Sweet Creature (jemily)

Chapter Twenty Three

"Marry me," Emily blurted out. "JJ, marry me."

JJ's crying got quieter for a moment. "What?" she murmured.

"Marry me. You think I'm not committed to this. You think that I'll leave when the baby comes. I'm not going to do that. I want to prove it to you. I know that I love you and I always will. Marry me," said Emily.

JJ rubbed her eyes and tried to think clearly. In the back of her mind she had thoughts about Emily leaving her but she never truly believed they would come true. It was just her deepest fear. She didn't know why she'd blurted it all out tonight but she did.

"I can't... I don't want you to marry me just because you're proving a point. You're just saying that. You don't really want to marry me," she sniffled.

Emily reached over to the nightstand by the bed and opened the drawer. She dug around under a few books and pulled out a small box.

She opened it to face JJ. Inside there was a ring. JJ didn't know what to say as she stared at it. An engagement ring.

"I'm not just saying it because of what happened today. After we spent that weekend in the cabin I knew I wanted to marry you. I wanted that to be my life. I've been in love with you for so long. This is not some spur-of-the-moment thing. I wanted to wait for the perfect moment to ask you but perfect moments don't exist. This is our moment. I'm asking you to marry me. It's up to you to say yes," Emily told her.

The words bubbled out of JJ and she couldn't control them. "Yes. Yes. I want to marry you, I'm saying yes."

Emily grinned and slipped the ring onto JJ's finger. She kissed her lips and never wanted to let go. "You had me scared for a second. I thought you were going to say no," Emily laughed.

"Of course I want to marry you. I love you," JJ said. She looked at the ring up close and admired it. It wasn't a normal diamond ring. It was a bright blue, teardrop-shaped gem with a diamond-encrusted band. "It's beautiful," she smiled.

"It's a sapphire. I know that diamonds are more typical but this one reminded me of you so much. I can get it changed if you don't like it." Emily pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"No." JJ shook her head. "I love it. It's perfect." She couldn't imagine how much a ring like that cost and she didn't even really want to know.

"JJ." Emily tilted up JJ's face so she would look at her. "I am committed to you for the rest of my life. I don't know if this ring will prove that but I want you to take my word for it. I am not going to leave you. I'm nervous about the baby, but I know you are too. That doesn't mean I'm going to walk out on you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and our baby. She may not be mine biologically, but she's my baby. I love her more than life itself. I love you more than I thought was ever possible. I would give up anything in the world to make you both happy. Do you know that?"

"Yes," JJ whispered. She hugged Emily tightly and didn't let go. "I love you too. Do you still want to marry me?"

"Considering the fact that I asked you about 3 minutes ago, yes I still want to marry you," Emily smiled. Her face turned more serious for a second. She smoothed back JJ's hair. "I want you to tell me the truth, okay?" she asked. JJ nodded.

"Did you really believe those things you said or were you just upset? Did you really believe I didn't love you, or the baby? I won't be upset with you no matter what, I just want you to tell me the truth," said Emily.

JJ was quiet for a moment as she thought. She knew that Emily loved her. She said it all the time. She proved it all the time.

"Sometimes I think things that I can't control. I don't mean to think about them but I do," she said softly. "I have dreams about it sometimes. That I had the baby and you left me. I don't want to think about it. Please don't be mad. I'm not trying to."