My mom was an alcoholic.

That's was no longer is.

Mom had fought her addiction for longer than I had been alive. I used to make up all sorts of excuses for her when I was younger. My step-father, the job, even her unrequited love for Agent Rossi.

But then it became her life, her lifeline. She became distant and withdrawn. And when I needed a mom the most, she wasn't there.

At the age of 13 there's not a lot you can do. By law, I was still a minor, so I couldn't force my mom into rehab. I tried to talk to her about it and she would laugh and say it wasn't as bad as I was making out and that she wouldn't have a drink that night. She would tuck me into bed and promise me that she wouldn't drink. I'd then sneak down and watch her down almost half a bottle of gin.

I decided that I would talk to Aaron about what was going on. He knew Mom, had worked with her for years. Surely, he could tell that she was drinking, unless she wasn't drinking on the job… yet.

I caught a ride to Quantico with Dave using the excuse that I wanted Reid's help with a piece of math homework, even though I had already done it. He could tell something was up, seeing as he had helped me out with my homework for that week.

"What's going on with you?" he asked, looking at me as we sped down the interstate.

"Nothing." I replied, looking out the window.

"Ok. You can keep playing that card, but I'm not folding."

I smiled at the dodgy poker reference. I sighed, shifting my gaze from the window to the radio, "I'm worried about mom."

Rossi placed his hand on mine and smiled softly. "Me too, kiddo."

I looked at him, "So you know about her drinking?"

"Of course, I do, but you know your mother. She's stubborn as anything. She won't shift unless she's told to."

My eyes flicked down to my lap. David looked at me and it clicked.

"Which is what you're doing, isn't it?" He asked, his eyes bouncing from me to the road ahead. "You're telling someone?"

"David, I have to!" I responded. "Not only is she a danger to herself, she's a liability to the team, the bureau. I mean what happens if she goes into the field with you guys and someone smells the booze on her and it compromises the case?"

Dave sighed, and I knew, he understood where I was coming from. "She'll beat this, Jessica, she's a strong woman."

I nodded, "I know, but she needs help Dave." And we drove the rest of the way into Quantico in silence.

We got to the building and Dave walked me in, his arm round my shoulder. In the elevator, I rested my head on his shoulder and whispered, "Thank-you for not being mad."

Dave just squeezed my shoulder in response.

I walked up to Hotch's office on my own (Dave had stopped at the coffee pot and got chatting to JJ). I knocked on the door and waiting for a response.

"Come in!" called Hotch, from inside the room. I pushed the door open slowly. "Hello, Jess." He smiled as I walked in, "What can I do for you?"

I shut the door. "I..." I paused, collecting myself, "I need to talk to you about my mom, sir."

He looked at me, confused.

"She needs help, well she's getting help, but she needs more, and I can't do any more than what I'm doing…"

Hotch smiled at me, "Jess, slow down. Why does Erin need help?"

I took a deep breath. "She's drinking, sir, and I'm not sure if she's continuing here or whether it's just at home."

"Does Dave know she's drinking?" he asked.

I looked at him, "How... how did you know?"

He smiled again, "Jess, David Rossi may be a profiler but when it comes to Erin, he goes all soppy. He has done for years."

I smiled, "Yes, he does know, and he helps some of the time, but when he's away on a case, there's nothing to stop her. She won't listen to me."

Hotch looked at me, kindly. "Jessica, thank-you for telling me your concern, but there's not a lot I can do."

I looked up at him, amazed. "What?"

"Jess, your mom ranks higher on the FBI pecking order than me, there's really not a lot I can do. I'm aware of it now, and you say that she is getting help and that Dave is aware, I'm not sure what more I can do."

I looked at him. "Just promise me, if she goes into the field, you'll keep an eye on her,"

"I promise Jess."

"Thanks Aaron." I smiled at him, and I left.

I didn't think much more on my visit to the BAU that day for some while. Life went on as normal. I was just about to begin my final year in middle school before moving to High School. Life was good, life was… well life.

That was until the December of that year. Like, 10 days before my fourteenth birthday, everything changed.

Dave got called in on a case. I went in with him as he had just picked me up from school. It was a case involving a military school in Florida. This time Mom was going with the team as the Bureau had a lot of ties to the school and she wanted to keep things civil.

I went to find mom in her office before the team left.

I knocked on the door. She looked up and smiled when she saw me. "Hey Jess."

"Hey" I replied. "I heard you were going on the case."

She nodded. "I want to keep an eye on things."

"You sure you should be going into the field?" I asked.

She looked up at me, "Why shouldn't I?" Mom sounded annoyed rather than angry.

"I just mean, you don't usually go into the field."

"And?"

"And, I just thought, that given everything that your going through right now, maybe it's not the best…"

"What do you mean everything I'm going through?" she asked, her voice raising.

"Mom!" I said, looking over my shoulder. I sighed, "Mom, you can't deny that you have a problem!"

She looked angry now, "Jessica Strauss, I don't have a problem. I have one or two glasses of wine when I get in and I think, seeing what I do for a living, I'm entitled to it!"

I looked at her, amazed that she was still denying her problem, "Mom, it's not just one or two is it? Ok, it's maybe one or two glasses of wine but then it's a couple of gin and tonics or a few vodka mixes. And I'm pretty sure it doesn't stay at home." I vented.

Mom looked shocked and I knew I had overstepped. "How dare you?" she said softly.

"Mom, I'm…"

"How dare you accuse me of drinking on the job? I am the Head of the BAU, do you realise how much damage those accusations could have on my career?"

"I know, mom and I'm…"

"You can't stay here while I'm away this time. Garcia is coming with the team."

I shook my head. "Fine. I'll go to Ashley's then."

"Fine."

I looked at her. "Have a safe trip, Mom. I love you." And I walked out.

The team was away for a few days. This wasn't strange, sometimes they can be away for a week at a time. I phoned mom every day. Sometimes I would get an answer, sometimes I wouldn't. I loved her so much, but when it came to her drinking, it was hard to trust a word she said. And then I got a call.

I answered the phone, "Hello? Jessica Strauss speaking."

Jessica, it's Aaron. Dave gave me your number."

"Oh, hey Hotch. How's the case going?"

We're at the landing strip about to fly home.

"That's great!" I replied, thinking that I would get to sleep in my own bed tonight.

Jess, I'm calling to give you a heads up. Morgan caught your mom drinking on the job.

"What?!" I asked, shocked, "She's drinking on the job! Ah man!"

Jess, you had to know this day was coming. He said he could smell it on her when she was speaking. She got really mad at the person they were questioning. It could have blown the whole case, not the mention her job and reputation.

I sighed. "I know. So why are you giving me a heads up?"

Morgan is going to get her admitted into rehab. We can do it confidentially. No one will need to know.

"Thanks, Hotch."

No worries, Jessica. I want your mom to be as well as she can be too. And he hung up.

I got Ashley's mom to drop me off at the offices and I went and found my mom's office. She was already in there and sat in her chair. She looked busy and, after the fight the other day, I didn't want to start another, not before Hotch and Morgan got there. So I sat in the little waiting area outside her office.

Not long after, Hotch followed by Morgan arrived at her office. Morgan smiled at me, sympathetically. I followed them into the office.

Mom looked guilty, like she knew why they were there. But she kept her cool and asked about issues with the case.

Hotch just looked at her. "It's time for you to admit that you need some help." He said simply.

Mom got all defensive, "I don't take orders from you, Aaron."

Hotch didn't let on, "You put my team in jeproady."

Mom looked at me and then at Morgan, "Is that what you told him Agent Morgan?" she asked, her temper building.

"You compromised the integrity of the unit…"

"I did no such thing!"

"Open the draw, ma'am." Morgan interrupted.

Mom looked at him.

"Do it, mom." I interjected, "You keep saying you have nothing to hide. So prove it."

"This is absurd!" she replied. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes, my throat constricting, but I held back. She needed help and if this was the only way, then so be it. Hotch walked over to the draw, "Aaron…" she tried to get him to stop, "Aaron what are you doing?"

Morgan looked over at me. I shrugged my shoulders. Hotch opened the draw and it rattled as he did, which it shouldn't have done, as it was a case draw. He looked back at her as if to prove a point. She just looked defeated.

"One call to the EAP and everything will be alright." Morgan said.

"He's right, mom." She looked right at me.

"In what world will this be alright?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm. She walked over to the draw and slammed it shut. "You have no idea what this is going to do to me!" She said it to the room at large.

Hotch just looked at her, "Agent Morgan will see that you get checked in privately, and for that you should be grateful." And then he left.

Morgan looked between me and mom. "I'll wait outside." He said and he left, shutting the door.

The atmosphere in the room was stifling.

"Mom…"

"You couldn't just leave it alone, could you?" she asked.

"No. I couldn't!" I replied, letting all my emotion rush forward, "And do you want to know why?"

"No. I don't want to know why. I just want to know what this is going to do, how I am going to come back."

"Mom, I did all this because you are hurting yourself and deep down, you are crying for help. I'm doing for you what you did for me with Jason. I'm helping you because you are my mom and I love you and I want you to stop hurting yourself, I want you to know that you are loved and that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that things will be alright in the end."

Mom looked at me, her faced pained, her eyes red. "Oh Jess, what have I done?"

I sniffed. "You haven't done anything mom, you just need help that's all."

She smiled, "You may have mentioned that."

I walked over to her and gave her a hug. "We're going to be ok, right Mom?" I asked.

"We'll be ok, kid." She replied.

Mom then kissed me on cheek and left the room. I watched her leave with Morgan, knowing that this would be the last time that I saw her for a while. I was sad but filled with hope. She was finally getting the help that she needed.

Smiling, I left the room and went to find Dave. I didn't have to look hard. A long and grueling case plus the flight back meant that he could be in one of two places, his office or the coffee pot. I entered the bull pen and found that the coffee station was vacant, so I headed up to his office. The other team members were busy working on their case reports and so didn't notice me.

I knocked on his door and hearing the response, I walked in. He looked drained, both mentally and physically. His head was resting in his hand but that changed when he saw me. He suddenly looked alert and bright, he even smiled.

"Hey Kiddo!" he said.

"Hey." I smiled back, "Welcome home!"

He laughed. "What can I do for you?"

I sighed, "Hotch and Morgan caught mom drinking on the job and so she's being checked into rehab."

"I'd heard." He replied, looking at me, "You did the right thing."

I smiled, "I know, but the thing is…"

"You need a place to stay."

I nodded. "I thought, seeing as you and mom were a thing now…"

He smiled, "I have a guest room ready for you. Your mom thought it would be a good idea, especially if things between us go really well."

I smiled, "I'd like that."

"Me too, kid, me too."

THE END