Part 8

"Well, that takes care of Mr. Zeller," Aaron said in satisfaction, as he came back into the house.

"Good, I'm glad that he's taken care of, so we can just forget about him," Penelope said. "So how many of his bones did you break before you knocked him unconscious so that you could transport him easier?"

"Most of them," Aaron admitted instantly. "I left his neck and spinal cord alone, then I broke each of his toes and fingers before I graduated to his hands and his feet and so on. Trust me, he was in considerable pain by the time I was done much more than he had been in up until then. It's only to bad that we couldn't keep him for another week, so he could be in considerable pain for all that time, but if we had he likely would have died and stunk up the cellar even more then he did. He was barely still alive, by the time I was done and he has no hope of keeping himself from drowning, as I made sure of that. I'm actually surprised that he survived all I did to him considering that his heart was pretty weak due to lack of food and water over the last week, so he must have a very strong constitution."

"It always surprises me that you have such a capacity for violence," Penelope admitted, "considering you're usually a very gentle and tender man, one that I love with all my heart."

"You know very well that everybody has different parts of their personality," Aaron told his mate gently. "My capacity for violence is usually well channeled into us making love, and I don't get mad at just anything, because I realize that everyone has faults, but something's are just unforgivable and this was one of them. I don't release my capacity for violence very often you know and really it only happens once every 5 or 10 years or so, sometimes longer than that."

"I know, I didn't say I didn't understand it just that it surprises me that's all," Penelope said.

"Well, you were raised very differently from how I was, so although you can understand that everybody has the capacity for violence in the right circumstances in your mind, your heart is different. Just so long as you know I will never harm you and that you are my soul then that's enough for me," Aaron said.

"I know that already," Penelope promised him, kissing him tenderly. "I will never try to get you to stop doing what is right and dealing with Zeller the way we did was definitely the right thing to do considering what we suspect..."

"Yeah, we suspect that JJ was just going to be another acquisition and that he probably owns whore houses, at least one anyway," Aaron agreed. "Don't worry I made sure he was well tied down and I doubt his body will ever be discovered unless the fish chew through the ropes. However, he would've had an agonizing death, because not only did I break most of his bones, drowning isn't exactly very pleasant, as I should know, because it happened to me once, but unfortunately for Mr. Zeller he's not a vampire who cannot die by such a method."

"You actually drowned once?" Penelope asked in surprise for this was something she had not known, but she realized that she and Aaron had only been together for just over 100 years and she was sure there was a lot she still had to learn about him.

"Yeah, I got caught by some rather nasty fellows and I didn't want to let them know I was a vampire, so they supposedly knocked me unconscious and tied rocks to my ankles and my wrists. Of course, it took me a few minutes to get out of those ropes vampire or not, as they had tied them in such a way that it was very difficult at least and I never had a chance to hold my breath, in fact, I don't think it even occurred to me, so I had water in my lungs for a week afterwards. I was very young at the time less then 50 if I'm remembering correctly and I was still trying to find my way in the vampire world. Of course, I had my revenge not much later once I had finally swam to shore."

"And you tracked everyone of them down and they ended up dead," Penelope said already guessing exactly what had happened, as her mate was normally a very forgiving man, there was no doubt about that, but there was something's that were just unforgivable. Considering that these men had supposedly had ill intentions in mind from the beginning and had actually conked him on the head probably to rob him as thievery was one of the oldest motives in the world, she couldn't really blame him for what he had done.

"I'm afraid so," Aaron admitted. "I'm afraid I looked like someone that was worth stealing from and I didn't want or need the trouble that revealing the fact that I was a vampire would have brought, so I allowed it to happen, but I guarantee you it never did again."

"I bet you learned from that experience," Penelope chuckled, as she kissed Aaron on the cheek. "Why don't you go get a shower and change clothes before JJ awakes, as she'll be up very soon now I suspect, since she's apparently a pretty early riser, although I know that's at least partly childhood training. We don't want her to know what just occurred, although if she asks I wouldn't lie to her or anything, but I suspect that she won't."

"Probably not," Aaron agreed, "as she appears to be a pretty gentle soul despite all she's been through. However, you're right I do need a shower, because I feel very dirty just having to deal with somebody like Egbert Zeller, even if I know that's mostly mentally and not physically."

"You don't feel guilty though," Penelope said.

"No, I don't feel the least bit guilty, because he got what he deserved and a lot of people that bad things deserve to happen to them, well, it never occurs at least until after they are dead, so I'm always happy to mete out a little delayed justice. No, it's more the fact that Zeller was such a slimy character that I feel dirty just from touching him," Aaron explained. "I mean the man practically oozed sliminess like it was an actual physical thing."

"Yes, I agree that he was very evil and slimy," Penelope said shivering, "and I'm certainly glad that we saved JJ from such a fate, but now why don't you go shower and I'll fix breakfast for all three of us why you do that."

"Yes, ma'am," Aaron chuckled, as he kissed his mate one more time before he headed for the shower.

~~~Aaron and Penelope~~~

"This is wonderful," Aaron said smiling, as he came into the kitchen to find both JJ and Penelope busy fixing a huge breakfast for all of them.

"Yes, JJ insisted on helping out as she wants to learn to cook, so that when she's on her own she'll be able to take care of herself," Penelope said smiling.

"Besides, you've done so much for me then I just want repay you," JJ added shyly.

"There's absolutely no need to, as what we did was the right thing to do," Aaron told her, as he came over to give her a gentle hug and a kiss on the cheek. JJ blushed, because Aaron Hotchner was a very handsome man after all and sent her teenage hormones into overdrive, even if she was also aware why that was.

"I know, but still, I'd feel better if I can help out with some of the chores," JJ said.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with wanting to be helpful," Penelope said, as she flipped the pancake she was making. "Luckily, vampires can still eat, because I would certainly have missed the food if we couldn't, but on the other hand, I was dying anyway and Aaron did save my life by turning me into one, so it wasn't much of a sacrifice."

"I'm always been glad that vampire could still eat too and I've enjoyed experiencing, the way that food has changed over the centuries, particularly in the spices," Aaron said. "Penelope has certainly become a good cook over the years, although she didn't know how to prepare food at first, because she grew up in a home that had servants like butlers, cooks and maids."

"Yes, my father was very successful when it came to shipping things from overseas," Penelope explained. "He came from a poor family and worked his way up as he joined a ship as a cabin boy when he was the right age. Eventually he worked his way up to first mate and then went out on his own and started a shipping business, since he always loved the sea. By the time he married and me and my siblings were born he was already well on his way to being extremely wealthy at the very least. He seemed to have a knack for business despite never having gone to college. Some people who had inherited their wealth looked down on someone like him who had earned their money by their intelligence, their work ethic and their sheer drive to succeed."

"That's really fascinating," JJ said listening, even as she kept an eye on the eggs to make sure they didn't become overcooked, as that made them all rubbery and not very edible.

"Yeah, I really miss my father a lot of times," Penelope admitted sighing. "Don't misunderstand me or anything I love Aaron and he loves me, but I still miss my family. My father was a rather unusual man for his time and he encouraged my interest in politics, although I think that was more so he had somebody to discuss it with then because of any other reason. Unfortunately his only son, my brother died when he was just a child from some disease that wasn't really identifiable back then, much less curable."

"So were you an only child after your brother died or did you have sisters?" JJ asked.

"I had six of them, but two of them unfortunately, died from smallpox as we were still living at home. We were the three youngest and I'm in the middle of Belle and Anna who by the way, were kind of rebels in their own quiet way, as we all refused to get married unless we were sure that we really loved the man in question and the man loved us in return. I never met a man before Aaron that could hold my attention for more than 10 minutes, as I've always been good at reading people and I knew very well that those men that courted me didn't really care about me personally, but just cared about the large dowry that my father Simon had set aside for each of his daughters."

"That's very sad," JJ said and both Aaron and Penelope nodded in agreement with that.

"It is, but unfortunately, it's also human nature," Aaron commented speaking for the first time in awhile, although he had been listening closely to the conversation.

"Partly the reason those men didn't seem to truly care for me was the fact that I'm bigger boned than most other women and most men go for the skinny type, particularly in high society or in the city. Now if I had lived out in the country my body type well would've been more desirable, because women like me give birth easier then those with the different body shape as our hips are wider. It might not be by very much, but that doesn't mean it's not easier for us to actually give birth."

"Farmers and country folks have different priorities then city ones do," Aaron told JJ. "Farmers are more earthy and they want a wife who will work beside them without complaining about all the hard work involved in running a farm, because it involves a great deal of backbreaking, labor particularly if you're just getting started. Of course, if the farm belonged to your parents or your grandparents it still requires a lot of work, just not so much."

"Yeah, you can't be squeamish if you're running a farm and you have to be able to kill the cows or the sheep for meat and since I love animals I'm certainly glad that I'm not some farmer's wife as I don't think I could stand to see some innocent creature put to death just for food," Penelope said.

"You always were softhearted," Aaron told her affectionately.

"Well, it's a good thing I have you then, because I doubt I'd last long as a vampire as some other vampire would probably find me and rape me just for the hell of it," Penelope said, as she and Aaron kissed tenderly.

JJ winced at that reminder and Penelope immediately apologized. "I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories, that was not my intention."

"It's alright, I just need to stop reacting to things, especially since it never really happened," JJ said.

"But you can't help imagining what could have happened and neither Penelope or I can blame you for that, as humans in particular do have very vivid imagination a lot of times," Aaron told her gently.

"Yes, but you should be able to talk about anything you want without me wincing," JJ said.

"You are only 15," Aaron reminded his unofficial ward, "and we probably shouldn't be talking about this kind of thing in front or 15 year old anyway."

"So we never did talk about what's going to happen to me," JJ reminded them.

"Well, we wanted to give you a chance to settle in first," Penelope told her with a gentle smile, "and at least mostly get over what nearly happened to you if we hadn't come along. Aaron and I have already discussed several options, but you deserve to be in the decision, since it's your life after all and I think that you're old enough to help us decide."

"Well, that's rather unusual," JJ smiled, as she set the eggs on the table.

"In most families it is, but not in this one," Aaron told her. "Penelope and I both agreed that there would be no arranged marriages for any of our daughters, as is not really something vampires do, as it's more of a human thing."

"So I don't have to worry about an arranged marriage then," JJ said relaxing

"No, we would never do that to you," Penelope promised. "My parents didn't believe in arranged marriages, which is why me and my other two sisters never got married while my older ones did, but only because they wanted to not because it was forced upon them. Not arranging a suitable marriage for their daughters was rather unusual in the time I was born, particularly in wealthy families, although not entirely unprecedented."

"And really vampires don't arrange marriages, because the females are much stronger than any man, except for another vampire of course, and I doubt that any amount of money would get any man to agree to a marriage with a vampire if they are mortal that is," Aaron added.

"Besides, you have to remember that vampires are basically immortal and the only thing that would make sense was to arrange a marriage with another vampire, but a male of our kind would never agree to it, because then they'd be stuck with that person for eternity. You might not even like the person chosen for you very much, but then either of them would have no way to escape it, except to kill them," Penelope added, as JJ nodded, as that did make sense. "Of course, in a hundred years technically, you should be dead and whatever marriage certificate there was would be turned to dust, so I suppose that the couple could separate and go their own way, marry again if they met their mate. It wouldn't be right in the eyes of the church or the eyes of God, but since vampires live basically forever we don't always follow human conventions. At least they would get involved in other relationships, ones that were temporary."

"No, most vampires don't get married at all unless they are mates and that's what they want," said Aaron. "Penelope and I did live in New York for awhile and we told everyone we were married, even though we really weren't. I did so to protect her reputation more then my own, since she at the very least would have been shunned."

"It was right after I was changed into a vampire and I was still learning how to trust Aaron at that time, as I had been changed into a vampire without me giving permission for him to do so. However, I was his mate and he couldn't allow me to die and intellectually I understood that just not deep in my heart," Penelope added.

"I understood her reservations and so I courted her, just like I would have if she hadn't been near death when I finally found her, as I was raised a gentleman after all," Aaron said.

"It was really a very unusual set of circumstances," Penelope admitted. "However, now we've been together for over 130 hundred years and we're as close as we are, because we worked to learn everything we can about each other and built up the trust between us."

"Mates can never betray you to cheat on each other, as it's like finding your soulmate," Aaron told JJ. "Of course, I was well aware of this, but I had been a vampire for centuries while Penelope was still new to the life and had a lot to learn, which I understood."

"Alright, so are you going to tell me what plans you discussed?" JJ asked, as she ate her breakfast.

"Well, first we decided that you should drop JJ for right now, because the likelihood of two girls that look similar to each other with the same nickname are astronomical," Aaron begin to explain. "You can pick it up again later once we move somewhere else in a few years if you want, but both Penelope and I thought that you could be Jennifer for right now or maybe Jenny if that's okay with you."

JJ considered for a moment, then said, "That might actually be a good idea, because you're right, two people with the same nickname is highly unlikely, at least in the same city, as Philadelphia is not that big."

"And you're only a few miles away from your old neighborhood really, so it's a good idea to distance yourself from your old identity, as much as possible until we move somewhere else," said Penelope.

"Once we move away, which we plan to do maybe in three or four years, you can go back to being JJ if you want," Aaron said.

"I think I would prefer Jenny," JJ finally decided.

"That's fine," Penelope said, "and luckily, Jennifer is a perfectly common name so I doubt anyone will ever make the connection. Still, we need to be careful until we move somewhere that's hundreds of miles away, when nobody knows you or us for that matter, because technically, we did kidnap you, even if it was really a rescue."

"Of course, you're welcome to go out on your own once you reach 18, since you'll be a legal adult then, even if it's rather unusual to see a single woman traveling alone, although it's certainly more common than it was a few hundred years ago," Aaron said.

"No, so long as I'm welcome I think I'll stay with you at least until I meet some man that I fall in love with," JJ said and Aaron and Penelope nodded at this.

"Which is perfectly fine with us, as you're welcome to stay with us until you're old or until you get married, whichever happens," Aaron agreed. "We'll probably have several children during your years with us."

"I'm surprised you don't have any right now as I've heard that mates are extremely compatible and so have them easily," JJ said shyly.

"That's absolutely true," Penelope giggled, "and Aaron and I certainly had a child every few months, until about the last 20 years."

"So how are you preventing yourself from getting pregnant then?" JJ asked with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't think there was anyway to do that for a vampire who had met their mate anyway."

"We happened to be traveling in the Midwest about 20 years ago," Aaron begin to explain, "and we rescued this old Indian shaman who was being attacked, by white men, which is all too common I'm afraid. Well, he asked us what he could do to repay the favor knowing exactly what we were, although most people never figure out that we're vampires, as we're good at acting human because we immerse ourselves in humanity on a regular basis. Well, Penelope just happened to say the first thing that came into her mind and blurted it out. It's not that we mind having children, but we want them when we're ready for them, not just because we can't stop ourselves from getting pregnant."

"Yes, I can definitely understand that," JJ said with a nod. "I know that vampire female can't die in childbirth but that doesn't mean that one wants to stay pregnant constantly."

"I love all the children that Aaron and I have, but it was a relief to me to find a way to prevent having them until we're ready for more," Penelope said.

"The shaman in question looked at us searchingly for a long time but then seemed to come to a decision," Aaron said.

"He gave us a type of medallion that's carved out of a wood, that's very common down there and then all he seemed to do was perform some sort of ritual or spell over it. Believe me, I was not sure what was going to work, since I never believed that such things as magic was real, but so far it seems to be working just fine," said Penelope.

"The Indian tribes down there believe in the great spirit, not to mention many minor spirits and whether or not they actually exist is irrelevant, as I would never disparage someone else's belief, like so many would," Aaron said with a shrug. "All I know is that Penelope and I haven't had a child in 20 years so it must work, because we were getting pregnant fairly often before that."

"I know that human couples stop having so much sex once they get older and even if they do they can't have children after a certain point of their life, but that's not true for vampires who are sexual beings and they're sexual drive never slows down," Penelope said causing JJ to blush, as she was only 15 after all and still fairly innocent.

"Anyway we're getting off subject," Aaron said politely ignoring JJ's embarrassment.

"In any case, besides, changing your name in using a longer version, we think it's a good idea if you're Jennifer Hotchner for the foreseeable future instead of Jennifer Jareau. We decided that it might be better if you were my niece, instead of Penelope's cousin and you came to us because my brother and his wife died in some sort of terrible accident."

"It might even be a good idea to dye your hair black temporarily anyway, as it will make you less recognizable, so long as we make it look as natural as possible," Penelope added

"Of course, the other option is that you continue to be Penelope's cousin that also lost her parents in someway, as either options should work."

"Well, if I remain Penelope's cousin I won't have to dye my hair," Jennifer said, as she just loved her blond hair, which she had gotten from her mother, even if it was only a temporary solution to make her less recognizable by people who had known her before.

"You won't have to dye your hair anyway unless you want to, I was just thinking that would make you look less recognizable to people who knew you before, just in case you run into somebody from your old neighborhood. I admit that's not very likely, because those of high society with plenty of money don't usually mix with those that aren't as well off, but still, you never know."

"Also Penny and I discussed the fact that if you wanted to be turned into a vampire in 15 years or so we be willing to do that, as I see 30 as the perfect time to go through the transformation, as your face and body as well as your emotions have matured. Of course, if you want to remain, as you are and that's completely human, then that's okay too as the choice will always be yours," Aaron added. "I didn't give Penny a choice in the matter, because she is my mate, but you're different. We'll certainly develop a close relationship over the next several decades and we'll certainly miss you when you die of old age, but we won't force the issue."

"I'll think about it," JJ said, astonished at what she was being offered as the Hotchners hardly knew her after all.

"You don't have to worry about that particular idea for some years as you just need to concentrate on being a teenager, even if I know you are only three years or so from being considered an adult," Penelope said.

"However, you haven't really had much chance to be a child or a teenager from what we know of your childhood due mostly to your mother's death, so both Penelope and I think it's a good idea if you experience some of the same things that all teenagers do. We don't mind if you want to help out around the house and do some chores, and we'll be glad to pay you for what you do, sort of like an allowance, but you also need time to be a kid, because really you don't have many childhood years left," Aaron added.

"Also you can talk to us about anything and we'll listen as is no point of keeping stuff bottled up," Penelope added. "Besides, how do you expect to meet a nice young man if you stay cooped up at home."

"I'm not really interested in meeting a nice young man right now, as I think that's going to have to wait until we move elsewhere just in case I run into somebody that I know," JJ said.

"That's probably smart, as I think it's a good idea for us to leave Philadelphia as soon as rumors have died down and it won't be suspicious for us to do so," Penelope admitted.

"Well, we have plenty of time to discuss options and perhaps, we can even take you on a long European tour," Aaron suggested. "You know go overseas and explore places like London, Italy or France, as Europe is much older than America is, as it's been around for centuries longer and in fact I was born in Poland in Wroclaw, long before America ever existed."

JJ looked fascinated so Aaron told her a little bit about his life before he been attacked by a vampire and changed, as the three of them enjoyed a humongous breakfast together.

~~~Aaron and Penelope~~~