Before Long

Christmas Eve

The day before JJ's birthday, and consequently, Christmas Day, was an interesting one.

In accordance to an old family tradition that Sandy had started long ago with her first husband, everyone spent the whole day making meat pies, quiche, and other such delectables and then boxed them up so they could bring them to the police station, the firehouse, and the hospital as treats for everyone who had to work the Christmas shifts.

Because their family was quite big now, everybody had split up into groups.

JJ went with Caleb and Faith to the police station, while Sinéad and Caitlín went with Sandy and Rex to the firehouse, although their presence was mostly to make sure that Ming and Agnes didn't get into trouble. That left Emily with Wesley and Bartholomew.

She liked JJ's brothers well enough, but something about their shifty behavior told her that they had something up their sleeves. She just couldn't tell what it was.

"Hey!" Emily said suddenly when she realized that their path home had changed. "This isn't the way to the house."

"You're quite perceptive, considering that you've never been to East Allegheny." Bartholomew remarked as he parked the car in front of one of the storefronts on Main Street. "And we are making a pit stop first."

"Where are we?"

Wesley turned to face Emily while Bartholomew parked the car and turned it off. "We're at the bakery to pick up Jenny's birthday cake for tomorrow, but we came a little early because Barty and I want to have a chat with you."

Emily raised her eyebrows. "Because you're her big brothers and she brought me home?"

"Because you're the first she's ever brought home."

Using that as a final say, Wesley and Bartholomew exited the car first. To show that they were gentlemen, they collectively helped Emily from the car and helped her navigate across the sidewalk to the bakery.

As it was Christmas Eve, the bakery was devoid of customers because everyone was at home with their families, meaning that the trio had the front room to themselves as they sat at one of the tables together, with both brothers facing Emily.

"What would you like to know?" The agent asked them. "I'm an open book."

Bartholomew practically went at her like a freight train. "Are your mother and father still around?"

"It's just been my mom and I since I was three because my dad and my stepdad are both gone. So are my brother and sisters." (Emily saw right away that Wesley and Bartholomew were quite surprised by that, so she tacked on a positive note for good measure) "My mother and I are close, though, and we stayed with her at her place in Manhattan over Thanksgiving."

"Do your mother and Jenny get along?"

"One hundred percent. They adore each other."

Wesley finally got in a question of his own. "Does your mother know that you love women?"

Emily nodded, not even bothered by the course of the questions being asked of her because she had almost been expecting it. "If you want to get technical, I'm bisexual. My mother knows, and she's never had a problem with it."

"I only ask because not only are the first Jenny has brought home, but you're also the first woman she's ever been with..."

Wesley's words trailed off because he between him, his bother, and now JJ and Emily, he was the only straight one. He just didn't know the proper way to ask the next question.

Emily saw right through him, though. "You're wondering if JJ's the first woman I've ever been with?"

Even Bartholomew nodded in unison with his brother at that.