Strauss Returns

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Strauss Returns

"Come in".

"Chief Strauss", Matt Cruz greeted Erin Strauss as she entered his office.

"Chief Cruz" Erin responded to the salutation as she took the proffered seat in front of his desk, in what used to be her office.

Once Erin sat, Cruz, ever the gentleman, took his seat.

"What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to stop by and thank you for taking such good care of my teams while I was away, Matteo".

"Honestly Erin, It was an honor and a privilege. They are all very professional and efficient, but I would expect no less from teams under you. I am just happy that we were finally able to put away the last person involved with the Replicator's plot to kill you. Although I must say, I was surprised that she was actually involved. I had been afforded a chance to work with her on a few cases while serving as Section Chief and she was not only competent, but could have had a bright future with the BAU and beyond. It's just too bad that Alex choose to throw away all that for some twisted sense of revenge" he spoke with sincerity.

"That is true. I can't believe I actually brought someone who wanted to kill me right into the fold. I know a lot of people thought it was just my guilt over the way the Amerithrax case ended, with her taking the major blame for what happened, even though not all of it was her fault; But the higher ups were looking for a sacrificial lamb and due to the simple, yet easy to make mistakes in translation she was responsible for, they were determined to make it her".

"At first I tried to stand up for her and argue that what she did was not the only cause of things going bad, truly Curtis and a few others were more to blame, but they were the Golden Boys and Girls that had been hand picked to head up the case- so to blame them would have made the Muckety Mucks look bad and they weren't having that".

"I was basically told it was her or me. I had small children, and was pregnant. That was before my husband started his own company and we were living paycheck to paycheck. There was no way I could put my family at risk, especially since they would have transferred her anyway, because they didn't want anyone associated with that mess around to remind people of what happened. No they were determined to quietly sweep it under the rug and anyone who got in the way, was nothing but collateral damage to them".

"I completely understand, Erin. I have face quite a few similar situations at justice" he commiserated with her.

"I know you have. I just really don't understand how she could have gone through with it though. I really tried to go out on a limb and make amends to her. I guess I should have been suspicious, when she offered to drive me back to the hotel but, she had finally agreed to coffee with me the week before and told me she was ready to accept my amends. I am not a Profiler but having worked with them for years, I can usually judge people's character, but Alexandra had me completely snowed".

"The shame of the matter is that I was really in her corner this time. I don't care how much, I felt bad about what happened to her, I would have never hired her to be a part of the BAU, especially my Alpha team, if I didn't think she was the most qualified person for the job. I truly admired how hard she had worked to climb back to the top and wanted to see her succeed. She never did quite mesh fully with the team, but, they both seemed to be trying so I was hoping that she would eventually fit in completely".

"I knew she would probably only stay for a few years, just long enough to prove to everyone that she truly deserved a spot on the BAU and to be able to say she had accomplished something that had once been a goal in her life and I was prepared to support and groom her for one of the Unit or Junior Section Chief positions, that will be opening up in the next three years as we have a couple that are close to retirement. All she had to do was continue to do her job the way she was doing and in a few years she would have been pretty much able to write her own ticket".

"I am just glad they weren't successful in killing you. It's a good thing she tipped her hand when she all of a sudden was able to figure out that Curtis started killing after you brought her into the BAU. If not, she might not have made the other members of your team suspicious and she might have gotten away with her crimes or once she found out you were alive, she might have tried to kill you again".

"That is one of the problems, Alexandra has always had, thinking she is so much smarter than everyone else, and once again, it has proven to be her downfall. Her sudden epiphany, along with the fact that Curtis never intended to kill her with the explosives, under the pressure seat, kept bothering the team. They knew from how hard it had been to catch him in the first place; that he was too good for the bomb not to go off like it was supposed to. He would have had a fail safe".

"Another thing that bother them is that, why if he was planning of committing suicide- when he knew he couldn't escape, didn't he set the bomb off before she had time to leave the building, if he really wanted revenge on her too"? Erin clued him in to the thought process of the team, that ultimately led to the arrest and prosecution of Alex Blake.

"I guess she was too smart for her own good" Cruz responded with a rueful shake of his head.

"There is nothing wrong with being brilliant, take our own Dr. Reid for example. He is even smarter than Alexandra, yet he never flaunts that. When you are smart, you don't have to go around shoving that fact down people's throats, they will be able to recognize it for themselves and will like you a whole lot better for not trying to gloat that you have a higher I.Q. Where the problem comes in is when you allow that brilliance to make you so arrogant, you think you are better than others. Admittedly, Dr. Reid's temperament and other factors may be more responsible for him not doing that more so than a conscientious decision, but regardless of the fact, it's still true about him" Strauss finished.

"Yeah, what's his story?" Cruz questioned.

"It's complicated Matteo and not my story to tell. I actually don't know all of it, just the little bits and pieces that I was able to read between the lines of a case that involved him personally".

"Yes, that is one thing I have noticed while going over past case history. Alpha team seems to have a thing about being personally involved with cases, and even taking on cases where their family are involved" Cruz retorted.

"It may seem like that, but that is actually not the case. They would probably swallow their tongues if they heard me defending them on this matter, especially as I have stomped on them with both heels, several times about those same cases and becoming personally involved, in an effort to make sure they don't ever let their compassion cause them to get in a compromising situation- where they do something involving a case with a family member or friend that could damage their reputation or cause questions about their integrity. The truth of the matter is that in all those cases, their sense of integrity and justice is what led us to solving cases that would have went cold or that were unreported. Without them bringing in the BAU, the Unsubs would have continued to get away with the crimes Scot-free. It was only through their diligence, dedication, perseverance and hard work we even became aware of a few of the crimes. And due to those same traits, we were able to take some of the lowest dregs of society off the street and save countless lives".

"Whoa Erin, Cease and Desist, Mama Bear. I wasn't condemning them, just making an observation. I can see you are still a staunch defender of those under you, even if you never show that side, to them, in your misguided effort, to protect your reputation as the woman who could freeze water in Hell" Matt teased his old friend.

Erin had known him for years, they went to high school together and he was one of the few people who could tease her unmercifully and have her not get hot under the collar, just as she could do the same to him. Not to say they agreed on every subject, especially professionally but since they had sort of a brother-sister relationship, they never took it personally. In fact, that was one of the hardest things for them to get used to when they both started out in their careers, not referring to each other by old raunchy nicknames or good-naturedly, giving each other the business when around others.

"Not a Mama Bear, old man" She was interrupted by a "Hey! Don't be mean, Er, I am only a year older than you" complete with Cruz imitating being shot through the heart and clutching his chest.

"Oh stop being such a Drama King, you deserved that snipe for calling me Mama Bear. I seemed to remember we agreed to leave the nicknames out of it years ago" Strauss retorted playfully.

"If memory serves, we didn't have a choice after Old Man Butler took us both to the proverbial woodshed for over an hour and chewed us a new one that day. I loved being lent out on that assignment to the CIA, especially since you were apart of the project and we were able to hang during down time but after that day, I had the hardest time looking him in the eye" Matt Confessed.

"Yeah, me too. I think it was the reference to his two year old grandchildren being better behaved, that did it" Erin confided. She looked at her watch and realized that she really needed to go but she wanted to ask the question that she originally came down to ask. She knew he had been contemplating the issue every since speaking with the director but she was anxious to find out if he had made a decision for a multitude of personal reasons.

Matt sensed what she was about to ask and beat her to the punch. "Knowing you like I do, I am guessing there was more than one reason for your appearance in my office today", he stated.

"You are correct. Matteo have you decided if you are going to accept the Director's offer and stay on with the BAU as Co-Section Chief?"

"I've been thinking about it" he replied not giving anything away by word of facial expression.

"And..." she said trying for patience, knowing he was stringing this out deliberately.

"And, it is a very nice offer" he responded once again denying her the true answer she sought.

Erin begin tapping her foot, one of her 'tells' when she was beginning to lose her patience. Matt couldn't quite stop the smirk, that broke out on his face.

Strauss knew for sure that he was playing a game to rile her up, but she was determined to win against her old friend. It had been a few years since they had seen each other before he was called in to help her go into hiding as he had been transferred to another post for over a year, just after Jennifer Jureau returned to the BAU, so what her old friend didn't know is that she had gotten a lot of practice in not rising to the bait when someone was trying to goad her on purpose: Since that was David Rossi's favorite activity, well besides making love to her she thought, bringing an involuntary smile to her face, she had gained plenty of practice in exercising patience.

"I am sure the Director made you a very generous offer, especially since you were so helpful during this case and you have done such an outstanding job in the short time you have been in the position. Hell you probably are getting a better package than I have", she quipped with no heat behind her words. Since the offer is so nice, does that mean you have decided to take it? Erin questioned.

"Maybe... Maybe not" Cruz replied with a shrug, laughter clearly showing in his eyes.

"Matteo Josue Betancourt-Cruz" Taking a deep breath, Erin started again, refusing to let him get her goat anymore than he already had, "For the love of all that is Holy, will you please just give me a straight answer. I know you have already come to a decision as you would have just flat out told me you were still thinking about the offer if you hadn't. Now stop being a jackass and tell me. You know I am on pins and needles over here" Erin said finally giving full range to her building temper.

"Okay, Okay Erin. I am sorry. I just couldn't help razzing you like the good old days. I've missed you my friend".

"To be honest with you. It is a really great offer. I had to think a very long time about it. There are some great perks to taking this position, including being a prickly thorn in your uppity backside, but there are some drawbacks also, like having to move my family again. Since I knew this appointment was temporarily, I rented an apartment and brought the family down every other weekend. But after weighing all the pros and cons, I have decided to accept the offer one one condition" he informed her.

"May I ask what that is?" she questioned.

"It depends on how you feel about me taking the job. I have the feeling you didn't exactly get asked if you wanted to share the responsibilities of the job before the offer was made to me. I know how much you care about me and want the best for me but I also know how hard you have worked to get where you are and I love you too much to stab you in the back".

"When I pseudo adopted you as my little sister all those years ago, I swore to myself to always do my best to protect you. I know there were somethings, try as hard as I might, I couldn't protect you from and I know there have been times when our lives have traveled separate paths for many years, but I have always been and will always be only a phone call away.

"Matt if you want the job take it. I am hoping you say yes, honestly. I guess if there is a silver lining to what happened to me during the replicator case, it was that the powers that be realized that this job is too much for one person to do and stay sane and not burn out. It also helped me set my priorities straight. That is one of the reasons I am hoping you take the job. I have a man who truly loves me. He wants to marry me and spend the rest of our lives together. Before I was drugged by the replicator, I wouldn't allow myself to seriously consider his numerous Proposals, not because I didn't think he was sincere but because of knowing that one of us would have to leave the BAU. I realized not long after we committed to being in a real relationship not just a casual nostalgic salute to our past, that I loved him enough to give up my position as Section Chief of the BAU, but he wouldn't hear of it. He said he wouldn't let me give up a job I had worked so hard and sacrificed so much for. If anyone had to leave the BAU, it would be him. After all, he had done it before and he had another career. Besides, he had more than enough money to ensure that even if he never worked another day, he would always be able to provide for our family. Then in typical David Rossi fashion, he turned it into a way to stroke his ego saying, besides the last time I left the BAU, I became a Critically Acclaimed, World Famous Author. Who knows, this time I might come up with a way to bring about World Peace".

Cruz just shook his head and laughed along with Erin as he hadn't known Rossi long, but, that sounded like something the sometimes outrageous Senior Profiler would say.

Erin continued, "Listen Matty, if you take the job, I know the teams you handle will be in good hands. You are one of the few people I would completely trust with my best team. With you at the helm, I wouldn't have to worry that the person in charge of them wouldn't understand the special dynamics of the team that make them so successful in the field. I also know while you would allow them enough leeway to continue to function at the highest level, you would be able to keep them in line and not let their sometimes Maverick ways take over their common sense putting them, including my future husband in more danger than necessary".

"You are also perfect for the job as you can go toe to toe with the Alpha personalities on the team and hold you own while you have enough compassion and heart to understand Garcia's need to lighten the mood and emotional load of the team. But the biggest selling point to you my friend is that you were not originally FBI, so you are not starry eyed over my future husband, even though you have shown that you greatly respect his abilities. David has a tremendous respect for the law and fairness but not so much for rules if they clash with what he thinks is the right thing to do and he knows how to play the political game but just refuses to most times".

"Aaron Hotcher does a great job, for the most part, keeping him in line but his one downfall in this area is that he remembers that David was his mentor and taught him everything he knows. While that is actually a plus in the field as they can predict what the other one is going to do for the most part, it is a detriment in other ways as Agent Hotcher gives Agent Rossi more leeway than he should sometimes. Those are the times in the past I have had to give both of them a few hard, swift kicks in the backside".

"If you take the job, I will officially be turning that job over to you for the most part, since you would be handling A and C team and I would retain team B- the Red Cell Team and Teams D and E".

"Oh and you should know you will have to include Agent Morgan to that list of needing to have some common sense smacked into him sometimes, although usually with him, I wait to see if Technical Analyst Garcia handles it. It saves me a lot of yelling at him as nobody can get through to Derek as quickly as Penelope can. That is one of the reasons, I allow don't come down too hard on her for flirting with him over the phone most times. Although I am sure there will be numerous occasions that you will have to call her in and remind her to tone it down, just as I have had to do in the past".

"If you keep her in your office about 15 minutes outlining, very loudly, the error of her ways, like I had to do the time she accidentally propositioned me on speaker phone, thinking it was Agent Morgan calling or the time I was getting ready to start monitoring her calls for her evaluation and I picked up after the call had started and she basically joked with him that she was a Phone Sex Operator making money using Bureau resources and that since it was on speaker he would have to pay extra- she will be on her best behavior for about a month".

By now Cruz was in Hysterics more from the fact that Strauss recanted this with a straight face than the audacity of Garcia's statements.

"Erin, you have got to be kidding me. She didn't really do those things did she"? he gasped between gut wrenching laughs.

"She did and he is almost as bad. I had to pull him into the office and rake him over the coals, as in one of his calls, I listened to, he threaten to 'spank her'", Strauss informed him, rolling her eyes in typical Strauss fashion.

"Oh Er, I would have paid to see your face when you heard these conversations" Matt told her still laughing.

"It would have been a waste of Money, Chief Cruz, as I can assure you I was the consummate professional and barely missed a beat when she answered the phone, "Talk Dirty to Me". You would have been proud of the way, I stated the business I needed and then terminated the call, while she was still trying to squirm her way out of the situation. I was in the field at the time so she had to wait even longer to face 'my wrath'. Trust me I played it so frosty, I am sure she pissed her pants worrying about what was going to happen when I got back".

Cruz was now howling with laughter, not just at what Garcia had said to Strauss, but also at Strauss' imitating the way she said it.

Erin looked at her watch and almost swore. She had stayed longer than she meant to and now would have to hurry back to her office and grab her files before their meeting with the director in ten minutes. Matt realized that that they were going to be late, if they didn't hurry, as he looked at the clock, when he noticed Strauss look at her watch.

"Looks like we are going to have to continue this conversation later or neither one of us is going to have a job" she said as she stood up and smoothed out the bottom of her dress to ensure it hadn't wrinkled.

Cruz stood up also, put on his Suit Jacket, grabbed his files and said as he walked around his desk, "Come on, I'll walk you to your office so you can grab your files, that way, we can head up together and you call clue me in on how long you are going to make Rossi wait, before you accept his proposal".

The End.

CMGUYSGIRL