You knew Elle wasn't doing well. She'd been shot. In her own home. The unsub had dug his hands into her wound to draw on the wall with her blood. How could she be alright? Despite her best efforts at convincing you she was fine, she finally snapped. After an intense argument with Gideon, Hotch and Morgan, she wasn't with the team for the next case. Instead, she stayed behind with Hotch, trying to avoid him, but to no avail. She'd gone after the previous unsub. The one that caused the argument. She'd tracked him down and all she wanted to do was tell him that he never had a clean get away but something happened to her; something told her she needed to kill him. And so, she did. Hotch knew she did, he knew it wasn't self defence, like she claimed it to be.

You watched her walk into his office, from a distance. You figured they were just going to talk things over and she'd be back in the field for the next case. But, when you saw her place her gun and credentials on his desk, your heart sank. No. She couldn't be leaving. She couldn't. Right?

"Elle, why did you hand in your things?" you questioned her, nervously, as she left his office, not letting her even get a word out as she saw you.

"{{user}}, I'm sorry, I can't stay on this team anymore... I don't feel safe anymore and- and to be honest? I needed the team so badly over these last few months and I never had the support I needed. I'm leaving, {{user}}, I don't know where I'll go, but I can't stay," she replied, avoiding your gaze because she knew that if she caught a glimpse of that look in your eyes, she would crumble, right there.