"Take a seat" Hotch said as he sat down in his chair and motioned to the other two. They quickly did then waited for him to speak again. Hotch sighed a little and sat back in his chair. "Strauss was out for blood over the way this was all handled" He admitted.
"Does this mean one of us is losing our job?" Prentiss interjected, worry painted across her face as she thought to one of them flying around America to catch criminals while the other sat waiting for them at home.
There was a long pause that was similar to the moment before a winner is read out on a game show as Hotch deliberated his decision. "Yes" He finally said and both agents sitting in front of him sucked in a breath and winced like they'd been slapped. "I tried my best to fight for you but she says her hands are tied. I was given the decision of who leaves" He said slowly, letting the information sink into the silence of the room "Reid, while your skills are highly valued in the team I had to make a decision and I couldn't keep both of you" He stated, it was obvious he didn't want to say this. "There are lots of opportunities for someone like you, Reid" He added with a weak smile. "Prentiss, you'll have ten hours of take down and arrest procedure training to complete before you can be recertified. It goes without saying I'm sorry it's come to this"
"Sir, with all due respect I'm not happy with this decision" Emily said slowly, unsure of how to word it as shock ran through her.
"Neither am I. But the decision had to be made and, on a personal level, I thought Reid would cope best outside of the bureau" He explained and sat back in his chair.
"Can't you change your decision on who leaves? I'm not staying if Reid isn't" She stated stubbornly.
"Emily" Reid stopped her as his hand found hers and he gave it a little squeeze. "You're staying. The team needs you"
"But Reid, you're part of the team" She protested.
"Not anymore" He said quietly. Emily opened her moth to say something then sighed and closed it.
"You can start your training as soon as you feel ready" Hotch continued. Prentiss paused for a moment then sighed again and nodded. "I truly am sorry" He added, his face showing how much he hated to say it.
"It's not your fault… It's just how things go" Reid said quietly then took Emily's hand and led her out of the office before she could protest anymore.
"How'd it go?" Morgan called across the room; all of the team were expecting good news.
"Reid's been fired" Emily spat as she followed Reid to the group.
"What?" Morgan almost shouted.
"Was it Strauss that made the call?" Rossi asked, his usual calm partially disrupted as he thought a way he could help them.
"Yeah" Emily said as she ground her teeth, resisting the urge to call her bitch.
"You can pull some strings, right Rossi? Get him back on the team?" Morgan asked as the whole group, except Reid, turned to him.
"I can have a talk with her but-" He began but was interrupted.
"As much as I'd appreciate it you really don't need to" Reid stated as he gently took Jessie from JJ and bounced her around in his arms. "Someone needs to stay home with Jessie. Besides, the bureau's pay packet isn't as big as it used to be" He said with a weak smile as he stroked a few strands of Jessie's hair.
"Awww" Garcia's voice interrupted as she hurried over once she'd seen Jessie waving her hand in the air to grab at the colourful clothes Garcia was wearing. "You guys didn't tell me she was coming" Garcia complained even with the huge smile on her face. She paused a moment to take in the sad faces around her and her smile faltered. "What's wrong?"
"Reid's been fired" Emily repeated, although her tone was no longer angry but defeated.
"What? Why?" She said and swung her head from Emily to the rest of the team members then to Reid for the answer.
"Strauss doesn't think we can work together anymore" Reid explained, he knew that what he was saying wasn't strictly true but the truth would make Strauss extremely unpopular with the team and, whilst she had been instrumental in pushing him out of the team, he wasn't about to bad mouth her- it wasn't in his nature. "I'll find something else to do with my time soon" Reid said positively with a warm smile.
"She can't break us up" Garcia protested, her eyes tinted red as she fought with tears. "We're family"
"I'll still come round" Reid said with another smile just for Garcia.
"Promise?" Garcia said, showing just how vulnerable she was.
"Baby girl-" Morgan began with a little laugh at how childish she was being but Garcia interrupted him.
"Promise" She demanded this time, her eyes getting redder by the second.
"I promise" Reid said then smiled as Garcia became relieved by his answer and smiled too. "Here, why don't you hold Jessie" He said and carefully passed her over.
"Oh, um" Garcia said as the tears pressing at her eyes suddenly disappeared and her face lit up as Jessie was placed in her arms. "She's so tiny" Garcia whispered to herself as she rocked the little girl.
"How come I'm the only one who hasn't held her?" Morgan whined and dramatically pouted which earned him a small laugh from the group.
"You'll break her" Garcia replied and pulled away from him.
"Oh, come on!" Morgan said with a laugh slipping through his voice. "We're talking about the offspring of a provable genius and cat woman. She isn't gonna break" Reid and Emily exchanged a look but decided not to protest at their new titles.
"Fine… Just be careful" Garcia said as she reluctantly passed Jessie over.
"Look at that- smiling. Just like Henry did" Morgan announced proudly.
"Just like Henry? So Jessie's got gas too?" Garcia said and flashed a smile at Emily who was thinking back to the day they'd shared the same joke.
"Just because she didn't smile for you" Morgan said and bounced the baby a little.
"I think Morgan's keeping her, Spence" JJ said with a little laugh that spread through the group.
"Alright, you can have her back" Morgan said reluctantly after he held her for a few more seconds then passed her to Reid.
"Hey Jessie" Reid whispered and stroked a few strands of her hair back into place after they'd been ruffled from being passed around. Garcia and JJ looked at each other as they restrained from saying how cute the little family were, especially with Emily fondly watching Reid fuss over Jessie. "Oh, yeah" Reid suddenly said as he looked up, an idea caught in his mind. "Do you wanna…?" Reid asked as he turned to Emily and bounced Jessie in his arms.
Emily gave him a confused then she realised what he was talking about and nodded. "We have to go and sign for Jessie's birth certificate in a few weeks. We thought you guys might like to come and pick it up with us. Maybe get something to eat after and hang out?" Emily asked hopefully.
"Sounds good to me" JJ said with a smile and nod.
"Me too" Rossi added.
"I'm in" Morgan agreed.
"It's been too long since we hung out anyway" Garcia reminded them with a playful nudge to Morgan, the only reason for doing so was the confused look he gave her when she did. "Nice lion costume by the way" She said with a knowing smile and wink to Emily.
"Yeah, looks like she's gonna be as colourfully dressed as you" Emily said with fake disappointment.
"Hey!" Garcia called defensively. "At least she won't be dressed like an emo like you did!" She added in a mocking voice.
"I believe the best term would be Goth" Reid corrected Garcia as Emily shot him a look for teasing her.
"I'd rather her go through a faze where she dresses in black than her wearing animal costumes" Emily said while she pretended to be insulted, although no one could hide the smiles on their faces.
"Are you guys really arguing about what teenage faze she's gonna go through? She's only like a week old!" Morgan interjected with a big, confused smile on his face.
"Six days" Reid corrected him.
"Huh?" Morgan asked and turned to Reid.
"She's six days old, not seven" He explained calmly and rubbed Jessie's back soothingly.
"Oh, right" Morgan said with a nod then turned back to the group. "She isn't gonna be wearing all black or animal costumes. And if she does I'll commit both of you to mental hospitals for letting her" He warned and waved a finger in the direction of Emily and Reid.
"But clothes are merely an expression of who the person is. Stopping someone from wearing what they want is just cutting off a form of expressing themselves, no-" Reid began but Morgan cut him off.
"Reid, I swear to God. Don't make me slap you with a baby in your hands" He warned which made the whole group laugh even more. There was a small pause as the laughing subsided and Emily cleared her throat.
"We better get going. Jessie has a schedule" Emily said with a big smile as the group smiled at her, they all knew it would be Reid who made the schedule.
"See you later" JJ said and gave Emily a hug which was quickly followed by Garcia hugging Emily even tighter than JJ had.
"I didn't get to tell you earlier but I'm proud of you" Morgan said and patted Reid's shoulder, being careful not to wake Jessie who had drifted into sleep again.
"Proud of what?" Reid asked and gave him a confused look as he stroked the hair on Jessie's head.
"Making it up with JJ and… well, everything. I wouldn't have taken it half as well if I was you. Especially with Strauss being a bitch" He said honestly, squeezed Reid's shoulder then took a small step back.
"Me either" Rossi agreed. "I thought it was gonna take a lot longer for you to get over it all even without having to look for a job"
"Well I can't be bitter now that I've got Emily back… Or that I've got Jessie" Reid admitted, he knew he would have held a grudge against JJ and Hotch for a lot longer than he did if it weren't for Emily talking to him about it which also made him more accepting about his job loss.
"You ready to go?" Emily asked as she walked closer to Reid, gently brushing against him as her sweet perfume floated toward him.
"Um, yeah" Reid said, a little dazed as he enjoyed the moment. Emily gently took Jessie and stroked her cheek then began walking away with her. Morgan gave him a smile and nodded in the direction of Emily who was now walking toward the elevator.
"Go get her, man" He said encouragingly. Reid returned the smile and dashed off in their direction. Once he caught up with her he placed the softest of kisses on Emily's cheek and then one on Jessie's head.