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Most people have left the wedding by now. A few are still dancing, and a few are still drinking. Will was holding Henry and talking to his mother near the bar. JJ was slow dancing with Derek. It was quiet between them. Derek was like JJ’s older brother. “Emily’s going to London.” JJ freezes and stops dancing, pulling away to look at him. “What?” He nods. “Permanently.” JJ’s eyes dart around David Rossi’s backyard, searching for Emily. The small emily shaped hole in her heart aching. Derek could see the look in her eyes. “She just left.” JJ pulls away from him and starts quickly towards where the cars were parked. “JJ-“ Derek tries to call out to her, to let her take a moment to think about what she’s going to do. But she doesn’t stop, doesn’t even slow down. She makes it as Emily was unlocking her car. “What the fuck, Emily?”
Emily pauses as she hears the voice of the woman she’s loved for years. She turns to face her. “Morgan told you.” JJ scoffs, “Yes, he told me. Do you know how unfair that is? It should have been you! You should have been the one to tell me!”
Emily sighs. “I know, JJ.” They just look at each other for a moment, standing five feet apart, scared that if they get any closer, they wouldn’t be able to keep it to themselves. JJ breaks the silence with a whisper, “Don’t leave me.” To JJ, if she whispered it, maybe she wasn't being unfaithful to her husband, maybe she wasn’t betraying her kid. Emily bites her cheek. “Stop it, Jennifer.” JJ looks down; she knew what Emily meant. Stop looking at her like that, it always made Emily cave. Emily would do whatever JJ wanted… usually. But this time, Emily refused. She refused to ruin a marriage, to ruin a family, to ruin Henry. “I can’t.”
JJ says almost immediately, “You can!” Emily just stares. “I can leave him, we can share custody of Henry, and then I could—I could be with you! We could make it work-“ Emily shakes her head. “JJ… Jennifer, stop it. You would never do that.”
JJ shakes her head. “No, I would. I would. For you, Emily, I would.” They were silent for a moment, and footsteps appeared behind JJ. JJ turned to see her husband holding her sleeping son. Emily just stared at JJ in her wedding dress, a harsh reminder of the truth. She saw the look on JJ’s face and knew. She knew JJ would pick Will. JJ was in love with Emily but would choose Will. For Henry, she would choose Will. There were rare times Emily wished to be a man… but this was one of them. Maybe if she were a man, this would be easier. Maybe if she were a man, Jennifer Jareau would have chosen her. But she isn’t, and she didn’t. She chose Will. She will always choose Will. “Goodbye, JJ.” Emily starts climbing into her car.
JJ’s head snaps around, but she doesn’t move, she doesn’t say anything; she just stares. “Goodbye, Emily.” She manages out. JJ watches Emily’s car leave, the Emily shaped hole in her heart growing. JJ knew that was all she could say, because she chose Will. She always has, and always will. It’s always been Emily Prentiss, but it will always be William LaMontagne Jr.