But to love is to hurt. (Criminal Minds)

Mason Jars and Sweet Tea

After Sandy stormed off Dom walked up to Emily hugging her kissing her forehead whispering in her ear "Pay her no mind. She doesn't mean it. I am so happy you are home. You brought that sparkle back to her."

He walked off to find his wife. Rhett walked up taking a hold of Grace. She held her by under her arms holding her out to JJ saying "Take her."

JJ looked at him skeptically and took her daughters in her arms. As soon as she had a hold of her Rhett and Jason bombarded Emily lifting her off the ground leaving her squealing. "WELCOME HOME EMILY!"

She laughed at them saying "You're just glad we can play 2 v. 2 again."

JJ laughed at them with tears in her eyes.

When the sun went down they gathered around the fire pit passing stories while drinking sweet tea out of mason jars. Emily looked over watching as her wife laughed taking a sip of her tea. JJ eyes were relaxed content as she looked down at a sleeping Grace in her mom's arms and Emily fell more so in love with her than ever before.

JJ woke up that night to an empty bed. She frowned rolling out of bed grabbing the baby monitor she walked down the stairs of her childhood home and towards the back patio. She slid the glass door open and stepped out into the fall Pennsylvania air. She grabbed a blanket off the back of one of the chairs wrapping it around her. Emily was standing at the edge of the patio looking out at the woods behind the house. JJ gingerly walked up behind her snaking her arms around Emily's waist placing kisses on her neck and shoulder. JJ said, "Baby what's up?"

When JJ got no response she squeezed her a little tighter saying "Em, baby talk to me."

All Emily could hear was Garcia's voice "Hey, it's me. Hotch asked me to try all your numbers, and I have this as an old listing, and you probably don't even use it anymore, but if it is you and you're out there, come home, please. God, Emily, what did you think, that we would just let you walk out of our lives? I am so furious at you right now! JJ is a mess and all Grace wants is her Mama. Then I think about how scared you must be, how you're in some dark place all alone. But you're not alone, okay? You are not alone. We are in that dark place with you. We are waving flashlights and calling your name. So if you can see us, come home. If you can't, then... then you stay alive...because we're coming."

JJ finally snapped her out of her trance by whispering in her ear "Blackbird fly home to me."

Emily turned around gasping hard onto JJs shoulders saying "They hate me JJ. They hate me."

JJ patted Emily's head saying "Shh, shh no they don't. They are so happy. They just aren't sure how to show it quite yet. They are in shock. They saw me right after you left. They saw me at my very lowest. They grieved with me and they will be happy with us. They love you. They love you because you live me selflessly, wholly, completely, without wavering. They are so so happy."

Emily just nodded into her wife holding her tight. The couple remained like that for a little while before JJ pulled away saying "Let's go to sleep."

The two woke up to the smell of bacon and pancakes. Emily woke up with a smile on her face and a pair of crystal blue eyes staring back at her. She smiled saying "Good morning baby."

"Good morning my love. If I'm correct my mother has made breakfast and she has stolen our daughter like a thief in the night."

Emily laughed, kissing JJ's nose saying "Of course she did."

The two went down and upon entering the kitchen an apple was flung at JJs head. Emily quickly reached her hand out, catching the apple inches away from her face, chucking it back at Rhett who was gobsmacked by the whole experience. The apple bounced off his forehead tumbling on the floor. Emily said "Hey! If you are going to throw an apple make sure no one can catch it." She walked to the table leaning down and whispering in his ear "And don't throw it at my wife." She said it in the voice she uses in interrogation and Rhett turned white as a sheet slowly nodding his head. Emily patted his cheek saying "Good boy."