JJ walked in the house through the garage, she dropped her bag messily in the kitchen and made her way in. The only sounds heard were coming from the playroom. She made her way down the hall. It was Sunday evening, so she assumed Jack would still be there. Her theory was confirmed as she heard his voice, with Henry's, argue over something about the best car. She peeked her head around the corner and saw Emily sitting on the couch with Penelope. Ellie sat between them as Pen tried to guide Emily through a complex braid.
JJ still hadn't been seen when Emily huffed, "Why is twisting hair so complicated!"
"It's not, you just don't know what to do with your fingers!" Penelope exclaimed, also getting frustrated by Emily's failure.
JJ laughed loudly, getting the attention of everyone in the room. "Oh, she most certainly does!"
Henry ran towards her, "Mommy!" Ellie was also welcoming her home with a big hug.
She pulled back and looked at Ellie, "How you feeling?"
"All better! Em'ly help." Eloise nuzzled her head into the blonde's neck.
"I bet." JJ stood, the little girl in her arms. "Hey Jack! Your daddy should be here any minute. Why don't you go get your shoes on?"
"Okay!" The one thing JJ appreciated most about Jack, was that, at least with them, he never argued.
JJ plopped down onto the couch, cuddling into Emily as they shared a soft kiss.
Emily scooped Ellie out of JJ's arms, "Okay, now come back, I'm not done." Emily tickled the little girl as she moved her. She earned that bright laughter she had grown to love. Henry crawled into JJ's lap, showing off the book he had to read for school. After a few minutes, Emily shouted, making all of them jump, "Ha! I got it. That is a braid!"
JJ leaned over and giggled, "Emily, my Emily; you are so talented at many things, cannot braid hair of all things."
"Be nice!" Henry scolded, "I think it looks good, Emmy."
For a few moments, everyone enjoyed their time together. Hotch came and picked up Jack. Penelope, reluctantly, made her leave. Emily and JJ got the kids into bed. Finally, the women made their way to their room. Emily watched JJ make her way through her nighttime routine, but something seemed off to Emily. Just because she wasn't working at the BAU anymore, doesn't mean she's lost her profiling skills.
"Baby?" The brunette mused, already in bed.
"Yeah, Em?" the younger woman called from the bathroom before poking her head out.
"What's wrong?"
JJ sighed and stepped out of the bathroom fully, "Is it that obvious?"
"Probably not, but I think since I've started playing house, you forgot who I was before domesticity." Emily joked lightly.
JJ chuckled, "How could I ever forget?"
"You're not answering the question."
"That's because, I'm not sure what's wrong Em." JJ took a shaky breath, "I have so much to be happy about, which reminds me I have to show you something. Anyway, just this case was, harder for me than it should have been."
Emily furrowed her brow, "How so?"
"Well, first off, as a woman, all cases involving sexual assault make me relate. I haven't even been a victim, but it's just the thought that it happens so frequently, reminds me that I could be. One error in judgement could put me in a dangerous situation." JJ made her way to sit on the bed with Emily, who gently stroked a hand down the blonde's arm. "And then it was so much worse because I had to be a part of all the interviews with a victim. So, I didn't get a break from that reminder. My tantrum was about how I couldn't be the only profiler in the boy's club. I think Hotch did his best to understand where it was coming from. But he can't, not fully. And then when we arrested the unsub, he just gave me this smug smile as he looked at me like some piece of meat. It made me feel so gross." After sorting out all that happened, JJ understood her mood better. "I guess I'm just upset because I was the only team member who had to bear this emotional burden. It's exhausting being the only female profiler on the team."
Emily understood. "A lot of times, in the field, women have to be the sympathetic ones. We can't detach like all the men, it's inherently against our nature. But the men in the field rely on that. They put too much stock in letting us handle the emotional, so they don't have to. What they don't realize is how it affects us. They probably aren't looking for it." Emily chuckled, "Men trained in observing behavior still can't recognize when there needs to be boundaries for emotional protection. It's ironic, but I guarantee you're not the only one. Do you know why Pen was here?"
"Because you wanted her to teach you how to braid hair?"
Emily laughed, "No, that was just an unexpected bonus. She was here because even though she wasn't out their doing what you were, she still had to listen to the horrific things those women went through. She needed a break from all that. It's okay if you do too."
JJ hugged her wife tightly, "I know baby, thank you. I love you."
Emily kissed the top of her wife's head, "I love you too, now, what did you want to show me?"
"Oh!" JJ said as she fished around her go bag, "I don't think I was supposed to get this, and honestly I have no idea how I did get it. But here."
Emily unfolded the painting, "Aww, he's so sweet!" Emily gushed.
JJ curled in bed beside her, "I know, read the back." Emily turned the page and fell silent as she read. Tears streamed down her face. JJ sat up and wiped a tear away, "You okay Em?"
The brunette nodded as a small sob worked its way out of her, "He- He's so good, and s-smart, and sw-sweet." She said between sobs. JJ was shocked, Emily could make it through the toughest conversations about the war on women, but a finger painting broke her. JJ started to laugh, "St-stop laughing!" Emily tried to scold as she kept openly sobbing. JJ only laughed harder. Soon Emily was also laughing, although tears still fell.
"I'm sorry, Emmy. But I think Morgan is right: the stay at home Mommy life has made you soft." JJ laughed harder when Emily tried to smack her with the painting.
"Shut up! I am not soft! I am a badass!" Emily teased.
"Oh, my bad, I forgot how badasses appreciate the arts." Emily pouted and turned off the light before laying on her side away from Jennifer. JJ just spooned close to her and kissed her neck, "I love you, Emmy. Goodnight."
"I love you too."
Both women fell asleep quickly.
"Turn it off." JJ mumbled as she fumbled blindly for the alarm clock. She found it and pulled on it to fully remove it from the wall.
"Don't you have to go to work?" Emily asked, also displeased by the noise.
"No. I'll explain later. Let me sleep."
Emily had planned on it. She was already asleep again. JJ followed shortly after.
The couple didn't wake up again until they were attacked in their sleep. The culprits were two little kids, and two little fluff balls.
Henry and Ellie bounced up and down on the bed. JJ groaned, refusing to open her eyes. "Emily, your children are awake."
Emily rolled over to glare at the blond, it didn't matter though, her eyes were still closed. "Before 9:00 their your children"
JJ sat up and threw the blanket off her, "Ugh, fine." JJ paused, "Did you just quote the Lion King?"
Emily nodded, "It's a pretty good movie."
JJ laughed before turning to the children, "You guys hungry?"
"Yes!" She got from both at the same time.
JJ lead them out, stopping to make Ellie go potty. Emily close behind them.
"Why did you make me get up if you weren't going to stay in bed anyway?" JJ whined as she saw her.
"Because you wouldn't have gotten up if you didn't have any immediate responsibilities to attend to." Emily pecked her wife's lips.
Emily and JJ made breakfast together. Their brief time apart only causing sappy moments as the cooked. Henry came around the corner to the living room, sliding on the tile in his socks. "Emmy! Mommy! It's snowing!"
"Woohoo!" Emily called as she hyped up the little boy, "Oh, it's starting to look a lot like Christmas!" Emily began to sing. Henry giggle as Emily left her spot in the kitchen to chase him around the house while he screamed with laughter.
The next day, JJ got up later than usual. Hotch told them to be in later that day because they should have a calm day. JJ told Emily she would take Henry to school, so she didn't have to pack Ellie with her. Emily was in the dining room, eating with Ellie.
"Em'ly?" The toddler asked quietly.
"Yeah Ellie?" Emily stopped to look at her, she looked nervous.
"Why doesn't Henry call you mommy like he does with Jenn'fer?"
Emily was only taken a back for a moment, "Well because I'm not his mommy. He has a daddy and a mommy. That doesn't mean I love him any less. He's like my son."
Emily wasn't sure what else to say. She couldn't explain divorce and stepmoms to a three-year-old.
"Okay. Well can I call you mommy? Since he won't."
Emily wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to call Jennifer immediately and relish in this moment with her wife. She was bursting at the seams with excitement before she realized she hasn't answered yet. "Tell you what, you can call me Momma. That way Henry doesn't get confused. Is that okay?"
Ellie showed Emily her biggest smile, "Okay Momma!" Emily felt like crying but didn't have much time to process the moment. "Can we see the goats today?"
"Sure but finish your breakfast first."
JJ sat at her desk, filling out mind-numbing paperwork. She heard a small commotion behind her but didn't pay much attention. Then she felt someone come behind her and turn her chair. Instinctively, her hands fell to the gun on her hip. Then she saw the dark brown eyes and brilliant smile of her wife. "What are you doing?" She hugged Emily tightly. "Where's Ellie?"
"Oh, she was scooped up by Penelope the second I was in the building." Emily laughed. "I think Reid and Morgan are with them."
JJ rolled her eyes, "Am I the only one who gets work done around here?"
"Yep! Come on, we're going to lunch." Emily pulled her wife from her chair.
Emily lead her up to Penelope's office, she opened the door to the lair to see Morgan and Reid on the floor with Eloise. Penelope was in her chair telling a story with her hands. The little girl saw them enter, "Momma, look! Penny gave me this!" She said smiling brightly, waving a troll doll in the air as she ran towards the women. Emily immediately scooped her into her arms. Everyone noticed the new moniker.
JJ smiled and quirked an eyebrow at the brunette, "Momma?" She asked.
"New development, ready for lunch?" She asked her wife. She had intended for a family lunch, but when the other three BAU members invited themselves, she supposed they were a family to her too. They all walked out of the bullpen, laughing at something Reid said. When they reached the elevators, on dinged and Hotch walked out with a tall, beautiful woman in tow.
Emily watched Morgan's eyes immediately fall to her. She rolled her eyes as she bit back a laugh. Hotch wasn't expecting them, but he cleared his throat and recovered easily, "Guys this is Dr. Tara Lewis, she'll be joining our team. Tara these are SSA's Morgan, Jareau and Dr. Reid. This is Agent Jareau's family, Emily and Eloise."
"Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you!" JJ was the first to say anything, grateful Hotch had took her advice so quickly. "Call me JJ."
Emily shook her hand and eyed the woman, "So this is my replacement?" She smiled and winked to let the new woman know there wouldn't be tension.
Tara took the cue and smiled back, "So this is my predecessor?"
Derek laughed, "Oh come on Princess, you didn't expect us to sit on our hands while you played housewife, did you?"
JJ leant over and joking slapped Morgan on the back of his head. "Come on, we're heading to lunch, you guys want to join?" JJ opened the invitation.
Hotch shook his head, "Sorry guys, someone has to keep this place running."
"Tara?" Emily opened the invitation.
"I'd love to! Where to?" She asked. Her first day and this team was already so welcoming.
Emily looked at JJ and wrapped her arm around her waist, propping Ellie up by her other arm, "Where to baby?"
JJ knew Emily wasn't usually this affectionate. JJ suspected it was because the new woman was beautiful. Emily could get so possessive at times, she was as bad as a guy, but she had nothing to worry about. JJ only had eyes for her. "What about that diner right around the corner?"
"Sounds wonderful." Emily moved towards Derek and handed him the toddler which surprised him for a moment. She saw his face and smirked, "No way in hell am I carrying her, in the snow, in these shoes, for two blocks."
"Come on, princess? You getting lazy? Or have you just lost your touch?" The dark man asked.
Emily rolled her eyes, "Oh come on, D. I could still kick your ass to next week if I wanted to."
Everyone laughed, Tara broke into a smile, "The legendary Emily Prentiss, even in domesticity, still lives up to her name."
The group laughed as they made their way to lunch.
Lunch was winding down when Emily's phone rang. She saw her mother's caller I.D. appear with it. She groaned and answered, "Hello mother."
"Emily Elizabeth Prentiss. I came over to bring my granddaughter some soup and Melissa told me you took her to lunch. She just got a little better, but you brought her out in this weather?! She'll catch her death!" Elizabeth scolded her daughter, reminiscing of when Emily was younger.
Emily took a deep breath, "Mom, it's fine. She's fine. If I thought for even a moment that there would be an issue, I wouldn't take her. I'm sorry you're disappointed we're not home, but if you had called ahead you wouldn't have been disappointed. I have to go."
"Emily wait!" The former ambassador called into the phone, "Emmy, I am so bored." Emily laughed, "I just wanted to see you guys."
Emily smiled into the phone, "Okay. Henry has swim lessons this evening at five. You can come and keep Eloise company while I'm with him."
"Thank you, Emily."
"You're welcome. Goodbye."
"I love you." Liz stated. Emily and Elizabeth hadn't always shared that sentiment out loud, but in the recent change in their dynamics, it became more frequent.
"I love you too mom, Jen sends her best." Emily hung up and looked back at her friends.
Tara looked confused, "Who's Henry and why is he swimming in December?"
JJ laughed at how she said it, "Henry is my son from a previous relationship. He wanted to learn how to swim before summer since our house has a pool. It's indoors so Emily," She glared pointedly to her side, "Spent way too much money on private lessons. Just like she spends way too much money on him for everything."
Emily shrugged, "I can't even begin to put a quantifiable price on my love for him." She winked at her wife.
"Oh, Jayje, she's got you there." Morgan laughed.
"I just don't want him to think he's entitled to everything he wants." JJ quipped back.
"Not everything." Emily stressed, "I didn't give him a second cookie the other night. Even though I really wanted to."
"Emily!" JJ whined, "He's six and already has a pony!"
The group laughed. Tara spoke up, "Oh, so Emily is loaded loaded."
Garcia laughed harder, "Oh, wait until you see their house."
"Hey!" Emily called, "That was a gift!"
"Oh, come on Emster! The property tax on it alone is more than my net worth!" The group laughed harder at Penelope's remark.
The group finished lunch in a fit of laughter. Emily looked at the time, "Hey, I have to go. Ellie has a follow up appointment with a doctor. Then we'll get Henry. Are you going to try and make it for his lessons?" Brown eyes bore into blue, hoping for the best.
"I'll try Em." JJ answered. She was saddened by the immense hope in her wife's eyes.
"Okay," Emily said before pulling Ellie out of her chair and kissing her wife. She brought the girl to Morgan. "My car is parked in the guest lot." Morgan groaned and held the girl as he stood. That particular lot was on the far end of their building.
"You owe me." He said as he helped Emily get the girl back in her coat.
"JJ pick up the tab." She said over her shoulder, earning a laugh from the group. She raised an eyebrow to her ex-partner, "Good?"
He smiled, "Seems even."
As they walked, Derek took time to talk to Ellie about anything she had on her mind. Ellie looked at him after she laughed at something he had said, "You don't have to carry me. I'm big. I can walk."
Derek laughed at her and Emily rolled her eyes a smile graced her lips. "It's okay little princess, Momma asks, so I do it. It's so you don't slip on the ice. Heaven forbid Emily ruins the suede on her boots."
Emily smacked his arm as they got to her car. "Okay El, ready to see the doctor?"
The toddler sighed dramatically, "I guess."
The adults giggled. Emily got her in her car seat and the two waved goodbye to Derek.
Ellie's doctor's appointment went well. When they picked up Henry, he was so excited as Emily reminded him of his swim lessons. At four thirty, Elizabeth showed back up at the house. "Okay, where are my grandkids?"
Emily smiled, "Nice to see you too, Mother." Elizabeth shot her daughter a warning look. Though Emily was grown, it could still make her blood ice. "Ellie should be waking up from a nap soon, Henry is finishing his homework. The instructor should be here any minute."
"Good." Liz nodded before heading off, presumably to find Henry.
Emily followed behind her before she caught a glimpse of Ellie rubbing her eyes at the top of the stairs. "Hey. How are you sweety?" Eloise trudged down the stairs and let Emily pick her up.
Ellie buried her face into Emily's neck, "I'm hungry."
Emily rubbed her back, "Okay, do you want a snack? Dinner is after Henry swims."
"Yeah, can I has goldfish?" Her voice was still quiet with sleep.
"Yeah, come on. Hey, Grandma Liz is here to see you."
Ellie immediately shot up in Emily's arms. "Liz? Let me see." She pushed against Emily to get away. Emily let her down laughing.
The doorbell rang and Emily opened it expecting the swim instructor, but instead saw Ellie's case worker. Emily face fell and she panicked slightly. Did she do something wrong? Did a long-lost relative want her? Her mind fished for an explanation.
Sarah Daye must have saw the shift and laughed lightly, "Emily, did you forget our scheduled visit?"
Suddenly the memory rushed back to her and she laughed too, her face blushing. "Yeah, I did. We've been busy. Please, come in." She led the woman inside, "Can you give me a minute? Eloise is with my mother and I promised her a snack before dinner."
"Yes, of course." The woman smiled, most foster parents who forgot a visit rushed to get everything in the best order they could, but Emily was already put together. She genuinely just needed to get her foster daughter a snack. Sarah walked around the living room, looking at the pictures that adorned the walls. She smiled as she saw what had to be a new one. Emily was holding Eloise over a fence to pet a goat. Emily was laughing and Ellie's eye were huge with fear and wonder. A blond boy was watching, he also had a huge smile.
Emily stepped back in and watched the other woman, "That's one of my favorites." She said softly, though it still startled Sarah.
"She seems quite happy hear. Let's go through our checklist, can we start in her room?"
Emily stood, "Of course." She led Sarah to Ellie's room.
Sarah noticed the new decorations. She saw the new clothes overfilling the closet. She laughed at a bag of even more new clothes sat near the dresser.
Emily noticed what she was laughing at and chuckled, "We have a friend that can go a little overboard. Henry's room looks pretty much the same without all the pink."
Emily led Sarah around the house. In the kitchen, Emily was showing the locked liquor and knife cabinet when JJ came in through the door connected to the garage.
"Hey Emmy, oh, hey Sarah." She looked back at her wife, "Am I late?"
Emily hugged and kissed her wife, "No honey, the instructor isn't here yet. Henry and Ellie are in the dining room with my mom. Can you get Henry ready though?"
JJ pecked her lips once more, "Of course." She said before leaving.
Emily looked to the social worker, "Henry has his first day of swim lessons today."
Sarah smiled, "Gotcha. Okay, I need to have a conversation with Ellie and then hopefully I can talk to you and your wife?"
Emily nodded, "Sounds good."
Emily took Sarah to the dining room, Ellie sat at the table eating goldfish and Liz was talking to her in French which caused her to laugh. Emily asked her mom, also in French, if they could leave the two alone for a minute. Liz nodded and followed her daughter out in the hall.
"Is everything alright?" The older brunette asked in a hushed tone.
"Everything is fine mom, just a standard follow up." Emily said before leaning closer to the dining room entrance to listen,
"Please don't make me leave, Sarah." Ellie said, the sadness in her voice nearly caused Emily to cry.
"I'm not here to take you Eloise. I just want to know how you like it here." Sarah said with a soft voice.
"I love it. Henry plays with me. Em'ly and Jenn'fer tell me they love me before bed and when I wake up. They're nice. Their friends are really nice too. Penny buys me tons of things. Em'ly always gives me my 'phant when I'm sad."
"What is your 'phant?" Sarah asks.
"It's the first toy she got me. It's super soft."
Sarah laughed lightly, "Okay, that's all I need to know, Ellie."
"Okay, Sarah. Bye Sarah." Emily laughed at how easily the toddler ended a conversation.
The doorbell rang again, thankfully Liz offered to get it.
"Thanks mom, can you get her and Henry to the pool house? Jen and I will be there as soon as we can."
"Sure thing, Emmy."
Sarah stepped back out, "Can I talk with you?" That phrase in itself could spell trouble, but body language of Sarah told Emily it was nothing to worry about.
"Yeah, let me just get Jen." Emily lead her back to the front room, "Also I'm sorry you caught us on a crazy night."
Sarah laughed, "I've seen crazier." Sarah sat on a couch as Emily called up the stairs for her wife.
When JJ met Emily at the bottom of the stairs, Emily spoke to JJ in a quiet voice. JJ nodded before looking at Henry. "Hey, big man. Grandma Liz is going to take you to the pool. Me and Emmy will meet you there. Be good okay?"
"Okay!" He called before running down the hall.
Emily and JJ sat adjacent to the social worker. Their hands connected.
Sarah smiled, "You guys are doing so good with her. I think she's really starting to form a healthy attachment. That's really good for her cognitively. I can't express how pleased I am with you guys."
"Thank you. That means a lot." JJ said.
"We can set up another visit for a couple months. Do you guys have any questions for me?"
Emily leaned forward, "Yeah, when can we adopt her? I know we've only had her for a short while, but we can't imagine our life without her."
JJ nodded her head in full agreement.
Sarah smiled brightly at them again, the case of the abandoned little girl that was her first case, was looking like it would get a good ending. "Well, she is a ward of the state indefinitely. A judge would be more than willing to push your case through quickly. If you drew up the paperwork in January, I'd be surprised if it took until spring to go through."
Emily pulled JJ into a close hug. Both women smiling, "So, how soon can we draw up the paperwork?"