Thanks for all of your reviews. Reviews help me update regularly so keep them coming. I usually never update on Saturdays but since we just started this story I'm updating before I head out. Whether or not I update tomorrow will probably depend on the condition I'm in. All hangover cures are lies.
For any wondering, this entire story is written chronologically, both the flashbacks and as we go through season 7, starting in the first episode of the season.
This chapter is mainly to start setting up JJ and Emily's relationship in the beginning, which is going to contrast with how their relationship is in the 'present.'
Five Years Earlier
"So Hotch seriously hates me" Emily groaned as she slumped down in one of JJ's spare office chairs.
"He doesn't hate you…"
"Oh yes he does" Emily cut the other woman off with a pointed look. "I swear to God, I think he hates me more than some of the unsubs. He actually thought I was purposely jeopardizing the investigation just because my mother happens to be friends with Congresswoman Steyer. Which is absolutely ridiculous because if I had wanted to go into politics I would have gone into politics. God knows it would have saved me from my mother's weekly 'I'm disappointed Emily' phone calls" She finished ranting with a huff.
"Hmm" JJ began with an evil grin, "Did he happen to be reading a book when you first met him because…"
"Shut up" Emily interrupted with a laugh as she threw a balled up piece of scrap paper at the blonde's head. "I apologized for that like twelve times. Should I get 'Sorry JJ' tattooed on my forehead? Is that the appropriate punishment for book spoiling?" She asked with a smile as JJ laughed at her dramatics. "Anyway, how are you liking it so far?"
"It's good."
"You remind me of Catherine Earnshaw actually."
JJ raised an eyebrow at the other woman, "She's brunette with brown eyes. If anything you're Catherine Earnshaw."
"You'll see it" Emily confidently remarked before stifling a yawn. It had been a difficult day for her, and it was something that JJ picked up on immediately.
"You know what? Let's go out tonight, you can drown your sorrows in a vat of gin."
"Are you suggesting that I become an alcoholic?" Emily questioned with a lopsided grin before biting her bottom lip to give off the impression that she was seriously contemplating the idea. "Yeah, I think that's the healthy course of action. We should do that. Do you want to invite Garcia?"
JJ shook her head at the suggestion, "You know Garcia sober, I don't know if you're quite ready for her drunk."
"Yeah?" Emily questioned with a perplexed look, was JJ just joking or was Penelope Garcia really a little crazy?
"Yeah."
"Okay then" Emily laughed as she rose from the chair. "I'll go get my stuff and meet you in the parking lot."
It taken nearly an hour to finally finish up at the office, but Emily and JJ had finally made it to the somewhat crowded D.C. bar that JJ had often frequented. The crowd was primarily young professionals and it could have been considered a pick up spot, especially near the bar area. In addition to the stools at the bar area there were also a few tables off to the side, which JJ took a seat at, waiting for her brunette friend to meet her. A roving waitress offered to take her drink order but JJ opted to wait for her friend.
"Sorry, but parking" Emily mumbled as she slipped into the booth across from JJ. "I really didn't miss driving in D.C."
JJ chuckled at the complaint, "So I've been meaning to ask you, are you from D.C.?"
"Sort of" Emily remarked as she bit her bottom lip, trying to think of how to respond. "You know what my mother does?"
"Of course."
"Then you know that I pretty much grew up everywhere, mostly in Europe and the Middle East. But when we were in the States we were based out of D.C., so I know it pretty well. That and I went to Georgetown."
"I thought you went to Yale?" JJ questioned with a confused look as she popped a pretzel into her mouth. "Are my sources flawed?"
"Sources?" Emily began with a laugh as she shook her head. "Well I wouldn't say you have to fire these so-called sources, because they are technically right, I did go to Yale, but I got my Masters at Georgetown. You went to Georgetown right?"
"Yep, I started at Pitt and transferred my junior year" The blonde answered as the friend's idle chatter was interrupted by a dark blonde-haired twenty-something year old waitress who immediately directed her attention towards Emily, scanning the brunette's form as JJ glared at her.
"Hi, I'm Hannah, I'll be your server. What can I get you?" The woman asked with a smile that made JJ feel uncomfortable.
"Alcohol, all the alcohol" Emily stated in a matter of fact tone that made the waitress, Hannah, giggle.
"That bad huh?"
"Well" Emily shrugged as she grinned over to JJ, who was unknowingly scowling at the light flirtation, "It wasn't that bad. Although it seems like someone else might need a drink too."
"Oh, yeah, tough day, Vodka cranberry" JJ covered as the waitress wrote down the order and refocused on Emily.
"And you?"
"And me…" Emily trailed off as she flipped through the drink menu. "I guess I'll just have a gin and tonic."
"Good choice" The waitress remarked as her hand brushed against Emily's while collecting her menu, "I will get that right up for you" the young woman smiled as JJ discreetly rolled her eyes.
"She, I mean Hannah, was subtle" JJ sarcastically scoffed as Emily rolled her eyes at the obviously jealous remark.
"She probably just wants a good tip."
"Sure" JJ replied in the same bitter tone, which made Emily start laughing. "What?"
"Nothing…it's just, okay, did I do something to offend you?"
JJ shook her head emphatically at the statement, "No" she began as she took one Emily's hands that was resting on the table into her own. "It was all her. I just find flirting on the job to be super unprofessional…"
Emily chuckled at the ludicrous remake, "JJ she works in a bar. I'm pretty sure that all cocktail waitresses flirt. I think it's a job requirement. All cocktail waitresses must have arms and flirt…" She trailed off as the other woman started laughing.
"Well" JJ started as she continued to laugh until getting more serious. "It's not that I have anything against gay people, it's just…you're not gay. I know you've had dates with men, and maybe it was rude to assume things about your personal life just because you're in the FBI. It's like, women can't carry guns without being gay, you know? Not that there is anything wrong with being gay. I just, well this is her place of work and…shit, you know talking is what I do for a living but I sound like an idiot."
Emily tilted her head in confusion at JJ's rambling, "Umm I think you're reading a bit into that Jayje" She started before the waitress returned with their drinks, winking at Emily as she left.
"Oh am I?" JJ asked pointedly as she nodded over to the waitress.
"Okay first of all, she doesn't even know I work for the FBI so I doubt it was about that. And about the whole gay thing…" Emily drifted off. Fuck, this was so uncomfortable. Somehow this was becoming even worse than her interactions with Hotch. She hated talking about her personal life, but she needed to clear a few things up for her new friend. "I'm not a lesbian but I'm also not exclusively into men."
"Oh" JJ replied in a shocked voice, extremely annoyed that she couldn't come up with anything more appropriate to say.
"I hope that doesn't make anything weird and that we can still be…"
JJ waved the other woman off, "No of course not. I don't care, it's your choice. Wait, it's not a choice. It's a decision…no not that either. Umm, it's your desire? It's your desire. I'm not going to judge who you cho-desire to love or anything else like that, and...I keep saying the wrongs don't I?" The blonde awkwardly rambled as Emily smiled at her.
"I find it charming" The brunette profiler chuckled before adding, "In a Southern grandpa sort of way."
"Thanks, I guess" JJ sighed as she took a sip of her drink. "So then you're bisexual?"
Emily ran her hands through her hair, "I guess I would say that I consider sexuality fluid. I probably would rate about a three on the Kinsey scale." The blonde nodded at answer. "And you?"
"And me? What about me?"
"Have you ever" Emily began as she tilted her head, "You know…"
"No!" JJ exclaimed a little too firmly, prompting Emily to wonder if something else was there, but she decided not to prod. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by that."
"I know" Emily nodded with a smile. "So in college you never?"
"Nope" JJ stated in a matter of fact tone. She wasn't exactly lying, she had never 'hooked up' with another woman by any means, but she had thought about it. She had wondered about it for a while. In fact, she wouldn't have minded if a few women in particular had made a move on her, present company included. Maybe she even wanted to experience it, but it wasn't like she was ever going to admit it, to herself or this new profiler. It was all too confusing, too taboo. What would she tell her mother? Hey mom guess who's gay now?
JJ shook the thoughts from her head as she spoke up again, "So when did you start…who was it that you first began the foray into the 'number three' with?" Emily shook her head at the question. Was this really happening? "I'm sorry, is this weird?"
"Yes, it's very weird" Emily laughed as she picked at her fingernails. "Okay, she was my Women's Studies professor at Yale. Well technically she was a teaching assistant getting her doctorate..." She began as the other woman started laughing. "What?"
"It's just so cliché."
"Shut up" Emily playfully chided with a blush. "It wasn't that cliché, although she did wear a lot of tweed…" The raven haired woman drifted off as JJ continued giggling at the admission. "Well, this has been fun" Emily awkwardly stated with a laugh as JJ slightly blushed, embarrassed by her behavior.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be" The brunette warmly stated before grinning, "Tonight did make me appreciate my conversations with Hotch more. That was what you were aiming for right?"
"Yep" JJ responded with a horrified smile.
"Considering that you practically sexuality waterboarderd me tonight we are so even about the book spoiling thing…"
"Ugh fine" the blonde agreed as Emily motioned for the check, surprised to see that her drink wasn't on the bill but a phone number and the request of 'call me' was. Emily merely chuckled as JJ snatched the check from her.
"What?!"
"Jayje" Emily groaned as JJ glared at the bill.
"You are so not keeping this receipt!"
Emily huffed at the order, "Seriously?"
"Yeah" JJ sternly stated as Emily rolled her eyes. "You know nothing about her."
"That's the point. You see JJ, when strangers find each other attractive they arrange to meet each other, normally in a public venue, and they get to know each other. This natural phenomenon is called dating" Emily teased in a playful snarky tone.
JJ scoffed at the idea, "Well you could be related."
Emily scoffed at the absurd statement, "What?"
"Who knows?" JJ shrugged, speaking a serious voice, "families are big Emily, parents have secrets and then, you know, incest happens…"
"Incest happens?" Emily questioned with a laugh. "'Incest happens,' is that the bumper sticker from Forrest Gump?"
JJ ignored the snarky comment and continued on in her alcohol-fueled jealous rant. Granted, she only had one drink and couldn't be considered tipsy or even buzzed, but she was going to blame her reaction to 'Hannah' on the alcohol if Emily ever dared to bring it up again. "She could be your sister, or your cousin"
"Or my mother" Emily quipped as JJ shot her a dirty look. "She's my sister, she's my mother."
"That's not funny" The blonde whined as Emily grabbed the receipt back. "What if she's a serial killer?"
"What if I'm a serial killer?" Emily challenged with a smirk.
"You're in the FBI."
"Then I'd have the perfect cover" the profiler teased. "I won't call her but I'm taking the receipt on principle because you're not the boss of me. Got it Jayje?"
"Fine" the blonde groaned. "I do not like this side of you. It's not very attractive."
"Says you" Emily stated with a lopsided grin as she lifted up the check in the air. "And it appears that Hannah does not agree with you" she teased as they walked to the parking lot, approaching their parked cars.
JJ bit her bottom lip nervously before speaking up, "So, umm, what does it feel like?"
"Hmmm" Emily absent-mindedly asked as she unlocked her car. "What does what feel like?"
"Kissing a woman on the lips" JJ awkwardly stated as Emily erupted into a fit of laughter. "What?"
"I don't think you had to add the 'on the lips' part. I think I would have gotten what you were trying to say."
"Well there are a lot of places a person can kiss, Emily" JJ huffed with her arms crossed as Emily tried to stop another fit of laughter from escaping. "Can you just answer the question instead of being such a jerk?"
"Okay" Emily replied as she raised her hands in surrender. "You know for someone who was very adamant that they weren't into women you sure seem invested in this question" the brunette challenged with a knowing look before elaborating. "To be honest it's different but not really different if that makes sense. It's softer. I don't know, maybe it depends on who is kissing you, right? Isn't that what matters? That and what the kiss is trying to get across. I don't really know how to explain it."
"Oh."
"Sorry" Emily offered with a shrug. "But, you know, experience is the best teacher."
"Are you offering?" JJ laughed, not really finding the offer of Emily kissing her all that funny, but rather enticing. But was it an offer or were they just flirting? Was she flirting with Emily? Was that what was happening?
"Well I do teach a class at the 'Y' on Tuesday nights" Emily joked as she opened her car door.
"And private lessons?"
Emily chuckled at the question. "Those are only available on Thursday nights" she simply replied before getting into her car and leaving a very confused JJ alone in the parking lot. She knew the blonde was hinting that she wanted her to kiss her, but Emily also knew it would make everything awkward. There would be fallout. Even if it didn't necessarily end badly, they worked together and she didn't want to initiate anything that could complicated, or get her fired. Hotch already hated her and would probably be thrilled if she broke FBI fraternization rules.
On the other hand, if JJ started things it wasn't like Emily was going to put up that much of a fight. She was only human, and she always had a thing for blondes.
This has been bothering me for a while now, why would anyone working in Quantico, Virginia live in D.C.? The commute would be like an hour and a half with minimal traffic and driving in D.C. is a fucking nightmare. I live less than five minutes walking distance from campus and I complain about the commute. Seriously CM get it together. Okay, rant over.
Things are going to start heating up shortly for any wondering...