Stand In The Rain

Three

JJ was plagued with nightmares later that night.

Never mind that the cast also made it hard to sleep, but she also didn't get nightmares that much, so when she did get them, they were always a little too real.

"JJ? Wake up, now!"

"JJ, come on, sweetie! You're safe now!"

"You're safe!"

JJ jerked out of her dream state, and when she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a concerned-looking, pajama-clad Emily bathed in the warm lamplight and sitting with her on the bed.

"Em?" JJ yawned as she sat up. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Emily stroked JJ's cheek with a finger. "You were having a nightmare."

JJ's bottom lip trembled as the memories came back. "I dreamed that Baylor came after you, Penelope, and the others, holding you all hostage. By the time I woke up, he had died, but I still couldn't get to the rest of you."

Mindful of JJ's arm, Emily pulled her in for a hug. "JJ, Baylor is gone. He can't touch you."

JJ involuntarily clenched her legs together for a second as she recalled exactly how Baylor had touched her.

"He's gone, and he can't touch me." she echoed.

"That's right." Emily kissed JJ on the temple, something she almost couldn't help now but did because JJ liked it. "If he ever does come near you again, I'll tell the boys, and they'll all come running... although we both know that Derek would get there first."

JJ grinned at the thought of setting Derek loose on Baylor because after all these years together, Derek was as good as a brother, and she knew he'd do anything for her. She had a brother named Archer, but he was older than her and lived out in Drexel, Missouri with his wife and daughter, and they only really saw each other at Christmastime in Pennsylvania, as it was. Derek? JJ saw him almost every day, and that was good enough for her.

"Derek would, wouldn't he?"

"Mhm."

JJ let out a yawn; it was already late and she was getting sleepy again, but Emily's back rub was helping. Her sleepiness didn't escape Emily's notice at all, especially when she subconsciously curled the fingers on her good hand in the cloth of Emily's shirt in an effort to keep her close.

"Jayje?"

At the sound of her nickname, JJ sat up and looked at Emily through through heavily eyelids.

"Hmm?"

"Come to bed with me."

JJ was immediately more awake as her heart promptly turned a cartwheel. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"Yes." Emily confirmed. "Come with me, and we'll sleep."

JJ was floating on air by this point, so she was only vaguely aware of grabbing her pillow, turning off the lamp, and following Emily down the hallway to her bedroom. The one thing she was acutely aware of was that she and Emily were both asleep ten minutes later.

The best part? No more nightmares for the rest of the night.

Much to the agents' delight, neither of them woke with any morning sickness, meaning that they were able to enjoy a normal morning together before work.

As they were gathering up the last of their things that they would need to take with them to work, including freshly packed go bags, Emily didn't hear JJ for a few minutes, and when she looked for her, she found her sitting on the edge of their bed, staring into space and looking almost embarrassed about something.