And all you have is kisses
And all I need is you
- Ribcage, Elbow

When Emily gets the email from JJ saying that Will has moved out, she can't believe it. She knows how hard they both worked at it, at being there for Henry and each other and making things work. When she calls that night, JJ sounds hollow and resigned. He's been gone a couple of weeks and it's been over a lot longer, she says. She hasn't told anyone yet. They're splitting time with Henry. "We just couldn't make it okay again, after everything," is all she'll say about it. Then, her voice trembling with tears she's only just holding back, she adds, "Talk to me, please? About anything."

So she does. About London at first, then about the BAU. She forgets herself and calls it home. She talks about days they spent together and nights out with Garcia, and before she knows it she's saying she'll take some time off and visit. The sound of JJ's sad, small voice on the other end of the line is too much for her – maybe it's a bad idea, but she can't keep herself away. "As soon as I can," she promises. "I'll move some things around, clear a few days…"

"Are you sure you can take the time?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Dropping everything for each other is what they do. And she can't stand the sound of the tears bubbling under the surface, not when she can't reach out and take her hand, or wrap her up in a hug and let her cry it out.

When she lands, JJ is waiting for her in arrivals. They spot each other within seconds – by the time Emily sees her, she's crying silent tears, her hand covering her mouth. It's not because she misses Will so much as because she misses who she used to be, how easy it used to be, because she's afraid of this wide open public space. And because god she's missed Emily, the only person who ever really understood any of this. They gravitate together, as fast as they can without breaking into a run. When they meet, Emily wraps her arms around her and hugs her hard, so hard she feels anchored. She buries her face in Emily's neck and her arms snake around her waist, her hands clinging to the back of the pale blue sweater she wears.

"Hey," Emily whispers, her breath soft and warm on her ear.

"Hey," she whispers back. They stand like that for at least a minute, holding on impossibly tight, and she becomes more and more aware of Emily's breath on her neck, her floral scent, the way her body feels pressing closer against her with every breath. She'd forgotten about this, how difficult it has always been to ignore her physicality. "Thank you for coming," she mumbles.

"Any time."

JJ drives them back to her place, and in the car they talk like they did on the phone – about work and the team and London and DC. When they get inside, Emily reaches into her handbag produces a giftwrapped parcel. "I bought you something," she says, chewing the corner of her lip. "I just – it made me think of you."

JJ smiles, the first real smile she's managed for days, as she takes it. She waves vaguely toward the space under the coathooks to let Emily know she can drop her luggage there for now, and they sit down on the sofa. JJ peels off the tape gently, one piece at a time until she can unfold the paper. "Em," she says softly, her eyes brimming. It's a silk scarf, the same blue as Emily's sweater, patterned with little blackbirds.

"I didn't know if -" Emily begins nervously.

JJ drops the scarf into her lap and reaches for her, pulling her into a hug. Emily's hand spreads between her shoulder blades, the other reaching around her waist, pulling her closer, and she closes her eyes, burrows her nose into the comforting rose scent of Emily's hair. She feels Emily hesitate for a moment – her muscles tightening for just a second – and then she kicks off her shoes and lies down, holds her arms out. JJ swallows hard, wipes tears from her eyes and joins her, tucks herself into the embrace. She feels tears roll down her cheeks and onto Emily's arm and she's surprised she doesn't feel self conscious.

"It's okay," Emily whispers into her hair. "You're okay." She knows she should shut up, block out the way this is making her ache in a thousand different ways, but she can't – she keeps her lips pressed to JJ's hair and keeps whispering. Nothing in particular, really, just that everything's going to be okay and that she's strong and beautiful and she is so so sorry she had to go through this but it's not what you do or what they do to you, it's who you become…

She freezes when JJ nuzzles into her neck, brushing the sensitive spot on her collarbone. And everything shifts – a palpable electricity sparks between them and her fingers involuntarily dig into JJ's shoulder. JJ pulls back slowly and meets her eyes, questioning, their faces inches apart. Emily stares back, pulls her lip between her teeth and chews. She sees JJ's eyes flit down, and then back, and then her hand slides from her back, around her waist and down to her hip – she can't suppress the shiver that runs through her, her nerves tingling traitorously, and then JJ is leaning toward her, keeping her eyes on hers, still silently asking.

She shouldn't. They found themselves on this edge before, a long time ago, and she knows she shouldn't, for so many reasons, too many, but she has wanted this for so long and her eyes close and her lips part and her hand threads into JJ's hair. When their lips meet, finally, after years of anticipation and doubt and letting go, it's so glorious she releases a choked little whimper. JJ's teeth dig gently into her lip and their bodies arch into each other desperately.

Emily wedges her thigh between JJ's, slides her hand down her hip and turns her onto her back, kissing hard and JJ tugs at her hair, keeping their mouths firmly locked together, waves of pleasure radiating through her as her hips push up. Then Emily slows. Her hand slides around from her hip to just below her belly button, slipping under her t-shirt and spreading there, flat against her. JJ shivers, her eyes slamming shut because it feels so good and because she's definitely going to cry again. "Jayje, I'm sorry," Emily whispers, pulling back just enough to rest her forehead on JJ's. "I'm so sorry."

JJ tries to keep herself still as tears leak from her closed eyes, but she can't – her muscles are still shivering with anticipation and she tilts her chin up, pulls Emily's mouth back to hers and kisses her again, soft and trembling. "I know," she whispers, when they stop for air, her fingers sliding under the sweater and finding the raised, knotted scar tissue and whispering over it. "Me too."

Emily wakes in the morning tangled in JJ and in the sheets, the soft light telling her it's too early to move. Her hand finds its way into JJ's hair and she runs her fingers through it, thinking she can't believe she's here, they're here, finally. And she only gets four more days. Her throat aches with the thought and she closes her eyes, presses her head back into the pillow.

"Em," JJ mumbles, finding Emily's arm and trailing her fingers up and down slowly. "You know I never… I always… I never forgot." Emily doesn't know what to say to that, so she holds her closer. They're silent for so long she thinks JJ must have fallen asleep again, then the softest voice says, "Emily?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you be happy here? With me?"