A/N: So, here it is, the last chapter of this story! I hope you have enjoyed it! As always, let me know your thoughts and I will be posting a small epilogue later!

Virginia, 2014

"Are you sure you're up for this?"

JJ rolled her eyes gently, making sure her blouse looked okay in the mirror before turning around to look at Dani, who was sitting in her bed, watching her as she gave her outfit the finishing touches.

"Dani, I'm fine." JJ smiled. "I've been out in the hospital for a week, already."

"I know." Dani nodded, a small smile replacing her frown of worry for a second. "You're right. You're okay. I'm sorry. It's just... I'm still worried, is all."

"I know." JJ nodded, walking over to Dani and bending down a little so her face was in the same level as Dani's. "And I appreciate you so much, you know that, right?"

And JJ did. She really did appreciate Dani and everything she had done for her in the past seven days. JJ had heard from everyone how Hotch and Dani had gone to Secretary Jackson after figuring out she had something to do with JJ's kidnapping. After that, Dani had always been beside JJ - in the hospital and even after she had been cleared and had gone home, Dani had made sure JJ was never left alone for more than five minutes. Sure, Spencer had come to visit her and Will and Henry too. In those moments, Dani would take a quick trip home, change her clothes and take a bath. At some point, during JJ's seven days leave, JJ had asked Dani to just get some of her stuff and leave there at her apartment - she had been even sleeping over, after all, in the couch, no matter how much JJ insisted she didn't need to sleep there. Dani had taken her advice, though, and now, in spite of the fact that JJ was a lot better and didn't even need to bandage her wounds anymore, Dani still refused to go to back work, taking some of her pent up off-days to make sure JJ was never, ever alone.

And JJ would be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed having Dani there with her.

"I know." Dani smirked playfully at JJ, who raised a eyebrow at her with a half-smile. "And you should too. I don't take off-days for just about anyone."

"I know." JJ nodded. "I hope your team is doing okay too, because I swear I've seen you taking more calls from them than I've seen Hotch take for us."

"They're fine." Dani shrugged. "I was just a few days. And I'll be back by Monday to fix anything that needs fixing."

"Oh, I bet you will." JJ smiled, patting Dani on the knee as she straightened herself back again to stand up right. "But I don't want to talk about work. Not yet."

"No?" Dani asked, smiling a little when JJ extended a hand out to her. "And what do you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about what we're having for dinner." JJ smiled, tugging at Dani's hand to get her to stand up from her bed as she laced her fingers through hers as they started to make their way through the apartment. "We're still going out, right?"

"Yes." Dani nodded, tsking quietly and reaching over to JJ when the blonde grabbed her car keys. "But you are not driving."

"What?" JJ frowned, almost offended. "Why not?"

"Because." Dani smirked, knowing full-well those types of answers annoyed JJ to no end - probably because she had a six-year-old son, who took great pleasure on getting under his mom's skin.

"That's not an answer." JJ protested weakly, while reaching for her purse and pulling out the apartment's key from it.

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"You sound like Henry." JJ groaned, locking her door after they were out of the apartment while Dani walked over to the elevator to press the button.

Dani chuckled, waiting for JJ to join her in silence, while taking a second to admire her as she walked.

Ever since they've met, Dani had always thought JJ was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen - if not the most beautiful - with her flowy blonde hair and bright blue eyes, but it was more than that. Even in a hostile environment such as Afghanistan where they met, JJ always carried herself with grace and confidence. She was good at her job and she knew she was good at her job. She was caring and loving and she had such a good heart. Dani had always admired her. Sure, she had been attracted to her for her beauty the first time, but, after that, Dani had been able to be close to her and work with her and get to know her - really get to know her. And she learned, only made Jennifer Jareau that more impressive to her.

Jennifer Jareau was kind - Dani had seen it in the way she cared for Nadia and even for her during their time at Afghanistan. Jennifer Jareau was funny - she was funny in a weird way too, a way that people wouldn't really expect her to be, but she had a few good jokes and unbelievably good expressions to go along with them. Jennifer Jareau was smart - incredibly smart and not just regarding the job, though she was undeniably smart in that regard too, but in everyday life and she had an extensive knowledge on anything superhero thanks to Henry LaMontange, of course. But, most of all, Jennifer Jareau was loving - nit just as a mother, even though Dani knew for a fact that was actually true, but toward her too. Whenever Dani had needed her back in their days in Afghanistan - and even after those, when they had their few secretive talks -, JJ was always kind and understanding with Dani. She was gentle, in a way Dani was almost not used to, but she never overstepped any boundaries. JJ always seemed to know what Dani needed and she always gave it to her and so much more and Dani would be forever grateful to her for it.

That was why Dani hoped she would be able to give back to JJ all the help she had offered her over the past four years. Which was also why she had planned this whole surprise for her.

"What are you looking at?" JJ asked, coming to stand beside Dani as they waited for the elevator.

"You." Dani smirked as JJ blushed a little.

"And what did you think?"

"You look beautiful." Dani said. "As always."

JJ rolled her eyes then, shaking her head but mumbling a quiet thank you for the compliment. As they made their way down the elevator and in the car, the two women made small conversation, occasionally teasing each other or play-fighting over the song they would be listening to in the car.

For anyone outside, it would certainly look like Dani and JJ were a couple. They looked and acted so domestic the last week that they would certainly look like two girlfriends. They weren't though, at least, not officially. Sure, they had kissed - more than once too - and, sure they had admitted to having feelings for each other, but, other than that, the conversation just hadn't taken place, there had just been other things that were more important at the time. Dani knew for sure what she felt. She loved JJ. She had suspected it when they were in Afghanistan and when they were separated by the State after coming back home, she knew for sure. She had missed her. She had missed her hugs and her looks and her voice, she had missed her. And, apparently, so had JJ because she had been the one to reach out to Dani, the one to try and contact her and the one who had offered to Dani her first ever game of Scrabble.

After that, they hadn't lost contact. Sure they hadn't seen each other and they hadn't had any long or deep conversations - at least, not ones like they used to have back in their shared tent in Afghanistan -, but, still, they had talked and, if anything, it had only served to show them both they missed one another's company. At least, it had for JJ. Because, yes. JJ had known she had been attracted to Dani the second she laid eyes on her, but love? She never thought she'd fall in love with Dani. Yet, there she was, the beautiful, smart, caring Daniella Moreno, whom she had not stopped thinking about since the first time they met. Daniella Moreno, who she had missed so dearly over the past years. Daniella Moreno, the one person she had hoped more than anyone who would come and save her from Askari's hands. Not Spener, not Hotch, nor Morgan or Rossi... No, JJ, during all the time she had been torture, could only think about Dani and if she'd even come and find her. And she had. And JJ had never felt such relief as she had the second she had seen Dani walking inside the room she had been chained to. She had never felt as safe as she had in that moment.

Actually, yes she had, and she had been feeling just as safe over the past few days, knowing that whenever she needed, Dani would be there for her. JJ had never been so grateful to anything or anyone in her life and having Dani so close to her those past few days, practically living with her while they cooked together or watched a movie before going to sleep got her thinking what it could be if they only had the conversation that they both wanted to have but that they seemed to always put away.

Not tonight, JJ thought. Tonight, they'd be having the date they had agreed on when JJ had woken up in the hospital. Tonight, they'd be going to Olive Garden and having dinner and, tonight, JJ would ask her. Ask Dani to be her girlfriend and hope for the best.

At least, she thought she would.

"This is not the way to Olive Garden." JJ noted, as she looked around the streets while Dani only smiled.

"I know." She said.

"I thought we were going to Olive Garden."

"I know."

"This is usually how murders begin, you know?" JJ laughed.

"I know."

"Dani..."

"Trust me, Jay." Dani said, sparing JJ a quick glance before looking back out into the street and making a turn. "We're still gonna hang out, just not at Olive Garden, okay?"

"Fine." JJ nodded. "I trust you."

Dani smiled, continuing to drive until she stopped in front of a small italian restaurant JJ had never heard of. Dani parked the car and walked out, keeping a close eye on JJ to make sure she was still okay before locking the car and walking around it and extending her hand out to her.

"Ready?" She asked, smiling at the way JJ eyed her suspiciously.

"For what?" She asked, sighing when Dani just giggled. "Fine, I'm ready."

JJ grabbed Dani's hand and allowed her to guide her inside. JJ wasn't sure what she was expecting to see there - maybe a cozy, nice, little restaurant that Dani wanted to show her for some reason - but she definitely didn't expect that: her whole team gathered in the restaurant with a big stash over them with the words welcome back, JJ! and big smiles in their faces as they cheered as soon as they caught a glimpse of her.

"There she is! JJ! Hi!"

All of their voices and greetings sounded one over the other and JJ almost couldn't make out all of them, but she understood most of it: they were happy to see her. Her family was happy to see her well and, God, she was happy to see them too.

"Guys..." She whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she felt all of the emotions inside of her starting to spill out. "You shouldn't have done this."

"Of course we did!" Penelope spoke up. "You deserve this. Besides..."

"Besides what?"

"Besides, we needed a party to celebrate my visit, didn't we?"

JJ gasped, her eyes widening as soon as she recognized the voice. Dani smiled gently when she felt JJ's hand squeezing hers in shock before looking away from the blonde to look over at the group of people in front of them instead.

"Emily!" JJ almost squealed as everyone laughed. "I thought you had gone back to London already."

"I had." Emily nodded, walking over to JJ to pull her in for a hug. "But our friend over there called me and told me to get in her plane so I could be here for your welcome back party that she and Penelope put together."

"Her plane?" JJ raised an eyebrow playfully, turning to look at Dani, who just squeezed her hand a little, causing JJ to realize that, not once ever since leaving the car, she had pulled away from her touch.

"I might have called in a few favors." She shrugged, as if it was nothing.

JJ shook her head, though, breathing out a laugh as she marveled at how far Dani was willing to go for her - even sending Emily a private jet so she could be there when she was finally welcomed back in her team after her days off for recovery. Dani was still smiling at her, her eyes gentle and soft when she noticed the blissful smile in JJ's face.

For a second, the world seemed to stop. For just a moment, it seemed like there was no one else in that room but them. For a moment, they weren't out in the open, in a restaurant JJ didn't know with all of her friends watching them with what JJ could only describe as expectation. For a moment, she didn't care who saw them, all she cared for was the woman in front of her, the woman she loved and the woman she wanted to call hers.

So, before before she could coach herself out of her idea, JJ tugged Dani closer to her by their intertwined hands, placing her free one in Dani's cheek as she leaned forward to place her lips over Dani's. JJ could feel Dani's surprise against her mouth, but, as sudden as it had come, it was gone and Dani was melting into JJ, stepping even closer to her - if that was even possible - and wrapping both of her arms around her waist to get their bodies touching. Around them, the team cheered, but neither of the women paid them any mind, kissing for a while longer before JJ pulled back, her forehead leaning against Dani's as she looked deep into her eyes.

"I love you, Daniella Moreno." She said, her voice laced with nothing but love and adoration as they whispered to each other, those five little words saying more than they could - JJ was hers and Dani was JJ's just as much.

Dani smiled, pressing a quick peck to JJ's lips, knowing she wouldn't be having her undivided attention that night anymore now that she was surrounded by her friends.

"And I love you, Jennifer Jareau." She whispered as JJ smiled back at her. "I love you, I love you, I love you."