Story I – Chapter 17
When Kahlan locked eyes with Hotch as he returned with Sebastian, she could tell he didn't get the answer he'd wanted to whatever question he'd asked and she mentally cringed. She knew it would take him some time to get used to being a vampire, but she hoped the meeting with the detective would relax him enough to be able to try and get comfortable, not make it worse.
Once Sebastian passed out the coffees and was seated again, she studied him. "May I ask you a personal question?"
He frowned as he studied her. "I guess."
She glanced at her husband for a second and then licked her lips as she turned back to the detective. "Why are you alone?"
Shock was evident on his face for just a second, but then he sighed. "I didn't used to be," he started and then smiled at some unknown memory. He looked at both of the Hotchners and then his smile grew. "I would never have believed in love at first sight until I saw Maria and she made this slow beating, vampiric heart almost jump out of my chest." He laughed. "She was a gorgeous, Mediterranean beauty, and I was scared to approach her so I followed her around for a few days." He ducked his head sheepishly. "I guess I would be considered a stalker in today's time, but I finally got up the courage to speak with her and then we became friends. Once I knew my feelings of affection were being reciprocated, I told her about my secret."
He paused and took a deep breath. "That was one of the scariest things I have ever done. She could have rejected me or anything, but she didn't, and we ended up falling in love. After a few years, I asked her for permission to marry her and change her and she agreed to both." His eyes unfocused for a moment and he wiped his face before he continued. "We ended up settling in northern Italy, and we lived many happy years together until the hunters came."
Hotch saw the man's hands tighten around the arms of the antique chair and when his fingernails dug into the wood, Hotch cringed and shared a look with his wife.
"I was in town buying a few things for the household, and when I got back. . ." He took a shuddering breath. "I found evidence that there were six of them, and they ambushed her in the house. They had beheaded her after catching her on fire. . ." he continued as his voice grew weaker and yet more angry. "There was nothing I could do except hunt them down and make them pay for taking the only thing that I had loved since I was human," he finished and one of the chairs arms snapped off in his hand.
He flinched, obviously not meaning to do it, and then cringed as he looked at his guests. "Sorry."
Kahlan wiped her face. "My God. . . That must have been. . . That's horrible. I'm so sorry."
Sebastian shrugged as he stood up and tried to piece the chair back together, but he couldn't so he threw the broken arm into the fireplace. "It was a long time ago, but I still miss her." He turned to Hotch. "Count yourself lucky you have someone to share all this with, and whatever else you do, protect her."
Hotch wasn't sure if he was referring to right then or once he changed her, but it didn't matter; he would always protect her. He stood up, squared his shoulders, and nodded. "I plan on it."
Kahlan got up and took her husband's hand. "We will protect each other."
Rossi huffed. "We will all protect each other, just like always!"
They all turned to him and smiled. "Just like always," Kahlan agreed.
After Kahlan gave Hotch a quick hug, they moved to sit back down. Hotch waited for his host to get himself relaxed again and then tried to change the subject. "Why do I hear their hearts beating?"
Sebastian gave him a little grin. "For the hunter to find his prey." Hotch cringed with that thought and sank into his seat a little more, and Sebastian laughed. "Don't worry, though, you will get used to it. Eventually you won't even notice the people you are around all the time; sort of like a ticking clock in a room. At first it's annoying as hell but after a while you can't even hear it."
"So is Maria the reason you haven't changed anyone in so many years?"
The vampire wilted a little and Hotch sat forward in his seat as he glanced at his wife.
Sebastian sighed. "No. Maria was over almost three hundred years ago. I haven't changed anyone in a while because the last man I changed turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life." He took a long drink of his tea and glanced at Hotch. "One must be very careful about whom he changes. Being a vampire isn't exactly easy and not everyone can handle it."
Hotch frowned. "What do you mean?"
Sabastian sat his mug down and took a deep breath. "I was working for Scotland Yard in the late 1800's, and Chancellor Riggins was my partner. After a year and becoming rather good friends with him, I told him about my secret, and he begged me to change him. He said we would be an invincible team if we were both vampires, but I kept putting it off. I gave him excuse after excuse and he finally gave up on it, but he was upset. He accused me of not wanting to share in the glory." He huffed as he got up and went to stand before the fireplace.
"Glory?! There's nothing glorious about this life!" he exclaimed as he shook his head. "He had romanticized it in his mind, but he knew nothing!"
Hotch shared a look with Kahlan, but she was focused on Sebastian, so he looked at Rossi and Rossi shook his head. "But you changed him anyway?"
Sebastian turned to him and then cringed. "He was hurt, and he and I both knew he wasn't going to make it, and he begged me again." He shrugged. "I gave in and brought him over. I took him home and got him through the changing process and everything was fine to begin with."
Kahlan's brows furrowed. "What happened?"
He huffed and went back to his seat. "He became the monster that I had been. I tried everything to get him to fight it, to try and get him to see that it was wrong to feed off of people, but. . ."
"He enjoyed it," Hotch offered quietly.
Sebastian nodded. "Yes, and I never would have thought he'd be like that."
"What happened to him?" Rossi asked.
"When I finally decided that he couldn't continue on as he was, he found out and left, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. It took me two months, but I finally found him and destroyed him," he told them as he focused on the floor at his feet. "And it broke my heart," he added quietly.
Kahlan took a deep breath. "That's such a shame."
Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose. He was probably born a psychopath. After a deep breath he looked at Sabastian. "You can't blame yourself for what he did."
He smirked. "I should have seen it. Once I had time to really analyze it, I know I should have seen him for what he was beforehand." He shrugged. "After Maria, I enjoyed the thought of having someone to share the life with. . . I guess I didn't want to see it."
Kahlan shook her head as her heart ached for the man. "Being alone sucks."
Sebastian sighed and then slapped his thigh. "Look at me. This was supposed to be a chance for Aaron to learn a few things not me telling you all my sob stories," he insisted as he stood up. "Poor man is probably already regretting this," he joked as he put his mug down and stood up and motioned for Hotch to do the same.
"What?" Hotch asked, concern filling his eyes.
"You must learn how to compel," Sebastian offered with a grin.
Hotch shook his head as he held a hand up. "No I don't. I really don't think. . ."
Sebastian sighed. "You'll do it without meaning to if you don't learn how. You must learn what it feels like so you will know when you are doing it."
Hotch didn't like the idea of messing with someone's mind, but he definitely didn't want to do it accidently. He sighed. "Alright. How do I do it?"
Kahlan grinned as she sat forward in her seat. "Do it to me."
Hotch balked. "I will not!"
Sebastian laughed. "You have to do it to one of them."
Hotch's brows furrowed. "Why can't I do it to you?"
He huffed. "Because I'm too much older than you. You aren't strong enough to compel me."
Rossi shook his head as he stood up. "Do it to me, Aaron." Hotch looked at him and started shaking his head, and Rossi sighed. "It's fine. I trust you."
"What if I do it wrong? What if it messes you up or something?"
Sebastian put a supporting hand on Hotch's shoulder. "You can't hurt him mentally. Either it will work or it won't."
"I can hurt him physically, though, apparently," Hotch put in still not wanting to do it.
Bartles shrugged. "Sure you could if you compelled him to shoot himself or something like that, but the act of compelling cannot hurt in itself. It is what you compel them to do that can be harmful, but it can also be something as innocent as compelling them to sit down. It doesn't have to be something drastic."
Hotch ran a hand over his chin and looked at the man he loved as a father and Rossi nodded in encouragement. He sighed and then looked back at the vampire. "Alright. How do I do it?"
Sebastian smiled. "Lock eyes with him and you will feel it when you make the connection. Once you feel that, tell him what you want in a normal, calm voice, and he should listen."
"I don't need to be changed to do it?"
Bartles shook his head as he chuckled. "You are still a vampire even when you look human, Aaron."
Hotch nodded his understanding and moved a step closer to Rossi. He took a deep breath and locked eyes with him. After several seconds, he shook his head and looked at his mentor. "What is it supposed to feel like?"
Sebastian frowned and stepped closer to them. "I. . . it's hard to explain. . . you should just feel it, like a door opening mentally if you would."
Hotch huffed. "Maybe I can't do that just like the wolf thing."
"Could it be because he doesn't really want to?" Rossi asked as he eyed the younger man.
"Maybe. Try again," Sebastian instructed.
Hotch took a deep breath and locked eyes with Rossi again. They could all see the concentration on his face but after a few seconds he shook his head. "Nothing."
Kahlan stood up as she laughed, and they all looked at her. "You won't feel anything, Hun."
"What do you mean? He should feel it when he makes the connection," Sebastian insisted.
Kahlan shook her head. "I don't think so. Aaron's a supreme alpha and looks everyone in the eye. He probably makes that kind of connection with everyone he looks at without even realizing it." She gestured to Rossi. "Just tell him to do something without waiting for the feeling."
Hotch looked unsure, but turned to Rossi again. As soon as he locked eyes with him he told him to put his mug down, and Rossi did so without hesitating. The shock was evident on all of the men's faces and Kahlan giggled. "Knew it."
Hotch huffed at looked at Rossi. "What did that feel like?"
Rossi grinned as he looked at his discarded mug. "Like it was the most important thing I've ever had to do."
Sebastian smiled proudly. "Very well done, Aaron."
"That's my boy!" Rossi exclaimed with a giant grin.
Hotch shook his head as his cheeks heated in embarrassment, and they all laughed.
Sebastian sat back down and they did the same. "You will find a select few who can't be compelled, though, so don't be shocked if it one time it doesn't work."
"I don't plan on using it anyway, so I guess it wouldn't matter," Hotch told him.
"That might be best. As natural for you as it is, you could compel without meaning to and that could lead to problems," Sebastian warned.
"Meaning?" Rossi asked before Hotch could.
Sebastian winced. "He wouldn't want to compel one of his unsubs into giving a false confession."
Hotch cringed with that thought. "No. No I would not."
Kahlan frowned as she thought about it. "But that stubborn son of a bitch who won't break by normal means could be compelled to tell the truth at least."
Sebastian quickly hid a smile; he had apparently done something similar to that through the years.
Hotch shook his head at her and she tried to look innocent. "What? That's a good idea!"
Hotch took a deep breath. "Hopefully I never have to worry about that."
She shrugged. "It's a good idea," she muttered under her breath again, and Rossi and Sebastian laughed.
