Collide
Title: Collide 1/?
Author: Maggsie! (me)
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pairing: Emily/JJ
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters
AN: New story, hope you enjoy!
AN2: I want to thank DarkBard0, being a kick ass beta and being my inspiration.
Summary: When tragedy strikes on a day out, what will it mean for Emily and JJ's growing friendship?
x x x
Emily Prentiss was a member of the most elite team in the FBI. She came face to face with some of the worst serial killers on the planet. She saw the mutilated bodies of the victims, and read in detail of what had happened to them. She could compartmentalize with the best of them, and not show any emotions when dealing with the worst of mankind.
She often wondered how they were any different from the unsubs, but it was all quickly forgotten and pushed in to one of her many compartments. And when she did think about it, the team wouldn't let her dwell on it for too long. If Morgan saw her going off in to her own little world, he would pull her out of it with his flirtyness, or his and Reid's banter would make her forget. The BAU was the first place where she felt she really fit in. Even though they were a group of oddballs, they all fit together easily, and that was something Emily would never take for granted. They meant the world to her, they were her family. She'd never really felt like she had one, as she never fit in with her own family.
But in this moment, she didn't want to do any of those things, being a profiler was forgotten for the evening. She didn't have to compartmentalize, and it wasn't seen as weak to show emotion. She was able to be herself, a side of her that people that she worked with very rarely saw. And it was all down to two people; Jennifer and Henry Jareau.
JJ was the media liaison for the BAU. She was a single mum, bringing up her 4 year-old son Henry on her own, with help from her friends and family; mainly Emily. Henry's father, one Will LaMontagne was no longer around, due to his unfaithfulness, and no longer had anything to do with their son. He had a new family in New Orleans, and now looking back, JJ could see that it had happened for a reason and it was for the best.
She had grown up in East Allegheny in Pennsylvania, and was the sweet little country pumpkin. Unlike the rest of the team, she had a pretty good childhood. However she had always been a little different to everyone else that lived there, she was driven and she had a heart too big not to do something about the horror she couldn't stand seeing.
When she was growing up, people had thought she was naive, and she had always wanted to challenge that opinion. She had had to step out of her comfort and gain the strength to do something to rid the world of the vile people that lived on it, to protect everyone else; people that were oblivious to it all.
So when Will left her, cheated on her for a woman that didn't want to work, and just wanted to oblige to all his needs, she used the strength she found to carry on. Not only for her, but so she could make Henry's world better too.
"Henry, dinner's ready."
Emily called, smiling softly at JJ who was putting the dinner down on the table. As the blonde looked back up, she met Emily's smile, giving her own back. They stood there looking and smiling at each other over the dinner table for a few seconds before the connection was broken by the running of Henry to the table.
The brunette moved round the table to the side of JJ, brushing her hand down the blonde's arm, as Henry got himself in the chair, and peered over the table at them. Grabbing his little knife and fork, he dug in to his dinner, as JJ and Emily watched him for a couple of minutes. Both of them turning away from him at the same time, the brunette pulled out a chair for JJ, waiting till she was sat down to take her own seat.
Whenever JJ and Emily weren't away for a case, dinner at the blonde's was a common occurrence. The profiler loved to spend time with not only JJ but Henry too. She often bought him a gift or something from wherever they had been on a case, something JJ always opposed to but with a smile on her face. She had a lot of money put away thanks to her mother, and no partner to spend it on, so what better way than to spend it on the gorgeous little boy?
Emily had grown up without her parents really around, just a Nanny, and it was something she had always wanted. And because of that she was determined to make Henry's childhood a loving one, and between her and JJ she was sure she was doing the opposite to what her own parents had done. But he had been part of a loving family before she had come along to help. JJ had made sure about that, and because of that Emily's admiration and respect for JJ had gone through the roof. She was a single mother, and she was doing a fantastic job in Emily's opinion. Not many people would be able to do the job they did, and then come home and be the mother that she was to Henry. The little boy was both of their anchors, for all the bad things they saw.
They eat in a comfortable silence, all of them just enjoying each other's company. Emily kept sneaking a glance at JJ and Henry; both of them seemed to be enjoying the meal she had prepared for the two of them. One or two times JJ met her glance, and each time they smiled at each other before going back to their meal. Henry was the first to break the silence that had settled.
"Mmmm, that was yummy Aunt Emmy!"
Henry squealed, clanging his cutlery down on to his place, and grinning at his Aunt 'Emmy.' JJ looked between the two of them, finishing off her own dinner and smiling to herself. She watched as Emily leant across the table and ran her hand through his hair, thanking him for the compliment.
The blonde truly valued the brunette's friendship; she was a massive help with Henry. She knew that Emily adored him, and it went both ways. She behaved like a second parent, not purposely, but she knew that was how Henry saw her, and that's how she saw the profiler too. She wasn't sure what she would do without the brunette in her life. She loved the company, and Emily was a beautiful person inside and out. Putting down her own cutlery, she smiled at the brunette next to her.
"That was very nice, Em."
JJ complimented, laughing as she saw Henry and Emily making silly faces at each other.
"Okay, which one of you is the kid here?!"
The blonde exclaimed, as Emily poked out her tongue at the giggling little boy. The laughter was evident in her voice. She loved seeing the two of them interact, and because Henry had no father figure in his life, or second parent it was nice to know that Emily was filling the role, and doing it very well. It had come so unexpectedly, what their friendship had become. They had been good friends before Will had cheated on JJ, but since then, things had just developed and grown, and now the press liaison didn't know what she would do without the brunette. It was only when Garcia had brought it up, how Emily was with Henry, how brilliant she was, she suddenly started to see the profiler as a parent. It was just a natural conclusion to how her son was with Emily, and it became more obvious every time she saw them with each other.
"That would be me, and you're welcome, I love cooking for the two of you."
Emily said sincerely, laughing at Henry before turning her attention to the blonde. JJ reached across and took the brunette's hand in hers and Emily smiled before turning back to the little blonde boy sat in front of her.
"So Henry, looking forward to our day together tomorrow?!"
The brunette asked, as Henry nodded his head vigorously. JJ had a meeting that she couldn't cancel, and she was stuck on who was going to have her son, so Emily had offered as she had a day off. The profiler liked looking after him whenever she could, and JJ never objected and she never would. If the nanny was busy and Emily was available then she would always offer. And even when she couldn't, her mother would offer her services. JJ's family lived hours away and she was forever grateful that Emily and her mother were in her life and adored Henry.
"Yeps, get to spend the day with my Aunt Emmy!"
He squealed again, his legs swinging back and forth and hitting the seat he was occupying. JJ, without even realising it, started to caress the back of Emily's hand with her thumb, knowing that the brunette found it calming. And after a hard week at work, JJ was determined to make Emily as calm as possible, which would make her relax in the process. Though Henry helped with that too.
Things had changed a lot, since Henry had come in to her life. But it had all been for the better. When she had first found out, she had been nervous about bringing a new life in to the world where they lived, knowing what existed around them. But he was the light, he was the reason she did it.
"What would you like to do? We could go to the zoo, or the park, or go to the toy store!"
JJ laughed, as Emily's voice got higher at the mention of the toy store. It was pretty obvious where she wanted to go. She even looked more excited about going there than Henry was, and JJ found that very amusing. She knew Emily hadn't had the best childhood, with having to go with her Mum all over the world with her assignments, so she probably didn't get to have a normal childhood. She didn't get to go to toy stores, and her mum never took her to the zoo or park. So Emily was making sure that Henry got to do all that, and she was making up for her childhood by enjoying doing it with him too. JJ looked back at her son, who appeared to be thinking long and hard about the decision.
"Ummmm, toy store please!"
"Toy store it is."
They continued talking at the table for a little longer, talking about their days, and what Henry had been doing at pre-school. Emily loved those types of moments; it was when she felt like a part of a family. She was a member of the BAU family, but she also felt a part of JJ's, and she would be forever thankful to the blonde for letting her in to their lives.
As the conversation started to dry up due to Henry getting restless, Emily looked down at her and JJ's conjoined hands. They fitted perfect together, and the brunette always took comfort in the blonde's touch. Clearing her throat, she stood up and started piling the plates up on to hers, before JJ stopped her with another touch to her hand. Their friendship never lacked contact and gentle touches, and that was one aspect of it that Emily loved. Growing up she had never had much physical contact with other people, so she took any contact she could from the blonde, and she wasn't scared to initiate it either.
Leaning forward, Emily placed a loose piece of blonde hair behind the press liaisons ear, and gently smiled at her. She placed a kiss on JJ's forehead, before going back to clearing up the plates. Picking them up, Emily walked in to the kitchen with JJ not far behind with the glasses. Placing them down, JJ watched in amusement as the brunette flitted around her kitchen like it was her own. She was around so much, that JJ sometimes thought that this was Emily's home. The way she communicated with Henry, the way she cooked for them like they were a family. JJ almost wished it was.
"Hey! Are you going to come and dry or am I going to have to do that too?"
Coming out of her thoughts, JJ grinned at the brunette before joining her at the sink. She could hear Henry in the family room, playing with his toys. Taking a plate from Emily, JJ turned to face her.
"So, do you want to do something after I'm done with my meeting? I could meet you at the mall."
For some unknown reason, JJ always felt nervous when she tried to make plans with the profiler. She was a little worried that Emily would say no, but she never did. But that didn't stop the butterflies from flittering around in her stomach. The brunette was her best friend, the person she wanted to spend the most time with, but she also knew that Emily was the one that could hurt her the most, because she meant so much.
She knew she had hurt Emily when she had stopped spending time with her because of Will, and it's something she always regretted. Will had effectively ruined the friendship they had once had, but it was all forgotten now, because they were even closer than before he had come along.
"Yeah, I'd like that. Maybe we could grab an ice-cream or something and head to the park."
The butterflies settled in her stomach immediately, and JJ could not stop the grin from spreading across her face.
"That sounds great; I'll call you once I'm out of the meeting."
Emily turned to her, and gave her a matching smile. As JJ turned away, the brunette quickly put her hand in the sink, and flicked some water at the unsuspecting blonde. Slowly, the media liaison turned around, her eyebrows rose at the smirk that Emily was giving her. Grabbing the dish towel, she tightened it around her hand, as the brunette raised a questioning eyebrow.
"And, what are you going to do with that exactly?"
JJ didn't answer, and she quickly flicked the towel at Emily's legs.
"Ow! This is war!"
An hour later, after Emily and JJ had finished their 'war', had given Henry a bath and had gotten him changed for bed, they had settled on the couch with Henry in between them. Both of the ladies had a glass of red wine, and the little boy had not long fallen asleep, with his head on Emily's lap and his legs draped over JJ's.
There was a peaceful atmosphere around the house, as JJ looked down at her son, and reached across and ran her fingers through his hair, grazing Emily's who was doing the same thing. As they touched, both of them looked up, meeting each other's glance. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just looking at each other, playing with Henry's hair. JJ had always hoped she could have had this with Will, but it had never happened. But now, looking at Emily, she knew that nothing could top the moment, the moments that they shared.
"He's so much like you."
Emily whispered not wanting to wake the little boy, breaking the connection between them, as she glanced down at Henry, as she ran a finger along his cheek.
"Is that a good thing?"
JJ said quietly, the insecurities bubbling away.
"It's a very good thing."
Emily responded immediately, and JJ could see the sincerity in her eyes. A shy smile spread across her face, and the brunette continued, not even thinking about what she was saying, not even realising she was saying it about the blonde too inadvertently.
"He's so inquisitive and chatty, but he's also shy too when he wants to be. He's affectionate and warm with the people he loves. He's so smart for his age JJ; I almost wonder whether he's going to be smarter than Reid. He's definitely going to be smarter than me, that's for sure. He caught me smoking the other day, and he was telling me what could happen if I carried on, and I immediately put it out, because he is very, very persuasive. He's just adorable Jennifer, in every way."
JJ hadn't said anything, as she took in everything that Emily was saying. Had she even noticed that she had compared Henry to the blonde?
"He's a lot like you too."
Emily looked up, a shocked look across her face.
"He is? In what way?"
"Well did you hear about what happened in the bullpen when we were waiting for you to come out of the meeting?"
At Emily's shake of the head, she continued on with the story.
"We were sat at your desk, and Henry as usual was sat on your seat. Anyway, I didn't even notice, but there was a guy in the bullpen that was acting a little shifty, and Henry had obviously never seen him before. He was the only one that noticed that this guy was looking through some files, and he immediately whispered to me that this man was acting strange, so I called in security and it turned out that he was a reporter. Henry had busted him as he was trying to get some bits for a story he was doing. Straight away, I thought that it was something that you'd do. "
The brunette sat there, listening in awe at what Henry had done, and grinned when she realised that it was something that she would do, because she was a people watcher. She liked to profile random people in the streets, and it made her laugh that Henry had picked up on it.
"How old can they join the FBI?!"
Emily joked, and JJ let out a chuckle. She had been very smug about it, and anyone that had walked past, she had told the story too. She wondered though, why she hadn't told Emily before now. As the laughter settled, JJ could see that the brunette had turned serious again.
"I'm so proud of you."
The profiler whispered, so quietly that JJ almost had trouble hearing it. But she had, and she could feel the tears pricking her eyes.
"Anyway, I'd better get going. Thank you for having me over."
Shifting slowly so as not to wake Henry, she stood up gently, placing the little boy's head on a cushion. JJ did the same, and she followed the brunette to the door.
"It's no problem, Em, you know that. We love having you over."
Giving JJ a smile, Emily put on her coat before drawing the blonde in to a hug. The brunette wrapped her arms around JJ's neck, as the media liaison put her own arms around Emily's waist. They stood like it for a minute or so, taking in the warmth of each other, neither of them not wanting to really let go. Knowing she should go, Emily reluctantly pulled away but not before placing a kiss on the corner of JJ's lips.
"Goodnight Jennifer."
Emily whispered, before walking out of the door, and in to the cold, back to her empty apartment. Closing the door behind her, JJ walked back to where Henry was settled, tracing her fingers along where Emily had just kissed her. Looking around, the blonde immediately missed her best friend's presence. The house always seemed emptier without her in it, and JJ could feel her heart tighten.
Kneeling down in front of where Henry lay, she gently picked him up, smelling his hair as she carried him up the stairs to his bedroom. Placing him down in his bed, JJ tucked the comforter around him, before sitting on the edge of his bed, leaning forward and placing a kiss on his forehead. He stirred slowly, and JJ watched as his blue eyes opened.
"Where's Aunt Emmy?"
Henry mumbled, his eyes shutting again as JJ ran a hand through his hair.
"She's gone home buddy, but you'll see her tomorrow."
"I wanted her to stay."
The little boy whispered, and JJ had to swallow back the sob that was threatening to come out. The blonde just watched him, as he slowly drifted back off to sleep, still running her fingers through his hair to soothe him.
"Me too baby, me too."
Author: Maggsie! (me)
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pairing: Emily/JJ
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters
AN: New story, hope you enjoy!
AN2: I want to thank DarkBard0, being a kick ass beta and being my inspiration.
Summary: When tragedy strikes on a day out, what will it mean for Emily and JJ's growing friendship?
x x x
Emily Prentiss was a member of the most elite team in the FBI. She came face to face with some of the worst serial killers on the planet. She saw the mutilated bodies of the victims, and read in detail of what had happened to them. She could compartmentalize with the best of them, and not show any emotions when dealing with the worst of mankind.
She often wondered how they were any different from the unsubs, but it was all quickly forgotten and pushed in to one of her many compartments. And when she did think about it, the team wouldn't let her dwell on it for too long. If Morgan saw her going off in to her own little world, he would pull her out of it with his flirtyness, or his and Reid's banter would make her forget. The BAU was the first place where she felt she really fit in. Even though they were a group of oddballs, they all fit together easily, and that was something Emily would never take for granted. They meant the world to her, they were her family. She'd never really felt like she had one, as she never fit in with her own family.
But in this moment, she didn't want to do any of those things, being a profiler was forgotten for the evening. She didn't have to compartmentalize, and it wasn't seen as weak to show emotion. She was able to be herself, a side of her that people that she worked with very rarely saw. And it was all down to two people; Jennifer and Henry Jareau.
JJ was the media liaison for the BAU. She was a single mum, bringing up her 4 year-old son Henry on her own, with help from her friends and family; mainly Emily. Henry's father, one Will LaMontagne was no longer around, due to his unfaithfulness, and no longer had anything to do with their son. He had a new family in New Orleans, and now looking back, JJ could see that it had happened for a reason and it was for the best.
She had grown up in East Allegheny in Pennsylvania, and was the sweet little country pumpkin. Unlike the rest of the team, she had a pretty good childhood. However she had always been a little different to everyone else that lived there, she was driven and she had a heart too big not to do something about the horror she couldn't stand seeing.
When she was growing up, people had thought she was naive, and she had always wanted to challenge that opinion. She had had to step out of her comfort and gain the strength to do something to rid the world of the vile people that lived on it, to protect everyone else; people that were oblivious to it all.
So when Will left her, cheated on her for a woman that didn't want to work, and just wanted to oblige to all his needs, she used the strength she found to carry on. Not only for her, but so she could make Henry's world better too.
"Henry, dinner's ready."
Emily called, smiling softly at JJ who was putting the dinner down on the table. As the blonde looked back up, she met Emily's smile, giving her own back. They stood there looking and smiling at each other over the dinner table for a few seconds before the connection was broken by the running of Henry to the table.
The brunette moved round the table to the side of JJ, brushing her hand down the blonde's arm, as Henry got himself in the chair, and peered over the table at them. Grabbing his little knife and fork, he dug in to his dinner, as JJ and Emily watched him for a couple of minutes. Both of them turning away from him at the same time, the brunette pulled out a chair for JJ, waiting till she was sat down to take her own seat.
Whenever JJ and Emily weren't away for a case, dinner at the blonde's was a common occurrence. The profiler loved to spend time with not only JJ but Henry too. She often bought him a gift or something from wherever they had been on a case, something JJ always opposed to but with a smile on her face. She had a lot of money put away thanks to her mother, and no partner to spend it on, so what better way than to spend it on the gorgeous little boy?
Emily had grown up without her parents really around, just a Nanny, and it was something she had always wanted. And because of that she was determined to make Henry's childhood a loving one, and between her and JJ she was sure she was doing the opposite to what her own parents had done. But he had been part of a loving family before she had come along to help. JJ had made sure about that, and because of that Emily's admiration and respect for JJ had gone through the roof. She was a single mother, and she was doing a fantastic job in Emily's opinion. Not many people would be able to do the job they did, and then come home and be the mother that she was to Henry. The little boy was both of their anchors, for all the bad things they saw.
They eat in a comfortable silence, all of them just enjoying each other's company. Emily kept sneaking a glance at JJ and Henry; both of them seemed to be enjoying the meal she had prepared for the two of them. One or two times JJ met her glance, and each time they smiled at each other before going back to their meal. Henry was the first to break the silence that had settled.
"Mmmm, that was yummy Aunt Emmy!"
Henry squealed, clanging his cutlery down on to his place, and grinning at his Aunt 'Emmy.' JJ looked between the two of them, finishing off her own dinner and smiling to herself. She watched as Emily leant across the table and ran her hand through his hair, thanking him for the compliment.
The blonde truly valued the brunette's friendship; she was a massive help with Henry. She knew that Emily adored him, and it went both ways. She behaved like a second parent, not purposely, but she knew that was how Henry saw her, and that's how she saw the profiler too. She wasn't sure what she would do without the brunette in her life. She loved the company, and Emily was a beautiful person inside and out. Putting down her own cutlery, she smiled at the brunette next to her.
"That was very nice, Em."
JJ complimented, laughing as she saw Henry and Emily making silly faces at each other.
"Okay, which one of you is the kid here?!"
The blonde exclaimed, as Emily poked out her tongue at the giggling little boy. The laughter was evident in her voice. She loved seeing the two of them interact, and because Henry had no father figure in his life, or second parent it was nice to know that Emily was filling the role, and doing it very well. It had come so unexpectedly, what their friendship had become. They had been good friends before Will had cheated on JJ, but since then, things had just developed and grown, and now the press liaison didn't know what she would do without the brunette. It was only when Garcia had brought it up, how Emily was with Henry, how brilliant she was, she suddenly started to see the profiler as a parent. It was just a natural conclusion to how her son was with Emily, and it became more obvious every time she saw them with each other.
"That would be me, and you're welcome, I love cooking for the two of you."
Emily said sincerely, laughing at Henry before turning her attention to the blonde. JJ reached across and took the brunette's hand in hers and Emily smiled before turning back to the little blonde boy sat in front of her.
"So Henry, looking forward to our day together tomorrow?!"
The brunette asked, as Henry nodded his head vigorously. JJ had a meeting that she couldn't cancel, and she was stuck on who was going to have her son, so Emily had offered as she had a day off. The profiler liked looking after him whenever she could, and JJ never objected and she never would. If the nanny was busy and Emily was available then she would always offer. And even when she couldn't, her mother would offer her services. JJ's family lived hours away and she was forever grateful that Emily and her mother were in her life and adored Henry.
"Yeps, get to spend the day with my Aunt Emmy!"
He squealed again, his legs swinging back and forth and hitting the seat he was occupying. JJ, without even realising it, started to caress the back of Emily's hand with her thumb, knowing that the brunette found it calming. And after a hard week at work, JJ was determined to make Emily as calm as possible, which would make her relax in the process. Though Henry helped with that too.
Things had changed a lot, since Henry had come in to her life. But it had all been for the better. When she had first found out, she had been nervous about bringing a new life in to the world where they lived, knowing what existed around them. But he was the light, he was the reason she did it.
"What would you like to do? We could go to the zoo, or the park, or go to the toy store!"
JJ laughed, as Emily's voice got higher at the mention of the toy store. It was pretty obvious where she wanted to go. She even looked more excited about going there than Henry was, and JJ found that very amusing. She knew Emily hadn't had the best childhood, with having to go with her Mum all over the world with her assignments, so she probably didn't get to have a normal childhood. She didn't get to go to toy stores, and her mum never took her to the zoo or park. So Emily was making sure that Henry got to do all that, and she was making up for her childhood by enjoying doing it with him too. JJ looked back at her son, who appeared to be thinking long and hard about the decision.
"Ummmm, toy store please!"
"Toy store it is."
They continued talking at the table for a little longer, talking about their days, and what Henry had been doing at pre-school. Emily loved those types of moments; it was when she felt like a part of a family. She was a member of the BAU family, but she also felt a part of JJ's, and she would be forever thankful to the blonde for letting her in to their lives.
As the conversation started to dry up due to Henry getting restless, Emily looked down at her and JJ's conjoined hands. They fitted perfect together, and the brunette always took comfort in the blonde's touch. Clearing her throat, she stood up and started piling the plates up on to hers, before JJ stopped her with another touch to her hand. Their friendship never lacked contact and gentle touches, and that was one aspect of it that Emily loved. Growing up she had never had much physical contact with other people, so she took any contact she could from the blonde, and she wasn't scared to initiate it either.
Leaning forward, Emily placed a loose piece of blonde hair behind the press liaisons ear, and gently smiled at her. She placed a kiss on JJ's forehead, before going back to clearing up the plates. Picking them up, Emily walked in to the kitchen with JJ not far behind with the glasses. Placing them down, JJ watched in amusement as the brunette flitted around her kitchen like it was her own. She was around so much, that JJ sometimes thought that this was Emily's home. The way she communicated with Henry, the way she cooked for them like they were a family. JJ almost wished it was.
"Hey! Are you going to come and dry or am I going to have to do that too?"
Coming out of her thoughts, JJ grinned at the brunette before joining her at the sink. She could hear Henry in the family room, playing with his toys. Taking a plate from Emily, JJ turned to face her.
"So, do you want to do something after I'm done with my meeting? I could meet you at the mall."
For some unknown reason, JJ always felt nervous when she tried to make plans with the profiler. She was a little worried that Emily would say no, but she never did. But that didn't stop the butterflies from flittering around in her stomach. The brunette was her best friend, the person she wanted to spend the most time with, but she also knew that Emily was the one that could hurt her the most, because she meant so much.
She knew she had hurt Emily when she had stopped spending time with her because of Will, and it's something she always regretted. Will had effectively ruined the friendship they had once had, but it was all forgotten now, because they were even closer than before he had come along.
"Yeah, I'd like that. Maybe we could grab an ice-cream or something and head to the park."
The butterflies settled in her stomach immediately, and JJ could not stop the grin from spreading across her face.
"That sounds great; I'll call you once I'm out of the meeting."
Emily turned to her, and gave her a matching smile. As JJ turned away, the brunette quickly put her hand in the sink, and flicked some water at the unsuspecting blonde. Slowly, the media liaison turned around, her eyebrows rose at the smirk that Emily was giving her. Grabbing the dish towel, she tightened it around her hand, as the brunette raised a questioning eyebrow.
"And, what are you going to do with that exactly?"
JJ didn't answer, and she quickly flicked the towel at Emily's legs.
"Ow! This is war!"
An hour later, after Emily and JJ had finished their 'war', had given Henry a bath and had gotten him changed for bed, they had settled on the couch with Henry in between them. Both of the ladies had a glass of red wine, and the little boy had not long fallen asleep, with his head on Emily's lap and his legs draped over JJ's.
There was a peaceful atmosphere around the house, as JJ looked down at her son, and reached across and ran her fingers through his hair, grazing Emily's who was doing the same thing. As they touched, both of them looked up, meeting each other's glance. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just looking at each other, playing with Henry's hair. JJ had always hoped she could have had this with Will, but it had never happened. But now, looking at Emily, she knew that nothing could top the moment, the moments that they shared.
"He's so much like you."
Emily whispered not wanting to wake the little boy, breaking the connection between them, as she glanced down at Henry, as she ran a finger along his cheek.
"Is that a good thing?"
JJ said quietly, the insecurities bubbling away.
"It's a very good thing."
Emily responded immediately, and JJ could see the sincerity in her eyes. A shy smile spread across her face, and the brunette continued, not even thinking about what she was saying, not even realising she was saying it about the blonde too inadvertently.
"He's so inquisitive and chatty, but he's also shy too when he wants to be. He's affectionate and warm with the people he loves. He's so smart for his age JJ; I almost wonder whether he's going to be smarter than Reid. He's definitely going to be smarter than me, that's for sure. He caught me smoking the other day, and he was telling me what could happen if I carried on, and I immediately put it out, because he is very, very persuasive. He's just adorable Jennifer, in every way."
JJ hadn't said anything, as she took in everything that Emily was saying. Had she even noticed that she had compared Henry to the blonde?
"He's a lot like you too."
Emily looked up, a shocked look across her face.
"He is? In what way?"
"Well did you hear about what happened in the bullpen when we were waiting for you to come out of the meeting?"
At Emily's shake of the head, she continued on with the story.
"We were sat at your desk, and Henry as usual was sat on your seat. Anyway, I didn't even notice, but there was a guy in the bullpen that was acting a little shifty, and Henry had obviously never seen him before. He was the only one that noticed that this guy was looking through some files, and he immediately whispered to me that this man was acting strange, so I called in security and it turned out that he was a reporter. Henry had busted him as he was trying to get some bits for a story he was doing. Straight away, I thought that it was something that you'd do. "
The brunette sat there, listening in awe at what Henry had done, and grinned when she realised that it was something that she would do, because she was a people watcher. She liked to profile random people in the streets, and it made her laugh that Henry had picked up on it.
"How old can they join the FBI?!"
Emily joked, and JJ let out a chuckle. She had been very smug about it, and anyone that had walked past, she had told the story too. She wondered though, why she hadn't told Emily before now. As the laughter settled, JJ could see that the brunette had turned serious again.
"I'm so proud of you."
The profiler whispered, so quietly that JJ almost had trouble hearing it. But she had, and she could feel the tears pricking her eyes.
"Anyway, I'd better get going. Thank you for having me over."
Shifting slowly so as not to wake Henry, she stood up gently, placing the little boy's head on a cushion. JJ did the same, and she followed the brunette to the door.
"It's no problem, Em, you know that. We love having you over."
Giving JJ a smile, Emily put on her coat before drawing the blonde in to a hug. The brunette wrapped her arms around JJ's neck, as the media liaison put her own arms around Emily's waist. They stood like it for a minute or so, taking in the warmth of each other, neither of them not wanting to really let go. Knowing she should go, Emily reluctantly pulled away but not before placing a kiss on the corner of JJ's lips.
"Goodnight Jennifer."
Emily whispered, before walking out of the door, and in to the cold, back to her empty apartment. Closing the door behind her, JJ walked back to where Henry was settled, tracing her fingers along where Emily had just kissed her. Looking around, the blonde immediately missed her best friend's presence. The house always seemed emptier without her in it, and JJ could feel her heart tighten.
Kneeling down in front of where Henry lay, she gently picked him up, smelling his hair as she carried him up the stairs to his bedroom. Placing him down in his bed, JJ tucked the comforter around him, before sitting on the edge of his bed, leaning forward and placing a kiss on his forehead. He stirred slowly, and JJ watched as his blue eyes opened.
"Where's Aunt Emmy?"
Henry mumbled, his eyes shutting again as JJ ran a hand through his hair.
"She's gone home buddy, but you'll see her tomorrow."
"I wanted her to stay."
The little boy whispered, and JJ had to swallow back the sob that was threatening to come out. The blonde just watched him, as he slowly drifted back off to sleep, still running her fingers through his hair to soothe him.
"Me too baby, me too."