Chapter 52

Chuck woke up to a loud bang. He looked around quickly. Kahlan was tossing and turning; she had apparently hit the wall. He got up and went to her. He timed himself and as soon as she turned away from him, he jumped in behind her and swallowed her in a tight bear hug. She struggled against him. "Kay! It's ok!" She stilled once she realized she was being restrained. Chuck started to relax his grip and she slammed her head back trying to hit him; he was ready, though, and quickly dodged the blow that could have hit him in the face. "Kay! It's me, Chuck!"

She snapped her head around and looked at him. "Jesus, Chuck, I'm sorry," she told him quickly.

"You ok?" He asked as he still held on to her.

She took a deep breath and chuckled. "I don't think Aaron would appreciate you being in bed with his wife."

He let her go as he laughed. "You're probably right," he told her as he got up. "What the hell were you dreaming about?"

"I don't really know," she told him as she rubbed her eyes. "Several guys were attacking me. . . I'm not sure, but I think I was in Europe."

"Really? You're dreaming about back then?"

Kahlan huffed. "I've even dreamed about a fight I had when I was six for Christ's sake. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me."

He studied her. "You need to get it out of your system."

She gave him a confused look. "Get what out of my system?"

He sighed like he thought it was obvious. "What's the last thing that happened to you physically in Indiana?"

She cringed as she remembered. "Those two guys beat me."

He cringed. "The one's that Tony guy killed?"

"Yes. Why?"

"So you didn't get revenge on them."

She furrowed her brows. "No."

He smiled. "I think old Kahlan wants revenge."

She raised her brows as she considered it. "Kind of hard to do that now."

He laughed. "Against them, yeah, but I think you need to kill something to get it out of your system."

She balked. "Jesus, Chuck! That's what I'm trying to avoid. And unless you're going to fly me in under radar and the cover of darkness and insert me into some enemy terrorist camp, there's no one I would want to consider killing."

He smiled. "That could probably be arranged."

She shook her head. "No thanks. I do want to go home to my family."

"While I still think that's a great idea. I was actually thinking more along the lines of going to a gym or something; let you kill something a little more lifeless," he told her with a laugh.

She looked at her watch. "I need to call home in about an hour, but we can go now," she told him as she stood up, grabbed her bag, and headed for the bathroom.

"Cool! I know just the place."

XXX

Once Hotch got to work, they had a case. Hotch didn't want Rossi trying to get them out of anymore cases because he didn't want anyone to know of the troubles his family was having. He texted Kahlan and let her know that they were headed out of state. She told him to call that night when he had a chance. Then she told him to be safe. That made him smile. To think that they could go back to the normal procedure they had for when he was on a case made him feel a little better.

XXX

Kahlan breathed heavily as she finally stopped and took a drink of water. Chuck looked at her with a grin on his face. "Jesus, Kay. Did you have to break them all?"

Kahlan looked over her path of destruction. Chuck had taken her to a friend's martial arts dojo, and every wooden dummy the place offered was destroyed. The protruding wooden arms and legs that the dummies used to have attached to them were scattered across the floor. She winced. "I'll get them new ones."

"Feel better?" Chuck asked as he laughed.

"A little."

He frowned. "Maybe you do need a human target. Maybe someone to spar with."

"You offering?"

He balked. "No thanks. I'd like to keep all my limbs intact."

She laughed. "Where are you going to find someone willing to go a round with me?"

He smiled wickedly. "Oh, I think I might know a few people."

XXX

Later that night, Kahlan opened her laptop and realized she had received an email from Hotch. Why didn't you call me? She opened the email and her heart ached at his words. 'Being away from you has given me the blues.' Oh, Aaron. . . She then noticed a link, so she clicked on it and it took her to a YouTube video. She smiled when she saw the song he had sent her. It surprised her that he had sent her a song; he had never really paid that much attention to songs before. Or at least he never seemed to. She already knew Elton John's 'I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues', but she watched it anyway. She could imagine dancing with him to the slow song. She chuckled as it got to the chorus. When the part came about 'picture my face in your hands', she did just that. I will never again forget you're my man, Aaron! A tear escaped the corner of her eye. I love you more than life itself, too!

Her laptop dinged and she smiled as she realized Hotch had IM'd her. 'How's it going?' He asked her.

'Alright. Rolling like thunder under the covers? What exactly are you trying to say?'

'Really? Out of that whole song, that's the first thing you think about? What does that mean?'

She could imagine the grin on his face. 'Lol.'

'What? Didn't think I knew any songs except the Beatles?'

'That had crossed my mind once or twice.'

'You did leave me your iPod.'

'And you listened to it?'

'Maybe a little here and there. I couldn't listen to that playlist you made for me, though.'

She winced. 'Sorry. I guess I just needed to make sure you knew I loved you.'

'I would know that without a song.'

She smiled. 'Sometimes songs can express what I'm feeling better than I can,' she told him as she sent him and email with a link.

After a few moments, Hotch finally IM'd her again. 'Not fair!'

'There's no way you listened to it that fast.'

'I don't want to listen to it right now.'

'It's not a good-bye type song.'

'Fine.'

She waited as Hotch listened to Avril Lavigne's 'When You're Gone.'

He finally came back. 'You're right. We were made for each other!'

She smiled. 'I do miss you!'

'I miss you more!'

She chuckled. 'I'm actually wearing your sweatshirt.'

'Are you cold?'

'No. It smells like you.'

'Oh. And that's a good thing?'

'Of course! I love the way you smell: manly, musky, a little like Old Spice mixed with scotch.'

'I don't wear Old Spice.'

She chuckled. 'It's a natural spice. Unique to you, but it's amazing. Your scent is what helped bring back a lot of my memories of you!'

'And here I thought it was my amazing kiss.'

'LOL!'

'I'll have to make sure I don't shower the first night you're home.'

'You're even better fresh out of the shower.'

'You're incorrigible!'

'You wouldn't want me any other way!'

'You're right! A little crazy is perfect!'

'So now I'm crazy?'

'Not 'now' – always have been. LOL'

'You better get some rest. You need to sleep so you can solve your case and get home.'

'As bad as it is, it will probably take a few days.'

'Maybe I'll be ready to come home by the time you get here, then.'

'God, I hope so!'

'Me, too! Sweet dreams, and be safe!'

'Always! Love you!'

'Love you, too!'

She waited for him to sign off and closed her laptop. She noticed Chuck staring at her. "Whatever you have in mind, I'm willing to try. I need to get home."

Chuck smiled. "Don't worry. I think I found you an appropriate venue."

She eyed him suspiciously.

XXX

The next afternoon, the Director of the FBI stood on the catwalk overlooking the gym below him. He watched as seven men tried to recover after the brutal training exercise he had witnessed. He turned to the naval officer beside him. "Who is that?"

"Seal Team Two."

"No. The woman."

"Oh," the officer smiled. "Kahlan Hotchner."

The Director furrowed his brows. "Hotchner? I have a Hotchner in the BAU."

The officer nodded. "That's his wife."

The Director's raised his brows in surprise. "And who is she with?"

"No one that I know of. From what I understand, though, she used to be in. . ." He shook his head. "I'm not sure where she used to be."

The Director mused as he watched Kahlan drying her face off with a towel. "I guess I will have to do some checking. Seems like a waste of talent for her to not be working with any of us."