one. when jj asks her to come to the football game , she's hesitant to say the least . she's never really been invited out with the team before , not without derek , but jj assures & assures her again that spencer wants her there too ( penny has eyes , knows how he looks at jj & if she's being honest , they would be kind of cute together but she's so desperate to fit in with them , to integrate into this job that she's agreed to instead of prison , that she conceeds ) . she figures out that poor spencer had thought it was a date within a millisecond of being there , the deflated look on his face when jj excitedly tells him that penelope had decided to join them . she almost leaves until the game starts & she's smushed between them , reid eagerly spouting off statistics to them about both teams , jj shaking her head with an indulgent smile . they drink overpriced beer & share surprisingly delicious nachos & cheer when jj prompts them to for her team . by the time the game ends , she's so embarrassingly aware that she'd do anything for these two & realizes that she hasn't had friends like this since before her parents died . hasn't felt like she belonged since then either . jj gives her that .
two. when she's shot . . . well , it's blurry . she remembers heroes by david bowie playing in her head , she's not even sure it's really playing anywhere else but it won't leave her head . she remembers her mom & her stepdad & her brothers , memories of them flashing through her head , making her wonder if she's about to see them again . she remembers that when she opens her eyes the only person besides derek who could make her feel at ease is there , holding her hand & wiping the deluge of tears that start & that she can't seem to stop . she isn't even in pain , she's just so damn grateful that it's jj . she loves derek & knows hotch & emily are waiting just on the other side of the hall but seeing jj , it being jj is everything she had needed & more .
three. she doesn't talk to her brothers . well , they don't talk to her . so , she's kind of given up on the whole aunt thing , until jj tells the team she's pregnant . & she goes a little overboard with the preemptive gifts , sure , but as the second bau baby he is entitled to as many aunt penny gifts as he wants ( poor jack was dreadfully neglected because she'd been so new and hotch had been so scary at first but she's done a lot to rectify that in the years since ) . & they're so caught up in making sure jordan is settling in that when jj does go into labor , penny doesn't see it coming . it's hours of waiting room while she makes sure the boys are on their way back & that will gets situated & when they ask her to come into the room once jj's mom has had enough time to fawn over her first grandchild , she's too distracted by how beautiful henry & jj are to notice her & will looking at her expectantly . by the time she does , they've asked her to be his godmother & she bursts into tears as will takes henry back so she can gingerly pull jj into the carefulest hug & tell her that it would be the greatest honor of her life . & it is .
four. she knows that it's for the best . for jj to leave . she knows that she wants to be home with henry more , that she deserves , more than anyone , to be recognized for how brilliant & badass she is . it breaks her heart just the same . it makes every time she gets to see her in the coming months all the more special & she could hate her when she & emily come back but she's so damn happy just to see them , by the time she has the capacity to sit down & be angry . she just doesn't have it in her .
five. every single day . whether they get coffee , whether they don't talk , or even only see each other in the elevator exhausted & both ready to be home . she is more than a best friend & more than a sister & just - more . every day that jj exists & penny has the privilege of being reminded of that fact - she's happy .