Don't Make Me Stop Now

by cmguysgirl

Rossi find Strauss before she dies. He's been loving that woman so long, he doesn't know how to stop loving her, even for death. Erin knows her life is ending but she can't leave this world without telling David how she feels one more time. You might need a tissue, or a box as Strauss and Rossi get a few quiet moments together as they say a final goodbye. Character Death warning.

Don't Make Me Stop Now

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, if I did, I certainly wouldn't have killed off one half of my OTP.

Author's Note: The season 8 finale was excellent but why, oh why did they have to kill Strauss when she and Rossi were the most exciting couple on the show, even though they hardly had any scenes together until the Season Finale. The scene when they wrapped up the case and they were getting ready to leave the precinct, was acted excellently between the two. I loved it! It was great to see my couple flirting with each other without it being a follow up to some animosity between them. I actually enjoyed seeing her working with the team but it was funny that until they got ready to kill her, she was not considered a member of the team, officially or unofficially even though she is the Section Chief. And when did Blake get so chummy with her? Erin had apologized and Blake basically blew her off and then tried to throw her under the bus with Hotch, yet all of a sudden, they are so close that Blake would offer her a ride. Now I know she was just doing it to see the reaction of Strauss and Rossi and to let Strauss know they weren't fooling anybody about their relationship and I thought that was funny as Strauss was forced to graciously accept the offer, but I cry foul on the all of a sudden buddy, buddy relationship. I also cry foul on Penelope being so helpless as her systems were down and Lynch having to step in and save the day. Garcia has always been the better computer hacker of the two. Now I could have bought those scenes more if Lynch had come in and helped Garcia like usual but it just made Garcia look like an idiot that all of a sudden she can't fix her systems and Kevin can work wonders with them. Of course when everything is back up, then she steps in again and does her thing? I was like huh? What is this? So that part was crap but I guess they were covering bases in case the actress didn't re-sign. We didn't actually see the funeral or grave side service and the hand looked a little too malleable, when they were in the coroner's office for her to have been dead so long (I can't remember as I haven't re-watched the episode but did the coroner say the figure 8 carved in her wrist was done post mortem? If so, how? As the Unsub was gone before she died) but all this gives me hope that she didn't really die and we will get Strauss back next season and see her and Rossi continue to fall more deeply in love and finally be together. And no matter what anyone says, as I saw comments that the show's head stated they didn't have a real relationship, in my mind, they did. There is no way, you cannot have a real relationship with someone who changes your whole personality just by being in the room with you. That is why they can fight so hard against each other, as they have such deep feeling for each other. No one else that we have seen them interact with has the ability to make them act so passionately as they do with each other. Yes they talk to each other with their eyes but they also know each other so well that most times words are not necessary. No one else challenges them the same way, as they don't feel that deeply for anyone else. Strossi's love is the real deal and I am glad it lives on in fan fic, if nowhere else. I was happy to see Derek holding Penelope's hand as they left the cemetery. Let me just saw that all the actors did a superb job on the Season Finale.

Rossi rushed over to where his beloved was. He could see her weaving on her feet due to all the alcohol the Unsub had given her. There was no doubt in his mind that it Erin didn't drink all those miniatures lying on the floor of her hotel room. He didn't have time to explain to Hotch but he had inspected her room when they first arrived and each night they were there to ensure that the hotel was following his instructions, as he was paying extra for it, and not stocking the mini bar with any alcoholic beverages. No the Unsub, who had been stalking them, had to have known this and brought the bottles with him.

As Rossi got a few feet away from Strauss, she did something that shocked him into moving even faster. She moved away from him, like she was frightened of him. His adrenaline kicked up a notch more when it appeared she was going to head out into traffic. Thankfully something stopped her and she moved back the other way. David released the breath he didn't even realize he was holding. Finally he was close enough to take her in his arms. He could tell the Unsub had given her something other than just alcohol as unfocused as her eyes were and by the fact that she didn't recognize him at first. When she finally was able to focus on him enough to recognize him, she fell into his arms. Rossi noticed that her nose had started to bleed like the victims in the case they had just finished. His mind was screaming no. No, this sick freak hadn't done this to his Erin. She couldn't be doomed to die the same horrible death as those in the case they had just finished. David knew he couldn't lose her, not now, not when they had just found each other again. He could tell she was scared and it tore him to pieces to see her this way. Dave knew she was more afraid than he had ever seen her in his life, but so was he, yet he knew he couldn't show that to her and he needed to be strong for her to lean on. Hotch had been with him and somewhere in the back of his mind, he had registered him calling 911. Even now he was faintly aware of Hotch assuring him that the Paramedics were almost there. The sirens getting louder were a testament to that, but could his Erin hold on that long. She was telling him to tell her kids she loved them. It was imperative to her that he relayed that message to them after all they had been through in the last few years with her drinking, rehab and struggle with sobriety.

"David", she said. Rossi could hear her voice getting weaker. They were sitting on the bench and he could feel she didn't have much time left. "It's getting darker, my love, she told him. Why can't I see?" Where was that ambulance and why was it taking so long to get here? He wanted to yell; He wanted to scream; He wanted to bargain with the Almighty for her life, but most of all he wanted to make sure she knew he was right there with her, that she was not alone. That had always been one of Erin Strauss' secret fears that she would die alone. It had become worse when she had gone to rehab as she confessed to him one day when she was finally allowed visitors and he went to see her. She knew she wanted to make amends and not just because of the Twelve Step program, no Erin Strauss had finally taken a good, hard, sober look at her life and she didn't like the woman she had become.

Erin's was more scared than she had ever been in her whole life. She had tried to stop the Unsub but he had over powered her physically before he pulled the gun. She knew there was something else, something important that she had to make David understand, but whatever it was the Unsub had given her, had made her mind so muddled, it was hard to think straight. "David, David she uttered. I'm so afraid. I don't want to die alone. Please don't leave me, stay with me." She tried to clutch at his shirt, she was desperate to make him understand but she just couldn't get her hands to cooperate. Somehow her thoughts came together and she called his name once again, "David…"

"Yes Bella, I'm still here," Rossi whispered to her pulling her into his lap so he could hold her closer. He leaned her back in the crook of his arm so he could gaze into her beautiful face. The sirens sounded like they were almost upon them but David feared they would be too late and he was doomed to watch another person he loved more than life itself slip away from his grasp. He kissed her gently on the forehead and implored her to hold on a little while longer as help was almost there. He had begun to unconsciously rock her in his arms as he begged her to not leave him, to fight for her life, for their love. "I am right here, I am not going anywhere; I just need you to stay. Don't leave me Erin; I don't think I can do this alone anymore. We wasted so many years, letting our pride and egos get in the way. I can't lose you now, not when we finally got it right."

Erin heard David's declarations and her love for him increased for him ten-fold. She knew deep in her soul she would do anything she could if she could spare David and her children the pain her death, especially like this, with her being drunk and smelling like booze, would cause but Erin had always been a realist and even in her worsening condition, she knew this was one fight, not even the Battle Axe, Ice Queen Section Chief of the incomparable BAU, could win. Strauss knew she couldn't give David what he really wanted, for her to live but she could leave him and her children a little less tortured about her death, if she let them know that she didn't break her vow of sobriety. At least she hoped, that would give them a little peace of mind.

"David, I didn't drink, He made me. He pointed a gun to my head and poured it down my throat. You, you have to believe me, I wouldn't do that to my kids, not again. Too much, I already caused them too much pain." The words once they started to flow all came out, although they were beginning to slur. "Tell, them. Love them." She felt colder, her mind couldn't quite register what was happening but her body was slowing shutting down. There was one more thing that she had to tell him before she died. "I love you too" she managed to get out in barely more than a whisper, before she closed her eyes one final time.

When he felt Erin Strauss' body go limp, David Rossi's world came crashing down and the word no erupted from his body in an unholy howl of pain. The paramedics pulled up, jumped out of the truck and grabbed their gear, and rushed over to the scene. Hotch who had been standing beside the bench Rossi and Strauss were on, trying to give them a little privacy, yet wanting to be close enough to lend David what strength and comfort he could, had discretely checked to see if Erin still had a pulse, when he realized she had drawn her last breath, and found none. He pulled out his credentials and waved the paramedics off when it was obvious Rossi wasn't quite ready to let go of her body.

Hotch was fighting his emotions, after all he had to be strong for his best friend, as he knew Dave would need him now more than ever. Rossi, who he had come to think of like an older brother over the years, had been there for him every step of the way when he had lost Hailey, and he had been by Rossi's side when he lost Carolyn. He would do it again, now that Dave had lost Erin. Hotch just hoped he didn't lose Rossi too. He didn't know how much more his friend, could take. Aaron remembered the grief his friend had gone through when he lost his first wife but seeing him now, holding on to Erin Strauss' body like he could will the life back into her was a hundred times worse. He carefully approached him and told Dave that "the paramedics are here. You need to let them take a look at her." Hotch could see his friend was inconsolable and so he chose his words very carefully.

"Aaron, you and I both know there is nothing they can do. They were too late," David Rossi said through the lump in his throat as tears streamed down his face. Rossi wasn't one to show his emotions, easily especially not in front of strangers but try as hard as he could, he just couldn't stop the tears. "I just want to spend a little more time with her Aaron, I can't let her go, not yet."

"I know Dave, I know… but you need to let them do their job… just let them verify that um… just so her children will have no doubts that everything that could be done, was."

"Okay Aaron," Rossi agreed as he knew telling her children would be hard enough, he wouldn't leave doubts in their mind for the rest of their lives that their mom might still be alive if her had just let the paramedics check her.

The emergency workers couldn't find any life signs and so the equipment was placed back on the rescue truck and the coroner was given a call. Hotch had informed the rest of the team of the situation and they had made their way over to the scene. None of them could believe Strauss was really gone. She was supposed to be the safest one, she wasn't a field agent. If she hadn't been worried about protecting them from accusations, from the higher ups, of impropriety due to one of the persons involved in the case they came out there to solve, being a family member of one of the members of the team, she would have been safely back in her office, with a protective detail following her whenever she wasn't at Quantico. Yes they had their ups and downs with her over the years and she had made a lot of decisions that they disagreed with, but they had learned over the last few years that even though she was demanding of her agents, she didn't demand any more of them than she did of herself and that a lot of times when she was harder on them that they thought was reasonable, she was doing what she did to ensure that there was no question in anyone's mind that her "A" team, her "best" team's behavior could not be called into question.

Their late Section Chief had truly prescribed to that old notion that the best defense is a good offense. Even though she had mellowed some over the years, that didn't mean she wouldn't still take you to the proverbial woodshed when you had stepped out of line. Like the time when they barely escaped all losing their badges in the Senate Sub-Committee hearings after the Doyle mess. Oh she had meekly delivered their message to the team and then just when they thought she was headed towards the door to leave and they were about to relax and start to celebrate their "Victory", Strauss closed and locked the conference room door and spent the next quarter hour giving them all a tongue lashing they would never forget. She let them know in no uncertain terms that the next time any of them tried any mess like that, they wouldn't have to worry about Internal Affairs or the Senators as she would personally see to it they would never work in any government agency again, She demanded of them how could they expect her to run interference and step in and do all she could to save their bacon, when they continued to keep her out of the loop. She then went on to advise them if they had informed her that Prentiss was alive and needed to be secreted away for her protection or that they wanted to continue the search for Ian Doyle, "Unofficially" that she could have called in some favors and blackmailed some people, well she called it guided persuasion, and then once we had the proper evidence to bring Doyle in, she would have found a way to convince the Director to sign off on the operation to bring the International Terrorist down, all without it looking like the BAU was following its own agenda of a personal vendetta.

Little by little they had begun to test and trust her to see if she would have their backs and she didn't let them down. Yes she had stumbled, when her drinking problem had overwhelmed her, but she had shown them that she would stand behind them and for once it was their turn to support their section chief and they had. She had told them at one of their family dinners they had at Rossi's a few months ago, that if it hadn't been for them keeping her secret, and defending her to those who were in the know and tried to use that against her or tear down her spirit, she doesn't know if she would have made as successful a transition as she did back into her job. Rossi had then made some snide remark about better the devil they knew … and Strauss had rolled her eyes in the dramatic way that only she could pull off and came back with a rejoinder that had everyone laughing at Rossi, including himself. The two of them had playfully verbally sparred and everyone had continued to eat, drink, laugh and have a good time.

When it began to grow late, Rossi insisted everyone stay over as they had been heavily drinking. He then assigned everyone to a room. Now Reid, being Reid, pointed out that he hadn't assigned Chief Strauss a room. Strauss was blushing; Rossi was grinning; Morgan, Garcia, JJ, Will, Hotch and Blake were trying and failing to hold back from laughing. Morgan decided to fan the flames by saying, yeah Rossi, you didn't assign Erin a room. His partner in crime Penelope added, "It must have slipped your mind huh?" Strauss decided to join in the fun and said, "Yeah David, where am I going to sleep? Rossi rubbed his goatee and pretended he was thinking about it and then he said well we do have a full house and my mansion only does have only so many rooms, so I guess you are going to have to sleep where you sleep every night my dear – our bedroom. With that, Rossi took Strauss by the hand and helped her stand up, gave everyone a little wave and said, "Good Night Children". They could hear Strauss's laughter as they headed up the stairs. It was hard to believe that the woman who had been so happy and carefree that night, was gone just like that.

The team didn't know what to do, so they just all sort of huddled together silently lending each other support. Hotch ever the leader, walked over to his team and informed them of the arraignments he had just finished making. As he spoke he glanced over to where Dave was still sitting over on the bench holding the body of the woman he loved. Somewhere down the street, a rendition of Otis Redding's I've Been Loving You Too Long began to play. 1

I've been loving you too long to stop now

The Coroner's van had pulled up and Hotch walked over to Rossi, gently put his hand on his back and told him, "Dave, you need to let them take her now: We don't want to draw anymore of a crowd than we already have. Do it for her sake Dave. Don't let anyone else see her like this. She fought too hard for her dignity. You know she wouldn't want this."

You are tired and you want to be free
My love is growing stronger, as you become a habit to me
Ohh, I've been loving you too long
I don't wanna stop now

The attendants had wheeled the stretcher over and Rossi stood up and gently placed his love on the stretcher.

With you my life has been so wonderful
I can't stop now
You are tired and your love is growing cold
My love is growing stronger as our affair, affair grows old
I've been loving you oh, too long
I don't want to stop now, ohh, ohh, ohh

He caressed her hand, held it for one last time as the tears began to freely fall down his face again. He placed her hands one over the other and then bent and gently kissed her lips one last time, saying "I love you, baby".

I've been loving you a little too long
I don't wanna stop now, ohh, ohh, ohh
And don't make me stop now
Oh baby
I'm down on my knees
Please, don't make me stop now

Seeing their friend heartbroken was hard for the rest of Alpha team. They were to a person touched by the tender scene. Of course, they knew that the two had been seeing each other and there was no way that they couldn't have been aware of how serious it was, especially when their no non-sense Section Chief had just been flirting like a school girl with the legendary Bureau Lothario as they were packing up to leave the police station tonight. Rossi's friends, who had become more family to him than his blood relatives stood on that block, each fighting to control their emotions, wishing they could do something to help their friend.

And Otis Redding continued to croon in the background as the coroner's assistants loaded Strauss' body into their vehicle….

I love you, I love you, I love you with all my heart
And I can't stop now
Please, please, please don't make me stop now
Talkin' 'bout heart and soul
That I love you
I love you

I love you

I love you

I love you

"Erin NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Shouted David Rossi as he sat up in bed, drenched in a cold sweat.

"David, David… are you alright," she said as she sat up and put her arms around him. "Is it, did you have the nightmare again?

Rossi seemed to come out of the fog and he pulled her into his arms, holding on to her a little too tight, saying "You're here Bella, you're still here with me. It's real. He didn't take you away from me."

It wasn't the first time he'd had nightmares about the night he came so close to losing her and Erin understood his need to hold on tight and reassure himself that she was safe and that she hadn't died. Mercifully for herself, her mind had suppressed most of the memories from that night so she didn't have nightmares as long as poor David unfortunately did.

"My love, I am safe, and I am not going anywhere but I need to breathe." He loosened his embrace immediately but still held on to her. Erin just wanted to comfort him and take away the pain that still haunted his subconscious causing these terrifying dreams. There was one way that always worked when the dreams were this bad so she employed that now.

"We are still both alive David, the Replicator tried to take out lives but he failed. You my dear one and your team, sent him to shake hands with the Devil where he belongs. He can't harm anyone anymore. And we came out even stronger for it. Don't dwell on a death that didn't happen David. There is nothing for you in those dark thoughts. Instead focus on life," she said as she took one of his hands and gently placed it on her stomach reminding him of the child, their child that had been growing inside her for the last eighteen weeks. After her near death experience, they had realized that life was too precious to waste another moment without the world knowing that they belonged to each other. Rossi had insisted that she recuperate at his mansion and her children had been firmly in his corner as they had gotten to know David over the last year and knew how much he loved their mother. Erin had left the hospital after two weeks and she and her three children had temporarily taken up Residence in "Casa Rossi" as David jokingly called it. The next morning, everyone had breakfast in bed with her. That evening Rossi had treated her children to a movie and a night roller skating as he told them he wanted to have a special evening with their mother. The three Strauss kids readily agreed when he informed them he was planning on popping the question and showed them the ring. David had asked Erin's children if they were okay with him marrying their mother if she said yes, as he wasn't sure she would seeing as she had turned him down in the past due to their jobs, but after she came so close to dying, David realized that the job and nothing else he had in his life was as important to him as his love for Erin, so if it took him leaving the BAU again, to have her as his wife, it was a small sacrifice and one he would never regret. Fortunately for him, they all gave their blessing to the potential union so the only hurdle he had to surmount now was to get a certain stubborn, blonde that he loves to say yes. Oh had a plan. This called for some Luther and Gerald. He was bringing out the big guns tonight.

Erin remembered that night fondly. David had romanced her and loved her so well, her answer couldn't have been anything but YES! It had been a long road to the Altar. The three months between Rossi proposing to her and them actually getting married had been filled with outpatient alcoholic rehab, numerous AA meetings and calls to her sponsor, intense physical therapy, countless Dr. visits, nerve racking meetings with the Director of the agency, first to inform him of their current relationship status and living arrangements and then the weekly follow ups with the Director and the team to ensure that her current relationship wasn't interfering with the dynamics and efficiency of the team while he looked for her replacement and she looked for another position as she had refused to let David leave the BAU as she loves him enough to know it makes him happy and no other job, not even his writing fulfills him like being a Profiler does. She would never tell him, as it would cause his ego to grow so large she wouldn't be able to live with him but she liked the fact that her man, was a real life hero. She was glad the director wasn't planning on demoting her but would make her Section Chief of whatever division and transfer that Section Chief to be head of the BAU. She was leaning towards White Collar Crime as she had been Section Chief of that division before, but she also was thinking about the Cyberterroism dept. As it worked out, she didn't have to choose. Once again Erin won Section Chief of the year as her division had the highest success rate for the 3rd year in a row and came in under budget, barely but they did, even with her best team's propensity to annihilate agency vehicles. The director put her on a one year probationary period where all her and Alpha teams actions would be reviewed by the Assistant to the Assistant to the Deputy Director to ensure that no nepotism or special privileges were given due to the nature of her relationship with Rossi. Since Strauss had never had a problem taking any of them to task when it came to the BAU or the Bureau's reputation, she assured the Director that he wouldn't regret his decision. When the new Fiscal year began, one of the new policies that was implemented was a temporary cessation of the frat rules until further notice. Oh she had heard the little snide remarks about her only keeping her position as she was always sucking up to the director. When David would see it getting to her he would remind her of one of Derek Morgan's favorite sayings, "Hater's going to hate" and usually she would get so distracted by how sexy David looks saying that with his typical air of non-cha-lance that her mind would go off into fantasy's on what she was going to do to him when they got home and she would forget all about what ever trifling thing she had heard.

David had shifted them on the bed so that they were now spooned up against one another. He had fallen back asleep with his hand on their child. Her children were happy and safely sleeping down the hall. All was right in Erin Strauss Rossi's world and as she closed her eyes and drifted back off to sleep, she thanked the good Lord above for her blessings.

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