Author's Notes:I don't think an apology will quite cut it this time lol, though I am actually sorry for how long it has taken me to update. To be honest this story stopped exciting me a long time ago, and I guess I hit a wall imagination wise. But, I've planned ahead this time, and have at least the foundations for the remaining chapters, as well the next two written in full. So you best get reviewing, so that I can give them to you. :)

Author's Notes 2:Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me on this, and I apologise if this chapter doesn't reward your patience. Also, a special thank you to DesireeStorm, southluv76, HR88, xxEm'n'JJ4evaxx, and Love-Music-Dream; your recent reviews/story alerts/favourites reminded me that people do care about reading the remainder of this, and gave me the push I needed to continue with it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. If I did, the season premiere would be airing in the UK tonight, too.

THE FINAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE

"Hey baby. Something's come up. I'm going to be a little late, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise. I love you."

Emily sighed as she finished the message and ended the call. She was secretly glad that JJ hadn't answered. She knew what questions would come if she had and honestly, right now, she didn't have the answers to those questions. Besides, JJ would want to help, and she needed to figure this out for herself. Where was the sense in putting JJ in danger if she didn't need to? She would call her, would call the team - when the time was right.

She'd almost forgotten about the couple of messages that she had received over the previous few days. Other aspects of her life, JJ in particular, had taken the forefront of her mind and though right now she wanted nothing more than to be with the woman who she now truly able to call her's, she knew that this had gone too far; it needed her undivided attention. This morning's note had proved that.

It hadn't arrived with flowers as usual. She had found it pinned to her door as she left to pick up some essentials for her day with JJ. Whoever was sending them was definitely becoming impatient; probably angry that they'd not received the reaction and the attention that they had hoped for.

She held the most recent note in her hand, fiddling with the corner as she read the short sentences for probably the hundredth time.

Do you like to hurt? I do.

The threatening implications in those few words were definitely blatant, and she'd be lying if she said it hadn't fucked with her a little. But what the hell was she supposed to do about it? Of course, the first, the second, the third, time that she'd read it, she considered calling Hotch, the team, JJ. By the fourth time, however, typical Emily kicked in and the notion was disregarded before it was even a full thought.

And now she sat, each note laid out in front of her like a puzzle, as if she was waiting for them to suddenly mean something; waiting for the identity of the writer to suddenly jump from the words. She knew that it was a stupid move to keep her friends in the dark, but with absolutely nothing to go on, she had no idea as to whether that would help or hinder the situation.

Something in the first two messages had seemed somewhat familiar but at the same time completely illogical; somewhat similar to deja vu. They weren't even full sentences. There was no reason that she should recognise them, but she couldn't ignore the niggle at the back of her mind telling her that she did. She knew this.

Running her hands through her hair, Emily sighed in frustration. She did know this. There was something that she was missing, but trying to figure out what that something was was like trying to magically fix writer's block by staring blankly at the computer screen for hours. Rising to her feet, she headed over to her kitchen to make some coffee. Maybe the caffeine would jog her memory.

The words buzzed around in her brain as she lent against the counter top, mug in hand, and she turned to flick on the small wireless radio to her left in an attempt to block out the words for a few minutes peace in her brain. The caffeine wasn't working, so maybe what she really needed was a break.

The melody was a welcome relief. She felt herself relax as the lyrics flew through the speakers and floated into her ears..

But then something clicked. Music always was the best thing to evoke a memory. And it had certainly done just that.

6 Years Previous

Emily lay on her side, pretending to sleep as the body next to her traced lines along her naked hip, humming some song as she did. The song, Emily recognised, as the song that had been dubbed 'theirs' several weeks back. She'd smiled at the time, but now it's tune was a huge reality check.

This was not quite what she had signed up for. This non-commitment relationship had clearly become something far more to her occasional lover.

Cautiously, she rolled over onto her back, and was met by her lover's twinkling though somewhat creepy eyes.

"Hey, you."

Emily forced out a smile. "Hey." She shifted herself up on the bed, wrapping the duvet around her as she did. "I should head out. I have to be at work soon."

"No you don't. It's your weekend off. You told me that last night."

The woman beside her smiled triumphantly and Emily tried desperately to force her own. Great.

Her coffee mug was almost thrown to the counter, abandoned as she hastily flicked off the radio, ran upstairs to her closet and returned moments later with a box.

Two Months Later

"You will be back, ya know." Those were the last words that she heard as she closed the door behind her.

Climbing into her car, Emily was surprised at how easy that had been - how calmly, for the most part, her lover had reacted to being told that she was too suffocating; that the constant calls and neediness and notes and text messages and unannounced visits were just too much; that it had to end; that she had never wanted any of it in the first place.

She'd expected the worst, and instead reality fell very short of that anticipation. There were no raised voices, no breakdowns, no nothing. She was just.. calm. And honestly, that creeped her out more than anything. Still, she took it for what it appeared to be.

But it wasn't what it appeared to be.

Weeks passed and her 'ex' was bordering on stalking her, until one day she finally asked herself what she was still doing there. There was nothing stopping her from leaving, nothing holding her back; just one giant pain in her arse pushing her forward. And that was all that she needed.

Two weeks later, the calls had been forgotten, the visits made impossible, the creepy eyes that she could feel on her skin each time she took out the garbage were no more, and she was free.

The box was full to the top; letters, photographs, random nothings that meant everything. Emily was never the type to discard of keepsakes, whatever form they took. She liked being able to take a trip down memory lane once in a while, even if that trip involved bumping into a person who she'd rather forget. It was still a part of her life, her journey, and the reminders kept her grounded. It was for that reason that she'd held onto every smothering note that she had ever received from her past lover.

Emptying the contents onto the table, Emily sieved through the pile until she found what she was looking for. She replaced everything back into the box, pushed it aside. On the table in front of her she laid out neatly the six year old messages and letters, before taking the 3 more recent notes in her hand.

She read over the first one that she'd received several days ago,

And it was, you know; but it won't always be.

A moment later, she scanned the array of notes that she had laid out, searching for it's twin; hoping not to find it, hoping to realise that she was being ridiculous. She relaxed for a second when she didn't find it; maybe she was being stupid after all, seeing patterns that weren't there because she hated being so damn clueless.

But then there it was, ten words buried in amongst thirty more, and her entire body went numb.

I thought that day was the happiest moment of my life, when you chose me out of everyone in that place. And it was, you know; but it won't always be. Because you're mine; the happiest moments haven't even begun.

She threw it down and quickly grabbed the other.

Ever. No one.

She rummaged through the pile of old letters and notes that seemed to have grown exponentially in her hasty search, until she found it, the final piece to the puzzle.

No one will take you from me. I mean that. Ever. No one. I could never let you go, Em. You're a part of me now.

Her eyes fixated on those three single words: Ever. No one. Inside a part of her laughed; there was no wonder that she had left this woman. But it didn't take long for that laugh to turn to a sickening twist of guts as a realisation came to her.. "JJ."

Author's Note 3: The first message at the beginning of this chapter: anyone who can tell me what song the words are from, gets major awesome points. Without Googling it, that is. :) The other messages aren't lyrics, and I didn't intend to use any, but the song came on whilst I was writing this, and it seemed strangely appropriate.