A/N - So chapter 18 is finally up! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have a HUGE thanks to say to my loyal band of readers and followers, who have read through chapter 10, (when most people stopped there.) I love you all! Please review, I want to know what you think, even bad reviews are good because I am only young (I'm 14 in case you didn't know) so I want to know how I can improve my writing. Thanks ~ R.
"Hey." JJ said, opening the door to Emily and Henry, they were soaking wet. "I'll go and put Henry down, feel free to get changed if you want, your other clothes should be dry by now, dinner won't be long." She continued. Emily tried to speak, but was dumbfounded for a moment or two, and let her mouth open and close a few times; JJ looked amazing, she was wearing a red t-shirt and skinny jeans that clung to her in all the right places.
"Yes. Good. Great. I'll be right back." Emily managed, rushing into the bathroom, where her clothes were, "What is it about her? She makes me feel so... I can't even place what she makes me feel. How can she have so much power over me? I've never felt so in love, so early." She said to herself, looking in the mirror at herself. Not wanting to keep JJ waiting for too long, Emily quickly changed and left the clothes she had borrowed from JJ on the counter. When she came out of the bathroom, she found JJ in the kitchen with her back to Emily. Emily walked up behind JJ and wrapped her arms around the other woman's waist, causing JJ to jump a little, before she realized it was just her girlfriend.
"Hey," Said JJ softly, leaning in to Emily's embrace.
"Hey," Emily repeated, kissing JJ's neck. "You look amazing." JJ turned around and put her own arms around Emily, cupping the brunette's neck.
"You don't scrub up too badly yourself, Em." JJ commented, kissing Emily and sending chilly shivers through the both of them. "Dinner's almost ready, why don't you go and sit down?" She murmured, trying to save herself from falling into Emily's eyes. Emily nodded and released the blonde from her embrace, heading towards the dining table.
The women were midway through their meal when, as they had both expected, the conversation turned to their coming out stories.
"So when did you know?" JJ asked, taking a sip of her wine, which she, for some reason, was drinking through a straw.
"If I'm honest, I think I always knew." Emily confessed, "But I didn't admit it to myself until I was about 14." She continued.
"14? That's pretty young." JJ said.
"I guess so, yeah." Emily shrugged, and suddenly became very interested in pushing her food around on the plate.
"How did you know?" JJ continued, seemingly unaware of Emily's internal conflict; She had never told anyone this story before, and, although she truly loved and trusted JJ with all her heart, she wasn't sure if she was ready to give up that part of herself, she was much more vulnerable than she made out. She paused for a second before allowing herself to open up to her girlfriend.
"I think I knew when I wanted to kiss girls, and then as I got older, I started to want to do..." She hesitated, not sure how to word what she was trying to say. "Other stuff." She said finally, "I thought I was Bisexual for a long time, before I realized that all I feel for guys is deep friendship and respect, and what I feel for girls is something completely different." JJ smiled; she was witnessing Emily Prentiss coming out of her shell for the second time that day. "So, when did you know?" Emily asked, sitting back a little in her chair.
"I won't say I always knew, because I don't think I did; I think I was around 18 when I realized that it wasn't just hormones. Growing up, I never knew there was anything but straight, and when Rosaline killed herself, it distracted me from whatever I was feeling for a while, you know?" Emily nodded, putting a reassuring hand on JJ's shoulder. "But now, I don't know how I missed it." JJ continued, a little more light-heartedly. Emily smiled and leaned forward to kiss her girlfriend.
"So much has changed in the past week, so much." She said, reflecting back on the week past. "I'm so fortunate after what I said to you, I don't know how I will ever make it up to you." She looked down, ashamed of herself, before JJ put a hand under her chin, tilting up Emily's head.
"You don't have to make it up to me, Em." JJ assured her, the blonde sat up straight and re-positioned her shirt, "Besides, I'll be holding it over you, so you've really done me a favor." She continued, Emily laughed, her smile making JJ's day. "It's so strange." JJ whispered, "We haven't even been together for a day, yet I feel like this is the longest relationship I've ever been in; I feel like I've been with you for years." She continued, falling ever deeper into Emily's brown eyes.
"That's because we're meant to be together, Jennifer." Emily's smile widened as she spoke. "I love you, Jennifer Jareau; You've made me the happiest woman alive." She said, without a hint of doubt or sarcasm in her voice.