Sorry about the long wait for this update, I was having a hard time getting this chapter finished. As always, thank you so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites. I would love to hear what you think!

JJ didn't take her eyes off of Emily who was lying asleep in bed beside her.

Emily hadn't said much once she sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes. JJ had made them dinner, but Emily had mostly pushed the food around. And after she had pushed her plate away JJ took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

JJ changed into a pair of pajamas, but Emily laid down fully dressed, her back to JJ's side of the bed. JJ laid beside her and pulled the blankets over them both.

"I'm right here," JJ whispered.

Emily had tossed and turned for nearly an hour before she stilled and her breathing became even. But JJ didn't take her eyes off of her.

She grabbed her phone from the bedside table, dialed, and held it close to her ear.

"Hotchner," Aaron answered.

"Hotch," she whispered, trying her best not to wake Emily, "I need to take a personal day tomorrow."

"Is everything alright?"

JJ looked at Emily's face. Her eyes were closed, but her face wasn't peaceful in sleep. "I'm okay," she said so he wouldn't worry.

"Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks Aaron."

JJ hung up and set her phone back on the table beside her. She looked back at Emily who still appeared to be sleeping.

She looked at the woman who she had been in love with for years.

The woman who was strong and loyal and passionate and kind.

And she just wished Emily could see that too. She wished Emily could see every wonderful thing about her. She wished Emily could see why JJ loved her. And JJ vowed to do everything she could to show Emily that. To show her that she was worthy of love.

Emily rolled over and her head found its way to JJ's chest. With her eyes still closed she wrapped her arm around JJ. She snuggled close to her.

JJ closed her eyes and sighed.

She had never felt love like this before.

XXX

JJ didn't know what woke her, but when she opened her eyes she looked over and saw Emily was already awake.

"You okay?" JJ asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Yeah," Emily turned and looked at her, "I don't sleep through the night much anymore, I'm sorry if I woke you."

"You didn't," JJ assured her. She sat up and turned the lamp on, she pulled her legs out from beneath the blanket and swung them over the side of the bed. "I'll be right back," she promised, "do you need anything?"

Emily shook her head.

She stared at the doorway once JJ was gone.

Emily thought she would've been embarrassed about crying earlier, she had never been good at showing her emotions. It made her feel vulnerable. But with JJ she felt okay. She was starting to feel like she didn't have to keep it all inside.

Not that anything had really changed.

She had still been woken up in the early morning by a nightmare. She was still too afraid to close her eyes, afraid of what she might see. And she still couldn't talk about what had happened.

But now she wasn't alone.

JJ walked back into the room with two mugs in her hand and a bag of cookies tucked under her arm. She handed Emily one of the mugs and used her free hand to set the bag on the bed.

"I hope I didn't crush them," JJ said as she walked over to the other side of the bed and sat. She set her mug down and got situated; she tucked her legs beneath her and leaned back against the headboard, she took her drink again and then turned to face Emily.

"Hot chocolate," Emily smiled as she took a sip.

"My mom used to make it for me when I couldn't sleep," JJ said.

Emily tucked her hair behind her ears, "what kept you awake?"

"When I was younger I was afraid of the dark," JJ said, "and I used to think there were monsters that hid under my bed and in my closet. I used to imagine them with huge teeth and scales. So my mom would come into my room and check all the dark corners for me and then she would make me hot chocolate and sit with me until I fell asleep."

JJ took a sip of her hot chocolate and and set it down on the bedside table, "were you afraid of monsters?"

"Yeah," Emily said, looking away, "except my monsters looked a lot more human."

They sat in silence for a while, neither of them saying anything.

And then Emily spoke again, "when I was younger my nanny used to read to me when I couldn't sleep. But when my mother found out she said I was too old for that."

JJ took Emily's free hand and held it, "Emily..." she whispered. Her heart broke for the young Emily. The child who had no one to comfort her when she was scared.

"But that was years ago," Emily continued, "and now I know it's not the monster hiding under my bed that I need to worry about. That one wasn't real, but there are plenty that are."

"There may be monsters," JJ said, "but you don't have to fight them alone. We've got a whole team of people who will be right beside you."

"You're right," Emily said, turning back to look at JJ.

"I know I am," JJ smiled.