Mean Something (Jemily)

Chapter 39 - Old Relationships (Emily POV)

"What the fuck are you doing!" I heard coming from the inside of my apartment, noticing my door opened slightly my heart began to race. All I knew was JJ was in there, yelling. I dropped my bag in the hall and rushed inside, hand planted on my pistol "Why the hell are you here!" I yelled seeing Will standing inside, one hand gabbing onto JJ as the other was raised ready to strike. I must have caught them both off guard as they froze the second my voice echoed out. I glanced at JJ, doing a quick check to make sure she wasn't hurt "You have thirty seconds to leave." I stepped inside making room for him to exit "If you don't let go of her I'm going to apprehend you. Don't think I won't, you're actively trying to assault an FBI agent, I have more than probable cause." I threatened, unclasping my gun from it's holster. Will's eyes grazed over me as he let JJ go. A cunning smile crossed his face "We we're just talking." His southern drawl made his words even more sickening "And now you're done. Leave." I demanded, hand not leaving my side. "Whatever." He said throwing his hands up "Glad your little girlfriend could rush in and save you." He spat leaving the apartment quickly. I followed behind him, making sure he got into the elevator before picking up my bag and returning to the apartment. I dropped my bag where I stood inside before closing the door, double checking that it was locked. Turning towards JJ I saw she had dropped to her knees, holding her arms around her chest, heaving heavily as she tried to steady her breath.

"Are you okay?" I asked rushing over, getting down on the floor in front of her "He—He knows about us." I watched as she struggled to get her words out "JJ, hey baby, he's gone. It's okay." I said placing my hand on her shoulder, trying to alleviate her anxieties "He threatened to take Henry." "Take Henry?" I questioned. "He said that we were filth and that he wasn't going to allow me to see Henry again." Her words were getting hard to understand, tears choking her up "Sh... I won't let that happen..." I tried to soften my voice, pulling her into my chest. I watched as she curled up below me "Did he hurt you?" I asked, my eyes deliberately scanning her shape below me, looking for any signs of new injuries. I was relieved slightly when I felt her shake her head 'no' against my chest. "I've never seen him so angry..." She cried "Baby, none of this is your fault." "It feels like it is." I felt my heart break hearing her speak, I hated how much control Will held over JJ. I don't know what's happened with him, but he's not the man either of us knew almost a decade ago. I felt JJ suddenly get out from under me, she haphazardly rushed into the kitchen, opening the oven. I watched as she pulled a dish out of the smoking oven, moving to throw it in the sink before turning the water on. I jumped up, opening a window and finding something to fan away the smoke from the fire detectors.

Once that minor emergency was over and the smoke cleared I saw JJ standing over the sink, she wasn't actively crying but she looked defeated. I knew how she was feeling, ready to throw in the towel and crawl into her own mind. I walked behind her, feeling her flinch slightly as I wrapped my arms around her waist. I rested my face on her shoulder "Why don't we go away?" I questioned softly, JJ didn't reply "You have Henry for Christmas... I have a guest house at the beach... Why don't we take a trip..." I suggested. JJ moved my hands from around her waist and moved to face me "I just got back to work," She countered "Yes. But that wasn't a vacation. You were healing, I'm sure we can take a few days, I know the rest of the team will appreciate the time off..." I answered back. I looked into JJ's eyes as she nodded slightly in approval, moving in to kiss me. I held her long after the kiss ended, standing in silence, finding comfort in each other's arms.

"Sorry about dinner..." JJ said shyly over a takeout box of Chinese food "It's okay, I was craving Chinese food anyway!" I joked, smiling when I heard her laugh "So, you have a beach house?" She asked staring me down, raising an eyebrow in question as she spoke "Well, it's not really mine. It was my fathers, he left it to me when he died.. Which I guess does technically make it mine, but I haven't been there in years." I said nonchalantly, picking at my food with a fork. JJ set her hands down on the table suddenly, making me jump a little "What else don't I know about you Prentiss?" She challenged "I've got to keep it interesting..." "Uh! No, none of that. I want to know everything about you. I want to know the person I plan on spending the rest of my life with, whatever you're willing to share. No matter how small and meaningless or uncomfortable and awkward you may think it is." JJ's voice wasn't harsh or demanding, more playful, full of excitement. We've known each other for so long, it's difficult to remember that she really doesn't know about my life before we met. At least not all of it.

I spent so much of my life playing different versions of myself, I forgot that I could truly be me around JJ. Not Emily Prentiss, the Ambassadors daughter, or Emily Prentiss the FBI agent, but just Emily. The Emily who watches the princess bride after hard days, the Emily who's still scared of the dark. The Emily who bites her nails when she's anxious or the Emily who 'doesn't smoke' her problems away. I nodded, agreeing that we'd talk more about who we were, not just as a couple but as individuals. JJ made sure I kept that promise, pulling up a game of '20 questions' on her phone, us taking turns going down the list and answering the questions we felt compelled to.

"If you could travel to any country in the world for one month, where would you go?" JJ asked. I laughed a bit at that question "I'd like to go back to France and spend more time in Paris. It's a beautiful city, and I'm sure it's even better when you're not trying to reform your life." I answered. "Paris would be wonderful, I wished we would've been able to spend more time there." JJ said, deep in thought "Alright, your turn. Pick one!" She said shoving her phone over to me "Uh..." "Oh! Here's one; Who do you act nice around but secretly dislike?" I watched as JJ thought it over, eventually answering with someone who works in the same building as us "Oh you're right. He's really weird." I answered "I pick up some Unsub vibes from him, if you catch my drift..." She replied with a laugh. The rest of the evening and into the early morning hours were spent on my couch as we answered questions, eventually throwing the phone to the side and just swapping stories of our lives as kids. Some stories brought tears to both our eyes, from both laughter and sorrow. I didn't realize how much JJ had gone through in life, she always carried herself in the strongest, most confident way she could. Always stopping to make sure her friends we're okay, that we knew she loved us and dropping anything at a moments notice if any of us needed her. No matter how small. I now realize she does this because she wished someone had done it for her after Roslyn's death. It broke my heart to hear her talk about her sister, the day's leading up to her death, but she seemed to have come to terms with the best she possibly could... But it's shaped almost every aspect of her life, not always negatively though "If it wasn't for her, I would've never been pushed to join the FBI. I wanted to be able to help people the way I wasn't able to help my sister." She said, passion sounding from her voice instead of sorrow.

JJ had long been cuddled on to my chest, eventually falling asleep as we laid together on the couch. I played with her hair, watching her sleep the hardships of the day away. She looked so beautiful under the light the moon casted through the windows. I always knew I loved JJ, but in this moment; In this moment of calm I knew I would never love anyone more than I did her. I watched as JJs chest moved up and down, breathing in a steady rhythm. I wished it could be like this forever, just us together, safely in each other's arms as the world moved around us. But I knew tomorrow brought a new day, and with it came more of life's struggles, but I wasn't fearful of what it may bring. I knew in my heart that whatever life decided to throw at us, as long as we had each other we would be okay.