A/N: So again; my little troupe of loyal reviewers were awesome as always. You guys really know how to make me want to write more of this story, so thank you.

The parachute has well and truly gotten you to land, and I hope you like the aftermath! ;)

Emily walked slowly but –fairly– steadily down the corridor from the nurses' station to Taylor's room with a grin on her face; even as she leaned headily on the banister along the wall and her body screamed in protest. It had been a week since Taylor had woken up; even longer since she herself had, and she could feel herself getting gradually stronger despite the pain radiating outwards from her stomach and torso.

She opened the door to Taylor's room just to be met with two equally confused expressions in reaction to her overjoyed one.

'What's got you all happy?' Taylor questioned, suspicion dripping in her tone as she attempted to swallow down more god-awful hospital food.

Emily plopped herself down on the side of her bed and exchanged her grin for a smug smile.

'Well, I may or may not have just been told that you can go home tomorrow'

'Seriously!?' Taylor's own face broke out in a grin, prompting Emily's to follow suit.

'Yep. They said they could let you out today but they just wanna make sure everything's definitely okay. Plus they need a guarantee that someone will check in on us everyday' Emily rolled her eyes at the last part of her announcement.

'And who do I have to tell that I'm fine with checking in?' Andrea's voice crept in from the right of Emily.

'Just the doctor when he comes to discharge her tomorrow' Emily smiled gratefully at her before taking the seat to Andrea's right, closest to Taylor's bed. The chair that had become her permanent home for the last couple weeks – but not anymore!

'You know for a doctor you seem pretty psyched to get away from a hospital' Emily's voice oozed cockiness towards her partner.

Andrea smiled at how much Emily seemed to be getting back to being the Emily everyone knew; especially when she was with Taylor. She'd been informed via Derek that Emily wasn't going to talk about everything that happened to her with Taylor until she was ready, but that she'd been talking to him, and clearly venting with someone else – as well as her breakdown with Andrea herself – was helping to release some of the guilt which she had bottled up inside her.

'I love being here voluntarily, but-'

'It's not voluntarily when you're on the type of money you're on…'

'Hey hey, kids, calm down please, or I'll ground you both!' Andrea interjected as Taylor stuck her tongue out at Emily.

'Considering we're both on "bed rest" isn't that what we already are?' Emily groaned.

'Hey "bed rest" doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing…' Taylor winked at Emily; knowing exactly how she would react. As if on cue, Emily's face flooded a bright red and she began spluttering for words.

'Taylor…your Mom! I- I-'

As Taylor and Andrea both laughed at how flustered Taylor could make her girlfriend; JJ knocked and came into the room, her eyebrows furrowing together as she did

'What's so funny?'

'NOTHING.' Emily nearly shouted and she pushed herself to her feet, wincing as she did. 'Hey Jayje, lets get some coffee' Emily quickly ushered JJ away from her girlfriend and her Mom before she could be embarrassed further.

'So you can both go tomorrow?' JJ questioned as she focused on adding the right amount of sugar to her coffee

'Yep. I can't wait to get out of here' Emily added milk to her own – a habit she had when she wasn't in work and needed the strong stuff – before shuffling over to an empty table in the hospital cafeteria.

Joining her best friend, JJ took a sip before smiling 'are you feeling better?'

'Sort of, everything still hurts like a bitch, but I'm okay' Emily nodded.

'You seem more like yourself' JJ pushed Emily in the general direction she wanted the conversation to go.

Rolling her eyes at JJ's obvious deviation, Emily just went along with it. 'I've been talking to Derek, but I know you already know that' she shrugged.

'I'm just glad you are, you know?'

'Yeah I know' Emily smiled at the blonde.

'So, you gonna jump Taylor's bones as soon as you're out of here?' JJ deadpanned, causing Emily to almost choke on her coffee.

'Excuse me?' Emily avoided eye contact, making JJ laugh

'Hey I hear lesbian sex is amazing; and you've gotten out of talking about it for years! Your luck has run out my friend' JJ grinned

Emily put on her straightest business face possible before replying 'Everyone wants to know what the sex is like. But as a woman who is supposedly comfortable with her heterosexual sexuality; you shouldn't be interested' her eyebrows raised; almost daring JJ to formulate a comeback. JJ let out a bark of laughter, causing both women to breakdown laughing.

'Seriously though Em; you're completely in love with her aren't you?'

'100 per cent' Emily replied without hesitation. '…look. I'm sorry for not telling you guys, I know I've said it already, but I-'

'Hey, listen to me okay? I went with Morgan to interview Andrea once we found out about Taylor. She explained everything…' JJ reached across the table to grab her hand. 'Don't get mad at her; we needed to know for the case. …she told us about how you went off the rails when you were younger, and… what happened in Rome.' JJ watched Emily steady her breath before she looked back into the blonde's eyes. 'She told us what your bitch of a mom said, and about how everything changed when you met Taylor. I am in no way mad at you Emily; you need to get it out of your head that I am, or that we are, because we're not okay?'

JJ watched Emily digest her words, she felt the brunette squeeze her hand in thanks and watched as a little more guilt was chipped off her shoulders.

Both women drank their coffee in comfortable silence, until Emily broke it again.

'...The sex is pretty amazing.'

'It's good to see her getting back to normal' Andrea said more out loud to herself than to Taylor. She watched as her daughter sighed and pushed the remains of the lumpy mashed potatoes away from herself.

'Was she really bad before I woke up?' Taylor's eyebrows were fused with worry.

Andrea sighed as she looked up at her daughter's face and tried to piece together a description.

'She… she was terrified Taylor. And rightly so. There was a moment there when we seriously could've lost you and I don't think she could handle that thought; just as I couldn't. She stayed by your bedside every second, holding your hand… hell, the doctors discharged her because she was spending more time here than in her own bed anyway.'

'That doesn't explain what you meant by she's "getting back to normal" Mom'

'She was guilt ridden Taylor. And she was pulling away from all of us and retreating further and further into herself. She wouldn't talk to anyone properly, and she wasn't eating.'

'At all!?'

'I don't think I saw her eat a single thing until that morning you woke up Tay'

'Oh God Em what were you thinking?' Taylor mumbled to herself as she let her head fall back on her pillow, her eyes closing at the harsh hospital lights suddenly in her face. 'She won't talk to me about it Mom' Taylor admitted; still with her eyes closed, her voice no more than a whisper.

'Any of it?'

'No she keeps avoiding the subject. And I get it, I really do, but I feel like I only know half of what happened in that basement, and it's the half that happened to me. …she won't even tell me what her injuries are'

'Give her time baby. That's what she needs.'

'But seriously c'mon!'

'Okay, but this is really weird you know that right?' At JJ's nod, Emily sighed and after thinking about it formulated her response. 'It's more emotional… I mean your closer… and it feels different from being with a man… look, I can't really describe it to you unless you've done it Jayje'

'Is it like foreplay forever…'

'OKAY, I'm stopping this conversation right there.'

'Spoilsport. …Its fine, I'll just ask Taylor sometime'

'Whatever' Emily smirks before finishing off the last of her coffee and going to get a refill for the both of them. Upon her sitting back down; JJ turned the conversation another direction.

'So how serious are you guys? Like I know now you live together and… in fact, how did I not realise that? I've been to your place before!'

'Um, Jayje, we're both girls… my stuff could be her stuff…'

'I suppose… Anyway, will I be getting to help Garcia plan a wedding in the future?' JJ grinned as she saw Emily smile to herself.

Emily blew a deep breath through her parted lips before meeting JJ's eyes. 'Can I tell you something?'

'Sure'

'When I was lying there in that room… I kept thinking about how I was gonna be in so much trouble with Taylor, for worrying her so much. …It was before I knew he had her too. Anyway; I made a list in my head of things I was gonna do when I got out of there, when you guys came to get me' Emily smiled at JJ.

'What was your list?'

'One: Get out of there alive'

'Check' JJ interjected

'Two: Quit the BAU'

'What?'

'There was a maybe on the end of that one' Emily replied sheepishly.

JJ decided to leave that one for the time being. 'Three?'

'…Ask Taylor to marry me'

JJ couldn't help the squeal that escaped her lips 'Yeah!?'

'Yeah' Emily couldn't help the smile that lit up her face, and JJ could safely say she'd never seen Emily so content.

'Okay is there more?'

'Yep. Four: Marry her in front of the people who matter. …that's you guys'

'Got that' JJ rolled her eyes.

'Five. Go on a honeymoon which lasts months, not weeks.' She watched JJ's eyes widen at the thought. 'I wanna show her all the places I grew up, the places she's heard so much about. I wanna take her to Rome… I want to make good memories there.'

'You have to do that' JJ nodded sadly.

'Last one… I think I want to have kids with her Jayje.'

JJ grinned at that. 'I've said it once and I'll say it again, I can see it'

'Me too. I mean, I could always see Tay as a Mom, but I guess I've always been too scared to bring it up… but I want that Jayje. All of it. The house with the white picket fence and the 2.5 kids. I just want it all with a woman and I think that's what's always held me back.'

'But not anymore?' JJ watched as Emily raised her head again, a smile on her face as their eyes connected.

'Not anymore.'

A/N: Quickest update I've ever done? Plus you'll be happy to know I've got the next few chapters written, so I'll be updating every few days from now on :)

Hope you guys liked this one! Old Emily coming back to light a little bit and JJ/Emily getting close again.

Next chapter begins our 'Taymily' healing process, (which a lot of you I know have been waiting for) and I've certainly given myself a lot for them to work through!

Reviews really do make my day… :)