CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

14x07 Twenty Seven

"Mendoza's gonna be okay. I checked up on him in the hospital," Emily said, leaning down to kiss the top of Henry's head. He and Michael were preoccupied eating their dinner.

"Oh good. I'm glad." JJ replied. But something about JJ's tone struck Emily as odd. Her words were sincere, but not the way she said them. Emily walked away from the table towards the stove where JJ was still tending to the food she'd just cooked. She was doing her best to keep her hands busy and her eyes away from Emily.

"What…?" Emily asked, confused.

"Nothing," JJ responded lightly. Maybe a little too lightly.

"No… it's not nothing. What's wrong?"

JJ sighed, finally turning to face Emily. Now that Emily could see her face, she was sure something was bothering her. JJ opened her mouth but closed it again. She looked almost… embarrassed?

"You know he was flirting with you…"

Emily opened her mouth and narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Oh come on," JJ answered brazenly. She narrowed her eyes at Emily. There was no way she hadn't noticed…

"Jay, he was not… flirting with me," Emily replied. "The wedding rings aren't exactly subtle," Emily added, gesturing to her hand.

"I don't think he was really focused on your hands." Emily rolled her eyes and JJ continued putting the leftover food into a container. "I don't make the rules. All I know is that I saw the way he was looking at you… I know that look."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And how do you know that look?" Emily asked satirically. JJ smiled bashfully. She rolled her eyes and turned away with a small smile. Emily's eyes widened and she laughed. "Wait, wait, wait, answer the question!" Emily came around the counter smiling. "Jennifer Jaraeu, are you jealous?" JJ's smile dropped a little. She stared back at her wife with an odd look. It gave Emily pause. The smile dropped from her face and she narrowed her eyes. "Jay, you're not seriously upset about this…"

JJ opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by the happy squeal of their children. JJ looked over to watch Penelope be bombarded by the two toddlers.

"Penelope? What are you doing here?" Emily asked. She glanced back at JJ a couple times but decided to let it go for a moment and focus on Penelope. She was smiling widely at Michael and Henry. They were both talking a mile a minute, seemingly unbothered by the other interrupting. Penelope grinned at the boys before looking up.

"I know I'm intruding, but I need you to look at something."

"You're never intruding," Emily replied graciously.

JJ was quiet for the rest of the evening. She talked with Penelope. She smiled and played with Michael and Henry. She theatrically read them their favorite story before bed. And Emily watched her delicately. But it wasn't until they were about to turn the lights off and get in bed that JJ spoke to her again.

"You know how I know that look?"

Emily turned to face her. JJ clearly was thinking hard about something. Something was bothering her - and Emily had a feeling it was about more than Andrew Mendoza.

"It was how I looked at you for years. I know what that feels like - to want you…"

"So do I," Emily said back pointedly. There was a look of recognition in JJ's eyes. She nodded her head in understanding, but she was still hurting. Emily was a little confused by JJ's reaction. What wasn't she saying? "That was a long time ago, Jay…"

JJ smiled and nodded quietly. She broke eye contact, looking down contemplatively. With a soft, breath she said, "You know, I still feel that way. When I see you, what we have, our family. That's the feeling… It's you. It's always been you." JJ paused for a long moment, before something seemed to dawn on her. JJ furrowed her brow. "And I want more." Then, more definitively, "I want to have more."

Emily stood frozen at first. She didn't understand what JJ was getting at. Emily looked at JJ, confused. The moment stretched on. Then it occurred to her what she might be asking her. But even as she asked, she didn't believe that JJ was actually suggesting what she thought she was.

"You want to have another baby?"

A look of scared recognition flashed across JJ's face. She took a half step towards Emily but stopped. Emily still looked shocked. JJ couldn't blame her - although JJ had been thinking about this for months, she'd never voiced it until now.

"I wanna have more…" JJ said again. She closed the space between them, taking Emily's face in her hands. Passion was twinkling in her eyes. JJ surveyed Emily's reaction for a while before she saw a small flash of happiness play across her features. JJ felt the emotion in her throat - the tears in her eyes… "Let's have more."