I do now own Criminal Minds. My thanks to my sister for being my beta. I cannot believe that I got 96 people signed up to Story Alerts and 76 people listed this story as one of their favorites. I am tickled pink.

Which I hope you do not mind the long wait for the next chapter. I send a bunch of chapters to my sister, but she just got a new job so she is busy with that, not to mention a baby who is teething right now.

Please read and review!

Chapter #54

Ashley was wheeled on a gurney by the paramedics. Reid walked beside her, holding her hand. She was still dazed by what just happened. The last thing she remembered was Rose was choking her with Reid and Hotch running up to them and then waking up with her head on Reid's lap while Hotch was kneeing over her. She could have sworn that her boyfriend had tears in his eyes.

"I will meet you at the hospital as soon as I can," he promised. She tried to move her head, but it was in bound in a brace. She mouthed the words 'I love you' to him where he mouthed, "I love you too," back to her.

The paramedics loaded her up in the ambulance with one of the police officers climbing in with them. She watched as the other paramedic closing the door with both Reid and Hotch standing behind.

Ashley looked around where she knew that she was wheeled into a private section of the emergency room that was sectioned off with blue stripes curtains. The police officer stood outside. She let out a groan where she realized that she was going to strip for another week to pay for this. This day was getting better and better. She could hear the hussle and bussle of the emergency room outside.

"OK Mr. Chin," the nurse said, looking into her chart. "I have your muscle relaxer," she said then she looked up, seeing Ashley.

"I think you got the wrong person," Ashley said.

She laid her chart and a filled syringe on top of the table beside her. "Who are you?"

"Ashley Cassidy. Can you please get me out of these restraints?"

"No sorry hun, I will get your chart," she said, then leaving Ashley alone. Forgetting her chart and the syringe.

You got the be kidding me, she thought, staring at the needle. It would be so easy, just to use it, to feel numb again. The deal with the Ashburtons was now over. There was no reason to keep her sobriety. In fact, everyone would understand. After all, she is the drug addict whore. She twisted her right arm, trying to get out of the restraints. The restraints started to become loose.

Ashley saw a shadow approaching the curtain. "Shit," she said, figuring it was the nurse returning with her chart or remembering that she just forget the drug. The curtain pulled out where a towering older man who was in his early fifties. Ashley didn't know exactly of how old he was. He always changed it every time he was asked. One time he was forty-five and another time he was fifty-two.

He dressed in hospital scrubs instead of his tailor-made suits. His blond hair was cut into a buzz cut style which was tucked underneath one of those scrub caps. Ashley stared at his smooth face where sometimes she knew that it was from his daily injections of botex. His piercing dark eyes stared back at her, frightening her.

Ashley could see him carrying a crystal vase full of white roses. His hand that was holding the vase had a brace on his finger, the one that she bitten off weeks early.

"Julian," she gasped, now struggling even harder to get free.

"Baby, you have no idea of how long I waited for that blasted guard to leave." She opened her mouth, wanting to scream out. But her voice cracked only uttering a quiet sound.

"No worries, I have come to take you home."