Reflection
This is my prompt for the flower challenge. Hope you like reading this. Unlike most of the other flower challenge fanfics, these two characters never meet up in this. When I was first given Strauss (Along with my choice of Greenaway) I panicked inside- what should I write for this? I went though so many ideas, before today. However, this story was eventually written, because 2 years ago to the day (29th April), a girl at my school and her family were murdered. The grief still feels as bad today. This girl was the perfect role model, she was nice to everyone, she was intelligent, hard working, charitable, and overall just one of the most brilliant people that I have ever met. The reason she and her family were murdered was because of money issues.
This is for all those who have experienced grief in their lives, and most importantly, this is for the girl at school who was murdered.
Also, I made up the dates, and also Strauss' kid.
Criminal Minds is owned by CBS, not me.
Edit: Added one line, corrected an error in the timing.
Elle solemnly walked into the quiet graveyard, with a bunch of lilies in her hand. It was the 29th anniversary since that dreadful night, when her father…..
Her father had died on duty that night, saving innocent lives from the mind of a twisted serial killer. What made it worse, was that her last words to him weren't "I love you" but "I hate you". Less than 24 hours later, he was dead.
She barely remembered her father, but even now, so many years later, she felt the guilt from her last words to her father. Elle wished she could have taken them back. So, when she was shot by the Fisher King so many months ago, she finally felt the guilt go, as she managed to say her last goodbye to her father, and apologise for what she had said so long ago.
Her father had helped her to realize that she needed to fight for her life, and not just accept her untimely death. She had eventually survived, thanks to his words.
Eventually, she reached the gravestones, and quietly placed the lilies on the cold, unforgiving earth, before she muttered, "Hey, dad. Peanut's here. Sorry I haven't visited you in a while. Thank you so much for being there after I was shot. I hope I made the right choice coming back. I know it wasn't you fault that you died that night. You saved so many lives. Daddy, I love you, and I'm still missing you even now. I killed someone on duty. Murder. He was raping innocent woman, and he intended me to be his victim. I killed him, daddy, in cold blood. I am so sorry, daddy, for becoming a murderer."
After that, she stood in silence, staring at her father's grave.
Robert Greenaway
Loving son, husband and father.
6th June 1944- 12th March 1977
Missed by those he loves.
He had only spent 32 years on the planet before passing away, and she only got to spend time with him for 8 of those years. He had died too soon. He deserved to live longer.
Finally, after what felt like eternity, she finally turned around, and left the graveyard, deciding finally to quit the BAU.
Many miles away, Erin Strauss had also arrived at the graveyard where her son lay dead.
He had only lived 18 years, before he was murdered by a brutal serial killer. Hotch had made the mistake that had cost her son his life. She could never forgive him.
Even though 2 years had passed since his murder, it still felt life yesterday when his disembowelled corpse was found on the streets of Quantico, Virginia. People told her that grief faded with time, but at this moment, she thought that they were wrong. The grief is as strong as it is now as it was then, on the day his body was found.
She took the bouquet of lilies, before silently placing them on the mound of earth where his ashes lay.
She finally let loose the tears, pouring out the servants of grief onto the silent earth.
"In two weeks' time, you should have turned 20 years old. However, your life was taken away, not only by that serial killer, but also by the BAU, who made a mistake that cost you dearly. You were so keen on studying law at university, becoming a lawyer and stopping crime, like I do. However, you will never be able to achieve your ambitions. I remember when you were younger, and you broke your leg when you fell out of the tree house that your father had built for you. You never cried or complained about the pain, but you had a smile on your face, and 6 weeks later, you were back on the tree house. You should never have died. You didn't deserve it, Alan. I miss you baby. I miss you." Strauss cried silently, the tears slowly trickling down her cheeks, like a river which had dried out due to a hot summer.
After she said this, she stared down at her son's gravestone.
Alan Strauss
26th March 1986- 14th November 2004
Missed by his parents and his sisters
She cried at what should never have happened that soon, before she quickly turned around and left the graveyard, planning on having a good drink when she got home.
This is how on that day, the 12th March, Irisies the flower representing cherished relationships, also became the symbol of loss.