Chapter 8
Once Hotch was on the jet, he moved to his usual seat in the back and took out his phone. He text his wife: 'Can I call or is your head hurting too much?'
Instead of answering, she called him. "My head is fine," she told him flatly as soon as the call connected.
"Oh. Sorry. I just thought that. . ."
"I'm fine, Aaron."
He winced at her tone. "We're on our way back."
"Good."
"I'm really sorry I didn't call you. . ."
"You were busy with a case."
He sighed. He could tell she was upset with him. "I still should have called."
"I'm fine."
"Kahlan. . ."
"I need to go get the kids. Is there anything else you need to talk about?"
He licked his lips. "No. I just wanted to let you know we were returning."
"I'll see you later, then"
"Alright, I lo. . ." he tried but she hung up. Shit! It's not my fault you got too drunk to hear your damn phone! He shook his head in disgust and then sighed heavily. Yes it is my fault! I should have called her way before that! He pinched the bridge of his nose. I'll make it up to you, Babe, I promise.
XXX
Hotch stopped and bought Kahlan one rose on his way home, but any hope that it would help make up for his mistake was dashed when he realized her car wasn't in the driveway. Damn it! He pressed the garage button hoping that it was in there, but it wasn't. He sighed and pressed the button again. He took out his phone and called her. "Hey, Babe."
"Hey."
"I'm home."
"We're at Donna's. She fixed us dinner, but we're almost done."
"Alright. I guess I'll be here."
"Yep," and she ended the call.
He shook his head and got out of his car. That's twice she hasn't told me goodbye. He went in the house and went ahead and took his shower. Afterwards, he relaxed on the couch and watched tv.
XXX
Joey came back to the door quickly as her brothers and mother made it into the house. She put her finger to her lips. "Shhhh. Daddy's sleeping."
"What?" Kahlan asked her.
"He's asleep on the couch," she whispered.
She looked at all three of her kids. "It must have been a bad case. Let's let him sleep, huh?"
They all quickly nodded their agreement. She looked at her watch. "You all go ahead and get ready for bed." The boys smiled and made their way to the stairs. "I'll be up to tuck you in. Make sure you brush your teeth," she told Joey as she kissed her on the head and pushed her towards the stairs.
"Ok," Joey told her quietly and then went upstairs.
Kahlan went into the family room. She smiled as she shook her head at her husband. She turned the tv off and grabbed a blanket off the chair and covered him up. She leaned down and kissed his cheek lightly. "Goodnight, Hun," she whispered.
XXX
Hotch started to stir. He couldn't move his legs and he couldn't figure out where he was for a second and fear forced him awake quickly. He took a deep breath to himself calm down when he realized Sampson was laying on him and he was on the couch. "Get off of me you big oaf," Hotch told him as he pushed on the dog. Sampson got down but looked at Hotch as if to say 'You were on my bed!' Hotch chuckled as he stood up. "There. Now you can have it." Sampson jumped back up on the couch and tried to worm his way under the blanket. Hotch chuckled again and pulled the blanket out to cover him up. "If you had fur like Goliath, you wouldn't need a blanket you big sissy." Sampson made a noise that sounded a lot like a huff and Hotch shook his head. "I heard that!" Sampson curled up and closed his eyes. "Sleep tight you big baby, but if mom finds you on the couch with her blanket, she's going to be mad, and I am going to deny it all." Sampson cut one of his eyes to Hotch and growled softly. "You better watch it; I'll take the blanket back," Hotch told him with authority. Sampson whined quietly and closed his eyes again.
Hotch chuckled and shook his head as he went to the kitchen to get a drink. He poured a half a cup of coffee and then microwaved it. He looked at the stove; it was after three in the morning. She must be really mad to not have woken me up. He ran a hand down his face and took a drink of the coffee. I can't believe I didn't even hear the kids. He finished the coffee and headed upstairs.
He opened Joey's door quietly and went in and covered her up. He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on the head. "I love you, Angel," he whispered.
She snuggled down into her pillow a little as a smile played at the corner of her lips. Hotch chuckled quietly and then made his way into his room.
He stood there staring at his wife's sleeping form. I wonder if she even saw her rose. He ran a hand through his hair and then crawled into bed. As soon as he was settled, she snuggled up beside him and he wrapped his arm around her.
"Nice of you to join me," Kahlan told him as she looked up at him.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
She smiled. "You were sleeping so peacefully, I couldn't bring myself to bother you."
"Are you mad at me?"
"No," she told him and then snuggled down onto his chest.
He reached down and turned her head so she had to look at him again. "Are you upset with me?" he asked gently. "I am sorry I didn't call you. There is no excuse. . ."
"It's fine, Hun."
He pulled out from under her and sat up. "No it's not. I feel like an ass."
She sat up and reached over and turned on the nightstand light. She studied his face. "You should. I needed to talk to you, and I waited for you to call me back, but you didn't." She shook her head. "I figured you must have been really busy. . ."
He scooted closer to her. "I'm sorry. I forgot what day it was."
"I'm not mad. I know the case was bad, I just. . ."
"You needed me, and I wasn't there." He pulled her into a hug. "It will never happen again. I promise."
She sighed against his shoulder. "It's just been a bad week."
He pushed her away and looked at her. "I saw the file. Exactly what are you working on?"
She shook her head. "It's over now." She scooted away from him. "Lay down and let me snuggle up to you. I've missed you."
He smiled and laid down as he held his arm out to invite her in. She turned off the light and got as close as she could. He hugged her to him tightly. "I missed you, too, Babe."
"Goodnight, Hun, I love you."
"Goodnight. I love you, too."
XXX
Hotch awoke to an empty bed. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked at the alarm clock: 5:46. He rubbed a hand down his face and got up. He found Kahlan in the kitchen. "What are you doing up so early?"
She poured him a cup of coffee. "I could ask you the same thing."
He chuckled. "Hell, with that nap yesterday and last night, that's the most sleep I've gotten all week."
She smiled. "Then you can go wake up the boys," she told him as she went into the laundry room.
He put his cup down and went to the basement steps.
XXX
Hotch got to the BAU early, and it was empty. He walked to his office with the plans of catching up on a few files before everyone else got in. He tossed down his briefcase down on his couch and turned to his desk. He huffed. "Damn you, Rossi!" He grabbed the piece of rope off his desk and stuffed it in his bottom drawer.
Surprisingly, they didn't get a case, so Hotch was home before dinner. After eating, the whole family went out into the yard to play. Sweat covered and breathing heavily from playing football, Hotch went inside to get a drink. As he filled his glass at the refrigerator, Kahlan's phone vibrated. He picked it up and frowned at the unknown number, but answered it. "Hello?"
"Is Kay there?" came a man's voice.
"She's busy at the moment. Can I take a message?" Hotch asked professionally. He knew a lot of people called her because of her job, but he didn't want to interrupt their family time because he didn't get a whole lot of it.
"Just tell her Lucas called, if you would, please."
"Can I ask what this is in reference to?"
"She'll know what it is about."
"Does she have your number?"
"Yes."
"Alright. I will tell her as soon as I see her," Hotch offered and the caller hung up. Goodbye to you, too, Jerk! He shook his head and went back outside after downing his water.
XXX
"You read me a story, Daddy?" Joey asked as Hotch after Kahlan told the kids to get ready for bed.
"Sure, Angel, I'll be up in a minute," he told her with a smile.
"Awww, Daddy, would you read me a story toooo," Jack asked as he tried to match Joey voice.
"Shut up, Jack," Hotch told him as he threw one of the throw pillows off the chair at him. Jack dodged it as he laughed and went and gave his mother a hug.
After all of the kids were gone, Hotch helped Kahlan take the cups and such out of the family room to the kitchen. Hotch saw Kahlan's phone still sitting on the island. "Shit, Babe. I forgot. Some guy called you earlier."
She looked at him over her shoulder as she unloaded the dish washer. "I hope it wasn't important."
He gave her a wounded look. "If he would have said it was important, I would have taken the phone to you."
"Who was it?" she asked as she bent to get the glasses off the top rack.
"Ahh. . . Lucas," he told her as he shut the fridge.
He turned around quickly when he heard a glass break. "Jesus, Babe, are you ok?" he asked as he went towards her. She had half of a glass still in her hand.
"Watch it," she told him as she put her hand out to stop him from walking barefoot into the shattered glass. "Grab the broom please."
He grabbed the broom out of the laundry room and went to the glass. He stopped, though, when he saw her rising blood off her hand. He went up to her quickly and took her hand and inspected it.
She pulled her hand away from him. "I'm fine."
"Did it shatter in your hand?"
"I must have cracked it in the sink without realizing it," she offered as she wrapped a paper towel around her hand and then grabbed the broom.
"Here, I got that," he told her as he took the broom from her.
She pulled it back from him. "No. You go read Joey her story. It's my mess; I'll clean it up."
"You sure?"
"Yes. Go," she told him as she started to sweep.
"Alright," he told her and then headed to the stairs.
As soon as he turned on the landing, Kahlan grabbed her phone. How the hell did he get my number? She brought up her recent calls and knew the unknown number had to be him. I'll kill him!
She quickly went to her contacts and called Cam.
"Hey, woman," Cam answered joyfully.
"Trace the last call on my phone," she told him quietly.
"What? Why?"
"Just do it and then text me the number."
"Alright."
"Thanks," she told him and then ended the call. She bit her lip to try and quell the anger that was rising in her. She shook her head and cleaned up the rest of the glass and put the rest of the dishes away.
When Hotch came back down stairs, she was gone. He looked around and then heard her down with one of the boys. He started to go into the family room, when her phone vibrated again. He went to it and frowned at the text from Cameron: 'What the hell is he calling you for? It was a burn phone.' What the hell is that about? Before he could really wonder about it, Cam texted her again. 'Hotch would die if he knew.'
A sinking feeling in the pit of Hotch's stomach made him shake his head. What the hell is going on? He heard Kahlan tell Wyatt she loved him and shut his door, so he went to the couch quickly. He was innocently watching tv by the time she came up the stairs.
She gave him a smile and then went to the kitchen. She picked up her phone and rolled her eyes at Cam's texts. She quickly responded. 'I didn't ask for all that! You idiot! What if Hotch had seen this?'
'Since when does Hotch go through your phone?'
'The texts show up on the screen when they come through! I thought you were smarter than that!'
'Shit. I'm sorry! I guess I wasn't thinking because I'm pissed!'
'Calm down! I'll take care of it tomorrow!'
'You better before this gets out of hand!'
'Goodnight!'
'Yep.'
She shook her head and slid her phone into her pocket. She grabbed two beers out of the fridge and went to her husband with a smile.
He took the beer and she snuggled in next to him. "So Lucas is a name I haven't heard before. Who is he?" He felt her tense ever so slightly as soon as he said the man's name.
"He's just some guy I did a consult for," she told him as she opened her beer and then took a drink.
He opened his beer and studied her out of the corner of his eye. "So he isn't anyone important? I'd hate to find out I messed something up by not giving you the message right away."
"He's no one," she told him quickly. "A nobody," she added.
And with the way you emphasized that, he is definitely not a nobody. Damn it! He took a drink of the beer. And with Cam knowing him too, he can't just be work related. Son of a bitch! What have you gotten yourself into, Babe?
