A/N I haven't written a fic for this episode yet because every time I watch this episode I start bawling like a two year old... But I was finally able to form a coherent thought about the episode. Disclaimer: There are a few direct quote again, but I made her goodbye with Hotch and the team longer. I don't own CM etc. Please, Review! And can I have some prompts please? Thanks! Enjoy!

JJ stood in the conference room, staring at the files she had left to do. She couldn't believe they were forcing her into this. It wasn't the pentagon, they wanted her as a female liaison in Iraq.

Hotch walked in the room. "I can't do anything, and neither can Strauss. It's above both of our pay grades. I'm so sorry JJ," he said.

She nodded. "It's okay."

Hotch hesitated before saying, "Strauss wants you to fill out an exit interview."

"An exit interview? Are you kidding me? They're forcing me out of the BAU!" JJ said, outraged.

Hotch nodded. "I know. You know Strauss is very by the book. Even she really tried to keep you here," Hotch said.

JJ's anger faded into defeat. "Only because I make her life easier dealing with a lot of the politics of our cases," JJ said with a slight smirk.

Hotch cracked a smile, "True. But she tried. I'm sorry JJ."

JJ sighed and looked away. "What am I even supposed to say on this thing? They're forcing me out. And the team... What am I supposed to tell them when I don't want to go?" she asked, tears pooling up in her eyes.

"For the report... Just be honest. And for the team... I don't know. They'll understand you don't have a choice," Hotch replied sadly.

"I hope so," JJ said quietly. "I don't want to go, Hotch."

Hotch pulled her into a hug. "I know. We'll miss you JJ."

"I'll miss you guys too," she replied, before pulling away from the hug.

"You leave at the end of the week," Hotch said quietly.

"The end of the week? I still have to train someone!" JJ said.

"They wanted to make you leave tomorrow. And we're not replacing you JJ. We are going to get you back as soon as we can," Hotch assured her.

"Hotch... You can't take my job on yourself. You already have enough work. What about Jack?" She asked.

"Don't worry. I'll manage. You'll always have a place here," Hotch replied.

JJ sighed and looked down at the exit interview,"I should probably do this now..." she said.

Hotch nodded. "Take your time. I won't tell the team anything until your ready."

"Thanks Hotch," JJ half smiled. He nodded and hugged her one more time before going back to his office. They would get her back, damn it.

JJ sat down at the table and took a deep breath before starting the interview. Be honest? How the hell could she do that? She thought about all her time on the BAU, how they became family to her and how they all had each other's backs. And then she thought about this job she was getting forced into. She hated it. But she wrote anyway. And when she finished, she stood up and walked out of he conference room towards the team.

The looks on their faces were heart breaking. They knew she was leaving. And her face betrayed everything she was feeling.

"No..." Emily said quietly, everyone's eyes pooling up with tears.

"You're leaving?" Penelope asked.

"I don't have a choice. You know I don't want to leave you guys, but it's above Hotch and Strauss' pay grade. There is nothing they can do," JJ replied. She looked over at Reid, who looked like he had gotten punched in the stomach.

"They-they can't just take you away..." Reid said, his voice sounding broken and small and JJ's heart broke even more than it already was. She pulled him into a hug and then everyone was crying and hugging and just a mess. She vaguely registered the fact that Penelope had left the group, but she didn't have time to dwell on it with all the hugs and tears.

When she was finally able to break away from the team, she went to Penelope's office. "Hey," she said softly, knocking on the frame of the door.

"Hey," Penelope replied, her back to JJ as she messed with files on her desk.

"This sucks. Don't they know that we're a family? Don't they care?" Penelope asked, turning around to face JJ.

"I don't know," JJ replied. But she knew they didn't care. All they cared about was power and results. Not a team that had become a family. But she knew Penelope didn't need to hear that.

"God, they can't just take you! You're like our glue! You keep us all together, you keep Reid from being to abided by Morgan, and you can keep them all in check and everyone listens to you. We need you JJ!" Penelope said loudly, tears running down her face.

"I'm sure you guys will be okay," JJ replied.

"Gosh and that is one of the ten billion reasons we love you. You don't know how badass you are," Penelope said.

"Hey, I'll still be in the city, probably more than usual. We'll make plans," JJ assured her.

"Yeah but plans get canceled, people get busy, and then we just stop talking!" Penelope replied.

"I promise, they won't," JJ said.

"Good, because I know where you live," Penelope joked and JJ cracked a smile.

"You guys look out for each other, got it? And tell me if anything happens, or if Reid gets a girlfriend or if Morgan keeps one for more than a few months, alright? And Rossi and Strauss," JJ said, knowingly.

"I will be your full exclusive source of BAU gossip," Penelope said, smiling. "And me and Reid get full visitation rights to our godson."

JJ laughed, "Of course, just don't go overboard with the toys again, okay?"

Penelope smiled, "We'll see. I like spoiling Henry."

"Oh, I am fully aware," JJ laughed.

"Oh gosh we're going to miss you Jayje," Garcia said, pulling JJ into a hug.

"Yeah. I'll miss you guys too," JJ replied, before pulling away.

"Do you want to walk out together?" Penelope asked.

"Actually I have one more thing to do," JJ said, holding up her exit interview.

"Oh. Yeah okay. That's okay," Penelope said. JJ could see the tears forming in Garcia's eyes, and left before she started crying again too. She walked to Strauss' office, put the file on her desk, and left before Strauss saw her. She really didn't want to have to say anything about it.

As she walked towards the elevator all her memories of this place flashed through her mind. All the moments, her 'date' to the Redskins game with Reid, her girls nights out with Pen and Emily, her and Hotch's friendship... It all came flashing back, and it was hard to keep the tears at bay. She thought to what she had written for her exit interview.

"I'm thankful for my years spent with this family, for everything we shared, every chance we had to grow. I'll take the best of them with me and lead by their example wherever I go. A friend told me to be honest with you, so here it goes. This isn't what I want, but I'll take the high road. Maybe it's because I look at everything as a lesson, or because I don't want to walk around angry, or maybe it's because I finally understand. There are things we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have to let go."

Except she knew she wouldn't be able to let them go. These were the memories and the people who would be in her life forever, no matter her job or if they even ever saw each other. These were the people She had became a family with and grew with. And no job could take that away. No 'promotion' or new job could take away her family and friends. and in that moment she knew that as long as she had these people in her life, she was going to be okay.