Part 2

"That was fun and delicious," Penelope admitted in surprise, licking her bottom lip to get the last drop of blood.

Aaron had watched her carefully and listened to the policeman's heartbeat, before gently urging his mate to stop. He had finally had to pull her away and she had actually growled at him, but since he knew her instincts were rather high, he didn't blame her for it. No vampire liked to be pulled away from their meal and though they were mates they had not yet completed their connection, as Penelope had to learn to trust him first, so as hard as it was to resist just taking her he did so. Hopefully, it wouldn't be long, maybe a month or so before she was ready to take that step, but he would wait and see. He wasn't sure he could wait much longer then that, but he was also determined to do so, until he was given permission and besides, traditional courtship lasted for at least a year, although he certainly hoped he didn't have to wait that long.

"What you didn't think it would be?" Aaron asked his mate with a knowing smirk

"No, I thought it would be something I'd have to get used to if I wanted to live," Penelope explained.

"As I explained earlier vampires have very strong instincts and the two strongest are mating and hunting. Also protectiveness of one's mate comes a close third, but only because not many vampires ever meet their mates. Nothing comes between a vampire and their mates and if that occurs those particular instincts are probably stronger than the other two. A vampire can survive almost anything that ever comes their way except the loss of their mate. I suspected what you were thinking, but I knew the second you bit down on the side of some human's neck you would love hunting in the future."

"I nearly killed him," Penelope said upset at that reminder and Aaron nodded in understanding.

"But you didn't and you need to concentrate on the positive not what almost happened," Aaron soothed her. "If you do kill someone you shouldn't feel guilty, because you're still a newborn after all and their instincts tend to be harder to control then those who are older and more experienced. It'll take you a few years anyway to learn true control and I'll go with you when you hunt if you want me to."

"I would appreciate that. You stopped me from killing that policeman and I will be forever grateful that you did," Penelope told Aaron sincerely causing him to beam at her and normally he didn't smile very much at all. He had a feeling though that was about to change with Penelope now in his life. "It would simply kill me, emotionally at least, if I ever killed someone, particularly a child."

"Yeah, I know children, especially always wreck me with guilt," Aaron admitted. "I try not to go after children at all and never get thirsty enough that I have no choice."

"Have you ever killed a child before?" Penelope asked suddenly and Aaron tried not to immediately feel guilty, but he knew that he couldn't lie to the love his life, because that was definitely not the way to start off a relationship, as it might take them longer to actually complete the bond.

"Back when I was first learning control it happened a few times," Aaron admitted. "As I told you earlier I had no one to mentor me to make my transition into the vampire world easier and even if I had there are no guarantees that that particular vampire would have cared about not killing their meals. It took me years, really decades, to learn to control on my own, but eventually I did and I haven't killed since, not when I'm hunting anyway. When you're newborn vampire your instincts are incredibly strong and with no mentor to offer me advice, well, I had to learn control on my own, which wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do. Eventually I got it all worked out and I haven't bitten a child since."

Penelope thought about Aaron's story and figured she could forgive him for what had happened so long ago because a vampire's instincts were so incredibly strong, particularly a newborn's apparently, something she had already discovered for herself.

"I still feel guilty for the few children I did kill back when I was first learning how to control myself," Aaron admitted, "but since there is nothing I can really do about it I try not to think about it too much, as it happened centuries ago. I hope you understand that I didn't have control of my instincts back then and times were also very different."

"I do understand, even if I don't like it, but I have discovered for myself how strong a vampire instincts are, as I just wanted to keep draining that policeman's blood until he was dead. It was only you pulling me away that prevented it, so yes, I do know how incredibly strong a vampire's instincts can be," Penelope assured him. "You are different now than you were back then, as you can't live as long as you have and not change."

"Thank you for that vote of confidence," Aaron said more relieved then anything else that Penelope had taken the news of his killing of children so well. Apparently the way she chose to see it was that he had been unable to fight his instincts back so long ago just like she hadn't been able to, when she had been drinking from that policeman.

"So when are we leaving the city?" Penelope asked immediately changing the subject.

"Well it's too late to do that now, as it will be dawn pretty soon and it's just better if we leave under the cover of darkness as there will be few, if any people on the street, so probably tomorrow after the sun sets," Aaron said, as he looked at his watch.

"Are you sure we're not going out in the sun because it will turn us to ash?" Penelope teased him.

"No, that's not the reason, my lady," Aaron promised her gallantly, as he kissed the back of her hand causing her to giggle. "No the reason we're not going out until the sun sinks below that horizon tomorrow night, preferably after midnight, is because we don't need anybody to see you. If that were to occur rumors would probably start and it's true that nothing might come of those rumors but you never know. Once we are away from here it is unlikely that anybody you know will see you, so we can go out in the daytime. You do look very different from how you look before you're more gorgeous, because all the imperfections have been burned away, but you look enough like Penelope Garcia to be identified and it's possible we might run into someone that will recognize you if we go out to soon."

"So where are we going once we leave the city?" Penelope asked.

"It doesn't really matter to me," Aaron said with a shrug. "It would be better if we left Massachusetts entirely, so that there is even less chance of running into someone you know, but there's a whole big world out there for us to explore. I would eventually like to take you overseas and show you the wonders of Europe, but that's going to have to wait awhile until I'm sure that you can make a long sea journey without killing someone. We'll figure out where we want to go as we travel, but we do need to stop in the nearest town and feed again, and this is particularly important for you since you're so new to the vampire life."

"Will we ever be able to return?" Penelope asked looking sad, as she had spent all her life in the city and it was her home.

"Yes, in 50 years anybody you knew will be dead and we can come back then if you want," Aaron promised her. "Nobody will remember Penelope Garcia who was just another victim in the smallpox epidemic and even if they do they will assume that it can't possibly be you, because you look so young, as you would be an old, old woman by then and now that you're a vampire you won't age."

"So much, will have changed in 50 years," Penelope said, looking sad.

"I'm afraid that's the way it is," Aaron said philosophically. "Life is all about change, because if we stayed to same then there would be no humans or vampires as our two species would stagnate and eventually die out from boredom if nothing else."

"I suppose," Penelope agreed.

"Just don't take my word for it, as trust me, you will eventually see for yourself what I mean," Aaron said amused, not at all offended at his mate's words or tone. "The world has changed, so much from when I was born, that you would be amazed if you had been born over 600 years ago like I was. People died much younger back then, because they hadn't learned that sanitation was important or that keeping themselves clean, especially their hands when they prepared food was also very important. People pass germs to each other and don't realize it, just by touching anything at all and then touching a person, like in a handshake. Us, vampires we don't need to worry about such things, but humans do and if they weren't so prolific and for the most part gave birth easily, they would have likely died out centuries ago. To change the subject back to what we were talking about originally I'm glad you enjoyed hunting, because I certainly enjoyed hunting with you and in fact, I've never enjoyed an activity so much."

"Because doing something alone is not as enjoyable, as doing it with someone else, particularly someone special and just a friend or a family member," Penelope suggested. "I've noticed that when I shopped alone I didn't enjoy it half as much if I was shopping with my sisters or mother."

"Perhaps, that is it," Aaron said giving the idea some serious consideration. "It never occurred to me that I've always enjoyed myself more if I was with someone at the time, no matter what that activity is, although they were mostly human, so I've never hunted with another vampire before."

"Whyever not?" asked Penelope in surprise.

"Because vampires tend to be territorial anyway and that trait is much stronger when they are hunting. Before you ask that doesn't apply to the two of us, because we are mates and yes, I am aware that you growled at me when I tried to stop you from killing that policeman. However, trust me, that reaction was mild compared to other vampires reactions to having their meal interrupted by another of their kind. Once we have completed the bond you will enjoy hunting with me and won't object if I stop you from killing someone."

"I see," Penelope said thoughtfully. "So now that we've both fed, what now?"

"Well, there are plenty of books in the library if you want to read, although you'll have to be careful with the delicate pages, until it becomes second nature to watch your strength or we can just sit here and talk, get to know each other better."

"How did you know I know how to read?" Penelope asked in surprise, "because a lot of females aren't taught that, except the very basics."

"The books in your room," Hotch answered immediately. "There weren't very many, but I assume your father had a library and you just hadn't had a chance to return them."

"Yes, my father had quite a large library and he was still collecting when he fell so ill. He hired a tutor to teach all his daughters how to read and not just the basics either. He saw no reason for our intelligence to go to waste like so many men would have. Of course, my siblings and I never made a big deal out of it, but that's one of the reasons I never married, as I knew that the men that were courting me wouldn't really appreciate the fact that a female was not only smarter than him or at least as smart, but they could also read just as well. I'm going to miss all those books," Penelope mourned.

"Don't worry about it, we will settle somewhere for a few years and you can buy as many books as you like," Hotch told her.

Penelope looked up in surprise that she had never expected for Aaron to support her reading habit, but then again he was a 600 year old vampire and she was sure he knew that woman were not as dumb, as a lot of men liked to believe. He had told her that he would treat her as an equal and so far he seemed to be honoring his promise, but she would wait and see.

"I know that you didn't believe me when I told you I would be treating you as an equal, but I meant what I said. No male vampire mistreats a female, because a lot of them are just as tough as their male counterpart and since we are mates that just adds another layer of complexity to the situation. No, vampire would mistreat their mate, because they would end up taking that vampire's life and then following them into death, or taking their own and having their mate follow them, as it could happen either way. No, when a vampire finds their mate you love them so much that you would never think about mistreating them and instead you want to spoil them rotten, to show how much you love them. Once the bond is complete you will understand exactly what I mean, but until then I'll keep assuring you that all I want is for us to share our life together. Whether that's enjoying the food, travelling to new places, hunting together, or having many children together. Mate's spend a great deal of their time together, but they have the freedom to do their own activities as well, but really they don't want to unless they've been together for a long time. You can go shopping on your own for example and not only will I not try to stop you I'll even pay for anything your heart desires. Don't stint yourself on my account, because my money is your money and trust me, I have more than I could ever spend. Well, you'll see, as I've always believed that actions speak louder than words ever could," Aaron said.

"Yes, I have always believed that to," Penelope admitted beginning to fall more and more in love with Aaron Hotchner, as so far she believed he was a good man vampire or not.

"Mates are always compatible in many ways, because they wouldn't be mates otherwise," Aaron said in an uncanny echo of Penelope's thoughts. "We have to be able to live together after all, as mates are bound together for eternity and in order to get along our dislikes, philosophies, likes, interests, hobbies and personalities have to be at least similar in some ways, though not in all ways."

"Yes, that makes sense," Penelope agreed after thinking about her mate's words. "It wouldn't make any sense at all for two people who are supposedly mates to have nothing in common, as how would they be able to live together?"

"No, it wouldn't," Aaron agreed, realizing how intelligent his mate was, but then really that was a given, because there was no way he could get close to some silly girl who only thought about fashion, makeup, or who the best husband was and had very few coherent thoughts rattling around in her empty skull. He know from experience that a lot of females were spoiled into uselessness by their fathers and never had a serious coherent thought in their lives. You couldn't discuss politics for example with most females or the latest news for most of them didn't care about such things and didn't bother to pay attention to the world around them. However, Aaron quickly saw that Evan had been right and that his mate Miss Penelope was indeed very intelligent and might even read the paper since her father had seen fit to educate her and her siblings on how to read and also likely write, as well as mathematics. He was looking forward to discovering the hidden intelligence behind her beautiful brown eyes, something that most men wouldn't notice and even if they did they wouldn't care what a mere female thought.

He was looking forward to watching her intelligence emerge the more she learned to trust him.

"We could make a trip to your father's house once we sure that they have passed on and collect a few of your favorite books, but we wouldn't be able to take too many, because we have no way to transport them. I'm sure there were some that you were more fond of then others," Aaron suggested.

"Well, yes," Penelope admitted. "I know of a few that my dad was especially fond of that I wouldn't mind keeping, for sentimental reasons."

"I suggest we wait a few days before we try, just in case anybody's still alive, as we don't have to actually leave the city until after we do that, because it's not like either one of us can get smallpox," Aaron said.

"Oh, thank you," Penelope said, as she flung her arms around his neck

Since it was the first such a gesture that she had initiated Aaron accepted the affection gladly. Maybe it wouldn't take several months to win her trust with the way things were going, but he'd wait and see.

"I hate it dent your enthusiasm, but I think no more than a dozen books, maybe twenty, but no more than that. Books are heavy," Aaron explained hastily, "and they also take up a lot of room and we want to travel as lightly as possible to get away from the city, even though vampires are incredibly strong. I think though that you should check my library to see if I have some of the same books as your father, well, at least some of the older ones, because I really haven't updated this particular library, since I was last here, which was at least hundred years ago."

"That's an idea," Penelope said perking up at that. "I don't know that you will considering you haven't lived in Connecticut in a century, but my father did have some older volumes, although your editions are probably earlier ones and some of the stuff you have is probably quite valuable."

"That doesn't matter to me," Aaron shrugged, "but you're probably right that some of the books I have collected in the various houses I own all over the world are probably worth a fortune if sold in the right market."

Aaron was again amazed that his mate knew about such things as how valuable the books could become, particularly first edition that were in mint condition and doubted he would stop being astonished for some time to come.

"We don't need the money by selling those books," Aaron told Penelope.

"But it's not like you use them frequently as you haven't been back here in a century, as you admitted that yourself and the dust that's on everything certainly backs up your words," said Penelope.

"Well, it's not like I could have somebody come in to clean since I didn't let anybody know that I was in town. I was thinking about settling here for a few years before I felt the connection I had to you."

"You didn't realize that Connecticut was under quarantine?" Penelope asked.

"Not really as word has been slow to get out," Aaron said. "Even if I had known, if I had realized that my mate was here deathly ill before I entered the outskirts of the city it wouldn't have stopped me from doing so. Since I was close enough to feel the connection nothing could have kept me away. Really I just wanted to see how much Connecticut had grown since the last time I had been here, since cities grow all the time and it would have undergown significant changes since last time I was here, but I guess those plans will have to be abandoned for now."

"Why would you want to see how the city had changed?" Penelope asked struggling to understand.

"Vampires see a lot of change," Aaron tried to explain. "We live basically forever really, even if we can be killed it's very hard to do so. We have to keep ourselves busy some way as tedium can be deadly to our kind. I'm not claiming that our kind aren't bored sometimes, but it's very easy to get stuck that way and if that happens, a lot of vampires cause trouble, just because they want something to do for a spark of excitement. I'm afraid that a lot of vampires don't have the strongest ethics or morals and they can kill a lot of humans if they can't find something interesting to occupy their attention. Just one vampire can decimate a population of several hundred in the matter of a few weeks."

"Does that happen often?" Penelope asked wincing, as she imagined that scenario.

"No, because vampires that do that are usually quickly hunted down and destroyed by others of our kind, as we are distrusted enough and this is well-known, as we make sure it is. Of course, some vampires believe that they are above the laws that we have and think they can kill indiscriminately with no action being taken, but they soon find much too their determent that they were wrong. Whichever vampires are in the area usually hear about that happening pretty quickly and those causing trouble are quickly hunted down and destroyed. Really we are no different from humans as we have our bad people, ones that don't want to be bothered and just basically left alone or ones that go out of their way to help others."

"You sure can be vicious," Penelope said.

"We can be more vicious than humans," Hotch told her. "Every species has the capacity for violence, whether you're wild animals, vampires or humans. I know your father did his best to protect you from the violence in the world, but you'll see for yourself eventually that humans can be vicious, though not as vicious as a vampire, since we are natural predators."

Penelope silently acknowledged that Aaron had a point, as she read the paper when she could get it away from her father, preferably without him knowing, because he always scolded her not thinking she needed to read about all the violence in it. Real violence not like in the books she read which were pure fiction.

The two continued to talk for hours and the more Penelope learned about Aaron Hotchner the more she fell in love with him. He was a good man, even if she knew she had been sheltered, but she was not unaware that not everybody was completely innocence. Well, not unless you were a baby or maybe a young child, even if the sin was relatively minor like lying to your parents to get yourself out of trouble. Of course, that was relatively innocent, as there were much more serious crimes, even if she as a gently reared young lady wasn't supposed to be aware of such things. She thought this rule was stupid, because one of those serious crimes could happen to her. Most men thought that women shouldn't be know about things that would upset them and she admitted that a lot of women weren't interested in learning about the world around them other than a very narrow set of parameters, get married, have children, do the shopping and so forth. A lot of women lived very shallow and unfulfilled lives and she'd had no intention of being one of them, but she had been unsure of how to fulfill her potential that her father always said she had. Her father had the money to send her to college, but unfortunately, colleges were for men only. Women really were beaten-down and very few ever broke those bonds. Aaron had already said that he would help achieve whatever her dreams were and for now she would believe him unless he proved otherwise.

~~~Aaron and Penelope~~~

Several days later

"I've never traveled so far from home. In fact, I've never left Connecticut," Penelope observed in awe, as she looked at all the beautiful scenery that was passing by at an incredible speed. She was sitting up in front of the carriage in the passenger seat now that they were well out of the city, as Aaron had kept his promise to her and that was she could sit up front with him once they will away from the city where people might recognize her.

"I'm not surprised, as most people don't travel from the city they were born, particularly females. Well, not unless they get married and move away with their husbands," Aaron corrected. "Traveling to new places takes a great deal of time, as the only way to go is by horse, carriage or ship and each mode of transportation has its own dangers whether that's bandits, or the possibility of a ship being sunk by pirates or just because of bad weather. "Horses are the fastest form of land travel, but I didn't think you had been taught how to ride, except perhaps, side saddle, so that option was out unless I was wrong."

"You weren't wrong, as I was never taught how to ride properly," Penelope admitted. "I might actually have enjoyed riding a horse if I could do it properly and not side saddle, which is the only way considered appropriate for females. I can understand it sort of, because females wear long dresses and it would be hard to ride with one leg on either side of the horse, but still, to me it's no fun and I always felt like I was falling off. Females are denied so many opportunities that it used to make me mad, but finally I just did whatever I wanted and I didn't care if people disapproved, except perhaps, for my parents."

"Well, I'll be glad to teach you to ride properly, once we settle somewhere," Aaron promised. "We're going have to figure that out how to get you a pair of pants in your size though, because it would be better not to ride in a dress."

"I can sew," Penelope said, "and so if you can get me the material I can have a pair of pants in my size sewn up in a few days depending on how much time I put into it."

"Well, that does make it easier," Aaron said. "Whenever I need new clothes I just buy something from the first stores I come across in my size. I had actually forgotten that most women are taught how to sew by their mothers."

"It's something I actually enjoyed doing, as it gives me time to think," Penelope admitted. "I like to embroider to. Me and my sisters used to sew together a lot of times and chat the whole time. I'm going to miss that."

"Well, you can always teach our daughters to sew and I'm sure that they'll enjoy just talking with you while you do so," Aaron said. "I know that's not going to happen for awhile, but it is a possibility."

"Yes, it is," Penelope acknowledged making Aaron beam at her. "You know I always imagined that if I am at did get married that I would have my father walk me down the aisle. Now that can never happen."

"I'm really sorry about your family," Aaron told Penelope sincerely. "No one deserves to die in such a horrible way. Unfortunately, I have seen different diseases sweep through the human population more than once in my centuries and it will happen again I promise you. I'm afraid it's just a fact of life."

"So where are we heading?" Penelope asked changing the subject.

"I told you a few days ago that it doesn't really matter," Aaron shrugged. "I own properties in several different cities including Alexandria Virginia, Boston Massachusetts, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Charleston South Carolina and New York and I know that both of us will buy a lot more property in our centuries together."

"Whoa! That's a lot of properties," Penelope whistled appreciatively.

"Vampires tend to acquire a lot of properties," Aaron shrugged. "Land is always a good investment, because even if the house is destroyed by some sort of natural disaster the land remains and a lot of times the land is more valuable than whatever was on it."

"What did you mean a minute ago about me acquiring property? Female can't own anything, not unless her husband, father, cousin or some other relatives allows her to."

"That will change," Aaron said briefly. "It might take a couple of hundred years to get there or longer, but eventually women are going to be allowed to do anything a man's allowed to do, to own property, to go to college if they care to, to get a job and be paid the same for her work as any man. It won't all happen at once, but I know that it will, as women are not going to remain beaten down forever. I have traveled the world and the struggle for equality has been going on for longer than you can imagine and eventually it will come to pass. Men, most of them anyway, are in for a shock when they realize that they can no longer subjugate women, as they will eventually demand the same rights that men receive."

"Now that sounds like a glorious future," Penelope said, as she imagined it.

"Unfortunately, there's going to be a lot of battles and a lot of deaths, before it comes to pass, as men aren't going to give up their subjugation of women easily and there will likely always be some of that, even after laws are put into place that give females equal rights. Human beings are not perfect and some men are still going to subjugate women, but I can see laws being voted on that protect them from that subjugation and vice versa of course, since females can be just as intelligent and sly as any man," Aaron said. "I know this from experience, as I've seen more than you can imagine in my 6 centuries. Women can be just as devious, as any man. Actually they're often more devious about and definitely aren't caught as often as men are. They often use more subtle methods then stabbing someone in the back like poison for example."

"How would you know?" Penelope asked seriously.

"Because some poisons have a very subtle scent that most human noses can't smell. Of course, some humans have a very refined sense of smell and can often detect something, but they are often unsure what that is," Aaron explained.

"Can we go to New York? I've always wanted to go there, but I was sure I'd never have a chance as it's a very long way away," Penelope requested, accepting Aaron's explanation.

"Sure, if that's what you want as I have a very nice house that I just acquired a few decades ago," Aaron agreed. "I was thinking about heading someplace like Pennsylvania since you could learn to ride in more privacy there, but if you want to go to New York then we will go to New York though it is going to be a long journey. It would be much faster by sea, but I'm not sure you're up to a sea journey at the moment. It's going to take us at least three weeks maybe a month to get there, because we'll have to stop and feed numerous times between now and then at least. Also, it depends on the weather and the condition of the roads, as the roads aren't the best in some stretches, so we'll be going over some pretty rough country. It would take even longer if we had to sleep, but since we don't it's going to be much faster to us and rough terrain doesn't matter so much, even if it slows us down considerably. If we were going by horse it would be considerably faster, but we wouldn't be able to bring all our luggage with us either."

"Still, at least we get to see a lot of beautiful scenery along the way," said Penelope, as she looked around at the passing countryside appreciatively.

"And I also get to spend a lot of of interrupted hours with you, which is a pleasure for me I promise you," Aaron said and leaned over just enough to kiss her cheek.

Penelope would have blushed if he could have, but instead she just gave his arm a squeeze of affection. She'd only woken up as a vampire days ago and yet she couldn't believe how fast she was falling for this man. Aaron was showing her every courtesy, he was polite and kind. The two of them talked for hours learning about each other and while he'd made references of them spending their eternity together he had not tried to force her into anything, which she knew just from pure observation of how other men and women acted with each other that it was pretty unusual.

The two of them talked and laughed together, as Aaron drove the carriage over rather rough terrain and before they knew it, the sun was sinking into the ground.

~~~Aaron and Penelope~~~