A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I didn't have any more chapters written, and life got in the way. But I'm sitting down to keep this story going, just need to know if we still have anyone willing to read it.

So… now life together is a reality for JJ and Emily. How will this new family deal with everything?


There was so much noise. Screams all around her. She tried to hide, but the noise kept finding her, so she tried to run. Go away, go away she cried as she ran and ran and ran. Until she bumped into something, looked up and there he was, looking down at her. No, no, no, no.

"No, no, no, no" Emily woke up in a jump with the foreign noise, taking a couple seconds to remember the girl in the room next door. She jumped out of bed as fast as she could and ran to – now – JJ's room only to witness the worst nightmare she had witnessed from the little girl so far.

Emily really thought their first night at home could be somewhat peaceful, specially after JJ had fallen asleep and she also managed to rest herself. But that was far behind now, as she reached her door and saw her trashing, crying as if her life depended on it. The profiler got closer to the bed, seating at JJ's side to try and soothe her. She reached her forehead, only to feel how sweaty she was, her skin hot

"Honey, it's okay. You're safe, shhhh" she tried, but nothing seemed to bring the little blonde back to reality. She kept trashing around, crying louder as if danger was even closer to getting her "JJ, wake up honey. C'mon, it's okay" she tried again, with no success.

After a while Emily started panicking. She had dealt with some of JJ's nightmares, but nothing like that one. She usually would wake up soon after hearing Emily's voice, but now was like she wasn't even there.

"JJ, it's me. You're home, it's over now baby"

"Please stop, stop! No, no, I'll be good daddy I promise" she cried again, and Emily closed her eyes in pain, not knowing how to take her little girl out of that hell of a nightmare. She then took the girl in her arms, trying to rock her as she tried to bring her back

"Jen, honey… C'mon, it's okay baby, it's okay" she tried to hold her as tight as she could so the girl wouldn't hurt herself with all the trashing around "I'm here, I'm here" she said and finally the girl opened her eyes.

For one instant Emily felt relief, but it was short-lived as she saw those big blue eyes in pure terror, her body trashing again. The girl was awake, but the nightmare was still haunting her

"Please, no" she begged Emily, and the woman was heart-broken when she felt that the girl was scared of her. JJ tried to scape from the profiler's hold, but Emily didn't let her go

"JJ it's me" she tried once more "It's okay, you're safe" the girl looked at her eyes, studying her "I'm here sweety, you're safe" and then realization hit the kid for the first time. Emily could see her eyes clearing, as the confusion left her "I promise, I'll never hurt you. You're safe, it was just a bad dream, it's okay" JJ then relaxed a bit, her breathing starting to slow down

"Emmy" she cried

"It's okay baby, I'm here" she assured her once more and hugged her. JJ welcomed the embrace and laid her head on Emily's shoulder as she rocked her. Emily kept rocking her, caressing her back as they sat in silence for a little while, until she could hear her start crying "Shhh, it's okay baby, it's over now" and there they were, neither of them knowing for how long.

It took a long while for JJ to calm her breathing down and for Emily to feel like she could loose her grip on her. As she did, the girl looked three times more tired than she had the past few days. She caressed her forehead, pushing her wet hair away from her face

"It's over now my love. It was just a nightmare, okay?" JJ stared at her, a little blankly as she had no strength to react "It's okay my love" she kissed her temple "Let's take a good shower so you'll feel better, okay?"

Emily noticed the girl opened her mouth to answer but couldn't do it and her chest was still moving too fast, even if she seemed to have calmed down. An alert appeared in her head, remembering that asthma did not present itself with JJ the same way it did with other people, since she had learned for so long to suppress the effects.

"Honey are you feeling like it's hard to breathe?" she asked, calmly so she didn't scare her all over again. JJ didn't know what that meant. She was just so tired, and as a response she laid back down into Emily's shoulder "Okay, we'll get your inhaler and then we'll get a good shower before going back to sleep okay" she got up with the girl on her arms and walked towards the kitchen.

Emily reached the inhaler and helped the girl with it until she could see noticeable change in the speed her chest was rising and falling. Once it worked the new foster mother released a breath she didn't know she was holding. JJ seemed to be still out of it, and she didn't know if she was feeling sick or if she was just tired, or even if she was still stuck with the remains of the night terror.

"Much better, huh" she said, but the girl just reached forward to rest her head on the woman's body, seeking comfort. Emily caressed her hair "Let's get you cleaned and changed, so you can rest okay. C'mon"


4:14 AM and Emily was still wide awake. The little girl now sound-asleep with her in her bed: the only place she managed to close her eyes without getting scared. The woman couldn't close her eyes though, every time she tried to rest her eyes, she would jump with every little movement coming from JJ's side, scared she would have another night terror.

Emily remembered when she used to have night terrors like that, after Doyle. It took years of therapy for her to step out of the nightmares, and it still scared her sometimes to go to sleep and feel trapped in them again, even all these years later. She could not imagine how it felt to be in that position at JJ's age. It just wasn't fair.

Once she gave up the attempts to fall back to sleep, she turned the TV on, the volume just barely audible, so it wouldn't bother the sleeping child beside her. Emily just needed some sort of distraction, something to help her mind focus on something else for a little bit. Upon seeing the news about the trial of a well-known child molester she sighed.

"As the third day of trial comes to an end, the defense team is leaning into specialists testimonies to question the veracity of the victims statements and create ground to reasonable doubt to the jury"

That type of content was nothing new in Emily's life. Nothing new to her, to her line of work and she always dealt with it in a very heartly but also rational way. Now, the simple act to hear the reporter say that the defense of a child molester was putting into question the kids he had victimized, it made her want to throw something at the screen. She didn't work that case, didn't know personally anyone affected by it or anything, but it drove her insane. So, before she could get any more upset, she pressed the mute button and looked at JJ sleeping form, sighing once more. It wasn't lost on her the reason of the changes on her reaction on such a thing… it was personal now.

Right then something downed on her: that would most likely what their future would look like soon: on trial, having to face the monster who hurt the little girl stating the most ridiculous things to the entire nation to hear. It made her feel a whole new type of dread inside.

Emily then reached for her phone on the nightstand and started looking through her – not really active – social media. Not enough content to distract her there, so she ended up checking her own notes to check all the things she had to do the next feel days, the list seemed infinite, between finding JJ a psychiatrist, a pediatrician, schedule her first visit with CPS to see who would be her new social worker assigned, check with the school for the paperwork needed to enroll her midterm, look for new decorations for her room, shop for new clothes and things she'd need…

At those items on the list she remembered taking a picture of some decorations she thought the girl might enjoy, that she saw on a magazine while on the hospital. She opened the photos app to check it and was surprised to see a couple of the images there. It seemed like Penelope had sent her some pictures, and either she hadn't seen or just didn't registered at the time, with everything going on. But now she realized it and it brought a smile to her face.

There it was a picture of JJ and herself sleeping soundly on her hospital bed, the girl holding her shirt tight with her fist even during her sleep, searching for security from her. It was bittersweet, but it was such an important image for Emily to register on her mind.

To everyone who saw that image, it was about the cuddle, how cute they were together, even about the encounter of the two… but to Emily it was about that little fist holding on to her. She was that little girl new source of security, and she would not back down. Even if it made her feel different, even if she was not able to be cool and collected anymore… even if it made her so emotional. JJ was holding on to her, and she would be whoever she needed to, for her.


Emily woke up next day with her phone ringing. She grabbed it without actually opening her eyes, the tiredness taking its toll on her

"Mhmm hello" she mumbled, not fully awake yet

"Em? Were you still sleeping?" it was Hotch's voice, sounding surprised. She opened her eyes at that, looking for the time. Dammit, it was already 10am "You're not answering your messages, we're worried. Is everything alright there? Do you need anything"

"No, no" she sat up looking around, not seeing JJ at her side anymore "I just overslept. Thanks for calling, I think I forgot setting the alarm"

"Oh, okay. Did you sleep a bit at least? That's good"

"I did… kinda" she said, getting up to search for the girl "But I'll call you later, okay?" she hung up the phone, also not seeing the girl at the living-room or the kitchen "JJ?" she called, walking towards her room, opening the door and seeing her seated on the bed, fully awake "Honey, good morning!" she walked closer to her, getting a seat next to the girl "Why didn't you wake me up? I didn't see you getting out of bed, is everything okay?"

"Yes" the girl said quietly "I'm sorry"

"Oh sweety, no need to be sorry. Why you came back to your room?" JJ shrugged, looking down at her hands

"Dad likes to find me alone in the mornings" she stated "He'll be mad if I'm not in my room, I didn't want to get you in trouble" Emily sighed at this "So I came back. I'm sorry"

"Oh honey, come here" she said bringing her close "You know… your father is not here anymore, right? You don't have to be afraid of him getting mad at you, much less getting me in trouble. If you want to be in my room with me, you can, alright?" JJ nodded, trying to grasp the new reality she had now "Have you eaten anything?" silence "Well, are you hungry?" the girl shrugged a little "We should have something extra nice for breakfast, what you say?" at that the big blue eyes sparkled at her

"Pancakes?" she asked, the sweetest little voice and a rare smile across her face. Emily smiled back, not really having pancakes as the most special thing, but it looked like it to the girl, so that was all that mattered.

"Sure! You can help me make them, what you think?" she nodded at her excitedly

"Okay, let's do this" she said, getting up and offering JJ her hand, witch she took, relieved she was not in trouble for anything for the time being.

And there they had it, the first moment when they both managed to feel relaxed and free around each other. Suddenly all the anxiety they had felt once they walked inside the home together for the first time subsided, they were at the right place; together. The rest would fall into place.

The kitchen was a mess, as they made all types of pancakes Emily knew how, even knowing that they wouldn't be able to eat all of it, but just seeing the pure enjoyment on the girl's face while doing it just to priceless for her to make it stop.

"Look Emmy, this one looks like Mikey" the girl told her

"I'll make one in a heart shape, just look at this" the brunette said, trying her best, but the dough leaked to the sides, making the blonde girl giggle

"It don't look like a heart"

"Yeas it does" Emily said

"It don't" she giggled again, making the woman's heart flutter with joy to hear it. She looked at the girl, grabbed a little bit of dough on her finger and put it on the tip of her nose

"It does" the girl was surprised at first, but then she smiled and tried to do the same thing to the woman, taking a bit of dough and putting on her nose, but Emily tried to escape, and the girl ended up putting it on her pajama. "JJ! Look at what you've done" Emily exclaimed, jokingly. But at that, the blonde girl stopped. Her smile vanished at once

"I'm sorry" she pleaded "I'll clean it, I'm sorry, please" she begged. Emily looked at her, her own smile going away as she realized what had happened

"No, no, no honey. I'm joking, I'm not mad!" she tried to explain and took a step closer to the girl, who put her arms up, in front of her face as to protect herself and it broke Emily's heart all over again "Sweety, I'm not hurting you. Remember? I'm sorry, I was just kidding"

"I'm sorry" the blonde repeated, putting her arms down and eyeing Emily carefully, tears filling her eyes as she felt the rush go away

"It's alright baby, everything is alright" the woman said, trying to get closer again and the girl let her this time. Emily kneeled in front of her, taking her hands in hers "I'll never hurt you baby. And I'll keep repeating this to you no matter how many times, do you understand?" JJ nodded at her, the tears finally falling

"Sorry" she whispered

"Listen Jayje, you have nothing to apologize for. You didn't do anything wrong, okay?" another nod. Emily cleaned the girl's tears and the dough off of her nose "We should eat those now, what you say?"

"Yeah"


That day was spent only the two of them. Emily took the time to schedule everything she needed to, but nothing for that day. She knew they needed that time to bond and be able to ground themselves again. Also for JJ to start getting used with so many changes around her.

The team was on her case the entire time, asking about the girl every ten minutes. Penelope was clear that if Emily intended on keeping her from seeing her niece for that long, she would demand a decent amount of pictures and updates from her, which Emily tried to oblige as much as she could.

They had ups and downs throughout the day, but now as she sat on her couch and watched the girl sitting on the floor in front of her, drawing in the caffe table, wearing her new pajamas, Emily felt full. Yes, there were ups and downs, but she couldn't stop but feeling she just had had the most amazing day in a long time getting to know that little girl, who was more and more comfortable around her and showing just how strong her personality actually was.

It was clear to see that when they went shopping for some new clothes and stuff for the girl, and she was adamant about her no dresses policy, it made Emily laugh at the serious face the girl had made while making her case about why she shouldn't wear dresses, it reminded her so much of herself at her age.

"Emmy, look" her sweet voice dispersed her thoughts as the girl got up and showed her the drawing she had made

"Wow Jay, this is so pretty! Who is it?" she said, as she saw a home with a few people beside it.

"Only us!" the girl said simply, with a smile "It's for you" Emily smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek as the girl turned around to start a new one and the woman stared at the drawing once again, tears on her eyes.

Paying closer attention to it, she could see a little girl holding the hands of a big girl with brown hair, who was holding a soccer ball at one side, and an even bigger girl also with brown hair on her other side and hearts around them. It was easy to assume it was JJ, Ros and Emily there. She also saw a few other figures, a little smaller on the side of the page, but as she analyzed it she could see the resemblance with Penelope, Reid, Kate and Derek. Even Hotch was there, even though he was the only one without a smile on his face.

She let a tear scape her eyes, the voice of the girl saying Only us like it was the obvious answer warmed her heart.


AN: hope you enjoy it! Sorry for the slow updates, I've been busy. But coming back here and seeing the reviews made me want to keep posting this.