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Emily knows something has shifted since she’s been in London, that much is obvious and expected, but she didn’t think she’d be coming back to a divided team. It’s like the majority of the team are against Jj, Rossi being really the only one that the blonde still looks comfortable being around.
Prentiss has known that her leaving the way she did would cause issues, she can’t place why they seem to fall on Jj. That is- til she hears it.
“You should have told me! I came to you crying for weeks about losing a friend and you didn’t even tell me she wasn’t really gone!” Reid snaps in Jj’s face, in front of the whole team, Jj actually recoils from the words and stumbles back the smallest amount before Spencer’s storming away.
This is when Emily assumed Hotch would step in, go after Spencer to tell him off for being so rude, go comfort their little girl even if she’s not regressed, he does neither. Aaron simply turns back to his work with his lips twisted in unsaid words and gives a sigh like this has been going on for some time, it leaves Emily baffled.
Jj is standing there on the verge of tears and the only one who looks concerned is Rossi. Hotch is supposed to stick up for Jennifer, to be there for her no matter what, that was the deal he made with Prentiss before she left, apparently he’s forgotten it.
Emily can’t stand to see another second of this play out so she quickly struts her way over to where Jj stands, she’s looking down at some file, obviously not engaged in it as her eyes have a gloss of tears being un-shed.
“Honey?” Prentiss asks the softest way she can, no matter how her blood boils at Reid and Hotch right now.
“He- hey em, what’s up?” Jj’s voice cracks when she looks up towards the dark haired girl, a weary smile on Jj’s face that falls flat just as quick as it raises.
“Reid shouldn’t be talking to you like that, has that happened before?” Her mama bear instincts are getting the best of her, Emily is acutely aware of this, she does nothing to stop it.
“Wh- what? You don’t have to worry about it.” Jj quickly defends and sets her files down to wrap her arms around herself, a nervous habit Emily picked up on back when they first started working together.
“Baby girl, I need to know if Reid’s been talking to you like that, or if anyone has.” Emily places a tentative hand on Jj’s shoulder, they’re at work so she can’t do half the mothering she wants to but it’s enough to bring comfort to Jj’s chest.
“Yeah. Kinda. It’s not their fault, Reid’s just upset and he has a right to be. Really it’s no-.” No big deal, Prentiss has heard those words come out of Jj’s mouth far too many times and most times Hotch would be the one to jump in and correct her, but he seems to be preoccupied so Prentiss can take over.
“That doesn’t give Spencer the right to lash out, or anybody for that matter. Have you talked to Hotch?” A sad look crosses Jj’s face as she slumps a little closer to Emily.
“Can we not talk about this now? I don’t want to slip.” Prentiss can feel how her emotions swirl at the soft whisper Jj gives, her poor baby sounds so distraught, almost bordering on scared, Emily gives a nod and decides she can save this conversation for when they aren’t in the middle of prescient.
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Thankfully Jj is still in charge of ordering the rooms even after moving up from her liaison job, so it gives Prentiss the perfect place to ask a few more questions while they get ready for bed.
“Is it just Reid that’s been saying things?” She’s awaiting Jj on the end of her bed, already changed out of work clothes and into pajamas while Jj finishes up brushing her teeth.
“I don’t know, I don’t see why it matters.” Prentiss huffs a little, the blonde has always been one to figure out things on her own and while Emily admires it, she can’t help but worry that the teams been more cruel than what’s being let on.
“Because he’s your friend and teammate and shouldn’t be saying those things. I know me coming back is hard and might not be all that accepted-.” She can’t finish her thought as the clatter of Jj setting her toothbrush rather harshly cuts through the air.
“I missed you, I accept you back, it’s not hard. It’s good. I really- really missed you.” A wet tone falls on Jj’s words, followed with a sniffle that makes Emily rush to the bathroom where Jj stands awkwardly hugging herself with her head ducked down, almost looking- shameful?
“Oh baby, Shh, mamas here, it’s okay.” Emily’s latched onto quickly, Jj stuffing her face against Prentiss’ neck, wrapping her arms tightly around Emily’s waist and letting out short cries.
“Sweetheart you need to talk to me, I need you to tell me what’s going on.” Emily pleads, she feels helpless holding her baby crying into her, she knows she can’t fix whatever happened over the months she was gone, but hearing Jj mumble out small things about Spencer and Hotch being cold and rude have her heart aching even worse.
They’re both supposed to be people that Jj can come to and trust, that will be there like a family should, only it sounds like they’ve been doing the exact opposite.
The words Jj’s using are ones she’d never dare to mutter out normally when she’s regressed, though she spits them out with a frustrated tone, not towards either man but at herself, Emily can tell.
She can feel how angry Jj is at herself as soon as they shuffle over to the bed and the blonde is withdrawing from Emily’s hold to instead rant. A shame filled rant, Prentiss is hit with the sick realization that Jj feels shameful for missing Emily, her best friend, her mama. And Jj keeps on talking while Emily sits helplessly across from her.
Jj’s eyes still flood down with tears, hands motioning around, words coming out fast and mumbled, all Emily does is watch.
Broken heartedly watching, also planning exactly what she’s going to say to Spencer and Hotch tomorrow, some exclusive words come to her mind when Jj stops talking to latch back onto Emily.
“I- I missed you so much- I can’t- they- can’t-!” It’s sobs with no real point to the words, Jj curling against Emily’s chest within seconds, her hands bawling up fists of Prentiss’ sleep shirt to try and bring them impossibly closer.
“I know baby, I know, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere, Mamas right here.” Even if nobody else is, Emily will be there, she can guarantee it.
“Mama is right here.” She repeats against her blonde headed baby, even with the sobbing she knows Jj heard it, feels it, believes it, that’s all they need.
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