CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

8x01 The Silencer

"What about this one?"

"Oh that was a bad one… Rose and I were in my grandmother's old barn, up in the loft. She stored a bunch of old equipment up there and we were climbing on it. I fell sideways and landed on a nail."

Emily's eyes flashed quickly away from the scar on JJ's knee. "Ow," she said with wide eyes.

"You're telling me…"

JJ was laying on her back, Emily on her side next to her. She was resting her head on her hand, looking down at her wife. She was studying her closely. Taking her in. Emily looked back down at the scar and ran her finger tips over JJ's skin. JJ smiled to herself as she watched. Emily's hands running over her body felt unreasonably good. JJ closed her eyes briefly, causing her other senses to become heightened. Emily was at her stomach now. She ran a careful hand over it. The skin there was smooth and unmarred. There was something innocent about the way Emily was touching her. Yet simultaneously wicked. Only Emily could make something so sincere feel so sinful. JJ took a deep breath in and opened her eyes. Emily was at her chest now.

"How'd you get this?" She whispered, tracing a small, white scar just under her collarbone. JJ's peace was suddenly muddied by the awful memory of Tobias Hankel. The dogs. She would never forget them.

"Tobias Hankel."

"The dogs?" Emily asked carefully. She knew how much that case had gotten to JJ. It scarred her… in more than one way.

"Yeah…" JJ murmured. Her eyes looked haunted. Emily quickly moved on, taking JJ's arm and using it to roll her onto her side, facing away from her. She ran her hand across her back. JJ's eyes fluttered closed involuntarily. She sighed relaxing under Emily's touch.

Emily lightly brushed some hair out of her way, so that JJ's shoulders were bare. Emily traced her fingernails down the middle of JJ's back causing her to shiver. JJ felt her pause.

"I told you that story," JJ murmured.

"Barbwire fence, right?" Emily said, remembering.

"Oh, the things you do for your first love…" JJ said with wistful sarcasm.

Emily winced a little. Not at JJ. She had long since told her the epic story of her highschool romance. He was a nice boy - the kind of boy that parents want their children to date. And they were in love. It ended when she left for college. Emily was wincing at herself. At what she'd done when she was a teenager. She was glad JJ wasn't facing her. What Emily did to fit in left behind a lot more damage than the two-inch scar on JJ's back.

"I like your back," Emily whispered. JJ laughed a little. "What?"

"You like my back?"

"Yeah," Emily replied sincerely. "It's strong…"

JJ's smile dropped slowly as she lost herself deep in thought. She rolled over so that she was facing Emily. She brought her hand to Emily's left eyebrow. She knew a little bit about that particular scar. All Emily had said was "Yeah, that's why I don't ride motorcycles anymore."

Emily was watching her eyes intently as JJ ran her hand across Emily's face and into her hair. JJ leaned in and kissed her softly. Emily could feel JJ's hand trailing down her ribcage, to her hip, then back across her stomach. It was rather beautiful: the way JJ was lighting Emily on fire - and the way Emily would happily burn for her.

Emily kissed her again, tracing her tongue across JJ's bottom lip. She moaned softly. JJ moved so that she was kneeling above Emily. Emily's hands reached for her, bringing her head back down to kiss her again. The slow patience she had before was fading away - now, all Emily wanted was for JJ to touch her. And moments later she did. The feeling was intoxicating.

JJ's lips were at Emily's neck, pressing into her pulse point. JJ listened to the sounds Emily was making. She knew her wife well enough to know she was close. JJ pulled away from her neck and captured her lips again. Emily wrapped her arm around JJ's neck, keeping her close. She felt like she was falling apart - like JJ was her savior and her ruiner.

"Jay…" Emily gasped.

"I love you," She whispered back. Emily's eyes were closed. "I love you. I love you." JJ watched attentively as Emily shuddered and trembled beneath her. It enthralled JJ to see Emily fall apart under her touch. Made her feel alive.

Emily leaned her head to the side, breathing deeply. JJ kissed her jaw lazily. She pulled back. Emily turned back to face her. JJ smiled and stroked Emily's forehead affectionately.

"Are you happy?" JJ asked, quietly.

"Yeah," she replied. Emily flipped JJ onto her back and started placing kisses starting at her collarbone and then down her chest. JJ ran her hands into Emily's hair.

"Just kiss me," JJ murmured.

"I am kissing you."

"Kiss me like this…" JJ gently pulled Emily's head up so that she could kiss her lips. She opened her mouth and Emily felt suddenly lightheaded when she felt JJ's tongue on hers. JJ allowed herself to get lost in Emily. She ran her hands up Emily's sides. Her skin felt warm and soft. It was the kind of kiss that felt like friendship that had caught fire - like quiet understanding. Like Emily.

Emily pulled back, breathing unsteadily. She stared at JJ before moving to settle by her side. JJ glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand. "We have to be at the BAU in six hours," she said.

After their impromptu wedding, Hotch told them he didn't want to see them for at least three days. It wasn't much of a "honeymoon," but neither of them really wanted one anyway. Emily stayed quiet as JJ ran her fingers over the tattoo on her chest. Her wedding rings felt cold against Emily's skin as she traced the brand that was left there. Under JJ's touch, Emily could almost forget the horrific way she got the burn. Almost.

JJ then turned her attention to a small scar on Emily's hairline. You wouldn't notice it unless you knew. But JJ remembered that day. An unsub took a wooden board straight to her forehead. Emily had been lucky that it didn't do permanent damage. She moved to lay her head on JJ's shoulder, throwing her arm across her wife's body. JJ pulled the blanket up so that it covered both of them.