Russ barged in the door with his gun drawn and ordered the women to drop their weapons. Emily placed hers on the table in front of her and JJ followed suit. The brunette placed herself in between the gun and the blonde. Right where she belonged.

"Detective Russ! Put down your weapon immediately!" Hotch realized that Russ was wearing his bullet-proof vest, which complicated things. They needed him to confess but he could see that Emily was calculating an escape in her mind. He knew that if JJ was in danger, Emily would take the fall. He was sure he was not going to lose an agent tonight.

"We know about your mother. She was depressed and she would bring random men home almost every night. You would hide in your room until she was done her 'job' as she called it. Afterwards, the man would either stay and drink more or he would just leave. They would beat you, scream at you and starve you. As you got older, you found that your mother became more and more scared of you. You honed your strength on the football field. Until one night, she pushed you over the edge just like tonight." Hotch paused and he could tell that Russ was still volatile.

"That bitch deserved the punishment I gave her. Every blow, every stab." He said through gritted teeth. He was screwed. Damn, I have to find a way out, he thought.

"Those girls and your mother didn't deserve the punishment you gave them. They didn't do anything wrong." Emily knew she was stepping on a very fine line because his 9mm weapon was still trained in their direction.

"They were all whores, just like my mother, and I treated them like whores." He nearly screamed this last sentence. His blood was boiling and he could barely focus on the brunette and his target, the blonde, Jennifer. That was his mother's name. God, he hated her. That last sentence was just what the team was looking for and Emily knew she had to make her move quickly. During their discussion she had subtly moved so the table wasn't between her and Russ anymore. JJ watched as Emily snapped into movement and tackled Russ. A gunshot echoed across the precinct and the gun skittered across the floor. Morgan was there in an instant and secured Russ in handcuffs. JJ was rolling Emily onto her back and nothing but a gasp could escape her throat. The only thing she saw was the blood seeping from Emily's chest.

"Emily! Baby, please stay with me. Please don't leave me and this baby." JJ knew she was begging to a higher power and not to Emily. She couldn't bear to lose Emily, her lover, best friend. Not yet, she still had so many things she wanted to share with her, mainly this baby.

"I'll never leave you, Jennifer. Never." Her words were barely a whisper but JJ and the rest of the team heard them loud and clear. The paramedics came bursting through the doors and went to work immediately. JJ held Emily's had the entire time and she kept praying over and over for those chocolate brown eyes to open and for that smile to cross her face again. Her heart stopped beating and the paramedics grabbed the defibrillator and shocked her. When they did, a miracle happened. Emily's hand fell from JJ's and came to rest on JJ's belly. It was then that the baby kicked for the first time. Emily's heart rate came back and they loaded her up on the ambulance, JJ in tow. The rest of the team followed and stayed with JJ in the surgical waiting room. The blonde understood why they called it a waiting room. You waited to go to surgery, you waited for loved ones to come out of surgery and you waited for answers to your worst fears. JJ knew down deep inside that Emily was okay. She could feel it inside her heart. But she still wanted the doctor's word. She saw Morgan stand and she looked up and saw the surgeon coming towards them. She couldn't quite read his face but they baby kicked at that moment and she smiled.

"That smile should stay there for awhile. She is going to be okay and she is awake. I don't know what happened but it was a miracle. The damage she sustained is usually fatal. Now, I can only allow one visitor at a time and I don't really want someone spending the night." The surgeon glanced at the stunning blonde in front of him and he saw tears well up in her eyes. Morgan was the first one to speak.

"Listen Doc, we understand the one at a time rule but that is her wife right there and you are not going to tell her she can't spend the night by her wife's side." JJ's jaw dropped and the rest of the team chuckled.

"Oh, okay then. Only she can spend the night then."

JJ watched as each person on her team filed in to talk to Emily. The conversations were short but they meant the world to the brunette. When Hotch went in she noticed a change in Emily and wondered what the conversation was about.

"Emily, I'm glad I didn't lose you tonight. But I have to tell you something. Don't ever do that again. I don't want to have to tell that gorgeous press liaison and your child why you aren't coming home. Promise me that."

"Hotch, you know I can't promise that. I would die for them and I prepared to do that. But I will tell you that I will try not to do it again. And that's all that I can promise."

"Hmm, I guess that will have to do. Get better and I don't expect to see you or JJ for at least a week, more like two. Go on vacation, lay at home in each other's arms. I don't care, just don't come to work."

"Yes, sir." Emily was a lucky woman and she knew it. It's funny how near death experiences really change your priorities. Her main priority now was: her family. She loved the way that sounded and when she looked out the window at her family, her heart nearly stopped again. But this time it was from joy. She watched as JJ rubbed her belly and she couldn't think of a better moment in her life.

JJ came out of her trance and glanced up to see Emily staring at her. God, she loved those eyes, it was so hard to be mad at her but she had to be. So she walked up to the bed and grabbed Emily's hand and sat down in the chair. Before she could speak though, Emily spoke and it was barely in a whisper.

"I know your mad at me because of what I did. But I will not promise that I won't do it again. When I saw the rage in his eyes, all I could think of were those girls. And what he would do to you if he could and-" Her words came to a halt. JJ lips connected with hers in a soft and gentle kiss. But the kiss conveyed so many emotions, it made Emily's already aching head, spin.

"Emily Elizabeth Prentiss, shut up. I was so scared but I understand why you did it. I won't make you promise anything because I couldn't promise that I wouldn't do that if you were in danger. I'm just glad I can take you home in a few days." She brought her lips to Emily's once again and they only parted for oxygen. "Now get some rest and I'll stay right here."

"JJ? I have two questions. Where is home? And can you sleep right next to me tonight?" JJ's 1000 watt smile came before she could stop it but this was a regular occurrence with Emily. She didn't even answer, she just climbed right into the bed and held onto her lover and never let her go. It was the best sleep that either of them had gotten in awhile.