wine night at 'nelope's.
when emily got home, there was no time to pause. she had things to do. like, get unready and ready at the same time—because while most people would associate pajamas with winding down, tonight, they meant something different.
tonight, they were going to wine night.
but before anything else, before she could even put her work bags down and aria’s backpack, there was one priority emily had learned could never be ignored.
“sergy!”
aria’s little voice rang through the house the second they stepped inside, her excitement overriding any remnants of her earlier tears. right on cue, as if he had been waiting for the invitation, sergio emerged from somewhere, his sleek black body rubbing against aria’s legs in greeting. emily smirked, reaching up to the cabinet where she kept his treats.
“three, bug. just like always.”
aria bounced slightly on her socked feet, nodding eagerly, her hands already outstretched. emily placed the small treats into her tiny palm, watching as aria carefully lowered herself to the floor, her face serious, taking the duty of feeding sergio with the kind of importance most people reserved for presidential addresses.
“‘ere, sergy,” she murmured, holding out her hand.
sergio, as usual, took his time. sniffing first. then delicately taking the first treat. then the second. then the third. once he finished, he rubbed against aria again, and she giggled, patting his head in what she probably considered a professional manner. emily shook her head fondly, crouching beside her.
“good job, baby,” she murmured, before plucking her right up.
“now, bath.”
and bath time? had never been faster. not too rushed in a way that made aria upset, but fast enough that she noticed, her little scrunched nose and bright giggles proof that she found emily’s urgency hilarious.
“emmy fast,” she giggled, watching as emily rinsed the shampoo from her hair with a practiced hand, shielding her eyes with a washcloth.
“yeah, yeah,” emily muttered, smirking as she squeezed the excess water from aria’s hair. “you try getting us both ready in time for wine night.”
aria blinked, her tiny hands splashing slightly in the water.
“wine night?”
emily hummed, wrapping her in a towel and lifting her out of the tub.
“mhm. you, me, penelope, and jj .”
aria’s brows lifted slightly, intrigued. emily smirked.
“yeah, thought that’d get your attention.”
dried, diapered, zipped into a ridiculously soft pair of footie pajamas, emily refused to acknowledge how much she paid for—aria was ready. emily packed a bag of toddler essentials – extra pajamas, diapers, socks — and, of course, the most important item of all—aria’s rabbit, tucked carefully inside.
then, it was her turn. she pulled on sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt, washed her face, clipped her hair back, and sighed. when she turned back, aria was standing in the hallway, watching her. her little head tilted, her expression one of pure confusion. because, in her world— pajamas meant bed, not going out . emily bit back a laugh, recognizing the exact thought process happening in real-time.
“yes, baby, we’re going out in our pajamas.”
aria’s lips puckered slightly, her little fingers gripping the sleeve of her pajama top, like she was considering whether or not this was truly acceptable behavior. but after a moment, she nodded and accepted it.
emily smirked and scooped her right up.
“alright, bug. let’s go.”
emily barely gets a knock in before the door swings wide open and there’s penelope garcia. bright, bubbly, radiating excitement, like she’s been waiting for this moment all day – which in theory, she has.
“oh my goodness, my prentiss girls are here!”
aria immediately grips emily a little tighter, her small fingers curling into the fabric of emily’s sweatshirt. her brows raise, her big brown eyes wide, like she’s taking in just how vibrant penelope is. she knows penelope. she’s seen her before. but no one in her daily world—not emily, not jj, not even the daycare teachers—operates at t his level of energy. emily chuckles, shifting her slightly, rubbing slow, soothing circles over her back.
“it’s okay..” she murmurs, kissing the top of her head.
aria doesn’t move, doesn’t let go of emily’s sweatshirt, but she doesn’t hide either.
she just watches, lifts her head up just a bit more – and penelope’s entire face shifts. her eyes widen, her hands fly to her mouth, and she gasps dramatically.
“oh! her lip!”
and just like that, jj is there. like she just materialized out of thin air. her wine glass is abandoned on the coffee table, her sharp blue eyes locked immediately onto aria, her entire posture alert.
“what happened?”
her voice is soft but urgent, her hands already hovering near aria like she wants to reach out but isn’t sure if she should. emily exhales, shifting aria slightly in her arms as she continues her soft bounce.
“she took a tumble at daycare,” emily explains, gently running her fingers through aria’s curls. “tried keeping up with the big kids. she went down pretty hard.”
jj frowns, her gaze flickering to aria’s swollen little lip, her jaw tightening slightly as she cups aria’s cheek, her thumb brushing gently against the bruised portion of the toddlers lip.
“did she cry a lot?” she asks, her voice gentle, like it matters deeply to her — because it does. emily nods, rubbing slow comforting circles against aria’s back.
“yeah, it just happened before i picked her up. she’s okay now, though.”
aria, her little body still slightly tucked against emily, shifts just a bit, her big brown eyes blinking up at jj through her lashes. just like that she softens completely, because it’s jj. jj, who is always gentle, always warm, always safe.
jj’s expression shifts immediately, the worry still present but replaced with something softer.
“hey, sweetheart,” she murmurs, reaching up slowly, her fingers lightly tracing through aria’s curls.
without hesitation, without a single second of thought, she reaches for her. her tiny fingers stretch out toward jj, her little hands grasping at the air.
“hold ‘ou..”
aria’s signature way of being asked to be held. ‘hold you’. its never been ‘hold me’ – she’s always said hold you.
jj doesn’t hesitate for a second. she scoops her up, settling her against her chest, one hand cupping the back of her head, the other resting lightly on her back, soothing instantly. aria relaxes completely, her little fingers curl into the fabric of jj’s hoodie, her body melting into her like this is second nature. emily watches, her chest warming, something deep and unspoken settling in her ribs.
“you’re still my tough girl, huh?” jj murmers, pressing a soft kiss to aria’s temple.
aria nods, letting out a small, contented breath. penelope, who has been silently watching this entire exchange, tilts her head slightly. because she knows jj loves kids, she knows jj has always been maternal, gentle, warm. but this? this is different.
aria had reached for jj, had settled against her without hesitation, had melted into her like she was already hers. penelope watches, her eyes flickering between emily and jj. because emily doesn’t react to it. she doesn’t hesitate. she doesn’t try to keep aria in her arms like she always does, she just lets her go, like this is normal . like this is something that happens all the time.
penelope wonders just how close are they? because jj didn’t hesitate. emily didn’t hesitate. aria looks like she is right at home the second she’s against jj’s chest. penelope doesn’t say anything— not yet. but she tilts her head slightly, her eyes narrowing just a bit, a silent question forming in the back of her mind. “how close are jj and emily?”
she quickly clears her throat, shifting slightly as one of her cats makes an appearance, slinking out from wherever he had been hiding, his tail flicking as he surveys the new guests letting out a soft meow.
“ope—” she hums, placing a hand on her hip, tilting her head. “and whiskers has now noticed we have more company.”
aria lifts her head at the sound of the soft meow, her little brows raising slightly, lips parting just a bit like she’s processing this new information. a small, happy little smile twitches at her lips as she looks around, her weight shifting in jj’s arms, wiggling just a bit as she searches for the source of the noise.
“titty?”
penelope blinks. jj busts out laughing, her whole body shaking with it. emily snickers immediately, cheeks already burning red.
“kitty,” both jj and emily correct at the exact same time, their voices overlapping perfectly.
which, of course, makes penelope’s brows lift dramatically. her brain latches onto it, filing it away into the ever-growing folder of things to analyze later. but she doesn’t stay on it, not right now.
“she’s still working on pronouncing that one, but shes trying.”
emily notes, tucking a few strands of hair behind aria’s ears as penelope grins, nodding at aria.
“that’s right, kitty,” she affirms warmly, stepping back, motioning for everyone to come further inside. “come on, get comfortable—let me show you what i put together!”
jj shifts aria slightly in her arms, following emily toward the warm, inviting living room, the soft glow of twinkle lights casting golden hues against the walls. as they step in, penelope immediately dives into her carefully curated spread, her voice softening slightly as she turns her attention to aria.
“okay, miss ari, this section right here is all yours,” she hums, motioning toward the carefully labeled aria’s snacks corner of the table.
aria blinks, her head tilting just a bit as her big brown eyes study the spread, penelope motioning toward each little bowl.
“see? we have puffs, we have fruit, we have these little yogurt melts that i heard were very fancy,” she hums. “oh, and we have crackers—but only the good kind.”
aria’s brows raise slightly, intrigued, her fingers curling slightly into jj’s hoodie as she absorbs all the information. emily, settling onto the couch with her wine, shakes her head fondly.
“p, you do realize she eats like… four things, right? thats on a good day.”
penelope gasps dramatically, pressing a hand to her heart.
“but what if tonight is the night she discovers something new?!”
jj snickers, bouncing aria just slightly, watching the way her little face is soaking in every single thing penelope is showing her.
“she’s definitely interested,” jj murmurs, watching as aria’s little fingers twitch slightly, like she’s already debating what to grab first. penelope beams, looking very pleased with herself, before gently tapping aria’s knee.
“alright, babycakes, you just let me know what you want, okay?”
aria hums softly, her lips pursing slightly in that deep-in-thought way only toddlers can manage. then, after a few moments of careful consideration, she reaches forward, pointing her tiny hand toward the bowl of yogurt melts. penelope gasps softly, like this is the most exciting thing that has ever happened.
“oh, excellent choice, my little connoisseur!”
jj, who has been bouncing aria like second nature, smiles and kneels down, carefully setting aria down on the floor, steadying her as she walks forward, moving toward the little tray penelope has set up just for her. emily, meanwhile, is pouring a glass of wine, her eyes never straying far from aria, watching as she ventures out just a little bit further than she usually does.
it’s small, barely noticeable to most people— but emily sees it. the way aria doesn’t immediately cling to jj or emily after being set down. the way she takes a moment to survey her surroundings before reaching for something on her own. the way she gravitates toward penelope, still cautious, but just a little braver than she normally is in new environments.
emily smiles because she knows how big that is. she knows that, for aria, this is a huge step. jj settles beside emily, nudging her knee lightly with her own.
“she’s getting bold,” jj murmurs, watching as aria carefully picks up one of the yogurt melts, examining it thoroughly before popping it into her mouth.
emily hums, sipping her wine.
“yeah,” she murmurs, tilting her head slightly as she watches. “she is.”
penelope, absolutely beside herself, kneels down beside aria, keeping her movements gentle, slow, trying not to overwhelm her.
“do you like them, princess?” she asks softly, watching as aria chews thoughtfully. penelope’s hands are clasped together in pure anticipation, waiting for aria’s official verdict on the yogurt melts. because this? this is important. this is a defining moment in their relationship. aria chews slowly, her little brows pinching slightly like she’s truly considering the taste, her tiny fingers curled loosely around another melt.
emily watches closely, her lips twitching as she takes a slow sip of wine, already knowing this moment is going to be a lot for penelope.
aria blinks. nods. and in the softest, most assured little hum—
“oh dood.”
penelope gasps, her hands flying to her chest like she’s just been personally blessed by the universe.
“ohmygod.”
jj snorts, biting her lip as she tilts her head, watching penelope spiral.
“i am obsessed with her,” penelope declares, looking like she might actually fall over.
but aria? aria is already moving on. because while yogurt melts are good—but right now, cuddles are better. she bounces in her knees a bit, she looks toward emily—and then she moves, dropping down and crawling over the plush rug, her little hands patting against the floor as she heads right for her.
jj watches as aria pulls herself up onto her knees, her tiny fingers gripping emily’s sweatpants, her face set with determination as she hoists herself up the only way a toddler knows how—which, of course, is in the most uncoordinated, least graceful way possible.
“alright you little monkey…chill..”
emily chuckles, shifting her wine glass to one hand, her free arm already moving to help her up, gripping her securely as she lifts her the rest of the way. she settles her against her chest, tucking her securely against her body, one arm wrapped around her, the other still casually holding her wine. aria relaxes immediately, her little head resting perfectly against emily’s collarbone, her small hands curling against emily’s stomach, pacifier steady between her lips.
jj watches all of it happen so naturally, like it’s second nature, like emily doesn’t even think about it—because it is second nature. emily barely registers it, barely adjusts, just folds aria into her like it’s the most normal thing in the world. jj swallows thickly, setting her wine glass down, because something about the way emily just does this—effortless. unthinking. perfectly natural, it makes something in jj’s chest pull tight.
aria, now settled perfectly in emily’s lap, looks up, blinking those big brown eyes at the three of them as they fall into conversation. she watches closely, calm, comfortable, like she enjoys the cadence of their voices, the soft laughter, the way the conversation flows around her.
emily notices it. the way aria isn’t clinging the way she normally would in a new space. the way she’s listening, the way her little hands tap lightly against emily’s arm whenever jj or penelope say something funny, like she’s part of the conversation in her own way.
it makes emily smile against the rim of her wine glass. because aria feels safe here. safe with them. that means everything.
penelope, still watching closely, suddenly tilts her head slightly, like something just clicked in her brain. she takes a slow sip of her wine, eyes flickering between emily and jj.
because the way emily leans slightly into jj’s space—the way jj doesn’t even notice because it already feels normal—it doesn’t escape her. she files it away for later.
the night flows easily. laughter, conversation, wine, warmth. emily, jj, and penelope are all fully settled in, the room wrapped in the soft glow of the twinkle lights penelope had so proudly arranged.
and in the center of it all—aria. she’s on the blanket penelope laid out for her, completely in her own little world, doing a tiny wood puzzle with the kind of focus and dedication only toddlers seem to have. her tiny fingers move deliberately, carefully placing each piece in its slot, tilting her head slightly like she’s solving something important.
emily, sipping her wine, watches her fondly, her gaze flicking toward her every few minutes, making sure she’s still content and occupied. jj is watching too—not as obviously as emily, but watching nonetheless. because there’s something mesmerizing about how focused aria gets, how serious her little expressions are, how she’s so tiny but so determined.
jj notices it. the wiggle. the subtle shift, the way aria’s brows start to pull together, the way she pauses her stacking just briefly— and emily notices it immediately too. because she knows, she knows exactly what’s happening, and before jj or penelope can even process it— emily is already moving.
she stands up, grabs the diaper bag without hesitation, and plucks aria up in one smooth motion, settling her on her hip with practiced ease.
“alright, bug, let’s go take care of business.”
aria huffs, shifting slightly, but doesn’t protest, because she knows emily does not think her puzzle outweighs this emily presses a kiss to her head before disappearing down the hall, leaving jj and penelope alone in the dimly lit living room.
and for a moment, it’s quiet. but jj can feel it. the way penelope is looking at her. the way she is plotting. jj sighs, reaching for her wine glass.
“don’t.”
penelope tilts her head, swirling her wine.
“don’t what?”
jj shoots her a look.
“i know what you’re about to do, garcia.”
penelope grins, crossing her legs.
“okay, but, like… what am i about to do?”
jj exhales, shaking her head, taking a long sip of wine. but penelope? penelope pounces.
“what’s going on between you and prentiss?”
jj chokes immediately , coughing into her sleeve, her face flushing instantly.
“nothing,” she insists too quickly, wiping her mouth, shaking her head like she can physically shake away this entire conversation. penelope however, is thrilled.
“ohhh, my god, you are such a bad liar.”
jj scowls, gripping the stem of her glass.
“penelope, i swear to god—”
“no, no, no, ” penelope interrupts, leaning forward, eyes sharp, knowing. “you do not get to brush this off.”
jj sighs dramatically, rubbing her temple.
“i’m just helping her out.”
“uh-huh.”
“i am.”
“sure, sure, sure,” penelope hums, nodding like she absolutely does not believe a word coming out of jj’s mouth.
jj huffs, forcing herself to look completely unbothered. penelope narrows her eyes.
“so, you just happen to be the one she always calls when she needs something?”
jj presses her lips together.
“you just happen to be the one aria reaches for first?”
jj stares at the ceiling.
“and you just happen to be constantly leaning into each other, like it’s the most natural thing in the world?”
jj clenches her jaw.
“penelope.”
“jennifer.”
jj finally meets her gaze, her blue eyes sharp, defensive, but also—flustered.
and penelope?
penelope sees everything she needs to see.
“ohhh,” she grins, leaning back, sipping her wine. “you are so in trouble.”
jj is seconds away from sprinting out of the apartment. because penelope knows. she sees too much, understands too much— and jj? jj doesn’t know how to handle it. she grips her wine glass a little tighter, glaring slightly as penelope smirks, swirling her own drink like she’s just won something big.
“i hate you,” jj mutters, shaking her head.
penelope opens her mouth to fire something back, but then they hear it. a soft giggle at first, and then full-blown belly laughs. jj and penelope both freeze, immediately looking toward the hallway.
then emily’s voice, but not just emily’s voice. the soft, high-pitched, baby-talk voice that neither of them were expecting to hear.
“ohhh, are you so ticklish? huh? you’re just a wiggle worm! oh my goodness, bug, what are we gonna do with you?”
penelope gasps dramatically, slapping a hand over her mouth. jj closes her eyes, biting her lip hard because yeah. yeah, she’s heard it before. and every time? it does things to her.
but penelope? penelope has never heard this, and she is not okay.
“oh. my. god,” she whisper-yells, grabbing jj’s wrist in a death grip, shaking her slightly. jj groans, whispering back.
“penelope, for the love of god, don’t make this a thing. she will be embarrassed.”
penelope ignores her entirely, gripping the couch cushion like she’s physically holding herself back from running down the hall to witness this in person.
“i—i am not well,” she breathes, her eyes wide, processing the fact that emily prentiss is in the other room, talking to aria like she is the most precious thing on earth.
and then, it happens again.
“you are too cute! who said you could be this cute, huh, bug? who gave you permission?!”
another delighted squeal from aria, another string of babbles, emily still fully engaging with every single nonsense word.
“ohhh, yeah?! you don’t say! you must be the smartest girl in the world!”
jj falls back against the couch, staring at the ceiling.
“this is too much.”
penelope nods aggressively, gripping a pillow.
“i—i need to witness this in person.”
jj reaches over, gripping penelope’s sleeve.
“don’t. you. dare.”
“but what if i just peek—”
“penelope.”
“what if i just stand outside the door—”
“ do not .”
penelope groans dramatically, throwing herself back again, kicking her feet slightly like she’s actually suffering. jj just stares at the ceiling, her heart pounding way too fast, her face entirely too warm.
and soon, emily returns. completely unaware of the absolute meltdown they just had in her absence. she walks back into the living room, aria perched comfortably on her hip, her little body relaxed as can be, a pacifier working overtime in her mouth at the moment. her fingers are gripping the fabric of emily’s sweatshirt, her tiny legs dangling loosely against emily’s side.
jj swallows, looking away immediately, because the sight of them like that is—well. she just needs to not look at it right now. emily sighs softly, shifting aria in her arms as she settles back onto the couch.
“she’s good now,” she murmurs, rubbing a slow, absentminded hand over aria’s back. jj nods, sipping her wine, very much avoiding eye contact. penelope clears her throat dramatically, sitting way too upright, gripping her own wine glass a little too tightly.
“well, that’s great, ” she hums, voice slightly pitched, like she’s barely holding herself together.
emily, who does not notice anything, leans her head against the couch, exhaling slowly, watching as aria’s eyes drift a little heavier with each slow suck of her bottle.
“mmm,” emily hums, sipping her wine. “i feel like i missed something.”
jj and penelope both freeze. jj, too quickly, shakes her head.
“nope.”
penelope, not as quick, nods aggressively.
“absolutely not,” she says, voice a little too high-pitched, taking a massive gulp of wine. emily squints slightly, her profiler instincts ticking slightly, but then aria, ever curious, shifts in emily’s lap—first crawling into jj’s, then immediately trying to wiggle off the couch.
jj reaches instinctively, but before she can even help, aria successfully slides down, landing firmly on her feet, steady as can be. she giggles, eyes lighting up as she bounces on her knees, so proud of herself.
see? her little face practically says. i did it all by myself. no help at all. told you so.
jj huffs out a laugh, shaking her head, already exasperated by how fiercely independent this child is becoming now that she’s becoming more comfortable with her surroundings.
entirely unbothered, she toddles straight over to penelope, stopping right in front of her and blinking up with those big, curious eyes. penelope freezes. it’s happening. aria is choosing her. she fights every instinct she has to squeal in delight and scoop her up immediately, instead forcing herself to remain calm, to play it cool—but oh my god, her heart is about to explode.
she tilts her head at aria, smiling warmly.
“do you like apple juice?” she asks.
aria nods in that calm, methodological way the prentiss women seem to do. penelope’s grin widens. yes. yes, okay, we are bonding. we are in this now.
“do you want a fancy big girl cup?”
that seems to very much intrigue aria. she shifts a little closer, her small hands gripping the hem of her pajamas, like she’s trying not to seem too eager but she very much is . penelope gasps, grinning.
“please hold, precious tiny prentiss.”
she pushes up from the couch, excited as can be, and aria, ever curious, watches her intensely. then—without hesitation—toddles right after her, following as fast as her little legs can manage. emily watches the whole thing fondly, already knowing exactly what penelope is about to do.
“dilute the juice pleeeaaaaaaase..” she calls toward the kitchen.
jj snickers into her wine glass, shaking her head.
“you know, you’re in friend mode, but still very much in mom mode.”
emily shrugs, sipping her own wine. “can’t turn it off.”
a minute later, penelope comes triumphantly back into the room, and aria—who has now completely decided penelope is her person for the night—is right behind her, toddling as fast as she can.
because oh my god. the excited blonde lady has something special, just for her.
aria beams, absolutely thrilled by this, her tiny hands twitching at her sides. penelope flops dramatically onto one of the floor pillows she’d set up, cross-legged, patting the space beside her. aria immediately sits, wide-eyed and waiting, her attention locked onto whatever is about to happen. penelope reaches for something behind her, then turns back around, holding it up proudly.
“okay, tiny one, this is like your official initiation..”
she reveals the tiny, toddler-sized wine glass. it has a lid. it’s bpa-free. it is, without a doubt, some ridiculous product made by some cringy wine mom company—but it’s adorable as hell, and emily, despite herself, melts a little.
aria gasps, like full-body gasps. her hands instinctively reach out, her little fingers gently wrapping around the cup as penelope hands it over.
“see? i do listen,” penelope quips, then grins back at aria. “told you and has one of those, like.. baby lids. she can’t spill it. now, ari.. we do this thing called cheers,” she says. “can you say cheers?”
aria nods—eagerly. like she has been waiting for this moment her entire life.
“teers.”
jj’s heart clenches. she actually feels the warmth spread in her chest, the way her face hurts from how wide she’s smiling.
“perfect! now, hold it up like this..”
penelope demonstrates, lifting her glass slightly. she helps aria stand up, guiding her tiny hands into place, showing her exactly how to hold it. then, she waves for everyone to gather close.
“alright, ladies. here is the start of wine nights with our newest, tiniest member.”
she grins at aria.
“take it away, kiddo.”
aria’s eyes shine as she holds up her cup, looks at everyone leaning in—emily, jj, and penelope, all smiling, all waiting for her—and says it again, in that soft, sweet little voice of hers.
“teers.”
emily swears she feels it. that little pang in her chest because it’s not just the word, it’s the way aria says it. the way her voice is light and safe, the way her shoulders are completely relaxed, the way she’s so sure of this moment. the way she knows she belongs here.
they all lean forward, their glasses clinking together—glass to glass, and glass to bpa-free plastic. emily watches it all unfold, her heart tugging so hard in her chest she doesn’t quite know what to do with it. because aria’s giggle—that sweet, full-body, emily-only giggle —rings out across the room, bright and unfiltered, and it actually catches emily off guard.
because that laugh? that’s a home laugh. that’s a middle of their living room laugh. a jj is playing hide and seek with her at the park laugh. a mommy and me moment before bedtime laugh. but in a regular setting? in a house she’s never been to? with all eyes on her? that never happens, until now. and emily feels it. physically feels it in her chest, because for months, she had worried. worried that these people—her people—would somehow be too much for aria. that bringing her around them would overwhelm her. that she’d pull away, shrink in on herself like she has been lately.
that emily would open up her world and it wouldn’t fit.
but right now? watching aria’s little legs swinging in penelope’s lap, happily sipping juice, watching all of them—matching them? emily realizes she was wrong. these people? this is family. for both of them. and she knows aria feels it too, because suddenly—aria is mimicking everything.
she sits there, fingers wrapped around her little wine glass, watching them. studying them. and every single time emily takes a sip, so does she. every time jj takes a sip? so does she . every time penelope lifts her glass? aria lifts hers.
jj notices first, nudging emily’s knee and subtly motioning toward penelope.
“watch.”
emily raises a brow, but obeys—glancing toward aria, who is still so locked in.
jj takes a sip. aria takes a sip. jj takes another sip. aria takes another sip. jj grins.
then—just to test it—jj takes a sip and lets out a loud, exaggerated “aaaaah” after it, smacking her lips in deep satisfaction.
and aria? aria does the exact same thing.
the moment is so perfectly executed, so hilariously identical, that all three women bust out laughing at once. emily covers her mouth, penelope is actually in tears, and jj is nearly doubling over.
aria freezes. her big brown eyes widen slightly, her brows pull together. for just a split second, emily’s stomach drops. oh shit. she’s going to cry. but then, aria absolutely loses it. not just giggles, but big, belly laughs, her tiny frame shaking with the force of them, like they have just said the funniest thing she has ever heard in her entire two years of existence.
“youuu stinker!”
jj laughs, pointing at aria with an exaggerated gasp, which only makes aria let out that sweet little snicker that emily loves so much. it’s that tiny, breathy giggle that starts in her belly and spills out, the kind that always makes emily’s chest ache in the best way.
aria clambers out of penelope’s lap, wobbling just a bit as she stands on her feet, letting out a little puff of air like she’s just completed the toddler olympics. she glances down at the snack spread, her eyes scanning over everything in front of her with careful consideration. then, her brow quirks up—just the slightest little raise of an eyebrow, her lips pressing together in a look of pure judgment.
and jj? jj is floored. because emily does that. the exact same expression. the exact same mannerism. jj can’t help it—her heart melts. emily sees it too. watches the way aria carefully considers the spread of snacks, taking in her options before she finally makes a decision. it’s so her. it’s so her, and she doesn’t even realize it.
aria looks up at emily, then points at a raspberry, her little brows raising in silent question. emily nods, as if aria isn’t already allowed to graze the entire table and then some if she wanted. penelope leans forward, hands clasped together like she’s about to drop the biggest, most mind-blowing revelation of the night.
“ari. do you wanna see something super cool?”
aria, intrigued beyond belief, nods immediately. she is all in. whatever penelope garcia has to show her? she needs to see it. so, penelope takes a few raspberries and carefully slides them onto her fingertips.
“they’re fruit hats.” she wiggles her fingers, grinning as she demonstrates. “fancy, hm?”
and aria is blown the fuck away.
her eyes go wide. her mouth parts just slightly. her entire body stills for a second like she’s just uncovered the meaning of life. and then, slowly—very slowly—she nods, completely entranced. jj snorts. emily hides a grin behind her wine glass. aria wastes no time. she immediately starts grabbing raspberries, sliding them onto her tiny fingers just like penelope did, her concentration dead serious. it takes her a few tries—her fingers are smaller, after all—but she gets them on, one by one. and when she’s finally got them in place, she lets out a tiny breath of awe.
she must show emily. immediately.
without hesitation, she spins on her heel, little feet slapping against the hardwood as she books it toward emily, her hands raised in front of her like she’s handling something sacred. when she reaches emily, she stops short, looking up at her like she’s just handed her the greatest discovery known to mankind - her tiny voice whispering.
“see dis?”
emily looks down, tilts her head as if she’s taking it very seriously, and nods with an exaggerated hum.
“oh, bug… i see.”
aria nods back, her face still so serious, before she finally pops one of the raspberries off her fingertip and into her mouth. then, with the most pleased little hum, she chews, savoring it.
jj swears her heart actually aches. this is what emily has. this is what emily has built. this is them, full of trust and love. and the warmth of it? the ease of it? jj can feel it wrapping around her like something she doesn’t want to let go of, even if no ones asking her to do so. she leans back into the couch, crossing her arms as she watches penelope with an exasperated sort of amusement. she knew this was coming. she could feel it brewing from the moment they sat down, from the moment penelope’s eyes started darting between her and emily, piecing together something in that ever-scheming brain of hers.
and here it is.
“sooooooo…”
jj knows that tone. that mischievous, knowing tone. she’s been friends with penelope far too long not to know exactly where this is going. her lips press together, already internally begging her not to do it.
“…so?” jj responds, her voice perfectly even. blunt. a silent do not go there woven into the single syllable. but penelope garcia does not play by jj’s rules. hell, she doesn’t play by fbi rules.
she plays by penelope rules.
and so, she grins, leans in just slightly, and asks, “is anyone seeing anyone? any hot romance on the sideeee?”
jj goes red. not just a little red—fully, entirely, what-the-hell-is-this-color red.
her throat goes a little dry, and she immediately starts formulating some kind of neutral response, but before she can even think of a way to brush it off, emily cuts in. and thank god for that.
“the only hot romance in my life,” emily starts, in that sarcastic, deadpan tone of hers, “is when i close my eyes and actually get sleep at night.”
she takes a sip of her wine, sighs dramatically, then hums as she reaches out and tickles aria’s belly. aria giggles, kicking her little legs and squirming against emily’s side as she finishes off the last of her raspberries. emily grins down at her.
“i don’t exactly have time to go on dates,” she continues, “because someone takes up my time.”
she presses a kiss to aria’s head, pulling her into her lap.
“but i am perfectly okay with that.”
aria, however, is not having it. she immediately wiggles out of emily’s hold and makes her way over to the toys that penelope has set out for her, her eyes locking onto the blocks as if they hold the secrets of the universe. jj watches the interaction with a soft smile, biting her lip, nodding in agreement.
“busy here too, the bau does not care about my schedule,” she chimes in. “you, pen?”
and, of course, penelope has a very vibrant love life. a thriving, dramatic, movie-worthy love life. so she starts to go into specifics. very detailed specifics. but emily—who has very much picked up on where this is going—clears her throat and raises a pointed brow, her eyes flicking toward the toddler who is currently stacking blocks with the precision of a structural engineer.
penelope follows emily’s gaze, her mouth still open mid-sentence, before she grins and leans over and covers aria’s ears. jj barely has time to process the movement before penelope says, “let’s just say multiple rounds were involved.”
then, just as quickly, she removes her hands from aria’s ears like nothing happened. aria looks startled for just a brief moment, her big brown eyes blinking up at them like excuse me, i was in the middle of something, before she decides they are not worth her attention and goes right back to stacking her blocks.
and jj and emily? they lose it.
laughter bubbles out of them so quickly, so suddenly, that emily has to physically lean forward to catch her breath. jj is clutching her stomach, wheezing as she shakes her head. penelope just sips her wine, completely unbothered, a smug little grin on her face.
jj stretches her legs out, relaxing into the couch, still grinning as she and emily fall into their usual rhythm of banter. it’s effortless, easy, like second nature at this point. they talk about work—how strauss is definitely out to make them all prematurely gray, how derek’s latest conquest is some journalist he spotted on a case and how spencer cornered emily in the bullpen yesterday to deliver a forty-minute unsolicited lecture about toddler cognitive development.
“i was just trying to eat my lunch,” emily groans dramatically, shaking her head as she sips her wine. “and next thing i know, i’m learning about synaptic pruning and how a toddler’s brain is working harder than a college student during finals week. i didn’t ask for this information, but he was very passionate about it.”
jj snickers, nodding along. “he did the same thing to me last week. i told him i was helping aria with flashcards, and suddenly, i was in a crash course on how language acquisition peaks at age two.”
penelope raises her brow, but before she can interject, a soft, quiet little yawn cuts through the conversation. they all look over. aria is rubbing her eyes, blinking slowly as her body starts to fully settle. her movements are lazy, deliberate. and then, instead of speaking, she simply lifts her hands and signs the word for milk.
penelope barely registers it before emily is already moving.
“c’mere, you,” she murmurs, opening her arms.
aria doesn’t hesitate—she never hesitates when it comes to emily. she immediately crawls over as if she’s forgotten her legs work perfectly fine, letting emily scoop her up, her little body melting against her chest like she belongs there.
and what penelope witnesses next? it’s like she’s watching something unfold behind a glass window. like she’s observing something private, something sacred. like she’s watching a family. she doesn’t even speak. she’s afraid if she does, the spell will break.
jj, however, doesn’t hesitate. she doesn’t even think—she just knows. she instinctively reaches down, grabs the bottle from aria’s bag, and hands it to emily without so much as a glance. emily pops the cap open, pressing it gently to aria’s lips, and the toddler latches onto it instantly, her little fingers curling into the fabric of emily’s shirt as she drinks.
aria reaches out. not for emily. for jj. her tiny hand stretches toward her, searching, needing, and jj doesn’t even blink before she takes it. her palm wraps around aria’s little fingers, her thumb rubbing soft, soothing circles across her knuckles.
and just like that, aria’s body fully relaxes. her breathing slows, her eyelids droop, and before long, she’s out, peacefully nestled against emily’s chest, her hand still firmly held in jj’s.
emily doesn’t move. doesn’t breathe. she just stares at jj—like she’s watching her hold the moon and the stars in the palm of her hand. penelope swallows, shifting in her seat because holy shit.
the fluidity of it all. the ease. the way aria reaches for jj like she’s not just emily’s person—she’s hers too. the way jj just knows what aria needs, without a single word being spoken. the way emily is looking at jj, like there’s nothing else in the world she’d rather be staring at.
and the only thing that finally breaks the moment? emily shifting slightly, adjusting aria in her arms, chuckling softly as if she hasn’t just made penelope’s brain short-circuit.
“she’s gonna pass out hard tonight, like record time,” emily murmurs, glancing up at penelope with a smirk. “you really outdid yourself, p.”
penelope lets out a breathy little laugh, nodding along, forcing a smile.
“yeah,” she agrees, clearing her throat. “i did, huh?”
but really? all she can think about is what she just saw. and how clearly, something is going on here – even if the two in front of her somehow can't see it.