A/N: Wow, once again, thank you to everyone who reviewed. It's so awesome to have readers like you guys.

Chapter Note: This one's actually really short. That's a first. And this is the last "full" chapter because the last update is an epilouge.

Disclaimer: Where I am, it's too early to think of anything funny or witty, so, uh... I don't own Criminal Minds. And I'm not making any money off this, and... well you all know the rest.

Chapter 10: FBI

POV: Hotch

I sat in my office. The night had been terrible. Trying to look and be happy at home was difficult, especially when I knew what was coming today. Haley knew something was wrong, but she didn't push it. She must have figured I would be too tired after the night before to discuss it.

Eight years. That's how long I had been in the BAU. They were years with their own challenges and their own triumphs, but this was where I felt I as doing something good in the world. This was where I wanted to be. Catching criminals, watching them leave the streets, saving someone's life was a rush that I now believed couldn't be replaced by any other job.

How I had been so calm when Prentiss was in my office I don't know. Now I was mad. In fact, I was, at times, in a blinding rage. Why did I have to leave? What did I do? I didn't deserve this. I desperately wanted to rid myself of this force somehow, but my leg was still in the way. Had it not been, I probably would have been able to run a marathon from the excess energy that this rage had caused.

I sighed. My eyes traveled around my office again. So many memories were in this one place. The BAU had become a second home. Home is where the heart is, and this was no exception. Everyday I came here and put everything I had into it. Being evicted seemed to be my repayment for that.

I didn't know what Haley and I would do after this. With another baby on the way, I would have to find some other job soon. Maybe Strauss wouldn't have me kicked out of the FBI, just the BAU. We could go back to Seattle, or anywhere that we wanted to I guess. It was always possible to request a transfer. But, maybe it was time to get out of the FBI. If this was something that could happen in our office, why couldn't it happen in others?

Haley had been right; this job can torture you in so many ways. When she said that, though, she was referring to unidentified subjects eating away at yoru soul. However, it applied just as well to higher up FBI officials destroying your aspirations.

So far, the most difficult thing about me leaving seemed to be losing my team. Much had yet to be said and done. I hadn't taught them everything that I believed they needed to know yet.

I laughed wryly at myself. Just a few days ago, I had been thinking I would apologize for my snippy behavior after Strauss provoked me at a later time. Little did I know there wasn't going to be much for later.

It was eight-thirty. I didn't even know why I was at the BAU. It was Strauss, Prentiss, and the director that would meet in a half hour, not me. How long would it take? What was Strauss going to do? Prentiss had seemed really upset by what I had asked last night, but what good would it do to refute Strauss now? I was out. Strauss had lived up to her words.

The clock kept ticking slowly. It was taunting me, counting down to when it would happen. At 9:10, my phone rang, startling me.

"Aaron Hotchner."

"Agent Hotchner, can you please come down to my office?"

I knew that voice, and I had been scared of hearing it.

"Yes director."

I entered his office, thankful for the crutches as they were hiding my wobbly legs. No matter how much I had thought about in the last several hours, I was not ready, not for this.

Dane Wellete, the director of the Quantico field office, was sitting at his desk, writing something. Perhaps it had to do with me. Strauss was standing across from him, an irritated look on her face. I didn't see Prentiss, nor recalled seeing her on my way here.

"Good Morning sir."

"Ah, good morning Agent Hotchner." He looked up and saw my stance.

"Oh, sit down. I didn't realize you had been injured." He said kindly.

"Thank you sir."

I just want to say get this over. I'm leaving; we both know it. The fact that Strauss is here just makes it worse. She'll watch my world fall down. Just get it over with quickly, please.

"Well, Agent Hotchner, I have had a very interesting conversation with your department head, Agent Strauss, this morning."

Now her expression appeared slightly smug, sickening me.

"Really?" I said, turning my eyes away from her expression to the floor.

I tried to sound surprised so he wouldn't ask any strange questions.

"Yes. She claimed that your leadership was hurting the BAU. I decided that since this was about you, you ought to be here."

I turned my head up again. His voice didn't sound completely against me, but it didn't sound exactly for me either. At least it gave a tiny sliver of hope. My eyes found Strauss again, and I received a bout of glee at her face. She hadn't expected this. A hitch in the plan.

"Agent Strauss, would you like to proceed?" He asked her.

"Yes sir, thank you." She pronounced, suddenly seeming happy again. "As I was saying, I was going to present a few of Agent Hotchner's cases to you."

Here it came, the damning evidence.

"Last February, Agent Hotchner's team went on a case in Georgia. Agent Hotchner sent two of his agents to the house of the man behind their case, One of his agents was abducted and held hostage for three days due to his neglect."

Yes, I know. I screwed up. Why must you remind me?

"Agent Hotchner, is this true?" He asked.

"Yes sir."

Why deny or try to explain it again? I had done it so many times, and yet, here I sat, in the director's office with a terminal career.

"Go on, Agent Strauss."

"Last December, one of Hotchner's agents was arrested and then found to have a hidden criminal record, and yet, he was still in the FBI."

"You're accusation being…?" Wellette questioned.

I was thankful that for now he seemed to not be judgmental one way or the other.

"Agent Hotchner was not careful enough to look into his agent's backgrounds."

He nodded, prompting to unfortunately continue.

"More recently in May, a friend of one of his agents was killed, and the perpetrator who committed the murder should have been apprehended by his team months earlier. They had him cornered in a diner, and he was unarmed, but the man still managed to escape and kill again. Then his team did an investigation of their in May, even though it was against regulations because the prime suspect was their agent."

Please be quiet. Just please.

"And finally, a case that just ended yesterday, with the stabbing of one agent of Agent Hotchner's agents. He implemented an undercover investigation that went awry when the agents involved, who were supposed to be informants, became the would-be victims."

Just tell me, tell me I'm fired. Ask me to leave. End this agony.

I finally turned my face up. The expression on the director's face wasn't that of anger at my blunders, but more of confusion at something.

"Agent Hotchner also has been neglecting his responsibilities. In the recent months, I have felt the need to take over for parts of his job. One of his agents left two months ago, and he has yet to replace that position."

Well, at least I wouldn't have to do that. Who would do that for my position?

"In conclusion, you can see that Agent Hotchner is an ineffective leader. Many times his colleagues have had to suffer for his actions. From my standpoint, I believe that there is no other choice than to remove Agent Hotchner from his position immediately.

A deafening silence followed Strauss's speech. Even though she had spoken with great conviction, the director still did not seem completely convinced, or, he at least was showing very little emotion. Strauss was getting angry at this, and I was feeling just a little bit more hopeful.

"Do you deny anything about these cases?" Wellette asked quietly.

"No. I regret my mistakes in them, and I should have done a better job." I admitted slowly.

"Do you have anything to add, Agent Strauss, before you bring in your witness?" He inquired quietly.

"No, I think I'm ready." She replied, looking unsure about whether or not she truly was.

"Very well. Bring her in." The director ordered in the intercom.

The whole room waited anxiously until we could hear the click of the door behind us.

"Thank you for coming." The director greeted her.

"Good morning sir." Prentiss's voice seemed to be constricted somewhat but passable. I knew that she still didn't want to do this, but she at least agreed to it in the end.

"Director Wellette, this is Agent Emily Prentiss. She is an agent in the BAU, and I would like to ask her some questions." Strauss explained.

He nodded and gestured to the chair a few feet behind me. Craning my neck, I saw Prentiss take the seat, her body language giving off nerves and some possible reluctance.

"Agent Prentiss, how long have been in the BAU?" Strauss innocently began.

"About nine months."

"And Agent Hotchner has been your leader the entire time?"

Why is she delaying it? We all know what's coming.

"Yes."

Strauss continued to ask her more and more pointless questions, just facts about her career. The longer it went, the more my stomach sank. Finally, the big one came.

"Agent Prentiss, do you believe Agent Hotchner is a bad leader?"

The last bomb. Here it came.

"No."

The room froze. No one breathed; there was too much shock. She didn't just say that. She couldn't have. She said she would testify against me. And yet, I could still hear her answer ringing in my ears.

"Agent, Prentiss, do you understand the question? Do you think that Agent Hotchner is a bad leader?" Strauss asked, obviously shook up.

"I understood the question, and no, I do not believe that Agent Hotchner is a bad leader."

I finally was able to turn back to look at her. Her body matched her voice which was surprisingly calm. She wouldn't look at me, instead looking intently from the director to Strauss, who looked someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on her.

I couldn't believe it. She really had just defied Strauss and me. Prentiss had promised me she would support Strauss. While a huge part of me grateful beyond words, another part of me was depressed. Prentiss had just secured a one way ticket out of the BAU.

I then turned my head towards the director, wondering what his reaction would be. His face revealed confusion, but it still did go to either side of the story.

"Agent Prentiss, I will ask you one more time. Do you believe Agent Hotchner is an ineffective leader?" Strauss attempted once more.

I faced Prentiss once again. Her voice gave off more confidence this time, as if firmer now in her words.

"No, I don't."

Strauss looked flabbergasted. She must have been so sure that Prentiss would go along with it that she hadn't prepared in case she hadn't. Of course, Strauss never knew where her true loyalty laid.

"Agent Prentiss," Strauss growled more than anything, "we discussed this. Agent Hotchner is an ineffective leader."

"No he is not." Prentiss repeated once more.

"Director," Strauss tried, trying to sound innocent, "Agent Prentiss approached me days ago to assist me in taking out Agent Hotchner. She does agree with me."

"I don't! Agent Hotchner is a fantastic leader. He does a great job and-" Prentiss loudly exclaimed.

"Agent Prentiss, be quiet!" Strauss almost screamed over her.

"Agent Strauss! I will not have superiors talk to their agents like that!" The director ordered, standing up.

The whole ordeal was passing before my eyes. It felt like I was merely watching this, not possibly witnessing the fate of my career. Following whoever was speaking, my face felt like a volleyball, being tossed between Strauss and Prentiss, then the director, and back to Prentiss and Strauss again. My body and brain were otherwise numb, stuck in this state since Prentiss had said no.

"Sir, please, let me just-" Strauss endeavored once more.

"Actually, Agent Strauss, I would like to ask the questions." He replied.

An uncomfortable silence followed as the director took back his seat.

"Agent Prentiss, let me clarify, you will vouch for Agent Hotchner's actions?"

"Yes sir."

"Even the ones that were mistakes?"

"Yes sir."

"Agent Prentiss," he stated slowly and thoughtfully, "if you were in my position, what would you do?"

Every face was fixated on Emily as she considered her response.

"I would let him stay."

He seemed to truly consider this.

"Thank you, Agent Prentiss. You are dismissed. As are you, Agent Strauss. I need to speak with Agent Hotchner."

Emily stood up, looking truly frightened that Strauss, whose face was livid, would be leaving with her. I panicked inside; Strauss would have little mercy. Inside I was itching to follow them, just to make sure that Strauss didn't do anything.However, the little cough that the director gave to avert my gaze from their exit stopped those thoughts. Suddenly, I remembered what he was going to talk to me about.

I gulped. Too much had happened in the last five minutes for me to be ready for this. Prentiss had stood up for me, trying to give herself up for me. Strauss was going to attack her now. It was all too much too fast. But the director still was annoyingly unfazed by this. His tone however, was very solemn.

"Agent Hotchner, I'd like to discuss some things with you."

"Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity" F.B.I. Motto
A/N: Only the epilouge left! Please tell me what you're thinking, review and thank you for reading!