Both LaMontagnes looked at Emily in trepidation.

There was definitely more than one somethings that needed to be addressed, but all further discussion was halted until Emily's return from her date. Leaving her out felt wrong since she had all but pledged her allegiance to this... quest. If that was even the word.

Emily sounded puzzled. "What about your mother? Will, I thought you said that don't know anything about her."

"I don't," he admitted. "But then I was hit with a memory out of the blue. It's just more of who than a what. Her name is June McCann."

"That's really specific. Who was she?"

"Therein lies the rub. I know I've heard the name somewhere before, but it had to have been back in New Orleans. Where, exactly? When? Why? Those are the things I'm stuck on."

Emily had been completely reeled in by now. "Please tell me what on earth prompted this recollection of June McCann."

"JJ asked me to get a box for her from the attic about twenty minutes ago. I found it, but it knocked a different box loose on that shelf. Some things even fell out." Will gave a shaky laugh. "None of this is being made up."

"I'm well aware that this definitely sounds that way, but after all these years, I've never had a reason to doubt you on anything. Not once. What were you looking for in the first place?"

JJ spoke up here. "I asked him to see if he could find a box of journals I kept as a kid. It's the other box that matters."

"Oh? And what was in it?"

Will said, "Old books of my dad's. This fell out of a copy of Paradise Lost."

He handed her from his shirt pocket an old photograph. Emily found herself gazing upon the image of a strikingly beautiful young woman. She was dressed very nicely, and with her hair, makeup, and shoes done just right, it looked as if she was getting ready to go some place nice. The photographer had even caught in her in a pleasant mood because she was laughing.

"Look at the back." Will said.

Emily turned the photograph over. It read, June McCann. August 1976.

She looked at her friend again. "This is what was in the box?"

"Yep. I also know that I was born in February 1977."

"That's just six months after this picture was taken." Emily observed.

Will nodded. "Yes. There's also a surefire way I know that this was taken in New Orleans. Do you see that bush behind June?"

The plant in question looked more like a tree in Emily's opinion. Each branch protruding from it was covered in a plethora of white blossoms, and they all seemed to be coming out of the trunk like a fountain.

"I see it." Emily told him. "The plant is very beautiful. What's it called?"

"Bridal Wreath Spirea. It's native to New Orleans, and I know that because it grew all over my old neighborhood. Even after the hurricane."

Emily had something of an epiphany. "What if this was taken at your parents' place?"

Will almost sounded defeated. "It could have been, for all I know."

"But no idea who June McCann was? Or is?"

"No. My mother was out of my life by 1979, and it's like my father erased all trace of her after that." Will ran his fingers nervously through his hair. "I always figured that she broke his heart. Or he broke hers."

Emily gave him a pat on the arm. "What would you do if you could meet your mother?"

This brought up a whole slew of emotions, but Will did his best to keep it together. "I would ask her why she never came back, and I would also try to be friends. If she wanted it."

"Those are good goals. Any ideas what you would do if she has a new family?"

"I guess I'd want to know their names, but if they want to me to stay away, then I would. Knowing they were out there would just have to be enough. It would all be the end of a lifetime of wondering—I would be able to move on."

Emily regarded Will with something like pity. She had never seen this type of vulnerability from him before, like a worried little boy.

"Thank you for sharing all of this with me. Do you want us to look for June?

"Yes." he confirmed. "What do you think?"

The gears in Emily's head were already whirring fast. "You better believe we'll help, and I've even already had an idea. It just involves a 'third party,' if you will."

JJ's eyebrows lifted in surprise when she realized that her partner was driving at. "Emelise, are you sure?"

She didn't miss a beat. "Don't pretend like it didn't cross your mind, Jennifer. Be real."

JJ sat in defeat because she knew that Emily was right. This was going to be a fun ride.

"Someone want to clue me in?" Will said pointedly after a brief pause.

Emily spoke seriously. "Will, some of the matters that surround June McCann are a tad outside of my personal depth. Even your wife's."

"Like the power of your searching, and how you execute it?"

"Mhm." said Emily. "So we're back at that third party option again."

"Well?" the man pressed. "What name did you come up wi—oh…"

"There it is." Emily praised.

Will chose his words carefully. "If we go about this to the full extent, we would have to bring in Penelope."

"Bingo."

Will trusted Penelope wholly. If he didn't, he would have never agreed to name her as his sons' godmother, but… her inclusion still meant someone else coming in to all this.

"But because your team is interconnected," said said. "If we do bring Penelope in, it's just inevitable that everyone else will find out somehow."

"That's two points for you. Is this a risk you're willing to take?" Emily asked him. "It's all on you."

Emily and JJ both looked at him, waiting to see what he would say. This had all started with a choice of his. It seemed logical that his answer was to be the deciding factor.

"Okay. Penelope is in," Will said confidently. "But let's keep this between is and her, for as long as possible. Agreed?"

Emily nodded. "Agreed."

JJ echoed her. "Agreed."

Will breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you both."

"Anything for my brother." Emily said as she got to her feet. "I mean that."

He gave her a grateful smile. "You're the best sister."

Emily held the photograph out to him. "You should take this. It belonged to Senior."

Will gently pushed her hand back. "You take it for now. Maybe it'll spark something."

"Okay." Emily rose to her feet. "Then I'm off to bed now. Good night."

The LaMontagnes also bid their friend a good night.

When she was gone, JJ turned to Will and kissed him.

"How do you feel now?" she asked him.

He kissed her in return. "A lot better. And JJ?"

"Yes, hot stuff?"

"I love you so much." Will got in one last kiss. "Let's go to bed."

"That," JJ said as she let Will pull her to her feet. "Sounds like a great idea."

Breakfast was fun. In JJ's eyes.

Thanks to the presences of Emily, Katherine, and Olivia, Michael grew into a very silly mood. He lived for excitement. No matter what time of day it was.

The toddler tapped Emily on the shoulder. "Aunt Emmy?"

She turned to him. "What's shaking, handsome?"

"Help me down? Please?"

Emily set her nephew on the floor.

"Thank you!" Michael trilled sweetly.

JJ shook her head in amusement. "He's got you wrapped right around his finger, Em."

"What?" she said distractedly.

"Michael knows perfectly well how to get off a chair. He just asked for your help because he was testing your will and staying power. You caved instantly."

"Whoops." Nearby, Katherine snorted into her orange juice.

"Um," Olivia interjected suddenly. "What's happening?"

She and Henry were observing Michael. The rest of them turned to look.

JJ sighed, already half-amused. Her husband and her youngest son were deadlocked in a staring contest.

"Don't you do it." Will warned Michael.

The little boy continued to be sweet and unassuming. "Why?"

"Because I said so."

Apparently, this was all Michael needed to goad him into action because in the blink of an eye… he was dashing out of the room—without a stitch of clothing on. Will chased him immediately.

While Henry roared with laughter, Katherine turned to Olivia.

"Will you join Cousin Michael?" she asked her.

Olivia shook her head. "No, mumma. He's being silly."

"That's definitely true. Please finish your toast. We're off to an early start."

Olivia went back to her toast.

Emily looked at JJ is astonishment. "What did I just do?"

JJ chuckled. "Kickstart Michael's unpredictable silly streak, is what. Fingers crossed you get used to it."

This bewildered Emily.

Will entered the room again with his escape artist before she could ask for elaboration. Michael was even in a fresh outfit. And looking smug.

JJ spoke swiftly to her husband. "Please tell me he didn't get to defcon four that fast."

Will shook his head. "No, thank God."

"Seriously."

Wondering what 'defcon four' could possibly mean in this context, but choosing not to further encourage Michael, Emily said, "How can I help you clean up? We should get on the road soon."

Without any more mess and only a dash of mayhem, Emily and JJ finally left the house.

JJ drove them to Quantico in her car. Emily was thankful because her mind was other places. A small blessing was that neither matter were technically BAU-related.

But JJ had her number. As per usual.

"You know, you've been quiet pretty much the whole way up here." she said when they had reached their building property and parked. "Is there anything you want to get off your chest?"

"During my date," Emily cringed as she thought of what came next. "There was a point when I blurted "Marry me!" to Ginny."

"You did what? How did she react?""

"Very well, and she actually took it in stride. I only said it because she had something kind."

JJ smirked. "I will start stockpiling stories now to start telling Ginny whenever she finally comes for a visit."

These words filled Emily with a comical sense of dread. "Like what?"

"Hungover you in Las Vegas," JJ said as they gathered their belongings and left the car to trudge across the parking lot. "Threatening to inflict harm on me in some fashion if I pressed a lit button on a slot machine, for starters."

Emily blanched as she remembered this with ease. "Do you have to bring that up?"

"Hey—my baby boy stripped naked in front of you, me, Will, Henry, Katherine and Olivia. Just this morning."

"Talk about a baptism by fire…" Emily muttered.

"Instead of a repeat of that, since you're clearly serious about Ginny, we'll have to settle with stories. Quiet is not this family's way."

"Fine, but try not to scar her."

JJ saluted. "What was the other issue that you wanted to talk about?"

"June McCann."

They had entered their building and checked in by now, so JJ pulled Emily out of the way of the main foot traffic.

"Care to be specific?" she implored.

Emily took the photograph out of her inner jacket pocket. "You don't think that she is—or was—Will's mother?"

"No." JJ glanced at the picture for a few beats and shook her head. "June is incredibly beautiful, but she doesn't look like him. I also don't see any resemblance to Henry or Michael."

"Okay, good. I also don't see any of those things." Emily sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than her partner. "All of that would just be too easy."

"It definitely would. At least I enjoy a good mystery. What else are you thinking?"

"What if we do locate her, and she's dead. Or down south?" Emily wanted to know. "It isn't like we could take the jet for a crusade."

"Not really—the budget oversight committee might frown on that." JJ laughed softly. "Aaron said something like that to me about that particular council."

Emily became curious. "What had you asked him?"

"If I could borrow the jet to go be with Henry because he was ill. This was when we had all had to play storm chaser in Tornado Alley on purpose."

"So you asked Aaron because you had a family emergency."

"I did. All of what's happening now isn't exactly an emergency, but it is about uncovering part of my husband's past."

"And I openly refer to him as my brother." Emily said in thoughtfulness. "I'd say it all falls under the family category."

"And I agree. If we run into any complications about June, we will cross those bridges when we get there."

Emily breathed an extra audible sigh of relief. "Thank you."

JJ winked. "Thank you for your loyalty to the family. We wouldn't be who we are without you."

Emily felt an extra surge of affection at these words, but became saved from being embarrassed by her loopy hormones just as one of their colleagues joined them.

"And what are you two conspiring about?" Rossi asked.

"Absolutely nothing." Emily said too quickly for her friend's liking.

Rossi was not moved. "Yeah, right. You two have been very squirrelly since the Yarn Children case. What is going on?"

JJ spoke with deflection. "Stuff and things."

"And what were you two like when you were actual teenage girls with attitude?"

"Crazy." Emily said without hesitation.

"Only a little bit loud." JJ replied at the same time.

Rossi shook his head. "Wow. You two are really something else."

"That goes without saying—they've been keeping me on my toes for a very long time."

These words were spoken by Spencer as he walked over. Matt was beside him.

The other three just stared. None of them had noticed their people approaching.

Spencer nervously tacked on, "Good morning, everyone?"

Rossi looked from one man to the other. "How did you two manage to arrive at the same time? You live in opposite ends of town."

"So do JJ and Emily!"

This was ignored as Matt stepped in. "We have the same public transportation routes."

Incredibly, this was when Penelope, Tara, and Luke entered the lobby. They joined the everyone else when they saw them.

"Family powwow?" Tara guessed.

Luke saw at once that something was afoot. "Oh, I am staying out of this one."

Meanwhile, Penelope had zeroed in on Emily and JJ. "What's the matter with you two?"

Emily pinched the bridge of her nose. "Can't we ever do anything small?"

"No." chorused Penelope, Rossi, Luke, Tara, and Matt together.

JJ made herding motions towards the elevators. "Come on, children. Everyone upstairs. We have another long day ahead."

They all piled into the nearest lift when it opened, and began their trip to the sixth floor. Even on the days when thing were supposed to be quiet, they never were. But this was okay.

The last thing Emily wanted was anything but a job that was ordinary. Or quiet.