When she saw the knife, it was too late. Ashley had no chance. It just so happened that Hotch called when he did. If she was lucky, the team would arrive in time.
If not... Well... Ashley knew too well what would happen next. She accepted her fate. But she tried her damndest to get that little girl out of there before he did whatever he was going to do.
Afterward, to see the car was to see a saving grace. Someplace private. Away from prying eyes and everybody wondering about her. Asking questions without ever opening their mouths.
Why were you so stupid?
Why did you put the team at risk?
Why did you put yourself at risk?
Why did you go alone?
She didn't have answers. And she had every answer. Because the answer to every question was the same.
Because she had to. Because she could not resist the opportunity to apologize. It was all she had ever wanted after her family fell apart - for some way to let the families know that she was more than just her father's daughter. Her mother was more than just her father's wife. They were their own people, and they didn't do the horrible things.
And at the same time, it didn't matter, because she was who she was. No amount of apologizing would change that. In fact, it had nearly cost her her life.
As Rossi placed his palm against the window, Ashley couldn't turn her head. The sight of it in her periphery was enough to break her down.
