AN: I'd like to thank the following two reviewers who have reviewed each chapter I've written for this fic. MilliePrue-BellatrixLestrange and kc1997kc you are both awesome :)

Chapter 4 – The Verdict

"JJ, what are you doing here?" Emily asked allowing her friend to walk into the lounge without a reply. "JJ?"

"Why are you doing this Em?" JJ almost yelled. "Why are you throwing your career away like this?"

"I'm not throwing away anything," Emily retaliated. "Carina needs my help and she will get it. Calm down." JJ didn't reply again but this time looked away from her friend for a moment.

"Hotch told me that you told Strauss to take your job! Em what the hell were you thinking!"

"Look, JJ, Carina needs my help, I'm not just going to stand by and watch her try to pick up the pieces by herself. Besides, it's Strauss that has the problem." JJ shook her head.

"But that doesn't mean you should give her your job on a silver platter!" She paused crossing her arms and averting Emily's gaze. "What JJ?"

"The team knows about it too."

"What?" Emily asked. "How?"

"They were wondering why you haven't been there for a couple of days, they started asking questions and so finally Hotch organised a meeting to talk about it."

"What did they say, oh now I'm going to have to explain myself to Morgan, Reid, Garcia and Rossi too!"

"No because we came to a decision." JJ explained simply before putting her handbag onto Emily's couch. "The team all agreed that if you were taken from the BAU we were following."

"What!" Emily yelled turning around to let out her anger for a moment. "JJ! No!" Emily sighed turning to face her friend only now noticing that the piano upstairs was no longer making music. "We decided," she replied. "Em we couldn't imagine the BAU without you and they won't get rid of you if we all threaten to leave. Our team works too well."

"That's not the point." Emily sighed. "I don't want to be the person that everyone thinks they have to protect. I don't need anyone protecting me let alone losing their job over this!"

"But I can't let you walk away," JJ replied, looking into her friends dark eyes. "None of us can just let you walk through those doors and not come back. You know how much our team is like a family. We spend more time with each other than at our own homes."

"Maybe that's what's been my problem," Emily sighed. "I've dedicated years of my life to work and what did I get in return, huh? No family and a political brick wall against every decision I make. Maybe now is the right time to step back and to just focus on what's important now. Carina is important to me and I need to take care of her, JJ."

"No you don't," Carina began from the stop of the stairs. "I can look after myself for a while."

"Carina I," Emily stuttered, looking up to the teenager.

"Go," Carina interrupted. "Go into work early. Go and see this Strauss person and fix this up." JJ smiled at the teenager's strength. She seemed just as stubborn as Emily was; maybe the agent had met her match. Emily looked between the defiant teenager and her best friend before she finally nodded her head. "Okay, I'll go and see Strauss tomorrow." JJ nodded with a smile before she took her bag from the couch and headed toward the door. "See you Carina, see you tomorrow Em," JJ replied before she opened the door and let herself out. "Well that was unexpected." Carina laughed slightly.

The next morning had arrived and as Emily finished her shower and got dressed she heard the piano beginning to play. Stepping to the door and peering in she saw Carina making form markings on paper before she began to play further. Making another change she saw her guardian standing at the door. "Morning," Carina greeted with a smile.

"What are you working on?" Emily asked stepping into the room. Carina began to play the piece again and Emily recognised it immediately. "All Around Me by Flyleaf?" She wondered before Carina smiled. "Yep that's it. I looked at the sheet music but it didn't sound as nice so I'm making some changes."

"Okay well I have to get going to work," she explained as Carina turned to look at her. Emily wondered if Carina would be okay. After all, the last time she left her alone she locked the doors and held a knife in her hands. "I'll be okay," Carina reassured, seeing Emily's hesitation. "I have the new phone you got me, you have my number in your contacts, and if I'll need you I'll call you."

"Okay," Emily smiled before she finally forced herself to exit the room. Taking her jacket with her Emily opened and locked the door behind her before she unlocked the car doors and entered the front seat. Closing the door and putting her jacket next to her Emily started the ignition and began reversing out of the driveway. Carina watched from her window and when Emily was gone she rushed down the stairs and toward the front door. Turning the knob she checked that it was closed, then pulled the blinds for the kitchen and lounge room shut before she went back upstairs and into her room.

Emily waited for the elevator doors to open. They finally did when she reached the floor and entered the bullpen with a less than hopeful look. Morgan, JJ and Reid were all at the coffee station taking a sip before their new case began. Each one of them turned to see her arrive. Continuing toward Hotch's office Emily walked up the stairs and knocked to enter. "Prentiss," Hotch greeted, a bit surprised at her arrival. "I'm looking for Strauss."

"She's on her floor inside her office." Emily turned and began to walk out the door. "Emily," Hotch called. Emily turned to face him. "How is Carina?"

"She's okay," Emily sighed. "She hasn't told me much about what happened but I think she is doing a little better."

"Good." Hotch smiled before he allowed Emily to leave. Emily walked down the stairs and toward the elevators when she was hit in the shoulder by someone passing by. Hearing papers fall to the ground and the colour red flash across her sight Emily knelt down to help with the files. Lifting her head up she saw Garcia. "Hey," Emily greeted with a half smile before she stood and was met by a hug. "You're going to see Strauss aren't you?" Garcia asked. Emily nodded solemnly before Garcia loosened her grip. "Is there anything I can do?"

"You've already done plenty," Emily smiled. "Don't worry; I'll be back at my desk before you know it." Garcia nodded her head before Emily started to walk to the elevators. Entering them she saw every eye on her exit. This would be a difficult day.

The elevator stopped again allowing Emily passage into the dark hallway. Following the light she walked straight ahead and passed through one glass door before she opened another and entered the room. A blonde secretary sat at the main desk. "I need to see Chief Director Strauss," Emily explained as the secretary stood from her seat and walked Emily through into the office. "Director Strauss," the secretary began, her voice containing a slight quiver. "Agent Emily Prentiss is here."

"Send her in," Strauss commanded before Emily walked into the room. "Thank you Abigail," she began motioning to a seat in front of her desk. "I didn't expect to see you so soon."

"I know it hasn't been seven days, but I need a verdict."

"Well," Strauss began. "We took information from all of your fellow agents about the case in Seattle. Interviews were conducted. All of your fellow Agents agreed that the outcome for the case was better than expected." Emily didn't reply she desperately wanted to know if her job was safe or not. It sounded good so far, but Strauss would no doubt going to give her some bad news as well. "However agents were put in danger and you refused to wait for backup before entering the house." There it was. "After careful consideration Agent Prentiss..."

Derrick Morgan had watched Prentiss leave the bullpen and it had been over ten minutes. How much would Strauss go over? Emily would certainly come back to tell them the news, good or bad. She wouldn't just leave them in the dark would she? Never show up to work again. Derrick looked to his desk as Reid took a chair and sat next to his friend, each one watching the door. "Has she come back yet?" Reid asked, wondering the same things Morgan was.

"Not yet," Morgan replied when they heard footsteps and Rossi took a seat on the corner of Emily's desk. "Anything?" He asked before Morgan and Reid shook their heads. JJ walked down the stairs to see the small congregation that was beginning to form. Stepping to the table she stood behind Reid and was about to ask the same question when Reid answered. "Nothing," before her lips could part ways. "Has the Raven returned?" Garcia asked as she took a stand next to JJ. Four heads shaking sideways told her the truth when Hotch arrived and waited with the team. "Strauss said she was on her way down," Hotch explained. Garcia held her hands together hoping desperately for her friend to stay at the BAU.

The elevator doors opened as a saddened Emily immerged. No one moved although Garcia was distraught with just the look on her friends face. Hotch wondered what had happened before Emily looked from the floor to her group of friends, all of their faces were terrified that they would lose a team member. They couldn't lose anyone in their team, it would never be the same. "Em?" JJ asked when Emily's lips turned into a smile. Morgan stood to his feet and held out his arms making Em run into his arms before he spun her around. Garcia was next with the largest and strongest hug that she had ever felt. Emily was beginning to lose the air in her lungs before JJ took her turn followed by Spencers hug, a handshake from Rossi and a smile from Hotch. "So you aren't fired right?" Garcia asked to clarify. "Yeah," Emily smiled. "I'm not going anywhere."

AN: Yay so Strauss realised just how important Emily is to the team. Please let me know what you think of this chapter :) I'd really appreciate it.