Author's Note: This is a republish. No edits have been made except for any grammar or spelling errors noticed.

Author's Note: Okay, this is it! Last chapter!

At 1 o'clock the house was tidy and ready for everyone, and the dinner was about a quarter of an hour away from being cooked: it was just a case of waiting for the boys of the BAU to turn up. Hotch was the first to arrive, dressed as Santa, with his wife Hayley – who was dressed as Mrs Claus – and lots of presents.

"Okay Hotch, we did not say you all had to dress up!"

"I know Emily, I just thought it would make it more fun, especially as it's me dressed up: how often do you get to see my goofy side?"

"Fair point, but just because you're dressed as Santa doesn't mean you get to give out all the presents – especially mine for JJ."

"Ooh, what have you got her?" Hayley asked intrigued, not noticing the blonde standing in the doorway.

"You'll find out later when I give it to her, won't you?" Emily grinned as she went to open the blue front door to let Morgan and Reid in. All they were wating for now was for Rossi to turn up. And he did 5 minutes later – with his car full of presents for the team.

"Merry Christmas everyone! Dinner is ready, so let's eat" JJ said when everyone was settled after wishing each other a good Christmas.

XXX

After their Christmas lunch, the group sat themselves down close to the tree to share their gifts with each other. For the team though, Christmas was never really about the gifts: but about them spending happy times together when they didn't have to think about the horrors they saw each and every day at work. It was nice just to spend time together and talk about anything they wanted rather than whatever unsub they happened to be catching. The presents just made it extra special. A hour later, everyone had opened their presents, except JJ from Emily: Emily was refusing to give it to her until later.

"Come on everyone! Let's work off all the fat and calories we've just eaten and ho have a snowball fight in the field!"

"Garcia! You dragged me and Em out yesterday for a snowball fight! Can't we just sit in here, in the warm, and watch a film or something? It's not like it's the first snow." JJ complained, even though she loved the snow and the snow that has been falling all morning had gotten much heavier while they were eating and had finally settled on the ground.

"J honey, you love the snow" Emily cooed "and a snowball fight is very Christmassy; we don't exactly have any Christmassy films to watch. Besides, it'll make the time go quicker so you get your present sooner. Come on. Girls versus boys: it'll be fun!"

Unenthusiastically, JJ got up and everyone – dressed for the cold outdoors – headed outside to the field the girls (minus Hayley) had been in the day before for a tremendous snowball fight that would never be forgotten. Two hundred snowballs and a snowman family later, eight tired adults returned to the warm house that JJ and Emily proudly owned, to warm and see, finally, what Emily had bought JJ for Christmas. For although they were spending the day together, Emily and JJ had both decided they would exchange gifts with the rest of the team, so they could all see what they had bought each other.

Once inside and warmed up, everyone sat around the tree once more to see what JJ had in store for her. When Emily went to her car, confused looks were shared between the rest of the group.

"Ooh, look! She forgot to get you a present JJ – she's just off to the store to buy you one now" Morgan teased, although stopping quickly when he saw Emily getting into the driver's seat.

XXX

Half an hour later, Emily returned to a house full of annoyed profilers and a very angry girlfriend.

"Where the hell did you disappear to Emily?!" JJ insisted as soon as she walked through the door.

"I'm sorry" was all Emily replied with as she took her coat off and hung it up again by the front door and walked calmly - although she was anything but – back to the waiting group.

Reaching into her pocket, she continued "but I had to get this because I couldn't risk you finding it in the house. And as much as I love everyone, I couldn't be certain it wouldn't slip, and I wanted it to be a surprise. JJ, we've not been together all that long in the grand scheme of things, or when you look at Hotch and Hayley, but I love you with my whole heart. I've loved you from the moment I first saw you when you told Hotch there was a case when I was talking to him in his office, it just took me a while to realise it. And even longer to act on it. You mean everything to me now J, even more than my family, and I can't imagine my life without you. For this reason, I ask you one thing Jennifer Jareau: will you do me the honour of being my wife?"

The room was silent, waiting for JJ to answer with tears in their eyes: who would have known Emily Prentiss, badass agent of the FBI, could be so sentimental and touching. Holding Emily's gaze for a moment longer, JJ let the tears fall before diverting her eyes to look at the ring and slowly around the room at their friends who all looks so happy at what had just happened. JJ couldn't believe what she was about to say, but she had to be happy. If nothing else, Emily had taught her to think of her own happiness before anyone else. With a small gulp, JJ found Emily's eyes once again before replying.

"Emily, I love you, I really do, and I don't want this to change anything, but no: I'm sorry, I can't marry you. If there's one thing you've taught me Emily, it's to put my own happiness before anyone else. If I accepted your proposal, it wouldn't make me unhappy, but I wouldn't be as happy as I am now. I'm happy just being with you and being able to call you my girlfriend. I'm sorry Emily, no."

JJ hated herself for doing it; hated knowing she was the person who had made Emily cry. Hearing the shocked gasps echo around the room, JJ turned to see her teammates looking at her with disbelief. 'JEmily' as the team called them, was the strongest relationship they had ever seen.

"I'm sorry, Em. I love you with all that I have been, am and will be. I'm just not ready for marriage yet."

That's it guys! It's taken me far too long to get it copied over, but the story's finished!

There will be a sequel, but I'm likely going to post another couple of shorter stories whilst I'll get back into the flow of writing in character, but the first chapter will be up within a month or so hopefully!

Let me know what you think! Leave a review to help me out