FF: Slow Surprise (Criminal Minds) JJ/Emily NC-17 6/14
While Henry picked at the peas in his stew, JJ and Emily got down to business discussing the ranch. Pencil and paper were brought out, the oil lamps turned up in the growing darkness, and plans laid out step by step. It was a sign of Providence, JJ supposed, that many of Emily's plans to expand the ranch had been things she and Will had talked about on late nights, when dreams were all that was left to sustain them. They would start with the corral; the operation was small enough right now it was easy to keep track of the cattle, but Emily wanted to expand - quickly - and they needed some basic containment for breeding and branding.
JJ brought out the original homestead map to show the ranch; Emily compared it to her own territory and area maps, showing the other woman areas they could expand into, including federal lands where grazing was free. By the end of the night, Henry was curled up asleep in JJ's lap, still clutching his wooden train, and Emily was fighting a series of yawns.
“I didn't realize it had gotten so late,” she muttered, standing up to stretch the protesting muscles of her back.
“Well, that happens with good company,” JJ smiled, fighting her own yawn as she laid Henry down in his bed, clothes and all, before tucking him in.
Emily felt a sudden pang of longing, something she couldn't understand, as JJ brushed her fingers over the boy's hair before kissing his cheek softly. “I should, uh, I should head back into town.”
“It's pitch black out there.”
“Oh, I can find my way easily enough. Besides, Hasiba has an excellent sense of direction.”
“Sense of direction or not, it's a long way back. Besides, I meant to show you something earlier.” JJ picked up a lamp, going to the front door as Emily followed behind curiously. Across the front yard, past the barn to the tack shed. JJ turned up the lamp all the way as she opened the door, stepping to the side so Emily could walk in first.
Emily wasn't certain what the shed had looked like before, but the word 'cozy' was the first to strike her as she took in the rug, the bed piled with blankets, the small table and chair that could be used as a desk, and a two drawer dresser.
“I know it's not much-”
“-No, no it's… it's lovely,” Emily ground out, swallowing an unexpected lump in her throat. “It's lovely,” she repeated, voice barely above a whisper. She turned to JJ, smiling. “It's perfect. I'll bring the rest of my things out tomorrow.”
“Miss Penelope's gonna be sad about that.”
“Oh, I think she'll manage along without me scaring her customers just fine.”
JJ laughed. Emily smiled.
The small shed seemed to grow, if possible, even smaller.
Emily took a step closer. “Thank you for this, JJ.”
JJ kept her eyes fixed on Emily's watching pupils expand, eyes growing impossibly darker. “You're welcome.” Was that her voice, she wondered. Why was she so breathless? Why did it feel like her heart was going to pound out of her chest?
Emily started to take another step and then stopped, shifting instead to rock back, farther away. “I should get some sleep. So should you.”
JJ swallowed hard. “I will.”
A tight, unsteady smile and then she was gone.
Emily sunk onto the bed, took a deep breath, and cursed softly. “This… is not good.”
*
There wasn't much to gather from the saloon but her saddlebags, still Emily lingered over the task, trying to work out in her mind exactly what had happened the night before now that she had some distance from JJ. What didn't help was wearing a shirt borrowed from the other woman, being able to smell her with every move she made.
How was she supposed to think when every breath reminded her of sunshine and soft smiles?
“Movin' out already?”
Beth leaned casually against the doorframe, but Emily noticed the way her fingers worried the lace on her dress. “I am.”
“Sick of us, huh?”
Emily straightened up, cinching her saddlebag tight. “Just time for me to move on.”
“That's good. Good for you.” Beth's smile was less than convincing. Emily hitched her saddlebags up onto her shoulder, pausing at the doorway, her body inches from Beth's. Beth reached up, fiddling with the buttons on Emily's shirt. “You gonna come back and visit me some time?”
“I've got a lot of work to do on my ranch.”
“That ranch is gonna keep you that busy?”
“It just might,” she answered, offering an apologetic but genuine smile. She took a breath - and thought of JJ.
Beth slowly pulled her hand away. “Don't let them cattle give you too hard a time.”
“I'll do my best.”
Downstairs, Penelope excused herself from a group of gentleman newly arrived on the stage coach and met Emily at the bar. “Packed up?”
“Didn't have much.” She pulled out her billfold, counted out more than enough money to cover her expenses, and handed it to Penelope who dutifully tucked it away in her cleavage.
“Gonna be sad to see you go. You brought an interesting color to this place.” Her eyes drifted up to the staircase as Beth walked down, heading for the newly arrived customers even as her eyes stayed on Emily. “I'm not the only one who'll be sad to see you go.”
“She's a sweet girl.”
“Mm hmm. And she's sweet on you. Probably best you're moving on before she starts gettin' ideas.”
“And what kind of ideas might those be?”
“That she's got half a chance with you.”
“Who says she doesn't?”
Penelope just pursed her lips. “That's a nice shirt you've got on there… new?” Prentiss glared. “See what I mean?”
“I…” There was no good response to that so Emily just shut up. “Thank you for the accommodations, Miss Penelope.”
The saloon mistress just grinned. “Miss Emily, it was a pleasure, to say the least.”
Kevin waved from behind the bar. She tipped her hat to him as she walked out, calling back, “Don’t give up Kevin. You'll make an honest woman of her yet.”
*
Two weeks later…
JJ lingered on the porch, watching the morning light glint off of Emily's dark locks of hair as the woman continued one sweeping motion after the next, chopping log after log with a practiced ease that made JJ yearn, although she couldn't say for what. They'd settled into a pattern of living that was surprisingly easy between them, divvying up chores and work, including, JJ thought with some amusement, keeping Henry occupied. What JJ hadn't expected, however, when she'd agreed to stay on as Emily's foreman was to feel like a partner and not an employee. The brunette was smart - very smart - but she made a point to ask JJ's opinion about everything. Not just the cattle or moving the chicken coop to the far side of the yard, but details as small as purchasing new tools.
Tools they had put to good use building the new corral. It had taken days of back-breaking work, but they'd gotten it finished, and despite the town gossip, it hadn't fallen down yet.
“Morning.”
Emily let the ax fall once more, splitting the wood into smaller kindling, then turned, wiping her face on a bandana. JJ's chest hitched as she took a breath. “Morning.”
“I'm headed into town for church services. Afterwards, Hailey and I are working on quilts for this winter. Probably'll be gone most of the day. I can wait a bit if you'd like to go in with me.”
“Thank you for the offer, but the Church and I aren't exactly on speaking terms.”
JJ had noticed the hesitancy at the dinner table, something that had eased a bit as the days went by. She assumed it was from lack of practice, but it seemed Emily's reluctance went much deeper. “Is it because you're Catholic? I know we don't have the same rites, but I'm sure the pastor wouldn't mind.”
“It's not about the rites.” Although she appreciated JJ's openness. “You might've noticed, but I don't exactly like to follow other people's rules.”
A quick grin; JJ matched it. “I had noticed that, yes.”
An easy joke, a small, sarcastic tease. They'd been doing more of that lately now that they were comfortable around each other. It was driving Emily a little crazy. “You should get onto church. Don't want to be late for your minister.”
“Do you need me to pick anything up for you while I'm in town? Post? Newspaper?”
Emily eased back into a smile, walking the few steps toward the porch to snag little Henry up before he could examine a mud puddle too closely in his Sunday best. “No, I'm all right. Probably going to head out to the south pasture and take a look at the fence line. I'll be back before dark.”
JJ nodded and took Henry from Emily, smiling as well as the little boy continued to giggle while Emily made faces at him. “Have a good ride.” Bundling Henry up into the wagon, JJ released the break and urged the old mule into a plodding trot, looking back just once to find that Emily was watching her drive away.
*
A long ride had been just what Emily needed to clear her mind. Hasiba had agreed obligingly when Emily had taken her down to the south pasture and given her horse free rein. Down into the small valley, across the pasture, the cattle merely looking up with mild disdain as horse and rider raced past, a shout of joy as Hasiba easily jumped a fallen tree and raced on.
It made her remember Algiers and racing across the desert; tumbling down the mountain side in the Alps on her grandfather's estate. She lowered her head to the mare's neck, the wind whipping her face, and tasted freedom. She couldn't remember how long she'd been out there, racing the wind, but eventually she slowed as they approached the stream that ran along the western border of the land.
Swinging out of the saddle, she led Hasiba to the stream and let her drink her fill while she practically dunked her head into the cool water. She pulled her hair back into a loose pony-tail, tossed another handful of water down her neck and back, and shook the excess off with a laugh. Plopping down onto the grass, she let Hasiba wander a bit, confident the horse wouldn't go too far as she started to lazily doze in the afternoon sun.
In the twilight world between dreams and awareness she drifted, letting the sunlight lull her, letting her mind wander. As it did whenever she had a free moment, it went to JJ. A smile, the echo of her laughter, the way she cared for her son. Emily had never felt that love in her own home, had never realized it had been missing, had never known she'd wanted it.
But God did she want it now.
Wanted JJ.
Wanted everything.
Overhead a vulture screamed. Another answered.
She peeked an eye open and watched the birds circle something in the distance to the south where the woods met the pasture. Too many birds, she realized.
A chill went through her.
Hauling up to her feet she whistled for Hasiba and checked her guns as the horse trotted over. It didn't take much to follow the carrion calls of the scavengers and once inside the woods the smell took her the rest of the way.
Please just be a cow… please just be a cow…
It wasn't a cow.
She didn't even get off the horse - from the condition of the body there was no point. Muttering a string of curses she turned Hasiba and charged back toward the ranch, and then, on toward town.
*
“So, things are going well then between you two?”
An innocent enough question, and yet it startled JJ such that her finger slipped and she jabbed the sewing needle into her thumb. She cursed, blushed, and immediately apologized for cursing. Hailey just gave her a curious look. “Yes, uh, things are going well.”
“Hmmm. Well that’s good.”
Something in Hailey’s tone made JJ stop shaking her injured finger to meet the other woman’s amused gaze. “What?”
“You like her.”
“She’s my employer.”
“But you like her,” Hailey countered. “You make an odd pair, but it works.”
“She’s smart,” JJ explained. “Her plans for the ranch are exactly what I’ve always wanted to do, I just never had the funds. It’s hard not to like that.”
“And it doesn’t bother you? I heard some stories when she was staying in the saloon. Those guns aren’t for show. Neither is her swagger.”
Inexplicably, JJ blushed again. “I wouldn’t know anything about her swagger.”
“They say-”
Boots pounded up the back steps; someone pushed all polite-society aside and banged on the door. Hailey set the quilt aside and opened up the door a crack, widening it as she recognized Emily’s grim face. “Miss Prentiss, is there something the matter?”
“Pardon the intrusion, but I need to speak to your husband.”
“Aaron’s downstairs doing paperwork. Why? What’s happened?”
“Emily?” JJ’s voice held all the uncertainty Emily felt in that moment, but the brunette made herself stand still, shoulders back, and deliver the news even as her stomach twisted.
“I found another body.”
“I’ll get Aaron,” Hailey whispered, hurrying out to find her husband.
For long moments the two women just stared at each other in the silence of the store’s apartment.
Boots pounded on the stairs; Hotch shoved open the door. “You found another body?”
“South pasture,” Prentiss answered, far steadier than she felt. It wasn’t seeing another dead body that was bothering her so much, as the fact there was another dead body. Another dead body on her property. “I rode out to check the fence line and the cattle. Saw some scavengers and went to check it out. It’s another woman,” Prentiss said softly, letting the implication hang.
Hotch didn’t say anything for a moment. “All right. All right… Hailey, will you keep the boys? I'll get Morgan and Mr. Rossi. Miss Prentiss, would you mind alerting Dr. Reid? We'll all ride out together.”
“I'll go get the wagon,” JJ offered, already moving, already needing, wanting to be useful. Emily followed her out.
Aaron waited until they were gone before going to far cabinet and pulling out his Remington revolver; he handed Hailey the shotgun. “I know you don't like guns-”
“No, it's okay.” The slightest tremble in her voice was the only indication she was at all upset. “I remember how to use it.”
“I should be back before dark.” He strapped on his gun belt, hating the way the weapon fit so easily against his hip.
“Be careful.” He nodded; the same nod he'd given her before walking out to join the Union all those years before. She grabbed his arm as he started to walk out, pulling him down into a lingering kiss. “Don't keep me waiting too long.”
Aaron smiled, just the tiniest upturn of his lips, and then walked out.
Part Seven