Disclaimer: Same as all other chapters, I own nothing.

Summary: takes place sometime around season 3ish, Emily is still settling into her own life and life at the BAU after years of undercover work, but a case related to her past reminds her that she can never get too comfortable. Emily is super queer, potential jemily explored, past relationships explored. Polyamorous/open relationships described. LGBTQ Relationships described. Mostly it's a heavily Emily focused case fic

The Protector Chapter 3

"That's a longer discussion" the man sighs "I'll set your colleagues up with the staff Jess and Clarissa were close to then you and I can have a drink"

It's well past midnight when the team reconnects in the briefing room to share their findings. Rossi and JJ's interviews with campaign staff hadn't revealed any suspicious behaviour or potential motives for targeting Clarissa and Jessica, though they identified one other staffer close to Clarke who Hotch puts into protection; Morgan and Reid confirm there is no evidence in either of the newest victim's homes, suggesting the unsub knew them, nabbed them in public without drawing any attention, or at least had an effective ruse to draw them out without a struggle. The three previous victims have been gone long enough that the pair couldn't track down anyone who remembered seeing them the nights they went missing. Emily is at the case board that's been brought in, hastily illustrating the political players around Sam Clark's re-election campaign with photos and a dry erase marker, explaining as she goes.

"Sam's re-election campaign is focused on an ambitious but divisive job creation bill he introduced without caucus support at the last sitting, it garnered a lot of criticism but eventually got enough support to pass with minimal amendment and a margin of just 3 votes" She tells the team "that fight and victory are part of a longer term strategy to elevate his name recognition for a nomination run in next year's presidential primaries. So if there's a political motive behind torturing and killing interns who are known to be sleeping with the candidate they would likely be someone looking to back another presidential nomination" Emily circles two groups of names on the board and send a look to Garcia "Look at people in these pools who expended a great deal of time and resources fighting the jobs bill, and anyone expected or rumoured to run against Sam in the primaries"

"This feels too personal to be about politics" Morgan challenges. "There are easier ways to kill and stage a body if your only goal is to throw suspicion on a political rival"

"Which is why we would also need to look within the campaign and at political allies" Emily agrees.

"Sorry what?" Rossi asks, confused. This is the part Emily wishes she didn't understand. The double crossing, the cold calculation of acceptable loss, the exploitation of human tragedy for political gain.

"The overkill and rage of the latest murder says the unsub knew Clarissa, and likely knows Jessica since she appears to have gone without a struggle" Emily explains "meaning the unsub likely knew both women were sleeping with Sam. Eliminating them achieves two goals for a political supporter: removing a potential source of scandal, and providing the campaign with a sympathy bump in the polls"

"Eww" exclaims Garcia "that's like really yucky"

"That's politics" Emily shrugs "Sam got a 5 point bump from news of Clarissa's death. Bruno thinks if we bring Jessica home alive Sam wins the election while increasing his over-all vote share enough to scare off some weaker opponents going into nomination. So. No pressure" she feels a moment of nausea wash over her remembering Bruno's prediction, and the way she quietly nodded along without pointing out to him that Jessica was a living breathing woman with people who loved her and who was likely in a great deal of pain right now.

"This Bruno guy sounds iffy, I'm looking into him" Garcia clipped. And Emily could only laugh and nod.

"This is if these kills are political" Reid added "the last two victims are connected through the campaign, and through Sam, but the motive could be a lot simpler. Morgan is right that torture and overkill don't seem calculating or political. Perhaps someone who was turned down my Clarissa and Jessica, or someone who views these women as a sexual rival"

"Yeah" Emily sighs. "This is the part where I had to make a deal to ensure the campaign's cooperation with our investigation" the brunette eyes Hotch nervously as this revelation sinks in. The man isn't as suspicious of her now as he had been in the beginning, but she knows he's not beyond his distrust of her political connections.

"You don't have authorization to do that" Hotch says, surprised.

"Trust her, Hotch" Rossi comes to Emily's defence "we weren't going to get anywhere otherwise" she smiles at the man who's become something of a mentor to her in the short time he's been back at the BAU and takes another deep breath. This is delicate and she knows the line she'll have to walk to protect herself could compromise all of their trust in her.

"I won't put this down on the board, and I would like everyone to put down their pencils and close their keyboards." Emily urged. The team looked to Hotch first, eventually following the directions at the unit chief's nod. "Sam's sexual affairs with women are fairly well known and not a real threat to his eligible bachelor image. But his romantic affairs with men are absolutely hidden, and those of you in this room have joined an extremely select group who know about them"

"He's bisexual" it's JJ who puts the pieces together. The rest of the team stays quiet for a moment as this new piece of the puzzle clicked in.

"Would any of those men see these women as a threat or rival?" Reid asks.

"I only know one of them. I won't give you his name" she sees the objection on Hotch's face but holds up her hand and repeats herself with more confidence than she feels. "I will not divulge his name or any identifying information about him. He's been with Sam a long time and has never had an issue with any of Sam's other relationships" Emily reveals. She feels guilt crash down on her knowing the details she's already disclosed may put a family she dearly loves in trouble with or without disclosing the name "When Sam and I were married, myself and this man spent a lot of time together, he remains a fiercely loyal friend to me"

"So you knew about the affair" Morgan asks, his eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"I wouldn't call it an affair" Emily shrugs, trying to hold herself aloof. She's worried about the judgements her teammates may be forming but instantly recognizes this tangent's potential for distraction. "Look, our marriage was absolutely real, we loved each other and planned a future together, but my main role was to strengthen his profile in international relations and provide the illusion of heteronormativity for both of us. I wasn't under any illusions and neither was he"

"Let's not get distracted" Hotch dismisses the follow up questions that seemed to be forming in Morgan's throat before the dark agent can voice them and Emily holds in a sigh. "Do you know if there was anyone else?"

"Yes, Bruno says there's a newer beau named Ben who works on Sam's protective detail" Emily watches the team take this in.

"I assume sleeping with someone you're protecting isn't exactly encouraged in the secret service" JJ says sarcastically.

"I'll say" Emily huffs "Having a detail like that is incredibly intimate, you have to trust their discretion and their professionalism 100% because they will know absolutely everything about you" Emily pauses to laugh thoughtfully. "But I'll admit it's also a brilliant arrangement for hiding a secret lover in plain sight"

"Don't happen to have a last name do you?" Garcia asks. "Finding a secret service agent won't be easy, it would be faster with a full name"

"No, I'm sorry" Emily sighs. Exhaustion is settling into her body in a way she hasn't felt since leaving this political world behind her so many years ago.

"Well we have been given a morning appointment with Sam Clarke at 8am, we could ask him directly" Hotch says. "He requested that you meet him alone, Emily, but I'm not sure that's appropriate given your previous relationship"

"I actually agree, sir" Emily nods "I suggest bringing JJ or Morgan with me. He won't be happy about having company but he will be less likely to refuse the interview if I dangle some eye candy in front of him" she tries not to laugh at the look on Morgan's face, or react to the spark in JJ's eyes at her comment but the rest of the team chuckle.

"Take JJ" Hotch agrees "reassure him that we're not here to expose him and we've got control of the press on our front. Morgan, Rossi, and Reid will explore other possible motives make sure we haven't dismissed anything by assuming Sam Clarke and his campaign are the target of this unsub, make sure to clarify as many details from the first 3 murders as you can; Garcia and I will start looking into political opponents and allies Emily outlined for us" everyone nods their agreement, though no one seams in a hurry to get up and get back to work. Hotch heaves a sigh looking over his tired agents and can't help but show a little mercy "we all need to rest first, the clock is ticking on Jessica Grande but we can't help her if we're all exhausted, the local PD can canvas and sit with the preliminary profile over night. Hopefully they'll have more for us to look at with fresh eyes tomorrow"

With permission to rest the group breaks up quickly. Emily bolting to find a moment of solitude with which to compartmentalize the ghosts revisiting her over the last several hours. She is nearly to her car when she hears the familiar click of heals echoing through the parking garage behind her. She turns with a smile as JJ catches up to her looking rosy cheeked and a little winded.

"Hey" Emily cringes internally at how breathless she sounds, but the shine of JJ's eyes seems to match her eagerness.

"Hi" she responds shyly. "I just wanted to check in before we go our separate ways" Emily feels an anxious pressure building in her chest. She's convinced by a moment of self-doubt that JJ is taking it all back, that she thinks kissing her was a mistake. The blonde must see the doubt on Emily's face because JJ grasps her arm and pulls her closer. "Check in to confirm" JJ laughs "we didn't get to talk about it, so I just want you to know that I don't regret kissing you, and I would very much like to do it again" Emily let's out a breath and feels relief settle over her.

"That's great Jayje" Emily sighs happily, her lips stretching into a flirtatious smile "because I would very much like to kiss you again too, maybe after a second date?"

"Did we have a first date?" JJ laughs, pulling Emily closer and matching her teasing smile.

"Sure felt like one" Emily argues. "I bought you dinner, you shared something you are passionate about, made me feel giddy and desired, and then we kissed"

"When you put it that way I guess I did kind of put the moves on you" JJ flirts openly. Emily batts her eyelashes, glancing bashfully at the ground before meeting JJ's jewel blue eyes with a smirk.

"So that's a yes to the second date?" Emily asks, her deep brown eyes holding JJ's gaze even as the blonde glances down at Emily's lips and leans closer.

"Yes" Emily feels JJ's answer breathed across her lips and shivers, but doesn't meet the blonde's pouting mouth. Instead she brushes a lock of golden hair off the younger woman's face and leans forward to drop her response into the delicate shell of JJ's ear.

"Friday night, wherever we are, whatever is happening, I'm going to put the moves on you, Jennifer Jareau" Emily almost loses her nerve when she hears a breathy groan drop from JJ's lips but she presses her teeth together and leaves the younger woman standing there, suddenly shivering in the cool night air of the parking garage while Emily gets into her car and let's out a shaky breath.

The truth is this new dynamic with JJ is rubbing uncomfortably against the memory of Sam Clarke and their unconventional relationship, but Emily is determined to keep herself open to the offer in her coworker's blue eyes. There's no doubt the two of them could have fallen into bed together tonight. That's what teenage Emily would do, thats what the Emily who married Sam would do, thats what the Emily who joined the JTF would do, but maybe this newest Emily didn't have to fall back into old habits. Maybe in this life, Emily was ready for more than convenience and superficial validation. More than a one night stand with her beautiful coworker and friend. Unbidden, Emily's mind wanders once again to the little house in Virginia only this time there's a pull of hope and pictures of possible futures flash behind her eyes.

Sam Clarke is a creature of habit and Emily is not at all surprised when she receives the text telling her where to meet with him for their interview. Emily dresses carefully in a pair of black jeans that hug her hips accentuated by her off-centre belt. She pairs them with a silky fitted blouse that feels slick and cool on her goose-bumped skin, rolled up to the elbow and unbuttoned one button further than she would on a normal office day. The rich burgundy colour compliments her alabaster skin and the deep brown of her eyes. She finishes the look with a stylish ankle boot, curls then combs down her hair for an effortless looking wave and chooses lipstick a shade bolder than her usual.

Emily isn't sure who she's dressing up for. She wants to show her ex husband a version of herself that is successful, sexy, and care free. Not because she wants him, or even wants him to think about her, but because she is terrified that he is the only person on the planet able to look into her eyes and see exactly what the last few years have taken from her. There's also a large part of her that wants to make sure she has JJ's undivided attention while they eat breakfast with her incredibly charming and successful ex-husband. With an extra spritz of her usual scent she grabs her black leather jacket, her holster, and her keys and tries not to think too hard about having breakfast with her past and present.

The hotel is far from hidden or discrete, and this is why Sam likes to take meetings here. Meeting with two federal agents investigating the murder and abduction of your staff in such a public venue is a bold choice, but then Emily concedes that meeting with your politically connected ex-wife for a cozy breakfast in full cooperation with said investigation may well pay off for the man's image. Emily meets up with JJ just outside the lounge with a smile and warns her that they may be photographed. The media liaison nods, running a hand through her honey blonde hair to give it some volume, and promises to do what she can to limit rumours if any journalist puts too much together. The hostess takes them out onto a shade dappled patio where Sam waits, sipping what is surely his second or third cup of coffee for the day and reading one of the three papers on the table in front of him.

"Any good news today?" Emily asks in a sudden surge of nostalgia. His smile tells her he remembers her chirping this greeting each morning in the sunny south facing kitchen of their DC home. She would come downstairs and slink into his lap with her silky robe draped loosely over her shoulders and steal sips from his coffee cup. His hands would smooth other her bare thighs and pull her close while his mouth roamed across her shoulders and chest as he gave her the headlines. Now on the open patio of a popular DC hotel restaurant, Sam stands and pulls her into his body like the last five years and a hasty divorce is no distance at all. She indulges herself in a deep breath of his scent, presses her body to his, kisses his cheek, and runs her hand through his perfectly styled hair.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you, Em" he husks into her ear, then holds her out in front of him. "You look amazing" he eyes her shamelessly "god I've missed those tits" Emily smacks him and moves out of his arms with a good natured laugh. She hopes neither of her breakfast companions notice the blush that graces her cheeks but knows they can't possibly miss it in the morning sun.

"This is my coworker, Agent Jareau" Emily introduces, while pulling a chair out for the media liaison to sit on. Sam catches the gesture and smirks.

"Nice to meet you coworker Jareau" the politician says cheekily. Emily smacks his arm again and takes her own seat while JJ exchanges pleasantries with a satisfied smirk. If Sam notices the way the agent angles herself closer to her brunette partner and lays a possessive arm across the back of Emily's chair, he doesn't let on.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet with us" JJ begins after a waiter comes by with coffee and fruit juice. Sam orders a platter of pastries and fresh fruit for the table. "Can you tell us more about Clarissa and Jessica" she opens.

"Clarissa and Jessica were ambitious, hard working, talented women working on my re-election campaign" Sam answers

"Yes I heard, Bruno was very clear on that" JJ says as she takes a lazy sip of her coffee. "But there's a girl missing and I'm afraid we'll need more detailed answers"

"I like her" Sam says to Emily with a wink before turning back to JJ. "I'm sure you know my relationship with them. Unrelated to that Clarissa was on a short list to keep on staff after the campaign, and Jess is already getting post-campaign offers from NGOs around town. I honestly don't know why anyone would do this to them"

"Was there anyone who didn't get along with them, or anyone who resented them, maybe got passed over for a job one of them got or made sexual advances that were rejected?" JJ asked.

"They're women in politics" Sam points out with a knowing look at Emily who nods in understanding.

"that's enough for a lot of men" Emily agrees, she meets JJ's compassionate eyes for a moment, and motions Sam to continue.

"I'm happy to send over any mail that was flagged for either of them" he offers. He seems to think for a moment before continuing. "Clarissa could be a bit abrupt. Especially when she was right and that was often. She ruffled feathers here and there but she was a capable strategist and well liked." Sam seems genuinely upset thinking back on the women and Emily knows that despite what his womanizing looks like to the outside world he does genuinely care for every one of his sexual and romantic partners. He isn't a man who uses people for sex, he's a man with an infinite capacity to be fully present and fully in love with whoever he's with in the moment. It's one of the things she loved about him once upon a time. "Jessica is a communications genius and incredibly well liked, charming, poised, I can't imagine anyone resenting her but she did tell me the last time we were together that she was looking into buying a hand gun, when I asked her why she would need it when she already carries pepper spray and spends most of her time staffing me with my detail, she didn't really give me an answer"

"So she was feeling unsafe?" Emily clarifies, smiling at the server as the food and plates are placed in front of them. She helps herself to a croissant with a generous dollop of jam and clotted cream.

"I guess so" Sam sighs then turns his eyes back to JJ. "I'm not comfortable around guns, never have been, so the idea of her buying one made me uncomfortable and I didn't ask further" If JJ thinks this discomfort around guns is odd for a man who was once married to a woman who spends as many hours at the shooting range as Emily Prentiss, she doesn't say so.

"Do you think whoever killed Clarissa and abducted Jessica could be doing it to hurt you?" JJ asks gently. Sam looks unsurprised by the question but vexed by it all the same.

"I've been thinking about that non-stop" he turns his green eyes back on Emily. "It seems unfathomable that someone would go to this length over politics. I saw the reports, Em, those women were tortured"

"Yeah they were" Emily confirms through the lump in her throat. He looks as though he wants to reach for her but he doesn't, instead his knuckles whiten around his coffee cup.

"I made them show me, and I couldn't help but think…" Sam takes a shuttering breath but doesn't finish his sentence. The agents watch him wrestle his face into a more passive expression but the intensity remains in his eyes. "Wherever she is, Jessica is in a lot of pain isn't she?" Emily puts down her breakfast and leans back into her chair. She takes a breath and a moment to feel the sun on her face and the ground under her feet. She knows Sam will push for an answer but she's not sure she can give him one. Instead she hates him for hinting at her own dark history here on such a beautiful morning so far from those terrifying days that ultimately led to the end of their marriage "Emily, if you find her… how will she ever… how did you…"

"I don't know, Sam" Emily interrupts "she's not me and what she's going through is different, when we find her she'll need a lot of support and a lot of people around her who love her"

"I loved you" he says in a low voice, accusation hangs over the table for a long tense moment before Sam sits up and faces JJ again with his politician's mask more firmly back in place. "I don't believe any of my political opponents would go to this length to target me" JJ nods but her eyes haven't yet left Emily who's slowly withdrawing in the seat beside her.

"What about your other lovers?" JJ asks after a heated moment. "Could there be someone who sees these women as a threat to you or to themselves?" Her deliberate use of neutral pronouns isn't lost on Sam and he ducks his head for a moment before answering.

"I don't believe so" he leans back in his chair, mirroring Emily's posture and JJ wonders if either realizes they're reflecting and reacting one another so obviously.

"Emily has vouched for one of them, while protecting their identity, but there's another we heard about from Bruno" JJ pushes "we'd like a name"

"Absolutely not" Sam shakes his head vigorously, causing curled locks of his sandy hair to fall across his forehead. Emily reaches over as if on autopilot to brush the wayward strands back into place and smiles softly at him.

"I trust JJ with my life, and with my heart" Emily tells him, and JJ feels her own heart begin to pound in her chest at the revelation "we will be discrete, and there will be no record of our looking into this so long as it doesn't lead us to Jessica's abductor"

"That's mighty high praise" Sam smiles at JJ then turns back to meet Emily's eyes. "I'm so sorry I've dragged you back into this, I know you aren't comfortable with the lies and the hiding, but I don't know if I can risk this even if it helps find that girl" His weakness stirs both compassion and irritation deep within Emily's gut. But he's wrong about her. Emily jumped from the secrets and lies of politics into the secrets and lies of international counterterrorism and undercover operations.

"I'm a lot more comfortable with secrets than you think, Sam" Emily sits back again, angling away from him and JJ and the whole conversation. She feels as if she could crawl out of her skin with the hypocrisy of what she's about to do. "I know what it is to fear being found, I know that this persona you carry feels like armour, feels like the difference between life and death, but I've learned a few things since we split, mon coeur, and one of those things was getting to know myself again. Just as I used to know you. The man I loved couldn't live with protecting a lie at the expense of Jessica Grande. That cost is too high, Sam" guilt erupts in her chest as she watches Sam wrestle his fear. She struggles to imagine a cost too high for her own secret and is painfully reminded that Sam is now and has always been the better person between them.

"Ben Simmons" Sam whispers after several moments of silence. When the name leaves his lips he looks almost relieved. JJ is still watching the pair closely, trying to order all she's learned from witnessing this interaction.

When the two women stand to leave, a baby-faced reporter steps into their path, addressing Emily directly as Mrs Clarke and asking if her breakfast with the congressman was a show of support in these difficult times. Emily side steps him easily with a polite smile and says nothing, even as the man produces a camera and takes her photo while Sam teasingly pulls her just close enough for the man to catch a candid of he and Emily together. JJ can't help but be professionally impressed with the calm and poise Emily displays through the invasive encounter. JJ had taken the metro to the meeting so the agents could carpool back to Quantic, so back in Emily's car car she watches closely as the older woman cranks the AC and takes several heavy breaths.

"I have so many questions" JJ says to break the tense silence. She watches the corners of Emily's mouth curl in a sardonic smile.

"I bet" her dark eyes remain closed and her head back against the seat. JJ finds her hand reaching for Emily's as if by its own volition. Their fingers tangle in Emily's lap for several quiet moments before the profiler comes back to herself and meets JJ's worried eyes. "Are you going to ask them?" The liaison shrugs and brings their hands up to her heart.

"You'll tell me all about it when you're ready" she sounds confident and trusting yet the words take Emily back to another time and place. Another identity. Lauren Reynolds sounded just as confident and trusting when she turned her glassy doe eyes on Ian Doyle and made the same sentiment. Trust isn't something she's used to giving or receiving freely. JJ notices the mounting tension in her friend's body and softens the moment with a flirtatious smile "or you'll tell me when I get you drunk and flirt you into spilling all your secrets" Emily can't help but laugh softly. She squeezes the blonde's hand in a silent thanks then finally pulls the car into traffic.

TBC