Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is owned by CBS. I own nothing but my imagination.

Family Ties-Chapter 7

~Thanks again to all of the reviewers out there...I promise I'll start responding again!

~Someone pointed out to me that in the show, Strauss has two daughters and one son. Oops, I forgot about that! Anyway, in this story she has three daughters and no son.

~I've been awake for almost forty hours, so I'm sorry if this chapter is a little off.


The next morning, Dave trudged into the BAU feeling exhausted. While he hadn't done anything too taxing during his week off, having his daughter angry with him occupied his mind and, as a result, he hadn't been sleeping well. He popped into the break room before going up to his office and he brewed a pot of coffee so strong, he was sure his fillings had dissolved.

As he enjoyed his muddy coffee, Derek Morgan joined him in the break room. "Wow Dave, you just had a week off and you're coming back exhausted? What, did you spend the time with a wild woman?"

"Yeah," he grumbled, "A thirteen year-old wild woman."

Derek grimaced, "Okay…what?"

"My daughter, asshole," Dave clarified, "I spent the week with my daughter."

"Ah," Derek said as the light bulb went on in his head. "The elusive Katie Rossi."

"Katie?" Garcia chirped as she joined them. "Is she here? Am I finally going to meet her?"

Dave shook his head, "Not gonna happen, Garcia."

"It's not fair," she pouted, looking very much like his daughter. "Your kid would be the most fun to hang out with! We could watch movies, do each other's hair, I could help her pick out clothes..."

Dave winced at that last activity; that was exactly what he didn't need! He loved Garcia, but there was no way he wanted his daughter to dress like her. When she wasn't in her school uniform, Katie was perfectly happy wearing jeans and non-flashy shirts and, if they were doing something fancy, she would sometimes wear a skirt or dress. He did not want to see her in fluorescent colors, nor did he want her coloring her hair.

"It's still summer vacation, isn't it? Where is she this week?" The tech goddess asked.

"She's at a day camp until school begins. It actually works out well for us; I drop her off on my way to work and then I pick her up on my way home and it's on our route, so I don't have to detour to get her."

Garcia opened her mouth to ask another question when Hotch called her and asked for her assistance. Glad to be done with the third degree, Dave made his way up to his office and sat down behind his desk with his eyes closed.

"Did you tell her?" Erin asked from the sofa. Upon hearing her voice, Dave jumped in surprise and almost spilled his coffee.

"Dammit Erin! Can't you just sit in the chairs by my desk like a normal person? Do you have to take a year off of my life every time you wait for me?" He asked loudly.

She just stared at him for a moment and then repeated, "Did you talk to your daughter?"

He nodded, "I told her on Thursday."

"And how did she react?"

"Just the way I thought she would; she's angry, hurt, betrayed, confused, and the list goes on, but she agreed to get tested," he told her. "In fact, I'm taking her to the doctor's office after work today so they can get the initial blood work done."

Strauss's shoulders slumped in relief and she bowed her head, "Thank God," she whispered and then looked up. "Thank you David, thank you so much."

"I'm not doing anything, this is all Katie," he replied. "And, before you get ahead of yourself, she said she wants to talk to the doctor if she turns out to be a match; she wants to ask him some questions about the procedure before deciding if she'll donate or not."

"But she will, right?" Strauss's relief turned to fear. "If she's a match, she'll donate? She has to! Clara will die without it!"

"First of all," Dave said, feeling his own ire increase, "My daughter doesn't have to do anything; It's her choice whether she donates or not. Second, you're getting way ahead of yourself, we don't even know if she's a match yet."

"But-" the section chief tried breaking in, but Dave wouldn't let her.

"Third, I'm confident she'll donate if it turns out she's a match. Katie's the type of kid that needs all of the information before making up her mind, which is why she wants to talk to the doctor first, but I'm sure she'll donate."

"Really?" Strauss asked as his words mollified her a bit.

He nodded, "She didn't have to think twice about getting tested, not once she found out how much is at stake."

Strauss exhaled, "Okay then, you'll let me know how the test turns out?" She asked as she stood up to leave.

"I will, but we're not done talking, Erin," he told her.

"We're not?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she sat back down on the sofa.

"No," he said. "Katie had some questions for me this weekend, when she would talk to me at all, and she wants to know what happens next."

"What do you mean?"

"She wants to know if you two are going to meet, she wants to know what type of relationship she'll have with you and her sisters."

"Oh David," Erin said softly. "I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I was looking for any type of relationship with her, because I'm not. I'm sure she's a great girl, but I gave her up thirteen years ago and I can't go back on that."

"So, what?" He asked angrily, "You just want her bone marrow and that's it? An heir and a spare, isn't that how it goes?"

"Look, I am not willing to jeopardize my relationship with my daughters. Of course they'll have to be told about her and I'm sure they will have questions and they may get angry, but they'll get over it. If invite Katie into our lives, it will change everything."

"Boo fucking hoo, Erin! Do you think this has been easy for Katie? She's had to come to terms with the fact that her dead mother isn't really her mother, that she has sisters and one of them is sick and that her biological mother is the boss I'm constantly railing against. Do you really think this whole thing hasn't changed my relationship with my daughter?"

"I'm sorry David, but I am not going to risk everything I have in order to placate a thirteen year old girl," she said firmly.

"You know," he started through clenched teeth, "I always knew you were a cold hearted bitch, but until now I never knew exactly how much of one you are. Get out of my office!"

Strauss stood to leave, "I know you see me as a monster right now, David, but I'll do anything I have to in order to save my daughter."

"It's good to see that you're capable of feelings towards at least one of your children!" He snarled.

Strauss let the comment pass, "You'll let me know the test results?" While it sounded like a question, it wasn't and the chief left the room before Dave could answer.

Once she left, Dave sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. As he opened them, a framed picture of his daughter caught his eye and he picked it up. "I'm so sorry Katie Belle," he whispered. "You deserve better than this."