A/N: I do not own Criminal Minds! :) Though, some of the dialogue came from "Memoriam."

Chapter 8

"Is Spencer okay?" Remi asked as her girlfriend put all the clothes she took in Vegas and put them in the washing machine.

Emily shrugged. "I'm not sure. Morgan texted me that Reid thinks he witnessed a murder of a kid when he was a kid himself. He's been having nightmares, I guess. And it has to do with his father that abandoned him. That bastard."

"Poor Spencer," Remi murmured as she helped Emily put in the clothes. "So Derek and Dave stayed with him in Las Vegas? That's nice."

"I think the rest of us would have stayed too, but at least some of us had to come home if we got another case," Emily explained before starting the machine. "The guys will be there for him, though. And if he gets some answers, it will all be worth it."

Remi watched her girlfriend carefully, trying to get a better understanding of her. "So do you all talk about your personal lives and your pasts as a team?"

The profiler shook her head. "Not usually. We are all pretty private people. But sometimes the past does come out, whether we like it or not. But we all understand on some level to not profile each other. It's hard not to, though."

"Have you profiled me?" Remi asked her curiously.

Emily's eyes met her girlfriend's. "No," She replied simply. "I don't need to."

Garcia and Jordan Todd all looked at JJ when she let out a deep breath after clenching through some pain.

"What's with the wincing?" Penelope asked her friend with worry drowning her voice. "You okay?"

JJ shook her head and tried to fake a smile for all her friends. "I'm fine."

Jordan looked unconvinced. "Are you sure? I noticed this earlier."

Garcia leaned forward in her chair, knowing something wasn't right. "Earlier? How often?"

"Um…" She said, closing her lips together. "In the last hour, I'd say every ten minutes."

"JJ!" Garcia exclaimed excitedly. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

JJ looked up from her chair, toward the ceiling. "Because I am not due for another three weeks."

Garcia pulled off her earpiece and squealed, "News flash, you're in labor!"

JJ shook her head rapidly. "No, no, no, no. Because Reid needs us right now. And I-"

"Uh-uh. You need you, right now. Come on, get up!" She helped her friend get up from the chair she was sitting in and helped direct her to the elevator. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not a doctor. I don't even play one on TV. But, I do believe that young JJ's going into labor."

Hotch, who was in earshot, said, "Are you okay? I'll get the car. What else do you need?"

JJ thought about it for a second, and then after groaning from pain once again, she answered, "Emily. Get me, Emily. I need Emily."

Hotch nodded and started moving to find where Emily had gone in this time of need.

Garcia helped JJ walk into the elevator. As the elevator descended, she kept telling her, "Breathe and walk. Breathe and walk," as if it were a mantra.

Once the elevator opened, the walked outside of the building where Hotch had already been waiting for them in the SUV. Garcia opened the passenger side door for her, and JJ wobbled into the seat.

"JJ!" Emily called out from the back seat. "Are you okay?"

The blonde looked behind her and saw an almost white colored Emily. She chuckled. "Apparently, I'm doing better than you."

Emily let out a quiet laugh. "Haha. Let's get a move on, Hotch."

"Three weeks early," JJ murmured, wincing from pain as she sat up from the hospital bed. "This is unbelievable."

Emily watched her friend sadly. She hated watching the blonde be in pain. "This happens…"

"I know it happens! But not to me!" JJ snapped at her angrily.

The brunette turned to look at Garcia and Hotch, who both looked frightened and anxious. Emily signaled them to leave the room so that she could have some alone time with the mother to be. Hotch and Garcia nodded and happily left the tense room.

Emily turned back to JJ. "Jen, is there something I can do?"

JJ looked at her. Really looked at her. And then she nodded. She scooted over in her small bed. "Please sit with me."

The profiler obliged and squeezed onto the bed.

The blonde laid her head on the brunette's shoulder. "I'm not ready to be a mom, Em. I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm not ready."

Emily bit her lip, watching the blue eyes bubble up with tears. She pressed her hand delicately on JJ's cheek. "No mother knows what they are doing, JJ. No one is ready. But I know you're going to be a great mother. You're kind. And caring. And responsible. And loving. That's all you need right now."

"But what if I can't do this alone? What if I made a mistake with Will?"

Emily wiped her tears away and smiled at her. "You didn't make a mistake. You will be a fantastic mother, Jayje. You can do this. Without Will. And you won't be alone. You have the team. You have me."

JJ nodded and took her hand. "God, I couldn't have done any of this without you. From the second I told you, you've stayed by my side. You've come with me to all the appointments, you've helped me pick out all the baby things, you've been there every second of everything, and I can't tell you how thankful I am."

"Jennifer…" Emily breathed out, their faces so close, JJ could feel the hot air exhaled from the brunette's mouth. "You don't have to thank me. I want to be here."

"Hotch, Garcia," Emily called out as she closed JJ's door. When she was approached by the two members of her team, she said, "JJ is nervous. I think she'd really appreciate it if we could do some things for her so that she could relax. She didn't ask us but…"

"Yes. Yes, of course!" Penelope agreed as she listened closely to her friend.

"Hotch, can you go install the car seat in JJ's car? Here are her keys…" she passed the keys to her boss. He took them and nodded. He started to walk away, ready to complete the mission he was given. Emily then turned to the tech analyst and said, "The case. Please help Reid solve the case. She's feeling guilty that she's giving birth. I'll call you if she gets closer. But I'll stay with her."

Penelope nodded. "She needs you, Em. That girl in there, she loves you. And neither of you know it."

Emily stared at her colleague. "Garcia…"

"Emily Prentiss, listen. I know you have Remi. I know that she's wonderful and that you love her. But I've been watching you and JJ for years. I know what you feel for each other. And I'm not saying that you should hurt Remi. I'm just saying you should think about it. Because JJ is going to have a baby. And all she wants is you. She won't admit it. But it's there."

Emily blinked several times, not knowing how to reply. "I… Remi. She's… She loves me."

Garcia shrugged and responded, "JJ has loved you longer."

She walked away, leaving Emily feeling confused and afraid. She took out her phone and realized it was night time. She knew that she would normally be home by now. She starting texting her girlfriend.

Prentiss: I'm going to be late home today. JJ is in labor and we are staying with her. I'll keep you updated. Hopefully, it won't take all night.

Remi replied quickly.

Ramirez: That's great! Give JJ my best! Love you!

Emily looked away from her phone. Remi loved her. That she was sure of. Everything else, everything else could wait.

"I just got a call from Garcia!" Emily announced as she entered JJ's room. "The boys are coming home! And Garcia is coming back…" She saw that JJ's eyes were shut hard. She knew JJ was in pain and was trying to hold it in. Emily grabbed the blonde's hand. "Jen, are you okay?"

Through clenched teeth, JJ replied, "Get the doctor."

Emily ran to find her doctor. The woman followed the profiler into JJ's room and checked on the patient.

"She's ready. JJ, are you ready to have son or daughter?" The doctor asked as she put her gloves on.

JJ nodded quickly, trying to get through the pain.

"I'll go tell the others," Emily murmured as she headed toward the doors.

"Wait!" JJ yelled out. "Please stay! Please stay and hold my hand."

Emily stared at her. And even in this state. This state of extreme pain and agony, Emily noted that JJ was still the most beautiful woman she has ever seen. She walked up to JJ and took her hand.

"I'll stay with you every step of the way," Emily promised her.

And then, Emily's hand was crushed.

"He's beautiful, JJ," Emily whispered as she watched the blonde hold her son. It was a magical scene. He seemed perfect for her arms. The baby boy with so much promise. So much hope. It brought back some hard memories for the profiler. But they were soon replaced by new and happy ones.

"He's perfect," JJ croaked, her voice still hoarse from all the yelling. She turned to look at Emily for the first time since she had given birth to her son. She smiled at her. And Emily finally understood the cliche 'glow' that new mothers are supposed to have. "Do you want to hold him?"

Emily's smile faltered. She looked down. "I'm sure you don't want to let him go…"

"You should hold him, Em. You've been here every step for him. You've gone above and beyond than any friend. You stayed with me through his birth. You should be the second one to hold him." She looked at Emily, trying to understand. When she saw the dark eyes look up into hers, she saw longing. She understood. She passed her son to her friend.

Emily let out a breath of air when he was placed in her arms. He settled in her chest. She held back tears. A baby. This was something she has wanted. Ever since she let her own go.

The blonde watched her son sleep in the brunette's arms. It was a magnificent sight. She was profoundly in awe by the sight.

"He looks like he belongs there. In your arms," JJ admitted in a whisper.

Emily's head snapped up as she looked at the blonde. "What?"

"I have to confide, I see him in your arms and wish more than anything that he was yours. That Will wasn't his father. That you are. That must sound ridiculous." She looked down, in shame.

Emily melted. "It's not ridiculous. It's… I'm honored that you wish that. I wish… I don't know. That things were different."

"What things?" JJ asked her, looking up, hoping for some necessary answers.

"I'm not sure. I just wish things were simple."

"Me too," JJ agreed. "Pen's the godmother. I've known her for years. I'm sorry."

Emily shook her head rapidly, not offended. "Don't be. It's okay."

"It's not, Em. You're just as much as a parent as I am. You… you're like his other mom. Not biologically. But… in love. I wish there was a name for that."

"When I lived in Romania, my mother's friend's son was baptized. The parents of the baby sat back as the godparents did all the work. In other cultures, godparents are like co-parents."

JJ smiled at that information. "You're more than a godparent, Em. You might not legally be a parent, but you are one. To me. And my son. What was the godmother called?"

"Naşa," Emily told her, looking down at the baby.

"Naşa," JJ replied with a grin. "That has a ring to it. "Hey, baby. Meet your naşa. She loves you very much."

Tears entered Emily's eyes, and she didn't hold them back. "Jen, that means everything to me."

"I know it's not legal. And it'll be hard to explain to people. And I know you can't live with me or be there all the time. But you're family. But you're more than an aunt. I wish there was something legal I could do…"

"It's fine," Emily told her. "This is enough. We know what it means. We know what naşa means."

JJ nodded and touched her son's cheek. "You hear that, Henry? We're a family."

Emily looked up and gaped at the blonde. "Henry? You chose the name Henry? That's beautiful."

"It's after my dad. I know how happy he would be if he was alive right now. He was a good man. My son's full name is Henry Elijah Jareau."

The brunette froze after hearing the name. Emily had tears running down her cheeks. She let out a sob. His middle name. "Jen… how'd you know?"

"When you were drunk, you told me about him. You told me how he loved you more than anything. And that all you wanted was to be his little girl again. I knew at that moment, I wanted to name my son after him. So I asked Garcia to look his name up. Don't worry, we didn't look into anything but his name."

Emily was speechless. "JJ, you named your son partly after my father?"

"Now Henry is tied to both of us. To two men who loved us. I hope that's okay…"

"Okay?" Emily laughed, still in incredible shock. "Jen, it's extraordinary."

And there she was, in perfect contentment. She felt loved and like she had a purpose. She felt unbelievable joy. She felt full. But in the back of her mind, she thought of Remi. She knew one day she could have it with her, maybe. But it was already here and with JJ. 'It,' being a family. She had a family with JJ.

Most of the team surrounded JJ as she held her son. She tried to remain not overwhelmed, but it was hard. She was just glad that Emily was there. With her presence, she felt stable. She felt like she could do this. She could be a good mom.

"What was it that Jayje called you again?" Penelope asked her dear friend, Emily, as she watched the baby boy curl into his mom's chest. "Naşa?"

"Yes," Emily replied, her eyes not leaving JJ holding her son. She didn't even notice the look the Garcia was giving her. The tech analyst knew something was going on. "It's Romanian. It just means that we are a family. Much like the position you have, as godmother."

Penelope squealed, "Does that mean we are all technically family?"

JJ chuckled. "I think we were a family before I had my son. But yes, Pen. Henry Elijah Jareau has a lot of people who love him."

"He does," Hotch agreed with them. "I know that Henry's namesake is after his grandfather, but what about his middle name?"

JJ turned to Emily, trying to figure out if she had the permission to tell him the truth. At Emily's slight nod, JJ told the team members, "His middle name is Emily's father's name. I realized I wanted my son to be named after two men who died loving their children more than anything. I wanted my son to share some of that love."

"Awe," Garcia exclaimed. "That's too cute!"

Their conversation was cut short when there was a knock on the door. The genius entered with a ragged grin spread on his face. He looked tired and worn out, but like he figured out something that was dragging him down for so long.

"Is there room for one more in here?" Reid asked the room as a joke.

JJ grinned at one of her best friends. "Spence, hi. Welcome back."

"Congratulations," Reid told her as he moved closer to her in the room.

"How is it that I just went through fifteen hours of labor and you look worse than I do?" JJ questioned her friend, still worried about him.

Reid shook his head as if she was being preposterous. "Don't be ridiculous. You look beautiful."

Emily realized that they needed some time together, so she announced, "Well, I sure could use some coffee. Anyone else? My treat." She led the team out of the room so that they could have some privacy.

The brunette profiler walked down the hall and toward the bathroom, still astonished by what had occurred during the day.

"Em!" Garcia called out. "Wait up!" She ran to catch up with her colleague.

"Hey, Garcia!" Emily said joyously. "What's up?"

Penelope glared at her. "What's up? You really don't know what I'm going to say. You're the profiler."

Emily shrugged, not wanting to think about what Garcia had to say about her and JJ's actions throughout the day.

"I love you, girl, but you are so clueless. Em, let's be honest. Naşa has a deep meaning. Almost as deep as JJ naming her son after you. What the hell does that mean?"

The ambassador's daughter sighed, not wanting to answer the question she had deep in her mind as well. "We're friends…"

"I don't see her naming her son after me. Or boy wonder. EP, she named her son after you. You stayed with her while she gave birth. You've played the role of dad for a long time now. Maybe you're protective of her. Maybe you want to help her because you want to be a parent yourself. Or maybe, you need to ask yourself, if you love her. Because if you do… Jesus, Em. If you love that girl over there, love her. Don't mess with her. Or Remi."

"I know. I don't intend to." She didn't know what else to say. Somehow Garcia had seen things so clearly even though Emily couldn't.

Garcia wrapped her hands around her friend. "I know you don't want to hurt anyone. But maybe that's the problem, love. Maybe you need to consider yourself a little bit."

"Everyone went home," Emily told JJ as she entered her room. "Though nobody wanted to leave. I had to remind them it was 3:00 AM and tomorrow is Tuesday. Is there anything you want me to do for you?"

JJ shook her head gently. "No, Em. You need rest, too. Go home."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Emily asked her seriously.

The blonde nodded. "Henry is in the newborn nursery so I can sleep. You should go home and do the same. Please, go home. You look beat. Besides, I'm sure you want to see Remi."

That was the last person she wanted to see. She loved Remi. But the last twenty-four hours made her so confused. But she didn't argue with the new mother. "Okay. Get some rest, Jen. If we don't have a traveling case, I'll see you tomorrow and the next day I could take you home. But if there's a traveling case, Garcia is set to take you home. But I will see you and my fin, godson, later, okay?"

JJ smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Em. For everything."

"You're welcome," Emily told her. With one last look, they stared into each other's eyes. JJ swore Emily's eyes didn't look as dark as most days. But then again, it could be just a trick of the light.

Emily walked into Maia's room and watched her girlfriend's foster daughter sleep. She regretted ever being annoyed about her crying habits. She spent so much time trying to separate herself from Maia, knowing that she and Remi might not last. But now, she regretted it. She watched the baby breathe rhythmically. She grinned at the baby's innocence.

She couldn't help wonder that if she and Remi married, that Maia could be hers. That she could be a mom. The one thing that she really wanted at the time.

She knew that she was an important role for Henry. But she knew that JJ would only see her as a friend. And that Henry wouldn't see her as a mom. Maybe an aunt… maybe. Nothing was set in stone. On paper, Emily was nothing. But she wondered if she stayed with Remi if she could be something. To Maia. To their possible future child that she knew Remi wanted.

The profiler took off her clothes but her bra and underwear. She slid into bed with her sleeping girlfriend.

Remi groaned and wrapped her arms around the other woman. "How's JJ?"

"She's good," Emily whispered. "She has a very healthy baby boy."

"That's good," Remi replied, pressing her body against Emily's. "I'm glad you're home."

"Me too." Emily just didn't know if her words were true or not. And that truly made her feel guilty.

Remi was completing her crossword puzzle as she ate her eggs. Emily watched her, knowing that there was something that she wanted to say after thinking about it all night.

"My dad's lake house," Emily mentioned as she took a bite of her eggs. "I'm thinking about taking a trip there."

The professor looked up from her puzzle, looking stunned. "Really? That's a huge step, darling. Why do you want to go?"

Emily shrugged. "I haven't been there. And it the only thing that connects me to my father. And if I do want to sell it, I should see what shape it's in. And if I want it, I thought about fixing it up. Vacation home."

Remi grinned at her girlfriend. "That sounds lovely, Em."

"I was thinking that we could go there on a long weekend. Like Memorial Day, or something. And I was thinking of inviting Morgan. He knows about this house stuff."

Remi nodded thoughtfully. "Might as well invite the whole team. You said it was like a mansion, right? Well, we're going to need a lot of help if you want to fix it up or sell it. Besides, it might be a bit awkward if Derek is there with just us."

Emily liked her idea, except the thought of JJ and Remi being under the same roof for a period of time. "Good idea. I'll talk to the team about it."

"What was he like, Em? You're Dad?"

Those were the only words Emily needed to close herself off. She got up and cleared her plate. She shrugged. "I didn't know him that well."

Remi frowned, knowing this reaction by heart. She hated it when Emily's walls grew after she had taken them down for a while, "Em…"

"I'm late for work," Emily lied and left the room.

I have a couple of comments. So, I do not know anything about childbirth or parenting, so if any of that was incorrect, I apologize. Second, I do not speak Romanian, nor do I know the culture. I only know what google informed me. Third, Garcia knows what's up. Fourth, this is a very important chapter. This is the climax. This is the beginning of Jemily. But I must reassure all of you Remi/Emily fans, Remi will also have a happy ending. Remi is NOT going to be shafted. Also, I want to make clear that JJ is NOT using Emily. She is NOT trying to take Emily away from Remi.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing!