Chapter Text
"Jayje? Have you seen my hoodie?" Emily called up the stairs to her girlfriend. "Yah, my mom washed it yesterday, I think she hung it up in the closet in the living room" JJ shouted back over the sounds of the hair dryer. Emily found the sought after item in the closet, pulling it over her own freshly dried hair, and smiled as she smelled the mix of vanilla and coconut that was the Jareau's laundry detergent. Even though it was January, JJ's mom still kept everything in the house smelling like beach season, she said it helped combat the cold weather blues.
Just as Emily was tying up her boots JJ bounded down the stairs, kissing her girlfriend on the way into the kitchen.
The girls had been at JJ's mother's house since Friday since it was a long holiday weekend. When Sandy had gotten injured months ago JJ had started prioritizing going home to help out when she had the time, chopping firewood in the Fall, doing yard work in the Spring, helping her mom with her garden during the Summer. It wasn't long before Emily started coming around as well. The girls had thought they were subtle during their first few visits, but by Thanksgiving Sandy had been not so discreetly leaving both sets of clean towels for the visitors in JJ's old bedroom, knowing that the girls had been keeping up appearances about Emily staying in the guest room. "I am your mother Jennifer, you think I don't know when you're lying to me?" Sandy had asked when JJ had called her out on the towels. JJ looked sick, Emily looked ready to sprint for the door at a moment's notice, but Sandy had just hugged them both, told them she was glad they were happy, and handed them clean sheets.
Sandy surprised herself if she was being honest. She never thought she would find herself in this situation, her daughter had been the envy of the other girls and desire of the boys all through high school and into college, Sandy fully expected to have a son in law and grandchildren by now, but JJ had surprised her by joining the academy. When JJ had started bringing Emily around, Sandy couldn't help but be taken by the elegant sophistication, education, and grace the woman exuded. She quickly realized that no boy or man that JJ had ever expressed interest in had looked at her daughter the way Emily Prentiss did. To Emily, JJ hung the moon, the stars and the sun and it was obvious it was mutual. Sandy had lost enough in her life. Her eldest daughter, her marriage, she wasn't going to lose her youngest over someone loving her, so Emily had become a regular visitor to the Jareau household as well.
Sandy was in the kitchen with two travel mugs of coffee waiting for the women as they readied their belongings to head back to DC. It had been a lovely weekend including a trip to the town winter arts fair and some truly amazing homecooked meals courtesy of Emily, but their lives at the FBI now beckoned. Sandy handed each woman her assigned mug, JJ's purple and Emily's red "Coffee, two creams, two sugars for my baby girl, and coffee light milk no sugar for my other favorite girl" Sandy said as she hugged them goodbye. "See you in a few months mom! Bye Sandy!" the women shouted simultaneously as the door closed behind them.
JJ slung both of their bags into the trunk as Emily got behind the wheel of her Range Rover. It wasn't her favorite vehicle to drive, but the winter was still going strong in Pennsylvania and the four wheel drive was welcome. JJ quickly leaned over and kissed Em's cheek as the car roared to life "thanks for coming this weekend, babe" Emily squeezed JJ's thigh "I wouldn't miss quality time with you and your mom sweetheart, now let's get this show on the road" and they pulled out of the slush lined driveway.
About two hours into their four hour drive back to DC JJ's phone lit up with an incoming call from Garcia, before JJ could speak a word Garcia was talking "hello my favorite sugarplum, we have a case and you're needed in the office first thing tomorrow morning, like 5am first thing" "ugh" JJ groaned out "so much for relaxing tonight and starting the week slow." Garcia gave a sympathetic hum before continuing to speak "also have you heard from Emily? I tried to call her before I tried to call you and it went straight to voicemail." JJ glanced at Emily who indicated her phone was forgotten in the pocket of her jacket in the backseat "you know how Em is, probably fell asleep reading last night and forgot to charge it. I'll text her as well so when she does plug it in she knows what's up." Emily glared at JJ who held in a laugh as she said goodbye to her best friend. "Sure, paint me out to be the mindless one when it was YOU who unplugged my phone last night so you could charge yours and your airpods simultaneously." JJ just fluttered her eyelashes, flashed the smile she knew melted her girlfriend and said "yah, but you love me anyways." "Lord help me, I do" Emily muttered as she focused back on the road.
Five AM came around far too quickly for JJ's liking. She hated mornings and had a mental battle with herself to get out of bed. Emily had gone back to her own apartment when they had returned to DC, knowing full well if she stayed at JJ they'd get minimal rest, and the team of always watching profilers would identify the smell of JJ's shampoo on her in an instant. It wasn't that they were ashamed or that they thought the team wouldn't be supportive. They knew everyone would, but it had only been six months and they were still holding onto their blissful bubble of each other, before everyone's commentary, jokes and feedback got involved. Besides, they'd have to tell Hotch and get it cleared with HR, something neither was particularly looking forward to.
JJ strode into the BAU bullpen about ten minutes after Emily, walking alongside Spencer and Derek who both looked about as happy as she was to be in the office at that hour. JJ stopped by her desk on the way to the conference room and was met with a steaming hot cup of coffee made special just for her if she was judging by the aroma of vanilla and cinnamon rising from the cup. She glanced over at her girlfriend, silently thanking her for the coffee as she headed into the briefing. Emily blushed a bit, still getting a small thrill out of doing sweet things for the other girl, even six months in, and followed.
Garcia was waiting for the team with folders in hand and imaged already up on the screen. "Okay crime fighters, welcome back, I hope you had a good weekend, because it looks like it's going to be a tought week. You're needed in Pennsylvania." JJ audibly groaned causing the whole team to look at her "sorry, I just got back from there last night, I was visiting my mom" JJ clarified as Garcia kept talking. "We're going to a very small town not far from where my favorite blonde angel grew up, there's been a string of abductions that need solved." Garcia paused for a moment before following up with her next bit of information "the reason you're here so early is because a massive nor'easter is brewing out over the Atlantic, the storm isn't set to hit the area until later tonight, but the sooner you arrive the better your chances of not getting stuck." This time the whole team groaned knowing this meant their jobs would be even harder. Fresh snow blanketing crime scenes meant analysing was near impossible. "The smaller airports are already denying incoming flights due to the possible weather, so you'll have to fly into Pittsburgh and drive the rest of the way or just drive from here" Garcia finished up her spree of bad news. Everyone looked at Hotch who stood up and made a decision "if we drive, we have the SUV's with us so we're not beholden to local law enforcement. It's early enough, we can make it before the weather turns." Everyone gathered their things and headed for the door, no one happy about the four hour drive or the added stress of the weather messing up their investigations. "Au revoir superheroes, I'll have your hotel information for you before you arrive!" Garcia happily shouted after them as they filed out the door.
The weather did not wait until the evening to start turning. Halfway to their destination the wind started howling and snow began to pile up along the streets. The highways were still clear, but JJ knew once they left the highways it was going to be a slow ride the rest of the way. Having grown up in the area she anticipated country backroads that were not plowed and snow drifts as the wind blew sideways. She picked up her phone to call the other SUV with Hotch, Rossi, and Morgan to let them know what she figured was going to happen but found they had already crossed into no cell service territory. Sure enough, as Emily took the highway exit it was clear the roads were slick and dangerous. Spencer was helpfully commenting about statistics regarding winter weather and tire traction when Emily spotted the other bureau SUV at a gas station they were coming up on and stopped. JJ knew as soon as they got out of the car that something had gone amiss. Rossi looked confused, Morgan was pacing and Hotch looked furious "What do you mean there are no rooms?" he shouted down the line at poor Garcia who was on speaker. "Sorry boss man, the storm came in quicker than was expected, flights were grounded and everywhere in the surrounding area was booked up" Garcia squeaked out. Hotch all but growled "where are we meant to stay? the floor of the local precinct?" JJ could almost hear the stressed face Garcia was making "there might be a place another hour or so out, but you'd have to get there in this weather and...." Garcia trailed off as Hotch huffed. JJ finally had enough of watching Hotch stress out her best friend and before she stopped herself she said "we can stay at my mom's place." Garcia's sigh of thanks was audible as Hotch ended the call "JJ are you sure? You're offering up your mom's house as a hotel, do you think you should check with her?" JJ shrugged until she noticed Emily staring absolute daggers at her "yah JJ, maybe you should CALL AND WARN HER FIRST." Suddenly JJ froze, understanding what Emily was getting at. They were keeping a big secret and Sandy Jareau was not renowned for her secret keeping abilities. JJ schooled her face, pulling out her phone, thankful they had re-entered cell service territory, and dialled her mom. She explained the situation and told Sandy the team would be there within the half hour. As JJ took a few steps away from the team she quietly muttered to her mom "and mom, remember, you know nothing about me and Emily, and for god’s sake, please take the photos from Christmas off the mantle." Hanging up she glanced at her team "off to chez Jareau." What could possibly go wrong?