A/N I've been trying to post as many chapters as possible before I head off on vacation tomorrow, which will leave me essentially on hiatus for a week. I'm looking forward to the break, but I'll miss being able to write! I will be updating as soon as humanly possible though, I can promise that much! Now enjoy this next chapter, I'm hoping I can post another before the day is through!

-Nightshade

I don't own Criminal Minds, if I did then I'd sit for hours and listen to Reid ramble on about science just to indulge my nerdy side!

What a Difference a Day Makes

Chapter Seventeen

Here I was again, like a student sitting in the principal's office, my head hung in embarrassment at being caught making out with a classmate behind the school building. I was grateful that my long blonde hair fell like a curtain around my face, hiding some of my blush as I waited outside of Strauss' office alongside Emily. She sat beside me wearing a similar expression, wringing her hands nervously. I placed my hand on top of hers, trying to calm her while at the same time trying to listen into the argument ensuing in the office behind me. Hotch and Strauss were going at it, and our team leader was apparently using every argument he possibly could to try and keep us on the team.

"Strauss sounds too calm for Hotch to be winning." Emily observed, slipping into her profiler mode. We both listened intently, making out words such as "protocol" "rules" and "vital to the team" being thrown across the room at each other. We just sat in silence for a few more minutes as the rest of the team filed into the bullpen, immediately taking notice of the tense atmosphere. Morgan, Reid, Rossi, and Penelope slowly filed over to where we sat.

"Jayje, Emily, what's wrong?" Pen asked, her eyebrows shooting skywards in worry as she trotted to where we sat. It was then when I realized I had never told her Emily and I are a couple, she would feel so hurt that she never found out, especially since Morgan and Hotch were the only ones who even know. I cleared my throat anxiously as Emily squeezed my hand softly.

"Emily and I, we're…" I trailed off, coughing around a nervous tickle in my throat.

"Jennifer and I are together. Strauss um, kind of walked in on us kissing after I passed my firearms requalification." She admitted, the most adorable lopsided grin on her face. The reactions from the group were varied yet positive, from an excited squeal from Penelope, a warm fatherly smile from Rossi, a confused yet shy grin from Spence, and a mischievous look from Morgan, who let out a quiet wolf-whistle at our little predicament.

"So wait, Strauss is trying to fire you two for breaking the fraternization rules?" Morgan responded after a couple seconds, anger at the realization settling in. I nodded my assent.

"If she gets anywhere near my two lesbian lovelies then I will hack her into oblivion!" Penelope threatened, and a happy blush spread across my cheeks at her immediate acceptance.

"Pen, I appreciate the thought, but I hope we can resolve this without messing with the BAU Section Chief's credit cards or social security." I advised, knowing that when it came to the All-Powerful Penelope Garcia, Analyst Extraordinaire, she was serious when she said that she could hack her into oblivion. Emily seconded my opinion with a beaming smile. Without warning, the door opened, showing a disgruntled Strauss.

"Agents Jareau and Prentiss, can you come into my office? And you four," she gestured to the profilers and technical analyst waiting. "If you're going to hover out here and listen in you might as well join us." She allowed everyone in stiffly before shutting the door behind her.

"All due respect Ma'am, but you can't kick them off the team, we need Emily and JJ!" Morgan burst out, cutting right to the chase. The tension in the air was palpable, like a battlefield seconds before the fighting begins.

"I am not questioning the necessity of them, but rather whether Agent Jareau and Agent Prentiss will be able to work together and remain professional." She stressed.

"Of course they can, why wouldn't they?" Rossi interjected calmly, too experienced to get defensive.

"When I found them outside of the shooting range, they weren't acting professional." She retorted in a solely businesslike fashion. "I am solely concerned with the functionality of the BAU if two of their agents are in a relationship! There are rules against this for reasons; I can't have personal relationships taking priority over the jobs at hand." Penelope shuffled forward, looking slightly intimidated by Strauss' imposing title.

"Ma'am, but we all have personal relationships, that's what this job does. We're faced with all of these horrible situations, hunting down the twisted dregs of humanity, and we've bonded. We're a family; this team is full of emotional relationships. Now maybe not all of us are dating our team members, but we're all close friends, we're each other's siblings, partners, confidants, we're a family. And that can't be changed. Can you fire JJ and Spence for becoming like brother and sister? Can you fire Derek and me for flirting? Can you fire Hotch for looking out for us like we're his own? My point is, Ma'am, that we all have personal relationships, and it's that trust and that intimacy that allows us to operate as a team, to be able to lean on each other, and listen to each other, and make it through all the tough cases. I can only speak for myself, but if I didn't have this team, I wouldn't be able to do this job." She finished quietly, and most of us were slightly taken aback by the heartfelt rant from the usually quiet technical analyst. Morgan came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder to emphasize the point, smiling softly as she leaned into the touch. Spence gave me a soft glance, full of that brotherly love that Garcia had pointed out, and I smiled placing one of my hands on his shoulder, the other hand clutched softly in Emily's. Rossi and Hotch shared a quick glance before our team leader laid his protective gaze over the entire team. We were all connected, undeniably, and we all felt that. We were one, and we face everything as one. Strauss' face had softened ever so slightly, before she sighed.

"I can't really argue with that." She started off, before taking on a more professional tone of voice again. "I'll be observing you two for a while, to be sure that you can remain professional, but as of now, you two are still part of this team, although Agent Prentiss still has to complete her psychiatric evaluation to officially get her job back." The rest of the team sighed in relief, and we all began to file out of her office. "Agents Jareau and Prentiss, hold back." We both shared a nervous glance before stepping back.

"Yes Ma'am?" Emily asked politely, always the diplomat's daughter.

"On the record, I strongly advise against this, but off the record." She lowered her voice slightly, "Congratulations, I'm happy you have each other." She offered, in a voice that was almost maternal, and a slight smile. Slightly awestruck, Emily and I left the room and entered the bullpen where our friends were waiting anxiously. I repressed the urge to kiss Emily senseless with relief, knowing that we were already walking on thin ice with the whole 'acting professional' thing. We reached where the team was gathered, and apparently we weren't good at hiding our holding back, because Rossi rolled his eyes before announcing.

"Okay you two, get it over with, she's not watching." I let out a subtle squeal of happiness before hugging Em, placing a firm yet quick kiss on her lips, ignoring the whoops and cheers from the team. I pulled away slightly, still sticking close to her side, but turning to face the team.

"Very mature guys." Emily drawled, unable to wipe the smile off her face. Penelope left her spot besides Morgan to step forward.

"We're just happy for you two!" Penelope defended, "Plus I'm glad I don't have to jam up the system again to make sure you guys keep your jobs!" I remembered that time, the abandonment and sadness I had felt at the possibility of losing Emily all because of some political agenda.

"Well I still have to be proven sane enough to come to work." Emily joked, making no attempt to hide her irritation. I knew well enough that she absolutely hated therapists. "Can you hack the therapist's computer or something so I don't have to go?" she asked Garcia, who shook her head sadly. "Drat, I don't even get the point of a psych evaluation; all they do is ask you a bunch of stupid questions about your feelings. I mean how does it make me a better agent if I'm in a stable relationship, or whether I'm biting my nails!" she gestured irritably as the rest of the group murmured their responses.

"Well think of it this way, at least now you don't have to lie about dating your cat?" I offered, and from a couple desks over, Hotch chuckled at the memory.

"Officially we haven't been on a real date, so even that would be a lie." She clarified, and the rest of the group slowly drifted back to their desks and offices.

"Yes… when will this theoretical date be occurring?" I flirted, simply enjoying the undivided attention of the beautiful woman walking alongside me to her car.

"After I pass my stupid evaluation. Then we are celebrating, and what better way to celebrate?" her voice had taken on a husky tone which made my knees weak and head spin. It was amazing how just one sentence out of her mouth could take me back to when I was a love-struck highschooler, thriving on secret glances and hanging off her every word. One thing was for sure, Thursday evening, couldn't come soon enough.

A/N I felt like I was running out of steam nearer to the end of that chapter, but mostly because I was preoccupied with conjuring up ideas for their date! I can't help it if I'm jumping ahead a bit! There are only about two more chapters to go until I reach the end, and I'm toying with the idea of writing and posting them all before I leave tomorrow! But I wouldn't want to sacrifice quality for quantity. (by the way, this chapter occurs on a Tuesday, the day of her firearms requalification as mentioned earlier, so next chapter will occur 2 days later)

-Nightshade