I do not own Criminal Minds and my thanks to Dragonsmaiden for being my beta reader. Thank you all for adding me to your story alerts and favourites. And thank you all for your reviews.

Chapter #17

Ashley wiped the fogged mirror in the bathroom with her hand. She had been moved into a new room. Ashley had gone with a nurse into the bathroom where the nurse helped her out of the bloody gown and was going to help her into the shower, but Ashley had managed to convince her that she was fine; her meltdown was over. All she wanted to do is get out of the hospital.

The nurse left her alone, leaving her a new gown and towels. She also gave her a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss as well, but no matter how many times she brushed her teeth, she still could taste his blood and flesh in her mouth.

She turned around to see her back for the first time since this whole mess started. Her back looked like it had gone through a cheese grater. Countless small scabs covered her back and there were a few cuts she could see that had been stitched up. No wonder it hurt like hell.

"Miss. Cassidy," a nurse knocked on the closed door.

"Yes."

"Are you ok," she asked.

Ashley looked at her reflection, "My house blew up, my back hurts like hell and somehow I decided to keep my sobriety instead of taking a fucking painkiller, which would have gotten rid of the pain and probably help me sleep tonight. I was attacked in the hospital and I actually bit off a finger and I still have the taste in my mouth, and oh yeah, somehow I dragged Spencer into my own personal hell instead of having a normal relationship with him, well as normal as a guy with three PhD and a high IQ can have. I am just peachy." She thought to herself.

"I'm peachy," she answered.

"I need you to come out so I can look at your back," she said. Ashley picked up the wet towels in one hand and with her other hand, she closed her gown from behind. She stepped out of the bathroom. A blonde nurse took the towels from her, dumping them in a chair.

She helped Ashley to the bed where she sat on the side on the bed, facing the door. Ashley felt her wet brown hair being pushed over to one side and her gown being pushed down her shoulders. She winced a few times as she felt the nurse touching her.

"Sorry dear," the nurse kept saying to her. Uh-huh, she thought.

After few more winces, Ashley felt her nightgown being pulled back up and tied in the back. "The stitches are in tact which is good. How is your headache?"

"Better."

"Ok, I'm going to take out your IV, you don't need it anymore." After the nurse took out the IV out of Ashley's hand, she bandaged it

"Thank you, ah, no offense, I would really like to get out of here and go home," she said. "I was suppose to be release today."

The nurse nodded her head, "Actually the doctor wants to see you first. You might have to stay one more night for observations."

She looked at the nurse, "Oh goody," she said sarcastically.

Meanwhile Reid was in the men's washroom down the hall, talking to the police. When he held Ashley, the blood had seeped through his shirt and sweater and was now considered evidence. Reid watched the police officer dropping them into large plastic bags. The hospital gave him a green scrub top, which he put it on.

Even though the police hadn't asked him if the FBI was taking over, he could already tell the resentments in their voices. He had tried to explain that even though, he worked for the FBI, right now, he was Ashley's boyfriend and a witness, therefore he couldn't get involved in this.

He didn't mention that the rest of the BAU could get involved. He could already see Hotch shaking his head and rubbing one of his temples at this. Still, he couldn't help thinking that this attack was connected to the accident.

Once he was done talking to the detectives, he washed the rest of the blood off of his hands and went out into the hallway. During the chaos, he not only lost his present, but also his messenger bag. Shit, he silently cursed.

"Speak to the Goddess of Knowledge," Garcia answered when Reid dialed her number.

"Garcia, I need to ask you a huge favor, but I don't want you to get into trouble with Hotch or Director Strauss," he said.

"Oh Boy Wonder, this sounds serious," she said. Reid let out a sigh and told her what happened with Ashley. "Oh my God, is my sweet pea alright."

"Right now, she is with a nurse. Garcia, she bit off the finger of the unsub," he said, in a low voice.

"The finger and anything his blood got on are with the police now. I don't know if we are going to get involve or not, but I want you to keep an eye on them, let me know what is going on. There is no doubt that they will run that print. Also I am not going in today, I am going to stay at the hospital until she is released. I'll call Hotch in a few hours."

"Alright, don't you worry a thing, I will take care of this. Just stay with her," she said before hanging up.

Reid let out another sigh and sat down in the waiting area, watching Ashley's room.

"Dr. Reid," he heard a female's voice. He looked up and saw the same nurse that was in the room with Ashley when she was attacked and who had given him the gloves. She had his messenger bag and his present.

"I believe that these are yours," she said.

"Oh yes, thank you very much," he said as he stood up. "I thought I had lost them."

"I found them lying on the floor after you were chasing him. I thought I better put them behind the front desk before they were stolen, but I am sorry that your vase broke," she said looking at the flowers.

He smiled, seeing the bouquet of white daisies and red roses in a water pitcher. "Thank you," he said again, taking the flowers.

When the nurse that had been with Ashley left her room, Reid knocked on the open door, seeing his girlfriend, sitting in her bed with a blanket over her lap. The headrest was raised up at an angle so she could lean back on it. She ran her fingers through her wet hair before cringing in pain as she looked up.

"Hi," she said, smiling. Reid walked in, closing the door behind him. He set the water pitcher down on the small table beside her.

She smiled at the flowers, "They're pretty, thank you," she said. He smiled as he set his bag on the bed beside her.

"They came in a vase, but it broke," he said.

"Doc, it's ok, I love them," she said. He then pulled out a stuffed grey elephant with a big red bow and a small bottle of foot cream from his bag. Ashley smiled, taking the elephant and hugging it.

"Thank you," she said, as she leaned forward and kissed him. She set the lotion down beside the flowers, but held onto the elephant.

"I'm sorry about earlier and your shirt," she said quietly.

Reid ran his fingers through her tangled hair, making a mental note to pick up a hairbrush and other things from the shop for her, "Honey, it is ok. Don't worry about it. Anyone would have done the same thing."

She nodded, looking at the blanket. "Yeah, except now I have a feeling that I will have to stay another day because of it. And thank you for stopping the doctor from giving me the drugs," she said.

Reid gently pulled her in and held her in his arms. He looked down to see the opening of her gown and how bad her back really was.

"It's not that bad, I just can't lift my arms over my head or sleep on my back for now," she said with her head still buried in his chest.

"Ok."

"I don't suppose that you can sign me out since you are a doctor," she asked.

He smiled, "I am not that kind of doctor," he replied.

"It was worth a shot."

"How are you feeling," he asked, finally pulling away from her, but he still had both of his hands on her shoulders.

"My back hurts like hell, my headache is getting better and I would like to get out of here. Now I am wondering what number three is going to be," she said, looking up at him.

"Excuse me?"

"There's a saying, bad things come in threes. My house blowing up is one," she answered as she raised her right index finger at up at him.

"This," she said looking around her, raising her middle finger. "Is number two. So what is number three?"

"I think this is number three. The first one was the fight at the concert," he said.

"Ok, I'll buy it."

Reid sat down beside her, "How long have you been having these anxiety attacks," he asked.

She slowly turned her body to face him, "Since the Scorpions, but I haven't had one in several months. My doctor got me on this medication to help calm my anxieties and he gave me some coping techniques which helped, until now." She then looked around, seeing that they were in a single hospital room with a deep mauve couch.

She let out a groan, "I'm going to be stripping for a freaking month."

"Excuse me," he said, taken aback by what she said.

"Sometimes I pick up a few shifts at Fantasy Dolls, a strip club, when things get tight. I don't have any health insurance. How the hell am I going to pay for all of this?"

"Shhh," Reid said as he held her hands with his. "Don't worry about this right now, alright. Do you have a place to stay?"

"Paul offered me a place to stay until I can figure out of what my next step is. He is coming back later to bring me some of my things and give me a ride."

"Paul," he asked.

"Paul Ashburton."

"Ashburton as in Ashburtons Publishers, the publishing company," he asked, sounding surprised.

She nodded, "I was engaged to one of his sons." Reid straightened himself up, surprised by what Ashley was saying. When was she engaged? And what happened that ended her engagement?

"It is part two of my story," she said as she rubbed his hand, looking at him as if she was reading his mind.

"How's Bailey," he asked. It was Ashley's turn to be surprise and somewhat happy that he asked about her dog.

"What?" Reid said taking in her surprised expression.

"No one else has asked me about him," she explained. "He was thrown too, but all he suffered were cuts and bruises. Right now, he is at the vet and hopefully I can pick him up when I get out of here," she answered as she let go of him, pushing herself back on the bed where she brought up her knees.

"Anyway the doctors told me that I can't go back to work for at least a week. I'm going have to rearrange my classes and the parties, or hire someone to take over. Another week of stripping," she said, cringing when she realized of how she is going to pay for the substitutes.

"And see of how bad the house is and what needs to be done. Oh and probably have to replace my cell phone. I am going to need a freaking holiday to get over this holiday," she said, laying her head down on her knees.

Reid gently touched her shoulders and kiss on top of her matted hair. She looked up at him where he brushed her hair away from her face before cupping her face with his hands.

He gently kissed her, "I'll help you with whatever I can. Morgan works on houses so I know that he will know a couple of good contractors," he whispered.

"You being here is helping me," she said as he leaned forward and carefully held her in his arms.

"Last night, your friend Garett, Greyson, no she is named after the Grateful Dead," she continued, trying to remember her visitor's name.

"Who? Oh, you mean Garcia," Reid said.

"Yes, Garcia came to visit, she told me that you were on your way. I told her to tell you not to, just stay put. I'm glad that she didn't listen," she said.

Ashley then pulled away from him, "I can't believe that I am asking you this, but do you know where that finger went?"

"The police have it."

"So this isn't going to be a FBI's case?"

Reid shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. I'm your boyfriend so I am not allowed to investigate this. I am also a witness. But it's up to Hotch if he wants to investigate it or leave it up to the police."

She smiled, "Well this is something that you can talk about around the water cooler. 'My girlfriend gave me the finger last night,'" she said imitating a conversation before she started laughing.

Reid looked at her, realizing that she was losing it again. He pulled her in again, careful not to touch her back. Her laughter turned into sobs. "It's ok," he whispered.

She held on to him tightly as she softly cried. Reid didn't let her go, even after she stopped.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be," he assured her.

"It's been one fucked up week," she said. Reid didn't answer her; he wasn't sure how to answer that. She was right, it has been one fucked up week.

"Come on, you need to lie down and rest a bit," he finally said. He stood up and sat on the other side of the bed when Ashley moved back. He was surprised that in the narrow hospital bed, he and Ashley could lay comfortably with her head on his shoulder. He threw the blankets over them and held her in his arms.

"You called me Doc, twice, I believe," he said.

She smiled, not looking up at him, "I did, didn't I. I thought it would be better than honey bunny."

Reid smiled, "I like it," he answered as he held on to her hand, gently rubbing his thumb against her knuckles.

Soon after, he stopped rubbing, Ashley could hear him breathing slowly and steady. She looked up, seeing him fast asleep. She couldn't help but smile, she knew that he rarely slept well during his cases and now with this, it was best that she didn't wake him. She laid her head back on his chest, listening to his heart.