Chapter 71

After a blissful morning and then just relaxing in each other's arms on the couch for most of the day, the Hotchners went and picked up all of their kids when school let out for some much needed family time that included dinner and games at their favorite pizza parlor.

Right when it was time to read to Joey that night, though, the BAU team was called back out to help with an Amber Alert in Pittsburg. Paxton apologized profusely for cutting into their promised day off, but he softened the blow by offering the upcoming weekend off, so the team didn't complain too much.

They worked quickly and soon discovered that the missing sixteen year old victim had a nineteen year old boyfriend that her family didn't know about, and with Garcia's help, they found both teenagers by the next afternoon in a stolen car on their way to New Jersey.

By the time they got everything wrapped up, and got on the jet, they were dragging. Since it was only Wednesday, they all silently hoped nothing serious came in over the next two days so as to take away their much needed weekend with their families.

When Hotch was about ready to call it a night, he reached up to turn off his computer when it dinged signaling he had a new email. He frowned but moved to read it, and then winced when he saw it was from Sebastian Bartles. He sighed and clicked it open. I forgot to call him about setting up a meeting. Shit!

Sure enough, the old vampire was wondering if Hotch had any available time on his schedule.

Kahlan came into Hotch's den and sat an opened beer on his desk in front of him. "I know it can't help you relax anymore, but I didn't want to drink alone."

Hotch smiled at her, picked up the beer and took a drink, and then gestured to the screen. "Sebastian wants to bring his family here for a visit."

She read the message and then shrugged. "We haven't planned anything for this weekend yet." She studied him. "Unless, of course, you have a reason you don't want him to come."

He leaned back in chair. "I don't know. I mean, I know I owe him a visit after what he did for me but. . ."

She sat down on his desk and rested her foot on his thigh. "But you're not sure about bringing a handful of vampires into your city." When his eyes flicked up to hers, she knew she was right. She took a drink of her beer and then played with the hair on the side of his head. "If Sebastian and Willie are true representatives of their bunch, I really don't think you have anything to be concerned about, Hun."

He licked his lips and then nodded. "I know."

Her hand moved to his jaw and she tilted his face up to make him look at her. "You don't have any bad feelings about it, do you?"

He shook his head. "No, not really, just nerves, I guess."

She smiled. "They'll love you, Hun, just like everyone else who ever gets to know you."

He huffed.

She sighed and made him look at her again. "You're worried about standing out even more."

His eyes trailed down to the floor. "I felt like a freak with just the two of them."

She shook her head. "Where most men would feel superior finding out that they had abilities beyond those around him, you consider yourself a freak." She set down her beer and shoved her way into his lap and locked eyes with him. "You are a great man, Aaron Hotchner."

He snorted and then shook his head.

She cupped his cheek with a gentle hand. "You are an amazing husband and father, an insane profiler, and a very powerful vampire. You are not a freak and those people will look up to you, not down upon you."

His eyes searched hers. "You really think so?"

She smiled. "I know so."

He sighed through his nose and then nodded. "I guess I'll invite them, then."

She giggled as she got up. "Just make sure that Jenny woman keeps her hands off of you because I know how to kill her if need be."

He scoffed. "Jesus, Babe."

She shrugged and then sat down on his desk again and took another drink of her beer. "A woman's got to do what a woman's got to do."

He shook his head as he readied his reply. "If I understood Sebastian correctly, they'll think if me as their brother."

She snorted. "I don't know that woman or where's she's from."

He turned confused eyes towards her, and she shrugged again. "Some people are into that, Aaron."

He shoved her off the desk. "Get out of here."

She giggled again and then started towards the door.

XXX

The next day ended up being a lazy for the team and they used the valuable down time to get some much needed paperwork done. When Hotch called to tell Kahlan he was leaving, she asked him to stop by the store to pick up a few things because she wanted to be ready for their guests. He shook his head. "They're not supposed to be here until Saturday evening, Babe, and it's not like they need anything special, if you know what I mean."

"Sabastian entertained us, so it's only fair that we return the favor, Aaron," she insisted.

He sighed as he packed up his briefcase. "You're right. Text me the list."

XXX

As Hotch walked down the sidewalk towards the store, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a tremor ran through his chest. Not only was he being watched, but he knew whoever was doing the watching was a vampire. He frowned as he walked. He wasn't sure how he knew it, but he did, with certainty. It didn't feel like Sabastian or Willie, either, so he took a deep breath and took out his phone.

"Hey, Hun," Kahlan answered.

"Hey," he offered as he walked and tried to keep his voice even. "Call Cam. Get him to trace my phone if you would."

"What?! Hold on, I can do it, but what the hell is going on, Aaron?"

"Calm down. Nothing's going on, yet."

"Yet? What do you mean, yet? Jesus, Aaron, what's going on? I thought you were stopping by the store to pick up a couple of things and then coming home."

"I am, but I'm being followed," he admitted as he turned down the street that led to the park. If something was going to happen, he wanted it to be in as private a place as he could find because he didn't want any humans to see two vampires get into a fight.

"Followed?" She snorted. "Well, shit, Hun, I think you can handle some mugger now with ease, if you know what I mean."

"Whoever is pacing me is a vampire, Babe."

"What? Right there in town?"

He swallowed. "Yes. I'm leading him to the park."

"Why would a vampire be stalking you?"

"You tell me and we'll both know," he offered as he moved to the trail that hugged up against the tree line.

"Just be careful, Aaron. Please?"

He took a deep breath to calm his own nerves and to hopefully pass that calm onto her. "I will. I'll call you back. . ."

"No!" she demanded. "Just drop your phone on the ground but leave the call connected!"

"Alright, Kahlan. I love you."

"I love you, too, Hun," she answered quickly and then heard his phone hit a rock or something. You better be alright or I swear I will hunt every last one of them down!

He either sensed or saw something flash towards him and he turned just in time to grab the vampire, heave him over his shoulders, and slam him down onto the paved path. The pavement cracked and crumbled around the body and had the person not been a vampire, the force of the blow alone would have killed him. As it was, the man lying in the crater with Hotch's hands still fisted in his shirt smiled. "Is this the way Americans nowadays greet someone?"

His heavy British accent made Hotch frown, and he fixed the man with his stare. "Why are you following me?"

"Because I wanted to meet you," he answered.

Hotch couldn't tell if he'd actually compelled him or not, so he didn't let him go.

"It is nice to meet you, too, Aaron Hotchner."

"Who are you and how do you know my name?"

"My name is Christian Bonham and Sebastian Bartles told me your name."

Hotch sucked in a breath as he broke the mental link with him and loosened his grip. "Sebastian?"

The man nodded. "If you would be so kind as to unhand me and let me up, I would shake your hand and introduce myself to you like a real gentleman is supposed to."

Hotch studied him for a few moments as the man raised his hands in acquiesce and gave him a grin. Hotch wasn't getting thing threatening from him, so he pulled him to his feet and let go of him. "Do you always introduce yourself by attacking someone?"

Before Christian could answer, Hotch suddenly sensed more vampires, and he tensed as he mentally berated himself for letting the stranger go. Before he could decide on what to do, they were quickly joined by four other people. Hotch changed and prepared to fight, but Sebastian held up his hands. "Easy, Aaron, we're all friends here."

Hotch's eyes flashed over the people and then he settled on the man who'd changed him. "This is your family?"

"Yes," Sebastian told him.

Hotch took a deep breath and forced himself to change back. "I thought you all weren't coming until Saturday."

Christian stepped forward. "That was actually my fault, and I am sorry for the extremely rude unannounced visit, but. . ."

"But you wanted to gage my abilities on your own," Hotch finished for him.

The man sighed. "Guilty as charged."

When Willie opened his mouth to say something, Hotch suddenly remembered his discarded phone and his wife worrying on the other end of the call and moved to pick it up. "It's alright, Kahlan. It seems that Sebastian and his friends have decided to show up early."

Her sigh of relief was long. "So I guess you won't be home any time soon?"

Hotch glanced at the people around him. "I'm not exactly sure, but I'll text you as soon as I know."

"Alright, Hun." While she trusted Sebastian and Willie, she didn't know the others and couldn't, no, wouldn't trust the others until she met them. "Be careful, please."

"I will."

"Love you," she added quickly before he had the chance to hand up.

He turned away from the little crowd. "I love you, too, Kahlan," he told her in a hushed tone and ended the call and slid his phone back in his pocket.

"I promise you, Aaron, that you have nothing to worry about with the people here tonight," Sebastian informed him as he was suddenly beside him.

Hotch nodded. "Sorry, it's just. . ."

"It was a surprise. You have every reason to be weary," Christian put in.

Hotch took another deep breath and stuck his hand out to the only woman in the group. "You must be Jennifer."

The redheaded woman laughed and shook his hand. "Did you figure that all out on your own, stud?"

Hotch could tell by the grin on her face that she was just teasing him. "Well, to be honest, the long hair on that one made the choice a little harder than I thought it would be," he teased back as he pointed to the man beside her who had to be Michael.

Willie bust out laughing and hit Michael on the arm. "I told you that you'd like him."

Michael raised his chin and gave Hotch a hard look. "And what, Christian's beard automatically took him out of the running?" he asked him.

Hotch could tell that Michael was a typical alpha male, but he didn't back down as he stuck his hand out to him. As soon as Michael grabbed it, Hotch gripped him even harder. "No, but I figured no woman would be caught dead wearing that," he told him as he hooked a thumb towards Christian and finally let a smile slide over his lips.

Michael huffed and then a big smile spread on his face. "Welcome to the family, Aaron."

"Hey!" Christian yelled as he looked down at himself and straightened out the scarf around his neck. "This is the latest fashion!"

They all laughed, but Hotch's head snapped to the right. "Shit," he uttered under his breath and he winced as his eyes took in the damaged walking path.

"What?" Willie asked as he looked the way Hotch had looked.

Hotch frowned at him. "You don't hear that mounted police officer coming?" he asked and then looked at everyone else who looked just as perplexed as Willie did.

Sebastian's brows rose as he studied Hotch for a second and then looked towards where he'd supposedly heard something. "I don't hear anything other than the wind through the trees."

"And even if you can hear someone, how can you possibly know it's a cop?" Michael asked.

Hotch smirked. "Well, I'm not positive, but they are usually the only ones around here who ride horses."

Christian strained to listen. "You mean that soft thudding?"

Hotch shrugged. "Sounds like a horse walking over grass to me, and the jingling would be the reins."

Jenny snorted. "And with the way you pulverized the pavement with Christian, I guess we need to be moving on. Unless you want to try and explain that."

Hotch swallowed. "No, I'd rather not."

"Then, come on," Willie insisted and started in the opposite direction.

As they all moved to follow, Sebastian drifted closer to Christian. "Did he compel you?"

Christian nodded. "Yes. I had actually forgotten what that felt like." He fixed the dark haired man with a look. "Even his hearing is more advanced than ours."

Sebastian smiled. "I told you he was powerful."

Christian inhaled deeply and mentally winced when Hotch's eyes drifted back to them for a split second. Even though the other three were talking with Hotch, it was obvious that Hotch had heard them. He waited a few heart beats and then slowed Sebastian down some more to put more distance between them and the other group and leaned over right next to the man's ear. "Does he even know how dangerous he is?" he asked in the faintest whisper he could manage.

Sebastian's eyes locked with his for a second and then winced. "No."

Christian nodded. "We have much to learn to about your new progeny."

Sebastian sighed. "I tried to tell you."

Personal update:

So, as you may well know, the website I created over a year ago has been expired. Sadly, I didn't have the money to renew it, but I finally found a new place that offers a free website that lets me do almost everything I want it to do.

Here is the new address: the tales of hoffer "dot" weebly "dot" com – no spaces and obviously just a period where it says "dot".

It is basically the same exact site, mostly, but it is free so hopefully it will be around for a long time. I do plan on updating it each time I need to.

For those of you who don't know, it has a page for each of the stories and basically it's just a few pictures of the characters and such. Pictures of people and things I just found on the internet that match what my characters and things look like in my head. It just helps me visualize them and others things a little better, and hopefully it will help you, too.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

PS – the pictures of the new vampires are on it, now, too.