Chapter 29
On the way back to the castle Kahlan grabbed Hotch's hand. "How did that song get on my iPod?"
Hotch gave her a wounded look. "I know how to run iTunes."
She was shocked. "You do?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, Joey taught me a couple months ago."
She laughed as she shook her head.
XXX
The next morning, Hotch awoke to an empty bed. He looked at his watch; it was already after ten. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and got up to search the other rooms of the suite. Not finding his wife was a good sign, or at least he thought it was. It all depends on what she's doing and who she's doing it with. Hopefully she isn't by herself.
He got dressed and went in search of her. As he made his way down the hall towards the steps the statue of armor slid to the side and made him startle. Joey giggled as soon as she saw him and put a finger to her lips.
"What are you doing?" Hotch asked her in a whisper.
"We're playing hide and go seek," she told him deviously.
"Who is?" he asked as he pulled a cob web out of her hair.
"Me, the boys, and Mommy. Mommy's it," she told him as the statue went back into its original position.
"Do they know you are using the passageways?" Hotch didn't want to think about his little angel being in the passageways alone and getting lost or hurt. Nah, she can probably find her way in them almost as well as her mother.
"They didn't say we couldn't," she told him with a smile.
"Do the boys even know about them?"
She shrugged. "I don't know."
Both of their heads snapped towards the stairs as they heard Jack laughing hysterically. "Found you," Kahlan's voice drifted up from below.
"Has she found Wyatt?" Hotch asked his daughter as he turned back to her, but she was gone. He looked around quickly trying to figure out where she had gone, but he couldn't. He shook his head and headed for the stairs.
As soon as he got around the landing he saw Kahlan go into the library with a smile on her face. Her smile made him smile because he knew she was alright. Thank you, God! He went to the library, but she was gone. Jesus, how many passageways are in this damn place? He shook his head and turned to leave, and something tugged on the back of his shirt and made him startle and turn back around quickly.
Kahlan laughed as she but her arms around his neck. "Morning, Hun."
He shook his head at her. "Morning, Babe." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Have you found Wyatt yet?"
"Yeah, I found him first," she told him as she studied him. "You've seen her, haven't you?"
He smiled. "How long have you been searching?"
She looked at her watch. "Over an hour."
He chuckled.
"What? This place is huge."
He chuckled again. "And that doesn't even include the places that you can't see."
She took a step back. "That little shit is using the passageways, isn't she?"
He laughed. "You'll be lucky to find her before bedtime."
"You want to help me?"
"No. I wouldn't want to get lost because then you would have to come find me, too."
She laughed and pushed him out of the library. "Then you better go get something to eat. You and Dave are supposed to go golfing soon."
He turned back to her and grabbed her hand. "I was thinking that I could spend the day with you instead."
She stopped and sighed heavily. "No you are not. You and Dave have been looking forward to that golf course since we got here. You are going golfing, Hun!"
"But I. . ."
"You are going, Aaron!" she insisted as she tried to push him towards the dining room.
"But we could. . ."
She gave him a look. "Don't, Aaron, please."
He studied her and sighed. "You sure?"
"Yes!" she demanded and then shoved him toward the dining room. "Now go eat. I have a conniving little sprite to find."
He laughed as he made his way down the hall. "If you haven't found her by the time we get back, we'll unleash the dogs."
She laughed and then headed up stairs.
XXX
Dave put a ball on the tee and looked down the fairway. "Kahlan seems to be doing well," he mused as he lined up his club.
"Yeah. I think she's going to be alright," Hotch told him from the side.
Dave swung the driver back and unleashed a hellacious blow that sent the ball towards the pin. He turned to Hotch with a grin. "I thought you ruined everything."
Hotch looked at him sheepishly and then moved and stuck a tee into the ground. "I was blaming myself and. . ."
"And she was blaming herself."
"Yeah," Hotch offered as he put his ball down.
"And neither of you were to blame," Rossi told him seriously.
Hotch nodded as he lined up his shot.
Rossi looked at the scorecard in his hand; Hotch was beating him by five points. He smiled as Hotch drew his club back. "You might want to pull your sleeves down, Aaron. Those ligature marks still haven't gone away."
Hotch's shot sliced into the trees and Hotch turned to him with a look of horror.
Rossi laughed. "I noticed that morning."
Hotch hung his head in shame as he pulled his jacket sleeves down a little more.
Rossi laughed some more. "I guess you have a couple under your socks, too." The red that filled Hotch's face gave him his answer and made him laugh even harder.
XXX
Joey met Hotch and Rossi at the castle gate. "It took Mommy three hours to find me!" she told Hotch as he picked her up. Both men laughed.
They made their way into the dining room and joined everyone for dinner.
"So, who won?" Cindi asked as Rossi sat down beside her.
Hotch beamed. "I did."
"But only by one," Rossi defended himself quickly. Everyone laughed.
In the middle of eating, Hotch reached with his left hand to get the salt from in front of Rossi, and Rossi choked back a chuckle. Hotch saw that the mark on his wrist was showing and he quickly pulled his hand back. "Could you pass me the salt please, Dave?"
"I'd love to," Rossi told him with a grin.
Hotch shook his head.
Kahlan noticed Hotch turn a little pink and she studied the two men. What the hell is that about?
XXX
After tucking in Joey, Hotch made his way down the hall towards his suite when Rossi came out of his. Hotch shook his head and tried to get to his door before Rossi to it, but he was too slow.
Rossi put his hand on Hotch's shoulder as he grinned. "You know, they sell things that don't leave the marks ropes do."
Hotch's look of shock made Rossi laugh. "Just saying," Rossi offered and went on down the hall.
Hotch shook his head as he watched him walk away. As soon as Rossi turned the corner to go down the steps, Hotch glanced at Rossi and Cindi's door. No. He shook his head some more. There's no way. He opened his door. Is there?
XXX
The next morning, everybody packed up to leave the castle. They said goodbye to their hosts, Joey included all of the animals in her goodbyes, and they loaded up to go to the closest airport.
Dave and Cindi kissed and hugged everyone goodbye because they were headed to Italy. Dave wanted to show Cindi around his homeland.
"You sure you guys will be alright?" Dave asked Hotch seriously as he led him away from the group.
"Yes. Go, have fun. We'll see you in London in five days," Hotch told him as he pulled him into a hug.
When Dave pulled away from him, he studied him. "Well, I'm just a quick flight away if you need me."
"I have a phone, too."
"As long as you're sure. . ." Rossi started.
Hotch shoved him toward the others. "You deserve a break from taking care of us."
Rossi stopped and turned to him. "But that's what a father does, Aaron," he told him tenderly.
Hotch smiled and pulled him back into another hug. "I know, and I love you for it," he told him quietly. When Hotch released him, Dave's eyes were moist. "Now go before you miss your flight."
Rossi smiled and they joined the rest of the family.
Hotch pulled Cindi into a hug. "Have fun, but if he takes you for a drive, make sure you wear your seatbelt."
Cindi laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "Take care of my baby and her babies."
"Yes, Ma'am."
Kahlan gave them one more hug and kiss, and they left. Hotch put his arm around her shoulder and they went to their gate with the kids. They flew to Dublin to spend the next three days exploring Ireland.
They spent the time relaxing and enjoying some of the more popular sights like Dublin Zoo, the Cliffs of Mohear, the Blarney Castle with its famous stone, The National Leprechaun Museum to learn about Irish Folklore and Mythology, the Glenveagh National Park to explore it's wonderful forests, and Tlachtga and Tara: two of the sites where Samhain festivals were held to learn about the true roots of Halloween.
To get back to England, they chose to take the ferry from Rosslare, Ireland to Fishgueard, Wales. They spent a couple days in Wales and explored the Dan yr Ogof, also known as the National Showcaves Center of Wales, and explored Wales' most famous castle, Caermarfon Castle.
They traveled out of Wales and went into southern England to see Stonehenge and then headed back to London to meet up with Dave and Cindi. They had an early flight out of Heathrow back to Dulles to get back home, so they wanted to spend the night close to the airport.
