Chapter 9

JJ enjoyed having Sergio around while Emily was at work and was kicking herself for keeping her girlfriend at arm's length. If she hadn't maybe Sergio would have come for an extended visit days ago. As it was for the last week of JJ's sick leave Emily had practically moved in.

The blond loved it and was dreading going back to work because it would mean Emily moving back to her own home. And how JJ wished that they'd had this all along.

That evening Emily was late again but JJ had ceased worrying, the brunette usually stopped at her place for fresh clothes and often brought dinner.

The brunette arrived carrying a huge bunch of red roses in one hand and a tub of her all time ice-cream in the other.

JJ hurried to the door to help before Emily fell over Sergio who had also gone to welcome her home. Flowers and food was an escalation.

The blond took the flowers as her lover held them out to her with a shy smile. As she found a vase to put them in the brunette got two spoons, one of which she held out to JJ as she sat sown on the sofa next to her with the ice-cream in the middle.

JJ moaned as the ice cold mix of chocolate, strawberry, mint and caramel melted in her mouth. It was a concoction she and her sister had invented. It was only Emily asking to try it at camp had allowed the blond to eat it again without being sad. The brunette had turned it back into a happy memory. JJ had nearly finished her half when she noticed that Emily was playing with hers.

The brunette looked up and there was seriousness in her eyes that she had rarely seen.

"Em?"

Instead of answering Emily stood up and took hold of the ice-cream.

"Um, no need for it to go to waste," replied the brunette talking the tub to the freezer. Emily came back and sat down then linked hers and JJ's fingers together.

"Can we talk?"

JJ nodded wondered what she wanted to say? She completely refused to entertain the idea that Emily wanted them to split up.

"I love you," said Emily simply, getting straight to the point, "I always have. And finding you again has made me re-evaluate a lot of my choices over the years."

JJ had been stunned at the brunette's quiet confession of love but then warmth had spread radiated through her body as every cell brimmed with happiness. She squeezed the brunette's hands and smiled. Emily smiled back.

"You never had a choice." She said softly.

"Maybe not, but I had a choice to not join Interpol. To have a desk job. To quit when I realised what I would have to do."

There was so much simmering emotion behind those few sentences. JJ moved closer and rested their foreheads together, "No matter what you tell. It won't change how I feel."

For a long moment Emily searched her eyes then nodded accepting that statement as fact.

"I know I love you." whispered JJ. To make absolutely sure that her girlfriend knew that she was going to be there every step of the way.

Instantly the dark brown eyes filled with tears, immediately JJ cupped the brunette's face gently in her hands as she wiped away the first tears to fall.

"Where's the famous Prentiss compartmentalisation?" she teased.

Emily gave her a watery smile, "I have no walls around you."

JJ snuggled closer knowing they both needed the closer contact. "Em, you don't have to talk about anything you're not ready too."

"Not sure I ever will be," admitted Emily, feebly trying to make a joke.

"I did actually apply to be an interpreter, but even desk jockeys get the same field training and my scores were good enough that they offered me the field option as well." Emily paused, "I guess I watched too many James Bond movies and I thought it would be exciting…"

JJ remained silent.

"007 licenced to kill," muttered Emily, disgust evident in her tone, "Sometimes we were ordered to do that because contrary to popular belief some criminals ARE above the law. They have powerful friends in high places who make it impossible to prosecute them after we arrest them. So a carefully arranged accident and jobs done."

JJ was shocked and angry, not at her lover who was bearing the brunt of the guilt but at the people who had ordered to do them.

"Why didn't you quit?" asked JJ when the brunette had been silent for several minutes.

"After I lost you, or I thought I'd lost you," corrected Emily, "I don't think I cared about much for a long time. Sometimes not even if I was going to make it back."

"Oh Emily!" JJ hugged the woman next to her and felt the brunette's arms wrap around her. "What changed?"

Emily kissed JJ's cheek then pulled away and slid her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small dark blue jewellery box, its outer surface was scuffed and dusty. This wasn't new, it was old. Emily held it out.

JJ looked from the box to the brunette's eyes before reaching out to take it, suddenly aware of a million butterflies erupting in her stomach.

"It's a promise ring," explained Emily softly, "I was going to give it to you before you left for college."

"Why didn't you?" Ever so slowly JJ opened the tiny box, inside was simple but beautiful ring, there were three small stones. The middle one was her birthstone, one of the outside stones was Emily's. "What's the last one?"

"It's when we met." JJ was speechless.

"Why?"

"I was looking for the perfect moment and then I thought I'd do it next time we were together," admitted Emily.

"Perfect moment!" spluttered JJ, disbelieving, "That whole holiday was perfect." She took a steadying breath , she needed her lover to put all this behind her once and for all.

"Em, do you remember how we met?"

The brunette nodded. Jennifer was up to something.

"Horrible things happened to both of us. Sometimes it is easier to think that things happen as they're supposed to. " To make her point JJ straddled the brunette and cupped her face, forcing her to maintain eye contact. "Interpol led you here and back to me. It made you the kind of person the BAU needed."

"But….." Emily was silenced by a gentle kiss.

"We could have been together all along?" guessed JJ.

Emily nodded.

"Maybe we weren't ready then. And we would've tried and failed and now we wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of fixing things."

The blond spoke with such conviction the last of Emily's WHAT IFS evaporated. The thought of not being with JJ now seriously rattled her. Then she noticed that JJ was smiling.

"What?"

"What would you have said?" she asked, taking the ring out of the box and handing it to the brunette.

Emily swallowed, "I was going to say, that the day I met you my soul became whole. You became the shining centre of my universe. That I love you with everything that I am. That I was swearing myself to you and that after college if we still both felt the same. I would give you all of me…..Forever."

JJ sniffed and held out her hand. It was years late but it was the thought that counted.

Emily gently slid it onto the appropriate finger. It was too soon to ask the question she would have years back. "I do have a question for you?"

"What?" JJ was curious.

"Will you move in with me?" The brunette started rambling as she saw JJ's startled expression. "It's twice as big and this…US together feels so right…."

JJ kissed her effectively shutting her up.

"Jen?" asked a breathless Emily.

"Yes." replied JJ grinning as she pulled her lover up and led her towards the bedroom.

It had been a rocky road to get them to this point but they were both where they wanted to be.

In the arms of their soul mate.

THE END.

A/N. Thanks guys. For reading and reviewing And YES there were enough people who wanted a sequel. So keep your eyes peeled for LOVE IS ETERNAL.

Have fun. Stay tuned. T-Rex