"So is there anything in particular you would like to see while we're here in San Francisco?" Zelda asked him the next morning over breakfast.
"Well, I'd like to do one of the cable car tours, as I've never been here and San Francisco is one of the few places where they have that kind of attraction. I believe there are three cable car lines that are still active, but unfortunately, many were lost during a big earthquake centuries ago," Tim said.
The cable cars in the Golden Gate city were kind of famous. The city had gone out of its way to maintain and keep them working, even though in this century such old-fashioned trolleys were obsolete. However, the trolleys of San Francisco ran along its own tracks and you could see most of the city from them if you stayed on one long enough. It brought in a lot of money to the city as the price for a ticket had gone up considerably in this century to what it had been when the trolleys had first been put into operation. Tourists flocked to the trolleys so they could take a tour of the city whether they were riding them for the first time or had been on the tour multiple times it didn't really matter.
The style of the cable cars never changed, as they were landmarks of the cities distant past, and been around for centuries, even though technology was very advanced, now, the cars were still pulled along by the cables that were buried beneath the city streets. Those cables were kept in good repair, the paint freshened every year so that people could identify their lines by the color at a glance. Each car was painted a different color. Unfortunately, there were only three lines now instead of 23 thanks to an earthquake that had taken place in 1906.
The earthquake in that year had been 7.9 on the Richter scale, which meant it had been massive and destroyed more than half the city or, at least the fires that the earthquake had caused had.
"Do you know there used to be 23 cable car lines but the earthquake of 1906 destroyed many of those lines or at least the fires that the earthquakes caused did. The earthquake was a 7.9 on the Richter scale, so in other words it was massive and rippled the ground throughout the city. You already mentioned that only three cable car lines still exist today mainly because of that earthquake and you are absolutely correct," Zelda said.
"I see you know your history," Tim said.
"I do, though I wasn't actually born until way after that, but still, both my father and uncle were around back then though they weren't actually here in San Francisco during the big earthquake, which is probably just as well. The two of them hadn't even met yet."
"They might not have met yet, but they certainly seem close now," Tim said.
"They are, but they didn't meet until the end of the 20th century. With my mom and aunt being best friends my dad and uncle knew they had to try to get along, as they wouldn't have broken up their wives friendship for anything. In fact, breaking up, their friendship is probably impossible, because they took a magical oath back when they were teenagers to not let anything separate them including hormones. It took time, but my dad and uncle forged a bond and are now just as close as their wives, but without a dangerous magical oath."
"Your father and uncle seem to be intelligent, reasonable men to me, which means they weren't going to rock the boat unless they had to," Tim suggested. "I'm sure that at first they got along mainly because of their wives, but that developed into a friendship over time. And why precisely is taking a magical oath dangerous?"
"Because both of them could've lost their magic if one of them broke their oath and one of them might even have been killed," Zelda explained. "It's taught to magical children that you don't take an oath like that unless you're fully aware of what could happen to you if you do. Also, you're not supposed to take such a dangerous oath like that until you at least 18 years of age, but mom and my Aunt Shonda were only 13 when they took it back when hormones are just beginning to get out of control. They were bound and determined that nothing was going separate them, as so many friendships break up around that age and for many reasons. It worked out in this case, but it is one reason that when my family moves to a new city, the Hotchners always follow, though that's not the only reason that they do but it is a major factor."
"As to you original statement, I believe they found out they had a lot in common and not just love for their respective mates, but other traits and interests they shared," Zelda said. "It doesn't really matter how it all began just that they're still as close today as they were when they met. It's one more reason when my parents move to another city the Hotchners always follow, other then the one I explained just a minute ago. It's always good to have someone exactly like you are that you can talk with that you don't have to hide anything from, that understands you no matter how you phrase a sentence. Also, if any problems happen to crop up you have someone to help you to solve it, without them having to come in from another city or country."
"Which is bound to happen, even if it's not often," Tim said. "You can't expect your life to be all smooth sailing, as there are bound to be problems of one sort or another from time to time. Life doesn't work that way."
"True, it doesn't and you're right there have been a few problems over the years, mostly minor things that were easily taken care of, but also some major problems usually involving someone finding out what one of us is by accident and trying to blackmail them to keep their secret. Welcoming, a new mate into my family is one of the joys though. Also, you'll soon learn that a little drama now and then is not necessarily a bad thing, as it makes life more interesting at least for awhile."
"So welcoming someone like you me into the family happens a lot?" Tim asked curiously.
"Didn't used to, according to my father anyway," Zelda said without hesitation. "The first one to find their mate was my oldest sister Shawnda, and that seems to have set off a chain reaction in both my family, and the Hotchners. After that, it was one of the Hotchners that found their mate, and it seems to go from one family to the other. One of my cousin's will find their mate like I did and then, next it'll be a one of my siblings, so back-and-forth it goes. Before that, it took dad centuries to find mom and my uncle also waited a long time to meet my aunt, though not as long as my father since he's considerably older. Both my family and the Hotchners have been extremely blessed and believe me, all of the above are very grateful."
"I certainly would be if I was immortal and had been around for centuries with no family to call my own and I'm not just talking about children, but a wife," Tim said thoughtfully. "I mean, I probably wouldn't even have dated if I was me in your position."
"Oh, we dated everything we just don't get attached, though that doesn't mean there aren't some problems with whoever we date wanting to cling to one of us even when we tell them nicely that it's over."
"So you do date at least some," Tim said, "even if you break up with that person after a few weeks or months. I wouldn't think you'd date at all until you meet your mate anyway."
"I don't know what gave you that silly idea Tim," Zelda said, shaking her head in mock dismay. "It might create a few problems from time to time when we do want to break it off with whoever we are dating, but we're just like humans and we have to get our sex someway. Imagine being a virgin for centuries, as that is usually how long it takes to meet our mate. It's certainly not something I want to contemplate and I know that anyone in my family would agree with me there. Besides, we need to practice our relationship skills, so that we're not fumbling around for the first time when we do meet our mate. Just because we're immortal doesn't mean we know how to flirt with a man or a woman as that's a learned skill."
"I hadn't thought of that, but it does explain why I was such a dismal failure at that, flirting with a woman thing I mean," Tim said.
"You're simply more cerebral than most people, and those that are often have trouble with flirting and relationships in general. There are quite a few people in my own family that had trouble with relationships, Tim, simply because they are like you brilliant. When you're brilliant it's as if the gods decide that something must be taken away so you don't get to arrogant or full of yourself. In your case, you were just very shy and your relationship skill nonexistent, though you've improved beyond all recognition in the last few months."
"That's because of you," Tim told her seriously. "If I wasn't your mate, and if you hadn't been determined to get close to me, I doubt very much, I ever would've found a woman that could see past my shyness to my insecurities. Most women don't care that someone's childhood can affect someone all their lives, and if you had a demanding parent that tried to force you to obey...Most people don't want to look underneath the surface of things to discover the cause of someone being the way they are."
"That's all too true," Zelda agreed, as the two of them finally dropped the subject for the moment and continued to decide on what they wanted to do while they were here in San Francisco.
~~~Tim and Zelda~~~
"We've been invited back to my parents for another meal before we head back to New Orleans tomorrow," Zelda told Tim several days later.
"I certainly don't mind as your parents are terrific cooks, and that dessert your mother served was out of this world," Tim said smiling. "I certainly wouldn't mind having another one of your mother's desserts, as you're right, there is something extra in them like your brother Neville's that yours don't have that makes them so fantastic."
"You should tell her that she'll appreciate the compliment, trust me on that," Zelda said smiling. "I'll call my mother back and tell her that we're coming in for lunch today."
"Can I expect your aunt and uncle to be there as well?" Tim asked and Zelda nodded.
"Almost assuredly," Zelda agreed. "My parents and godparents do a lot of things together and mom and dad are always inviting my aunt and uncle over for a meal and the reverse is also true."
"It's easy to see that your family values being together," Tim said. "You can't say the same about a lot of families."
"I know," Zelda said knowing that her mate was thinking about his rather rocky relationship with his father before his death.
"Lunch isn't for a couple of hours what do you want to do before then?" Tim asked.
"Well, we could go over early just so you can get to know them better and they can get to know you. They won't mind, trust me on that, as they always enjoy company. Or we can do something else instead and only go over there for lunch at 1 o'clock."
"I don't mind if we go to your parents early, if you're sure they won't care. I know you don't get out here to visit them very often since you have the shelter to run," Tim said.
"Not as often as I'd like, but on the other hand, they also aren't going to die and we do talk over the link quite frequently," Zelda agreed. "They'll have some more children sometime in the next few years and then they'll have them to concentrate on."
"You know I never thought about that. That being immortal you never get too old to have children," Tim said.
"You've had a lot to absorb you would've thought of it eventually," Zelda told him smiling. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You've only known about immortals and mates for less than a week. It's going to take you awhile to absorb completely and think of all the implications. I know the information that was shared was earthshattering, which is one reason I wanted us to take a few days to relax and give you a chance to fully absorb what you were told," Zelda told him sympathetically. "My family are well aware how what they are and what they can do would be considered weird, even taboo to some people who think anything not considered normal as something to be feared or destroyed. They also know that a lot of people, priest and their ilk would even consider them possessed by demons. A lot of people would want to get rid of us just because we weren't what they would consider normal and someone who was super religious would want a priest to try to exorcise us because they thought we were demon possessed."
"Has that ever actually happened? I mean, with a religious leader, thinking you're demon possessed?" Tim asked.
Tim's tone was astonished that anybody would think that someone different was demon possessed.
"On one hand, I can understand why somebody would think that if they happen to see something supernatural that concerns someone in your family. See one of them heal for instance, or see one of them die and then come back to life minutes later. I know some people are just crazy enough that they could believe you were possessed by a demon or even the devil himself, that doesn't mean that it's not ridiculous," Tim said.
"It is," Zelda agreed "but still yes, it has happened to one of my aunt and uncle's children by the name of Shawn. Shawn always liked going to churches and just sitting in the back to listen to sermons and really there's nothing wrong with this, but there was a priest by the name of Reverend Delgado, who happened to see Shawn heal a cut instantly that he got from bumping into the side of the pulpit. Most people wouldn't have noticed, but he happened to be talking to Reverend Delgado at that time and he was one of those people that was observant and saw Shawn cut himself on accident and how the wound healed instantly. Shawn always was a bit clumsy."
"Being clumsy just makes you guys more human instead of less since a lot of humans are exactly that," Tim said. "As for your story, I hope Shawn was OK. I'm surprised that this Delgado didn't think he imagined it or something, since it was only a small cut not a gaping wound."
"It turned out that the reverend believed in the supernatural as he had an experience with it as a child and decided that if he ever encountered it again, then he would deal with it quite harshly. If it happened to be someone who looked human, then he figured that must be a demon in disguise, and he would kill it if he could."
"So this reverend tried to kill Shawn then," Tim said, and Zelda nodded.
"Delgado was a big man and it was clear being a priest hadn't made him soft and that he exercised. He tried to strangle Shawn, crush his windpipe, not realizing that Shawn would just come back to life at some point. I'm sure he planned the burn the body after taking it some place where he wouldn't be observed. The good reverend was basically a fanatic. He was bound and determined to kill off anything he considered supernatural even if that was a human. He considered Shawn evil in disguise, even though Delgado really knew nothing about him. He didn't bother to learn about immortals and how they were just basically humans who could be good or evil."
"Priests are human and they have feelings just like anybody else," Tim suggested. "They have their faults and their gifts."
"I know it," Zelda said. "Still, Shawn was lucky and he knows it. He never went back to that church again, even though it was closest to where he was living at that time, but went to another church farther away
Actually correction, he did not got back until he could get in contact with his mother so they could come and take Delgado's memory. Shawn's been more cautious in churches ever since that incident, just in case you know."
"I would think he would stop going to churches for a few decades until Delgado died off," Tim said. "I would think that would be the smart thing to do or at least I wouldn't do it until I moved to another city entirely. What does Shawn find so fascinating about churches that he couldn't stop going until it was safe? I mean, decades or even centuries doesn't really matter to an immortal, so why not stop for awhile?"
"You know when I heard about the incident, I asked him the same thing and you know what he told me?" Zelda asked
Tim raised an eyebrow, which meant Zelda was to continue so she did. "He told me he felt at peace in a church something he rarely felt in his life. He felt God was right there beside him. It was like he felt a presence when he sat in a church just to soak in the peace and quiet. He also said he liked the singing, but it was mainly the peace that kept him going back."
"So despite his bad experience with Reverend Delgado he still feels at peace in church," Tim said curiosity in his tone.
"Basically, yeah," Zelda agreed. "Most of the family hasn't even stepped through a doorway of a church ever, but Shawn is different. It doesn't matter really, just that he lived through the experience and has been more careful since."
"So what happened to Delgado?" Tim said.
"What do you think? What did I just say about Shawn contacting his mother?" Zelda said. "Mom and Aunt Shonda traveled to Maine where Shawn was living at the time and mom got an appointment with the good reverend, as he didn't know the Rossis were connected to Shawn and then they managed to bind him to his chair because they worked together. Mom touched his forehead and took his memory of the entire incident where he tried to kill Shonda's son. He struggled at first, but not for long, because Shonda had him bound to his office chair in no time at all, but that didn't mean he couldn't talk and beg for his life.
"So Delgado really believed that they were going to kill him?" Tim said, shaking his head at the story. "Actually, I can see that considering what a fanatic he seemed to be at least from what you said."
"I wasn't there for the incident, but I've heard the story numerous times from mom and Aunt Shonda and to say my aunt was furious that Delgado tried to kill her son would be like saying a flood didn't drown anything in its path. While my mother was mad too since she loves Shawn just like she loves all of Aunt Shonda's children she managed to keep her head."
"Which is why she was the one that took his memory," Tim guessed.
Zelda nodded in confirmation and Tim said, "I don't blame your aunt for being furious, as Shawn is her son. I doubt Delgado knew that your cousin had a whole family that would come after him," Tim said. "So what happened after that?"
"Shonda let him know what she thought about him trying to murder her son and Delgado looked done in by the time Shonda was done lecturing him," Zelda explained smiling, as she well remembered her mother and godmother telling the tale.
"Mom then told him that no, they weren't going to kill him, as they didn't do that and according to mother, he didn't believe her," Zelda said.
"I actually can't blame Delgado for not believing her considering the situation that really was of his own making," Tim mused.
"In any case, Aunt Shonda stood by watching the door to make sure no one saw what they were doing while Jazz did most of the work on that one as my aunt likely would have destroyed his mind whether on accident or on purpose because the incident involved her son. Anger is not a good emotion to be feeling when you're doing such delicate work just so you know. You need to be calm and patient if you don't want to make any major mistakes when it comes to changing someone's memory. Mom let Delgado know what she thought as well, but it was mainly my aunt that had a few words to say to him."
"Well, you're aunt is a redhead and every redhead I've ever known has a temper and Shawn is her son," Tim said. "Any good parent would've lost their temper when they learned of such an incident, though most wouldn't have been able to do anything about the reverend."
"That's true that my aunt is a redhead, but usually she's pretty even tempered," Zelda said. "She really doesn't get upset about much, but nobody could blame her in this instance including my uncle that she was furious enough to spit fire out of her nose and incinerate Delgado on the spot. By the time my mom was done Reverend Delgado had forgotten all about the incident and luckily, he hadn't told anyone, though he might have if we hadn't taken care of him so quickly. In fact, he had forgotten that Shawn had even been there the day that it happened. Even our magic couldn't get Delgado to forget about Shawn completely though, because there were too many memories involving him. Shawn had been going there for several years every few days. Had mom taken every single memory he never would've been right in the head again if she had. My aunt was furious enough to do just that, but luckily, my mother had more sense, even if she was also upset."
"And how did your uncle react when he learned what the reverend tried to do to his son?" Tim wanted to know. "I bet you he was furious."
"He was," Zelda agreed, "and so was dad, but they couldn't really do anything other than kill him, because they don't have any magic. At least my cousin showed sense and called in reinforcements, since the incident was because of him, it wouldn't have been a good idea for him to try to corner Delgado to take his memory. For one thing, as far as I know, Shawn has never had to take someone's memory before, just like I never have, so he could've seriously have messed up the reverend's mind. Permanently turned him into a blithering idiot."
"So question, does clumsiness run in the Hotchner family?" Tim ask curiously once Zelda had finished her story.
"No, it doesn't and as far as I know, Shawn is the only one that seems to trip over his own feet and no, none of my siblings are as clumsy as he is. Shawn has always been that way I don't know why my aunt and uncle didn't get him into martial arts or something that would give him some grace. Come to think of it they were probably afraid that somebody would notice any bruises healed instantly."
"Yes, I can see why that would be a concern. I mean, look at what happened with Delgado when your cousin was clumsy enough to bump the edge of the pulpit that apparently had something sharp enough sticking over the edge to give him that cut," Tim said.
"It's as if Shawn's body never got out of that awkward stage that a lot of teenagers go through," Zelda said. "You know where they are all limbs and the rest of their body needs to catch up so until it does, they are clumsy. It is what it is, and Shawn will be more cautious in the future."
"If it was just a small cut, I'm actually surprised Delgado even noticed," Tim said. "I know you said that he was observant, but it would've healed instantly I'm assuming which means he would've had to be looking directly at it when Shawn got it in order to see it at all before it healed. If there was any blood at all, it just would've been just a spot that Shawn could've wiped off on his pants before the reverend saw it."
"Actually, I believe Delgado just happened to catch Shawn cutting himself on accident out of the corner of his eye, but that was enough for him, even though he should've believed he had imagined it since he wasn't looking directly at it. Why he didn't think he had imagine it I have no idea and I really don't want to know, as Delgado proved himself crazy when he tried to strangle my cousin," Zelda said shaking her head. "You'll meet Shawn at the holidays, Thanksgiving or Christmas, as he'll likely be at both of them. You can ask him for more details if you want to."
"That's OK, I think you've given me everything I need," Tim said, changing the subject.
~~~Tim and Zelda~~~