Weather the Storm

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ideas.

This is my story for the CCOAC Colours of the Rainbow Challenge. I picked Reid and was assigned Strauss (over the moon with that one – honest) and the sentence (suggested by girlgirl29);

Staring out the window, she saw everything appeared faded by the lack of sunlight as if the stormy grey clouds had sucked the colour from everything.

This set somewhere in Season 7 – well my version of it anyway. The sentence will come later – I have the first four chapter's complete, more to come after that if people are interested.

. . .

Alone in her starkly professional office Erin Straus let and strange noise escape her lips, it was somewhere between a sigh and a gasp; the soft outflow of air clashing with the sudden influx. Reading once more the crisp white sheet of paper she held in her hand, she struggled to comprehend the clearly typed words in front of her. Over and over again she read the words, hoping that she had somehow managed to misinterpret the succinct letter that she had found mere moments earlier resting ominously on her desk.

Removing her reading glasses, and placing them on top of the offending item that she had let drop to her desk, Erin rubbed the bridge of her nose with her finger and thumb. This was the last thing the team needed right now. They needed stability, time to readjust to each other, to accept all that had happened and move forward.

Trouble had courted the BAU's first team since conception. She supposed it was the nature of the beast; you couldn't expect to unearth the reptilian creatures they did, without suffering a few return hits. Yet the elite team of profilers seemed to be barely able to rally their troops before the next attack.

However this was different. This wasn't some crazed serial killer hell bend on revenge. This wasn't the threat of budget cuts and relocations. This was the first sign that the cracks in the team's facade ran deeper then she thought imaginable. The siblings were quarrelling and they could no longer turn to Dad to help them out. The oddity that was her dysfunctional family was beginning to disintegrate right in front of her eyes.

If all was well in the team, Erin was certain she would never have been made aware of the existence of this letter. If all was well in the team, this letter would never have existed - of that she was fairly sure, too. But it did exist and she was aware – so now Erin had to decide on a course of action. It arriving squarely on her desk made it her problem. Though this was something she could only pursue once she had worked out what was the most desirable outcome in the current situation.

Walking away from her pristinely organised workspace, Strauss stood at the sorry excuse for a window that allowed the glorious morning sunshine to squeeze its way into the spacious office. Bathing in the warmth, Erin pondered her predicament.

She had openly voiced her concerns over Emily Prentiss' return - making it clear that she felt that all the deception that had surrounded her 'death' had caused irreversible damage to the integrity of the team. In the end, she couldn't argue with the Senate's decision. The team had been allowed to continue to operate.

Part of Erin was glad. She was proud of her team's track record. They would never know that – she didn't believe in praise. They were successful, which in turn meant she was considered successful; her ultimate aim in life.

Erin had believed that together they rode that particular wave well, without anyone taking a nose drive. Admittedly it wasn't business as usual, but it was as near as. Then they had attended the case in Georgia.

Erin couldn't have ever been prepared for the news Hotch had shared with her in that late night call. Losing Ashley Seaver had been an unexpected blow. Just as the team seemed to be getting back on their feet that head strong young girl had knocked them all for six.

What had Rossi thought when he had badgered Hotch to bring her into the team? Erin thought angrily. At the best he was a sentimental old fool who thought he was doing the girl a well deserved favour. At worse, well, they say a leopard doesn't change his spots, and as Erin knew only too well Rossi had an eye for the blondes.

Tutting to no-one but herself, Erin returned to her desk. This procrastinating was achieving nothing. She knew that she should share the contents of the letter with Hotch, but her instinct shirked the idea, but could she realistically deal with this herself? Would the troubled author of the letter talk to her?

It wasn't that she wanted dirt on Hotch, not any longer - that had long finished. Once she would have relished the thought of having one up on Hotch that one of his precious family was willing to split. But now she pitied him. He had proved time and time again the lengths he would go to for them. His team came first, and she guessed probably second and third at times. Yes Jack had tussled his way into a joint winner, now that Hotch was a lone parent, but still he had returned to the team when it was no longer necessary to do so.

In the recent months Erin had appreciated her once nemesis' support as she had tackled her own personal demons. Asking him for help in the only way she knew how, but equally guarding her career. He had done an amazing job in her absence, not that she would ever admit that to anyone either.

However this letter proved only one sad fact: The team, or at least one of them, had lost faith in the leader of the tight band of profilers. His lies protected one, but hurt the rest…obviously hurting one more than others. Looking at the bigger picture he had acted to defend his whole team, but in the fog that currently covered the BAU, that was misted over. Individuals could only focus on the part that was caught in their personal flashlight beam. If that wasn't true then this letter would be on Hotch's desk not hers.

Replacing her glasses Erin read the letter once more, engraining the contents on her memory. The lack of detail and impersonal tone left her with a barrage of questions, each begging to be asked. But would she get answers?

There was only one way to find out. Picking up her phone she checked and punched in the extension code she required. Requesting his presence immediately, Erin had chosen to face the problem head on. She would have answers before anything was finalised.

. . .

~*~ Profiler's Choice 2011 Fanfic Awards for the Criminal Minds Community ~*~

Hosted by ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969

It is our pleasure to announce the Second Annual Profiler's Choice Fanfic Awards for the Criminal Minds community!

The nomination ballot is now available, and all rules are posted on Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum! Nomination ballots must be received by October 15, 2011 and must be sent to this PM at Profiler's Choice CM Awards. Fics for consideration must have appeared on the CM section of between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011 (see rules for full details.)