Chapter 4

Philadelphia

The Hotchner residence

"Cian, it's so good to see you sweetie," Shonda greeted her pseudo nephew. "Why don't you come in and tell Aaron and I why you came to Philadelphia when you have a store to run in Moonlight Gorge."

"Thanks, Aunt Shonda," Cian said returning the hug kissing his aunt's cheek.

"Cian," Aaron greeted. "You must have a reason for coming all this way."

"I do and it's partly a business trip and partly a trip to see you," Cian said.

"Oh, you're here for the auction," Shonda said understanding lighting her fabulous green eyes.

"That's part of the reason I came," Cian said.

"What is the other reason," Aaron asked with a raised eyebrow. "Other than to visit us and attend the auction."

"Let's go into the den where we can be comfortable," Shonda suggested and Aaron nodded.

"A good idea, Shonda," Aaron agreed kissing his wife's cheek.

Cian watched this smiling, as it was something he'd seen often when he had been growing up. He had caught them on more than one occasion as a child making out as it was called, even today. The love, affection and respect they had for each other hadn't changed in all the centuries they had been together. He just knew that JJ was going to love them as much as he did and vice versa.

Shonda led the way to the den and soon they were all sitting down.

Shonda passed Cian a plate of Jazz's cookies and Cian took one biting into it.

"Thanks Aunt Shonda," Cian said, even as Shonda passed the plate to Aaron who also took several cookies. Finally, Shonda took a couple of cookies for herself, as she could never resist her best friend's baking.

"You're quite welcome nephew," Shonda told him smiling.

"Now what's your reason for coming to visit us here in Philadelphia other than that auction that Shonda's also planning to go to," Aaron asked Cian.

"I came to tell you that I met my mate," Cian told them. "Of course, I also came up here for the auction, but it was just fortunate that you also live here for this generation."

"That's wonderful news," Aaron told him smiling.

"It is," Shonda agreed. "Aaron and I are so happy for you."

"Yes we are," Aaron agreed, as he put an arm around Shonda's shoulders.

"So what's your name," Shonda asked.

"Jennifer Jareau," Cian answered. "Her car literally broke down not more than a mile outside of Moonlight Gorge and I happened to be coming back from the next town from buying some supplies, things I would have had to order, as they didn't have what I was looking for in any of the shops in town. It was starting to get dark too and by the time she walked into town and found help it probably would've been fully dark. I called a tow truck for her and took her to the closest hotel."

"That's really good Cian," Shonda told him and Aaron completely agreed.

"We had to stop at the auto shop first so she could fill out a whole bunch of paperwork before I could take her to the Moonlight Inn. I bought her dinner afterwards, even though she protested."

"Women have their pride and it's not like you were bosom friends," Shonda told Cian.

"True, but I told her she had to eat, so she caved," Cian. "She's apparently, short on funds, right now and lives in Milwaukee."

"If she lives in Milwaukee and has to get home that means you'll have to move to Milwaukee, so you can continue to see her," Aaron said.

"I know," Cian agreed soberly. "I would have to find something to do, because I know there's not a Walters Antiques in Milwaukee or anywhere close enough for it to be feasible for me to go to work every day.

"You could start one if necessary," Shonda said.

"So have you told her that you would like her to remain in Moonlight Gorge?" Aaron asked and Cian nodded.

"I made it plain that I'd follow her to Milwaukee if I have to," Cian said. "She tried to tell me that it was probably just lust that we feel and that it would fade and that I shouldn't rearrange my life for her. Those might not of been her exact words but still her intention was plain."

"She was trying to let you down gently," Shonda said, "by saying she had a life in Milwaukee."

"We know differently though, don't we?" Aaron said and Shonda and Cian nodded.

"We do," Cian and Shonda agreed soberly.

"She doesn't know anything about immortals and mates at least right now, and it's to soon to tell her," Shonda added.

"So did you get her to agree to stay in the Moonlight Gorge?" Aaron asked his nephew.

"I can be very persuasive and no, I would never stoop so low as to use my empathy on her," Cian said smiling. "To tell you the truth, she didn't seem too eager to get back to Milwaukee."

"Probably some kind of problem, likely work related," Shonda guessed.

"That might be it, but I don't know, though maybe she'll tell me once we get to know each other better," Cian said.

"It's probably has to do with a man. Men can be pigs," Shonda said. "Present company excluded."

"It's nice to know that we aren't considered the pigs isn't it, Cian?" Aaron asked his nephew with laughter in his eyes.

"Yes, it is," Cian agreed smiling at his aunt. "I really have to get going though."

"We can at least offer you a bed while you're here," Shonda told him firmly. "I'm assuming you have a hotel room, but why stay even in a nice hotel when you can stay with us? Why spend the money when you don't need to?"

"We won't charge you an arm or leg either, when you can stay with us for free," Aaron added.

"Yes, I did reserve a hotel room at a five star hotel and I need to check in. I came to see you first thing. I suppose I can cancel," Cian said not at all reluctant to do exactly that.

"You should've known that we'd offer you a room for the few days you're going to be here," Shonda told him giving him a look. "We did raise you from a six year old boy after all and we love you. Family is always welcome to stay with us whenever they're in the area and you are family. We can go to the auction together since you're here."

"That would be good," Cian said finally smiling. "We need to decide what we're going to bid on it advance so we're not bidding for the same thing. We don't need to be in competition with each other since we're in the same business."

"No, we don't," Shonda agreed. "We'll have to decide on the day of the auction though, as we don't get a program until we arrive and pay our fees."

"We should be able to agree on what we want once we see the program because somethings will sell better here in Philadelphia and others in Moonlight Gorge, because the two cities are in totally different states and have totally different demographics. It's just that the people here in Philadelphia probably won't be interested in the same things that those in Moonlight Gorge are, which is it in Louisiana."

"You know maybe we need to make Milwaukee our next city to live in," Shonda told Aaron. "I mean, we've lived all over the United States at one time or another and even overseas and yet we've never lived in Milwaukee."

"We'll have to discuss it with Dave and Jazz, but it's OK with me," Aaron said.

"I don't think Dave will care one way or the other," Shonda said looking thoughtful, "and Jazz probably won't either, but we'll talk about it, as we're not due to move for quite awhile. I mean we only have one son right now and I'm do to have another in a few months once Callan turns two."

"Why don't we introduce you to Cal while you're here," Aaron said. "He hasn't met most of the family yet, as he's only a year and seven months old.

"I'll be happy to," Cian smiled. "I had heard that you'd given birth to a son through the family grapevine, so I figured I would meet him while I was here. At least Callan is better than Calvin, even if the nicknames are the same."

"Jazz and Dave have a daughter who is only a little younger than Cal," Shonda told Cian.

"They named her Tallia which is a name we have not yet used in our family," Aaron said.

"That's actually pretty normal, even if it's not that common a name," Cian commented.

"True, it used to way more common, though spelled with one L not two like they spelled their daughter's name," Shonda admitted.

"She'll probably be spelling her name for people when she's grown," Cian suggested. "Always telling them to add that second L."

"Probably true," Aaron admitted. "It's hardly the traditional spelling but names can be spelled all sorts of ways now and we've simply had so many children that we've had trouble coming up with names that we don't have to spell to someone at some point."

"And I'm sure that someone in the family has had to repeat a name like Elizabeth, even if that that's what one of your children names your grandchild," Cian suggested.

"That is so true," Shonda laughed heartily. "Luckily, we're rarely altogether in one place where we have to say something like Elizabeth one or Elizabeth two."

"Still, new names are being created all the time even if they don't have much historical significance or much history behind them," Aaron said.

"True, though they're often similar to other names," Shonda said "which means they can be confused with names that sound similar, but mean something totally different."

"That's true to," Aaron admitted.

"Thank God, for the internet and baby name sites," Shonda said fervently. "I, for one, use those baby name sites frequently as it has hundreds of thousands of names from all over the world, along with their meanings."

"Not everybody thinks to do that though," Cian said. "Or is good with computers."

"That's true too," Aaron said smiling.

~~~Cian and JJ~~~

The day of the auction

Cian and Shonda arrived at the auction and checked in paying their fees.

They had arrived early enough that they could decide on what they wanted to bid on so that they didn't bid on the same things. The auction didn't start for half an hour so Cian and Shonda had time to decide what they each wanted to bid on.

They both studied their programs and made their decisions discussing it quietly before the auction started, then they both sat back satisfied.

"It's really nice to be here with you, Cian," Shonda told him quietly. "I usually come alone and while I enjoy being by myself at these things, it's much more fun with somebody that has the same type interest that I do. You know I met Aaron at an auction, except in Houston Texas, so that city will always hold a special place in my heart."

"That's really sweet," Cian told her smiling. "I can say the same about Moonlight Gorge, as that's not only where you and Aunt Jazz grew up that's where I met JJ. I never expected it."

"You never expect to meet your mate Cian. That's something I can tell you from experience," Shonda said quietly looking nostalgic. "Even today, meeting Aaron, was one of the best days of my life. Of course, taking you in, is also one of the major happy moments of my long life as well and also, each of my children's birth."

"I'm glad you did take me in Aunt Shonda, as I have no idea what would've happened to me if I hadn't entered your antique store that day. I can speculate as to what probably would've happened if you and Uncle Aaron hadn't, but as for what would have actually happened I don't really know," Cian said

"There's no point of dwelling on it nephew," Shonda told him smiling patting his shoulder in affection. "Now that we have decided on what we want to bid on the auction is about to start in just a minute, so we need to concentrate on that and not dwell in on what ifs. None of the things you're dwelling on actually happened, so you just need to concentrate on being happy with JJ."

"I can't help it sometimes, as I realize, my life is much better now than it would've been if I continued living on the street and never met you or the Rossis. I can't help being amazed, even to this day, that I'm alive and happy and I've met my mate, even if there's a long way to go before we tell her our secret."

"So how do you think she will react when that day comes?" Shonda asked.

"I don't really know," Cian admitted quietly. "She has been eating a lot of sweets, as I am in there every day and I always bring her something, so I would say she'll react OK once we get to that stage. Don't hold me to that though, as I'm just guessing since the deserts with the magic baked into them have never failed us before and I don't see that happening now."

"The bakery magic that runs through the Rossi family has never failed. Here's to hoping that it works just as well this time," Shonda agreed just as quietly then fell silent as the auction started.

Both Cian and Shonda listened to the auctioneer as the auction started and bid on various things for their two shops.

Finally, the auction was over several hours later and both felt very satisfied at what they had won their bids on.

The two headed to make arrangements for their stuff to be shipped particularly Cian who lived in Moonlight Gorge in Louisiana not in Philadelphia.

"I really enjoyed seeing you, Cian, but I guess you'll be heading home now. I know you probably miss your mate," Shonda told her nephew once they had made arrangements to have their purchases shipped.

"Yeah, I have a flight back for tomorrow," Cian agreed, as he and his aunt headed back to the Hotchner house. "I'm rather anxious to get back to JJ, as you already suggested, even though I knew I would only been gone a couple of days."

"Of course you are, as you just met her and haven't known her that long. You just want to spend every spare minute with her. That's just the way it is with mates, especially after they first meet," Shonda told him understandingly.

The two were silent as Shonda got into the driver's seat of her two seater sports car while Cian got into the passenger seat. Shonda started the vehicle and lifted off entering the traffic in the sky lanes.

~~~Cian and JJ~~~