Happy Birthday Emily! ( Yes is this posted after midnight? but I promise it was written prior :))
Also, I would like to thank @pagetsgreyhair for helping me figure out the love situation for this book!
TWs: Slight Panic
The plane had begun the descent over DC, they had about 30 minutes before the plane was set to land. Alyvia had slept for seven hours of the flight and she read a book and watched a movie or two. When the captain called for the descent the teen made her way from sitting next to Emily in the booth with Clara to sitting in the singular chair by the window she sat in for take-off.
She hadn't spoken much during the flight, mostly the teen would keep nodding or shaking her head depending on what she wanted to communicate. Due to their flight being a night flight, the plane was set to land in Dulles around 10:00 in the morning,
Emily had to convince a very excited Penelope not to meet them when they landed with a reassurance that within the next few days, she would stop by the office with Alyvia. Emily had planned to just spend the day relaxing back at her new townhouse, oh shoot Emily thought to herself. She had moved out of an apartment building and into a townhouse after coming back from Paris it was finished but still very much in the transition stage between becoming fully a home, she made a mental note that at some point a home decor run or even just unpacking the boxes she had been putting off would need to be taken care of.
Alvyia sat looking out her window, her eyes dancing over Washington, the last time she had been in America she was five and she was there for her Grandmother's work. The teen sucked in a deep breath, too many emotions sat on her chest suffocating any chance of her feeling any emotion at all, she felt silly for still being worked up about this move.
She would have moments when the world felt like nothing had changed, but her arms still covered in now thinner bangages but still bandaged non the less were a constant reminder, she shook her head trying to snap herself out of any more spiraling. Alyvia put on her landing song,(she loved to align a beat drop or a tempo change with the landing of planes) and watched as the plane lowered itself to the ground.
Emily sat across from Clara as the plane touched down, she herself was working through a myriad of emotions, she came back to DC with a child, she was now responsible for the well-being of another human. Emily thought back to all the times she thought she would be a mother and came so close to becoming one but this time it was real, she is now a mother.
Well, a caregiver, She reminded herself before she could set the idea of the title mom into her head. Once they had collected all their luggage the teen and two women disembarked the plane, stepping onto the tarmac Alvyia took a deep breath the air felt different, it smelled different. Air from different places smells different, it's not rocket science but it still hit her in the face bringing a pang of twisted homesickness into her stomach. She gripped onto the straps of her backpack trying to steady herself, Emily led the way to two cars parked in the small lot right outside the terminal.
Clara went to one car where a man sat inside and Emily went to the other car where there was no one inside, Emily opened the trunk and put her bag into it, Alyvia followed suit placing her duffle and the box of valuables inside. The man in the car looked familiar to Alyvia, she knew she had met him before but could not place his name
"I'm Jack, we might have met in Singapore. I am not sure, regardless I'm pleased to meet you. I've heard nothing but great things."
He did not reach out for a handshake and Alyvia was grateful, being in the presence of a man since everything happened in the way it did she could already feel her skin crawling with a subtle prickling. Exhausted from the flight the teen nodded and smiled instead,
Clara spoke next "Ali? I'm going with Jack- We have a new assignment in a few days, but it was a pleasure getting to be there for you. I am here if you need me. Emily has my number, you can always call me if you need anything okay?" she looked at the teen with a small smile of sincerity.
"Thank you." Alyvia said in her most "Sweet and well-spoken" voice. While Alyvia was okay with hugging Emily on occasion, she was still not ready for anyone else's hugs or physical contact, she was grateful that Clara was the good agent she was because she could tell and left the conversation at that.
Emily embraced Clara in a hug thanking her for all the help and support she provided throughout this whole process, Clara responded with
"Em, I've known you for a long time, I am always here to help if/when you need anything. Just call."
Emily reciprocated the offer, getting one more hug before the wavy-haired brunette got into the car with Jack and drove off into the city. Leaving both Emily and Alyvia standing in the parking lot alone, Emily turned to the teen
" Well, shall we?" She asked with a simple tone. Alyvia nodded, the teen slid into the passenger seat next to Emily, she rested her head on the window and let the woman drive. They both did not say a word the whole drive to Emily's apartment, the city of DC blurred past them as they drove.
Alvyia felt strange being "back" in America the trees looked different, the layout of the land was different, and there was so much more land. For whatever reason she felt guilty for talking about this out loud because why should it be strange? She should just be able to function as a normal teen. As the car began to slow down Alyvia's heart picked up a little, Emily stopped along the street in front of a long townhomes.
They both got out of the car in silence baggage in hand and Alyvia followed Emily to the small porch standing outside in the May air of DC. The sun shone down Emily pulled out her keys and opened the door, she went inside and turned on the lights standing by the entrance until Alyvia was inside.
"I'm sorry for the mess," The woman began to apologize " I moved in here right before traveling overseas so I still have some things to unpack myself," she said awkwardly more to herself than anyone else "Anyway this is the entrance, here is the kitchen, living room, dining room, there is a bathroom under the stairs over there. How about I show you your room?"
Emily knew Alyvia could see all these things but she hoped her conversation would help ease the shock a little bit and also help with her own awkwardness around having a new person in a space she bought fairly recently, a space that had yet to feel like home to her.
Still clutching her things Alyvia followed Emily up the stairs to the second floor still silent, Emily's apartment was a split plan so from the second floor she could see the living room.
Emily walked past a small couch and a study stopping outside a door "This is your bathroom, sorry it's not attached to your room but it's all yours. I have an en suite so my bathroom is in my room." Emily continued her tour walking, gesturing to the small hall with one door at the end "My room is down this hall- your room" She took a right "Is here."
Emily opened the door to reveal a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room with a small closet, two empty shelves, and a small desk. All of which seemed to have been collecting dust in the room, Alvyia did not mind. She sat her things carefully on the floor, not wanting to mess anything up as she walked around. As she actually looked around the room she noticed the little window seat. Alyvia felt a little smile creep onto her lips, she had always dreamed of a window seat silly as it sounded.
Emily noticed the smile too, "We can decorate it any way you like." Emily looked at the teen marveling at the room and the window. "Really?" Alvyia said in disbelief speaking for the first time since they arrived at the townhouse.
"Really." Emily nodded. "I'll be downstairs, if you need anything."
"Okay" Alvyia responded her head still spinning, partly from the jet lag and partly from the new room. Emily went into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee, taking out her phone she saw at least ten new messages from Penelope seeing if they landed okay, and one message from JJ asking if she could stop by later in the day to check in with Emily.
The woman responded to both of her friends. She let Penelope know that the flight was long but they are now back in her new place and they are trying to settle in while getting over jet lag. Then Emily turned her attention to the text from JJ letting her know that stopping by in the evening would probably be the best option.
Setting down her phone on the table she checked the time noting that it was around 1:00 pm, though Emily was never one for cooking she figured if there was another person living here she would probably make a grocery run.
"Ali?" Emily asked before entering the teen's new room,
"Yes?" Alvyia questioned, she was nestled on the window seat, a book in one hand with her headphones in the other.
"I was thinking we could use some groceries, we could make a quick stop at Whole Foods, and if we are up to it Trader Joe's as well?"
"I think some food in the house would be a good plan." The teen said jokingly, getting off the window seat and heading with Emily to the car. Emily hoped the teen's humor returning even if it was minimal- was a good sign.
Alivya had forgotten just how different grocery stores were, she tried to keep it together the last thing she wanted to do was cry in whole foods but her jet-lagged brain had other plans. When they entered the bread aisle Alyvia started to tear up, Emily noticed the shift in the teen's demeanour she moved so they were standing side by side.
"Ali?"
"It's just- there are so many choices. Oh, I sound so stupid don't I?" Alyvia angrily wiped the tears from her eyes taking a deep breath and shoving any sense of emotion away.
"You don't sound stupid honey, it's new. New can be scary, and different can be scary. I bet it's a lot- how about we do one thing at a time? I won't leave your side, we'll do it together."
Alvyia, grateful and trying not to fall asleep or cry on the spot, linked hands with Emily as they finished the grocery shopping. Emily figured that Trader Joe's could wait for another day, watching the teen trying to not nod off in the passenger seat of the car. By the time they had made it back to the townhouse it was around 6:00 pm walking slowly through a big store made the shopping a little longer than normal.
Making it inside Emily asked the teen "How about we make some dinner?"
Alvyia nodded slowly, the jet lag catching up with her. Emily decided on oatmeal, something she could not burn on the stove or overseason to an unediable state. Both sat at the kitchen island in silence, it took Alyvia a while to work through her bowl Emily attributed it to the teen's growing exhaustion. After dinner Alvyia excused herself to take a shower, with the hot water running Alvyia through a daze and made it through a basic shower, she made the executive decision her arms were healed enough she could sleep without bandaids.
With her ruly hair combed through, she made her way into the kitchen looking for Emily who wasn't there, Alvyia told herself not to panic Emily would not just leave. The teen frantically turned on her heels and dashed up the stairs slowing her pace outside of Emily's room trying to make it look like she had not been panicking. She knocked on the door as calmly as she could, her body relaxing when she heard Emily call out
" Come in!" Alyvia let the door swing open and she stood in the doorway still unable to walk into Emily's room- it felt like she was intruding on something if she did. Emily sensed the teen's unease, standing up and walking up to Alyvia, the teen sheepishly asked
"Um I well I was wondering if I could- I mean can I brush my teeth?"
"Of course, you can," Emily replied caught a little off guard by this seemingly small question.
"I mean is the water okay?"
"Oh, Yes of course." Emily reassured the teen. The truth was Alyvia was pretty sure the water was safe, but she also had been taught through many a school trip to varying islands it was best to ask just to be sure. On the other hand, she did not want to show the panic of not knowing where Emily was on her sleeve. With Emily's response, she turned and walked down the hall quietly, Alyvia's heart did a little jump when she could feel Emily following her, her heart jumped in a good way, relief flooded her system, the relief of not needing to ask for Emily to follow.
While the teen brushed her teeth the woman leaned against the door frame and asked slowly "Ali honey would you like me to tuck you in?"
Alyvia felt embarrassed, embarrassed that she did want to be tucked in, embarrassed that she thought Emily would leave her, and embarrassed about how she felt. Calmly Emily led the teen back to her room tucking her under the beige colored sheets, Alyvia looked around the room still bare there were no boxes, nothing to show that she had moved into the room, spare her backpack and duffle on the side of the room.
It was May so the sun was setting later and later, but the black-out curtains covered most of the remaining daylight. The little clock on the side of the bed read 8:00 pm but both the teen and the woman were feeling the time change begin to catch up with them, Emily asked softly
"Do you want me to read a little bit more? Just until you're asleep?" The teen nodded, silently thanking Emily. Emily went to the edge of the bed and saw the book sitting on top of the duffle. She smiled to herself. Alvyia had little silent ways of asking for things without ever saying a word slowly, more and more she was picking up on the subtle nods the teen gave her. With the book in hand, Emily settled onto the bed next to the already half-asleep teen picking up where they left off in the book, Emily read until the teen's breath was steady and smooth.
Emily set the book next to the clock and rolled over so she was watching Alyvia breathe, the woman pressed her forehead softly to Alyvia's cheek while running her fingers through the teen's hair. Emily could have stayed there all night watching the teen breathe- making sure the teen was breathing. Just before nodding off herself, Emily's phone buzzed in her pocket signaling the arrival of JJ.
Slipping out of the room as silently as possible Emily closed the door and walked downstairs to the front door. She opened it JJ whose blond hair fell around her face framing her blue eyes, she held onto a pet carrier in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other Emily could not help but smile.
Before either got a word out Emily wrapped her arms around JJ, the blond woman's signature scent of vanilla and fresh powder comforted the brunette.
"Come in- come in." Emily said excitedly leading the way into her little townhouse. JJ headed for the couch while Emily went to the kitchen to get to wine glasses setting them down on the middle table before saying in her cat mom voice
"How was my little Sergio?"
JJ opened the cat carrier giggling a little as she said "I am just the messenger-" holding her hands up like she was not responsible "Garcia wanted you to have him as soon as possible, she says he misses you and only had too much catnip once!"
"Ooooo who's a good boy?" Emily nodded giggling too as Sergio crawled into her lap sniffing and purring clearly happy to be home. "Oh shoot-" Emily said,
"What?" JJ questioned in response,
"I didn't tell Alyvia about Segio, I hope she likes cats." Emily made a funny face
"I'm sure she'll love him- speaking of the kid how is she?" JJ asked as she moved to the same couch as Emily
"Exhausted- she's out cold upstairs." The woman sighed leaning her head back on the couch "I'm too, it's been a long day. International flights are no joke."
"I remember," JJ responded Emily moved her head slightly, and like telepathy, JJ moved her shoulder right where Emily could lay her head on it. "So... you have a kid now. How does that feel?"
"Complicated, strange, and overwhelming."
"Mmmm, I gather it might." The blond knew that a long-form catch-up would be had when Emily was not on the verge of sleep" However the worry of how Emily was handling this change got the better of her as she asked "Em- how are you doing?" sliding her hand till it interlocked with the brunette's and she began to rub circles with her thumb.
"Fine!" Emily responded to her friend with a level of false joy that could be called out with ease.
" Em... have they healed?"
"Oof, it straight for the gut?" Emily asked with her eyes still closed laughing softly at the not-funny subject and then proceeded to tell the aewnser anyway
"Yes, Jayje they have- Paris was months ago."
"Doesn't feel like it." JJ said quietly before raising her voice softly "You know I worry."
"Mmmhmm I know you do."
"Do you want team updates tomorrow or today?" JJ asks slowly changing subjects,
"Tomorrow please." Emily responded half asleep,
"Na ah ah, come on." JJ tried to peel her exhausted friend off the couch, " I am betting my next pay check these are still your plane clothes Em- you need to shower before you fall asleep."
"Jayjgeeeee" Emily whined like a child, one thing Emily loved about JJ was there was no need to be put together all the time around her when you know someone for as long as they had known each other the need to be fine all the time goes out the window. Emily was thankful for that.
JJ followed Emily upstairs and into the bathroom turning on the shower and making sure Emily actually was planning on showering and not falling asleep on her bed.
"I'll sit out here- just until you're done. I can tell you about all the little things that have been happening in my life, like... this new coffee shop, I know you'll love! We have to try it out..."
Emily let JJ's voice become like music- something in the background to her thoughts, something that was comforting and calm. She could not help but smile to herself, she knew JJ would come up with the most simple yet funny things to keep her entertained.
JJ on the other side of the bathroom door was sitting with her legs crossed and her wine glass in her hand, her head and back leaned up against the bathroom door. She spoke evenly, this routine was not new to her- the sitting and waiting for Emily to finish in the shower, the calm tone, and the awareness around what topics were okay to touch on and the ones that weren't. They did this for months until Emily left for the IRT.
Emily needed someone and she trusted JJ more than enough to let her into her world. This was not to say some nights Penelope took the shift but often it was JJ.
JJ would not admit to Emily when she sat across from her on the plane on the way to Paris she could see it in her eyes- a shift. A shift from the woman who on one of the very first cases they worked together told her "She could compartmentalise better than most" Knowing what the blonde knew now about Doyle and Emily's time as Lauren that comment made more sense, JJ hated that man for taking a part of Emily. The blonde knew he took a part of her when he "killed her" and even more when he died, because both times a piece of her died too.
JJ would be there for Emily like Emily had been there for her- that's what friends do, they support each other. JJ could hear the faucet turning off and while talking she made her way to sit on the edge of Emily's bed so as to not be in the doorway of the bathroom. A clearly exhausted Emily bee-lined to the bed and face-planted onto the fresh but rarely used sheets, letting out a long sigh asking
"What time is it?"
"10:00" JJ responded, scooting up to the top of the bed pulling back the sheets, and patting the mattress signalling to Emily that she should crawl under the covers and get comfortable before falling asleep at the edge of the bed.
"It's official, I've been up for more than 24 hours or even more, they all have blended together." She sighed dramatically again as she settled into the sheets,
" Well we have worked some crazy long hours haven't we?" JJ asked,
"Mmmhmm" an exhausted Emily responded following up her little mumble with "JJ?"
"Yes, Em?"
"Can you please stay? Just until I'm asleep?"
"I'll use my spare key to let myself out?" JJ asked wanting to make sure it was okay with Emily.
"Mmmhmm"
"Do you want me to read to you?" JJ asked, already knowing the answer
"Please?" Emily asked softly.
JJ got up from the bed and went to the shelf next to the window and picked up the book she had read many a time before had already found its way back to its home from Emily's travel bags, it was a forest green hardback bound copy of Little Women. The first page of the book read "Emily Prentiss's Copy. 1979." in black ink. Emily got this book for Christmas at age nine, every page had been read 100 times over, all the lines that comforted her underlined, tabs and sticky notes from every age stuck in random nooks of the book.
Emily often did not enjoy the more cozy books as they strayed away from her often all-time favorites like Slaughterhouse-Five but Little Women had a special place in her heart, JJ is the only one who knows about the Little Women book not that she was embarrassed but it was just something deeply personal.
After a particularly rough nightmare a few weeks after re-joining the team she had called JJ in a panic, more like a knee-jerk reaction than a conscious decision. That night she asked JJ to read Little Women to her, it was the first time she slept through the night in a long time. Since then JJ reads bits and pieces when Emily needs her to.
Some of JJ's own sticky notes and annotations have snuck into the book, Emily found a few when she was overseas finding them never failed to make her smile. Emily had two bookmarks one that was a pressed flower that she got after finishing her first case at the BAU that kept the place she left off in the book, and the second bookmark was a gift from Derek for Christmas it had been handwritten by him "To the best nerd I know- Merry Christmas 2009" this bookmark held JJ's spot in the book.
JJ opened up to where they left off it was Chapter Twenty after scanning the first line JJ smiled to herself she found the chapter oddly fitting for the recent developments in her friend's life, leaning back into the pillows Emily turned onto her side her head resting on JJ's arm already half asleep.
" Night JJ, thank you for bringing Serg home."
"Night Em, it's nice to have you back." JJ began to read "I don't think I have any words in which to tell the meeting of the mother and daughters..." Not even two pages in, Emily was fast asleep, JJ waited till the brunette's breathing evened out before getting up from the bed, turning off the light, and seeing herself quietly out of the room.
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Okay sooo..... yes. Anyway- sorry for the inconsistency in uploads, I could make loads of excuses just know there is always something going on behind the scenes :) Don't forget to do a little something for you today!!
Emily's house:
Similar layout to her apartment in Season 3, Ep 2. But bigger- It's bigger then it looks in this sketch!
Some more inspo: