"So..." JJ said slowly, "Am I allowed to ask?"
"Ask what?" Emily asked. She was leaning her forehead against the cool glass of the nearest window, hoping it might help her maintain reign over her tempestuous stomach.
JJ glanced about the interior of the jet, making sure no one was near enough to eavesdrop, then gave Emily a pointed look. "You said the pregnancy was a surprise, but not unwanted," she reminded her, "Which leads me to believe it's not the result of a one night stand...and yet, you've never once mentioned a steady partner. Which begs the question: who is he?"
Emily heaved a sigh, continuing to stare out the window – partly because it was the only thing keeping her stomach settled, partly so she wouldn't have to face JJ. "His name is Kieran," she said at length.
"And?" JJ prompted when no further information seemed forthcoming.
She knew she needed to simply rip off the band-aid...but knowing it and actually doing it were two very different things.
As if sensing her reluctance, JJ offered an understanding smile, reached across to rest a hand on top of Emily's. "If you ever want to talk..." she offered.
Gratefully, Emily returned the smile. "Thanks, Jayje."
"Fuck!" Emily muttered, leaning her head against the steering wheel of her car. Later, she would blame the overactive hormones currently flooding her system, but in that moment, she couldn't help but burst into tears.
She didn't know how long she'd been pitifully sobbing in the driver's seat – it could have been five minutes or twenty – when there was a gentle tapping on the window. Sitting up sharply and wiping away her tears, she was prepared to deny, deny, deny, lest anyone at the Bureau get the wrong idea.
She was saved the trouble, though, when she saw it was only JJ. Sniffling softly, she attempted a reassuring smile that was, unfortunately, not the least bit convincing.
"Your battery dead?" JJ guessed, deciding not to call attention to Emily's kicked puppy expression.
Emily nodded. With a weary sigh, she said, "I'll call Triple A and..."
"It's late, Em, and you're clearly exhausted," JJ pointed out. "I'll drive you home."
She hesitated for the briefest of moments, but ultimately, her exhaustion won out and she nodded. "Thanks," she murmured, reaching into the backseat to grab her bag.
"Do you want to come inside?" Emily had spent the drive to the house she and Ian shared in thoughtful silence, clearly internally debating something. And by the time JJ pulled the car to a stop at the curb, she'd arrived at her conclusion...
JJ looked up sharply at the question, given that as recently as an hour ago, Emily had been quite reluctant to open up to her about her relationship and here she was, inviting JJ into her life. "Oh, umm... Are you sure?" she stammered, not wanting to intrude. She didn't want Emily to do anything she might later regret out of a sense of moral obligation.
Emily smiled, though it was faint. "I'm sure," she said quietly. "You're my friend and I don't want to hide from my friends." It was said in a small voice, but it was a genuine sentiment.
"Okay." A beat. "If you're sure." She turned off the engine, then paused, giving Emily one more chance to recant the offer. When no such recant occurred, she followed her to the front door.
Opening the door, Emily very deliberately poked her head inside and called out, "Kieran? Are you awake?"
Ian, of course, understood immediately. "In the study, Mo Ghrá," he replied.
Having subtly alerted him to the fact that he needed to don the identity, Emily proceeded to fully open the door and step inside, offering JJ a smile over her shoulder. (If JJ had found the interaction odd, she didn't say as much.)
She lead JJ to the study, where Ian was waiting, having already poured an additional two glasses of whisky. "Who do we have here?" he asked, glancing from Emily to JJ and back. The unspoken question in his gaze clearly asking, Why?
"Kieran," she said, gaze pointed, silently asking him to behave, "This is JJ; she and I work together." She took the seat opposite him. "She drove me home," she added, "The car wouldn't start."
"Ah," he said with a small nod. He gestured to the whisky tumblers, meeting JJ's gaze and plastering on his most charming smile. "Join us for a drink?"
JJ's gaze immediately darted over to Emily in silent question, seeing as the innocent offer had made it quite clear that Emily hadn't shared the news with him. The two women shared a silent conversation in which Emily rather obviously begged JJ not to say anything that might give the game away...
Before either of them could say anything that may or may not have spoiled the secret, Declan poked his head into the room, fat tears spilling down his cheeks. "Mommy?" he asked, sniffling pitifully.
Grateful for the interruption, Emily moved to kneel in front of the boy, brushing his tears away with her thumb. "Did you have a bad dream?" she asked him. He nodded, flung himself into her arms, holding on for dear life.
Over the top of his head, Emily caught JJ's gaze – her eyes wide with surprise, given the fact that she'd failed to mention also having a son... She attempted to silently apologize, as well as promise to come clean...eventually.
"How about this:" Emily suggested to Declan, pulling back from the embrace to meet his gaze, "My friend JJ helps me fight the monsters, so she'll help me check your room for anything scary?"
Declan thought on that for a minute, then turn to survey the newcomer. "Really?" he asked in a small voice.
JJ nodded. "Your Mom and I are really really good at catching monsters, so if there's any in your room, they'll probably run away scared and never come back."
Once again, the boy thought on that. Then, without further discussion, he reached for JJ's hand.