"JJ, I need your help!"
JJ entered the room, carrying a laundry basket in her hands and wearing a frown. "What is it?"
Emily gestured to the notepad in front of her. She was making a list of gift ideas for their teenage son. There was a distinct generational gap of what young people liked today versus what she liked back in her day. She was sure kids enjoyed music, but Emily had mostly stopped following what was trending among the youth.
"I figured since he's turning 14." Emily sighed and leaned back into her chair, adjusting the glasses on the bridge of her nose. "What do kids like nowadays?"
"TikTok," JJ simply answered.
"What? You can't be serious."
"I am! Ask Pen, almost everyone's on it now."
Emily paled. "Please don't tell me she got our kids into that."
"I'm most certain she did," JJ said in amusement, seeing Emily shake her head. "Maybe Henry wants some comics?" she offered. "He's still into those. Oh, and he's been getting into basketball and hockey lately, if that helps."
"He has?"
Henry had been branching out to sports other than just soccer. There was nothing wrong with that, it was normal for kids his age, but Emily could've sworn he was just reading all those superhero comic books she and JJ gave him when they could. Is he still into Spider-Man?
"Babe, what's wrong?" JJ knelt down in front of her once she saw the frown on her face.
"I know it hasn't been that long, but sometimes, I feel like I'm missing out on our kids growing up, or that I'm having trouble figuring out what they're into." Emily sank further into the chair. "Henry's going to start high school soon. A lot can happen and it can go by so fast."
Softly clicking her tongue, JJ brought her wife's hand to her lips, pressing them to her palm, then to her wrist. "I understand that. But it's like you told me, they're our babies and they're always going to be. Nothing will ever change that. The boys are always going to look up to you, plus, I think they're getting tired of me nagging them," she lightly added.
Emily was met with sincere eyes and shrugged. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to miss those milestones for the boys. I want them to know I still care about them."
JJ gave her an affectionate smile. She knew deep down that Emily would never try to abandon their family. Sure, she was constantly jammed at work, fighting off officers and leaders above her level, and attending meetings with other unit chiefs, but her wife and the kids never left her mind. Their family group chat gave her mind peace whenever she was tucked away in her office, especially late at night when she couldn't leave because of a meeting.
Emily blinked back tears. Tilting her head up, she allowed JJ to place a kiss on her forehead and watched as she left, letting her words sink in. She wasn't going to let her past with children from cases, or the few other BAU team members' personal lives define her parenting now. She learned much more, and still was learning, to raise her own kids. There was only room for improvement, she thought, not failure.
Picking up her pen, her brain began to work overtime for Henry's gift.
The elevator doors opened, allowing Tara and Rebecca to step inside. As the doors closed, Tara pressed the button for the sixth floor and turned to the woman beside her.
"So… how's the team doing?" Rebecca asked.
"Short-handed, but we're still finding the work around it. Are you sure you're okay with helping us from the outside?"
Rebecca shoved her hands into her pockets, waiting for the elevator to stop at Tara's floor. Admittedly for her, it was risky. Her relationship with Tara may be beneficial in her liaising between the inner workings of the DOJ and the BAU, but it was still not particularly accepted among most of the federal higher-ups, and giving the team access, on top of that, could cost Rebecca her job.
She wiped her hands on her pants. "I don't mind. Does your team mind us being in a relationship with each other?"
"I'm sure they won't. Actually, Emily found out first, and I'm sure JJ has, too."
"JJ… is that the blonde one? Is she as amazing as I hear she is?"
Tara chuckled. "Yeah, she's pretty much the glue of this team, in my opinion. You should see her work in and out of here, she's always on it."
Rebecca agreed with a hum and the elevator came to a stop. Before the doors opened, the two women scooted closer for a goodbye kiss for the day. Red tinted Tara's cheeks at the contact as her lips curled into a smile. The squeeze of Rebecca's hand around her wrist brought her back to earth, and Tara shyly ducked her head before making her way out.
"I'll see you later." Rebecca whispered, eyes twinkling as she pressed the button to her floor.
Grinning like an idiot, Tara turned to walk, only to find JJ standing with her coffee mug in both hands, eyebrows raised in curiosity.
"JJ! How long have you been standing there?" Tara tensely greeted with the volume of her voice slightly louder than she anticipated.
"Not long, but it's good to see you and Rebecca Wilson this morning," JJ smiled. "How long have you guys known each other, uh, if you don't mind me asking?"
It took a second, but Tara finally settled on answering. "We met earlier this year, we went out for coffee, things started going well, and… we've been dating for almost five months now."
JJ nodded. "Wow, that's great! At least you made the move soon enough." Once she saw Tara's nose scrunch up, she laughed again. "Or did Rebecca make the first move?"
"I- well, I guess you could say that. Now, what about you, Mrs. Married-to-the-Boss? Who asked who first?"
"Hmm, first date or marriage?" JJ joked. "Oh, speaking of, Emily and I are planning a party for Henry's birthday this Saturday. We were hoping you would come, if you don't have anything?"
"Sure. Um, is it alright if I bring Rebecca, too?"
"Yeah, go ahead. Does Emily know about her?"
"She does," Tara laughed. "Man, you really can't get by profilers easily, huh?"
"It could've been worse." An image of a messy-haired Emily from almost ten years ago with her work blouse unbuttoned halfway crossed her mind. The color drained from her face when she opened JJ's door to see Spencer standing there, awkwardly but patiently, before Emily made a deal to buy him his favorite donuts for the next week and not talk about it.
Tara cringed. "Ooh…"
"Yeah," JJ sucked in a breath. "Luckily, Spence kept his mouth shut, but I'm pretty sure our bribe made him a little too smug."
"That makes me feel better, I think. Thank you, I'll let Rebecca know."
Saturday came by for Henry's birthday. Emily arrived home and as she was about to announce her presence, the smell of rich chocolate instantly filled her senses. She rubbed her hands together, hoping to sneak in a piece without her wife knowing. Baking was JJ's specialty, and god, If it weren't for those compassionate and fiery blue eyes and JJ's kind soul that took Emily's breath away, it sure would've been her baking.
From her point of view, JJ's back was all she could see, so Emily pinched a portion of a corner piece from the pan and tossed it into her mouth.
"Emily."
Her name slowly rolled out into three syllables. She froze in her spot, mid-bite before quietly chewing.
"Yes?"
"Please tell me you just came in, and did not take a bite of the brownies." JJ finally turned around with a sharp eyebrow raise.
"...I came in." Cautious, Emily stepped closer to her. "I may have taken a tiny bite."
Sighing, JJ tossed the kitchen towel over her shoulder. "Alright, fine. I'm only letting it slide because I need an opinion on the brownies."
"Thank you. And your brownies are the best." She swept JJ's hair to the side to plant a kiss on her neck, slowly nipping at her ear.
"Ah, ah, ah! We have guests coming. Behave," JJ narrowed her eyes.
"JJ, it's been a week and a half since we had any time alone, and I miss my wife. Just one, okay?" She placed a kiss on her jaw, nudging her cheek with her nose. "Or two?"
JJ dodged another kiss by effectively placing her hands on her shoulders. "You know what happens after one or two. We'll deal with it later." She tugged on the lapels of Emily's blazer to give her a chaste kiss on the frown present on her face and let her go.
"Alright, well," Emily conceded, picking up the paper bags from the floor to hold it towards her. "I went and bought everything like you said. Is there anything else I could do?"
"You could help us set up the backyard," Derek's voice chimed in. His arms were crossed and most of his body weight balanced on the doorframe, adopting his signature smug grin. The couple turned, and Emily shot him a glare at the intrusion.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"I came in once JJ started scolding you." That smirk grew, and Emily planned to make it her mission to wipe it off his face. "Some things never change, huh, Chief?"
"Okay, let's get going before your little battle begins," JJ said, easily taking the bags from Emily and lightly pushing her away, hearing her mutter something JJ was sure was directed towards their friend. "You needed something, Morgan?"
"We just finished setting up the tents. Emily, can you help getting the tables and chairs out, too?" Emily followed him out to the backyard, leaving JJ in the kitchen to finish her tasks in the kitchen for the party.
As the two walked out, Emily swung a fist at his arm. "Ow. Come on, what was that for?"
"That's for interrupting."
"Ah, right. Got busy dusting off the old cobwebs, didn't you?" He wiggled his eyebrows and Emily's face twisted into a grimace. "Hey, my profiling skills may be rusty, but they haven't worn off completely. Plus, my workout partner may have gotten an extra pep in her steps."
"To be fair, she is a little faster than you."
He let out a deep chuckle and accepted the hit, which Emily considered a success every time they were together. Despite them being best friends even after Derek left the BAU to focus on his family, Emily missed their bantering and his annoying comments.
"Hey, we can take the boys out, if you want. We get it," Derek offered.
She smirked, "Oh yeah? Have one more kid and lead a whole team of adults with your wife beside you, then get back to me."
"It really has been that long, huh?" He patted her shoulder as they both began setting up the tables with Savannah.
Soon into the evening, guests eventually made their way to the backyard. The backyard was spacious, but humble, and Emily and JJ were relieved that the capacity was enough to fit their guests. Penelope was made the DJ of the party, or more accurately, assigned herself the role, but to everyone's delight. Some of the songs were remixes, and Emily was almost certain she got a better glimpse of what was trending among the kids today.
The sound of someone clearing their throat caught Emily's attention and she turned to whoever was nearby, only to come face to face with an older woman with similar features to her.
"Mother, you're here!"
"Why wouldn't I be, dear? It is my grandson's birthday, isn't it?" Elizabeth pulled her into an embrace and kissed her cheek.
"No, of course. Sorry, I was caught up in a lot lately," Emily said. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Elizabeth smiled. Emily was more than glad to see her mother attend her family's events when she could, especially now that she was in her retirement age. Of course, because Elizabeth was used to being on top of things in her long-time position, there was no denying that she was a busybody. It did, however, give her a chance to go in and out of town for her own pleasure instead of business, and Emily couldn't have been more supportive.
Elizabeth gestured over to the gift table. "I hope my gift is alright for Henry. I asked JJ for help. I'm not quite sure what teenagers are into today."
"I'm sure he'll like what you got him, mom," Emily assured, familiar with her mother's own nervousness. "Besides, you're probably more prepared with his present than I am."
She shyly bowed her head. "Force of habit, I guess. How are you?"
Emily shrugged. "I'm doing alright. I've been busy with different arrangements in the office, not to mention, someone who thinks he knows what he's doing. You'd think I would be used to it by now."
"Is everything alright with you and your family?"
Emily glanced over at Henry talking with his friends, the blonde teen tossing his head back, similar to his other mother laughing. "I've been working to spend more time with them," she answered quietly.
Elizabeth caught the stare between Emily and her grandson, and rubbed her shoulder. Elizabeth learned years ago that Emily had a difficult time opening up about her personal life and how she was feeling, and to be honest, it did pain her when Emily brought up that point during their reunion dinner after the Russian mob case in Maryland years ago.
"Hi," a voice came from Emily's right peripheral, her facing instantly lighting up when she saw her wife. "Elizabeth, thank you so much for coming!" She fondly watched JJ and her mom hug before JJ pulled back to stand beside her.
"Ah, I was just talking to Emily all about the party," she said. "You two did an incredible job."
Emily watched them make small talk. She couldn't help but smile when JJ brought up their kids' achievements in school, and her mother shared that joy with her. Tears started to well up at the corner of her eyes, and she bit her lip in an attempt to stop a sob from escaping. No. It wasn't the time to let it out. She was here with the people she loved, and that's what mattered.
Elizabeth decided it was time to leave the married couple alone, patting Emily's elbow before easily blending into the crowd. Emily felt her wife lightly squeeze her hand and she nodded in appreciation, returning the action.
"Hey, great keeping the party going," Tara raised her glass as she approached them.
Emily snorted. "I think Penelope should be the one to thank. She knows how to keep up with the trends these days."
Tara groaned in agreement. "Damn. At least it's nice to know she's connecting well with those interns. I swear after the rise of Tiktok, I stopped trying to understand what everyone and their mothers are into nowadays." A finger poked her stomach and she smiled. "Oh, I don't believe we all properly met outside office hours."
Rebecca extended a hand towards JJ, who gladly accepted it with a grin. "Nice to finally meet you, JJ?"
"That's me," JJ greeted. "And likewise. I'll be honest, I only remember Emily talking about you a couple times before Tara told me. Good things, I promise."
Now turning towards the section chief, Rebecca suddenly became nervous, "You're okay with this? Tara and me?"
Emily shrugged. "Yeah. Just as long as it won't affect the case, you should be fine." She winced and turned to her wife. "So, that's how it feels saying those words."
The four women laughed, and JJ pressed her lips to Emily's cheek. "Just wait until our kids start dating. You'll have more than just those words to say," she heard a groan from Emily. "Besides, I think we've done a pretty good job ourselves. We're happy for you two."
The other couple smiled brightly, holding onto each other's side as they all continued chatting.
Emily, JJ, and the boys gathered around the living room, preparing for the birthday celebrant to open his presents. Honestly, Henry was worn out for the night, and he let out a whine. "Moms, I love you, but can we do this tomorrow?"
Emily sighed. "Alright. But how about a couple of presents for the night? I heard there's something of value in some of them."
He debated on it for just a second, pursing his lips. "Yeah, okay."
Watching him search through his gifts, JJ clicked her tongue, tilting her head a bit to the side with a sharp inhale. "That was easy," she muttered.
Henry only brought out two boxed gifts, and as expected, more envelopes indicating what Emily told him. JJ stared at him with her eyebrows raised in amusement. "What?" He shrugged and sat on the ottoman. "I'll open the rest in the morning."
She shook her head, letting him be. God, she missed when their son asked them for action figures and stuffed animals. Having a teenager was more expensive than she thought. And don't get JJ started on his little brother. Michael nudged his head into her side, and she ran her fingers through the chopped tips on the side of his hair before gathering him into her arms.
Henry wasted no time ripping the wrapping paper off of the box. Once he got to a thin layer of cardboard, he opened it and Emily held her breath. She felt JJ's hand on her back, drawing small circles with a thumb.
Henry's eyes grew wide when he began to pull out tickets to a Washington Capitals game next month, four seats numbered near the hockey glass shield, and a customized jersey in the team's trademarked red color. Quietly gasping, he glanced at Emily. "Mama, how did you…?"
"I may have called a couple of friends who know a couple of friends," she shrugged before wagging a finger at him. "Don't get used to it, though. I don't have that much power."
"Thanks, mama," he said before trying on his new jersey.
JJ laid her head on her wife's shoulder, watching Henry in awe of his gift. "You know he's definitely going to brag about this to his friends. Wait a minute," she craned her neck to look at him. "Henry, which game is that?"
A wicked grin slowly made its way to his face. "Against Penguins."
Scoffing, she lightly smacked Emily's arm. "Really? You had to find the one against my team?"
"I thought it would be interesting." Emily smirked.
"Get ready to lose, mom," Henry stuck his tongue out at her and JJ rolled her eyes affectionately.
"I'll make it up to you," Emily said with a shrug.
"Oh?"
"Just wait until Christmas."
"Alright. Surprise me, Emily Prentiss."
She didn't care what Emily was planning to give her. Seeing Henry ecstatic over his present was enough for her. As cheesy as it sounded and she scoffed to herself at it, JJ wished she could freeze this moment and put it in a frame on the wall. Michael half-awake and practically snuggled into her lap, Henry admiring his birthday present, and Emily by her side, a hand occupied by her own and squeezing softly. Their family was here, in the way she imagined them to be tonight, and judging from the love shining in Emily's eyes, she would assume the same for her.
A/N: So... I'm back hehe. I also decided that I will be continuing this story into season 17, whenever that will be of me writing this lol.