Chapter 11: Alright?
JJ walked out of her office, disappointed to see Prentiss at her desk again. She cursed, knowing the seven months pregnant woman should be at home asleep by now. Cautiously, she walked towards her desk with some noise to try and not startle her, and it worked, as Emily's eyes looked up from the file as she heard the woman's footsteps.
"Hey." She gave her a small smile, and JJ soon saw that she was just holding her pen in her right hand above her work, but she was not doing any of it. Her left hand sat on her stomach, feeling a patch.
"Are you alright?" She asked, watching her in concern.
"Yes, of course I am." She gave a reassuring smile, "The baby is just kicking like crazy."
"Maybe it's trying to tell you to slow down and get the hell to bed." The blonde gave her a concerned look as her hand pressed harder into her stomach. "We have a case, but I'm gonna call Hotch and you're going home." She watched as Emily's head shook with speed. "C'mon, Em. You must be exhausted." Another shake of the head. "Alright, I'm going to go call everyone." JJ gave her a small smile and walked away, having another look back to make sure that Emily was alright.
She let the pen in her right hand drop and using both of her hands she forced herself to stand up, with an unsure wince. Standing still for a moment, she waited for it to pass and, after some time, it let off and she climbed the stairs going to the conference room. Stopping, as she reached the table as a pain like no other filled her stomach, and she held one hand on the table, and another on her stomach. She groaned and winced.
"Hey, sweetie, you have to let off. Mommy isn't made of stone you know. You're hurting me." She said when it finally passed and exhaled slowly before sitting down.
Watching intently from the corner of the station, JJ saw as Emily winced again. She gave a frown of confusion and saw Emily's eyes attempt to close again, but her hand stayed on her stomach, pressing tightly. A minute or two passed, in which JJ thought she was finally asleep, but a further minute passed, and she was corrected, as she saw Emily's eyes snap open and her hand press deeper. Chewing her bottom lip intently. JJ had had enough, something obviously was not right with Emily, with the baby and she needed to know now if she was going to help her. Excusing herself from the current conversation she was having with another officer, she walked towards the half sleeping, half alert agent.
"Prentiss, what's wrong?" She knelt in front of her and asked. Emily looked startled, like a deer caught in the headlights.
"Nothing, I'm fine." As soon as the words left her mouth, JJ watched her suck in a quick breath and bite her lip again.
"Em, don't kid yourself. I know you aren't fine, now tell me what is wrong and then we will see what we can do…" Emily's eyes went around the office and she saw quite a few sets of eyes on her.
"Can we please just go into the side room?" She asked, and JJ, of course, nodded. Helping her up from the seat, JJ helped her into the office.
"Alright, now talk." She ordered as she helped her down on to a seat, and crouched again in front of her. A pause came, in which Emily's hand went back to her stomach and JJ could hear the quietest groan from her.
"I don't know what is going on, JJ, it just hurts!" To accompany her statement, she gave another almost muted groan.
"Alright, Em, what does it feel like?" JJ waited a moment, until the profiler's eyes reopened.
"Just… sharp. I don't know what it is, but it's been happening all night and day." Emily met her gaze and JJ could see her eyes water up slightly, and she was unsure if it was because of the pain, or just fear. "I don't want to lose this baby, JJ. Please don't let me lose this baby." JJ stood up and looked around the room in panic almost; she had no clue what to do. Her hand fell onto Emily's shoulder, and she took a deep breath, worried for the older woman. She could not mistake the pain inside her own heart, there was no way she would be able to cope without Henry. It was in that moment she decided what to do.
"Alright, Em, I'm going to take you to the hospital, I'm sure Hotch and them will come down once they've done with the interview." Emily shook her head at lightning speed.
"I don't want them to know. Not yet, not until I know what it is. Please JJ." She looked at her with pleading eyes and JJ saw nothing to do but to nod.
"Alright, it's okay, we will find out first. Okay?" A small nod and she helped Emily to stand before trying her best of getting discreetly out of the station.
Pacing backwards and forward, she wondered if it was possible to actually burn a hole in the floor from all of the pacing, yet she found it impossible to sit down, regretting her decision of not forcing Emily to let her go with her, but now, her phone clutched in her hand, she wanted to call Hotch. Knowing that the second she would ring him, Hotch would be down there in only a few minutes, she wondered if Emily would try and kill her when Hotch was there. Probably. She decided against it. It seemed like forever more that she paced a little longer, and then she heard Emily's name being called out. The pacing was like a warm up for her, and the second she processed the name, she was off racing to the doctor. Walking towards the hospital room seemed to be distorted, and further she got down the hall, the further away the room seemed. But sooner or later she was stood outside the room, not knowing what to expect when she walked inside. Her eyes would not look over towards the bed, as she entered the room, instead her mind took in the quiet beep in the corner. She could have sworn this was not that serious when she had brought her in. Her hand clutched tighter around her phone and she wanted to run and call Hotch, but she looked around, and decided to asses the damage. The minute she did, relief swept over her body as she saw Emily lying in the bed awake with a small smirk on her face.
"Is everything okay?" JJ asked, sitting next to Em's bed and taking her hand.
"Yeah." She gave a small nod. "Apparently I've been stressed. That's what the baby was trying to tell me." She informed JJ who gave a bigger smile.
"No late night work or away cases for you anymore then!" Rolling her eyes, Emily answered back:
"Actually, the doctor said bed rest for two weeks, and then I would be fine as long as I 'take it easy'." She used air quotes.
"And 'take it easy' to me, and to Hotch and the team, means staying in Quantico until you pop that little boy or girl out of you." JJ said and both laughed slightly before Emily bit her lip. "What's wrong, are you still in pain?" JJ asked, her hand holding onto Emily's slightly tighter, but as Emily's head shook slightly, a smile grew on her lips.
"The doctor… he, accidentally… He said the baby's a girl." JJ's smile grew bigger and she gave her a tight hug.
"Oh my god, a little girl. We need to get little pink dress' and we can paint the nursery pink and everything!" Emily calmed her down.
"JJ, no, I'm sticking with unisex colours any way. I mean, a pink dress or two is fine, but I don't want to push her to like a specific colour. I want her to be whoever she wants to be." Giving a nod, JJ understood what she meant.
"So, any name ideas yet?" She asks, and Emily smiled at her.
"Not yet. But I think now I know she's my little girl, I can give her a perfect name." JJ nodded.
"I've go to go and call Hotch, you know…"
"I know, go on. But tell him I'm fine! And don't mention the baby is a girl please!" She called the rest it as JJ reached the hospital door.
Through the plainly coloured walls Emily could hear the voices outside. Talking, really loudly. It was obvious that none of the team were too happy with her.
"What do you mean 'she's been stressed'?" Hotch fumed. Then she heard a female voice, JJ, saying something she could not understand.
"You saw her here all that time and you never once sent her home?" Now she heard Morgan fume.
"Morgan, you try and send her home, we all know how stubborn Prentiss is!" Emily wanted to step into the conversation, but listening through the wall did not give her enough opportunity to cut in, and even if she had, the team probably would not have heard her. "Whatever caused it, we need to remember now to keep her stress levels down. She's been put on bed rest for the next week or so. Then the doctors will determine what will happen. So, calm down now, because I don't want any shouting when you go in there!" She had to smile a little. JJ was always on her side, and now she knew she would do anything for that little girl of hers'.
The door handle moved and the wooden door opened, to see JJ leading in the team, a forced smile on her face.
"Look who I found." She said and Emily had to laugh slightly.
"It's alright, JJ, these walls are thin, I heard the whole argument." That just opened up the opportunity for a lecture from Hotch.
"Prentiss, how could you be that stupid, you knew not to do that, and the poor baby, all the stress you must have put on it!" She looked down slightly with a small nod.
"I know, Hotch, I understand. I promise I would not be stupid again." She surrendered.
"You really think we're letting you out of Quantico?" Both of his eyebrows raised in question. "You are staying there no matter what the doctor says, at least if you are there, Garcia will be to, and there is always a couch if you need to crash in the middle of work. And no more late night work." Her eyes met his and she saw his stern look, so she gave in… for now.
"I know, Hotch, I won't." He nodded, and did not get the chance to say another thing as the door re-opened and in walked her doctor.
"Oh, full house. Nice to see some 'friendly' faces." He looked at all of them, none of them looking amused in the slightest. "Well, I'm here to look at that," He pointed to the grey machine in the corner. "And if it says good things, you can go home. And I do mean home, you need to sleep. And have a lot of it!" As he ordered he walked to the side of the bed and looked at the machine, his eyes and hands going to a piece of paper that seemed to be coming out of the bottom of it.
His eyes examined the sheet of paper first, then his right hand traced over the pattern of lines and bumps before he finally commented. In the mean time, the team all watched him with eager eyes, waiting for him to say something. Emily's bottom lip was being chewed like there was no tomorrow by her top row of teeth.
"It seems the cramps have died down slightly, Agent Prentiss, and they are far few and less painful than when you first come in, which is actually a good result for only having spent and hour or so in the hospital." He informed her, and then she heard JJ's slight mumbling.
"If only you knew how long she was in pain for before she even let me bring her in here." The doctor turned to face her with a face that was asking her to repeat the statement, but JJ shook her head and it seemed as if a silent conversation had gone on between them both.
"So, since you have made such good progress, I feel safe to let you leave now, as long as you keep the stress levels down and the pains should stop, or, you can stay the night and then you can leave in the morning." Her head shook and she spoke before anyone on the team could tell the doctor that she would be staying.
"I'd rather go now." He gave a nod and took a pen out of his pocket, taking her notes of the end of the bed he started writing some things before looking back up to her.
"Just give me a moment then." She watched as he left and began to stand before the team could say anything to stop her.
"Prentiss, we all know you should stay the night." Hotch finally commented.
"No." Was all she said as she walked to the side of the room where her clothes were. "Now if you would leave while I got dressed." She watched as one by one they all left, except JJ, who was used to seeing Emily getting changed as they often shared a hotel room when on away cases.
Outside the room, Hotch pulled out his phone.
"I'm going to call the jet and tell them to get ready, I think this case if close to closing, so Morgan take over the case while I take Emily back to Quantico." Morgan nodded.
"Sure, Hotch. Make sure she is fine." Now Hotch nodded and walked away while pressing some buttons on the phone and pressing it to his ear.
The jet was silent as Emily lay on one of the couches, a blanket over her. Her hands were on her stomach softly, as underneath her skin her stomach cramped every so often. It was no longer a strong pain, more of a baby kick pain. The same one's she had been having the night before. Her lip was now slightly cut up, and a slight dried jewel of blood rested under it, but not for long, because she knew when the cramp came again, she would be biting her lip again. She felt a presence lingering, and then, one of her eyes opened and she saw the shadow of Hotch crouching down to the side of the couch. His hand went to her hair, and he moved it from her face, and, as he did, she opened her other eye to look at him properly.
"Why did you do that, Em?" She heard his words and they cut her like a knife. It sounded like he was implying she had done that on purpose, which obviously, she had not. But, despite the words being harsh, his tone was calm. Not a thing like the tone he had used in the hospital room. Now he sounded like the loving, caring, boyfriend that she loved.
"I did not mean to, Hotch, it's not like I purposely woke up and though 'oh, I am going to stress myself out so much…'" She rambled off, but stopped when Hotch's hand finally landed on top of her's.
"Sshh Em." He calmed her.
"I am not blaming you, the only problem I have is you not telling anyone sooner." His thumb rubbed on the back of her hand
"I did not know what it was…" She took a deep breath, "alright, when it got more painful I should have said something, but it's over and done with now, alright Hotch. I'm sorry." Tears welled up in her eyes and she wiped them away with her free hand, before letting it fall back onto her stomach.
"It's okay, just sleep, I will wake you up when we land." He pulled the blanket further over her body and let his hand release hers before lingering his touch on her shoulder. "See you in a little while." He said and she felt her eyes close, finally drifting off into a soft slumber.
"Sweetie, slow down!" Emily called, a wide smile on her face as she watched her daughter and son running around the park, chasing what she only knew as their family pet. Her mind whirled, and she knew in her brain that she was now dreaming, if it was not for the slightly suspicious dream like haze fogging every image, it had to be the fact she had children. Catching her mind off guard, she jumped off of the picnic blanket with a start, as a black cat ran along the material, not caring of anything in its path. Plates, which luckily had no food on yet, were being tread on by it's tiny paws. Her curiosity was lost as she watched an older version of Jack and a toddler chasing after the kitten. Mouth opening to warn them to be careful, she stopped herself as both sped around the blanket and carried on trying (and failing) to catch the kitten. Two arms climbed around her waist, and she looked down to see the familiar hands of Hotch. She now finally realised that a large bump lay on her stomach, and she smiled even wider as she saw his hands rubbing the bump slightly. Tilting her head backwards, her eyes met Hotch's and their lips touched in a kiss which she smiled into as she heard more familiar voices.
"Hey, lovebirds, hand here?" Both agents turned to see Morgan talking to them as they laid out the picnic blanket with food. Hotch's hands released from her stomach as he went and helped them, and Emily's smile grew wider seeing the entire team there, all of them also happy.
JJ seemed to have a bump, too, just like her own yet hers' was smaller and seemed to be just a few months in. In Will's arms laid an older Henry, who was fast asleep.
"Hey, what on earth are you smiling at?" JJ asked, and Emily shook her head.
"Nothing." Her smile grew again until she heard a strange voice that sounded like Hotch's, yet it was coming from the sky.
"Emily…" It was repeated and she looked up.
"God?" She asked, and now she began to wake up. Hotch smiled, hiding his laughter.
"You wish I was God." He smirked. "We've landed." He informed her and he helped her to sit up. "Are you feeling okay to walk because I am sure I would struggle but I think I can carry you." He said, and Emily smiled a sleepy smile.
"I'm fine, Hotch." He smiled in return and helped her to stand.
"Good, now come on. I'm taking you back to mine." He saw her lips open for her to interrupt him and protest. "No buts. You are staying with me for the next week, think of it as a test run, and if it works out, we can consider making this permanent." The idea sounded amazing; a whole week with Hotch and Jack. She could not even complain, as much as her head wanted to, she listened to what her heart, and baby, wanted, and succumbed to allowing Hotch to take her to his place.