Lead the Way - Chapter 076 - It's Not Too Late
This would be the second and last chapter that deals with the aftermath of Demonology and despite the fact that there's no hot sex scene I doubt anyone will be disappointed ;)
Lead the Way - 076 - It's Not Too Late
Emily got out of the cab, telling the driver to wait for her. The cold air hit her hard and for a split second she wavered. There was nothing to gain, but everything to lose. Her face and pride anyway. She had already lost everything else.
She looked up at the house and saw light behind the windows. She remembered evenings she had spent behind those doors, feeling welcome and safe; comfortable and loved. A chance like this only came once in a lifetime and she’d blown it. It was too late now to try and change any of it, but she wanted to make sure.
If anything like this ever presented itself again, she needed to be ready. Not to make the same mistake twice, just as David had said. Would it hurt more or less to hear that it really had been all her fault and no one else’s?
JJ wasn’t even sure she had heard it. So many times had she imagined that particular sound, she couldn’t tell anymore if it had actually happened. A particular knock on her door, that could come from one person only, that had made her heart jump every time. Her visitor had never rung the bell, only knocked in that special way of hers.
The media liaison decided it was better to err on the side of caution and went to get the door. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that - indeed - on her front step stood Emily Prentiss. For a second she stood and stared at the pale woman. She looked smaller and more fragile than she had ever seen her.
Coming to her senses JJ stepped aside and said: “Come on in, it’s cold out there.”
Emily barely stepped over the threshold, closing the door behind her.
“I’m sorry for barging in like this, I won’t keep you long.”
JJ wasn’t sure what she felt exactly. Somehow what she had hoped for, for weeks had just happened, yet she wanted nothing more than for Emily to leave. There was nothing she could say that would ease her pain. Every time she had to look at her during work JJ felt her heart break all over again and it wasn’t getting any easier at all.
She needed some distance and the look on her ex-girlfriend’s face - the prefix still sounded wrong - did nothing to help her. She wanted to take her into her arms and console her, bash in the head of whoever was responsible for putting her in this state, but Emily had decided that this wasn’t her place anymore.
JJ realized she hadn’t said anything in response and quickly said:
“Do you want some tea?”
“I just have a question.” She didn’t want to come in. The women stood in the hallway no more than 10 feet away from each other but they may as well have stood at opposite ends of the Earth.
“Yes?” JJ didn’t want to show how shaky her voice was, how it affected her to see the pain, not being able to do anything about it, to feel hurt herself and watching Emily not doing a damn thing about it.
“If I had… back then…” Emily paused but JJ knew immediately she spoke about their break-up a month ago. She looked down and shook her head before continuing. “I know it’s over, but…would you have…” Emily’s voice wasn’t quite so strong either, JJ noticed “…If I had taken that leap of faith…” Were those tears in her eyes? “If I had opened up, - I know it’s too late now - but back then, if I had let you in… tried to change… would you have stayed?” Emily looked down, not sure if she wanted to see the answer on JJ’s face.
JJ was stunned. Without thinking she whispered a hoarse:
“Yes.”
Emily nodded and turned around. She reached for the door knob but then her hand dropped to her side. She shook her shoulders and reached again for the knob when she heard JJ say:
“You’re wrong you know.”
Her hand still in mid air Emily asked the door: “About?” Tears were now streaming down her cheeks but she wouldn’t show JJ how hurt she was.
“It’s not too late.”
JJ took a small step towards the brunette. Emily turned around, forgetting her pride.
Her heart broke into a million pieces when she saw Emily look at her, so much longing, so much pain, so much love for her in her eyes.
Her voice low and shaky Emily begged: “Please don’t say it, if you don’t mean it,” her tone getting a little higher at the end of the sentence, as though it was a question.
“If you really are ready to let me in Emily…” She stopped, not wanting it to sound like a threat. Softer she said: “It’s not too late.”
Somewhere behind the tears and the pale skin Emily’s face lit up. She didn’t smile, she didn’t stop crying, but JJ was sure, something in Emily had been turned back on.
For a minute the women stood there looking at each other, drinking in every detail, remembering every moment they had shared and imagining what was to come.
Her voice much steadier Emily whispered: “See you at work.”
JJ smiled and replied: “See you at work,” her own eyes now positively overflowing with tears at the sound of the hope that lay in those four little words.
Lead the Way - 076 - It's Not Too Late
Emily got out of the cab, telling the driver to wait for her. The cold air hit her hard and for a split second she wavered. There was nothing to gain, but everything to lose. Her face and pride anyway. She had already lost everything else.
She looked up at the house and saw light behind the windows. She remembered evenings she had spent behind those doors, feeling welcome and safe; comfortable and loved. A chance like this only came once in a lifetime and she’d blown it. It was too late now to try and change any of it, but she wanted to make sure.
If anything like this ever presented itself again, she needed to be ready. Not to make the same mistake twice, just as David had said. Would it hurt more or less to hear that it really had been all her fault and no one else’s?
JJ wasn’t even sure she had heard it. So many times had she imagined that particular sound, she couldn’t tell anymore if it had actually happened. A particular knock on her door, that could come from one person only, that had made her heart jump every time. Her visitor had never rung the bell, only knocked in that special way of hers.
The media liaison decided it was better to err on the side of caution and went to get the door. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that - indeed - on her front step stood Emily Prentiss. For a second she stood and stared at the pale woman. She looked smaller and more fragile than she had ever seen her.
Coming to her senses JJ stepped aside and said: “Come on in, it’s cold out there.”
Emily barely stepped over the threshold, closing the door behind her.
“I’m sorry for barging in like this, I won’t keep you long.”
JJ wasn’t sure what she felt exactly. Somehow what she had hoped for, for weeks had just happened, yet she wanted nothing more than for Emily to leave. There was nothing she could say that would ease her pain. Every time she had to look at her during work JJ felt her heart break all over again and it wasn’t getting any easier at all.
She needed some distance and the look on her ex-girlfriend’s face - the prefix still sounded wrong - did nothing to help her. She wanted to take her into her arms and console her, bash in the head of whoever was responsible for putting her in this state, but Emily had decided that this wasn’t her place anymore.
JJ realized she hadn’t said anything in response and quickly said:
“Do you want some tea?”
“I just have a question.” She didn’t want to come in. The women stood in the hallway no more than 10 feet away from each other but they may as well have stood at opposite ends of the Earth.
“Yes?” JJ didn’t want to show how shaky her voice was, how it affected her to see the pain, not being able to do anything about it, to feel hurt herself and watching Emily not doing a damn thing about it.
“If I had… back then…” Emily paused but JJ knew immediately she spoke about their break-up a month ago. She looked down and shook her head before continuing. “I know it’s over, but…would you have…” Emily’s voice wasn’t quite so strong either, JJ noticed “…If I had taken that leap of faith…” Were those tears in her eyes? “If I had opened up, - I know it’s too late now - but back then, if I had let you in… tried to change… would you have stayed?” Emily looked down, not sure if she wanted to see the answer on JJ’s face.
JJ was stunned. Without thinking she whispered a hoarse:
“Yes.”
Emily nodded and turned around. She reached for the door knob but then her hand dropped to her side. She shook her shoulders and reached again for the knob when she heard JJ say:
“You’re wrong you know.”
Her hand still in mid air Emily asked the door: “About?” Tears were now streaming down her cheeks but she wouldn’t show JJ how hurt she was.
“It’s not too late.”
JJ took a small step towards the brunette. Emily turned around, forgetting her pride.
Her heart broke into a million pieces when she saw Emily look at her, so much longing, so much pain, so much love for her in her eyes.
Her voice low and shaky Emily begged: “Please don’t say it, if you don’t mean it,” her tone getting a little higher at the end of the sentence, as though it was a question.
“If you really are ready to let me in Emily…” She stopped, not wanting it to sound like a threat. Softer she said: “It’s not too late.”
Somewhere behind the tears and the pale skin Emily’s face lit up. She didn’t smile, she didn’t stop crying, but JJ was sure, something in Emily had been turned back on.
For a minute the women stood there looking at each other, drinking in every detail, remembering every moment they had shared and imagining what was to come.
Her voice much steadier Emily whispered: “See you at work.”
JJ smiled and replied: “See you at work,” her own eyes now positively overflowing with tears at the sound of the hope that lay in those four little words.