She was so very nearly married. She stood with Drake, at the altar and before the ceremony could begin, shots fired and chaos ensued. Drake looked to Reid who took immediate point. He told him to take Ali to a room, any room, and hide her there. Further instruction was interrupted with fighting. Drake took Ali's arm, now healed, and dragged her from the fighting. She would have hesitated if Drake were not so strong, and she fought her instinct to be a part of the chaos. She followed him into a dead end that saw the enemy flooding in on them. She let Drake go and watched his more than admirable effort against his opponents until, as his head was struck and his body fell, Ali couldn't pretend to be innocent anymore.

She kicked off the pretty high heels Susan had told her it was more elegant to wear for her facade and pulled the veil from her hair as she strode forward. There were several men surrounding Drake, one of which began to bend to lift him or strike him - Ali didn't care which. She lifted her arms and brought them down on the bending man's shoulders, planting her feet and twisting with the material of his coat in her fists. He leaped over Drake for fear of tripping and landing on his face and stumbled away. A large blade swopped towards Ali's torso and she took quick steps backwards to avoid the weapon as it advanced on her. She took a risk and grabbed the arm holding the knife, manoeuvring out of its way as she pulled herself closer to the wielder. She turned in his arms and crushed his genitals with her elbow. His fingers released the blade and she grabbed it, spinning to see what was before her now she had a weapon of her own.

She didn't have long to assess the numbers. Two lurched forward, intent to see her dead she could see, and so she swung.

It took Drake five dropped bodies to understand what he was seeing. At first the injury to his head made it difficult to register what was before his eyes and when all was clear he still couldn't fathom the scene. This wasn't his Ali. This wasn't even the woman on the bar firing warning shots with a shotgun. He watched Ali pry knives from brutish hands, fire guns comfortably into knee-caps, and slam the last man standing's head into the corner of a bench built at the side of the hall. He didn't see Reid standing further down the hall, or the significant glance Reid shared with Ali as she stood panting, covered in blood. She moved to Drake's aid at last, no threat withstanding against them and tears welled. He couldn't look at her.

Ali sat on a chair in the hospital hallway, waiting for any word on Drake's condition. Knife-wounds and split-skin from a man in knuckle-dusters had left him a bloody mess. The wounds could be worse than they looked, or worse than she could imagine. She sat straight, hands clasped and resting on her legs with her eyes shut, her head leaning back against the wall. The police presence kept the hall quiet and they were subtle at staring at her reddened wedding garb.

Reid stood outside the room, waiting as Jackson instructed, watching Ali down the hall and wondering he felt angry at her or sorry for her. He was certain she had never intended such a mess. Watching Ali and wondering what she thought, felt, and how he felt about the whole situation kept his mind occupied until Jackson at last emerged, rubbing blood from his hands with a rag.

"He'll live. Hell, he'll be fine. The swelling has to go down though. Do you want me to tell the girl –"

"No, I'll tell her." Reid interrupted as he moved into the room to sit by Drake's bedside.

"I'm headed that way anyway, I don't mind –"

"I'll tell her." Reid insisted, taking a seat and settling into it for a long wait. Jackson watched him for a second before departing. He paused when he saw Ali and almost talked to her, but he remembered what Susan said, and he remembered the shape Drake had been left in. He carried on walking, and Ali was none the wiser.

When Drake woke, Reid was pulling on his jacket to leave.

"Inspector." Drake sighed, cringing as he tried to move. Reid looked to his friend, the swelling in his eye and jaw to the right side. Reid moved to help Drake sit up and waited for him to catch his breath. "Jackson... was..."

"You're fine. Swollen, probably in some amount of pain, but you are fine." Reid assured him, unable to hide the relief in his perpetually formal tone.

"Alice?"

"She is also fine." Reid replied carefully. "There were bodies left in the fighting."

Drake looked pained and began to panic, "It was me, I was trying to defend..."

Reid nodded and stood. "There's not need to explain, Bennet. Get some rest, I'll handle the rest."

Drake nodded and settled into his bed and put his hand over his eyes. The door shut. Was she outside? Did she run? Did he even want to see her? Who was she?

Ali heard Reid's gate before she saw him and turned her head for the first time since she entered the hospital. She waited for him to get closer before she stood. He didn't pause to speak to her and she stepped in front of him desperately asking,

"Is Bennet –"

Reid's hand was like a vice around her arm.

"You're coming to the station." He growled at her. She twisted, dug her heel into his foot, spat "damn you all," and ran for Drake's room. Reid gave her a moment's head start; he had witnessed what she was capable of and she had chosen not to fight him. She needed to know Drake was well, he was sure, and then she would let him take her to the station.

Drake looked to the door as it opened. Ali stood there, bloodied and with blue circles blossoming over her skin like sporadic tattoos. Tears fell from her eyes immediately and she almost ventured inside.

"Bennet." She began as she lifted her foot to enter.

"Leave." He seethed at her, surprised himself by his vehemence. She hesitated, almost spoke.

"Leave me in peace." He barked. Reid's hand was under her arm and pulled her sharply away down the hall. She followed, hand over her mouth as she tried to silence her whimpers. Reid felt no sorrow for her now.