Chapter 25

Even with all of the checking, no one was able to figure out who was behind the emails and such. Cam and Pen were keeping their eyes on everything and they had set up alerts for anything new that might show up, but nothing did. After a few more days, almost everyone started to relax thinking that whoever it was had stopped once he had figured out that the plan had failed. Hotch didn't relax completely, though, and he left his laptop closed at home in his den, and Kahlan agreed that all communications should be kept to a minimum and on the phone.

Hotch found being at home very strange. Kahlan only talked to him when she had to and she didn't touch him at all. It was almost like they were roommates instead of the married couple they actually were. She did tell him she loved him whenever he told her, but she didn't offer it up on her own. During the second night of trying to sleep on opposite sides of the bed, Hotch awoke with a jolt. He winced when he realized he had tried to snuggle up to Kahlan, and he wouldn't bet money on it, but he was pretty sure she had hit him to get him away from her. As he scooted back over to his side, he tried to figure out if she was awake or if she had lashed out in her sleep. He shook his head when he knew she was truly asleep. Even subconsciously she doesn't want me touching her. He sighed heavily and tried to get back to sleep.

When he was on a case, she responded to his texts and calls, but nothing close to intimate. Once they were on their way home, Rossi took Hotch a drink. Hotch accepted it with a small smile. "Any advice for the biggest idiot alive?"

Rossi sighed deeply. "Start over."

"Start over?"

"Yeah. Do whatever you did to make her love you in the first place."

Hotch smirked. "Our beginning wasn't exactly normal. I went from hating her to loving her without really doing anything other than working the case."

Rossi took a drink as he considered it. "That's true. What do you think is the biggest problem?"

"She thinks I don't trust her anymore."

"Do you?"

"Yes, but I don't know how to prove that without something actually coming up for me to show her."

Rossi shook his head slowly. "Why can't you all have normal problems?"

Hotch huffed. "That would be nice. I guess we're making up for the years we didn't have any problems," he offered sarcastically.

"Well, pretend you just met her and the kids and try to get her to fall in love with you."

"What do you mean?"

"What would you do if you just met her and you knew she was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?"

Hotch licked his lips as he considered it. "You think I should try and court her?"

"It couldn't hurt. Show her how special you think she is. Ask her out on a date."

Hotch nodded as he thought about it. "I don't know if she would accept or not."

"You'll never know unless you ask."

Hotch smiled. "I guess I could start with the small things and then take the whole family out. She wouldn't say no to that."

Rossi smiled. "That's my boy."

XXX

Hotch took the long way home that night, and went in search of Kahlan as soon as he got in the door. She was in the kitchen putting the dinner dishes in the dishwasher. She looked at him. "Your plate's in the microwave."

He pulled his hand out from behind his back. "For you," he told her with a smile big enough to show his dimples.

She accepted the handful of flowers with a smile. "Thank y. . ." she started and then stopped as she appraised the flowers. She looked at him suspiciously. "Where did you get these?"

He shrugged.

"Aaron Hotchner! You did not take these from the atrium!"

He smiled sheepishly. "Maybe."

"Do you know how much trouble you would have gotten into if you had been caught?"

He squared his shoulders. "Then, I guess, it's a good thing I didn't get caught."

"Some of these flowers are endangered."

"Oh. That I didn't know. I just know you admired them when we went there to reserve it for the wedding."

She shook her head. "You're crazy."

He shrugged again and then went to the microwave and started it, but he noticed the smile never left her face as she got out a vase and put the flowers in water. That's one step in the right direction.

XXX

A quick case in South Carolina only took two and a half days, so Hotch called Kahlan and told her he was on the way home. "Since we'll be getting home at a decent time, would you want to go out to eat?"

"You want to go out?" she asked him and he could tell she was about to say no.

"Yeah, we can let the kids pick where," he added quickly before she could deny him.

"Oh, you want us all to go?"

"Yeah, if that's alright."

"Sure. Sounds like fun."

"Then I'll see you in a little while."

"Yep."

He ended the call with a smile. That's two.

XXX

By the time he got home, the kids still hadn't agreed on where to go. Hotch smiled as an idea hit him. "How about we head into DC and hit the food trucks?"

All of the kids smiled. "That would be awesome!" Wyatt agreed.

"Yeah! We haven't been to DC in a while," Jack agreed.

"We could feed the birds at the park, too!" Joey exclaimed excitedly.

They all looked at Kahlan. She shook her head at being outnumbered, but she smiled. "Let's go."

After eating, Hotch and Kahlan held Joey's hands as they walked around the grounds around the monuments. Hotch saw Kahlan's smile and it made him smile. That's three.

XXX

Without a case the next day, Hotch called and set up a lunch meeting. He was nervously sitting at a table in the back of a little bar. After several minutes passed, he thought his guest wasn't going to show up, but Chuck finally walked up to him twenty minutes late. Hotch stood up as Chuck stopped next to the table and folded his arms across his chest. "What do you want? I have things I need to do."

Hotch took a deep breath. "Will you at least give me five minutes, please?"

Chuck licked his lips and then huffed, but he sat down. "Talk fast."

Hotch sat down and handed Chuck the beer that had been waiting for him. Chuck took it and took a long drink. Hotch scooted closer to the table and then took a drink of his drink. "I know you probably hate me, and you have every right to," he started.

Chuck sat back in his seat and studied him. "I don't hate you, Hotch. I just don't understand how you could have done that."

Hotch hung his head. "I know. Believe me I have been asking myself the same question over and over again." He sat up straighter. "I believe Kahlan and I are on the road to being right again, but I can't completely make everything up to her without making up to you, too."

Chuck shook his head slowly as he looked at the floor. "All you had to do was trust us."

"I know. And now that I have lost that trust, I know it will take time to rebuild it, but I really would like the chance to try."

Chuck licked his lips and then took another drink of his beer.

"I am very sorry for what I have done. Please forgive me."

"Are you just doing this because you're trying to score points with Kay?"

"What? No! She doesn't even know I'm trying this."

Chuck fixed him with a serious look. "I wanted to kill you." Hotch swallowed hard and silently waited for him to go on. "The look of hurt and pain in her eyes when I finally found her," he started and then shook his head. Hotch cringed at the image. "I wanted to leave right then and go after you, but she wouldn't let me."

Hotch huffed and looked down at his drink.

"I was so mad."

"I know."

"But once I finally really thought about it, I think I understand how it happened."

Hotch looked at him quickly.

"I still think you were an asshole for falling for it, but I understand why you did."

Hotch took a deep breath. "So does that mean you'll give me another chance?"

Chuck finally smiled. "I love you like a brother, Hotch. Of course I will."

Hotch released the breath in a rush of relief. "Thank you."

Chuck finished off his beer and then stood up. "But you do anything stupid like that again, I'm going to kick your ass!"

Hotch studied him knew he was being completely serious. "Good."

Chuck shook his head at him and turned to walk away.

"At least let me buy you lunch," Hotch offered before he could leave.

Chuck smiled and then sat back down. "Hey, I'd never pass up a free meal."

Hotch chuckled and handed him a menu. That's four!

XXX

After a few more days and another case, things were getting more comfortable at home and over the phone, but Kahlan still wasn't touching Hotch and he tried to figure out how he could make that happen on his way home from work.

He walked in and Kahlan smiled. "Perfect timing. Dinner is just about done."

"Good," he told her with his own smile and went and put his stuff in his den and washed up. He walked into the kitchen. "Anything I can help with?" he asked as he checked out the pans on the stove. "Mmmmm, that smells good," he mused as he lifted the top off fried potatoes and stole one.

Kahlan playfully shoved him away from the stove. "Go set the table."

"I'll help," Jack told him as he jumped up and grabbed the silverware while Hotch grabbed the plates.

Once they were seated and had their plates filled, Joey shot a sly smile to her dad. He noticed it, but didn't have any idea what it was about. Joey looked around the table. "May I have the pepper, please?" she asked no one in particular.

Kahlan and Hotch both reached for the pepper and their hands touched. Hotch looked at her and then pulled his hand back slowly. Kahlan gave him a small smile and then grabbed the pepper. "Here, Pumpkin."

Jack kicked Joey lightly and she shot him a grin. Hotch noticed Kahlan focusing on her plate and quirked his brows at his daughter. That's five.

Joey tried to hold back a giggle but it escaped, and Kahlan quickly looked up and saw Wyatt trying to stab one of Joey's green beans. "If you want more, there's some on the stove," she told him and he smiled sheepishly at being caught.

XXX

After another quick case, the BAU team had a Sunday off for a change. Kahlan invited the team and their other halves over for a cookout, and they all agreed. Kahlan smiled at Chuck when he got there and then at Hotch. He smiled back knowing she knew he had apologized to Chuck. She quickly took Cassie out of Vinnie's arms and led the way to the yard.

Once everyone was there, Morgan and Mina started a game of volleyball. Joey quickly pulled Hotch in to play, and Hotch shot Jack a grin as he pulled Kahlan in. After about a half an hour, Hotch and Kahlan both went for the ball and ended up tangled up and on the ground, Kahlan laying on Hotch.

"Sorry," they both said at the same time.

Kahlan went to push up off of him, and she felt his manhood stiffen under her thigh. A horrified look crossed his face as soon as he realized what his body had done. She looked at him quickly.

He quickly reached down and tried to adjust himself before anyone saw anything, his eyes pleading with her to keep him covered.

"You ok, Daddy?" Joey asked as she ran up to her parents and saw the look on her father's face.

"He's fine," Kahlan offered with a smile as she reached up and rubbed Hotch's bent knee. "I just ran into him a little hard."

Hotch almost chocked at her choice of words as he tried to will his body into relaxing. "Yeah. Your mother needs to stop being such a bully," Hotch joked.

Joey gave them both a funny look but returned to the game.

"You ok?" Kahlan asked him quietly.

"Yeah," he told her weakly as embarrassment crept onto his face and turned his cheeks three different shades of red.

"Can I get up?"

He nodded and she got up and stuck out a hand to help him up. He got up. "I'm going to get a drink," he announced to the players and went into the house and limped a little to keep up the charade without another word.

Once everyone's attention was drawn to something else, Rossi quickly followed Hotch. "You alright?" he asked him as soon as he found Hotch sitting at the island.

Hotch shook his head. "My God. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Rossi appraised him knowing he wasn't talking about the game. "Now what?" he asked as he sat down beside him.

Hotch ran a hand down his face. "Kahlan got a little too close to me if you know what I mean."

Rossi fought back a chuckle. "I see."

"Almost everyone saw!"

"Damn, Aaron. How long has it been?"

Hotch ran a hand along the back of his neck as he thought about it. "Over a month, I guess."

That shocked Rossi. "Really?"

Hotch shrugged. "I've went longer than that without it, and that's never happened!"

Rossi pursed his lips as he thought about it. "We're you in the same bed with a gorgeous woman you loved but couldn't touch?"

Hotch sighed heavily. "No."

"Apparently Kahlan noticed?"

Hotch huffed. "And felt it."

"Did it make her mad?"

"No. I'm pretty sure that was pity on her face."

Rossi smiled. "Good."

"Good?"

"Maybe she'll feel sorry for you and actually let you hold her."

Hotch huffed again. "Great. Just what I need, a wife who feels enough pity that she'll actually let me touch her."

Rossi shook his head at him. "If it opens the door, who cares?"

Hotch actually chuckled. "I guess, I wouldn't."

Rossi laughed. "I didn't think so."

Hotch was able to spend the rest of the afternoon without any more embarrassing moments and everyone enjoyed the food and fun. He took his shower first and was in bed by the time Kahlan got done. She got in bed and turned off the light. "Goodnight, Hun."

"Goodnight, Babe," Hotch offered with a smile. While Kahlan still wasn't touching him, he noticed she was closer than she had been since the whole thing started.

XXX

A case the next morning disappointed Hotch. He was actually hoping to be able to go home and try to get closer to Kahlan. Maybe by the time I get home she'll be ready. He text her to let her know they were headed to Mississippi. She told him to be safe as usual, but quickly added that she wanted him to call her once he was done for the night no matter the time. He smiled as he put his phone away. Finally, things are getting back to normal while I'm on a case. Now I just need to get things back to normal at home.