Tag to 10x14: Hero Worship, 10x15: Scream, 10x16: Lockdown
Kate drove home, feeling dead tired. She wasn't ready for the next few weeks, and she dreaded going to work Monday. She spent nearly all of Sunday sleeping, only getting out of bed to make ramen. She didn't have energy for anything else.
Walking into the bullpen Monday morning felt distinctly different from most Mondays. The team went to the bullpen and started plotting out ideas, and traps. Eve Gardiner came in to get lunch orders, and Kate winced for her. She didn't know why Hotch hadn't hired her for Kate's own spot, and to be put on lunch duty was pretty low.
JJ volunteered as bait, and Garcia set some wheels in motion to contact the sellers. Then they got a call about a new case, and Kate knew that they'd have to put this away for now. It was back to business as usual, whether they liked it or not.
They flew out to Indianapolis to catch a bomber, Hotch paired up JJ with Kate, and they went to talk to Alan, who'd saved a pregnant woman from the bomber.
"We aren't classifying this as terrorism at this time," Kate said dully, her mind on another planet. JJ seemed to notice, and took over the conversation, leaving Kate to think. She walked away, going to look at the mantelpiece. There were many photos, of a man dressed in military uniform, but it wasn't Alan. Upon asking, she learned it was the woman's first husband, Grant.
That had to be tough...he was literally living in the other man's shadow. Still, she didn't think there was anything there. He was the hero, after all. He'd saved a pregnant woman.
Hotch insisted on a briefing with the local PD, even though Kate didn't think they had enough for it. Still, they went ahead and Kate listened to what the others had to say. "His sophistication level is fairly high," she concluded.
After a powwow with Garcia, Hotch concluded that they needed to talk to Alan again. And, to Kate's shock, he asked her to do it with him. They walked along the dark hallway to the interrogation room together, Hotch close behind her. She could feel his presence, and she almost shivered.
The room felt too small. Alan was panicked, and Hotch's voice was dangerously low. Kate found it very hard to concentrate, but kept her mind on the task at hand. Hotch was so good at compartmentalizing, she wouldn't have been able to tell from his attitude today what they'd been planning earlier this week.
The case seemed to fly by, and Kate felt in a daze for most of it. She went back in to talk to Alan alone, on Hotch's instruction, giving him the offer: "You can be a hero, like Grant was."
When she came out, Hotch was on the other side of the glass. She jumped, and he reached out to touch her shoulder, as if to reassure her. "Sorry, I just didn't know that you were out here," she gasped.
"I didn't want you to be alone with him," he admitted simply, folding his arms. "The instant I saw you walk down that corridor alone, I don't know…" He trailed off, looking even sterner than usual. She couldn't read him at all. Was he worried?
"I can take care of myself," she said stiffly.
"Yeah," he said, voice softening just a little. "I know. Now come on, we need to go suit up for this."
On the airplane, after, Kate couldn't stop thinking about the look she'd shared with Hotch after she and Morgan had stopped the van. "It's a bomb," Morgan had cried, and then everyone ran for shelter. Kate pressed herself against the wall, seeing Hotch crouching by the cop car.
They had made eye contact then, as well, and he seemed to mouth something at her.
That had all been forgotten though, and Kate tried to stop thinking about it, taking out a book.
"Mind if I join you?" Hotch asked, and she looked up. He'd taken off his jacket, and looked surprisingly relaxed.
"No, go ahead," she invited, pulling her bag off the seat. "Has Garcia made any progress planting those seeds online?"
"A little, but it's too soon," Hotch said. "We need to give it a little time, prove we can be trusted. Then we can go fishing for real."
Hotch shifted closer to her, almost imperceptibly. "What are you reading?" He asked, and she shrugged.
"Honestly, I've been staring at the same page for fifteen minutes and I haven't read a word," she replied, and his shoulder brushed against hers.
"I know the feeling."
The next week led them to Los Angeles, another case that exhausted Kate. She wondered why she was so tired, but it wasn't something she could afford to dwell on. She just poured herself another cup of coffee. She and JJ had just returned from the coroner, and it had been a gruesome sight. As long as she'd been in undercover work, she hated seeing the mangled bodies of dead women. None of them deserved their fates.
"Why target women with low self esteem?" She asked the room, walking past Hotch. "Was does it get him?"
"It makes them easier to control," Hotch hedged.
"Maybe finding submissives is the only way he can have control then," she said. "If he doesn't have power in his life, he takes it where he can."
The case led to them a dark basement, and Kate was casing the kitchen when she heard the fight in the basement. She didn't have to hesitate when she took the shot, and Peter fell to the ground.
JJ rose up, on shaky legs, and Kate lowered her gun. Right in the forehead.
The other agents came running at the sound of gunfire, and Kate could see the worry in Hotch's eyes when he reached the kitchen, his gun still out.
She held up her hand to stop them. "We're good," she said.
JJ came up from the basement, limping, and medics rushed to her.
After making sure that JJ was okay, Hotch came back to Kate. She stood away from the rest, arms folded over her chest.
"Now that I know JJ is good, how about you?" He asked.
"I just want this over with," she said, and he tilted his head quizzically. "This kidnapping ring. I can't deal with it. It's taking over my brain, it's making me slow."
"You weren't slow just now," he said, his own arms folding. "Kate, are you doing okay? What else is bothering you?"
She glanced up at him, meeting his gaze. For the first time in a while, she allowed herself to fantasize. This vision was simple, however. She just visualized him pulling her into a hug.
She really wanted a hug.
"Nothing," she said, and walked away.
Being in Texas again was always an odd experience for Kate. She enjoyed how fast their cars went on the highway, and she'd pushed Hotch to let her drive. As if he remembered their conversation from oh so long ago, he'd smiled and given her the keys.
Morgan had to radio and tell them to slow down.
"Can't keep up?" Kate asked, feeling a little bit more alive. She finally felt able to put aside her worries, cruising on the open road.
"I can," Morgan scoffed, and Hotch opened his mouth to protest, but the line clicked. Morgan sped around them, and Kate put her foot on the gas.
"Stop that," Hotch said, but Kate ignored it, passing Morgan on the right with ease, and merging in front of him neatly.
"You win this round, Callahan," Morgan sighed defeat.
"Yeah, she does," Hotch said. "And there won't be another round." He looked at her pointedly, and she just smiled.
The prison was dismal enough to keep Kate on high alert. Worries about the kidnapping ring were driven from her mind since she was too on edge. She hated prisons. She really did.
There was no cell service, they had to surrender their weapons...it made Kate feel trapped. She had a feeling everyone was on edge because of it, and Hotch was more strict than usual about making sure they had a partner every moment. "We don't know what to expect," he reminded.
She and Morgan paired up, and she was glad to have him at her side. Things were less threatening. Not that she couldn't take care of herself, but having Morgan was only an asset. Plus he was naturally protective of all the agents, so she knew that he'd have her back in a fight.
Especially after they figured out it was probably a guard, she felt even more on edge, and even more grateful she wouldn't be alone.
The night passed, and Kate was grateful they at least spent it at a hotel. Even with that, she couldn't sleep, and was up at 1 to get ice from the machine.
She padded down the hall in pajamas; sweats and t-shirt. She'd learned that it was the least awkward way to have sleepovers with JJ. JJ tended to wear leggings and a tank, and they both were careful about changing in the bathroom. She knew that they still had barriers up with each other, but she just brushed it off.
She pressed the button for ice, and listened to the comforting snarl as it spat out ice. Then she looked up and almost jumped. Hotch stood there, arms folded.
"Can't sleep?" She asked, trying not to stare. It had been almost five months, and countless hotels, but this was the first time she'd seen him in pajamas. He wore plaid pants, and a gray t shirt. Nothing fancy.
"No," he said. "And I heard your door close so I figured that was two of us with insomnia."
She held the bucket close, realizing that she wasn't wearing a bra, and trying to cover herself. She was being silly, this t shirt was baggy enough that she shouldn't be worried.
"I hate this case," she said, and he nodded.
"Can't say I enjoy being locked in a prison," he agreed. Neither of them had moved, they were still alone in the alcove by the ice machine.
They heard a noise, and Hotch glanced out into the hallway. "Just someone going downstairs," he said, and they heard the elevator ding.
He stepped closer, and Kate stared up at him. "I will say that this is the first case I haven't been thinking about the kidnapping ring," she said, desperate to break the tension. The hotel seemed so silent, and it was so easy to pretend that things that happened at night were a dream…
She found herself arching towards him, and Hotch was bending down…
Her phone buzzed, and she jerked, pulling it out of her pocket. It was JJ.
"JJ's worried," she said lamely, and he nodded, pulling away.
"Of course," he said. They walked back to their rooms in silence and pretended it hadn't happened.
They were so close, Kate knew. She and Morgan sat across from Polinsky, who was getting increasingly on edge.
They just needed him to identify who was attacking prisoners, since they knew it was the guards by now. That didn't make this situation easier. She was on edge, but she knew that Hotch would have everything under control.
But he didn't.
When the doors opened, Kate didn't even have time to react. The coffee pot was the first item she grabbed, but it barely slowed her assailant down. He hit her square in the face and she flew across the table, the wind knocked out of her, but she couldn't afford to stop now. She ducked behind the chair, using it to keep the prisoners away. They were fighting a losing battle, but fuck it, they'd go down swinging. She heard the keen of a knife, and winced, hearing Morgan fall against the table.
One of the big prisoners caught her, pinning her arms, knife to her throat. She tried to get away from him, but his arms were huge, choking her throat. The knife glistened and she slowed her movements.
She felt sick inside. This was not how she wanted to die.
Her mind worked in overtime as they were marched into the mess hall. Hotch would have to know by now what was happening.
"You smell good," the prisoner holding her drawled, and handcuffs or not, she bashed him in the face using her own head. Probably not a great idea, since it only turned him on more, but she refused to take this lying down. Another prisoner pinned her hands, and she glared.
"I like her," the prisoner hissed, and she just wanted to spit.
"Just let her go," Morgan shouted, and she held back, hearing the desperation in his voice. Getting the prisoners even angrier wouldn't help at all.
They shoved Morgan to the ground, and she felt sick inside, knowing what was coming for him.
"I want a piece of this one," the same prisoner hissed, and dragged her aside. She was not going to let him touch her, but his hands were on her waist, gripping tight. What could she do? Her mind was spinning, and all she could do was pray that the team would find them.
"Leave her alone," Morgan repeated, even more desperate.
And then the other prisoners marched in, led by Watson, and Kate felt a brief moment of relief. He was one of the good ones.
"We know it's Shavers," Kate said. Polinsky fell the ground, and Kate couldn't help but cry out again. "He needs help," she insisted.
This just seemed to be getting worse, if the situation escalated then they'd just end up getting caught in the crossfire. And Polinsky didn't have a lot of time.
She assessed her situation again. The same prisoner was holding her tight, and she knew it was time to make a deal.
"Let me help him," she said, too quiet for the rest of the room to hear. "And you can do what you want."
She prayed that it wouldn't come to that, but it was enough to surprise him. "Baby, I can already do what I want," he said, his hands going down to grab her ass.
She jerked away from him, unable to take this anymore, and sniper shot rang out. The man who'd been holding her fell dead to the ground. She went straight for Polinsky as SWAT entered the mess hall, the BAU right behind. "We need medics," she shouted, leaning over Polinsky. "Hey, you're going to be okay," she told him, and felt hands on her body.
She glanced up and it was Hotch was helping her up. His face was grim, and she saw the way his lips tightened even more as he drank in all of the cuts and bruises covering her face. "I'm so glad you're okay," he breathed, and for a brief moment, she wanted to just fall into his arms.
She had to get checked out herself, but she felt crazy inside, just desperate to get the fuck out of this place. Hotch was finishing up with interviews, but when she emerged from her exam, he was waiting. They walked down the hallway together, not touching, not speaking. As Kate got closer to the outside, she felt more and more frantic. She couldn't breathe until she was outside, and when the sun hit her face she wanted to weep. Hotch was still so close, just a step away.
"You're okay," he repeated, and she nodded, barely able to believe it.
She was okay.