A/N: If you don't like the plot, characters, or character pairings, then don't read my fic.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the American Horror Stories.

WORD COUNT: 3, 413

CHAPTER 1:

Welcome Back, Bethany Hall.

Bethany Hall walked into the Hotel Cortez with her daughter, Victoria who was 4.

"Bethany?" A soft voice asked as the young woman turned her head, her piercing hazel eyes made contact with a dazzling jade green.

"My dear, Elizabeth." Bethany smiled brightly at her long-time friend before gathering her in a tight hug. "It has been so long."

"It has!" Elizabeth mused before hugging her ageless friend.

There was nobody in the lobby to have witnessed the obvious affection of the two friends apart from Bethany's daughter, Victoria.

"Come upstairs, we can have a drink and catch up." Elizabeth smiled serenely. "There is much I must tell you." Elizabeth informed and Bethany nodded as she took Victoria's hand, who smiled up at her mother with a warm grin and they made her way to Elizabeth's dwellings.

"I must say, you do rather well for yourself for a woman who should be well and truly an old hag." Beth grinned, taking her friend's hand affectionately.

"And you, my dear Beth, haven't aged a day. Those potions still working for you?" Elizabeth asked. "Please, you must tell me your secrets."

"You know well and good that my usual potions derived from sorcery had no part in my everlasting youth. Yet the curse of being born into a family full of witches who crafted a spell of infinite life definitely has its perks. Its not why I'm here, looking 25. You know exactly why this has happened.." Beth spoke gently, her grammar and etiquette still conformed to that of her lavish upbringing as a child. But Elizabeth could always see, deep down in that facade of propriety and controlled temperament, was a woman desperate, craving for intimacy and rebellion.

"Yes. I do. 90 years is a long time to come back to the Cortez. What possessed you to come back? I warned you years ago that you should never return, lest you die and be a ghost, roaming the halls. You weren't safe." Elizabeth recapped as they entered her home and Victoria ran to the table and instantly took out her drawing pad and started to sketch.

"It would be befitting of my surname." Beth smiled, accepting the brandy that Elizabeth held out for her. "Thank you, darling." She took a sip and smiled. "You always remembered the kind I liked."

"Of course I would remember. You were there for me when I was at my lowest point in life. Which reminds me, I have some news for you." Elizabeth revealed, taking a sip of her own brandy. Before taking a cautious glance at Victoria.

Bethany followed Elizabeth's eyes. "Don't worry. She's not listening. Whenever she starts to draw. . she enters a world of her own. But, if you care to be more cautious. ." to which Elizabeth nodded and Beth's face melted into understanding. "Baby girl," Victoria lifted her head up and smiled at her mother as Beth took out her iPod and plugged the headphones in, selecting a genre of upbeat music, that she knew Victoria liked and set the volume to a setting that wouldn't be harmful. "Here you are, sweet-pea."

Victoria took the headphones and smiled beautifully up at her mother, showing her missing front tooth. "Thank you, Mummy." Victoria smiled as she put the headphones on and wiggled slightly as she drew.

"I know it isn't practical, but she likes it and music always inspires her. Plus, it happens to be convenient." Beth smiled and leaned back. "Now tell me this news of yours. It must be serious by the look on your face."

"I have just learnt from my former husband that he had locked away Rodolfo and his wife Natacha in his sealed hallway for nearly a century." Elizabeth revealed, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"Jesus Christ." Bethany whispered, a hand to her mouth, suddenly now thankful that Victoria had her headphones on.

"Christ had nothing to do with it."

"Obviously. Oh, my darling, if I had known. ."

"I know, you would have pulled them out of that room with your bare hands." Elizabeth finished her sentence, taking Bethany's hand into her own.

"He ripped away your happy ever after because he knew he would never have one, especially with you." Beth sighed, rubbing her eyes before standing up ramrod straight, downing the last of her brandy. "Something always triggers him off, what did you say?" Beth asked, running a hand through her long, thick jet black hair.

"I told him I would marry again and I teased him about love and then he kept talking about Rodolfo and revealed their fate to me." Elizabeth recapped the entire night and its unfortunate outcome as Beth nodded in understanding.

"When you teased him about how you would never love him, that's what triggered him. You know he is as impulsive as a teenage boy about to have sex for the first time. He just does what he likes and doesn't care about the feelings of others, as long as he gets off in any way he can." Beth stood up and grabbed her glass before walking to the crystal canteen and poured herself a generous helping of her favourite brandy before she resumed her seat opposite Elizabeth.

"I realize that, but at the time, I hardly cared for him. I married him out of pure convenience, he was rich and that was all that mattered. I put up with everything that he did. And he knew that."

"Are you forgetting that James is a man, first and foremost?"

"Jealousy is unattractive on any man. That's why I got rid of the last man who tried to possess me."

"Ah, I was wondering where that young thing went off too. It doesn't matter anyway, he was much too young and naive for you."

"Are you saying that I'm old?" Elizabeth teased to which Beth shrugged.

"Yes. But then again, I am older than you. I was born in 1900. The turn of the new century. So there isn't much to say about me then, is there?"

Both women laughed gently.

"So, Elizabeth, who is the lucky man whom you intend to marry?"

"Will Drake." Elizabeth sighed in exasperation and gently rubbed her forehead as Bethany patted her arm.

"I feel your pain. I met him once. It put me off wanting to meet him ever again. You know he insulted me for wearing an 'outdated' dress. I went to compliment his clothing line and he goes ahead and pulls that little stunt and he even told me that my makeup and hairstyle had been used so many times he found it boring. I wanted to toss him across the ballroom and out the damn window. And I wouldn't have gotten caught. But I just made him embarrass himself in front of all of all the guests and made him spill his drink and slip like a jackass all night."

"I agree that he speaks out of turn and he puts in his opinion despite it being not wanted nor needed. But he has high hopes for the hotel and if he puts it on the map and makes it known, then we will have more customers coming in and more money rolls in."

"And what of the souls wandering the halls?" Beth asked, taking a sip of the brandy.

"They will target those that will not be missed. Ever."

"Well, it looks as if you have it under control. I'm very proud of you, my friend. All these years in this hotel and you've kept it afloat. Despite everything's that's transpired." Beth stood and walked to Elizabeth, pulling her in a tight hug. "So very brave."

"I'm glad your back, Bethany. Despite the warnings, I missed you."

"I missed you too. And between you and me, travelling the world for 90 years tends to get boring when you've seen it all five times over."

"Will you and dear Victoria be staying?" Elizabeth asked, looking up at her friend.

"I believe we shall." Bethany said before turning to her daughter, taking the headphones off. "Vickie, what do you think of staying in this lovely hotel for a little while?" Vickie's face morphed into one of pure excitement as she hugged her mother tightly. Words not needed to express her joy. "Well, we have our answer."

(..)

Bethany cradled a sleeping Victoria in her arms as she carried the bags to across the seventh floor at the order of Elizabeth. She had reassured the older woman that she would handle Will to which Bethany accepted the room, carrying her things into room 78. Beth also knew what else was lurking on this floor. She set her bags down by the bed, pulled the sheets down and she set Victoria down, before pulling off the young girl's shoes and socks off, as well as her jacket, to make her extra comfortable and then pulled she sheets over her baby before pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, brushing away a few strands of dark brown hair.

Bethany then continued to unpack her belongings, as well as her daughters. Bethany changed and pulled on tight black jeans, a deep blue tank top and a male black button down shirt that she slipped over her shoulder and left it unbuttoned. Pulling on black combat boots, she turned to see Victoria resting peacefully, the force field that she had created would keep any kind of hostility away from Victoria, she would be safe.

She sighed, before walking out of the room, heading down the hall when she saw a man, a ghost, screaming about kale, charging toward her.

"Shut up," Beth said, flicking her fingers and he disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. She sighed and took the elevator, before she rode it down to the Blue Parrot Lounge, finding the bar and she took a seat, looking at the bartender. "Orange juice and vodka, heavy on the vodka." She smiled gently. The bartender nodded before making it three quarters of the glass filled with orange juice and the rest filled with the clear strong liquor. "Thank you." She said before sipping at the strong drink, allowing it to flood her senses.

"It's a rather strong drink for such a small lady. I don't think I've seen you around here before. I'm Liz."

"Bethany, Bethany Hall. And you'd be surprised." She grinned before taking a large gulp.

"Bethany Hall? The Bethany Hall!?" Liz looked at her surprised.

"Is there another Bethany Hall that I am unaware of?" Her eyes looked up and she stared at Liz.

"You mean you don't know?" Liz asked and in response, Bethany just shrugged.

Liz turned and there was a portrait of Bethany taken before James built the hotel right behind her. Beth was holding a cigarette and a glass of her wine, in her best dress and jewelry. She was laughing at something James had said before the photo had been taken. The look of pure joy on her face was easily recognizable.

"Mr March had this picture blown up and mounted, in memory of you when you disappeared. Everybody knows the story."

"They all know James' story. What did he say?"

Liz gave her a knowing look. "Why don't you ask him? You're the one staying in his room."

Bethany remained silent but she knew that Liz was right. Downing the rest of her drink and she handed Liz a generous tip. "Thank you for the drink and for the heads up." Beth thanked her before leaving, heading back to the seventh floor, heading across the hallway when she heard Victoria screaming

"Mummy! Mummy, please help!"

"Victoria!" Bethany cried out, running full pelt down the hall.

"MUMMY~!" Victoria started to cry and scream at the same time.

Bethany ran into the room to see the Kale-man trying to get his hands on Victoria, muttering and growling about how hard it was to get what he wanted. "Get your goddamn hands away from my daughter, you son-of-a-bitch!" With a massive stroke of her arm, the man was banished from the room painfully, and Bethany knew it too. Her limitless power reverberated within the room as she ran to her daughter and sat on the bed.

Victoria lunged into her mother's lap, sobbing and crying, having been scared out of her wits when the bloodied man started screaming and trying to touch her.

"Oh, my darling girl. My baby. I'm so sorry I left you alone. Please forgive me, my love. I'm here now. He's gone." After twenty minutes of rocking Victoria back and forth, whispering soothing words, Victoria lulled off into a safe slumber, clutching to her mother like a life preserver. Bethany's tears rolled down her cheeks as she kept rocking her daughter back and forth, wiping at the tears unsuccessfully and sniffled, keeping Victoria safe, in her arms.

"Miss Hall, how lovely to see you once again." At the soft voice, Bethany turned to see the loyal Miss Evers. James' laundress and partner in crime.

Bethany couldn't help the smile that broke the sadness on her face. "Miss Evers, it is wonderful to see you once again. How are you?" Bethany asked.

"I'm very well, thank you, Madam. Do you require fresh linens?" Miss Evers asked. She had always liked Bethany better than Elizabeth. Always.

Bethany looked perplexed as she looked at the sheets before shaking her head. "No, not at present, thank you kindly. Though do you think I could trouble you for some dinner? I don't think Victoria would want to leave and go anywhere at this moment."

"Of course, do you have any notion of the kind of meal you would like to have for tonight?" Miss Evers asked, looking to Bethany who shook her head.

"I will let you decide. You have always had a good eye and good taste for a fantastic meal. You have never failed to please me when the situation called for the highest of standards. I implicitly trust your judgement and follow any idea you choose." Bethany smiled gently to Miss Evers, who would have blushed under the praise, if she had not been dead.

"Thank you, Miss Hall."

"You're welcome, Hazel."

Miss Evers strode out of the room, immensely happy that Bethany had returned.

Bethany looked around and spoke to the seemingly empty room. "James, I know you're here and I know that you know that Elizabeth told me about Rodolfo and Natacha. But that's not why I am here. While I do feel outrage on Elizabeth's part, and I do know she is in a great deal of pain, thanks to you, I will not take unnecessary action. This is not my fight. I am here because I wish to be, not because I was summoned to deal out your punishment. But you and I both know that I would probably protect you from harm, rather than inflict it. And I know you ordered Hazel to wait on me, which was kind of you, but you didn't have to go out of your way to do something like that." Bethany smiled at the empty room, not seeing James in the armchair right in front of her, not even sensing him due to her high emotional levels.

He smiled at her thoughtfulness. She was always the one to open up to his humanity and to not let his murderous streak win the best of him, yet she had never tried to save the victims he took, even though she was so innocent, she cared only for him. For his safety. After intensely studying her, she still looked the same. As young and as youthful as she had in her 25 years of existence, before she disappeared from the face of the Earth. He could see her true age in the hazel of her eyes. The weariness that an elder would have, after experiencing an eventful life.

Bethany may have looked young and at the epitome of health and happiness, but she was a tired soul. Tired of spending 115 years walking the Earth around and around, despite the fact that she must have had her child fairly recently. There was a man in the picture. A man that he would love to scribble out of the equation.

Despite everything, to James; she was still as beautiful and as kind and as wonderful as she had been in 1924.

"I know you won't probably show yourself until I ask it of you, and I know in my heart that I am not ready. Forgive me, James but I do not think I could handle it yet. But soon, I'd like to hear your side of the story of my disappearance, because I was in the lounge and I saw the portrait. It will be very soon. I promise you that." Bethany promised the empty room. Empty except for herself and Victoria which her veiled sight revealed. "But, on a lighter note, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Victoria Lorraine Hall. She's a very charming girl, despite the fact she's asleep. I hope, when I'm ready, you can meet her. I know you would never hurt her." At that, Bethany turned her attention back to her daughter, ending the one-way conversation.

James nodded, even though he knew that the action was pointless, just a mere human reaction to satisfy the statement, silently. He had only one boundary, he would never harm a child. It was a disgusting act to terrorize a child and even he, a psychopathic murderer, had more sense than half of the halfwit delusional scumbags that claimed to be God's most feared creation.

He had mentored some of God's real feared creations and turned them into peaceful servants of Lucifer.

Hurting a young one is one of the lowest things a person could ever do and James could never be able to lay a finger on young Victoria, nor her mother.

He knew that his sudden bout of sanity was due to the presence of Bethany, yet he had never found out why he reacted to her in such a way. While he would be waiting for her to call, he would ponder this theory and continue to explore the notion of just maybe, she might be his savior. Though he had to laugh at that, he was past saving, Hell, he was dead and stuck in his own hotel, though he knew that if he were ever to pass, it would be a pass straight to Hell and no stops.

His eyes turned back to Bethany and he rubbed his chin with his fingertips, watching as she comforted her sleeping child and he somehow felt the missing pieces of his frozen life fit back together like a puzzle.

Hi everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of my new story for AHS: Hotel.

In this story, Bethany has been very good friends with the Countess and they treat each other like sisters. Whereas Mr March and Bethany had known each other long before that, since childhood and that's why he feels a reprieve in sanity toward Bethany.

Just as a side note, both the Countess and Mr March are much more humanized in this story and that is because of my OC and because of the new chapter, where we see an entirely different Countess, so I'm transitioning between Human!Countess and Infected!Countess.

As well as Mr March, we will see Sane!MrMarch and Insane!MrMarch as well as some backstory into their conjoined pasts.

And with Victoria, she's only a four year old child, with an immortal mother who is a friend of a blood drinking 111 year old woman, seemingly immortal as well as a psychotic, definitely dead ghost of the man who built the Hotel Cortez.

What could possibly go wrong?

Only everything.