Misleading Signals
Disclaimer: This is a Rossi/Strauss story, I love Rossi, I love Strauss 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 change it to suit my own twisted mind. I like writing Erin's kids into my stories, so they will be in a lot of them.
Reviews are appreciated
Erin Strauss-Rossi was sitting at the kitchen island thumbing through an Art Magazine, sipping on a cup of coffee. She heard the door open but didn't look to see who had joined her. Finally glancing up to find her youngest child staring at her, "Something on your mind," She asked.
Jessica Strauss watched her mother for a few seconds "Is everything okay with you and Dave?"
Taking another drink from her cup, "I don't know what you mean."
"Mom, are you and Dave or are you two having problems?"
Erin sat her cup and magazine down, studying the look on Jessie's face. She saw genuine concern. "Why do you think David and I are having problems?" She asked picking up the magazine again.
"I'm not stupid, I live here and I've observed some differences this week." The younger Strauss child asked sitting on a stool across from her mother.
"Such as?" Erin retorted.
Getting a little irritated at playing this game with her mother, "Oh I don't' know like, he's been away on a case for over a week. Most of the time when he's gone you talk to him two or three times a day, usually at night and this time I haven't heard you talk to him but once and I don't remember hearing you tell him you love him, all I remember from that was your saying something to the effect, 'Stop being a jackass, David'." Watching her mom, she went on, "I heard him come home last night and you didn't come down stairs to greet him, I woke up early this morning and he's sleeping in the den. Talk to me, what's going on with the two of you? Are you two having problems? Are we going to have to move?"
"Jessica, you don't need to worry about David and me." Erin told her still looking at the magazine.
"I am worried, Mother. Dave is the best thing to happen to you, to us in years. What's going on?" The child questioned again. Receiving no answer she slammed her hand on the counter, "Dammit Mom put the magazine down and answer me!"
Sitting the publication down once more, taking off her glasses, Erin pinched the bridge of her nose. "Honey, David and I are fine. Please stop worrying."
"Do you still love him?"
"Jessica!"
"That's not an answer, Mom do you still love him?"
"Yes, Yes, Yes. I still love, David. I love him with every fiber of my being." Erin told her.
Not letting the subject drop as she knew her mother hoped, Jessie asked another question, "Does he still love you?"
Erin didn't have a chance to answer, both turned to see the man in question standing in the doorway. "Yes, kiddo, I love your mom very much. Someone want to fill me in on why the concern about if we still love each other?" Dave walked past Erin kissing the top of her head, then doing the same to the younger girl, before pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"Sure, you've been away for over a week and you didn't talk to each other every day, the one time I heard mom talking to you she called you a Jackass. You came home last night, she didn't come downstairs to welcome you home and you slept in the den? What's up, that doesn't sound like people in love, it sounds like people fighting and not wanting to be together." Jessica told him staring him down as she had her mother earlier.
Dave laughed, "Kiddo, everything isn't always as it seems. I think you've been getting misleading signals."
"Fine explain it to me."
He smiled marveling at how much like her mother she was. Sitting next to his wife, "Concern one, we didn't talk to each other every day while I was away? The team was in the back woods and hills of Alabama, cell service was spotty at best. 99 percent of the time we didn't have any, so there was no way of talking."
"Okay, what about the Jackass remark?"
It was Erin's turn, "Jessica, he had me on speaker phone at the station. He was giving poor Spencer a hard time, Derek was helping him, so in defense of Dr. Reid, I told him not to be a jackass. If you'd have continued listening you would have heard me laugh. As far as telling him I love him, every time we did get to talk it was at the office or we were on speaker phone."
"Okay that sounds plausible, but why didn't you greet him when he got home?" She asked turning to Dave, "Why did you sleep in the den?"
"She didn't go downstairs to welcome Dave home, because she was upstairs taking care of me?" All turned to see Katie standing in the doorway.
Dave was immediately on his feet, enveloping her in a fatherly hug. "How are you doing this morning, Katiebug?" He asked.
Sitting on the stool next to her mother, "I'm better. I called the hospital and things look better this morning."
"That's good. We'll go to the hospital in a little while." Erin told her taking her hand.
Dave poured her some coffee, handing it to her, before turning back to Jessica. "Little one, Mom didn't meet me down stairs because she was up in our room taking care of Katie. Last night Josh's dad was in a serious car accident, hit by a drunk driver and it was touch and go. She was really upset so Mom took her upstairs to our room, calmed her down and stayed with her all night. When I got home she was sleeping, I didn't want to wake Katie, and so I changed, hugged and kissed Mom and went to sleep in the den."
"So everything between the two of you is good? We aren't going to have to move, give up everything?"
"No, sweetheart," Erin smiled, "We aren't moving, you don't have to change anything. David and I are good, we love each other and are staying married and together. Now why don't we all get dressed, we'll go check on Josh, and his parents and have a late breakfast." Standing, Erin hugged her youngest daughter, wrapped her arm around Dave's waist and headed out of the kitchen. Turning to look at her daughters, "take your time girls; I need to give my husband a proper welcome home."
"No, misreading those signals." Katie told her little sister, as they giggled and headed to the living room. They knew it would be at least an hour.