A/N: Hi friends! If you're still with me after all this time, thank you for your patience! I appreciate all the love this story has gotten and I'm honored to be putting another chapter out there for you all. I hope y'all like it!

Emily left her office door open and gestured for Tara to have a seat. She sat across from her and winced as she noticed Tara notice the pen cup knocked over on her desk and the mess of file folders all over the floor. It wouldn't even take a profiler to put it all together and Tara was a good one.

"So," Tara started, then paused for a moment. "I know I'm relatively new to the team and it's not really my place to keep commenting on this..."

"No," Emily interrupted. She was terrified of what Tara Lewis was going to say, but it was something she needed to hear. "That's not true. We're a team. You can always comment freely."

Tara took a deep breath. "I'm not sure exactly what it is you and JJ are doing and I'm still not going to ask you to explain it to me. I won't even say you should end it. But I thought you were going to talk to her. When we talked about it last, I thought you were going to either end it or tell her you had to do it right. This is..." She stopped to search for the right word. "Dangerous."

Emily swallowed hard, but nodded for Tara to continue.

"I'm sure all of this has already run through your mind a thousand times, but she is married, Emily. I know you two have a history that I will never fully grasp and I'm guessing Will is in that same boat. The intensity of your relationship is expected after all you've been through together. I can see how that could easily turn into something sexual. Or something...like love?"

Emily didn't say anything, but she didn't exactly trust her eyes not to betray her. Of course she loved JJ. Of course Tara knew she loved JJ.

"I don't know. I'm not going to tell you what to do. I know we got through Barnes this time, eventually, but what if there's a next time? She didn't know about this then, but what if she finds out? I know I'm rambling. I'm sorry. I'm just really concerned."

"You don't have to apologize for anything. You're right. About everything. I really did try to put the distance between us, but with all that's happened lately, we've had issues being...not close," Emily explained.

"But what about Will?" Tara asked.

"You'd have to talk to JJ about that," Emily said. "Except please don't. She's sort of fragile right now and I don't want her to..." Emily shrugged.

"Freak out and end things with you for good?" Tara's voice held no judgment.

Emily was relieved her friend seemed to understand. "Yeah. Thanks for showing up for me and being supportive. I appreciate it more than you know. Was there something else you came for?"

"Actually, no," Tara admitted. "I figured JJ was in here with you and I thought I should give you a second chance to think about what you're doing. Here. It affects all of us."

"I know," Emily sighed. "It won't…" she hesitated, not wanting to make a promise she couldn't keep. I will do something. I don't know what yet, but I will."

"Good luck, Emily." Tara stood to leave. "I really do hope for the best for both of you."

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

Emily succeeded in avoiding JJ for the rest of the day, but got a text not long after she got home, asking if she wanted to do dinner. Emily stared at her phone screen for several minutes, trying to decide what to say. She ultimately decided a text wasn't going to be enough. As much as it would break her heart to hear Jennifer's voice when she told her what she needed to say, this had to be done over the phone. They definitely couldn't have this conversation in person, as that had proven to be counterproductive time and again. She called JJ.

"Hey, Em," JJ answered on the first ring.

"JJ. Hi." If anything in her voice gave away what she was about to do, JJ didn't notice it.

"Did you get my text about dinner? I was thinking Thai. There's that great little place near your apartment that has the best…"

"Jennifer." Emily cut her off.

"Uh oh. What's wrong?"

Emily took a deep breath. "We can't do dinner. Or anything else."

JJ swallowed hard. "Okay. If you're busy tonight, that's okay."

"It isn't just about tonight."

"Is this because of Tara? Did she say something? I can talk to her, explain…"

"JJ, no." Emily was losing her patience. "It's because of the same conversation I've tried to have with you a million times over the years. I know you count on me to forget, to need or want you so much that I don't stick to my boundaries, but I need you to have a little more respect for me right now."

"I-I'm sorry," JJ whispered.

"I know you are. You always are. And I am too. I never thought I would be the type to give an ultimatum, but the truth is, I love you too much not to. If we keep going like this, with you still in your marriage, with me as your dirty little secret, it will destroy us. I cannot do it this way anymore. I won't."

JJ's end of the line was quiet for far too long.

"JJ?" Emily asked.

"I'm here," JJ said softly. "I'm so sorry for hurting you like this. I never meant for any of this to happen."

Emily tried to keep tears out of her voice. "Neither did I. But I can't not love you. And I can't share you."

"You're not, Em. All of me belongs to you. But I understand what you're saying. I have to make it right. I promise I will."

"Whatever you need to do, know that I will always love you. But until you choose me, and only me, we cannot see each other outside of work anymore. I've put you above everything else in my life for years. I have happily given up so many things just because you asked me to. Do this for yourself."

Emily ended the call before JJ could say anything else. She didn't want a response. She wanted action.

It was almost midnight when she got the texts.

JJ: It's done.

JJ: I'm going to stay with Garcia so you can have space

JJ: I love you.