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When JJ got back to the house all of the lights were off.

She was exhausted, but had gotten little sleep on the plane ride back. Garcia had called her just as she was boarding and now JJ couldn't get that conversation out of her head. It was past two in the morning when JJ opened the front door and walked into her house.

She set her briefcase down and hung her jacket over a chair in the kitchen. JJ turned and let out a small startled gasp when she saw Emily sitting on the couch. It was dark and there was a bottle of wine and an empty glass on the coffee table.

Emily didn't appear to be looking at her, but was instead staring off into space.

"Emily?" JJ asked, walking toward her.

Emily turned suddenly, her eyes unfocused, her hand reaching toward her side.

"It's just me!" JJ held up her hands in front of her.

Emily's hands froze and she blinked before looking at JJ. "Hey," she said quickly, then coughed to clear her throat. "I guess I didn't hear you come in."

"Yeah," JJ nodded, "mind if I have a glass?" she gestured toward the bottle of wine.

Emily shrugged, "it's yours anyway."

JJ got a glass from the kitchen and filled it halfway before sitting on the couch.

"How was the case?" Emily asked without looking at her.

"We got him," JJ said, "thanks to you. Hotch told me you called with the dentist tip."

"You would've gotten him anyway."

"Maybe, but definitely not as fast. We were able to save her.

"And you're okay?"

"I'm okay," JJ confirmed, "the UNSUB got off a few shots, but no one was hit."

Emily nodded and JJ turned to look at her. "Are you okay, Em?"

"What?" She asked, then, "yeah, I'm fine."

"Garcia called me after you left."

"Oh, that was nothing, I just tripped. I'm okay," Emily insisted.

"You know you can talk to me, right? About anything."

"I know," Emily said, looking down, "but I'm fine," she looked up at JJ and smiled.

"Is your ankle okay?" JJ asked, "Did you hurt it when you fell?"

"I said I was fine," Emily repeated, her voice low.

"Emily," JJ said, "whatever's going on..."

"Stop," Emily said, "just stop. Stop trying to profile me. Stop trying to figure me out. And when I say I'm fine, then I'm fine." And with that Emily stood. She left the room and walked down the hall. She closed the guest room door behind her without looking back.

JJ stayed sitting on the couch. Garcia's call had worried her. Emily had seemed to react when she heard the gunshots over the speaker and had then left suddenly. JJ had called her three times on her way back from Wisconsin, but each time the calls had gone to voicemail.

When she got up she stopped by the guest room before walking to her own, but Emily wasn't there. However, JJ could hear the shower running in the bathroom. In her own bathroom JJ took off her clothes and stepped into the hot shower.

Thoughts of Emily and the case were racing in her mind.

She leaned her head against the cold tile and sighed.

XXX

The next morning JJ woke up to the smell of bacon. She blinked a few times to clear her vision and looked over at the clock, it was half past seven. She pulled the blanket away and stood, brushing her hair back with her fingers before pulling it into a ponytail. It was bright outside and she yawned.

When she got to the kitchen JJ sat down at the counter and rubbed her eyes. Emily was at the stove and appeared to be making bacon and pancakes.

"How long have you been up?" JJ asked, a yawn interrupting her mid-sentence.

Emily turned and smiled when she saw her, "not long, I hope I didn't wake you."

"I would gladly be woken up by pancakes and bacon any day," JJ smiled back.

"They're just about done." Emily turned back to the stove and moved three pancakes over to a plate that was already stacked four high. The bacon was moved to another plate and then Emily carried them both over to the counter.

"Coffee?"

"Yes, please."

Emily poured them both mugs and then got plates and forks before settling herself next to JJ.

JJ was on her second pancake when she realized that Emily hadn't started eating yet. She looked over and saw her smiling. JJ tilted her head, her brows drawn together.

"I just wanted to apologize," Emily said finally.

"What for?" JJ asked.

"For last night. I didn't mean to be short with you. I know that you were just concerned."

"It's okay," JJ said, taking one of Emily's hands in hers, "I care about you, okay? And sometimes that means I worry."

Emily nodded, "I know. I care about you too."

"And if you want to talk about anything at all, I'm here, okay?"

"I know," Emily smiled, "I just want you to know that I really am fine. And you don't need to worry."

JJ squeezed her hand.

But she didn't believe Emily. She didn't believe Emily when she said she was fine. And she didn't believe Emily when she said JJ didn't have to worry. Because something was going on, but JJ knew Emily well enough to know that pressing her about it wouldn't get them anywhere.

So instead she would just have to make sure Emily knew she was there. So when she was ready to talk, she could.

JJ let go of Emily's hand, "now you should probably eat some of these pancakes, or I might eat them all," she smiled.

Emily put one on her plate along with a piece of bacon and nibbled at it while JJ finished eating. Emily watched her pour her coffee into a travel mug and grab her briefcase.

"I'll see you tonight?" JJ asked.

"I'll be here," Emily confirmed.

Emily stared at the front door long after it had closed behind JJ. That feeling, the one she had felt on the plane, it had never really left, but now she felt it with such intensity. She had spent most of her adult life–most of her life–alone. And that had been okay, no, it had been good. At the very least it had been necessary.

But now she couldn't stop thinking about JJ. She hadn't slept at all the last night, had barely been able to close her eyes. But the only thing that kept her mind off those terrible memories was JJ. So all night she had thought of JJ. And even now.