Emily's parents lived in a very nice, upscale neighborhood because while Elizabeth had been an ambassador for almost the entirety of her lengthly career and was paid a hefty salary because of it, Maximo Prentiss was the president of a local college, as well as a well-respected professor of Italian studies there. And both him and his wife hailed from family money.
In a word, the Prentisses were loaded.
Emily tended to downplay that about her folks, and she certainly hadn't told anyone that she was a trust-fund baby.
On days like today, though, it was inescapable: she and JJ were in the elder Prentisses car, being driven out to the House Of Prentiss by their chauffeur, Lars. It was December twenty-third, and they had quite some time for vacation. This was going to be a memorable one.
Emily was excited, but when she noticed JJ being quiet, she grew concerned.
"You okay?" she asked her girlfriend, catching her eye. "You've been quiet all morning."
"I'm fine, babe." JJ smiled at her. "I've just been thinking about a dream I had last night, and it only came back to me a little while ago. It contradicts our 'taking it slow' agreement, though."
"Will you tell me, anyway?"
JJ took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I dreamed that we were still at the BAU, except that you were running it, and I was one of the lead profilers. As for home life, we were married and had more kids. I think there five of them, including the ones we're carrying now."
"Wow." Emily marveled. "I love everything about that."
If JJ hadn't already been sitting in the backseat of the town car, buckled in, her legs would have given out at that. "Really? Even the marriage part?"
Emily nodded. "I almost got married once, but it didn't work out. After that, I told myself that I wouldn't think about marriage again until I found The One. I'm talking to her right now."
JJ's brain almost shut down at that. "Me?"
"Uh-huh. I fell for you the second I saw you, and I thought, 'Wow, she is so beautiful. I want to marry her.' Honest to God, that was my first thought."
Now JJ felt like she was going to melt. "I also fell for you that fast—just ask Penelope because I told her—and I've never been married or even engaged before, but after everything that's just happened, I couldn't imagine being with, or even having kids with anyone else but you. It even feels like we already are married, and I really love that."
"So do I." Emily cupped JJ's face in one hand and gave her her most loving smile yet. "JJ, one day, when everything is better, will you marry me?"
Although this wasn't an official proposal, JJ had her answer in a heartbeat.
"Yes, Emily." JJ leaned over and kissed the brunette on the cheek. "And I think Jennifer Abigail Grace Prentiss has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
So dazed was Emily by JJ's answer that she was already up in the clouds and was capable of only one real answer.
"Uh-huh…"
When they reached the House of Prentiss, Lars escorted them inside, telling them that he would make sure their luggage was brought inside and put away.
Exiting the garage, they came into the front hallway, where they were greeted by one of the maids, a young Hatian woman called Ermengarde, and she took their coats and shoes for them, putting away. Ermengarde also took their bags for them, although Emily held on to her the big tote bag she had with her, as it was full of the baby-related presents for her parents; neither she nor JJ had the willpower to wait any longer than they had to to share the news.
By the time Ermengarde had left them to their own devices, asked Emily, "Is this how you grew up?"
"Yep. I lived all over the world as a kid because of my mom's postings, and in some of the ambassadorial houses, there was a staff just for me, in addition to the ones that were always provided for my parents."
JJ was very impressed. "How long have you been at this house?"
"We lived here in between the postings, but it became our permanent address after the mess I got myself into in Italy."
Before JJ could figure out a response to Emily's passing reference of her abortion, a new, more masculine voice could be heard. It also bore a heavy Italian accent.
"Is that my Emily I hear?"
A man who looked to be in his late fifties with a tall, stocky build and features very similar to Emily's own appeared from one one of the rooms further down the hallway, and when Emily saw him, she set her tote bag down on a nearby end table and hurried to him, lighting up with joy.
"Daddy, hello!"
Emily hadn't seen Maximo Prentiss (in person, at least) since he'd left for a sabbatical in Italy, and that had been at the same time she'd joined the BAU.
"How are you, my child?" he held Emily's face in his hands and giving her a kiss on each cheek. "You are looking a bit peaky; have you been eating well?"
"Yes, daddy, I promise." Emily laughed and then beckoned for JJ to come join them. "I would like to introduce you to my friend, JJ."
"Hello, sir." JJ offered him her good hand for a handshake and as he sook it, she added something extra. "Pardon the awkwardness; I broke my arm recently, and I'm still getting used to being right-handed."
"That's quite alright, dearest JJ." Maximo chirped. "And please call me Max; even Emily's mother does, although now that you aren't seeing her in a formal setting such as you did the last time you saw her, she won't mind if you call her Lizzie."
"Really?"
"Really. Do you want to know something funny about her?"
JJ nodded, realizing that the man before her was who Emily had inherited her impish nature from. "Yes, please."
"I've known Emily's mother since we were both eleven, and… you know Erin Strauss, yes?"
"Very well, as she's our unit chief at Quantico. Emily also told me that you, Elizabeth, and Erin went to boarding school together, and that Erin introduced the two of you to each other on your first day of school when you were all eleven."
Maximo praised JJ for knowing that part of the story. "They taught me English, too, but since I spoke mostly Italian at the time, I got hung up on saying Elizabeth's name properly and called her Elisabetta for the longest time because that's the Italian version."
"Oh, don't you be shy." Emily said in a teasing manner to her father before turning to her girlfirend. "Jayje, he still calls her that, and he calls her by her actual name so rarely that it sounds like a foreign concept, even to me."
"I'll be sure to log that one away."
"Okay, I'll admit to that," Maximo laughed. "But all of that being said, I've always referred to Elisabetta as Betty, and Erin calls her Squeaky because when Elisabetta gets worked up, she sounds very squeaky, just like the cartoon character—"
"Maximo Giovanni, you silly old man!"
The woman of the hour appeared from what JJ presumed was the kitchen because she was wearing an apron over a casual outfit. She stood in front of her husband with her hands on her hips, her face bearing an expression of exasperation, and JJ had to take a slight step backwards because it was identical to the look of exasperation she'd seen Emily's face whenever Spencer went into his 'ultra trivia' spiels that she couldn't escape.
"I swear to God," Elizabeth warned."That if you tell the girls how I came to get those names, I'll make sure that you don't get any cannoli tonight, and I've been slaving over those all morning!"
Maximo fell silent immediately, and Emily turned to JJ to explain. "Cannoli is an Italian dessert that mother learned how to make for daddy when they were kids to cheer him up when he got homesick. Let's just say it's his Kryptonite."
"Well," Maximo said cheekily, stealing JJ's attention again. "If we're talking about everyone's Kryptonite, Emilia's is Turkish Delight."
"I will totally remember that one, Max." JJ responded with equal cheekiness. "Thank you."
"Now that I think about it, Betty has recipe for Turkish Delight somewhere. I'll teach you to make it."
Nearby, Emily hung her head. "You use my real name and you tell her my biggest weakness? Anything else you want tell her?"
"Tell JJ? No. Show her? Yes."
Emily gasped because she knew exactly what he was talking about. "Don't you dare!"
Maximo raised an eyebrow. "Just watch me!"
Elizabeth finally intervened. "Maximo, no; we agreed that Emilia's baby books are off limits until after we've all had wine! Please go mind the spaghetti so it doesn't burn!"
Still in a playful mood, Maximo gave his wife a flourishing bow. "Yes, my love. I will away."
He scuttled off, leaving Emily to shake her head in embarrassment while Elizabeth approached JJ and gave her a warm hug.
"Hi, JJ." she greeted her when they pulled apart. "It's wonderful to see you again."
"Likewise, Lizzie." JJ agreed, smiling happily.
Elizabeth nodded towards JJ's cast. "Emilia told us that you broke your arm, so if you need help with anything, just let me, Max, or one of the staff know, alright?"
"Okay." JJ smiled more. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome. Are you hungry?"
Right on cue, JJ felt her stomach rumble and the babies wiggle around in reaction to it. "Very much so."
"Perfect! You and Emilia can come join us in the kitchen; lunch is nearly ready."
Emily stepped in. "We'll be along in a minute, mother. How about you keep an eye on daddy so he doesn't sneak some of the cannoli?"
Realizing that she had a point, Elizabeth hurried off.
Emily turned to JJ and laughed nervously. "Well, that's what my parents are like when they're just being themselves and don't have any formal business to attend to. I think they both love you already."
"I love them, too." JJ found herself saying, and it wasn't a lie. "But how did Elizabeth come to get called Betty and Squeaky?"
"Oh, that." Emily snickered as they headed to the kitchen. "Daddy was talking about Betty Boop; mother really does sound squeaky like her when she gets agitated. It's hilarious."
"And your name is actually Emilia?"
Emily nodded. "Emilia Magdalene Prentiss is my birth name, although there's also the name I gave myself on Confirmation Day."
"Oh, what is it?"
By now, they were in the kitchen already, and Elizabeth and Maximo could be seen at the kitchen island, working on lunch together.
\Having heard JJ's question, Maximo asked, "What is what?"
"Emily's confirmation name." JJ clarified.
A mischievous glint appeared in the man's eyes. "Oh, it's a good one!"
"Daddy, no!" Emily cried, turning a bright shade of red. "Could you not?"
JJ egged Maximo on, really getting into the spirit of things. "Tell me!"
"Her full, formal name is Emilia Magdalene Gertrude Prentiss."
JJ hadn't been to church since losing Rosaline, nor had her mother, but she wouldn't deny that she'd grown up in the Roman Catholic Church, too.
"Isn't that the Patron Saint of nuns?"
Emily was taken aback for a second, but then the pieces fell together in her head. "Yes, but if you knew that, then that means you also have a confirmation name! Don't you dare leave me out to dry after my dad just sold me up the river!"
"It's Adelaide."
"So I got the Patron Saint of nuns, and you have the Patron Saint of parents of large families?"
"You bet!"
Emily just sighed, so Elizabeth spoke up.
"I have to ask—only because watching you two is thoroughly amusing—but are you a couple now?"
"Yes!" the agents answered in unison.
Elizabeth turned to her husband, hand out. "Called it! That's fifty bucks, my love!"
Maximo sighed and dug a fifty dollar bill out of his pocket gave it to Elizabeth, who immediately put it in her own pocket as she congratulated Emily and JJ.
Maximo did, too, and he tacked on, "Word of advice: don't ever make a bet with Elisabetta; she can bleed you dry."
"No, daddy." Emily laughed. "It's you she bleeds dry, and it's me that knows better."
Maximo wanted to make a comeback, but Elizabeth steered him back in the direction of getting lunch ready.
Emily turned to JJ again and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Welcome to the mad house, babe."
JJ kissed her back. "I think I'm gonna like it here."
After lunch, JJ and Emily could no longer contain their excitement about the babies, nor did they feel that their baggy sweater dresses hide their baby bumps for much longer, so the younger couple found their bag of treasures and asked Maximo and Elizabeth to join them in the living room.
"It's a bit of long and dramatic story about how Emily and I became a couple," JJ began as Emily began arranging all of the parcels on the coffee table between the armchairs they were all occupying. "But neither of us have been happier or in love, even."
"And," Emily said, sitting back her chair and spread her hands over the display she'd just made. "We want you both to share in our joy, too. These are some early Christmas presents we want to give."
JJ and Emily held hands and watched as Elizabeth and Maximo found the with their names on them and opened them.
When they made the connection, especially after seeing the glass house, they set their new gifts down and looked at JJ and Emily with an intense amount of love.
"We're going to be grandparents?" Maximo asked breathlessly.
"Yes," Emily nodded. "And it's a long story, but JJ and I are both pregnant. She's even carrying twins."
Elizabeth and Maximo both cheered, although she turned to him, hand out again.
"And that's one hundred big ones you owe me; I called it that Emilia would be pregnant from the IVF treatments by Christmas."
Maximo took more money out of his pocket and counted out the correct amount of bank notes and handed them over to his wife. JJ and Emily were very, very amused now.
Before either of them had a chance to make a joke about it, both Maximo and Elizabeth were on their feet and pulling JJ and Emily to theirs.
The next thing JJ and Emily knew, Maximo and Elizabeth were hugging them both.
