I'm so sorry about the delay but I had to do some adulting and suffered from a bit of writers block but here you go, chapter 11!
Thank you all so much for the feedback, it really inspires me, you have no idea. To the anon who was wondering how my sister is, she's fully recovered with no lasting effects thank god!
JJ woke with a headache reminiscent of her college days, waking up after one too many tequila slammers. Before opening her eyes she tried to figure out where she was and it only took her a moment to recognise Emily's scent, the softness of her sheets and the familiar feel of her body curled into her back.
The next puzzle she tried to solve was why she was here, how she got here and why the hell did she feel like she had drank a whole bottle of tequila last night, right down to the heaviness in her limbs. The last thing she could remember was standing outside the missing girls house with the team, figuring out that it was the parents who had taken the little girl, now here she was in Emily's bed with no recollection of how she'd gotten here.
As she went to move her right arm to cover Emily's hand draped across her stomach, she felt a sharp stab of pain along her arm and her movement was restricted. Opening her eyes for the first time since waking up, she looked down and saw her right forearm wrapped in a blue cast and an intricate looking sling pinning the whole thing to her body.
She tried to roll in Emily's arms so she could lie on her back as she tried to remember what had happened the night before. But as soon as she tried to move her torso she felt a stabbing pain in several of her ribs on both sides. "Shit!" She hissed as her eyes screwed shut in pain.
The second JJ had cried out in pain, Emily's eyes flew open. "Jen are you okay? Where does it hurt baby?"
"Shit. Ribs. Arm. Happened?" She was unable to string a sentence together but hoped the older woman would be able to understand what she was asking.
"Wait here, I'll get you a pain pill and then explain to you what happened." With that, the brunette rushed into the bathroom to get a drink for JJ to swallow the pill with.
Once Emily had helped her take the pill and JJ had felt it start to work she managed to get the question out again. "What the hell happened and how did I get here?"
Now that the brunette could see the pain leaving JJ's face she took her back into her arms. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"Standing outside the house with the team and we figured out it was the parents. Then it all goes black until I wake up here this morning."
Before Emily filled in the night for JJ she thought back over it and couldn't help but laugh at the things she had come out with. JJ looked up at her quizzically upon hearing the laugh. "What's so funny?"
"Well lets start at the start shall we?" Emily said with another laugh. "I was just about to get into bed and I received a call from Doctor Torres at Washington General saying that you were in hospital and you had to be released to my care after an injury. An injury that they couldn't tell me about over the phone but because we're both FBI agents they managed to bend the rules for us a little and let Morgan bring you to me."
"So I waited here, my mind flying to all sorts of crazy scenarios about what kind of trouble you had gotten yourself into this time. Forty five minutes later, Morgan shows up practically carrying you, you were more than a little loopy on pain meds. Some of the stuff you said was pretty funny." Chuckled Emily, flashing back to night before.
"Turns out that when you went into the apartment the uncle fled. You went to go chase him down the fire escape and he decided to fling you down two flights of stairs. Hence the cast, two breaks in your arm and some bruised ribs, you also hit your head but no concussion, just have to watch it and be careful. You have a follow up at the end of the week."
JJ just looked at her with a face of deep concentration, as if she was trying to force herself to remember. "I'm going to be okay?"
"Perfectly okay, you just need to let me look after you for a little while." Emily grinned back at her and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"I think I remember some of it but it's still a little hazy. I remember entering the apartment and chasing him to the fire escape but not falling down, that's where it gets a little blurry. Did we get him? What about the little girl?"
"The little girl is going to be just fine. As for the unsub, he got away, Morgan left here and they were going back to look for him, I'll sure he'll text when they get him."
"I'm just glad she's okay. Custody battles are horrible but that's not the way to deal with them. I know the boys will get him. Now what was I saying that has you so amused?" Seeing Emily wearing a shit eating grin she knew she was in trouble.
"Well let me see, you were swinging out of Morgan when I opened the door. If I didn't know better I'd have said you were drunk. Then you proceeded to tell him that this was my house, that we're sleeping together, I'm taking you on a date and that you find me pretty." At the look of pure horror on JJ's face she couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"I so did not!" JJ couldn't remember the night before, as hard as she tried. She couldn't imagine her outing them like that.
"Yes you did. Then you asked me to change you into your jammies, as you so elegantly called them, established that we're girlfriends and then as I tried to help you with your jammies everything turned very suggestive." Emily added with a wink. "It was honestly very funny because you made up your own words for things and I had to try and de-code what you were saying."
"Emily I am so sorry! I didn't mean to be a pain, I'll go home today, I'll be fine at home. And oh my god I told Derek about us. I am so sorry, I really didn't mean to! Are you okay with that, with him knowing?" The blonde hung her head in worry and self doubt. Her and Emily had barely figured out what they were never mind figured out if and when they wanted to tell everyone else. She didn't even know if Emily was out to her family.
She then felt a finger rest under her chin and guide her face up to meet brown eyes. Eyes that were filled with nothing but concern for the blonde in front of her.
"Jennifer, hey, it's okay. Firstly you're not even going to think about going home today, you are just fine here and I wouldn't have it any other way. Now secondly, and more importantly, I don't care that you told Morgan, I know him and the rest of the team suspected anyway. He's promised not to tell anyone else until we're ready to take that step."
"I know this is very new for both of us but I have no qualms about telling anybody. I'm pretty sure the rest of the team know I'm gay. As for my parents they know too, they didn't like it at first but once they realised they couldn't change me, they stopped trying and moved to accept it, even if we never acknowledge it. Jennifer I don't know how 'out' you are but I do want you to know that I will never pressure you into saying anything okay?" Emily took JJ's face between her hands and made the younger woman look into her eyes where she could see the sincerity behind the words.
"What did I do to deserve someone like you Emily Prentiss? As for me, Pen, Derek and Spence know I've slept with women before and I'm not sure about Hotch and Rossi but I would presume they do. My family also know, they have since I was in college and they have never been anything but supportive."
"I'm sure it will come out about us soon but for the moment, at least until I'm back to work, can we just stay in this little bubble with Carrie?" JJ said, unable to keep the worry out of her voice.
"Jen, I told you and I meant it when I said whenever you're ready." Emily then placed a reassuring kiss on her lips. "Now, speaking of Carrie, she was very worried last night and I expect her to be in here at some stage today for a chat okay?"
"Of course, this is the first time one of us has gotten hurt and it's probably hit her hard. I know I'm not her guardian and I don't even live here but it's probably made her realise how dangerous this job is. Don't worry, I'll talk to her." Hearing JJ talk like this about Carrie just made her draw the blonde closer to her.
"You are an amazing woman Jennifer Jareau, you know that, right?" If Emily had planned on continuing, it was made impossible by the loud rumble that came from JJ's stomach, causing both of them to let out a loud laugh. "I think you're trying to tell me something there Jareau. I better feed you and check on the teenager, you relax here and I'll bring you some food soon okay?" With that she placed a chaste, loving kiss on JJ's lips and slipped from the bed, pulling on a robe and exiting the room.
It was not five minutes later, JJ was curled up in a cocoon of sheets, still grinning from the earlier encounter, when Emily came back into the room.
"Sorry babe but it turns out I have absolutely no breakfast food in the house, I'm just going to get dressed and run to the store down the street." With that she walked into the closet and came out not two minutes later, dressed in a casual pair of jeans and an FBI hoodie. "I wont be long, Carrie is up and moving around so don't be alarmed by any noises. Any requests for my patient?"
"Any chance of bacon and pancakes?" JJ asked, fluttering her eyelids and giving Emily what she liked to call the 'baby blue treatment'. She knew if she just flashed her eyes at Emily she could get whatever she wanted and had been able to for a long time, even well before they had started sleeping together.
"Bacon and pancakes sounds perfect. And don't think I don't know what you're doing with those eyes, I have you all figured out! I'll see you soon."
"Yeah well they work and we both know it!" JJ shouted at Emily's retreating form and she could hear the older woman laugh, giving her all the conformation she needed.
JJ had just started to drift back to sleep thanks to the pain meds Emily had given her when she heard the door open and a slight creak on the hardwood floor. Forcing her eyes open, she saw the door was open about a foot and Carrie's head poked through the opening. Knowing that the young girl needed assurance she managed to shake off sleep, knowing this was more important.
"Hey." She croaked before clearing her throat and speaking clearer. "Come on up here." She said, patting the bed beside her.
That was obviously the only invitation Carrie needed as she half ran across the room and carefully crawled onto the bed next to JJ, not wanting to hurt her. She just lay there for a few minutes, observing JJ, taking her in, as if trying to make sure she was really there and okay.
"Are-are you really okay?" Carrie whispered, worry evident in her voice and tears threatening to fall.
"I'm really okay. Just a few bruises and a broken arm. I'll be pretty sore for the next few days but I'm perfectly okay, I promise. I'm sorry I scared you." JJ then pulled back the covers and helped the teen get in under them so she could give her a hug.
"Yes I was scared but you don't have to be sorry. I'm just glad you're okay." The blonde then pulled the brunette youngster into her, letting Carrie bury her head in the crook of her neck. It wasn't long before JJ felt hot, wet tears against her neck as the teen started to cry.
"Hey, it's all okay, I'm going to be just fine." JJ tried to comfort Carrie as best as she could with her broken arm and injured ribs.
"Your jobs are really dangerous aren't they?" Carrie managed to get out between sobs.
"Yes they are and I can't promise that one of us will never get injured, in fact it happens quite regularly, I'm not going to lie to you. But what I can promise is that myself, and I know I can speak for Emily on this one, we will always try our very best to get home. I know this hit very close to home for you, I understand that, but we promise to try our very best." JJ rubbed soothing circles on Carrie's back as the teen continued to cry into her shoulder, the sobs becoming less frequent.
"Thank you JJ. For being honest with me. I knew what you did was dangerous but I think it took this for it to hit home with me. It's just really scary is all." She replied, never taking her head away from JJ's shoulder and cuddling into as much as she could without hurting the older woman. Lying in JJ's arms was reminding Carrie of her Mother, the comfort she always got from lying with her.
"I miss my Mom." Carrie whispered so quietly that JJ hardly heard. It broke the blonde's heart to hear the pained sob, knowing she couldn't bring Carrie back her parents.
"I know you do Mooch, I'm so sorry for everything that happened. It really isn't fair but if there is anything you need, me and Emily are right here for you." JJ allowed one tear to slip down her cheek before reigning in her emotions, if only for the hurting girl in her arms, she could break down later.
"Thank you for being here. What does Mooch mean?"
"We'll always be here. I don't know where it came from. My Mom would always call me that, still does sometimes. It just felt right." This brought on another round of tears from the teen.
"You remind me of her you know." Carrie managed to get out between sobs, breaking JJ's heart more. She wanted nothing more than to be a mother figure to this young girl.
It didn't take long for Carrie to cry herself to sleep and JJ to succumb to a drug aided sleep. That was how Emily found them soon after, JJ with her good arm wrapped protectively around the teen's back and Carrie curled up in her embrace, her fists balled in JJ's shirt, not letting go, even in sleep.
Emily's heart swelled even more at the sight of the two wonderful people sleeping in her bed as she slipped away to make them breakfast.