I am back from holidays and I thank you all for your patiences and adding me to your Favourite lists.

I do not owned Criminal Minds and my thanks to my sister for being my beta.

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Chapter #65

Reid edged closer to his girlfriend, expecting to feel her, but all he felt was emptiness. He opened his eyes, realizing that she was gone. He slipped on his glasses and crawled out of bed. He found the other robe hanging at the back of the bathroom's door.

As he put it on, not bothering to tie it, he went to the other room. He wasn't really surprised to see his big brother sleeping in the chair.

He soon found Ashley and Darcy talking out in the hallway. He returned to the bedroom and waited for her.

He knew that he would have to tell her what Rose had done. He was still expecting the results from the lab on her medication, to see if it was switched. Nevertheless, he was able to get her a new bottle, just in case. Now if he just get her to take it.

He wasn't really looking forward to telling Ashley and honestly hoped it would have been done in the morning, after a few hours of sleep.

He then wondered why Harry hadn't called. He check his cell, hoping that it wasn't dead. It wasn't, but there was a text message waiting for him. He pressed a button and read it.

I didn't get back into town until late. I didn't want to wake you. But I was able to get Bailey and some of her clothes. Call me and let me know when and where I can drop them off. - Harry.

He set his phone back on the nightstand and then his glasses. He heard the door being opened and then closed.

"Try to get some rest," he heard Darcy. Reid put his glasses back on, and got out of bed. As the curtain pulled back, he saw Darcy holding up Ashley. He gave a small smile and held out his arms. As he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend with her back toward Darcy, Reid saw him mouthing, 'Watch her', as he pointed toward her. He gave Darcy a small nod.

"Night," Darcy said.

"Night," they both replied back. Reid helped her to bed and she placed her glasses on the nightstand.

As Reid helped her out of her jeans, "Darcy told me that he booked the room for two nights." Reid set her jeans at the end of the bed. He shredded his robe, placing it beside her jeans.

"We could stay if you want," he offered.

She shrugged her shoulders, "I wouldn't be using that tub again, but we are both in a better mood," she answered. He blushed, agreeing with her. He crawled into bed beside her.

"Or we could just pick up Bailey and drive, to wherever the road takes us. I know you have traveled, but you have never seen see the towns, I mean really seen them. Just be a tourist and have fun. Let us just see the good in the world, see of why the world is worth fighting for." He smiled.

"One of the girls from work, told me about a camping site not far from here with good hiking trails and a crystal blue lake where we can go skinny dipping."

"And make love underneath the stars," he suggested before clearing his throat. She smiled, nodding her head, leaning forward, kissing him.

As much as Reid wanted to tell her yes, he knew that he couldn't. He took off his glasses, placing them beside hers on the nightstand along with his cell. He looked at his girlfriend where she knew that they couldn't.

Ashley gently brushed his hair from his face with her fingers.

"I can cut your hair for you if you want," she offered. He smiled, taking her hand with his.

"I am OK, thank you," he answered. Ashley slowly laid back down where he pulled up the blankets over her, laying his arm underneath her head as he spooned her.

She let out a sigh, "Did I do anything wrong," she said in a child like voice.

With his arm underneath her head, Reid was still able to perch himself over her, looking down. "No, no you didn't."

She pinched her lips together then covering her mouth with her hand. "I keep hearing what Julian had said to me at the hospital, over and over in my head. Scream and Dr. Reid will die," she said. Reid gently pulled his arm out underneath her head so he could roll on his side, looking at her.

"And before that, Rose was strangling me at the police station. I don't understand what is going on," she cried. He knew that he would have to tell her now.

"Excuse me," he said as he reached for his glasses then handing her hers. Reid reluctantly told her what he found out and what the police discovered. She was quiet for a long time once he was done. He patiently waited, giving her some time to absorb it. Ashley slowly sat up to where he sat in front of her.

"Rose did all of that," she slowly said. He nodded. "I knew that she didn't like me. But she hated me that much to frame me? What if she wore gloves or wiped her fingerprints when she placed them in my car? Or if I had used the trunk more often?" Ashley rolled on her good side as Reid gently rubbed her back, trying to comfort her.

"We would still have got you out of it," he said.

"We," she said, looking up at him. She ran her fingers through her messy hair, tucking it behind her ears. She slowly sat up, taking care of her hip. She twisted her body around to face him.

"I knew sooner or later, they would find out about my past. But silly me, I was hoping it wasn't until later, much later," she said, waving her hand forward. "After they got to know me better, fully accepted me. Or years after my death. Not while I was in jail, scared out of my fucking mind that the other prisoners would find out about the Scorpions. Or explain to Hotch, 'Hey, I was a drug runner. I was also a diplomatic whore."

"Stop," Reid interrupted as he laid his hand on her shoulder. "What's done is done. They are more upset at what Rose had done to you. They don't care about your past."

"No, but I just dragged them into my own hell. How can I look them in the eyes," she said as she fell back in bed. She rolled onto her good side, curling up into a ball again.

Reid peered over where he could see that she was still awake. He crawled out of bed and returned shortly with a couple of pieces of toilet paper. He offered them to her and sat by her bedside.

"Thank you," she whispered. She dried her eyes.

"Do you know if the drugs were switched," she asked. He shook his head, reaching for his glasses. "Not yet, but I picked you up a new prescription." He reached down, picking up the stuffed elephant. He put it on the nightstand facing them.

"I can't believe that you brought him with you," he said. She shrugged her shoulders and gave him a smile.

"I like it," she said.

Ashley laid on her side, looking up at Reid as he held her hand with his. They sat together in silence for a few minutes when Ashley spoke again. "Darcy told me that he has an apartment in his building for us to rent if we want. It is legit and it allows Bailey. Plus it is secured both by the building and by the FBI."

"I beg your pardon," he said, not understanding the FBI part.

"I see them doing surveillance on the building every time I go there to visit." He gave his head a little shake, not believing what she had said. But then again, this whole night has been insane. He would have to look into to it later. He took off his glasses off once again and he hoped it was the last time.

"The only problems that I see are that Hotch and the big bosses upstairs are going to have a fit," she said. He set his glasses on the elephant's face where she smiled.

"Hey," he whispered, leaning closer to her. "We will get through it."

She nodded, rolling on her back. "With everything that has been happening, I just feel," she said, pausing, trying to find the word.

"Lost. I finally got my life back together, finally had a family again and I don't mean with Paul, Mary and Rose, I mean I was starting to feel like I was being accepted with your family. And then I lost everything again. I even lost my teaching job. You know that I loved that job, how am I going to explain that to my boss. Oh wait. I'm sorry that I didn't show up. I was at the police station because the woman who was almost my mother in law tried to frame me for drug trafficking and she tried to bribe a pharmacist to switch my medication to hide her embezzlement from my ten million dollar trust fund. And oh yeah, my stalker is DE-evolving and he is planning to reunite me with my son who died about ten years ago. I am so fired."

Reid climbed into bed, where Ashley had to move back. He took her hand. "You are not lost. You are right here with me. And if you want to stay at Darcy's place, then that is OK. Don't worry about Hotch or Strauss." She shook her head no then shrugging her shoulders, feeling confused.

Then she looked at him. "Strauss," she said. He nodded, wondering why she was asking about her.

"Yes, why," he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "The name is familiar."

Reid shrugged his shoulders, "It will come to you. There are more than one Strauss in the world," he suggested as he twisted his body to where he was looking down at her, and taking care that he wasn't putting any weight on her bad hip.

He looked down at her. "What do you really want? Forget about Julian, forget about everyone else. What does Ashley Lynn Cassidy want?"

He can hear her letting out sigh as she propped up a couple of pillows up behind her. "I want us to live together, not afraid of anyone or anything. I want family dinners. I want your family to come over for dinner, even if it is macaroni and cheese night." He nodded.

She continued. "I want us to take Bailey for walk together. Cookie night where we always have to double the recipe because we always eat half of the cookie dough. I want you to make popcorn when we watch movies or wind my yarn up into little balls. I want to see you sitting at the kitchen table, studying for your philosophy degree or your next paper. I want you to try to explain to me your theories to me." Tears were starting to roll down the sides of her face. He brushed them away with his fingertips.

"That is what I want." He stroke her face with his index finger where she leaned towards it.

"I always love it when you do that," she whispered.

He smiled, "I know. Honey, we will do it, all of it. I promise. Now let's try to get some rest. We can figure out the rest tomorrow," he said, as he gently took off her glasses. They changed positions where Reid was lying on his back and Ashley had her head on his shoulder and he held her in his arms as sleep finally took over.

Now for some bad news. As you may know, my computer had caught a virus and erased the story. I am retyping the story as fast as I can. But my job has become so hectic that I neither have the time or energy to write. So I begged you for your patience.

As well my beta, she is going through some personal problems and I am giving her some space and time to deal with it.

So please be patience. I promised, I am not abandoning the story.