The BAU was a buzz, just like any other morning, Agent Hotchner noticed. Interns and assistants were running around with painfully high stacks of folders and papers that needed copying, shredding, or signing. Agents were visiting with each other, trying to work, or just bothering someone. Hotch couldn't help but chuckle as he noticed his team doing all three. Morgan and Garcia were talking together as they walked into the bullpen, both catching sight as the young Dr. Spencer Reid flying through his papers. The two apparently decided that the younger agent was working too hard, and decided to go and hassle the poor man.
Hotch turned his head away from the window that faced the bullpen and back the desk in front of him. He saw the papers he was filling out last night when JJ came in.
'That's right.' The senior agent reminded himself, 'JJ's leaving.'
He looked back out at the three people surrounding one desk. One of them was sitting down and trying to ignore the two that were leaning closer to him, both smiling like Cheshire cats.
How would he tell them? All three of them were here to see Gideon and Elle leave; could they handle JJ leaving too? She was the heart of the team; she made them smile when they needed it, she kept them all together and from killing each other.
Looking at his clock, Hotch noted that was 8:30am. Work didn't actually start until 9am, but everyone always came in at eight, always went the extra mile. In a half hour, they'd be de-briefed on a new case and they'd all meet their soon-to-be new liaison.
He had spoken to Rossi about it, and they both agreed that this Adine Grace should go with them on the case. Rossi had taken the news of JJ's departure as well as Hotch expected. The older agent didn't know JJ as well as the others did, and was more so focused on business. He, like Hotch, decided that JJ was completely within her rights to leave if she wanted to, and she did.
He was brought out of his thoughts by a knock on the door.
"Come in."
He watched JJ walk in slowly, almost shamefully. "Adine Grace is here." She told him. "I told her to come in at nine, but according to security she came in at seven and has been waiting in my office." She finished with a small smile.
"Well then," Hotch started, smiling to himself. This girl would fit nicely, "There's no reason to wait until nine. I'll call everyone into the conference room."
"Wait," JJ said, "what about Emily?"
"Her mother has been sick lately," Hotchner told the blonde agent, "She'll be out for a while."
"Alright." JJ answered. "I'll go talk to Adine."
With that, the young woman walked back to her own office. Hotch sighed and got up from his desk, walking out to the bullpen.
"Everyone, conference room, five minutes." He called, knowing that instead of waiting the five minutes, they were all following him in.
"Adine?" She heard a feminine voice cal from the doorway. Looking up, she was met with bright blue eyes and a warm smile.
"Good morning Agent Jareau." Adine replied respectfully.
"I would tell you to call me JJ," The blonde started with a smile, "But considering I've already told you that three times, I'd say it's useless."
Adine smiled in return, "I'd have to agree."
"Alright, honestly I have to know, why won't you call me 'JJ'?" The agent asked with a laugh.
"I was raised to be respectful, and Agent Jareau is respectful," The younger woman explained.
"Okay," JJ replied with a smile, "whatever works for you. The team is meeting in the conference room for the de-briefing and our Unit Chief has decided that it would be good for you to come along, to observe how the team works before going solo."
"Alright." The young woman stood up and followed the agent out of the office, her cross between strawberry and honey blonde curls bouncing slightly.
Spencer watched as JJ entered the room, another woman with her. The moment he saw the woman, he was captivated by her. She had fair skin that went perfectly with her dirty-blonde hair. He noticed that - mixed in with the natural light blonde highlights in her loose curls ad waves- there was a light red hue when she stepped into the sunlight that was cast through the window.
"Everyone," JJ started, bringing Spencer's attention back to reality, "This is Adine Grace, and she'll be accompanying us on this case and observing how the team works."
"Why?" Spencer asked. At the looks he got from the team, he realized that he just acted rudely. "Sorry." He muttered, looking down. He hadn't meant to be rude, he was just honestly curious.
"Knowledge." The young woman, Adine, told him with a smile. "And don't be." Spencer took note on just how beautiful her smile was.
Spencer smiled an embarrassed, closed-mouth smile back.
"Alright," JJ started again, breaking the silence, "He's SSA Dr. Spencer Reid, and the man next to him is SSA Derek Morgan, SSA David Rossi, Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, and Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner. And I am JJ." She finished, emphasizing her nickname.
"Thank you for the introductions, Agent Jareau." Adine teased. "It's nice to meet you all."
"You know what?" JJ started in slight annoyance mixed with a dash of amusement, "I give up. Call me what ever you want to."
Adine smiled shyly, her lips tugging upwards and her eyes shinning like a young child's meeting their parents friends for the first time. As JJ started the debriefing, Spencer watched Adine walk to the back of the room and stand in front of the couch. Why she didn't just sit, he knew not.
Everyone sat on the plane, getting comfortable for their three hour flight.
Rossi and Hotch sat around one table, JJ and Adine at the one across the aisle.
Spencer was currently sitting alone at a table, seeing as Morgan got up to get coffee.
However, that wasn't the only reason Morgan got up. Before going back to his seat across from the young genius, Morgan went to Rossi and Hotch. Sitting down in the empty seat next to Hotch, Morgan asked the question that's been in his mind since the moment he saw Adine Grace.
"Who is she?"
Hotch looked to Rossi, who nodded slightly.
"She's JJ's replacement." Hotch said quietly, not wanting to alert the women across the way.
"What? Hotch you can't be serious." Morgan said, irate at the idea of someone replacing JJ. "JJ hasn't done anything wrong-"
"I'm not firing her Morgan," Hotch interrupted, angry at the assumption, "She's choosing to leave. She wants to be with her family and I can respect that, and I expect you too, also."
Morgan sighed in anger, glancing at the woman talking to JJ.
"Hotch, what do we even know about her?" he questioned. Right now he would do anything to keep JJ on the team, even though he knew it was pointless. If she wanted to leave, she could leave.
"We know that JJ has been looking into this for two years and Adine is the person she chose. We need to trust her." Rossi said in a final tone.
Morgan took the hint and got up. He walked back to where he and Reid were sitting, dropping down in a chair across from the young doctor.
He could feel the younger agent's eyes on him, so he decided to fill the poor kid in.
"She's JJ's replacement. JJ's leaving." That was all he said before putting in his earbuds and drowning out the world.
