Story I – Chapter 13
"So can we eat?" Rossi asked everyone with a big grin. He knew the team would come through and stand by their leader even if they were a little reluctant to begin with.
"I am starving," Reid put in as he made his way back to the seat, and they all laughed. For being the skinniest, Reid always had the biggest appetite.
Garcia looked at Hotch. "Do you eat?"
Hotch gave her a small smile. "I can, yes."
Kahlan giggled. And here we go with a thousand questions.
"Can? But you don't have to?" JJ asked with concerned filled eyes. Hotch's look told her he didn't, and she shook her head. "Well, at least I won't have to force it on you like before."
Rossi laughed. "No, you'll still have to force him because he'll have to keep up appearances when we're on cases."
She sighed as she looked at Hotch. "It's a good thing we love you."
Sebastian grabbed Chuck's arm before he could sit down. "Help me bring dinner in."
"But I want to hear all of the questions!" he blurted out.
Sebastian shook his head and pulled him towards the kitchen. "You've heard them all already," he insisted and they went through the door.
Morgan took a deep breath. "While I'm sure there are a thousand things we need to know, what's the biggest thing we have to worry about immediately?"
Hotch took a deep breath and was about to tell him how he had to make sure he fed, but the kitchen door swung open.
"Keeping this all secret," Sebastian answered as he came back through the door holding a massive tray.
Morgan's nostrils flared as soon as the aromas filled the room, and he sat up trying to see what was on the tray. Sebastian smiled at all of the interested looks and sat the tray down as Chuck came in with a stack of plates and handful of silverware and sat them down on the table. Sebastian frowned at him. "Pass those out, please."
Chuck huffed, but did as Rossi chuckled. "Seven hundred years makes old school even too new."
Reid's eyes almost popped out of his head. "Seven hundred years?"
Sebastian laughed as he put the serving dishes on the table as he balanced the big tray on one hand. "Almost, but not quite." He turned to Chuck. "But I don't care how young you are, manners are a must."
Chuck sat down with a flop and tucked his napkin into the neck of his shirt. "You mean like this?"
"Charles! Stop embarrassing me!" Kahlan insisted, and they all laughed.
Hotch shook his head and sighed. "This looks excellent, Sebastian. What is it?"
Sebastian put the tray on a side table, sat down, and picked up the first serving dish. "This is one of my mother's family recipes: roasted veal and garden vegetables," he explained as he took some of the juicy meat and passed the dish to Hotch.
"Veal?! As in baby cow?!" Garcia exclaimed with her face scrunched up in pure disgust.
"I've offended you?" Sebastian asked clearly upset.
"And she's not there so she doesn't have to eat it," Cam told him quickly. "She has very weird eating habits."
Sebastian winced. "I am sorry. Would you like me to disconnect and then reconnect when we are done?"
"That's not necessary, but thank you. She doesn't have to watch," Cam offered and then nudged his wife. "Go get a drink or something."
She huffed as she got up from her seat. "And here I thought he was cool!" They all laughed as they watched her leave the screen.
Morgan smiled. "Don't worry about my Baby Girl; she's used to us eating all kinds of things."
Sebastian frowned as he studied him for second and then looked back at the screen. "You're 'Baby Girl'? Is this one of those open relationship things?"
Rossi almost spit out his beer. He laughed at the detective's confused look as he wiped his face and then smiled at him. "No. Agent Morgan and Garcia call each other all kinds of pet names because they are best friends and have been for a while. Garcia is married to the man on the screen with her."
Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose. "Now who's embarrassed?" he uttered under his breath and they all laughed some more.
Bartles nodded as he considered it and took some of the vegetables out of the next dish and then passed it on. "I can see your whole group is very close. I just wasn't sure exactly how close."
Kahlan giggled. "I can see where it might be a little strange to an outsider, but I assure you. There aren't any improprieties going on."
Sebastian raised his hands. "Not that I was judging! I try to be very open and truly believe that everyone has a right to his or her own choices. I was just trying to understand."
Rossi took the veggies from Kahlan. "Don't worry. I'm still trying to understand them."
Sebastian chuckled as he passed around a basket of bread.
Once everyone had their plates full and had started eating, Sebastian smiled at everyone's obvious like of the meal. JJ looked at him. "This is really great. I would love to know which spices you put on these potatoes."
"As stereotypical as it may sound, my mother was from Transylvania and she was an amazing cook, but as per your request, I would gladly give you the recipe. I'm just not sure you would find the proper ingredients at your local market."
"Yeah, Wal-Mart doesn't sell eye of newt and bat's wing," Chuck joked, and most of them laughed.
Sebastian was clearly offended, though. "Are you accusing my mother of being a witch?"
Chuck almost chocked on the big piece of roasted broccoli he'd shoved into his mouth, and he shot a look to Kahlan begging for help.
Kahlan shook her head. "Ignore him, Sebastian. He was just trying to be funny. He is actually a really decent guy when you get to know him."
Sebastian took a deep breath, but Reid put down his fork and fixed him with a serious look. "Are you saying witches are real?"
Hotch huffed and took a drink of his beer. "You're sitting here with two vampires and you're questioning the validity of witches?"
Reid quirked his mouth as he considered Hotch's words and then nodded. "I see what you mean."
"Are all monsters real?" Mack asked and they could all hear a hint of fear in her tone. Rossi shot her a stern look, though, and she quickly shook her head. "Not that you are. . . I mean. I don't think. . ."
"It's fine, Jamie. I think we all understand what you meant," Kahlan offered to calm her down.
"I really meant no offense," Mack quickly added, though, with an apologetic look to Sebastian.
"None taken, but yes. How do you think all those stories came into existence? They are all based in truth to a point," he told her with an evil grin and then took a bite of his dinner.
Everyone shared looks and Hotch took a deep breath and studied his new mentor. "You said keeping this a secret is the most important thing. You didn't just mean from humans, did you?"
Sebastian swallowed, sighed as he wiped his face, and put his napkin down. "There are many things left for you to learn and you can take all the time you need. I will always be available to you to help, but there are things you need to know before you head home. We should get together tomorrow, but I think tonight, you and your team have absorbed enough for one day. Let us enjoy the rest of this wonderful meal and the company."
"So we can't ask any more questions?" JJ asked him with furrowed brows.
"Come on, Sebastian. You're sitting with a table full of profilers. They ask questions in their sleep," Chuck offered with a grin as he looked at the team.
Sebastian looked at them all and then sighed. "I see your point."
Kahlan giggled. "Let's try not to ask too many, though."
XXX
Dinner was finished with a few general questions, and while Garcia was having just as much fun as Chuck with finding out all about vampire things, when talked turned to the requirement of drinking blood, she cringed and said Chase needed her and she left the room.
Hotch cringed when it seemed like the whole team was in league with Kahlan. Once they found out human blood was the best for him, they were all offering up ideas on how to get it and make sure he had a steady supply. Reid went on and on about how blood banks and hospitals could only keep blood for a certain amount of time. After asking Sebastian about whether or not the freshness of blood mattered and he said it didn't, Reid suggested that Kahlan should contact them about buying what they could no longer use. Kahlan agreed with a smile.
Hotch ran a hand down his face. "I don't have to drink human."
Morgan chuckled. "Don't even try it, Man. You know we all only want what's best for you."
Sebastian smiled as he stood up and started gathering up the empty plates around him. JJ stood up, though. "We can do that."
He balked. "I will not have a guest in my home doing the cleanup," he insisted as he tried to take her plate from her hands.
JJ refused to let it go. "You cooked; we can clean!"
Rossi smiled at them both. "You may be stronger, Detective, but I bet she's more stubborn," he told him as he stood up and grabbed Hotch's plate. "We can all help. We're a team and that's how we act."
Sebastian wilted. "Well, if you must."
Chuck laughed as he stood up and grabbed Mack's plate. "I've learned through the years it's best to listen to them. They can get a little cranky when they don't get their way."
Morgan reached over and hit him on the shoulder. "You and Kahlan are a hell of a lot more stubborn than we are!"
"Alright, Children! Let's not embarrass ourselves any more in front of our host, please," Rossi begged.
Sebastian laughed. "You all are just like a family."
Chuck grabbed the serving dish closest to him. "Besides, I'm hoping that once we get cleaned up, you'll show them how you can turn into a wolf."
"You were serious about that?!" Mack asked with wide eyes.
Rossi laughed as he saw Hotch sinking lower into his chair. "Yes he was."
"You can do that, too?" Reid asked Hotch enthusiastically.
Hotch sighed. "Not yet. I haven't learned how."
Sebastian's smile was encouraging. "It will come."
Kahlan looked at them all looking rather excited. "You know you are going to have to show them some of the stuff."
Hotch stood up and grabbed the dishes in front of his wife. "Let's get everything cleaned up first."
"Yes!" Chuck hollered as he took a handful of dishes to the kitchen.
Hotch shook his head as he followed him.
XXX
Once everything was cleaned up – the team demanded that they all help with the dishes – they started to journey outside. Chuck led the way, and Hotch and Kahlan brought up the rear with everyone else in the middle. Morgan was even carrying the laptop so Garcia could witness whatever was going to happen, too.
Kahlan pulled on Hotch's arm and brought him closer. "Are you going to have fun with them like you did with me?"
He grinned and the mischievous glint in his eye made her smile, but he shrugged. "Maybe I should be nice and take it slow with them."
She huffed. "I think you should scare the shit out of them."
He chuckled. "And what if Morgan drops and breaks Sebastian's laptop?"
She shrugged. "We can buy him another."
"Be nice," he whispered as JJ glanced back at them.
Kahlan pulled him to a stop. "I will give you anything to make Derek scream like a girl."
His eyes went wide. "Kahlan!" he exclaimed in a hushed tone.
She moved closer to him and grinned wickedly. "Anything," she mouthed as she flicked her brows and then turned on her heel and caught up with the rest of the group.
Anything? He swallowed as a quiver ran through him. He ran a hand down his face and moved to catch up, too.
