Chapter Text
It affected her more than she thought it would. Since learning about her partner’s history with foster care years ago, they’ve had cases involving kids in the system, and yes, those cases took more out of her because they were cases about kids, not because she could see Ace in them so clearly. Emily felt her skin prickle when she walked into the home. The front yard was filled with toys like it regularly saw happiness and imaginative play. Emily knew better than to take it at face value. They needed to ask the matron of the house about a possible suspect who lived there as a child. Rossi looked over at Emily, a question in his brow. She shook off his concern, even as she clocked the keys on a necklace around the woman’s neck. “What can you tell us about Franklin, ma’am,” Rossi asked.
“Very quiet, isolated little boy. He was sweet.” A young teen shuffled in and looked longingly at the padlocked fridge. “Tyler, the adults are talking in here.”
“I just wanted to get some milk,” he said quietly. Emily clenched her jaw to the point of aching to keep from reacting. She made a mental note to call for a legitimate welfare check on this house.
“You know the rules, Tyler.” The boy disappeared off into the hallway. “They’ll eat you out of house and home if you don’t keep them in check,” the woman explained like her behavior was justified.
“Is there anyone Franklin was close with while he was here?” The woman mentioned a name, Luke, and walked over to a wall of framed photos. Again, Emily muted her reaction. The house felt so similar to the horrors from Ace’s childhood. She remembered with startling clarity the first time she saw a photo of Ace as a child, hanging on a wall just like this, in a foster home. As strong and brave as she is, Ace had adamantly refused to go upstairs there. Emily never forgot that case or how Ace reacted.
When she and Rossi left the seemingly idyllic house, there was another young boy up in a window looking distraught. “God this fucking sucks,” Emily bit.
JJ noticed the change in Emily almost immediately, pulling the older woman off to the side. “I’m glad Ace isn’t here for this.”
“Don’t let her hear you say that,” JJ teased lightheartedly. “Foster house was tough?”
“There were definite familiarities,” Emily shared vaguely. “We got a name though. Garcia is running it. Hopefully it pans out. Did you get to talk to Ace?” JJ shook her head. “Heading out with Tara?”
“Yeah, we’re going to talk to the grocery store when Franklin had his last employment.” JJ squeezed Emily’s hand encouragingly. “Go step outside and give Ace a call. It might help.” Instead Emily hunkered down with the renewed determination of someone ignoring their feelings.
Days later, when Luke and Franklin are both in custody, and the team is on the way home, Emily sat on the jet feeling exhausted and stressed in a way she was far too used to. Being apart from their third didn’t help in the slightest, even though it’s the norm now with Henry at home. She picked her nails mindlessly, as she watched the dark clouds. “Let me take care of you tonight,” JJ whispered when she passed Emily a mug of tea. The smell wafted up at her, and Emily’s brow creased in confusion. “It’s a hot toddy. Rossi’s flask came in handy.”
“Thanks.”
“When we get home, okay? The week was long and stressful. Let me take it. Let Ace take it.” Emily’s confirming nod was almost nonexistent.
——
Your phone buzzes with an update as you’re leaving base. The message from JJ makes you frown.
J: Case shook her. She needs a lot of TLC.
J: Maybe even a run with your dominant side.
J: We’re probably 2 hours from home.
A: physical injuries?
J: Thankfully, not this time
J: This case was very foster history heavy, and I know she called in an extensive welfare check.
A: okay, we’ll figure it out together
A: Hen is doing a sleepover, so we’re solo
J: Yeah?
J: Who do you actually trust enough for that?
A: Penelope
A: she’s taking him to the movies and about ten other things.
A: she sent me the whole agenda; it’s extensive
A: it’s been on the books for a few weeks because Henry wanted to see this dragon movie opening night
When they get home two and a half hours later, Emily drops her go bag to the floor with a thump. She tosses her badge and keys at the table. She smacks her holster down next to it, not bothering to put the weapon away in the safe. “Hey,” you greet softly. Wordlessly, Emily wraps you in her arms; she tucks her face against your neck and inhales deeply. Tenderly you brush through her silvery strands, soothing your nails over her scalp. JJ kisses your cheek in her own hello. Walking the few steps backwards, you cuddle Emily onto the couch, holding her close. You don’t need words right now. None of them would help.
JJ reappears in a new outfit, slowly manipulating Emily’s body to undress her from the suffocating work clothes sodden with case memories. “Here,” JJ encourages, showing Emily the comfy clothes she collected. “A little bit of us to help steady you.” Numbly, Emily tugs on your Army shirt and slips into JJ’s Redskins football sweats from decades ago. “There you go. How about something to eat, Em?” Silently she declines, curling her feet back under her body and draping over your lap. Once again, she hides her face, this time turning into your stomach with her arms around your waist. JJ finds a spot, the three of you a haphazard pile of limbs in the name of comfort and physical contact.
As the silence drags on and the tension in Emily’s shoulders remains the same, you clear your throat. “It’s just us tonight, Em. Okay? However you need, whatever you need, we’re right here.”
“We talked about it on the jet,” JJ reminds softly. “You were going to let us take care of you. Let us take the reins for a bit.”
“Just a bit longer here,” Emily whispers quietly. Her voice seems raw with a heaviness you know all too well.
“As long as you need.”
When she finally uncurls from the couch, she stands, shifting her weight from side to side. “Even though I think it will help, even though you’ve come a long way with accepting that kind of care, we need to hear you say it if that’s what you want, honey,” JJ encourages. “Enthusiastic consent.” Emily says the words while she leans into you. “Will it help to have control and responsibility out of your hands for a while?”
“Take it all.”
You hate how sad and dejected she sounds, and you know from plenty of personal experience the benefits of playing submissive for someone who truly cares about you. There’s something freeing about not needing to make any choices, about letting your body do exactly what it’s going to do. “Come with me.” Emily follows without a fuss, withdrawn and quiet. Again, as you always do when you step into this role, you rely on years of experience listening to them exhibit their control. Emily stands in front of you, waiting. “No special rules. No asking permission. You listen, and you don’t hold back. That’s it. Listen and feel. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes ma’am,” she sighs. Her head rolls on her neck gingerly as she loosens that ironclad hold on her control and her emotions.
“Any hard limits you need to share? Anything new I need to know about?”
“Just the usual.”
JJ perches on the side of the bed. You share a silent conversation, nothing but looks and facial expressions. She shifts to stand behind you, her chin resting on your shoulder. “Strip,” she demands of Emily. You’re not in this position a lot, so it’s always a bit surreal when Emily does as she’s told without the overwhelming sass or standard pushback. Then she just waits. Naked and quiet, her hands behind her back, her legs slightly spread. Her dark eyes are fixed on the floor. “Eyes up. We don’t do that here,” JJ reminds her. It’s a callback to Emily’s original introduction to the BDSM world and the very intentional way you and JJ dominate her in the rare occasions that it’s Emily’s preference.
With a kiss to JJ’s cheek, you retrieve a length of cord. Emily waits for an instruction. “Arms behind your back. Hold each forearm with the other hand.” You’re very specific with the rope, its positioning, and its tightness. You don’t want to inflict pain or make it uncomfortable; that’s never the goal. JJ hovers in front of Emily while you focus on the knots and binds. “Stay still,” you instruct with a nip to her shoulder blade. “I don’t care what she’s doing. You can be good for both of us.”
“M’sorry,” Emily agrees, fighting the urge to let her body respond to JJ’s exploratory touch. You collect her long silvery strands into an easy ponytail and press a tender kiss to the inked trio of hearts at the nape of her neck. She shivers at the emotional resonance of the contact. “Green,” Emily murmurs when you ask for a check in about the bindings.
“And if it becomes tight or uncomfortable during the scene,” you prompt, once again intentionally reminding her that this is different from her start in every way, shape, and form. Emily voices the colors she can use. “Good girl,” you praise.
Your touch is reverent, slow, and soft over her bare shoulders, down her upper arms, and around her hips. JJ has her own pattern of adoring contact, and Emily does her best to remain still. “Sink into it,” JJ demands, her dominant voice very much present. “Give it to us. Let us take care of you.”
“You don’t need to fight. You don’t need to choose. No responsibility. No decisions. Just listen and let go.” Emily gasps softly when you cover her eyes with a blindfold. “Are you safe?” Her answer is immediate and true. “Are we going to hurt you?” Another honest answer. “Then let it be. Stay still.” You know from experience that’s easier said than done.
JJ tips her head, another wordless communication. You switch spots with her, coming around to Emily’s front, while JJ retrieves a few things from the closet. It’s not about isolation, so you let your fingertips dance across Emily’s chest and between her breasts. You never touch anywhere that might offer satisfaction, but just enough for her to know you’re right there with her.
When JJ has what she needs, she smacks the crop against her palm a few times to build the anticipation. Goosebumps preemptively prickle across Emily’s pale skin. JJ is almost random in the way she drags the leather tip teasingly here and there before snapping it sharply against Emily’s flesh. “Having a hard time staying still, pet,” JJ purrs in her ear.
“Yes ma’am.”
“I’ll reward your honesty,” JJ allows. “On your knees. Tell us what you’re thinking about.”
“A mix,” Emily responds.
“We will clear your head,” you promise. JJ resumes her pattern, littering Emily’s backside with swift, stinging snaps of the crop. You spend time delicately tracing her lips with your fingers and then the sharpness of her jaw and the long column of neck. When you roll her nipples, Emily moans softly. The next time it’s a little louder. Her heavy breasts have always been fantastically sensitive. You want to tear down her mental restriction against using her own volume. Between the spark of the impact play and the attention to her breasts, Emily is losing herself to the sensation, just as the two of you want for her.
With her eyes closed, Emily misses the introduction of clamps until the metal is cold around her nipples. Her eyes fly open, a startled gasp falling from her lips. You tug on the chain repeatedly, watching her visceral reaction. “Mm, you do love those,” JJ comments. It doesn’t matter if she’s talking to you or Emily; it’s true either way. “This is fun, but I know you can take more for me… hmm, such a pretty pet. Do you want something harder? You can take the paddle for me, can’t you?”
“Yes ma’am,” Emily agrees, her voice shaking.
As JJ trades a crop for a paddle, you set the bulb of the magic wand between Emily’s legs. She jolts, her upper body leaning forward. JJ delivers a sharp spank with the flat of the paddle. You grip Emily’s chin and bring her back upright. “Stay still.” You know it’s a nearly impossible instruction with the metal clamps on her nipples, the vibrator singing against her clit, and JJ’s paddling.
“Fuck,” Emily groans quietly. “Fuck.”
“You can be loud,” you encourage. “Make the noises that feel good for your body, Em. Does your body feel good?”
“Yes, yes ma’am.” JJ hits her again. “Fuck, Jen.”
“The pain feels good?”
“Yes, fuck, yes.” The vibrations increase intensity, and you tug on the clamp’s chain. Emily moans, her body clenching before her release washes over her. “Ace,” she chokes. “Fuck.” You don’t give her a break, and neither does JJ.
“Let it feel good, Em. Let it go.” You watch her jaw clench, as she fights her body. “Harder, Jen.” JJ does just that, and the next strike with the paddle almost reverberates in the air. Emily’s gasp is louder. “Let it go. Drop the walls.“ You’re not surprised she’s holding back. Keeping everything bottled up is seemingly integral to her personality. “Harder.”
“Ace,” Emily begs, shifting away from the vibrator that’s relentlessly pulsing between her legs.
“No. Take it. Feel it all.”
“It’s too much.”
“It’s not,” you deny. You grab her chin, forcing her to look at you. You watch the sensations build and crest in her body. “Stop fighting me,” you demand. “I will do this all night until you give into it. Again, Jen.” This time, Emily comes as the paddle strikes against her ass. “You’re not going to tell me what’s heavy. You’re not going to tell me why this case made you internalize everything. This is how you process. Better yet, this is how we process. So no. It’s not too much. It’s exactly what you need, and no one knows that better than me and JJ.” You help Emily off the ground. “Check in on your arms.”
“Green,” Emily murmurs. She shivers when JJ scratches her nails over her reddened, spank-warmed ass. You find a spot against the headboard, calling on a thousand times the roles have been reversed. Emily straddles your thigh.
“Tingly? Tight?”
“Green,” she repeats. JJ loops her hands loosely around Emily’s throat, a threat and a promise. “Oh, fuck,” Emily gasps. “Jen. Jennifer.”
“Are you ready to listen, pet?”
“I am,” Emily insists, her voice warbles. You guide her hips in a slow movement, so her drenched pussy rubs against your thigh torturously.
“You think we don’t know you? You think we can’t see you trying to keep every last thing held in that ironclad grip of yours?” JJ’s grip tightens steadily and then loosens.
“I’m trying.” Emily loses the rhythm, and you correct her, your fingers tightening around her hips, enforcing your pace. You can hear the quake in her voice again. Yes it’s pleasure, but it’s something else; she just needs a little bit more of a push, so you lean into the emotional tie she needs to get herself there.
“I believe you.” Your lips press against her chest, right over her heart. “You’re so good.”
“I… what?”
Your smile is soft and reassuring. JJ’s hands fall away from Emily’s throat, choosing to stroke up her arms soothingly. Her hips still. “Keep going. Listen to my words. Whatever you saw, whatever decision you had to make, let it go. Put it down. You don’t need it here. It doesn’t change this. It doesn’t change us. It doesn’t change how good your heart is.” Emily drops her forehead to your shoulder. “You can’t hide from it, Em,” you soothe. JJ takes over, helping direct Emily’s hips from behind. It frees up your hands to brush through those beautifully silvery strands. “For whatever the world made you do, for whoever you needed to be, you’re home now. You’re safe. You’re so very loved, and nothing changes that. You deserve this love, this life we’ve built.” You feel her tears drop onto your chest. “This is where you’re safe and loved, Emily. It’s okay to put it all down and let us take care of you.”
Her entire body trembles, as physical and emotional sensations overwhelm her. You slip your hands between her chest and yours to remove the nipple clamps; the blood rushing back and the delicious sensitivity brings forth an orgasm. “FUCK,” Emily shouts. You help stabilize her body, kissing her forehead and offering any sort of soothing touch you can. “Fuck,” she sobs, as the physical subsides and the emotional runs rampant. “Fuck!”
You don’t use more words. You said your piece for now. You keep Emily steady while JJ works quickly, removing the bindings around Emily’s forearms and wrists. As soon as she’s free, Emily clings to you. You hold her just as tightly. Her tears are damp on your skin. For whatever it is, you can’t fix it. You can do this though. You can give her an outlet. You can remind her of her humanity and the nature of her soul. You can carry it with her.
JJ sits next to you against the headboard, putting her in direct cuddle proximity for Emily too. Both of you cuddling her through it. It’s the aftercare Emily has always deserved. Physical contact, affection, tenderness, and care. Later there will be mobility and wellness checks. There will be soft, slow clean up in the shower. You’ll make sure she nourishes her body with a meal that makes her heart feel good too. Until then though, the three of you will be right here, helping Emily process whatever tipped the scales past unmanageable today.
When her tears are dried, you’ll remind her of her goodness again. You’ll remind her that she doesn’t have to earn love. It’s hers already. A love like this, the family you’ve all made, this life - it’s what she deserves, not something that is conditionally earned.
And when you wake up in the morning, her beautiful face free of makeup and tears alike, Emily will undoubtedly, embarrassedly thank you, and then just as quickly, she’ll slip back into the normal rhythm of life, re-erecting her usual defenses so she’s ready to fight another day. She’ll always know that this is home though. A safe place for so many things. And maybe one day, she’ll know in her bones that love isn’t earned. Maybe one day, she’ll know just how good her heart is. Emily Prentiss is so many things to so many people, and good and kind has always topped that list, whether she believes it or not. You’re glad to have found a way to help her hear that sentiment and help her use it to process the weight she carries when it feels too heavy.