JJ has just dropped another cup of bath salts into the tubs when Emily walks in. JJ raises an eyebrow as she sees what her fiancé is carrying.
"That looks like more than wine and aspirin."
"What can I say? I've always been an overachiever."
Emily sets the tray she carries on the sink and moves over to JJ. Pulling the blond to her feet she unties the flannel robe JJ is wearing.
"Have I ever told you how sexy you look in flannel?" Emily is serious. She had always dated women who, like her, tended towards the satin and silk. But seeing JJ in a flannel robe or flannel pj's, her hair tousled, no make-up was truly the most breath-taking thing Emily had ever seen.
"Have I ever told you you're biased?" JJ says with a smile, not ever completely believing she is as beautiful as Emily thinks.
The two share a deep kiss. As it ends, Emily takes JJ's right hand to steady her as she steps into the large tub. As the liaison settled into the water Emily transfers the glass of wine and the cheese and crackers plate to the teak, cross-tub caddy. She slides the caddy toward JJ.
"Buen apetito, mi amor."
"Mmm…yeah…what you said," JJ says lazily.
Emily just chuckles and heads out to go feed Henry and get him ready for bed. An hour later, JJ stands in the door of the nursery listening to Emily sing Henry a song in what she thinks is either Italian or Spanish. The little boy is sucking on his fist as he listens intently to every word the brunette sings. JJ feels tears well up in her eyes as she sees how much the two people she loves above all others love each other. As the song finishes, Emily looks up and sees JJ. She frowns.
"Jennifer? You okay?"
"I'm fine. I just…" she walks over and kneels in front of Emily. "I love you both so much it almost hurts sometimes."
Emily leans down and meets JJ's lips in a gentle kiss. JJ then kisses Henry and lifts him from Emily's arms. "So, big man, you ready for a story? Or did Mama get you so sleepy you are done for the night?"
His eyes droop and JJ knows he won't make it through "Bedtime for Baby Star." She takes him over and tucks him. She leans over and kisses him on both cheeks and his forehead. By the time she stands back up his eyes are already closed. Emily wraps her arms around JJ's waist.
"Ready for dinner, Jen?"
"Yeah," she says sadly. Emily turns her around and looks into her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"I just…can't imagine what those parents are feeling? How could you choose one child over another? God, Em, I know we see sick, twisted stuff everyday but this is really getting to me."
Emily pulls JJ close. "I know, baby. I know. Let's just find these guys and go back to our normal, everyday, run of the mill psycho's."
Emily's comment has its desired effect of making JJ chuckle. The two head to the kitchen for a quick dinner before bed.
The next morning, JJ drives out of her way to drop Emily and Henry off at Quantico, despite Emily's protests that she could drive left-footed. After JJ heads out to meet the rest of the team, Emily heads up to her desk. She pauses when she sees the small gift box on her desk. She smiles.
"JJ what have you done," she wonders.
She unwraps the gift and lifts out a paperweight made with a real rose inside. She is confused by the gift and slowly spins it until she finds a small brass plaque on the bottom. She sucks in a quick breath a he reads it: Last Rose from Emily.
She now knows this isn't from JJ. She sets the glass orb down as her mind flashes back to nearly 6 years ago.
"A single rose? That's so romantic, Emily," Caroline Weston brings it up to her nose and smells the sweet scent.
"Well, I figured if I gave you a whole bouquet they could be used as a weapon," Emily responds with a nervous smile.
Caroline studies the face of her girlfriend. In the 2 years they had been together she had never once seen Emily Prentiss nervous. "What's going on, Emily?"
Emily stands and begins to pace. "I've been offered a position with a joint task force. It's a huge step for my career and, well, it's just a great opportunity to really do some good."
"A task force? What task force?"
"I…I can't exactly say. I mean, I really can't say. It's classified and I don't even know the full details yet."
"Yet? So you haven't just been offered the position, have you? You've accepted it."
Emily stops pacing and stares into Caroline's eyes. "Yes."
"I see. And what about me? And what about us? Are we just going to see each other when our vacations coincide? Or we end up in the same city on a case?"
Emily sits back down beside Caroline and takes her hand. "I'm going deep undercover. I have to cut all ties with my past. I was a good candidate because I'm not close to my family and I'm not married."
"Wait, so you're breaking up with me? Just like that? No discussion, no nothing?"
"I have to take this chance, Caroline."
Caroline pulls her hand away and gets up. She paces angrily. "Bullshit! There has to be a way! I won't give up on us so easily!"
"There is no way. This is a long-term assignment. I don't know when…or if…I will ever be back in the States."
Caroline stops and stares at Emily. "So it's overseas?"
Emily realizes she has let too much slip. She squeezes her lips together until they nearly disappear. She slowly stands. "I'm sorry, Caroline. I have to go."
Caroline lets sadness turn to anger. She throws the rose at Emily. "Fine! Get the hell out! And don't come crying to me when your assignment ends. I won't wait for you."
"I wouldn't ask you to," Emily says sincerely. "Goodbye, Caroline."
Emily steps closer to give her a hug and kiss. Caroline holds her hands up to stop the approach. "No. Maybe tomorrow but not tonight. I'm too angry."
Emily nods sadly. "I understand."
Emily turns and walks out the door. The next morning, after a sleepless Friday night, Caroline heads over to Emily's apartment. She has decided she has been selfish and needs to set things right with Emily. She uses the key Emily had given her to let herself in. Her jaw drops as she sees the apartment is stripped bare. She walks through the 4 rooms that make up the whole place and there is not even a speck of dust to show that anyone had ever lived there.
The existence of Emily Prentiss has been erased. Caroline slides down a wall and cries, knowing she may never get a chance to apologize for the way she acted. There are no guarantees in their jobs and an assignment such as Emily's often ends with a photo on the wall as the only reminder the agent ever existed.
"I'm sorry, Emily," she says to the empty apartment. "So fucking sorry. I love you."
Emily had watched a CCTV feed of her apartment. Watched as Caroline had broken down but had been unable to go and offer comfort one last time. She looked at her handler who just checks Caroline's name off a list.
"You think she's the only one who will stop by?"
"Most likely," Emily says stiffly. "No one else should even care I was ever there."
Sean McAllister makes a few more notes in Emily's file. He then hands her another folder. The name "Lauren Reynolds" is typed across the front. "Learn this."
"Who is she?"
He looks up and meets her eyes. "She's you."
Back at her desk at the BAU, Emily looks down at the paperweight. She puts it back in the gift box and puts it in her desk drawer. She would deal with Caroline later. She makes her way to Garcia's office.
"Okay, Goddess, what do you need me to do?"
"Depends, are you actually going to listen to me or just drive me bonkers like the last 2 times?" Garcia asks testily.
Emily chuckles. "You always do make me feel better, Pen."
"Better? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just…an ex has appeared and I just have to deal with her. No big deal. So, where do you want me to start with the reports you've got?"
"Don't think I'm going to forget about this ex of yours but…" she hands Emily a zip drive. "These are the friends and friends of friends for our 2 known suspects. Hotch wants possible accomplices narrowed down."
"Okay. Do you have the full background on Smith and Kruse?"
"Also on there titled 'Big Jerk 1' and 'Big Jerk 2'," Garcia tells her.
Emily laughs. "Nice titles."
"Well, I had better, more suitable names for them both but long file names are annoying," Garcia admits.
"I can only imagine. If the team calls tell them I'll be at my desk working on a suspect tree."
"Got it. Happy hunting!"
Emily heads back to her desk and turns on her computer. She is not surprised to see an email from CWeston. She sighs when she sees it's titled "Dinner Friday." Without reading it, she deletes it, knowing what she needs to say can't be said in an email.
She loads Garcia's information and starts to read through it. By 10:30 she has gone through about half the files and almost 2 pots of coffee. She rubs a hand over her face.
"Who knew it would be such a tangled fucking web of shitheads," she mutters.
"So, you still talk to yourself. Very cute."
Emily slowly turns and looks up into the green eyes of Caroline Weston.