The planets bend between us

Chapter 23

Most of the team surrounded JJ as she held her son. She tried to remain not overwhelmed, but it was hard. She was just glad that Emily was there. With her presence, she felt stable. She felt like she could do this. She could be a good mom.

"What was it that Jayje called you again?" Penelope asked her dear friend, Emily, as she watched the baby boy curl into his mom's chest. "Naşa?"

"Yes," Emily replied, her eyes not leaving JJ holding her son. She didn't even notice the look the Garcia was giving her. The tech analyst knew something was going on. "It's Romanian. It just means that we are a family. Much like the position you have, as godmother."

Penelope squealed, "Does that mean we are all technically family?"

JJ chuckled. "I think we were a family before I had my son. But yes, Pen. Henry Elijah Jareau has a lot of people who love him."

"He does," Hotch agreed with them. "I know that Henry's namesake is after his grandfather, but what about his middle name?"

JJ turned to Emily, trying to figure out if she had the permission to tell him the truth. At Emily's slight nod, JJ told the team members, "His middle name is Emily's father's name. I realized I wanted my son to be named after two men who died loving their children more than anything. I wanted my son to share some of that love."

"Awe," Garcia exclaimed. "That's too cute!"

Their conversation was cut short when there was a knock on the door. The genius entered with a ragged grin spread on his face. He looked tired and worn out, but like he figured out something that was dragging him down for so long.

"Is there room for one more in here?" Reid asked the room as a joke.

JJ grinned at one of her best friends. "Spence, hi. Welcome back."

"Congratulations," Reid told her as he moved closer to her in the room.

"How is it that I just went through fifteen hours of labor and you look worse than I do?" JJ questioned her friend, still worried about him.

Reid shook his head as if she was being preposterous. "Don't be ridiculous. You look beautiful."

Emily realized that they needed some time together, so she announced, "Well, I sure could use some coffee. Anyone else? My treat." She led the team out of the room so that they could have some privacy.

The brunette profiler walked down the hall and toward the bathroom, still astonished by what had occurred during the day.

"Em!" Garcia called out. "Wait up!" She ran to catch up with her colleague.

"Hey, Garcia!" Emily said joyously. "What's up?"

Penelope glared at her. "What's up? You really don't know what I'm going to say. You're the profiler."

Emily shrugged, not wanting to think about what Garcia had to say about her and JJ's actions throughout the day.

"I love you, girl, but you are so clueless. Em, let's be honest. Naşa has a deep meaning. Almost as deep as JJ naming her son after you. What the hell does that mean?"

The ambassador's daughter sighed, not wanting to answer the question she had deep in her mind as well. "We're friends..."

"I don't see her naming her son after me. Or boy wonder. EP, she named her son after you. You stayed with her while she gave birth. You've played the role of dad for a long time now. Maybe you're protective of her. Maybe you want to help her because you want to be a parent yourself. Or maybe, you need to ask yourself, if you love her. Because if you do... Jesus, Em. If you love that girl over there, love her. Don't mess with her. Or Remi."

"I know. I don't intend to." She didn't know what else to say. Somehow Garcia had seen things so clearly even though Emily couldn't.

Garcia wrapped her hands around her friend. "I know you don't want to hurt anyone. But maybe that's the problem, love. Maybe you need to consider yourself a little bit."