Story I – Chapter 18

Before anyone could say anything else, Hotch's head snapped to the right. Kahlan frowned as she followed his gaze, but she didn't see or hear anything. Sebastian smiled as he stood up. "It seems I have another guest."

Before any of them could figure out what he meant, a man suddenly appeared behind the chair Kahlan was sitting in. Hotch jumped up, eyes changed and fangs showing as he basically growled and moved into an alpha stance: chest out and arms back a little.

Kahlan turned and startled at the man behind her and Sebastian held up his hand. "It's alright, Aaron!" he insisted as Rossi stood up not knowing what to do.

"Aww, look at that. Bas has a new pet and he brought a snack," the new man offered as his eyes changed and they feasted up and down Kahlan as he moved in beside her.

In an instant, Hotch was nose to nose with the man. "Get away from my wife!" he insisted in nothing more than a sinister whisper.

The new man stepped back so quickly, Kahlan and Rossi didn't even see him move and he ducked his head as he focused on the floor and held his hands up in submission. "I'm sorry! I meant no disrespect! I didn't realize you were an elder!"

Hotch took a deep breath and allowed himself to change back to normal as he stepped back to be in front of his wife, but Kahlan looked at Sebastian. He was standing there, wide eyed and opened mouth, shocked into silence. After a few seconds, he shook his head and went to the new man. "Did he just compel you?!"

The new man nodded as he shrank away from Hotch even more but looked at him with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry! I was just joking!"

"What does he mean 'elder'?" Kahlan asked Sebastian who was still too shocked to think.

Sebastian ran a hand down his face and took a deep breath and gestured to the new arrival. "Aaron, Kahlan, David, this is William Drummond, another one of my offspring. Please, be seated. He meant no harm. He just thinks he's a comedian. Had he actually a semblance of manners, he would have called before showing up unannounced."

"It's Willie, by the way," the new man offered with a grin.

Hotch huffed and then pulled Kahlan's chair closer to his and basically forced her down into it and then took a seat himself and reached over and took her hand. She mentally smiled. Hotch in alpha-protective mode was always a little shocking, but a vampiric charged alpha was definitely a sight to see. And not to mention sexy as hell!

Sebastian gave Willie a look and he sat down in the last chair. He looked like nothing more than a teenager with his messed up blonde hair, baby blue eyes, and innocent looking smile.

Sabastian took another deep breath and sat back down and shook his head at Hotch. "You should not have been able to do that."

Hotch cringed and sank into his seat a little. "Then why could I?"

Willie looked back and forth between them as he frowned. "So he's not an elder?"

Rossi cleared his throat. "What is an elder?" he asked as he finally calmed down enough to also sit.

Sebastian shook his head again as he tried to figure out what was going on, but he turned to Rossi. "It's a vampire term. Anyone under a hundred years old is a young one, in between a hundred and three hundred is considered mature, between three hundred and six hundred years is considered an elder, and anyone over that, like myself, is considered an ancient."

"And these terms, these different levels, affect what they can and can't do to each other?" Kahlan asked as she started to understand.

Sebastian nodded. "Yes. William is just over two hundred years old."

Willie looked at Hotch. "And how old are you?"

Hotch raised his chin. "If you're asking how long I have been a vampire, two days."

Willie's eyes went wide and he looked at Sebastian. "What's going on, Bas?"

Sabastian licked his lips. "I honestly don't know." He stood up and motioned for Hotch to do the same. Hotch complied and Sebastian looked him in the eyes. "Try to do it to me."

Hotch shook his head and looked away from him. "No."

Sebastian sighed. "Please, Aaron. We need to know if you can do it to anyone."

Hotch cringed and wouldn't look at him. "And if I can?"

Sabastian reached out and put a supportive hand on Hotch's arm. "I honestly don't know, Aaron, but I promise you I will talk to everyone I know and see if I can find out what it all means."

Hotch wilted as he looked at the other people in the room. "Everything with me has been messed up since this started. Something must be wrong with me!"

Kahlan cringed and got up and went to him. She put a hand on his chest and waited until he looked at her. "Stop!" He sighed and she gave him a small smile. "Just because they don't understand how you can do something doesn't mean it's not possible, Aaron. I don't understand how you can look at a scene and know how someone acted, but yet you do. Just because things are different with you doesn't make them wrong, it just makes them different. Don't assume something is wrong until there is a damn good reason proving otherwise."

He wilted a little and then nodded. "You're right."

She gave him a cocky grin. "Of course I am."

Willie laughed. "She is right. You being able to do things others can't isn't bad; it makes you stronger than others at your stage."

Sebastian took a deep breath. "Would you please try it on me so we can see if it's just William or if it's everyone?"

Kahlan nodded and urged Hotch closer to the older vampire. "Go ahead, Hun. We need to know."

Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose and then locked eyes with his mentor. "Sit down."

When Sebastian moved to his seat without a word, Willie gasped. "Scratch that last remark. You're powerful as shit!"

Sebastian shook his head and stood back up. "My God. I haven't had that done to me in. . . well, I can't even remember the last time."

"Dude, your wolf form must be huge!" Willie exclaimed as he smiled at Hotch.

Hotch huffed and then sat back down. "I can't even do that yet."

"What do you mean?" Kahlan asked Willie as she moved back to her seat.

"The wolf is a true representation of the vampire inside," Willie offered as he shrugged. "Bas's is taller and more muscular than mine." Kahlan's brows rose as she considered that, and Willie quickly sat up a little straighter. "But mines still pretty impressive," he quickly added with a grin, and Kahlan smiled.

Hotch snorted quietly and Kahlan kicked his foot as she shot him a look that said 'be nice', and Rossi covered a chuckle with a cough.

Sebastian eyed them all and shook his head as he took a deep breath and looked at the clock on the wall. "It is almost noon. You must need to get going."

Hotch nodded. "Yes. We need to get back to Quantico before someone starts to question why we aren't back yet," he told him as he stood up and Kahlan and Rossi also stood up.

Sebastian nodded as he stood up. "There is something we must do first," he started and then looked at Willie. "William, would you be so kind as to show Kahlan and David the grounds properly?"

Hotch's stare emerged. "What? Why?"

Sebastian held up his hand. "It's alright, Aaron. You and I need a private moment alone is all. It will only take a few minutes."

Kahlan squeezed her husband's hand. "It's fine, Aaron."

Hotch shot a look to Rossi and he nodded, telling Hotch he'd watch out for the young vampire even though he was pretty sure they didn't have anything to worry about. Hotch then shot a warning look to Willie, and he ducked his head a little. "I swear, they'll be fine! I don't even like the taste of human blood!"

"He's telling the truth, Aaron. They will be fine with him, I promise you," Sebastian urged.

Hotch nodded and then looked at his wife and pseudo-father. "I'll meet you at the SUV."

Kahlan gave his cheek a kiss and then motioned for Willie to lead the way and the young looking man smiled. "Come on. I'll show you the lake. It's wonderful with the trees in full fall color," he told them as he headed to the door, and Rossi chuckled at his youthful enthusiasm.

Hotch took a deep breath and then shook his head as the door shut behind them. Sebastian put a hand on his shoulder. "William and you are like brothers, Aaron. He would never do anything to hurt you or those around you." He motioned to another door and then started moving and Hotch followed. "Despite his true age, he really is like a big kid who lives to please. He wouldn't harm a fly. In fact, when I brought him over, he almost starved to death because he didn't even want to drink animal blood because he didn't want an animal to suffer for him," Sebastian explained as he moved through the house.

"Why did you change him?"

Sebastian turned and looked at him. "I found him half dead on the side of the road and I didn't think it fair to let one so young die like that. Once he was able to speak again, he told me a sickness had killed his whole family and he had left in search of help. He stayed with me for over fifty years and then I sent him off to learn about life and the world. He comes back to visit every few years, but I didn't expect him this early."

Hotch looked towards the nearest window and thought about two of the people he loved most on the other side of it. "Kahlan likes him, so he must be alright."

Sebastian smiled. "She seems like an excellent judge of character," he offered and then continued through the house. "Although you must to be, too, so. . ."

"He seems alright, I guess."

Sebastian smiled to himself knowing that Hotch hadn't just shown protectiveness but also jealousy when it came to his wife. He went down some stairs and took Hotch to a door set into a stone wall. "Here we are."

Hotch studied the man as he opened the door and then followed him in. The room was empty save for an old wooden table and three glass front wine bottle type coolers set into the far wall. "What's this?"

Sebastian moved to the first cooler. "With as strange as everything has been with you, I figured you better feed again before you leave."

Hotch shook his head. "But I don't feel hungry. There's no. . ."

"And what happens if it hits during the ride back home? Are you sure you can control yourself long enough to wait until you get there? And what about then? Do you have some blood at home waiting for you?"

Hotch wilted. "No." At least he didn't think Kahlan had done anything yet, but it wouldn't surprise him if she had.

"I would think you would rather be safe than sorry, correct?"

"Yes, but I. . ."

Sebastian sighed. "You are going to have to drink it sooner or later, Aaron. I would think it better if you did it now, in private, while you have the chance."

Hotch frowned. "In private?"

Sebastian winced. "You need to see how you will react, get the feel for it, if you would," he insisted as he opened the cooler and took out a small plastic bag.

Hotch took a step back knowing the bag was a bag of human blood like ones used in the medical field. "I don't need to drink that. I. . ."

Sebastian raised his brows. "Your wife seems to think you are."

Hotch sighed. "I know. I need to talk to her about that."

Sebastian chuckled. "Let me know how that goes. I get the impression she could be a very stubborn woman."

Hotch huffed. "You don't know the half of it."

Sebastian put the little bag of blood on the table and then took a small container out of the middle cooler and then retrieved another similar container out of the last one. Hotch frowned as he watched the detective sit the items on the table.

Sebastian smiled. "Then let's see what you think of them all," he offered as he gestured to them.

Hotch ran a hand down his face.

Sebastian bent and brought the chalice he had given Hotch when he first brought him there and set it on the table. He watched Hotch carefully as he ripped the bag of blood open and poured it into the goblet.

As soon as the smell of the blood hit Hotch, his nostrils flared as his fangs dropped and his eyes changed as his stomach ached. He moaned and took a step back.

Sebastian was behind him in an instant and put a supportive hand on his back. "Easy, Aaron. Don't fight it."

Hotch shook his head and tried to turn and leave the room, but Sebastian held him. "It's alri. . ."

"Let me go!" Hotch demanded and then threw the man into the nearest wall.

Hotch wasn't sure who was more shocked: him or the man lying on the floor. "Oh my God! I am so sorry, Sebastian," Hotch offered as he went to him and pulled him up.

Sebastian stared at him.

Hotch swallowed and ducked his head in shame. "I'm sorry!"

Sebastian shook his head and then smiled. "William was right. You are very powerful, Aaron."

Hotch looked at him with raised brows. "You're not mad?"

He put both hands on his shoulders and locked eyes with him. "Of course not. For a progeny of mine to be so powerful. . . what I am is proud, Aaron."

Hotch's cheeks heated and he pulled away from him. He had yet to turn back to normal and when he glanced at the blood on the table, his stomach ached. He turned back to the older man. "Why did it seem like I wasn't hungry but yet I want it so bad right now I'm aching for it?"

Sebastian stepped up to the table and grabbed the chalice as he studied the younger man. "Maybe it's because you can smell it. I really don't know, Aaron." He moved to him and offered the cup. "But it is clear you need it."

Hotch took a deep breath and his stomach tightened even more, but he looked passed the man to the table. "Are those animal blood?"

Sebastian nodded and moved back to the table. He put the metal cup down and picked up the closest container. "Here. Try the cow blood first, then," he offered as he peeled the lid off of it.

Hotch nodded and took the round container and took a drink. He cringed a little as he swallowed and then wiped his mouth.

Sebastian laughed. "Didn't like that one, huh?"

Hotch licked his lips and then shook his head. "Not really."

"Try the pig," he offered as he handed him the next container.

Hotch took a sip expecting it to taste just as bad, but when it didn't he tilted the container back up and took a big drink.

Sebastian reached for the container as he studied him. "That one better?"

Hotch nodded as he wiped his mouth. "Yes."

He smiled and reached for the cup. "Now try this one."

Hotch took a deep breath as his stomach growled with the smell of it. "It smells different."

Sebastian nodded. "Yes. It is the one we are supposed to drink."

Hotch licked his lips as his mouth watered. Just do it, Hotchner. He reached out a hand, took the chalice, and raised it to his lips.