NOTE: Hi everyone - new fic that takes place sometime during season 7. I am not a fan of writing out the actual case situations, so that is going to be glossed over and this is going to be more about the personal lives. I will throw reference to cases in here but they will be taken from random points in the show. This is a JJ/Emily fic so please note that before you continue. Other characters will be mentioned but not focused on.

I will post updates regularly as I never post a story that isn't already complete. This one is 5 chapters total.

Love reviews - so feel free.

I do not own Criminal Minds, obviously.

CHAPTER 1

Jennifer Jareau steered the black SUV into the parking garage at such a high rate of speed that Emily Prentiss instinctively reached for the grip bar just above her window.

"Jeez JJ," Emily mutters under her breath as she glances at the younger blonde still focused solely on driving. "What's the rush?"

"We are so late," JJ replies biting at the corner of her bottom lip and glancing at the brunette next to her. She continues to follow the path in the parking garage, going up and up to the second to last level of the five story structure. She finally selects a spot in the very corner of the parking garage that is void any other vehicles.

"There were about two hundred empty parking spots between there and here," Emily points out chuckling slightly to herself as the vehicle is put into park and the ignition turned off. She starts to undo her seat belt and can hear JJ doing the same next to her. "Being a little choosy with the parking spot considering you're so concerned about the time…" Emily starts again to badger the blonde but before she can finish, she feels two strong hands grab the collar of her shirt and forcefully pull her back before she can open the car door.

Brown eyes meet with bright blue as Emily turns her head to see who had stopped her movement and JJ smirks at her before pulling Emily further into her, their lips crashing together like magnets unable to be apart.

There aren't words spoken. They didn't need them. Both the women knew exactly what was being said with that kiss and what they each needed from it. There was no one that knew JJ better than the woman whose lips were attached to hers at the moment.

It wasn't like this was the first time their lips had met with such force and passion. JJ couldn't remember exactly how long ago their first time was, but she did remember that night in blinding detail. Sometimes, when she fell asleep at night, she would close her eyes and remember exactly what it felt like to feel Emily's hands on her skin. The way her body hummed with every single touch of the brunette's strong and experienced hands. The way she tasted and smelled and the way her heart filled to the brim and overflowed with love with every kiss, smile or hand graze.

Sure, JJ was very well aware that her feelings for Emily Prentiss had changed somewhere along the way during their time together. Again, she wasn't exactly sure when it had happened but she knew that there was nothing she could do to make the feelings go away. She had spent countless hours trying to convince herself to stay away from the brunette, and yet no matter how much she told herself she would, she always found herself again in this same compromising position.

A moan escapes JJ's own lips during the searing kiss, jerking her back to the moment and she can feel Emily's right hand starting to move slightly down her still seated body. She was angled in a way that made it difficult, but Emily had become a master at all things JJ and she could make anything, or anywhere, work for them. When Emily's fingers graze the patch of skin just above JJ's pant line where her shirt has ridden up, JJ feels a flood of fire go straight to her core.

But it immediately goes cold at the shrill sound of her cell phone pinging from the dashboard.

Emily pulls back instantly, her eyes glued to the phone before moving them back to meet JJ's. She nods her head at the phone with a slight smile on her face, as to tell JJ she didn't want her to miss the alert. JJ stares deeply at Emily for a moment before leaning forward and capturing Emily's swollen lips one more time for a quick kiss. She releases the older woman and reaches for the phone. As she reads the text her expression changes and Emily notices the change in her demeanor. She reaches out with her hand, the same one that had moments ago been buried in the blonde's long hair and swiftly nudges JJ's leg.

"Like I said, we are so late," JJ says closing out the text and stuffing the phone into her pocket. She exits the vehicle, the same as Emily, and situates herself; her hair, her lipstick and her gun carefully holstered on her hip before pressing the button to lock the car and making her way around the back where she meets the brunette.

"Why did I agree to this again?" Emily asks as the two women start to walk toward the elevator several yards away from where JJ had parked.

"Because you love me," JJ says with a smirk and a wink and Emily can't help but laugh in response. She wants to respond, tell the blonde just how much she really does love her, but she knows now isn't the time place for such declarations.

She had never planned on actually falling in love with the woman before her. In fact, she had specifically told herself that she didn't want to be committed to anyone at all. Which is why her situation with JJ worked so well at time when it started. Emily didn't want commitment and JJ couldn't give it.

But the more time she spent with the blonde, the further and further she fell in love with her. Emily had been the one to suggest that they keep it casual, so she knew she couldn't be the one to change things now, despite the truth of her feelings eating her alive every moment of every day.

After a year had passed of them doing whatever it was they were doing, Emily had started to realize that her truth would likely never be able to be confessed. Losing JJ wasn't an option of course, so instead of backing away, she allowed their relationship to continue on JJ's terms, which meant, no one, not even the rest of the team would ever know the truth about the two of them.

Of course, there had been close calls over the past couple of years. More than once Emily could remember being just inches away from JJ's lips when Garcia came barging in rambling about the next girl's night she had planned for the three of them. Reid had even pointed out the few times their hands had instinctively found one another's after a particularly rough case. They had instantly detached but were able to chalk that up to being such close friends.

As Emily's mind races back to all those moments, she feels a soft hand lace fingers with her own and she glances down to see JJ's hand in hers. Their eyes catch as they stop at the elevator and JJ leans in, placing one last kiss on Emily's lips before releasing her hand and pressing the elevator button.

"Is it too late for me to change my mind?" Emily asks, easily slipping back into the best friend mode they shared when they were in public with one another, as they stand silently in the elevator taking them down to the ground level. "I mean, this is just…"

"Em, you know why we are doing this."

"Yeah, yeah," Emily replies, following the blonde out of the elevator and walking by her side toward the restaurant. Their fingers graze one another but they have the sense to pull away as they enter through the main door and are greeted by the sound of his voice.

"Hey there cher," Will LaMontagne says in that accent that somehow makes Emily cringe. It wasn't that she didn't like Will, because she did. She just didn't like that he had gotten to JJ first. "I was wondering if the two of you were going to stand us up," he finishes after enveloping the blonde in a huge hug and placing a chaste kiss to her lips.

It takes everything in Emily's power not to punch him in the face.

"Emily, this is Benjamin Bowers," JJ says after greeting her boyfriend and turning to the other man standing at his side.

"Nice to meet you," Ben says reaching out to take Emily's hand, which she accepts and shakes.

"You as well," Emily replies plastering on that face that she had put on so many times before.

This was a dance that the two of them knew all too well by this point. The kind they knew they had to have in order to keep the truth of their relationship a secret to everyone around them. Having double dates with JJ and her boyfriend were the perfect way for them to appear like any normal best friends and co-workers.

Did it suck? Absolutely. Emily hated having to pretend to be interested in anything any of the men JJ or Will had brought along said each time they put on this show. But she did it for JJ, because she knew that JJ's biggest fear was Will finding out about the two of them and losing everything she had worked so hard for.

It wasn't Will that JJ was scared of losing. JJ knew that she would be just fine without the man she called her boyfriend. Sure, there had been love there when they first started seeing each other. That love had always been real. But as she had grown and changed through the years, something had made that love different than how it had started out. It wasn't the passion that she felt when she was with Emily. It was merely a fondness for the man she called her boyfriend. Naturally, of course, it wasn't just Will that JJ had to think of, which is what really made things so hard for the blonde. There was Henry as well.

"Sorry we were so late, it was a long day," JJ says snapping Emily back to the current reality of where they are. The waiter guides the party of four to their table and Will stops to pull the chair out for his girlfriend. Emily moves to take the seat next to JJ, however is stopped when Ben pulls out the chair across from the blonde for her to take instead.

"Thank you," she says smiling appropriately and taking the seat. She catches JJ's eyes but doesn't take the time to evaluate the look in them.

"Rough one today ladies?" Will asks taking the seat next to his girlfriend.
"Actually, no case today," Emily states as she opens her menu and glances at the wine menu. "Just a shit ton of paperwork that had been piling up because of all those other cases recently."

"Wow, I guess when Will explained to me what the two of you ladies do for the FBI, I never imagined you actually had to do your own paperwork along with it," Ben says smiling from his place next to the brunette at the table.

"Oh yes, there is no get out of jail free card for paperwork," JJ smirks, her leg rising just enough to rub against Emily's across from her under the table.

The brunette jerks slightly at the action but is able to recover without being noticed.

"Shall we drink?" Emily offers.

The rest of the evening is filled with small talk, banter back and forth and even some laughter. As difficult as it was for the two women to have these nights out with JJ's boyfriend and a random date for Emily, their friendship always shined through.

Sure, they were secret lovers, but they were first and always would be best friends.

As the night comes to a close, the four adults stop in front of the entrance to the parking structure next to the restaurant.

"It was really nice to meet you Emily," Ben offers leaning in and hugging the brunette affectionately. She reciprocates and for a brief second over his shoulder sees a hint of jealousy in the blue eyes that are watching her carefully.

"It was great to meet you as well," the brunette responds as she pulls back from the hug. "We'll have to do it again sometime."

JJ struggles to hide the growl that is about to come out of her throat and covers it with a cough that makes Emily smirk knowingly.

"Cher, I'll meet you at the house?" Will asks, leaning and kissing the blonde's cheek before reaching out and shaking Ben's hand. "Em," he says when his eyes finally rest on the brunette's.

Just before he can say anything more, the sound of JJ's phone going off interrupts. Everyone glances at the blonde, including Emily, who knows the familiar sound all too well.

"Jareau," she says into the phone. She nods her head several times and glances at Emily. "I'll tell her, we are just finishing up dinner."

With that she hangs up and sticks out her bottom lip, pouting like a child who's toy had been taken away from them for bad behavior.

"Was that Hotch?" Emily asks curious as to the blonde's very short responses on the phone.

"Sorry babe," she says directing her attention to Will next to her and not answering Emily's question. "We have to go back in to consult on a case. But the good news is, it shouldn't take too long. We don't have to go anywhere. I'll be home by morning to help see Henry off to school," JJ explains and although Will is clearly disappointed, he doesn't argue. He knows the job and he knows arguing won't do any good.

Instead he kisses his girlfriend, says goodbye to Emily and follows Ben to the other end of the first level of the parking structure where their cars both were parked.

The women both walk swiftly toward the stairs to the elevator, which is there waiting for them and wait in silence as they are lifted to the fourth floor of the structure. It isn't until they are out of the elevator and their car is in view that JJ laces her fingers with Emily's as the two make their way back to the car.

"What's the consult?" Emily asks when she feels the blonde's hand in hers. "JJ?"

"Hmmm?" JJ asks glancing at Emily for a moment but continuing to walk to the waiting SUV. The way she sways her hips with her walk starts to make Emily question things.

"JJ, was that Hotch on the phone?"

"I never said it was," JJ replies as they get to the door of door of their vehicle. JJ goes to push the button to unlock it but before she can, Emily spins the blonde so her back is to the door and their lips just centimeters from one another.

"So who was it then?"

"No one," JJ breathes out seductively. The smell of the wine on her breath reminds Emily of just how close the two of them are in that moment and she can't help but shiver at the thought of what is about to come. "It's an app I downloaded. It places a fake call to my phone when I tell it to."

"Really, and why would you do that?" Emily asks, knowing the answer but wanting to hear JJ say it anyway.

"Because," JJ's whispers, her lips now grazing Emily's ear, their bodies against one another. Emily's eyes close instinctively at the feeling of JJ's lips so close to her. "I want to finish what we started in the car."