Emily leaves her car near the entrance and walks through the cemetery, the ground hard under her feet and a biting chill in the air. She wraps her arms around herself as she walks, looking around her at the stones left to commemorate the dead. And her.

She finds her headstone easily and sits down cross legged in front of it, six feet above the empty coffin where her body really should be. She doesn't want to be dead, not really. She knew Doyle might kill her, she thought he had, and she fought to stay alive… But the way Morgan and Reid look at her now reminds her every second that it would be simpler, less painful… She stares at the stone blankly, unaware of time passing. Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity. When the cold makes her hands sting, she tucks them under her arms.

"Emily." JJ's voice from behind her is so soft she doesn't even react at first. Then she feels her sit down beside her, and there's a hand on her knee, soft and small and gloved. "Em, are you okay?"

"I'm -" she begins, then stops. JJ of all people deserves better than I'm fine. "What are you doing here?"

She turns to look at her – wrapped up far more appropriately for the weather, her concern written all over her face. Emily slips her hand out from under her arm and slides it under JJ's on her knee. JJ smiles and squeezes. "Henry's at Will's this weekend, and I… What are you doing here?"

Emily smiles in spite of herself, drops her gaze to their hands on her leg. JJ must do the same, because a second later she's got Emily's hand wrapped up in both of her own. "You're freezing," she says softly. "How long have you been here?"

"Um – what's the time?"

JJ sighs. "Emily, look at me." She does, dragging her eyes up to meet JJ's, and a familiar flutter starts in her chest as JJ leans a little closer. "You're not down there," she says, her eyes fierce. "You never were. You made it, you're alive and Declan's safe, and you're home and I promise it's going to start to feel like it. Okay?"

Emily closes her eyes as they fill with tears, and JJ's arms wrap around her. She leans into her, finally starting to feel her body ache from sitting here for god knows how long. "I'm sorry," she says, barely above a whisper. "What you had to do -"

"It kept you alive, Emily," JJ says, pressing her lips to the top of Emily's head. "It was worth it. I would've done anything…"

Emily feels a shiver run through her. She sits up straight and wipes tears from her eyes, finds herself staring at the stone again. Bravery. "JJ?" she says quietly. "Why are you here?"

JJ's silent for so long Emily turns back to her. She's looking down, fidgeting with her gloves. Eventually she reaches into her bag and pulls out a red rose. She stares at it, twirling it between her fingers. "I used to bring these here whenever I was home," she says. "When you were gone. I knew you weren't here, but I didn't know how else…"

"JJ…"

"I don't even know whether you like them, I just -" She holds it out hesitantly, and Emily takes it, runs her fingers along the stem. "Thornless."

"Thank you." She places the rose down gently, then looks back at JJ, reaches over and tucks her hair behind her ear. "I missed you."

And it's almost funny that after years of thinking about it and months of being sure it would never happen, when they finally kiss they're sitting on top of Emily's grave. Almost.