Everything had been perfectly normal until Emily heard her her phone vibrating on her nightstand. She had just decided to take a bath, but she was still dressed. Checking her cell phone, she saw Reid's name on the display. Emily frowned. Reid's room was on the other side of the corridor - why would he call her? The vibrating sound abruptly stopped, and Emily decided not to return his phone call, figuring the Genius had probably just called her by accident. Instead, she started rummaging through her go-bag, searching for some pajamas she could wear after taking a long bath. She could just take it easy. The case was solved, but they were still stuck in whatever city they actually were in until tomorrow due to problems with their jet. Emily didn't really care, though. All these years of moving around had made her appreciate a long, hot bath, no matter whether it was her own tub or not.
However, a sudden thump caused her to startle. Someone was knocking - well, more like banging! - at the door. Slightly annoyed, Emily opened the door, immediately confused by what she saw: Reid was standing in the hallway - naked except for a pair of pants which looked like it had been grabbed off the floor and put on in a rush.
"Emily! She won't stop crying! I don't know why she's crying! Help her! Please!"
"WHAT?"
Instead of an explanation, Reid just seized Emily by the arm and dragged her diagonally across the corridor. Emily wasn't sure what she had expected when she entered his room, but seeing a completely naked Ashley Seaver tied to the bedposts, fighting the cords around her wrists and ankles, crying for help through a blur of tears, had certainly not been a possible outcome for her!
"REID! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?" Emily screamed, running towards the bed.
"Noth-nothing! I... We... She wanted me to... tie her up, but then she panicked! I swear I didn't want to hurt her! I..."
"LEAVE!"
"I'm so..."
"REID! GET YOUR ASS OUT OFF HERE! NOW!"
With Reid out of the room, Emily now focused on Ashley who was still fighting the cords, her naked body shaking violently. Holy shit! In one smooth movement, Emily grabbed a neatly folded blanket off the floor and quickly draped it over the blonde's most intimate parts. Now being a little less exposed seemed to calm Ashley down a little, but as Emily wasn't sure whether Ashley was just paralyzed with fear now, she knelt next to the bed, trying to get on eye-level with her subordinate. "Seav- Ashley? It's me - Emily. Look at me. Look at me! It's okay. You're safe, Ashley. Do you understand? I'm not going to hurt you!"
Slowly, the agony in Ashley's eyes faded away. What remained were shame and humiliation when she realized she was nakedly chained to the bed, staring at her superior with red and puffy eyes. "Emily, I... I..." Ashley tried to turn away, but the cords around her wrists and ankles kept her from escaping the situation. "Shush. It's okay. Try not to move or you're going to hurt yourself! Just breathe, Ashley." Emily gave her a few moments to gather herself before she continued. "I am going to untie you now, and in order to do that, I might have to touch you, okay?" Emily looked at her in expectation, seeking for permission. When Ashley hesitatingly nodded, Emily moved closer, untying the cord around one of Ashley's wrists. Feeling the younger woman tense from her touch, she reassuringly whispered: "It's okay. It's only me. You're doing great, Ashley. Breathe. That's it. Just breathe!" With these words, Emily unfastened the cords around the other wrist and Ashley's ankles. Finally being untied, the blonde pulled her legs closer, tightly wrapping the blanked around her trembling body.
More than anything else, Ashley tried to hide her nakedness, her shame, the tears running down her cheeks. How could she ever face Emily again? How dare Reid call her of all people?
Reid! Where was he, anyway?! Ashley's gaze wandered through the room. "He's outside" Emily explained. The blonde bit her lip. "He... he didn't want to hurt me. He... we just..." Ashley sighed and resignedly hid her face behind her resting knees. Emily granted her a few moments of rest before she asked the question that had been on her mind since the moment she had stepped into the room: "What was this?" The blonde didn't react. "Ashley..." Seaver gulped. "I'm so sorry, Emily! I really wish you hadn't seen me... like this!"
Emily waited for Ashley to continue, not knowing what else to do. "I know I shouldn't be sleeping with a coworker..." Ashley murmured weakly. Holy shit! This was the most insignificant problem right now! Emily sighed. "That's not what I'm concerned about right now, Ashley, and you know that. You're a grown woman, and you are certainly not the first who has an affair with someone you're not supposed to be... seeing. You can sleep with whomsoever you want to, but..." Emily hesitated, seeking the other woman's gaze before she continued. "What happened earlier didn't at all look like you wanted this!"
Ashley bit her lip, trying to escape the questioning look in Emily's eyes, but she couldn't. "Emily... don't! Please don't make me explain it! It's nothing! Please don't tell anyone!" "I just found you tied to Reid's bed, naked and screaming! I can't just pretend nothing happened!"
Once again, Emily tried to look Ashley in the eyes, but the younger woman wouldn't let her, feeling too vulnerable.
"I'm going to lose my job, right?"
"For... sleeping with Reid?"
Ashley shook her head, then shifted uncomfortably. "For... what you just saw..."
"Which is...?" Emily sighed when the blonde remained silent. "I'm not trying to humiliate you, Ashley. But as your superior, I have to know what this was about! I have to know whether this could happen again - in the field, maybe! Because I have to be able to rely on you as an agent- and I cannot rely on you as an agent when you lie on the floor, screaming, crying and kicking around!" Realizing that Ashley was pretty close to tears again, Emily stopped. Who was she kidding?
"Truth is... I care about you, Seaver, and not just because that's part of my job! I know that I might have been distant towards you, but I want you to know that I'm here for you - not just as your mentor, but ... as your friend!" Ashley was crying now, silently and painfully. Gently, Emily reached out for Ashley's hand, relieved when the blonde didn't flinch from her touch, but gratefully squeezed back. After a while, without letting go of Ashley's hand, she said: "I'm going to ask you just one question, okay? Please be honest with me. No matter what the answer is: I promise I won't make you talk about it if you don't feel ready to do so!"
The sincerity in Emily's eyes educed a shy nod from Ashley. Nevertheless, the blonde was scared. Emily could tell from the tightening grip around her hand that Ashley was nerving herself for the question. Not knowing how to help her calm down, Emily just asked:
"Do you know what triggered the panic attack?"
Ashley gulped, realizing no matter what she answered, she would lose. If she said no, she would give Emily yet another reason to suspend her from office, especially from field work. If she said yes, it meant that she was intentionally hiding something severe enough it could jeopardize both herself and her team. "Don't tell me what you think I'd rather want to hear, Ashley! I promised I wouldn't ask about any details if the answer was yes. Just tell me the truth. Please!" Ashley gulped, then nodded. "Yes, you will tell me the truth, or yes, you know what this was about?" "Bo... both." "Okay." Emily hesitated, then added: "Thank you for being honest."
Ashley looked at her, seeming almost intimidated. "What happens now?" Emily sighed. "Tonight? Well, this case is over, so we won't have to deal with this immediately..." She didn't specify what "this" was, mostly because she wasn't even sure about it. "In long term? I don't know enough to decide that. As I promised: I won't force you to tell me anything. But I want you to be honest with yourself! If you need a break, take a break. If you need someone to talk to, then please talk to someone!" Emily hesitated, but then decided she couldn't emphasize that often enough: "I'm always here for you. Whatever happened: You can get through this, Ashley. And you don't have to do that alone!" Ashley bit her lip, shyly looking at Emily. "Thank you. For..." She gestured around, but didn't specify what she meant. Emily understood. "You're welcome." Silence.
"Is there anything you want me to do?" Ashley hesitated. "Just ask! It's okay." The blonde sighed. "May... May I stay with you for tonight? I... I don't think I can be alone, and..."
Emily knew it wouldn't be smart to suggest getting Reid. Something Spencer had done tonight had triggered a severe panic attack. Even if they were exclusive, even if there were feelings involved: At least for tonight, having him stay with her wasn't an option. Reading too much into Emily's hesitation, Ashley blushed. "I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have aske-..." "What? No! I'm sorry. I was just thinking. Of course you can stay with me tonight!" Ashley insecurely looked at the other woman, so Emily gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Ashley. Really!"
Ashley's "Thank you" was followed by an awkward silence.
"Do you want me to wait for you over in my room?" Emily asked, realizing that, underneath the blanket, Ashley was still naked. The blonde thankfully nodded. She loved her mentor even more when Emily left the room without paying attention on the things lying on the floor, of which a half-torn lacy string was still one of the less disturbing items.
It was almost one hour later when Ashley showed up on Emily's doorstep. She was grateful that Emily neither commented on that nor the several layers of clothing she was wearing now, as if they could compensate for her earlier nakedness. Even when Ashley crouched down on some cushions lying on the bare floor instead of accepting Emily's offer to sleep in her bed, the brunette didn't say a word. Instead, she just sat down next to Ashley, reassuring her again and again that everything would be fine - and Ashley almost believed her.