Emily takes the Metro into DC and walks to the headquarters of the Secret Service on Murray Avenue. As she walks she questions whether she should back out or not. As she stands looking up at the building she sighs.
"Why risk the team having the same kind of helpless nightmares you have, Emily. Get your ass in there," she orders herself. She never even registers that her first instinct was still to protect her BAU family.
After getting through security, she finds herself in a conference room with 4 other people. She takes the time to do preliminary profiles on each person. So far she can respect what she sees. One of the agents walks over and extends his hand.
"SSA Prentiss, good to see you again."
She nods as she shakes it. "Yes. I'm sorry, have we met?"
He smiles. "No, ma'am. You spoke to my class at the CIA academy a few years ago. I have to say you were one of the only guest speakers that didn't put me to sleep."
Emily chuckles. "Thanks, I think."
"Timothy Noth. I'm a language specialist, much like you are though I haven't mastered as many as you."
Emily nods. "Excellent."
He gestures to the others in the room. "The rest are from the Secret Service. Natalie Brent, Ken Farrelli, and Leroy Allen."
Emily nods her hello to each one. "So, how long have you all been working this? You seem too comfortable for this to be your first day."
Natalie steps towards her. "Tim and I have been working together the better part of a month. Ken and Leroy started with us last week while you were on a case out west somewhere."
Emily nods. "Ah, okay. So I'm playing catch up today."
Natalie nods. "Yes. But from what I've read it shouldn't take you long to catch up. I'll be blunt with you, Agent Prentiss: your background with JTF-12 is impressive and I'm damn glad you're here. I hope you'll want to take the reins and run this op."
"Uh, let's not get too far ahead of things. I don't even know what the op is. The one-pager I was given was a study in how to say nothing in a 100 words or less."
Natalie chuckles. "Well said."
"So, no offense, but who's the mastermind behind this TF? I know it's not any of you all in here since you're young enough to be my…uh…well, I could be your aunt, let's say."
Leroy laughs. "Well put, Agent Prentiss. Here comes the man with the plan now."
Emily turns and her mouth drops open. The man walking in seems equally shocked.
"Emily…I…I didn't think it would be you…"
Emily shrugs. "Kind of surprised myself, Harlan."
Natalie raises an eyebrow. "You two know each other?"
"Harlan Wayans was the man that recruited me out the Chicago FBI office for my time at Interpol. Always said if I ever ran into you again I'd knock your lights out."
Harlan grins. "Going to follow through on that?"
Emily smiles. "Nah, I'm a kindler, gentler agent now. But you'll buy my dinner next time we go out."
He nods. "Deal. And, Emily, damn fine job taking Doyle down. Twice."
Emily shrugs. "I took him down once. My team took him down the second time."
"Well, either way he's done. We have other assholes to track down now. Ready for the run down to see if you're sure you want in?"
Emily nods. "Run it for me."
Harlan closes the door and everyone sits down at the table. Within 10 minutes Emily knows she's going to stay on the team if only to make sure these fine agents from the two agencies have someone they can count on covering their asses.
JJ has just crawled into bed to watch some TV when her phone rings. She smiles when she recognizes Emily's tone.
"Hi," she answers.
"Hi, Jen. I, uh, hope it's okay I called."
"Of course it is."
"Good. Good. Right. Uh, I called the kids. Both of them."
JJ chuckles. "I know. Henry explained how you told him Spiderman is tougher than Batman."
"It's true. Both in the comics and in our house. You've always been stronger than me, Jen, in so many ways."
"Thank you."
"How are your nesters?" Emily winces as she realizes how that sounds and quickly covers. "You taking care of our next Lima Bean."
JJ smiles. "Doing my best. So far no clue what's going on in there."
"Oh. Well, I hope…I hope they are okay."
"Me, too. So, uh, staying at the task force?"
Emily sighs. "Yeah, I am. It's not a long-term one like I was on. Maybe just a couple of weeks. A month tops. They know the players we're taking down we just have to set up the final sting and try to get as much information on their overseas connections as we can get. Then we pass it off to the CIA and our international allies to do their thing."
"What's your role?"
"It's the one I was hoping for. I'll be guiding them, teaching them, and coordinating their back-up. Someone I trust is running the task force. If all goes well and no shit hits the fan, we should be able to wrap it up with little to no problems."
"And if shit hits the fan?"
Emily sighs. "The stakes are too high. We can't let it go to shit." Emily pauses. "So, uh, did you get to see Westfallen today? She mentioned you called for an appointment."
"Yes, I saw her. She told me…thank you for telling her she could tell me things, Emily."
"I was such a damn fool to run from you, Jen. If I can't open my own damn mouth at least she can open it for me. So, um, how was work after I left?"
"Tense. Hotch took the day. Rossi talked to him but I didn't press for details. Reid is pissed at you. Morgan feels guilty about everything that happened. Garcia doesn't even know what to do about the whole thing but I will warn you she's pissed at you, too. And me…I wondered…if watching you walk away…would I ever see you walking back in the door."
Emily pinches the bridge of her nose. "I fucked things up royally. With everyone. I still have issues with Hotch and Morgan but I need to deal with those in an adult, professional manner. But honestly, Jen, I don't think I'm ready to yet. I'll try to smooth things over with Reid, Rossi and Garcia next weekend."
"And what about me? About us? Will you be here when Henry gets home? Or do we have to continue to tell him you're out chasing bad guys?"
"I want to be home, Jen. I want…want to heal things with you above all others. The next few days I'll probably be working late. But, well, I was hoping maybe Friday I could take you to dinner and a movie?"
JJ can't help but smile. "Are you asking me on a date, Emily Prentiss?"
"I'm begging for one, actually. I can never apologize enough for the way I treated you last night. I was such an asshole. That fucking 'just came for clothes comment' was bullshit. I don't know if I meant to hurt you or if I just did and then couldn't fix it. But I am so, so sorry I dismissed you that way."
JJ bites her finger a minute. Finally she sighs. "Eventually I'll forgive you for it, Emily, on one condition."
"Name it."
"That you swear to me you will never, ever, EVER disconnect from me that way again. I can't turn my emotions off the way you can. And damn it, Emily, you hurt me so fucking badly last night I nearly took my rings off."
Emily whimpers, not having realized just how badly she hurt her wife. "Oh, God, Jen. I didn't…shit…I'll earn your forgiveness, Jen. I swear I will."
"I guess time will tell," JJ concedes. "I love you, Emily. Stop testing that love or one day it won't be enough to fix us."
"I understand. I swear I understand. I love you, too, Jen." She takes a shuddering breath. "So, um, Friday?"
"If we don't have a case, it's a date."
"Thank you, Jen."
"Thank you for asking, Emily."
Emily sighs. "I don't want to hang up but we have a briefing at 0600 tomorrow with a London contact."
"Yuck. Thank you for calling me, baby. If things get…hinky with the task force you can call me. I'm here for you, Em."
"I know, Jen. Thank you. Te amo, Jen."
"Now and always, Emily," JJ responds. "Goodnight, baby."
"Goodnight."
JJ disconnects the call. She stares at the background photo: Emily making faces at a cackling Rocky.
"Please, God, put that spark back in her eyes again. Please."
In her hotel room at the Ritz, Emily stares at the electronic picture frame scrolling through images of her wife and children.
"Please, God, don't let me lose them. Help me find my way back to them. Please."
She lies in bed staring at the ceiling. Just like the night before her mind won't shut down. Just like the night before she gets up and goes out to the stocked bar in the suite. The bottle of whiskey she had downed the night before had been replaced. She grabs the new bottle and a clean glass.
Two hours later she passes out. Maybe not as good as sleep but at least her mind is too obliterated to scroll through the images haunting her.