can't help falling in love- spencer reid

forty one

a/n: i know the plot line doesn't line up to the show, but it's okay, it'll only be for this chapter and the next one. this takes place right as evelyn is coming back from maternity leave.

"i have an announcement to make." emily says. the team had just gotten back from a case and had gone home but emily had called them back, so everyone had to come back to the office. "i have been suspended from active duty." she continues. "i don't understand." penelope says. "for how long?" spencer asks. "indefinitely. jj will continue being active unit chief, but as of today, assistant director linda barnes will be personally overseeing the unit." emily says. "are we under investigation?" rossi asks. "yes, we are under investigation." emily sighs. they then went home, coming back the next day when they had a car. garcia presented the case, barnes walking it mid presentation. evelyn zoned out, not wanting to hear what she had to say. "meet you on the tarmac." she said after they were done presenting. "you're going into the field with us?" evelyn asks. barnes looked her up and down before she spoke. "yes." she said simply. "no offense, but you're not a profiler." rossi says. "true, but i have worked in the field, and a fresh set of eyes might be useful." she says. "i know you think im the enemy, but im not. i can be your greatest advocate if you'd let me. now, you've had some poor leadership in the past, but i know i can help right the ship." she continues. "bad leadership?" evelyn scoffs, crossing her arms. "that's what i said, agent jones. is there a problem?" barnes says, once again looking her up and down, speaking once evelyn didn't. "good. and i suggest you change, your outfit isn't exactly....work appropriate." "emily prentiss is not a poor leader. she defined what a unit chief should be. i'm not going to stand here and let you destroy her career like that. if you're going, i'm not." spencer says. "spence." emily says softly, looking at him as he walked out. "you know, the kid looks a little flush. needs a sick day, don't you think?" rossi says. "anybody else need a sick day?" linda asks harshly, glaring around the room. "good. then as agent jareau said, wheels up in 20." she continues once no one responded, walking out of the room. "ok." jj sighs. "come on, guys, we still have a job to do. these people deserve justice." she continues. evelyn nods and walks out with the rest of the team.

..................

"ok, who's up for drink at o'keef's?" rossi asks as they stepped out of the elevator. they had just gotten back from the case and jj had just ripped into barnes before they took off. "count me in." evelyn says. "i'm in." jj says, raising her hand. tara sighs contently. "that sounds great." "yea, it sounds great to me, too." luke smiles. "the kids are asleep, wife could use a second alone. i'm in." matt says as penelope walks up to them. "did someone say o'keefe's?" she says excitedly, looking around at them. "where have you guys been? you're 20 minutes late." she continues. "our flight got delayed." luke says. "oh, okay, cool guys. the radar did not report any weather." penelope says. "yea, it wasn't weather. unless you count hurricane jareau." evelyn says, penelope gasping. "oh i'm not up to speed. i hate it when i'm not up to speed." "jj ripped into barnes before we took off. mama bear's got bite." rossi says. "she's lucky i didn't throw her off the jet." jj laughs. "where's the old battle ax now?" penelope asks. "probably upstairs licking her wounds." evelyn says. "linda barnes is a fighter. she's not finished by a long shot." matt says. "well, let's just say i'm glad we won this round." rossi says. "mm, i'm so proud of you." penelope says, wrapping an arm around jj as they walked into the bull pen. "shut the front door!" penelope gasps excitedly as spencer and emily walk up to them. "feeling better, kid?" rossi asks. "much better, thank you." spencer replies, going to evelyn and hugging her softly. "wait! you're suspended! how did you get-did you sneak in? did you do a secret ninja type move? tell me, i have to know." penelope exclaims. "i, um, i have one of these." emily says, holding her visitor badge. "i'm reid's visitor." she continues, pointing to reid, who evelyn had her arms wrapped around, leaning on him. "oh." penelope says in realization. "well, welcome to the bau, visitor." tara says. "it's a great place you've got here." emily laughs. "did i hear something about drinks?" she asks. "yes, and i'm buying the first round." luke says. penelope gasps, pointing at luke with her thumb. "you heard the ma-" she starts as she turns around, stopping as she saw who was there. linda barnes. evelyn let's go of spencer, not wanting to give barnes something else to hold against them since team members weren't supposed to date. of course she knew they were together and had kids, but there wasn't supposed to be pda between them while at work. "i don't care." spencer whispers, intertwining their fingers, linda immediately noticing. "agent prentiss, agent reid, i'm happy to see you." she says. "agent jareau, i didn't get the opportunity to tell you how much i enjoyed your speech on the jet. but you're wrong that i'm here to shut down the bau, because i'm not. this unit is the crown jewel of behavioral profiling. i couldn't shut it down if i wanted to. but i can help restructure it." she continues, looking around at them. "the director watched the airport video, and felt as i did, that we were in public and your validation strategy was failing." "you already met with him?" jj asks. "yes. i've known him a long time, he answers my calls." barnes says. "i haven't even had a chance to file my report." jj says. "he agreed that events should've unfolded quicker, and because they didn't, the suspect died." barnes says, ignoring jj's statement. "now we need to ensure that mistakes, like the ones you made today, never happen again." she continues. "mistakes we made?" evelyn pipes up. "that said, agent prentiss, your suspension is lifted. you'll be reassigned within the bureau. your post has yet to be determined." linda hisses. "what?" penelope says quietly. "agent lewis, you will also be reassigned. agent reid, you will be a full-time professor with our exchange program." she explains. evelyn glances at spencer before adverting her gaze back to linda as she began speaking again. "agent rossi, the fbi deeply appreciates your service, and the director wishes you nothing but the best in your retirement. agent simmons, agent alvez, you will remain here at the bau. garcia, your loyalty to the team is appreciated, but it feels like a fresh start in a different department would be best." "fresh st- i don't want a fresh start. i need- i need to be here." penelope says as tears welled up in her eyes. "i'm fired, aren't i?" jj asks. "no. you're the conditional unit chief of the bau. congratulations." barnes says. "there's no such thing." jj replies. "you're right, there wasn't. but i was able with the director's approval to create a new position just for you. i won't be going into the field with you anymore, but you will run every decision pat me, big and small, before you act." she says, stepping towards jj. "what about me?" evelyn asks softly, linda glaring at her, looking her up and down before speaking. "due to your disobedience in regards to dressing more appropriately, you, agent jones, are fired." barnes hisses. "fired?" evelyn repeats softly. "this isn't a strip club, agent jones." linda hisses as she flares at evelyn. "so you're saying i dress like a hooker?" evelyn challenges. "your words, not mine." linda scoffs. "the only person who has an issue with the way she dresses is you. maybe you're the problem, not her." spencer snaps. "watch your tone with me, agent reid." linda snaps at him, walking away.

fired?