Ghosts (4/?) (Emily/JJ)
Title: Ghosts (4/?)
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pairing: Emily/JJ
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. This is just for entertainment purposes.
Summary: Set after 5x03. JJ doesn’t want to go home.
A/N: As always please, please comment, it makes my day ♥
The next morning I woke to a text from a text from Garcia inviting me to lunch. I hit the reply button and typed my negative response, I wasn’t ready for another ‘If you hurt JJ I will empty your bank account faster that you can say: it wasn’t my fault’ speech. Before I could bring myself to hit send I changed my mind, deleting the message and instead typing ‘see you later’ and sending it. No one could ever say no to our resident Tech Goddess.
When the clock on my computer finally reached one o’clock I set it to hibernate and dropped off my finished reports on JJ’s empty desk. She must have already left for her own lunch. I made my way through the corridors, knocking on Garcia’s open door with a grumble from my stomach.
“HI!” Garcia said brightly, twisting around on her chair to fact me, an extravagantly decorated pen in her grip. “Do you think you could go ahead and meet me there? I’ve just got a couple of things to finish up.”
I nodded. “Sure.”
“Great!” She said. “I’ll see you in about fifteen?”
I nodded again. “Sounds good.”
I arrived at the bistro a couple of minutes later, parking my car up on the street outside and stepping out into the unseasonably sunny day. A silver convertible caught my eye from across the street and it occurred to me somewhere in the recesses of my brain that it looked an awful lot like JJ’s car but my mind was so focused on the amazing smell drifting out of the bistro that the thought never even reached my consciousness.
“Hey Emily.” The boy behind the counter greeted. “You’re table’s in the back.”
“Thanks Joe.” I smiled, this was the most popular lunch spot in the area and not booking lead to not eating, I was glad that Garcia had thought ahead but then again she always did.
“No problem, I’ll bring the menus over as soon as I get through this lot.” Joe said, indicating the long line of take-out customers in front of him. “It shouldn’t be more than ten minutes, Sally’s on leave so we’re a bit short staffed.”
“Whenever you’re ready, I’m in no rush today.” I said, leaving the front of the building and making my way through the tables to the darkened back room where a lack of windows and forever burning candles gave it a soothing ambiance that was the perfect way to relax in the middle of the day.
“Table 24!” Joe shouted after me and I raised my hand in acknowledgement.
I scanned the table numbers as I passed them, noticing the that 24 must be the very back table, best in the house.
“Emily!” JJ’s shocked voice pulling my gaze up the table I had been headed for. She was sat at the two person table bathed in the flickering yellow light of the candle, her sky blue eyes wide with surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m supposed to be having lunch with Garcia, she had a couple of things to finish so she told me to go ahead without her and she would meet me here.” I explained, in shock myself.
JJ let out a small, humourless laugh. “I think we’ve been set up. She told me the exact same thing.”
I sighed in frustration. “Sorry JJ I should have guessed. I’ll leave you to eat your lunch in peace, sorry again.”
“No stay.” JJ said, looking more annoyed than I would have expected. I hoped the annoyance was directed at Garcia. “Where else are you going to get lunch at this time, everywhere will be full of FBI cadets.”
“Thanks.” I said as I sat down. “I’m really sorry about this.”
“If you keep saying sorry it’s going to do terrible things for my ego.” JJ said, attempting and failing to add humour to the situation. “What I mean is we’re friends, right? Why can’t friends have a nice lunch together?”
I smiled. “You’re right, I’m so-“
She gave me an amused, stern look.
“Here you go ladies.” Joe said, bringing our usual pitcher of orange juice to the table and handing each of us a menu. “And this is from Garcia.” He handed JJ a pastel yellow envelope. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes to get your orders.”
“I’ll have the camembert and cranberry ciabatta.” I said quickly. I had spotted it on the specials board and knew that if I didn’t order now they would be out.
“Sounds good.” JJ said. “I’ll have the same.”
Joe nodded and left.
“So, do you think we should open the envelope?” JJ asked, placing the envelop on the table between them.
“I don’t think not opening it will do us any good.” I said. “Do you want to open it or should I?”
“You do it.” She said.
Taking the envelope I turned it over in my hands until the seal faced upwards. I ran my nail under the flap and lifted it up cautiously, pulling the folded sheet of recycled paper from the envelope and opened it up.
“Lunch is on me.” I read aloud. “Talk it through.”
“At least it’s simple and to the point.” JJ said.
“We should have ordered something more expensive.” I said, passing the paper to JJ to look at.
“Or we could just do as she says and talk.” JJ suggested, hiding her eyes behind the paper.
“We could.”I agreed. “If you want.”
JJ nodded. “We can’t leave things the way we did, it’s not good for the team.”
I agreed.
“I’m sorry I was so blunt.” JJ apologised. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that. You shouldn’t have to make that decision.”
“But I have made my decision.” I said.
“If it’s bad I don’t want to know, just let’s carry on as we were before.”
“It’s not bad Jay.” I said reaching out to put my hand on top of hers. “I’m not going to force you to leave Will but I need you to know that I’m here, for you and for Henry.”
JJ pulled her hand away. “It won’t be easy. Will’s going to put up a fight, perhaps for custody and with our jobs he just might win.”
“No judge would take the child of an FBI agent with a perfect record away.” I soothed.
“Then there’s my family and how they’ll react.” JJ said. “And the BAU, we can’t risk splitting up the team, we do too much good for that.”
“Maybe it won’t be easy,” I said, “but like I said, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”
JJ swallowed. “I’ll talk to Will tonight, tell him what I feel. I can’t commit to anything until I know what the consequences for Henry are going to be.”
“I understand.” I nodded.
“It’s not a no Emily, it’s an ‘I’ll try my goddamned hardest to be with you’.” JJ assured me.
I smiled shyly at the conviction in her voice.
JJ got up from her seat and crouched before me, bushing my hair back behind my ear. “I’ll try my goddamned hardest.” She repeated. “We need to have a little faith, a lot of faith.”
“Faith in what?” I asked, shaking slightly from the touch of her palm still resting on my cheek.
“In this.” She murmured, leaning forward and brushing her lips against mine. She moved her other hand up to my face and rubbed her thumbs in circles over my cheekbones as she deepened the kiss, not waiting for me to give her permission she slipped her tongue into me mouth, finding my own. I moaned at the loss of contact when she pulled away. “I’ve gotta go.” She whispered.
“What about lunch?” I asked, my voice shaky.
“Will’s at home, I’m going to tell him” She explained, brushing her hands back to cradle the back of my head.
“Is that all I get, if he makes a fuss and threatens to sue for custody, just one kiss?” I asked, feeling my eyes sting with held back tears.
She leant forward and kissed me again. “I’ll be forever thankful for this moment, even if it’s the last.”
“I love you JJ.” I whispered, the pain of losing her breaking my heart.
“And I will always love you, no matter what. Always remember that, you promise?”
“I promise.” I closed my eyes as kissed my forehead, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. When I opened my eyes a moment later she was gone.
“And I will always love you.” I whispered.