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“Mama, wake up!! Dad wake up!!” Michael said as he jumped up his parents’ bed. “It’s Christmas!!”
Henry followed into their room as well and started exclaiming “It’s gift time!” Over and over again with his brother.
JJ smiled at her husband, who was already smiling at her. She reached out and stroke his cheek.
“Alright, alright, we’re up!” JJ said. “Merry Christmas, my boys.”
“Come on, let’s go down!” Henry exclaimed.
JJ and Will pushed down their comforter, stretched a little bit, then got out. Both the boys held JJ’s hands and rushed for her to go down the stairs where the tree is and gifts are.
Garland was wrapped around the stair railing, with some fairy lights already twinkling. Nutcrackers were also on the side of each of the step of the stairs. Their tree decorated with all of the tree decoration they’ve collected in the past few years. Each ornament special to each boy. And of course, the abundance of gifts under the trees. From JJ and Will, but also from their grandparents, other relatives, and JJ’s BAU friends. In short, their house was definitely decked in Christmas decorations.
They all sat down in their living room and before anyone could open anything, JJ said something.
“Boys, remember, we take turns opening gifts, okay?”
“Yep!” Both boys said.
“Okay, Michael open your first gift.”
“Yay!!”
“This one’s from your grandma and grandpa.” JJ said as she handed Michael a gift.
Michael quickly ripped into the gift wrapper, while Henry picked up the buts of gift wrapper to put it in a trash bag that Will has taken from the kitchen.
“Thanks, baby.” Will said to his eldest.
“Henry, look!! It’s lego!!!” Michael exclaimed, “Can you help me?”
“Sure, buddy!” JJ’s heart melted at the scene in front of her.
“Okay, here.” JJ said as he handed Henry his first gift, “This is from grandma and grandpa, too.”
“Woah, the Eiffel tower lego!!” Henry yelled, the boy was obsessed with Paris. JJ doesn’t really know why, but ever since she told him that she once went to Paris, he’s always asked her questions about the city.
“Okay, it’s Mama’s turn.” Will calmly said. “This is from the boys.”
“Open it, mama!!” Michael said.
“Ahhh. I hope you like it, Mama!!” Henry added.
“I’m sure, I’ll like it.” JJ teased the boys by unwrapping the gift very slowly and meticulously.
“Mama, rip it!!” Michael said, clearly getting impatient.
“Okay, if you say so!” JJ ripped the wrapper.
JJ opened the box and saw a baby blue scarf, her favorite color. She took it out of the box and put it around her neck.
“I love it, boys. It’s so warm and cozy. It’ll definitely help me when I’m out in the field.” JJ kissed Henry and Michael’s cheeks. “Thank you, boys.”
“Okay, daddy’s turn.” JJ said.
They went around opening more gifts, until their living room floor is filled with the gifts they got. JJ took a few pictures of her family opening gifts, foregoing a Christmas morning picture as they all forgot about it. The boys certainly didn’t remember it, and if they did, it wasn’t their priority. The gifts were their priority.
“Okay, last gifts for you two.” JJ handed them the gifts, “This is from Aunt Emmie.”
“It’s small, Mama. I wonder what it is.” Henry said.
“Well, open it up.” JJ, of course knew what it was as Emily asked if it was a good gift.
“What is it, mama?” Michael asked.
“No way! It’s a 100 gift card to the Arcade.” Henry excitedly told Michael.
“Whack-a-mole?”
“Yes, baby. The whack-a-mole place.” JJ confirmed.
“Yay!! I love arcade!”
“Aunt Emmie told me that if you boys would like she can join you at the Arcade.”
“Yes!!!” Both boys said.
“She’s good at basketball and always earns me lots of points.” Henry said.
“Okay, well, I’ll let her know and we can figure out a day. Do you boys wanna take a picture and send it to her?”
The boys automatically held their gift cards in front and smiled widely for their Aunt Emmie.
“Say thank you Aunt Emmie!” Will added when he saw that his wife was taking a picture.
“Thank you, Aunt Emmie!!!!”
“Perfect. I’ll send it to her, now!”
…
Christmas Eve
Emily was invited by her parents for a Christmas eve dinner, months ago. Knowing she doesn’t have anything else to do, she basically had to say yes. Her relationship with her mother has gotten better, thankfully. She showed up bringing gifts and wine for the dinner. Shortly after dinner, they opened their gifts but that was also short-lived. When her mom started asking about when she was going to have a partner and kids, she knew she had to get out of there soon.
And so, after about two hours at her parents, Emily was back at her own apartment. Where it was dark and dull. Almost no indication that it was Christmas. A stark contrast to JJ’s house. Emily placed the gifts she got from her parents in her room before going back to her home office where she keeps her small wine fridge. She needed to be drunk to get through the night and the morning. In the afternoon is fine as she will be heading into the office as she took the burden of being on call so that her co workers can have an actual Christmas with their families.
She opened a bottle, one that she got shipped from a vineyard in France. One she discovered when she was in hiding. She poured herself glass of wine, swirling it around, before taking a sip. She continued drinking and before she knows it she’s halfway through her bottle. Feeling a tipsy, she opened a drawer that she never opens. She calls it her trauma drawer. Her past diaries, some of her things from when she was undercover, when she was hiding in Paris, and of course the family heirloom ring that never found its way to the correct owner.
Emily took out the box and opened it to reveal a diamond encrusted white gold ring that was passed down through generations of Prentisses. Her dad, being the eldest child got it and he’s since passed it to Emily since she’s also the eldest of her generation.
“Honestly, I should give you to my other cousins because you’re gathering dust instead of being in someone’s finger.” Emily sighed. She asked her father for this ring in 2007, she was sure she was the one.
When Emily met JJ, she knew that she was special. She had so much compassion and empathy. She wasn’t afraid to show that outside their cases as well. Slowly, JJ has succeeded in demolishing Emily’s walls. When Emily was ready, she asked JJ out for a date, and surprisingly she said yes. And they worked well together since they were best friends first. After a year of dating, Emily was ready to commit to JJ, forever. And so she asked her father for the ring. She planned the perfect engagement, simple but is something that represented their love for each other. She was going to surprise JJ with a trip to Paris and in the comfort of their rented flat, she was going to propose.
But life had other plans. JJ broke up with her when she proposed. As it turned out, her parents didn’t know about their relationship and she wasn’t ready to fight for their relationship. Emily insisted that they didn’t need to break up. They didn’t even need to get married. They could take it day by day and that she’ll be there for JJ for when the time comes that she’s ready to tell her parents. Looking back, Emily now knows that the time was never meant to come.
Shortly after their breakup, JJ met Will during a case in New Orleans. Emily hated it. She hated every time JJ flirted with Will when she thought no one was looking. She hated that after their case, the two started talking to each other. But then Emily had no choice but to accept that Will was always going to be a part of JJ. JJ announced that she was pregnant. And Will’s the father. And that she was getting married to him. And so Emily never thought about marriage again. Instead, she focused on being a good FBI agent and a good and supportive friend to JJ. Something she needed. From that point on, she locked this ring in this drawer, never to be seen again. Emily gulped down the last glass of wine from her bottle. She clumsily placed the ring on her necklace and hid it underneath her shirt.
Emily woke up to a ding from her phone. To no one’s surprise she has a massive headache from her hangover.
“I can’t keep doing this shit.” Emily muttered as she massaged her temples. She chugged from the bottled water that she apparently placed on her side table while she was drunk. Once she’s a little settled, she opened the source of her interrupted sleeping. It was a text from JJ. More specifically two videos from Henry and Michael. One saying Merry Christmas and one where they opened her gifts to them.
She replied to JJ, “Merry Christmas, JJ, Will, Henry, and Michael! Tell the boys, they’re very welcome. Let’s plan a date for the arcade!”
JJ didn’t reply, she simply left a heart reaction to Emily’s message. Emily, replayed the videos of the boys. Over and over again.
“Aunt Emmie. That’s all I will ever be.”