About eight feet away, Ruby was sitting against the wall with her knees up to her chest. In one hand she held a small but sharp knife, pressing it to the skin of her other forearm that she rested on her thigh, palm up. She stared intently down at the tip of the blade, either unaware or unaffected by Reid's entrance.

Reid quickly read and assessed the situation. Help had finally arrived to save her, but now she was a flick of the wrist away from taking her own life. Whatever had happened during her time with the unsub was clearly horrible enough to push her onto a ledge. He holstered his gun quietly and slowly, hoping not to startle her.

"Ruby?" Reid called carefully. "Why don't you put that knife down and we get you out of here?"

Ruby's eyes remained on blade and her facial expression tightened.

"Ruby, you're safe now, we're here to help you. You don't have to do this," Reid said sincerely, still wondering how she had been pushed to this point. Receiving no response, he continued.

"The man, who did this to you, he can't hurt you anymore, he's gone," Reid tried a more juvenile tone, wondering if she perhaps had regressed in her trauma. He took a small step towards Ruby and she recoiled further into herself, her eyes breaking from the knife, glancing at the FBI agent in front of her.

"Okay, okay," Spencer soothed, his hands in the air as he stepped back. Catching her quick moment of eye contact, he sensed a change in her demeanor, a bit more cognizant than her previous state.

He slowly sank to a knee with his hands still up, being sure to minimize anything that Ruby may see as threatening. Hotch and Prentiss arrived in the doorway, but remained still and silent as they saw what was unfolding in front of them. Reid crouched and tilted his head a bit to look at Ruby's eyes.

Ruby desperately avoided his gaze. She was shaking so hard that Reid was afraid she would cut herself accidentally.

"Ruby, I need you to put that down so I can help you," Reid said firmly.

"I don't d-deserve… That." She croaked. The sound of her own voice seemed foreign to her.

Reid looked at her inquisitively. "You didn't deserve any of this-" Reid tried, before he was interrupted.

"I let her die," Ruby's voice was stronger now. "He… Killed her…" Ruby said with disgust, "Killed Jenny. I watched her die," She trailed off. "I let her die," She whispered.

"None of this is your fault, Ruby," Reid said sincerely.

"It… It… Should have been me," Ruby growled, pressing the knife down to create an indentation in the skin. Reid knew she was close to the edge and he had to get her back—fast.

"Ruby, listen to me. Look at me," he directed and waited for her eyes to meet his. Ruby forced her eyes away from the blade and up towards Reid. "There was nothing you could have done to stop this."

As he spoke, he watched Ruby's face loosen. Her body language showed that she was deescalating. He took the opportunity to inch closer to her and she squeezed her eyes shut. Reid continued.

"That man was sick and he is to blame. He did horrible things to you and Jenny. There was nothing you could have done to save her."

Ruby shook her head adamantly before looking Reid directly in the eye, pleading, "Just let me do it. Let me go. Please," She sighed and choked. She looked away from him, focusing not on the blade, but on the floor now. "Let me go, let me go, let me," She whispered.

"You know I won't do that," Reid said softly. Ruby gave into the tears that were already streaming down her face and agreed to cry with them.

"Please," She sobbed as Reid slowly shook his head. Her body relaxed further.

Reid saw the blade retreating from Ruby's pale skin and moved forward, this time stopping only two feet away. He thought of one last thing that would help pull her through.

"Ruby, your parents are outside," he said. Ruby silenced her cries and looked up at him vacantly. She realized how much closer he was, but it didn't seem to bother her.

When Ruby looked at him, Reid could see that she was now almost entirely conscious.

"They'd really like to see you," Reid offered. Ruby just stared at him now. "Do you think we could go do that?" Reid asked quietly, his voice nearly cracking on the last word.

Ruby begins to nod, slowly at first but picking up speed. She never breaks eye contact with Reid as her nods became fierce and wracked with sobs. She opens her hand and the knife falls to the ground with a clink. Reid steps forward and hits it out of her reach before turning his attention back onto her as she began to crumple in front of him. She reaches out toward him, falling forward onto her knees as Reid moves in quickly to stop the momentum and catch her in an embrace. Her arms lace around his shoulders as her face falls into his chest.

"Okay, you're alright," he comforted, placing one hand on the back of her head and the other around her waist.

"I'm not going to let you go."

A/N Please let me know what you think :)