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Jennifer Jareau never really cared about football when she was growing up. Sure, she went to the occasional Steelers game, and her dad was guaranteed to have the game on in their living room, but at that point, all she cared about was being on the field herself. Soon enough, her wish came true, and her weekends were filled with games of her own. She worked tirelessly for entire 90-minute games, determined to do all of the dominating and tackling herself. She quickly got serious about soccer and didn't have time to sit with her family around a pizza box and complain about the bad calls from the refs.
That all changed when she moved to Georgetown. Finally free from weekends full of turf, shin guards, and minor injuries, JJ started to find herself with a lot of free time, some of which she began devoting to dating, which was at her mother's insistence. It started with a terrible first date, where some guy she'd met had invited her out to a shitty sports bar that was overstimulating in every sense of the word. Her date didn’t seem that keen on learning about her at all, opting instead to overshare about how he was a shoo-in for some fancy government job because of his connections. Her only escape from what could be described as the 10th circle of hell was a small TV positioned behind her date’s head. It was a live stream of the Commanders/Eagles game, and it was the only thing JJ could find solace in. She found herself rooting for the Commanders for no real reason but to see the Eagles lose, as they were the more prolific Pennsylvania team. After that, watching football became a regular safe haven for JJ. It got her through terrible flu seasons, through her senior thesis, training at the FBI Academy, and even the most horrific cases could often be temporarily pushed out by the promise of a football game. Her love for the team stood strong and proud until 2010. Though she remained an avid fan, it became a rather embarrassing fact to share with other football lovers. As much as she loved her team, their losing streak was long and seemingly not going away any time soon.
Then life picked up. She left the BAU and was promoted to a job at the state department, she was a mother, and though she still had the cutest pajama set for Henry and taught him the fight song, going to games fell off her list of priorities.
That is until they drafted Jayden Daniels. Suddenly, they were a team nobody could recognize. Winning games no one could've predicted they'd win a year ago, JJ finally could sit through a game without cursing out everyone and everything around her. Daniels completely changed the makeup of the Commanders, and just like that, JJ was drawn back in. And though her love for the game was the same, everything else about her life looked completely different now than the last time she had sat down to watch a game.
Instead of a husband, she had a wife; instead of a toddler, she had a 20-year-old who now towered over her, and instead of a media liaison, she was a profiler in her own right.
Which is how she ended up here, wrapping up a case on Florida’s west coast. JJ went back to the hotel with the team, entering her and Emily's room to start packing for their plane ride home. She folded and separated their shirts and called Henry to ensure the game was taping. She’d stayed calm about it since they’d been in the middle of a horrifying case, but now that she was off the clock, she could properly geek out about the first Commanders Wildcard game since 2020.
JJ did realize that they were currently only an hour away from where the Commanders would be playing in a few short hours, but she couldn’t very well ask the whole team to stay here so that she could be at that game no matter how historic.
She was on autopilot as she packed their bags, so much so that she hadn't noticed Emily had come in until the older woman snaked her arms around JJ and tucked her face into the crook of her neck. "Well, hello to you too," JJ said as she connected her lips to Emily's. Emily gave a soft smile and another peck as her reply before speaking. "So, are we all cleared out of here?" Emily asked with a sense of mischief JJ had become all too familiar with throughout their marriage.
"Yes," JJ replied, drawing out the syllable with uncertainty. "You've checked all the drawers?" Challenging JJ's assumption. "Yes, Em. What is up with you?" The blonde asked, turning around to face her wife. "Nothing. Just wasn't sure if you'd checked every last drawer, even the one under the TV," Emily replied with a smirk. “You know, I lose an alarming amount of stuff when you pack our bags,” the brunette joked, alluding to JJ’s habit of trying to sneak Emily's t-shirts or hoodies into her bag.
At this point, JJ knew Emily was messing with her somehow and replied to her only with an eye roll. However, her exasperation was short-lived once she opened the small drawer and saw what was inside. "You're kidding," JJ said, giggling at a brand-new Jayden Daniels jersey and the set of tickets next to it.
"How did you get them?!" JJ said with a big grin that practically split the blonde’s face. "I'm a very connected woman, Jen," was the reply Emily opted for instead of explaining to her how the moment she knew the case would be closed in time for them to make the game, she got on every ticket resale site imaginable and prayed they wouldn't scam her. "Well, thank you," JJ said, pulling her wife in for a kiss and then letting out a squeal that Emily only vaguely made out as "We're going to the playoffs!" to which Emily replied the same, overjoyed at JJ's joy.