TITLE: Criminal Minds – "Darkest Days" (A sequel to Behind the Mask)
AUTHOR: D M Harper
SUMMARY: Agent Prentiss is forced to face her secretive past when it threatens the safety of her BAU colleagues and her beloved family.
RATING: For Mature Readers.
DISCLAIMER: This story was conjured up for reading entertainment only. No money has exchanged hands or bank accounts. There is no profit gained, just fancy flights of imagination. There is no intention to infringe on the copyright of CBS Television Studios or creator Jeff Davis. This writing does feature consensual sexual interaction between two females, so if you are underage or unable to view due to restrictions in your part of the world, be gone and take my sympathy with you. If you find such material offensive, too bad, so sad, you chose to enter this web site of your own free will; hence you have no one to whine to except yourself or a parent if you are caught, so bugger off!
A/N: Please find the time to review and feed the Muse.
Chapter 52
Emily arrived home shortly after six. The remainder of her work day had been occupied with the expected paperwork and conversations with her Team as they dropped by her office to check on her. The visits weren't overly subtle, but they were welcomed. The more Emily talked openly, the more she let go of the pent up fury. By the time she entered the house, Emily was at ease and ready to spend time with her family.
Elizabeth was in the kitchen waiting to greet her, "Hello dear, how was your day?"
Hugging her mother, Emily noticed the saucepans on the stove and the delectable armour coming from the oven, "Hi, today was rewarding and are you cooking meatloaf?"
Stepping out of the clinch, Elizabeth explained, "Yes I am, but I won't be staying."
It was then Emily realised the twins didn't appear to be around and the house was way too quiet, "Why not? What's going on?"
Smiling, Elizabeth turned down the range top elements, "Dinner is done." Rotating, she brushed fingertips over Emily's frown, "Relax, everything is copacetic. Grace is at Charles' in D.C. until Monday morning and Maureen and Malcolm are upstairs packing for the weekend at my house. The children are upstairs having a bath with Jill, so all bases are covered."
"Whose idea was it for all visitors to vacate the house?"
"That would be your wife's. She thought it was time we all took a break and spent time away from all the madness."
With a furrowed forehead, Emily asked, "How was Jill today after physio?"
"She was excellent and stayed close to the twins. They behaved to entire day and Samantha didn't swear once."
"That's an improvement. Was Jill tired at any stage?"
"She had a nap with Jarrod and Samantha in your bed this afternoon."
"That's great and if you will excuse me; I'll go say hello to them and the in-laws." Reaching for her mother, Emily embraced her once more, "Thank you."
"You are most welcome dear and I'll see you Monday morning."
"I love you mom."
"I love you too Emily."
-o-
Going upstairs, Emily spoke with Maureen and Malcolm before walking into the master bedroom. She grinned when she heard the sounds of laughter coming from the ensuite. Obviously Jillian had moved the location for bath time. Storing her gun and gear in the walk-in closet, Emily swiftly changed into a pair of black lounge pants and a grey tee shirt.
Ambling into the bathroom, Emily took in the sight of her naked wife sitting at one end of the large tub and the kids taking up space at the other. All three were covered in bubbles and trying to throw them at each other. It was a fruitless attempt, but had them in hysterics.
"I see you are having fun," Emily eventually said, breaking the moment.
Three heads turned her way and her heart ached for the love beaming from their wet faces. Samantha waved, "Home mama, you play?"
Jarrod followed before Emily replied, "I'd love to my darlings, but Grandma made us a yummy dinner, so it's time to eat."
"Yay," cheered the twins.
"Welcome home babe," tossed in Jillian as she pulled the plug then stood. "Come on kids, let's move."
Emily collected two towels from the wall rack and handed one to Jillian, "Hey you, you've been busy."
Wrapping Jarrod in the fluffy white bath sheet, Jillian stepped out of the tub, "We've had a ton of fun and missed you."
Leaning in, Emily pecked her son on the cheek, "I missed you too." Glaring at her spouse, she enquired, "Should you be carrying him?"
"Probably not, but I'm good to go."
Samantha held out her arms as Emily bundled her up, "Did you have a good day Little Miss?"
"Yes mama. Play lots," answered the toddler while receiving a kiss from Emily.
"Me be good boy," boasted Jarrod while leaving the room with Jillian.
"What about you?" queried Emily of her daughter.
"Me berry good mama. No hit, no pinch, no kick."
That earned her another smooch as the duo joined the other pair. Jillian was drying Jarrod as he stood on the bed and Emily did the same with Samantha.
Three minutes passed and Jillian was dressed in blue basketball shorts and a purple tee shirt while the kids were decked out in their Winnie the Pooh sleepwear. Emily valiantly dismissed the fact her wife had decided to go commando, but the thought did creep into her thoughts several times over the course of dinner and the subsequent bedtime storytelling.
For her part, Jillian was more than flirtatious the whole time and there was a mad scramble to secure the house and turn off lights prior to the couple collapsing into bed and one another.
The lovemaking bordered on feral and on a few occasions, Jillian had to readjust her position to avoid hurting herself. Emily had lost count of her orgasms once she finally fell back against pillows and locked eyes with Jillian as she hovered above her grinning like some half crazed lunatic.
"Holy crap that was wild," Emily mumbled while caressing Jillian's lower back.
Easing onto her healed side, Jillian chortled, "Yes it was and totally fulfilling. I can't believe it is only ten past eight and I am completely exhausted."
Joining the mirth, Emily draped an arm over Jillian's hip and traced fingertips across the heated skin, "How is your stomach?"
"Not too bad and wow, I love you Em."
"I love you more and I think this is part of the evening when we discuss the elephant in the room."
Planting a gentle kiss on Emily's chest, Jillian lazily swiped her tongue along the contours of breast on display, "Do you want to talk about your chat with McCall, because I really don't need to hear what that fucker had to say."
Stunned by the statement, Emily pulled back until she could see Jillian's face and gauge her surliness, "What does that mean?"
"If you want to tell me about how big of an asshole McCall was and how much of a prick he was because he didn't care about the trouble he made for Callum and Harris then go ahead or you could save yourself the anguish by not talking about it."
"First of all, he was both those things and second, did Hotch call you?"
"Aaron didn't make contact nor did anyone else on the Team. I just knew he'd be a prick and treat you like shit."
Emily's bottom lip dropped, "He called me a whore."
"I am aware of that and I'm sorry you had to listen to his crap."
Things weren't adding up in Emily's mind, "Hold on, Aaron was the only person privy to the interview, so how do you know what was said?"
Without changing facial expressions, Jillian nonchalantly answered, "I called in a favour and listed to the conversation about an hour before you arrived home."
To say Emily was a little mystified was an understatement, "Say what now?"
Struggling into an upright position, Jillian started to weep, "When you called to say you were going to Lee, I desperately wanted to go with you to protect you from that bastard's filth."
"Why didn't you say that to me on the phone?"
"Em, I knew you would be torn between doing your job and avenging me. You were brilliant by the way and I thank you."
Understanding her wife's motives, Emily divulged her inner musings and disappointment, "I wanted to kill him, but why did you go behind my back?"
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm kind of treading water here Emily. I had to know what happened and maybe, just maybe find some semblance of satisfaction in hearing him squirm."
Emily had not expected any of this from Jillian, "Did Penelope assist you?"
"No, I told you it was no one from the Team."
"Then who was it?"
"I phoned Warden Tate and he felt guilty enough about what happened to me that he agreed to send me a copy of the interview."
"You only had to ask me and I would have gotten you a disc Jill."
"I didn't want to bother you."
"You are my wife and not an imposition. We agreed to not leave stuff unspoken between us."
"Okay, but shit, I am all over the place Em. I'm sorry to upset you."
Reaching for Jillian, Emily tenderly hauled her back onto her chest, "I'm not upset; just worried that you find it hard to talk to me about what is going on with you."
Wiping away her teardrops, Jillian snuggled in, "I keep fucking up, sorry."
"Shush, I need for you to be open with me Jill. Is this way you organised for everyone to give us some privacy?"
"Yes, I did plan on telling you the truth at some stage. I actually debated with myself over calling you at work to inform you about the recording. I'm still a mess Em and had dad drive me to Quantico to see Chelsea."
Pressing her lips to Jillian's temple, Emily softly kissed the area, "Did that help?"
"As you can see, no."
"What can I do honey?"
"Just love me and accept I have some serious issues to overcome. Chelsea and I are working on blocking the memories. You and the twins are excellent distractions and keep me grounded for the most part."
"I'm thrilled to hear that."
"My hardest times are when I sleep or am alone."
As her chest heaved with sorrow, Emily asked, "Are you happy Jill?"
"I truly am, but there is another problem I need to tell you about."
"I am listening honey."
"I over medicated myself to make it through the day. I need you to control my dosage of pain pills ASAP. I can't go down the road of dependency Em and require you to monitor me."
At a loss for a reply, Emily allowed the shock to settle before speaking, "Shit, and yes, I can do that for you. How is your pain now?"
"I am managing and thank you."
"Are you sore now?"
"No babe and I hate that I fucked up."
"Don't worry about that. We deal with it together, okay?"
"Okay."
"Why did you take the extra tablets?"
The tears fell again, "I was in a lot of pain and it wouldn't ease. I know better and wish I could get my head around the fact I am still limited in what I can do."
"Don't cry darling. You did the right thing in telling me and we will work on moving on."
Jillian sighed against Emily's skin, "Thank you. I'm an ass hat for putting you though all this."
"This is not your fault."
"It is hard to believe that at times Em."
"I'll remind you and from now on, you stick to your recovery plan and no lifting heavy weights."
Emily was relieved to hear a giggle escape from Jillian before she asked, "What about sex?"
"We will show some restraint in that area and use techniques that won't overexert you."
"All right and me being on my side is comfortable."
Laying a kiss on Jillian's scalp, Emily retorted, "Are you trying to seduce me?"
Lifting her head and locking onto deep pools of brown, Jillian grinned, "Is it working?"
"You never fail my darling."
"Hopefully it will result in more pleasant dreams," reasoned Jillian in a broken voice.
"Only time will tell," put forth Emily as her lips lowered and closed the gap between her and Jillian.
-o-
Jillian woke from the horrors of her nightmares twice during the night and each time, Emily was there to soothe away the trauma and ease her back to sleep.
-o-
Saturday 1st November
Waking at six, Emily left Jillian undisturbed and showered. She was in the kitchen preparing waffles and fruit salad when she heard Samantha and Jarrod babbling away on the monitor. Racing upstairs, she walked into their room to find Samantha unclothed and picking out an outfit from the top drawer of the bureau. Jarrod was similarly attired and holding the chair his sister was currently standing on.
They both turned to stare at Emily with "deer caught in the headlights" expressions.
Samantha casually announced, "Get ready mama, we good."
"Yes you are, but how about we use the toilet first?"
"Otay," chorused the twins as Samantha climbed down the wooden seat. She ran past Emily and down the hall to the bathroom.
A grinning Jarrod squealed and chased after her. All Emily could do was laugh and wonder what had brought about the complete change in the children's behaviour. Surely having Jillian home was a factor, but there must be something else influencing the turnaround. Emily contemplated this while making for the bathroom.
-o-
Jillian joined the trio at the dining table ten minutes later looking exhausted. Emily caught her flinching a couple of times and suggested, "How about I get you a painkiller honey?"
Without making eye contact, Jillian consented, "Okay, but only one not two."
"I'll be right back and how about we all build something new on the big bed once we eat?"
The children were on board as was Jillian. Emily continued to dispense Jill's medication and her wife's sleeping habits improved.
The weekend passed without incident and Jillian remained upbeat and to Emily's delight, she was talkative and the bad dreams did not present at night. Jennifer, Will and Henry visited Sunday for a barbeque lunch and swim in the heated pool. By the time night arrived, sleep came swiftly for the Prentiss/Rolston household and Emily couldn't have been happier.
-o-
Monday 3rd December
The start of a new week saw Emily return to work and Malcolm depart for Titus. Grace resumed her duties with a noticeable spring in her step while Elizabeth was recalled to Rome for an urgent, unscheduled summit with several foreign dignitaries.
Walking into her office, Emily was surprised to see Aaron waiting by her desk. Relieved to see there wasn't a folder in his hand, she greeted him, "Good morning."
Grinning, Hotch returned, "A good morning to you. How is Jill coping?"
"She has moments when she withdraws, but it only brief. We are working on her recovery together."
"I'm pleased to hear that and I won't keep you long Emily. I just wanted to apologise for taking lead on the Harris case. I didn't intentionally mean to run the case once Byrne was apprehended and Jill was no longer under threat."
Grinning, Emily accepted her friend's explanation, "Aaron, there is no need to apologise. It was never my place to lead the Team under the circumstances and I am grateful for being able to remain by Jill's side for the majority of the investigation. It was certainly a conflict of interest for me to be involved in regards to Byrne and I didn't mind that you directed the Team."
"Thank you and I am still adjusting to the fact I am no longer the Unit Chief. It wasn't until I read the last After Action Report that I realised I was giving instructions without conferring with you."
"No harm done and thankfully our role in this sordid mess is complete."
"On that note, Palmer is partitioning the court for a trial date starting on the seventeenth."
Black eyebrows arched, "That's only two weeks away."
"Palmer is ready to proceed on all charges and McCall's Defence Lawyer indicated Friday he was prepared."
"Let's hope the court is amiable to the submission and we can all start to rebuild our lives without interruption."
"I'm sure Palmer will contact you and Jill in due course, but he was fairly busy Friday."
"How so?" enquired Emily while sitting on the edge of her desk.
"Byrne and Harris both accepted plea bargains for five years imprisonment with eligibility for parole after serving three. They will also be given new identities in exchange for their testimony. Harris' family has already been relocated as a precaution."
"Considering the mitigating circumstances, those are pretty sweet dreams."
"Yes, the fact both were victims of McCall's threats, it softened the blow somewhat. A fund is being set up for those injured in the bomb blast using the ill-gotten money from McCall."
Trying not to laugh, Emily quipped, "That is kind of ironic, but also brilliant at the same time."
"I think so too and it was Callum's idea the seized millions go to a good cause."
"I guess that is one way for him to find some sort of redemption for the bad choices he made. Has there been any word on Crosby's case?"
"Yes, he pleaded out on a ten year period with no parole recommendation."
"I'm pleased Palmer has managed to tidy up most of the loose ends. Jill will be elated with the results."
"Will I?' the aforementioned person asked as she strolled into the room. "I'd like to hear the rest of that statement at some stage."
Aaron neared her with a hug, "It's good to see you Jill."
Receiving the embrace, Jillian choked up, "You too and excuse my emotional return."
"You are excused and I'll leave you both to it," responded Hotch prior to heading for the exit.
Moving in, Emily wrapped her arms around Jillian's waist and carefully pulled her forward, "This is a nice surprise honey."
Ignoring all protocol, Jillian captured her wife's lips in a blistering kiss. Some minutes passed before she let go and smirked, "Hi and Chelsea had a cancellation so I thought I'd pull on my "big girl" pants and drop by to fondle my amazing, sexy boss."
Calming her rapidly beating heart and libido, Emily took in Jillian's outfit consisting of boot cut jeans, black boots, black beanie and beige overcoat and purred, "Lucky me and I like this look on you."
"Thanks and I never tire of seeing you in a pants suit."
Fanning her face, Emily panted, "Did it just get hot in here, or what?"
Inching closer, Jillian huskily whispered into Emily's left ear, "You're hot and if I didn't need to leave; I'd take you on your desk."
With wobbly legs, Emily swatted Jillian away, "Shit, you've ruined another pair of my underpants."
Jillian was all cheek, "It's a good thing that you pack extra in your "go to" bag then isn't it?"
"I love seeing you in this playful mood."
"I'm getting back to my old self Em and I better go before we pull down the blinds and put on a show."
"The bullpen is empty Jill."
"That's great, because I'm about to kiss the crap out of you, and hopefully grope your impressive boobs once or twice."
A rich laugh emitted from Emily as she fell into the kiss. She was a quivering mess when Jillian departed five minutes later. The woman had managed to do more than touch Emily's breasts, and as a result was quite proud of herself when she walked away.
Regulating her breathing, Emily collected her bag and dashed to the nearest bathroom to exchange her soaked French cut underpants for a fresh set. She'd only just taken a seat behind her desk when Jillian text her: I have your orgasm still on my fingers & it tastes divine, love you & be safe
Squeezing her thighs together to stave off another bout of arousal, Emily pondered how long Jillian's appointment was for and if she planned on stopping by afterwards. With that thought, she replied: I love you & thank you for the most welcomed surprise. Can you drop in again for a repeat performance?
The response was swift: Why yes I can & be prepared to lock your door and pull the blinds … I am hungry
"Oh dear god," groaned Emily prior to sending: I'll gladly feed you
She laughed when "I just came" flew across the screen. Typing, she sent back: Gee I am good
Hell yeah … got to go … love you babe
Emily was smiling like a court jester as she replied: Love you more & I'm with you every second of every day & am so proud of you
Taking a moment to wipe away several stray tears, Emily turned on her computer and got to work.
-o-
Ten minutes later, Penelope rushed into Emily's office, and after pleasantries, presented an urgent case from Odessa, Texas. With hopes of christening her new oak desk evaporating, Emily assembled the Alpha Team then dispatched a short missive to Jillian.
-o-
