Part 13

Epilogue

"You're just in time," Dave told Aaron and Penelope, as he escorted them up to the room that he and JJ had rented, leaving the oldest child of the Hotchners in charge of the younger ones.

Luckily, all the Hotchner children were old enough to have good control of their bloodlust around mortals, so that wasn't going to be a problem. If it had been Aaron and Penelope just would have had to stay at their home in Westmorland until they learned.

It was just six weeks later and JJ had just gone into labor.

It had taken a couple of weeks for Dave and JJ to actually leave the Hotchner residence, as there were numerous arrangements to make and by that time JJ had been visibly pregnant.

Finally though they had done everything they could possibly do to make sure that their journey went smoothly and so had left to the well wishes of Aaron and Penelope along with their children.

The older Hotchners had been determined to be in time for JJ giving birth to her and Dave's first child and they had just barely made it. Neither Aaron or Penelope wanted to miss the birth since they were going to be the godparents as well as the grandparents.

"We tried our best to be here sooner, but with all the arrangements that needed to be made..." Penelope fretted.

"We're here now that's all that matters," Aaron told his mate putting an arm around her. "I'll just wait with the children while you go up and help."

"That's a good suggestion," Dave approved, appreciating more and and more that Aaron was a true gentleman, who would never do anything considered inappropriate, at least not unless the circumstances were very unusual.

"Let's go then," Penelope decided. "What do the owners of this inn think about your wife in labor?"

"They're wondering why we took this trip when she was so close to giving birth," Dave shrugged. "They didn't say anything, except for the wife of the owner to offer me her assistance, but I promised I had someone coming and that they should be here any time and that they were just running behind, something that they both understood because travel is so slow particularly with a pregnant woman. I just didn't bother to tell them that JJ had only been pregnant for two weeks when we started our trip or that she would be perfectly okay to travel as no vampire's going to die in childbirth. I just let them assume whatever they wanted."

Penelope nodded at this for it was certainly a smart move to make. Vampires were hated in a lot of places or at least strongly disliked, so it was better not to reveal what they were unless there was no other choice and when a vampire female was in labor was definitely not the time for people to discover that they were't exactly human.

"Definitely smart considering what most humans think about our kind," Penelope said, as she follow Dave to the room that he had rented. "Now is not the time to be thrown out of here with JJ in labor."

"Definitely not, but you know I'll do anything to protect her," Dave said with a fierce, protective expression. "It's not that humans are actually going to be able to harm us, well, not unless they want to burn down the whole place and even then it probably wouldn't work, but with Jennifer in labor..."

"No, we can jump from a great height and not be harmed and nothing a human can invent is going to penetrate our skin," Penelope agreed. "But you're also right with JJ in labor it's a totally different situation."

"A bullet might sting, but you're right, it won't even leave a bruise, much less cause us more serious harm," Dave smirked, as he opened the door to the room that he had rented. "The number of times some human's tried to shoot me..." Dave's voice trailed off, as he and Penny entered the room.

"Penny! I'm so glad you made it," JJ cried, as she saw the woman she considered a sister, even as another contraction hit.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Penelope promised. "Your first child with your mate is always extra special, especially for someone like you and me who had never had a child before much less sex."

"That's the absolute truth," Dave agreed instantly, as he stood on the other side of the bed.

"It won't be long now," Penelope said, as she checked birth canal. "You must have been in labor for at least a few hours because it looks like you're fully dilated."

"Not too long really only about three hours," Dave said.

"Well, if that's the case, this is going to be relatively fast birth for a first child. First babies often take longer," Penelope said.

"Can you two not discuss me as if I'm not here," JJ complained, even as she huffed and puffed trying to control her breathing, as I help with the contractions.

"Sorry sweetheart," Dave said immediately, as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Just think soon we'll have our first child."

"It won't be long now," Penelope promised her daughter. "You're already fully dilated and that's half the battle I promise you. I estimate a few pushes is all it will take for you to have your new son or daughter. It looks like Aaron and I arrived just in time."

"Come on, sweetheart you can do it," Dave urged his mate. "Just a few pushes and we'll have a child to love with many more in the future."

With two of the most important people in her life encouraging her JJ pushed as hard as she could at her mate's and Penny's urging and not more than a few minutes later a baby slid out of her birth canal. Penny made sure that she was there to catch the small bundle, although the baby boy must've weighed at least 8 pounds.

"Congratulations, Dave, JJ you have a beautiful son," Penelope told the two with a wide grin.

"Hand him he here," JJ commanded eagerly. JJ sounded extremely tired, which was no wonder really, even if it had been a relatively short labor.

"I'll go find you somebody to feed off of so you'll regain your strength," Dave promised heading for the door.

"I'm sure Aaron has already taken care of that, as he knows what's needed by now," said Penelope. "He'll want to help in any way he can."

"You're probably right," Dave conceded knowing Aaron well enough by now to know that that was likely exactly what he'd do since he couldn't enter his daughter's birthing room. Well, correction he could enter his daughter's birthing room, but he was too much of a gentleman to do so unless it was a true emergency. Now if it would've been his wife that had been in labor it would have been a totally different situation.

"I'll just go see if Aaron has found someone," Dave said, as he exited the room.

"So what are you going to name him?" Penelope asked, as Dave was gone. "I'm sure you and Dave did discuss baby names for both sons and daughters."

"Of course, we did, and we've had plenty of time to," JJ said. "Dave was so excited when he found out I was indeed pregnant I'm surprised that you and Aaron didn't hear his yells of happiness all the way across the grounds."

"On we did," Penelope giggled. "We knew only one reason that he would be so excited, so we knew immediately that you were in the family way."

"And you didn't say anything?" JJ mock accused her, then ruining the effect by giggling a little tiredly. JJ well knew it hadn't really been her surrogate parents place to say anything until the announcement was made. She wouldn't have minded and doubted that Dave would have either, but most people would have considered it interfering in their personal business. Of course, at the time she had only been showing under her clothes and Dave was the only one... well... besides, Penny that had ever seen her naked and her surrogate sister had not seen her naked when she had first started showing.

Her siblings had also been very excited, particularly the girls, when they discovered they were going to get a new brother or sister pretty soon, even if they weren't going to be technically, related, not that it mattered to her or the rest of her family.

"Well, at least we didn't keep you waiting long," JJ said deadpanned.

"Nope, you didn't keep us waiting long, even if we already knew," Penelope's agreed.

"Why keep such good news to ourselves?" JJ pointed out. "A child is always an exciting event or at least it is with parents who truly love each other and will love their child."

"Too true," Penelope agreed. "So names?"

"You'll have to wait until Dave gets back and me and my son have fed," JJ said.

"Now that's not fair," Penelope complained mock seriously.

"Probably not, but we agreed that we'd announce the name together," JJ said.

"But what about Aaron? He won't know and he's too much of a gentleman to come into your room," asked Penelope.

"Don't worry, he'll be right outside the door, which will be slightly open so he'll be able to hear what named Dave and I have decided on," JJ promised. "This was a compromise, because Aaron is too much of a gentleman to come into the room of someone that he considers a daughter, especially not his grownup daughter. Well, not unless it was a true emergency. Now if it was a young girl child and he was reading her bedtime stories it would be appropriate."

"You're right," Penelope conceded.

Penelope didn't have a chance to say anything else, because she heard the voices of her husband and her son-in-law.

"Here you go sweetheart," Dave said coming into the room, with his all around and obviously hypnotized man. "Aaron already had everything well in hand, just as you suggested Penelope. He along with his older children and helped trap this guy. Don't worry he's just hypnotized and he'll wake up just assuming that he fell asleep in front of the hearth laying on one of the comfortable couches. It happens all the time, so it's not the least unusual."

The hearth was in the parlor and had several comfortable chairs and couches to sit on where you could enjoy a good book or a spot of tea."

"Yes, I know if I could sleep I would love to lay on one of those comfortable couches, and just get lost in a good book," JJ said, as she took the man that that Dave offered her.

JJ took her fill, but knew she would likely need to feed again tomorrow, but for right now the burning in her throat was satisfied and her energy was renewed.

"I'll bring in the other one that is waiting in the corridor for our gorgeous son while Aaron takes his guy back downstairs to the parlor," Dave grinned. "He'll wake up feeling a little weak and probably assume he just drank too much on an empty stomach. In any case, he won't remember you feeding from him."

"He'll recover and that's all that matters," Penelope agreed.

Dave took the man that was still hypnotized out to where Aaron was waiting and picked up the other one to bring to his son.

The young vampire was too small right now to take very much blood so just a few sips later he was full and detached himself from the man's neck.

"Now that everyone's been fed, name?" Penelope asked us politely as possible, causing Aaron to chuckle outside the door at his wife's impatience.

"Anxious are you?" Dave chuckled, kissing his mother-in-law on the cheek.

"Absolutely, because this is my first grandchild as far as I am aware," Penelope answered. "As far as I know my older sons has never gotten a woman pregnant nor has one of my daughters gotten pregnant."

"So it's a first for you then," Dave chuckled understanding his mother-in-law's anxiety. This would be hers and Aaron's first grandchild as far as they were aware, so that made the birthing and the naming extra special.

"Fine, I'll put you our of your misery," Dave teased Penelope. "Jennifer if you would do the honors."

"Alright," JJ said touched. "Dave and I discussed names quite a bit over the last month, but finally we decided if we had a boy his name would be Nathaniel David Rossi."

"What a lovely name," Penelope cooed, as she held her grandson. "My little Nate."

"Yes, Nathaniel is a bit of a mouthful," came Aaron's quiet voice from right outside the door, sounding pleased.

"Why don't you let Aaron hold him for a few minutes," JJ suggested.

Penelope nodded reluctantly Dave chuckled understanding her feelings quite well as there was just something special about holding a newborn right after their births.

"I'm surprised we didn't wake up all the patrons of this inn considering how loud you were while giving birth," Penelope told her daughter.

"I rented the entire floor," Dave informed her. "The floors and ceilings are thick enough that no human is going to hear anything unless they are a whole lot louder."

"Well, that explains it," Penelope said, as she cradled her grandson. "I had wondered why nobody had come knocking on the door wondering what was going on."

"We both thought it was best, since I knew I was going to give birth in just a week or so," JJ said. "It's not like Dave doesn't have the money to spend just like most vampires do. Besides, the innkeeper and his wife were more than glad of the extra funds, as business has been rather slow."

"It was necessary," Dave shrugged. "I wanted privacy for us especially when JJ went into labor. We didn't need anybody knocking on the door to see JJ in her state of undress leaking venom instead of blood. I would've just hypnotized whoever it was of course, but I'd rather not have to go to the bother."

"That's what I would've done if me and Penny had been in the same situation," Aaron chimed in from outside the door. "Now can I hold my new grandson?"

Penelope walked to the door and handed the tiny bundle to her husband who took the small baby vampire gently.

"This is the future," Aaron said, as he kissed the tiny boy's forehead. "Mine and Penny's first grandchild. I only wish that there was an easier way to keep in contact, because for all we know we might have other grandchildren out there that we've never met."

"Yeah, I know," JJ said, as she emerged from the shower, so at last she felt clean for the first time in several hours. "This is why I wanted us to make arrangements to meet, so we can stay together for a while, because it's very hard to keep in contact, since vampires travel so much of the time."

"Yeah, I never saw my older sisters again with a married and moved away," Penelope sighed. "At least they avoided dying in the smallpox epidemic like two of my sisters and my parents did so that's something anyway, but still, I have no doubt I have numerous nieces and nephews out in the world, ones I've never met."

"Maybe you'll discover some of them some day," Aaron told his wife in a soft voice, knowing that she would be able to hear him.

"That would be nice, although I don't know how likely that is," Penelope sighed sounding melancholy.

"Here this will help you get over your retrospective mood," Aaron said, offering Nate to his mate.

Penelope walked to the door and took the tiny baby, holding him gently. "Both of you did a good job with this one," Penelope told her daughter and son-in-law. "He's going to be beating the little girls off with sticks in just a few months."

"You talk like that's a bad thing," Dave grinned. "All vampire babies are attractive to one degree or another that's true, but it's not exactly going to hurt mine or Jennifer's feelings if you tell us that our son is so handsome that he is going to be beating the ladies off while still a babe."

The other three chuckled at that and took turns holding the Rossi's new son.

This was a great day indeed.

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