AN: Ok so it's pretty much cannon, except I'm taking a bit of an AU here and saying that Sever left a week or so ago to go back and finish her training – mostly 'cuz I don't really care for her character and I think that she should go finish her training at some point so for the purpose of this story that's where she is. Trust me it just works better this way ;)
"Before I get to the case I have an announcement to make." Hotch said to his team that was gathered around the round conference table waiting to hear the details of their newest case. "As you're all well aware, the Bureau and I have been looking for a replacement for Prentiss for quiet sometime now." Hotch paused and surveyed the room. He knew that his team was smart and that they'd likely figured out he was about to tell them that'd he'd found a replacement so he continued. "She's newly certified as a profiler but she's worked at the Bureau for quite a few years and I think she'll be a great asset handling the press as well. I'm sure…"
"So that's it?" Morgan cut in before Hotch could tell them any more about the woman that was replacing his fallen partner. "You're just replacing her, them, just like that?" he corrected himself. Realizing that Hotch was not only replacing Emily but JJ as well in one foul swoop, two birds with one stone he thought to himself.
The 'them' comment hadn't gone unnoticed by the others in the room either. "Um, when does she start?" Reid asked trying to defuse the situation.
"She should be here in about an hour. She was delayed this morning because of a babysitter issue." Hotch told the team. "We'll start the briefing when she gets here, until then I suggest you work on some of the paper work piling up on your desks." And with that Hotch left the conference room and headed for his office.
"This sucks." Morgan huffed as he leaned back in his chair.
"She might not be that bad." Reid said to the room.
"Oh come on man. She's probably a flake. I mean she's late for her first day of work at the BAU because of her kid? Not a good first impression in my books." Morgan looked at Reid trying to convey his point.
"Common hot stuff, Reid's right. We should at least give her a chance." Garcia cut in. "I'm not happy about it either. But it's not this her fault that Emily isn't here."
"I'm sure Hotch knows what he's doing." Rossi added. "Now I suggest you get some work done." He winked and then headed off to his own office.
Almost an hour later….
"I'm not saying I don't like her Baby Girl," Morgan was sitting on the side of Reid's desk desperately to convince Garcia and Reid that he didn't already hate Emily's replacement. "I haven't even met her yet."
"But, you don't want her here." Garcia started at him with that all-knowing look of hers.
"No, I didn't say that either. I was just repeating what Hotch said in the conference room. That she was a 'newly certified profiler.' I thought he was looking for someone with real experience."
"So is that what you really think of me? Good to know." Came a familiar voice from behind the group.
"Oh my God JJ!" Garcia jumped to her feet and ran to her friend giving her a big bear hug. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey Girl," Morgan stepped in and gave JJ a small hug as well. "Always good to see ya."
"Hey Morgan, sure try and make nice now after you've just insulted me." She smiled at him. He in turn was beyond confused.
"Wait." Reid stepped up beside his co-workers. "Does this mean…." He trailed off.
"But you're not a profiler." Morgan stated matter-of-factly finally starting to follow along.
"You're just all kinds of wrong today aren't you Chocolate Sugar?" Garcia said having already figured out what Reid was getting at.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Reid asked Hotch as he approached the group with Rossi at his side.
"Because she asked me not to." Hotch replied in his usual calm tone nodding towards JJ.
"I wanted it to be a surprise." JJ said. "A happy one." She raised her eyebrows after no one said anything for a moment.
"Oh It is!" Reid exclaimed as he stepped forward and hugged his best friend.
"Hotch?" Morgan asked so much with just one word.
"I convinced her to take the classes become a profiler. I figured it was the best shot we had at getting her back. Of course that was before Prentiss…" he trailed off not wanting to make a happy occasion into a downer.
"So you're back? For good?" Reid asked.
"If you'll have me." She smiled again.
"Of course we will Little Sister." Morgan smiled back.
"Welcome back." Rossi said with a smile.
AN2: Ok so that's it, my take on how JJ comes back to the team (for those of you that don't know AJ Cook (JJ) will be back for the season 6 finale and seasons 7 and 8).