The Bonds of Family
Disclaimer: This is a Rossi/Strauss story, I love Rossi, and therefore I love Rossi and Strauss. I don't own the characters or anything dealing with Criminal Minds, except this story. I don't like the way they killed off Erin, so I may change it to suit my own twisted mind. This may be in several chapters since I'm not sure how I want to get to the end.
Chapter 1: Anger.
How had it gotten to this point? He thought as he sat at his desk filling out reports and sipping a cup of now cold coffee. She was here, and then she was gone. Taken away by a vengeful agent, who blamed her for his failures. They had caught Curtis, but it was too late, they were too late, he was too late. Turning the desk chair a little, David Rossi stared out the window into the darkness and let his mind wonder back to a happier time.
It was a warm night in Virginia; JJ was walking down the makeshift aisle he had created in his back yard. In a short 24 hours he had thrown together the perfect wedding, a wedding for his family, for JJ and Will. The rest of his family was there as well. His family, not his blood relatives, but they were family, more so than his blood. Everyone looked happy and seeing them all this way made him happy. As the minster started to perform the ceremony, he looked a few faces to his left; there she stood with that seldom seen smile. The smile she didn't let very many people see. A smile that she was beginning to allow this team…this family see more and more. She looked so beautiful. He remembered the look on her face when he asked her to dance. A look of surprise, she didn't say a word, just let him take her hand and lead her to the temporary dance floor. She let him wrap his arms around her and together they danced the night away, sure he had danced with Emily, Beth, Penelope and JJ's mother, but he seemed to always gravitate back to Erin Strauss.
David smiled and turned back to the present and the reports on his desk. The director wanted a full explanation on the events of last week. He wanted to know if there was a way the Replicator could have been brought in alive. No one could answer that except him. Could he have brought John Curtis in alive, maybe, but then they both may have blown up in that house. Was he sorry Curtis was blown to bits? Hell no, it was payback for what he had done to Erin, to his Erin, his family. He slammed the file closed, and stood up. He was mad, pissed as hell. He knew the stages of grief, and he knew he shouldn't be at the angry stage yet, but he was. He was angry that the director was doubting the team, he was mad that he couldn't save her, if he had gone back to the hotel sooner; she might still be with him. His heart began to ache again. Walking to the window that looked out over the bullpen, he noticed his team had all gone home. Quietly he said "I'm sorry, Erin, I wasn't there." Slowly he walked back and down at his desk, looked at the clock, 8:45 PM. Opening the folder, he knew he had to finish this report. Erin would have expected it; he would do it for her. Finishing the reports an hour later, David Rossi flipped off the desk lamp, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Tomorrow was going to be another hard day, Hotch had called earlier, the director asked that they clean out Erin Strauss' office, Hotch wanted Dave to be there to help decide what was business and what was personal. He wasn't sure sitting in the dark if he was up to this, but he would do it…do it for Erin…do it for family.