A/N: Short, but it has a definite Henry Kleenex warning.
Disclaimer: I don't own CM
A light breeze ruffled through the trees as the gathering stood in the beautiful gardens of the cemetery. The day was warm, and the sun was shining, but the atmosphere at the cemetery was not.
It was the first time since Will had died that the team had seen JJ as they gathered to bid their friend goodbye. She looked like she'd hardly slept, and held the expression they'd all expected; utterly shattered, but holding herself together.
As JJ stood at the end of Will's coffin, her words of love for Will tumbling off her lips, Henry stood beside her, a sombre expression on his little angel face as he clutched tightly to JJ's hand.
Faithfully held in his other hand was the stuffed panda.
"Before I met Will, I'd never felt truly loved. I'd never felt love myself. But when I met him...when I first laid eyes on him...I swooned. Like a schoolgirl falling over her favourite celebrity. It didn't take long for me to realise that I'd fallen in love with him," JJ read out loud, causing tears to prick the eyes of those who were there. "Will was everything I'd always dreamed of. Smart, caring, handsome, and gentle. I loved his accent, the way he said my name. He was also a very good flirt," she said, smiling ever so slightly as tears began to fill her eyes. A light laugh emanated from the gathering, lightening the atmosphere. Reaching up with her free hand, JJ held Will's wedding ring, which now hung on a chain around her neck, in between her fingers.
"Will helped me to realise that I didn't need to run from every chance I got, because no matter what you do, there's a chance you could get hurt...but it's a chance you have to take. He showed me what true love is. Will was a wonderful father to our son, Henry, and I don't want him to be forgotten. I don't want any of his qualities to be forgotten. Because Will was an incredible person, who became a part of my entire world, who I loved to no end. He wouldn't want us to be upset over his death, but to cherish the times we had with him," JJ reminded them, before taking a deep breath as tears spilled over.
"Will, we love you. We're all going to miss to you to no end," she said softly, placing her hand against the polished wood of the coffin as people moved to place their flowers on the coffin.
JJ held Henry on her hip as they stood beside the coffin, looking at all the different colours and varieties of flowers that sat on top. By now, everyone had left, and only the team and Sandy remained, waiting by the edge of the cemetery to give JJ and Henry some privacy.
Henry reached out, putting his flower on top of the others. JJ followed suit, placing hers beside Henry's. They waited for a moment before JJ spoke.
"Blow Daddy a kiss," she said softly. Henry pressed a kiss to the palm of his hand, before blowing it towards where his father lay. JJ pressed her hand to the wood, closing her eyes for a moment.
"I love you," she whispered. "That's never going to change"
Hesitantly, she stepped back from the coffin, turning towards where the others were waiting, and beginning the walk across the grass.
"Mommy, wait!" Henry suddenly exclaimed, squirming to get down. JJ put him down on his feet, turning and watching as he ran back to the coffin. Tears burned her eyes as she watched her baby boy reach up and put his beloved stuffed panda on top of the flowers. As he let go of the ratty old animal, JJ could not have been prouder of her little man.
Henry ran back over to JJ, clutching to her as she swung him back up onto his hip. "Daddy can have him now. To keep him safe," he offered up as an explanation. JJ gave him a watery smile as she kissed his temple. She and Will had created such a beautiful, generous little boy. In that moment, she couldn't have been more pleased with who her baby had grown up to become.
