more tears freely made its way down her cheeks. Emily would hold on to this happiness and carry it with her until they day she died because nothing had prepared her for the things she felt when she saw JJ in a wedding dress, at their wedding.

JJ's mother nodded slightly when she met Emily's eyes, before placing JJ's hand in Emily's hand. Emily slowly looked up, from JJ's hand, her arm, her shoulder up to her tear-filled eyes. ''You look beautiful'' Emily whispered, they had lost all awareness of their surroundings the second their gazes had met each other, ''so do you my love'' smiled JJ.

Both women were only vaguely aware what the person officiating their wedding was saying until they were asked to say their vows. Emily squeezed JJ's hand softly ''I'll start she said''.

''I'm not going to make this too long because I'd go on forever if it was up to me. Thank you for loving me Jennifer Jareau. You've been the glue that has kept me together and I'm grateful that you have allowed me in your life, and in Henry's life'' Emily smiled, her eyes quickly wandering towards the young boy.

''I remember when we first met. I thought you were the prettiest girl I had ever seen. I was anxious, uncertain about my future with the FBI due to a mishap with the paperwork and there you appeared. A literal angel. Every day since that moment, when you enter a room. My heart stops. You are beautiful and every day it feels like the first time. True love is about firsts, because I get excited every time'' Emily muttered, trying to wipe away the tears on her cheeks as she spoke.

''I always got annoyed with you'' chuckled Emily, ''because you saw me. You really saw me. But in the end, I can't tell you how grateful I am that you saw me. I love you, and I will love you for the next fifty years. Thank you''.

Emily wanted to tell her so much more, but her tears were clouding her vision and her hold on JJ got tighter as she stood there, but everything became clear again when JJ softly spoke her name ''Emily''.

''It's always been you. I remember it so vividly the way I only felt ready to give birth to Henry when you were holding me, soothing me. It's always been your words that made me feel better and at ease. It's always been you that made me feel safe'' JJ started.

''Except it took me a few years to realize that'' chuckled JJ, wiping away some tears away as she did. ''You were patient as I figured it all out, sometimes maybe even a little bit too patient. But I'm so happy you stayed until I was ready to admit what I had known all along. That I was in love with you too'' JJ smiled.

''I want to wake up to you making us coffee while I bake pancakes every day for the next fifty years. I want to hold on to the groggy way you look at me when you've just woken up. I want to experience so much more. But I want to do all of those things with you until the day we die. Not in the near future I hope'' JJ chuckled.

''Emily Prentiss, thank you for allowing me to love you'' JJ whispered before tears took over, Emily leaned forward and wiped a few tears away with her thumb as the wedding officiator continued his talk.

''…..I now pronounce you… wife and…wife'' he said, and Emily immediately crashed forward. Her lips meeting JJ's in an eagerness they had every time their lips met, as if it was their first kiss all over again.

They let go of each other to catch for air, before Henry appeared beside them, holding up the velvet pillow with the rings. Emily took the first one and gently slipped it onto JJ's finger, placing a kiss on the ring once it was in its place. JJ did the same, their eye contact hardly ever broken.

And then the crowd erupted into cheers and clapping, and Emily finally broke their eye contact to look at their friends. Penelope was leaned against Derek, both of their eyes filled with tears, but Derek was desperately trying to hide that.

Hotch had possibly the biggest smile on his face that she had ever seen, and David was also desperately trying to hide his tears. Next to Hotch sat Spencer, he was clapping excitedly. He looked genuinely happy, and that's not something he often looked.

Emily turned back to look at JJ, both women had red cheeks from the crying as they wrapped their arms around each other. Holding on as though one or the other was about to fall. ''I love you so much'' Emily cried as her head rested on JJ's shoulder, ''I love you more'' JJ replied ''not possible''.

The music changed after that and Blackbird by the Beatles filled the garden, ''may I have this dance?'' Emily smiled as she reached out her hand, ''yes you may'' nodded JJ as she intertwined her hand with Emily's.

They danced until well after dark, the garden only lit by fairy lights that Penelope had hung up for them. ''I wish I would be able to put this feeling in a bottle, that way I'll be able to reach for it anytime I need to'' Emily whispered in JJ's ear. ''That feeling will always be in here, my love'' JJ smiled as she placed her hand on Emily's chest. ''Thank you for showing me happiness'' Emily said, ''thank you for allowing me to show you that'' JJ replied.

It was love that had kept Emily standing, but it had also been her strength. Something that was locked away, for Emily the key she needed was love. But it's different for everyone. Their love had not magically cured Emily, but it had given her a reason to go on, to get help.

And Emily would be eternally grateful that she had decided to go on because it turned out that life had its beautiful sides, she just needed someone to show her those beautiful sides. Emily and JJ supported each other until the very end, holding each other like they were holding each other for the first time. And finally, Emily felt loved, because she realized she had been loved all along, but she struggled to see that until JJ showed her just that. Love is there, sometimes you just have to look for it.

The End

A/N: That's it my loves! Their happy ending. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing this. I just want to give everyone a reminder to hold on: it gets better, maybe not today or tomorrow... but someday.

Stay tuned because I'll be starting a new criminal minds story very soon….

Love, your author.