*Ok, so. . . this thing has gotten a lot bigger than I had originally planned, and that's a good thing, I guess. So, now this is going to be a standalone story and will continue until the muse lets me finish it (still plenty of story left, though). Maybe, once this one is done, I will do the others I was thinking about, but for now Hotch being a vampire is just too fun to let go. I really hope that's ok with you all, and I thank you for sticking with me (especially without daily updates) but hopefully it will be worth the ride.

Chapter 35

Hotch looked out into the trees around the cabin and listened. He could still hear what was going on inside the cabin along with a few small animals moving around, so he sighed and moved further into the woods. I'd normally have to let Kahlan find her, but now I'll be able to hear her. He smiled as he nodded. Yeah, I'll be able to find her now.

He walked up the trail as his eyes scanned the forest ground. After walking for about ten minutes, though, and not hearing anything that might be his daughter, he started to get worried. I really hope I didn't scare her so bad that she felt she needed to hide! He thought about going back and getting his wife or calling out for Joey, but he thought that if she was hiding and heard him, she'd just hide even more. He took a deep breath trying to force the worry he was starting to feel away, and moved off the path and into the darker recesses of the trees.

As he walked along, he focused on the world around him and he marveled at it. He hadn't had the opportunity to go searching in the dark since he'd been changed, and he was shocked to realize that he could see a lot better in the dark than he ever could before. Instead of just shadows and dark places, he could actually make out the individual trees, their branches, the bushes and ground cover, and even the fallen leaves. Wow. That's kind of cool.

After a little more searching, he could just make out a faint heartbeat. He smiled because he knew it was Joey's, so he slowed down and searched the area a little more thoroughly. After a little bit, the beat got stronger and he knew he was going the right way. After a little more, though, it started getting quieter. What the hell? Did I miss her?

He turned back and when it got to the loudest point, he sighed as his eyes slid shut. After taking a deep breath, he looked up. You would be in a tree, wouldn't you, Angel? His eyes searched and he thought he could just make out her red Converse sneakers, and he shook his head; she was basically at the top of the giant tree. He licked his lips and moved to the base of the tree. Ready or not, here I come.

Joey was so lost in her thoughts that she never saw her father moving on the ground below her, and she definitely didn't hear him, so when the branches moved below her, she startled. "Daddy?!"

He climbed up and sat down next to her on the big branch. "Yep."

She giggled and then shook her head. "You don't climb trees."

He shrugged a little. "Well, when I need to find my little girl and she is up in one, I kind of had to."

She appraised him. "But you never have before."

He sighed and shrugged again. "That's because I was too afraid to."

Shock filled her face. "But you aren't afraid of anything, Daddy!"

He huffed. "I so wish that was actually true, Angel."

Concern filled her eyes and she scooted closer to him. "Why were you afraid of trees?"

He chuckled and put his arm around her. "Not trees themselves, but being up high. I was afraid of heights believe it or not."

Her brows furrowed as her eyes darted around, and he smiled knowing she was thinking about to all of the times he didn't do something or wouldn't let her do something because of that fear. She sighed. "And why were you afraid of heights?"

He took a deep breath. He didn't want to tell her about how his father, in a fit of rage, heaved him out through the glass of his second story bedroom window when he was young, but he knew he needed to be honest with her. He licked his lips. "I fell when I was little, and ever since then I was afraid to be up high without anything around me."

She wilted and her face conveyed the empathy she was feeling for him. She pat his back. "My friend, Lola, is afraid of dogs cause one bit her when she was little, was it like that?"

He nodded. "Yes. Some times when things happen to people when they're little it makes them afraid for the rest of their lives." He took a deep breath and hoped that anything like that didn't happen to her because of his new life. He studied her. Although, she doesn't seem afraid of me.

She looked into his eyes. "And you're not afraid anymore?"

He smiled. "No. With what's happened, I know I can't be hurt so I'm not so afraid of falling anymore."

She smiled and snuggled up against him. "Good."

He grabbed her, turned her around, and set her on his legs. "So can I ask why you left and came all the way out here and climbed a tree? Did I frighten you, Angel?"

She immediately shook her head, and she did it so strongly that her hair whipped his face. "No, Daddy. I would never be afraid of you!"

He tucked her hair behind her ears. "Then why did you, if you don't mind me asking?"

She sighed. "I was just thinking."

"Thinking?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"About what?"

"You."

He took a deep breath. "And what decision have you made?"

She tilted her head a little as confusion filled her eyes. "What do you mean?"

He kind of shrugged. "Well. . . I just thought that. . . Were you trying to decide if this was alright or something?" he asked a little unsure.

She snorted as she shook her head. "I will always love you, Daddy, no matter what! I was just thinking about all of the things that would go with this."

"All of the things?"

She giggled. "Like, if vampires are real, then so is everything else, right?"

"Meaning?" he drew out not sure where she was going with that especially with that mischievous glint in her eyes that matched her mother. He didn't really want to bring up about witches and shapeshifters like Sabastian had told him because he didn't want to scare her.

She giggled again. "Meaning that maybe I will get to see a unicorn or dragon after all!"

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her swallowing her in a big hug. "I love you, Angel."

She wrapped her arms around his chest and squeezed him tightly. "I love you, too, Daddy."

After a moment, he pushed her away enough to look at her. "I guess you have a lot of questions, huh?"

Her dimples emerged with her huge grin. "Yeah, but I bet the boys do to, so I guess it wouldn't be fair to ask them out here."

He smiled. "You're right. I guess we should go back in."

She inhaled through her nose as she nodded. "I guess."

Hotch looked over her head at the moon coming up and turned her around and nestled her against his chest. "But I can see why you like to come up here. It's beautiful."

She sighed and relaxed back against him. "Yeah." She craned her head around and looked at him. "You should see the view from the tree in the yard. You can see the whole neighborhood almost!"

He chuckled. "I bet."

She turned around and locked eyes with him. "Hey! This means you can finally go up and see all of Fuzzy's friends!"

He smiled and nodded. "Sure, Angel."

Suddenly, she turned serious, and he mentally cringed. She licked her lips. "Can I ask you one question now?"

"Go ahead."

She leaned in closer. "Can you turn into a bat, Daddy?"

He could hear the hope in her tone and see it in her eyes, and he was crushed a little. What I wouldn't give to be able to tell her, yes. He shook his head. "No, Angel. I'm sorry. Stoker was wrong about that."

She sighed and reached up and pat his cheek. "It's ok, Daddy. You can't be perfect all the time."

He snorted as he pulled her back into another hug. "Only you, child."

She giggled.

"You know what I can do, though?"

She pulled back and looked at him. "What?"

He wrapped his arms all the way around her. "This!" he yelled and then jumped out away from the tree.

She laughed the whole way down, and when he landed lightly, she was squirming in excitement. "You made me lose my tummy, Daddy!"

He laughed knowing how much she loved that feeling.

"Can you do it again?!" she begged, and he raised his brows as if to say they needed to get back inside, so she pouted and gave him her best puppy dog eyes. "Please?" she drew out.

He chuckled as he shook his head. "Anything for you, Angel," he told her as he slung her around him to his back. "Hold on," he instructed and once he felt her cling tightly, he started up the tree again.

XXX

Kahlan stepped out onto the back porch and looked out into the darkness. Hotch and Joey had been gone a little longer than she was expecting, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was starting to get worried. She thought Joey was going to be fine with it, but she was worried none the less. Hell, she had it basically figured out on the first day; she has to think that this is cool.

When she heard light laughter that could only come from her daughter and a deep rumbling chuckle that could only come from her husband, she took a deep breath and relaxed a little as she waited for them. She smiled when they finally came into the light. Hotch was carrying Joey on his shoulders and they both looked happy, so she relaxed even more.

Hotch put Joey down once they were on the porch and pat her butt as he pushed her towards the door. "Give us a minute, Angel?"

She smiled up at him and her mom. "Yep," she agreed and went inside and shut the door behind her.

Kahlan went to him and put her hands around the back of his neck. "Everything good?"

He huffed. "I think becoming a vampire has ruined my profiling abilities."

She frowned. "What?"

He pulled away from her as he shook his head. "I can't even profile my own family anymore."

"Aaron. . ."

He turned back to her. "Well, I can't! I thought Jack was going to be the one with the problem. I thought Wyatt would think it was cool. I thought Joe would be ecstatic. I thought you would. . ." He shook his head again. "I couldn't have been more wrong."

She winced knowing that he didn't say he thought she would jump at the chance to join him in his new life and she knew they had to discuss that further, but she also knew they had to take care of the kids first. She took a deep breath. "It looks like Joe was alright."

He nodded. "Yeah. Apparently she needed some time alone to process it."

She nodded. "Wyatt's gonna be alright with it, too. He just had. . ."

"I know. I heard."

She studied him and then nodded. "So all the kids are going to be ok with it, Aaron. They love you and will stand by you."

He huffed. "And thanks to me, their perception of the world has forever changed. Jack's seeing superheroes, Joey's seeing unicorns and dragons, and Wyatt's seeing monsters under the bed. Great dad I am!"

Her brows knitted together in apparent anger, and he could tell she was about ready to tell him off but then a grin spread on her face.

"What?" he asked not knowing what the look was about.

"You really think there's a possibility that dragons still exist?"

He busted out laughing. "Oh my God! You are crazy! You're all crazy!" He shook his head as went to her and put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to him. "That or I am. I'm not sure which anymore."

She giggled. "But we like crazy."

He took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh.

"It's going to be ok, Aaron. We'll get through this," she offered seriously as she locked eyes with him and put her hands around his neck.

He licked his lips. "I sure hope so."