Chapter 37

Kahlan opened the door to her hotel room slowly. She could hear the TV and she knew she hadn't left in on. What the hell? She stepped into the room and saw her husband lying on the bed, back resting up against the headboard, smiling at her. "Hey, Babe," he told her as he got up.

Kahlan looked at him suspiciously. "And you're here, why?"

He grinned. "What? I'm not allowed to surprise you on a case like you do me?"

She licked her lips. "Cam."

He shrugged. "Maybe," he told her as he put his hands on her waist, pulled her to him, and gave her a kiss.

When she pulled away she searched his eyes. "I'm fine, Hun."

He looked her over quickly. She had spatters of blood and dirt all over her clothes. He took a deep breath. "Yeah, but you're filthy."

She giggled. "Yeah. I think I'm going to hit the shower." She stepped towards the bathroom and then turned to look over her shoulder at him. "You relax; I'll be done in a few."

He smiled and grabbed her hand. "Actually," he started and took her into the bathroom. "I thought maybe you'd want to take a bath."

She smiled as she looked at the bubbled filled tub and reached in and felt that the water was still hot. "Chuck was in on this, too?"

He shrugged. "Maybe," he told her as he started to pull her jacket off her shoulders. She winced and he stopped. "What?" he asked desperately.

She shook her head. "It's nothing," she tried as she pushed him toward the door. "You go watch TV."

"Kahlan Lavonne Hotchner! You don't wince unless you're hurt. Now, what happened?" he insisted.

She drooped. "One of the. . ." she smiled. "Unsubs. . . didn't want to give up quietly."

Hotch took her jacket off gently. "And?"

She shrugged. "So I had to convince him."

He helped her take off her shoulder holster and laid it and the two pistols it held on the sink. Next, he started to unbutton her shirt. "And?"

"I got a little hurt in the process."

He pushed her shirt off her shoulders and his gut clenched at the massive bruise that was starting on her right shoulder that extended down her arm. "Jesus Christ, Babe!" Why didn't I feel that? He bit his lip. "What did he hit you with?"

"Nothing," she told him as she shook her head.

He gave her a look that told her he didn't believe her. "Then what caused that?" he asked as he inspected the mark a little more closely.

She smirked. "The fall."

"The fall?"

"We kind of fell as I was taking him down."

"Kind of fell?"

She licked her lips and grinned. "Yeah."

He studied her. You can't get a bruise like that just falling to the ground. He swallowed hard. "Exactly how far did you fall?" Her eyes cut to the side, and he reached up and moved her chin so she had to look at him. "Kahlan?"

"Not that far," she offered quickly as she tried to pull away from him.

"I guess I'll have to ask Chuck then," he started as he took out his phone.

She grabbed his phone from him. "Nah, Chuck's tired. He's probably already in bed."

He fixed her with his stare. "Tell me," he told her in that quiet, menacing, tone he generally saved for unsubs.

She ducked her head and looked at the floor. After a few seconds, she mumbled something under her breath.

He reached and took her chin again. "What? I didn't quite get that."

She took a deep breath.

"You know I'll find out, so you might as well just tell me."

She swallowed hard. "Two stories," she told him weakly.

He let go of her and took a step back in surprise. "What!?"

She shrugged. "You asked."

"How the hell did you survive a two story fall?" he asked as he pulled her to him and hugged her to his chest tightly trying to avoid her shoulder and arm. My God, Babe!

"I didn't land on the ground."

"What did you land on?"

She cringed. "A car."

"That still could have killed you."

"I used him to break my fall," she offered matter-of-factly.

He pulled back and looked her in the eyes.

"Well, it was his fault we fell!"

He licked his lips. "And what happened to him?"

"He didn't survive."

He shook his head slowly. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Let me take a long, hot bath," she offered with a smile.

He chuckled. "Yep. You want something for dinner?"

She smiled. "Sure, order us something good."

He let her go and stood there looking at her. She quirked her mouth as she looked at him. He sighed and shook his head again. "Where else are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "Jeeze!" and she took off the rest of her clothes to reveal another massive bruise going down the outside of her right thigh and one on her right ankle.

His imagination quickly showed him the vision of her falling and landing on her side. "Jesus, Babe," he told her tenderly as he squatted down to check her leg. "Are you sure nothing's broken?"

"I'm fine, Hun," she insisted as she pulled him up.

He sighed heavily and then held her hand as she got in the tub, and she sank down with a contented sigh. He smiled. "I'll get some ice, too," he told her and then leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head.

XXX

Kahlan emerged to find dinner waiting on a cart. Hotch quickly got up. "Come on," he told her as he went to her and led her to the table. "Did that feel good?" he asked as he took a beer out of the ice bucket, opened it, handed it to her, and then sat her dinner down in front of her.

"Yes, actually, it felt very nice. Thank you," she told him with a smile as she pulled on his shirt to bring him close enough to give him a kiss. "What did you order us?"

He smiled and pulled the cover off her plate. She smiled. He sat down and took the lid off of his. "I know it's not your mom's, but I thought some fried chicken would make you feel even better."

"You know me so well."

"Take these," he said as he held out his hand to her.

"What?" she asked as stuck out her hand.

"Pain pills, they'll help you sleep."

She looked at the pills in her hand and gave him a questioningly look.

"I got them from Chuck. Seems he's a little worried about you, too."

She smiled and swallowed the pills with a drink. "He's worse than you when it comes to worrying."

"He told me he about had a heart attack when he saw you go off the roof."

She shrugged. "Yeah. He lit into me as soon as he made it down and made sure I was still alive."

Hotch shook his head. "I'm glad I didn't see it."

She giggled. "So am I."

After eating, Hotch sat down on the bed and patted the mattress beside him. "Come on," he told her. She crawled on the bed and snuggled up to him as she laid her upper body on his lap. He grabbed two bags of ice off the nightstand, put one on her shoulder, and one on her thigh.

She shivered. "That's cold."

"Stop whining you big baby. It'll help keep the swelling down," he told her playfully and kissed her on the head.

She huffed. "Baby, huh?"

"Yep," he told her with a grin as he flipped through the channels.

She smiled deviously and snuck a piece of ice out of the bag on her leg. She shifted her position and he leaned forward so she could put her good arm behind his back so she could get more comfortable, or so he thought. He suddenly gasped as she put the ice down the back of his shorts. He jumped up, trying to get the ice out of his underwear. "Damn it, Kahlan! That was mean!" he yelled as he pulled out the material by his leg and the ice fell to the floor.

She laughed the whole time. "So was calling me a baby."

He shook his head at her. "Having ice on your arm or leg is a little different than having ice somewhere else!" he insisted.

"I thought you liked ice down there," she offered slyly with a flick of her brows.

He raised his brows. "Aren't you a little too sore for that?"

She smiled. "I'm not that sore."

He chuckled and moved towards the bed. "If you're sure."

She threw the ice bags down onto the floor. "Oh, I'm sure."

XXX

Hotch woke up and smiled down at Kahlan who was still snuggled up to his side sound asleep. He glanced at the alarm clock. It was only a little after six. He wasn't sure how Kahlan was planning on getting back home, but he hoped he could go with her. As he thought about it, though, he wasn't even sure she was done with her case. Oh well, it doesn't really matter; I have to go home. He started to slide out from under her and she groaned in disapproval and clutched her arm around him. He chuckled quietly.

"No. Don't move yet," she told him sleepily.

"I have to get back home, Babe," he told her as he peeled her hand off him and got out from under her completely. "I have to work today."

She sighed and finally opened her eyes. "You could go in late."

He smiled but shook his head. "No. Dave already took care of the case files yesterday. I can't ask him to do anymore. Besides, we might get a case," he told her as he grabbed his jeans off the chair and started putting them on.

She stretched and winced.

He sat down on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Stiff and sore," she admitted as she painfully scooted over to him and rest her head on his lap.

"I bet," he told her as he brushed her hair back from her face. "If you don't have to hurry, you should take another hot bath."

"We actually have some other things to take care of."

"Exactly what does that mean?" he asked and his face showed the concern he felt.

She sat up. "No roofs, hopefully," she said with a smile.

"Kahlan?"

She giggled.

"Aren't you hurt enough?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine, Hun," she told him as she got up and headed to the bathroom.

He noticed she limped a little to begin with and he shook his head at her as he got up and then put on his shirt.

When she finally emerged, she was fully dressed and he knew by her clothes that she was still knee deep in the case. "How many more are there?"

"Just three," she told him as she put her shoulder holster back on.

"But Cam told Dave that you all were wrapping things up last night." He bent down and tied his shoes.

"We thought we were, but the last guy Chuck got his hands on. . . told him about a few others."

He winced. He could imagine what Chuck had done to get him to talk. He bit his lip as he looked at her. "Maybe I could take the day off."

She smiled and put her arms around his neck. "No, Hun, but thanks for the offer."

He pouted. "But I could. . ."

"Aaron, come on. If you hadn't have shown up here last night, you wouldn't even know."

"But your. . ."

"Hun."

He took a deep breath. "Fine," he told her as he cut his eyes to the side.

"Now don't be like that. Hopefully I'll be home tonight."

He still pouted.

"I don't beg you to let me help you with your cases when I'm worried."

He looked at her. "But I'm not falling off roofs and chasing terrorists."

She raised her brows.

His shoulders wilted. "Alright, so I have chased a terrorist or two, but I have never fallen two stories with one!"

"Thank God!"

He shook his head. "Is today going to be as dangerous as last night?"

She shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted and thanked God that he didn't know everything about the day before. If he knew the case details, he'd be having a heart attack.

He studied her. "Exactly what are these guys trying to do?"

She stepped away from him and sat down to tie her boots.

"Kahlan!"

"Aaron, you know I can't. . ."

"Don't give me that shit!"

She looked at her watch. "How are you getting home?"

He kneeled down in front of her. "Please tell me."

"No," she told him as she shook her head. "You're worried enough already."

His eyes narrowed as he studied her some more.

She stared right back without flinching.

He huffed and finally stood up. I can never get anything from her when she won't let me!

"How are you getting home?" she asked again.

"I guess I'll get a flight. I'd thought I could ride with you."

She took out her phone. "You can use the jet. It can take you right to the Quantico tarmac."

He raised his brows at that. I didn't know you all had a jet. He looked at her suspiciously. "Why do you have a jet if you normally handle everything at home?"

She laughed. "Calm down, Aaron. It's Jim's jet, and this was the first time I have ever flown in it."

He balked. "I'm not using the DNI's jet!"

"Why not? It's just sitting at the airport."

"And I can see his face now when he gets the report that Agent Hotchner used it to fly back to Quantico. Yeah, that'll go over real good when he gets the fuel bill."

She shook her head and chuckled. "He wouldn't care, especially with what Chuck and I are doing for him."

He licked his lips. "No!"

"Fine. Fly back home commercial. I just hope someone's available to pick you up at the airport. If not, that cab fare is going to be ridiculous."

"I hadn't thought about that," he offered weakly. "But Dave can pick me up."

"Just use the damn jet. Jim won't care."

"Fine, but if I get called out on it, I will. . ." he didn't finish the statement because he wasn't sure what he would do beside be extremely embarrassed.

She giggled. "Cool. Then you can eat breakfast with us before you leave, and then we'll drop you off at the airstrip."

He shook his head.