A/N – flashbacks in italics, mentions of the abuse Kate suffered mentioned but not overly graphic.

Chapter 20 – To Hell...

Tuesday Morning –

Emily held Kate's hand as they walked slowly into the foyer of the hotel where she spotted the rest of the team and her mother standing waiting for them. Opening arguments had been made the previous day and that meant today was the day that Richard Silkman would be calling his first witness, Kate. The group walked in silence towards the SUVs and made the short trip to the courthouse where Emily and Kate were quickly led away to a back room so they wouldn't have access to the trial before they gave evidence, the others soberly sat in the front row of the courtroom offering silent support to Emily and Kate when they were called to the stand.

"Miss Katherine Stanley Prentiss please."

The court officer walked into the room and called Kate's name loudly causing the young girl to anxiously look over at Emily who quickly grabbed a hold of her and embraced her tightly as she whispered into her ear.

"Be strong Kate, it's all going to be over soon. I love you."

"I love you too mom."

Kate let go and stood before she slowly followed the court officer out of the room.

Kate nervously sat down and looked around the court room, she quickly spotted her BAU family and grandmother who all smiled at her but she found her gaze wandered over to the Ainsley's before she concentrated on the table in front of Mr Silkman.

"Miss Prentiss I would like you to tell the court about the day you moved in with the Ainsley's please.

Kate took her small rucksack of clothes and the photo of her parents into the bedroom, glad that at least in this foster home she had her own bedroom, the other foster children were all boys so they shared a room. Kate had lost count of the different beds she had slept in throughout the last few months, but she was hopeful that maybe this one would be different. The Ainsley's seemed friendly enough, being the only girl meant that Mrs Ainsley expected her to help out in the kitchen and tidy up after the boys but so far she had seemed quite friendly, more so than the other foster parents she had previously been with.

Mr Ainsley didn't make much of an immediate impression on Kate in the first few days, he didn't get home from work until late and spent the majority of his spare time playing with the boys. The first Saturday morning he had walked in on her in the bedroom whilst she was getting dressed, he instantly apologised and Kate thought nothing more of it until the next Tuesday evening.

They had all eaten dinner together and afterwards Kate had gone to her bedroom to read whilst the boys played on the computer in the front room, sometime later she heard the boys finally go to bed quickly followed by Mrs Ainsley, with her eyes fighting to stay open Kate put the book down and switched off the light. Just as she was drifting off to sleep Kate heard a clicking sound, she never shut her bedroom door so someone else must have, she quickly sat up in the bed but two strong arms pushed her back down before one of the hands reached across and clasped tight over her mouth. Focusing her eyes Kate saw that the shadowy figure was Mr Ainsley, she tried to scream but his hand muffled the noise, Kate tried to struggle but his strong body was no match for her tiny frame and he kept her pinned against the bed. Within seconds he reached down and pushed her pink nightdress up to her chest and forced himself inside her. It seemed to last all night but after twenty minutes he left the bedroom as Kate heard him go through to his bedroom where he loudly made love to Mrs Ainsley.

Kate was too scared to say anything to anyone, at first she believed that it was a one off but them it happened again, and again. She knew that Mrs Ainsley knew what was going on and chose to do nothing. Four weeks after the first incident when Kate was alone with Mrs Ainsley in the house she finally plucked up the courage to say that she was going to speak to her social worker about moving to another foster family. That evening Kate was dragged screaming out of her bed by Mr Ainsley and taken to the wooden cabin.

All her worst fears came true in the cabin, dressed only in a dirty t-shirt she was tied to a camp bed and given a minimal amount of food and water. The attacks and abuse in the house had been confined to the evening when the boys were in bed and she was supposedly asleep but once she was in the cabin Ainsley came up at least twice a day and he was no longer happy just sexually abusing her he took out his anger on Kate, punching and kicking her whenever he felt like it. Kate was sure that she was going to die there until one day Ainsley brought a woman to the cabin and tied her to chair opposite Kate.

Kate remembered holding the gun as she watched Ainsley walking menacingly towards Emily, the only thought in her mind was to shoot him in order to stop the nightmare.

Kate stopped after finishing the last of questions from Mr Silkman, she could feel the tears that had been streaming down her face as the judge spoke.

"Defence?"

"No questions for this witness your honour."

"You little bitch, you were asking for it!"

"Order! Please Mr Anderson control your client!"

"We took you into our home, made you welcome and you behaved like some little slut!"

"That will do Mrs Ainsley! Mr Anderson if your client does not stop she will be removed from the proceedings."

"Of course your honour."

Mr Anderson finally managed to get Mrs Ainsley to sit down and be quiet but Kate had become so scared that she had drifted off the seat and was crouching down behind the chair.

"Right we will recess for lunch now."

The judge stood up and walked out, JJ and Morgan didn't wait a second longer as they ran through the court and over towards Kate. JJ quickly bent down and scooped Kate up in her arms as Morgan stood protectively over them before JJ carried Kate out of the courtroom and sat her down on one of the benches outside.

"You did good girl, I am so proud of you."

"Thanks Uncle Derek."

Kate sat next to JJ on the bench, her body shaking as JJ held her tightly.

"Well done Kate, I know how hard that was for you."

Kate didn't say anything, she just sat there quietly letting JJ hold onto her whilst the rest of the team walked out and stood in a defensive semi-circle around her.

"Uncle Spence and Uncle Aaron said they'd take you out for lunch and wherever you want to go this afternoon."

JJ leant in and spoke quietly to Kate, hoping for some response from the young girl.

"What about mom?"

"She said that she didn't want you here for any longer than you had to be. I know that Spence and Hotch will look after you but Garcia and I really need to be here for Emily, you understand don't you?"

Kate nodded as JJ kissed her softly on the head before Kate got up and walked over to Hotch who took a hold of Kate's hand as Reid walked around and took a hold of her other hand and led her out of the courthouse and to somewhere special for lunch.