*Okay as always I own nothing of Criminal Minds or Rizzoli & Isles just enjoying using the characters.
The jet landed in Philadelphia after an hour and a half flight. Emily was miserable because her ankles had swollen to the point she wasn't certain that her shoes wouldn't come off her feet. She stood and strechted and started down the aisle. "Prentiss..." She stopped and looked back at Hotch. "How are you doing?" He asked as he came up beside her.
"My body isn't my own...my ankles are the size of beach balls...and I have to pee again after just going ten minutes ago. Other than that I'm just a bundle of laughs Hotch." She said as he half heartily laughed at her. "Well as long as you are okay then. Just let me know what you need to make this trip easier on you." He said patting her on the shoulder.
"Well if we are putting in orders...how about one of you guys carrying Bella for awhile." She said in a grumpy tone as she waddled down the aisle of the jet and stopping as she was just about to get off but turned and yelled back at him, "But we all know that isn't going to happen," and started down the steps slowly.
"It's good to see her in such a cheery mood isn't it." Rossi said to the man as they both laughed. "This is going to be a hell of a trip Aaron," was his final comment as he followed Emily out of the jet. Hotch looked up and thought, "Pentiss on a normal day could be a handful but her being eight months pregnant as well was going to be a challenge to say the least."
They all waited for Emily to return from the bathroom before heading to the 35th precinct. She crawled into the back seat with JJ who instinctively took her hand. Emily looked at her giving her a smile. "Stop worrying Jennifer... I'll be fine." She said and kissed the woman's hand but didn't let go of it. They had just started moving when her phone beeped that she had gotten a text. She smile when she looked to see who it was from.
"Maura?" JJ asked knowing it had to be her.
"Yeah..."
"I have a feeling you will be receiving many of those." She said squeezing Emily's hand before releasing it so the woman could respond.
"I have to agree with you on that one," she said as she pushed to see what was sent.
"I love you pretty girl."
Emily smiled and replied:
"My rose you have sent moonbeams to torture my dreams with the fragrances of honey. The universe oceans are full of stars and yet its banks can not contain my love of you in its sea."
The reply was instant:
"I miss you already...like a thousand nights have past since I have felt your touch and yet my skin burns of the prints you left for my memory just this morning."
Emily had her breath catch and had to hold back the tears that wanted to escape her soul. "Is everything okay?" JJ asked hearing her in take of air. "Everything is fine. I just want us to get back to Boston quickly." She said taking JJ's hand in hers again but feeling the hand prints that Maura left on her skin that morning as well. They pulled up to the precinct and Emily text Maura letting her know it was show time but not to worry.
XXXXX
They were sent to the back conference room at the precinct which was preset up for the team which started filling the white boards the moment they arrived. Morgan and Rossi went to the place of the last abduction to gain more knowledge of the area and see if anything was missed. Hotch had asked JJ to prepare a press release for the late news for him. She wasn't the liaison anymore but he would ask her to help in that area from time to time especially in the cases that involved children. She also was familiar with the reporters in that area because they had several cases solved over the years in Pennsylvania, that left Spencer and Emily to do victimology with a geographic profile.
The team met in the conference room at ten and watched Hotch give the press conference that JJ had prepared for him. She was just glad she wasn't the one out there fielding the questions on the case. The Philadelphia police department had a bad reputation for being raciest and not helping the families of the missing girls families find them. This case had the makings of a riot if not handled properly. This is why the team was called in and especially why Emily was asked to come as an outside consultant to help.
"How are you holding up Princess?" Morgan asked noticing how tired she looked. "I'm hanging." She said and smiled at him. "You are such a liar." JJ said coming around the table. "Oh you've been caught by mamma JJ. Now you are going to get it." He said and swatted her on the arm gently. "You two should go on to the hotel we will wait on Hotch."
"What do you say Em? Does a hot bath and a rub down sound good?" Emily just moaned thinking about hot water and JJ's fingers breaking down the knots in her back from the conference room chairs.
"Hold on a minuet... I would have gone with you two if I knew a back rub was involved." Morgan said with a cheeky grin.
"Keep on wishing big man." Emily said with a smile. "But you have Garcia...I'm sure something can be worked out." She said winking at him.
"That's not possible because I'm going to the hotel with you two and I have a private room."
"Now wait a minute every since grasshopper ears has come into your life a brother can't catch a break."
"Frankie doesn't have grasshopper ears Derek...you take that back." The man held his hands up in surrender, "Alright little mamma just cool them there jets or I'm going to have to call you Dr. Isles."
"I'm not standing on the table yet and I totally get why she did Derek Morgan." She said and stuck her tongue out at him.
Emily looked up at him, "Steady there big fellow you are treading dangerous waters." She said letting him know to back off while JJ looked at him shaking her head in disbelief that he went there.
"I believe we need to get Em back to the hotel Pen... come on before Morgan get's hurt." She said and gave the man a half heartily smile trying to play her words off as teasing.
"You right Jennifer I'm tired. Let's go." Emily said and took the woman's hand and started out the door with Pen behind them.
"Those women are going to hurt you one day...you know that right." Rossi said as he hit Morgan's shoulder. "I'm not scared of those three but Emily's woman brings a whole other element to the ball game."
"Let me tell you a story," Rossi started as Morgan rolled his eyes. "Women are like cats...they like to be petted but only when they want to be petted and in the way they want to be petted. You stroke the wrong way and they will claw you to death."
"Is there a point in there somewhere?" Morgan said being obnoxious.
"The point is don't keep stroking the cat when the claws have been shown." He said laughing and walking off.
"I think his right Morgan." Spencer said raising his eyebrows, "Yeah...and just what do you know about women?" He said and walked away leaving Spencer standing there saying to his back, "I know enough not piss them off, unlike you." He said then followed after the two men.
XXXXX
Maura had been antsy all day and now into Jane and her evening. The two had finally gotten Chessie to go to bed with the promise of a bed time story which now was becoming three stories. Maura figured Chessie could feel the tension in her and it was making the young girl antsy too. Jane came down stairs on the start of the third story to start cleaning up and decided to call Emily. Hoping maybe she could talk to Chessie and comfort her so she would sleep. She knew Maura wouldn't call her since she was on a job.
Emily saw her phone light up before it rang, "Jane what's wrong?"
"God...these two are not the only antsy ones are they?"
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Maura is on her third story trying to get Chessie to sleep. I thought if you talked to the both of them that might help."
"She doesn't know you called does she?"
"No"
"I'll call her. Thank you Jane..." She said pausing a moment, "Jane..."
"Yeah..."
"If you don't mind can you stay with her till this is over?"
"Sure Emily...just came back to them."
"That's my plan." Emily said and disconnected with her and hit speed dial number five, "Habibiy...we were just thinking about you," came the sweet and loving voice of Maura. Emily took in a deep breath as her eyes closed as the voice settled into her heart. "That's good because I haven't stopped hardly thinking about you two. Is sprog near you?"
"She is... we are on our third bed time story." Maura said looking at the excited little girl waiting to talk with Emily. "Here she is..."
"Madre..." she yelled into the phone causing Emily to pull it away and reach for her ear. When she came back she heard Maura telling her to use her inside voice. "Sprog"
"...sorry madre. I just miss you so much."
"I miss you too but I will be back soon."
"Promise..." Emily's stomach clinched up, "I promise sprog." She said hoping it would be true.
"Good night...I love you madre." She said handing Maura back the phone. She held it up in time to hear Emily say, "I love you too sprog."
"Well you convinced her to sleep. Give me a moment habibiby..." She said pulling the covers up and turning the big light out. Emily could hear everything and pictured it as it was happening even down to the good night kiss she heard being applied to her daughters head. She missed the two so much..."how did I get so attached so quickly to being a mother and having a family?" She pondered while waiting on Maura to come back on the line.
"I miss you habibiy."
"Mes poumons aspire à votre souffle pour les remplir pendant que mon cœur cherche votre amour pour l'amener à battre. (My lungs yearn for your breath to fill them while my heart seeks your love to cause it to beat.)"
"Revenez à moi et je vais les remplir avec de l'air et nos cœurs vais battre ensemble à la musique de l'amour. (Come back to me and I will fill them with air and our hearts will beat together to love's music.)"
Emily blew out a deep sigh, "I miss you too... we are pulling up to the hotel love. I'm going to have to let you go."
"Okay but can I speak to Jennifer a moment first?"
"Sure..." She said and handed a puzzled JJ, who was putting the car in park, the phone. "Hello..."
"Jennifer..."
"Yes..."
"Take care of her please... and yourself."
"I will Maura... I promise."
"And Jennifer..."
"Yes..."
"Make her put her feet up. I know her ankles are swollen where she hasn't. I can almost feel them hurting." JJ looked at Emily's feet and laughed, "You do know her so well."
Emily looked at her feet knowing she was being talked about. "Alright you two no conspiring against the pregnant woman."
"We wouldn't have to if you would behave." JJ said as Emily stuck her tongue out at the woman.
"Tell her to stop sticking her tongue out at you and listen to reason or I'll have to resort to drastic measures when she gets home." Maura said to a laughing JJ.
"Here I'm going to let you tell her that because I have to go and check our gracious princess into her suite for the night." She said smiling at Emily and handing her the phone while Pen just enjoyed the banter.
JJ looked at Pen as they walked to the desk to check in, "It is wild how those two know each other."
"They are soul mates for sure there is no denying that."
When they returned from checking in the two women were just ending their conversation. "You ready for that hot bath?" JJ asked while grabbing her and Emily's bags before she realized the woman was in tears. Dropping the bags she came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist as best she could. "What is it honey?" Emily leaned back into her chest for a moment.
"Just hormones love...just hormones." She said as she turned and kissed her then said, "Let's go to our room." JJ knew to let it go because she would tell her when she wanted to and not before. She picked up the bags but didn't let go of Emily's hand as they started for their room.
JJ went and started a hot bath for Emily as she tried to negotiate getting her shoes off. "Sweetie let me get those for you." She said when she saw how frustrated Emily was becoming trying to get them off.
"Damn it...I can't see to unbuckle them and my feet are too swollen to slide them off with my foot."
"I got them honey..." She said bending down and unbuckling the shoe, "I had the same problem... remember the several nights you had to do this for me." Emily seemed to relax as she remembered those nights of pulling a frustrated pregnant Jennifer's shoes off. She let out a soft moan of gratitude when JJ started rubbing sore tired feet. But she had forgot that Emily's feet were ticklish and hit a spot causing her to jerk her foot away.
"I'm so sorry Em...Maura told me you had ticklish feet but I forgot."
"It's okay..." She said as she placed her foot back in JJ's hands and smiled, "...before that spot it felt wonderful."
"Well after your bath maybe I can rub your back and relieve some tension in the lower muscles of your back."
"If you keep this up much longer there will be no need for a bath or massage cause I'm going to sleep in this chair." She said as her eyes closed and another moan escaped her mouth. There was a knock on the door then they heard, "I hear moaning...for god sake JJ leave the woman alone she is eight months pregnant."
JJ sprung to the door opening it and pulling Pen inside. "Would you be quiet." JJ said sharply.
"No that's my line to you two." The colorful woman said giggling.
"I'm going to the bath tub." Emily said as she waddled to it.
"I'll be there in a few minuets to wash your back honey." JJ said as the woman gave a thumbs up sign.
"Honey?" Pen asked raising her eyebrows.
"Yes..." JJ said raising her eyebrow in question of a problem with it.
"Wow JJ you have really started embracing your love for Emily with PDA. I'm so proud of you."
"We talked and I realized she was right. It doesn't matter what people think it only matters what we know and feel about each other."
"Good for the Emstier."
"Was there something you needed or wanted? Or was this just a fishing expedition?"
"I think I put my tablet in Em's bag by mistake when I was throwing things in the back." JJ looked at her with an "likely story" look. "Honest JJ it was a mistake." She said going to the bag and unzipping it and pulling out her tablet. "See." She said with an indignant look.
"Okay...I need to get in there and help her. Is there anything else?"
"No... and I bet you do..." She said with a cheeky grin, "...now JJ stop it...I'm leaving." She said as she ran to the door laughing with JJ behind her with a pillow raised to whack her. "Y'all take all the fun out of things you know that?"
"Good night Penelope." JJ said shutting and locking the door but could hear, "Good night lovebirds don't do anything I wouldn't." as the woman walked down the hall. JJ thought, "That leaves a lot of unclaimed territory for it to be something you wouldn't do Pen," as she turned smiling and heading to the bathroom.
She walked in and noticed clothes strewn around, "Did we have issues with the clothes too?" Emily looked up with a steely look, "Don't start with me Jennifer."
"I wouldn't dream of it." She said as she picked them up and folding then placing them on the counter. She took a wash cloth and knelt down beside the tub and lathered it up and took Emily's arm and started washing her. Normally the woman would have protested saying she wasn't helpless but tonight she was just too tired to even verbally protest. "Close your eyes honey and let the water and my touch relax you."
JJ almost got lost in her own words remembering coming off the mission and the first bath she had taken in Japan. She remembered the pain she was in after killing Sqar and how it was the thought of Emily's arms around her that gave her peace. She wanted to be able to give the woman the same peace. "Em... everything is going to be okay." Warm wet hands were put on top of hers. "I love you Jennifer...never forget that."
"How could I..."
"Shhh...Promise me that you will never let Maura forget that either."
"Em..."
"Promise me."
"I promise Em." She said as she kissed the woman's neck. "Please don't worry."
"I'm not worried Jennifer... I got an uneasy feeling that refuses to go away. I need to make sure that you will see that my family is safe and knows that I adore them."
"Honey they do." Emily took her hand and gently pulled her around so they could see each other. "Jennifer... you are my family too and I need you to know how much that I love you. You are at times strength to my bones and blood to my veins. When I'm weak I look at you and know I can make it. You have always been my warrior mate."
JJ wiped the tears from her eyes, "And I will continue to be after this case and forever Em." She said and leaned in and sealed her thoughts with a searing kiss that left them both breathless. "Come on lets get your pruned body out of this tub so I can give you that massage."
"JJ..."
"Yeah..."
"Did you pack any doughnuts?" JJ busted out laughing at the irony of Emily. One moment she was making her weak with so much love in her words and the next asking for doughnuts. "No but I believe Maura slipped a couple packs in your bag."
"God...I love that woman."
"You better..." She said wrapping a towel around her. "You know if those ankles aren't down before you get home there is going to be hell to pay." Emily just groaned as she went to her bag for the doughnuts. She sat on the end of the bed to eat them as JJ slipped behind her to rub her back. There was no way she could lay on her stomach as pregnant as she was for it to be done. JJ had to work the knots out the best she could with her in a sitting position. Emily was asleep by midnight thanks to all of JJ's hard work. She had slid in behind the relaxed woman spooning and holding her. She had just fallen to sleep herself when Emily's scream pierced the silent air.
Okay I know cliff hanger... Just hang in there...