When Liv faced a loss that would rewrite her entire life, she stepped away from her work. A year and a half later, she returns to the BAU in search of normalcy; so she can finally move on. On a new team, Liv is immediately thrown into the game of ca...
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It wasn't often that they brought children back to their parents alive, and every time it did, the whole team took a long moment to bask in the feeling. They had wrapped up the case in Maryland with a happy ending, the girl being found and returned to her family, and upon their arrival back to the BAU, the team was in high enough spirits to not mind so much the paperwork that came after. Liv joined them in their relief and rather playful air as she plopped down into her chair, shuffling about her files to find her pen. Before she could get settled, however, she heard the door to Hotch's office open.
"Tate, I need you in here."
Liv looked up for a moment in confusion, before shaking it away and pushing herself up, walking past her peers like she knew what he could possibly need to discuss with her. She didn't, but the moment she walked in and saw Strauss sitting there as well, she knew she probably wasn't going to like it.
"Ms." She nodded politely to Strauss, before looking back to Hotch for direction. He looked annoyed, like Strauss' presence alone put him in an off mood, and he nodded to Strauss to signal her to explain.
The woman turned to Liv, who still stood, before saying, "I'm sure you've heard that the Pentagon is requesting the transfer of Agent Jareau, which is a very large promotion. At this point, the decision is final, and they want her starting there immediately."
"I don't understand, JJ is an essential part of this team." Liv's brow crinkled in confusion, looking to Hotch for answers.
"Yes, well, unfortunately the decision is not up to us." Hotch replied with a grim look on his face.
"Forgive me, but what does this have to do with me?"
"While Agent Hotchner refuses to give up all responsibilities of Agent Jareau's job, someone on the team will have to change their area of focus to accommodate the fact that she's leaving. Considering you worked well with communications and press on your last team, that person would be you."
Liv stared back at her, processing her words as thorough as she could. "I can't replace JJ."
Strauss folded her hands over her crossed legs, drawing a breath before she responded. "Agent Hotchner has expressed that he is more than happy to help manage, but I placed you on this team with the knowledge that there would be a role to fill in the future."
"I'm not a liaison." Liv stated. She could feel the annoyance growing inside her chest, and as much as she wanted to reserve herself for the sake of remaining professional, Strauss' no-nonsense look was making it very difficult to hide.
"Your job is whatever I tell you your job will be. This doesn't take you out of fieldwork, Agent Tate, but I made this decision fully expecting for you to step up."
