Alone

By Princess Alexandria

Princess_alex24@hotmail.com

"Look, you need to be quiet and practically invisible.  My boss isn't going to like you being here." Candace told the teenage girl as they rode the elevator to the top floor of the NightStone building.  She studied her daughter's appearance and hoped that it wouldn't draw too much attention to her.  She'd managed to get Brenna to wear something more professional looking, black slacks and a blue button up shirt without any arguments, but the girls hair was far from professional, with the shaved areas above her ears and it being parted in a way that showed that off.  The girl normally wore nothing but jeans, but she knew this day at NightStone wasn't going to be easy.  Candace had told enough stories about her boss' lack of patience that Brenna looked properly cautious. 

"Well, you could have left me at home."  Brenna sighed while watching the floor readout as they got closer to her work.  "I wouldn't get into trouble and you know it."

"Well, that is what I thought before you got suspended for fighting."  Candace hissed at the girl.  "Defending those beasts isn't your job."  Brenna glared at her but the elevator door opened and she just angrily marched after her mother to the office.

"Look no one is in the meeting room."   Candace looked around a bit nervously.  "Why don't you go in there and work on your homework."  She didn't want Ms. Destine to see the girl before she had a chance to explain.  Brenna went into the large boardroom and set out her books on the table.  Candace almost told her to get out of Ms. Destine's seat, but just shook her head and left.  She was lucky the girl wasn't arguing with her about the gargoyles, she wouldn't push it now.

Candace sat at her desk and started to work, but she felt increasingly uneasy about the fact that she'd brought Brenna to work.  The teenager had gotten to be more of a problem ever since the gargoyles were discovered, and Ms. Destine was going to be very unhappy if she discovered the girl.  Candace would have left Brenna home alone, but the angry looking Quarrymen that came to pick up the girl Brenna had hit made Candace worried about doing that.  She didn't want to scare her daughter, but she wasn't sure that they were safe at home right now.  The principal was also pretty hostile about the whole thing, giving Brenna what was sure to be the longest suspension for a first offense ever.  The girl was given her homework for two weeks, but would fail her science class because of missed labs.

********

Brenna glared at the blank sheet of paper in front of her.  The meeting room was so quiet it sounded like a tomb.  First things first, she pulled out her CD player and put it on.  She couldn't study in this silence.

Her ass of a principal wanted her to write a paper about the gargoyle problem.  He had to be a not so closeted Quarryman, because once Tina told him why Brenna hit her he'd looked like he wanted to hit Brenna himself.  Stupid ignorant asses.  He'd given Brenna all sorts of pamphlets to help with her paper, crap about how gargoyles stole children and attacked innocent people. 

"God Angela would be sick if she read this crap."  Brenna muttered to herself as she looked at the propaganda.  She couldn't write this paper.  It was just wrong, and she wasn't going to sell out like that.  A gargoyle female had rescued Brenna from a few thugs shortly before they were exposed on T.V. and the female had talked to Brenna.  She was no monster.  She even helped Brenna pick up her textbooks that fell out of her bag during the men's attack and recognized the book Brenna had to read for English class.  Gargoyles talked, read, had opinions on authors and Angela had trailed after Brenna to make sure she got home okay.  Brenna wasn't supposed to be out that late so she couldn't tell her mother about it when she got home from a date.  Perhaps if she could have her mother wouldn't be so terrified of gargoyles now.

"That's it."  Brenna started to smile.  She'd write a completely different paper about gargoyles and she'd hand them out like the Quarrymen handed out their crap.  It's the least she could do to thank Angela for helping her out.  With a slightly evil grin Brenna started to outline her paper.  She'd even go to the library for references so that Principal Smyth couldn't claim she didn't work hard enough on it.

********

Dominique Destine had a small smile on her lips, which obviously unsettled her employees as she rode the elevator up to her offices.  Things with Angela were going very well.  Having created a common enemy gave them some reason to spend time together and Demona was finding that on top of loving her daughter she actually liked her as well.  That was something that was hard to discover when she was almost never in contact with the young female.  It made Demona even more certain that she was doing the right thing.  Goliath's blind trust of humanity would get their bright and beautiful daughter killed.  He couldn't be allowed to continue to lead the clan.  He didn't know what he was doing.  The Quarrymen's mere existence proved Demona was right about humanity, and yet with that obvious hatred he still continued to patrol and risk Angela's life.  No, it was time for the clan to have a leader that understood about human treachery.

She didn't see Candace at her desk so she would have to get her own coffee.  When she opened the door to the meeting room where the coffee maker was kept her eyes widened as she watched the back of a young human female.  A human sitting in Demona's seat listening to music so loudly that Demona could hear it coming out the girls headphones.  What was a child doing in her offices?!

Marching over to stand behind the girl she glared down at the dark haired young human and then took in the papers spread out all over her meeting table.  A slight growl entered her throat as she glanced at the Quarrymen pamphlets laying out.  She was about to yell loudly to get the human's attention, but then she noticed what the girl was working on. 

The outline of a paper was laid out above the page the girl was writing on and Demona's eyes widened to see any human working on such a project.  The papers title was "The Human Problem."  And underneath that the girl had listed several points that Demona had to agree with.  Bigotry and the gargoyles.  History of Humans killing off other species blindly.  Witch hunts.  Panic and Hysteria.  And finally why humans shouldn't be allowed to rule the world.  The sheet that the girl was writing on had a first sentence that made Demona want to read more.  It started with… "I met Angela in October.  The gargoyle was like her namesake, an Angel swooping down to save me when I needed it most.  Given the reaction of most humans to her kind, I have to wonder why she bothers, but I know I'm grateful she did."  It continued to outline the probably mugging the girl was going to experience and Angela's rescue. 

The girl at Demona's meeting table was so involved in her task that she didn't notice the redhead standing behind her.  Finally Demona shook off her shock at finding a human writing about her daughter and spoke.  "Who are you and what are you doing here!"  The girl's body gave a satisfying jerk of shock and fear at Demona's loud voice before turning to look at Demona with wide eyes.

"I'm Brenna."  The girl fumbled to turn off her music.  Her voice was a bit high pitched and panicked.  "Candace's daughter."

"And what are you doing here?"  Demona glared at the girl.  The look had been known to make her grown male employees squirm in fear.

"Ah…"  The girl seemed to be paling.  "I…"

"Aren't you little monsters supposed to be in school?"

"I was suspended.  Mom brought me here."  Demona narrowed her eyes at the girl.  Normally she wouldn't give a damn about the reasons, but this little human was writing about Angela.  It couldn't hurt to know more.  At least this girl had the proper amount of fear.

"What were you suspended for?  Drugs?"  Demona sneered at the girl and noticed the insulted look cross the girls face.

"No.  I beat up a girl saying shit about gargoyles and my Principals a bigoted asshole."  Brenna growled at her.  Demona's eyes narrowed at the girls attitude before glancing at the papers in front of the girl.

"So this paper you're working on?"  The girls Principal probably wasn't looking for a paper like this if what the girl said was true.  Demona almost had to grin at the fight this little human had in her. 

"Gargoyle's have more of a right to survive than we do."  The girl glared at her, but Demona let that slide hoping that the girl would say more.  "You don't see them doing all the crap humans do.  If anyone should be hunted down it's the Quarrymen."  It sounded like the girl was getting ready to get on a soapbox and it was almost entertaining to hear a human saying what Demona had been saying for centuries.

"Ms. Destine."  Candace's gasp of shock from the doorway drew Demona's attention.  Her secretary really shouldn't have brought her child to work and from the look on Candace's face she knew it.

********

Candace was pale when she left Ms. Destine's office.  After the lecture where she was certain the NightStone C.E.O. was getting ready to fire her, Ms. Destine just told  her that Brenna had better stay out of the way or she would have to leave.  She had also said that while the girl was staying there she would be expected to work.  Brenna had a part time job until her suspension was over.  Candace wasn't sure whether she should be relieved or frightened by Ms. Destine's willingness to have Brenna around.  The woman wasn't a very kind person.

Brenna was going to be the youngest Nightstone employee ever.  She'd just turned fifteen, so it was legal to hire her as a file clerk.  Candace forced herself to think on the bright side.  This was a good first job for the girl, and she was sure Brenna would appreciate it since she'd been having trouble finding work at something other than a fast food place.  Brenna didn't want to work in all that grease.

They were going to have to go shopping tonight.  Brenna only had the one outfit suitable for work and she'd need a few more.

********

Demona watched her secretary's stunned and frightened expression as she left and grinned.  They had hired temps for the filing and they were so incompetent that perhaps a child would do a better job.  It also gave Demona more time to hear about Angela from this little human.  If this girl had met Angela, she might be useful to have around.  It could impress her daughter if she found out she'd helped this little human out.

Well, enough of that.  She needed to contact the human she'd hired to kill Goliath and finalize some more plans.  She was going to show Angela one of her homes soon, one that she wouldn't mind getting trashed when were attacked.  Someday, maybe someday soon, she'd be able to trust her daughter with her mansions location.  The clan might even move in there.  They shouldn't be trusting Xanatos of all people to keep them safe during the day.

It was going to be nice to not be alone anymore.

********

Brenna felt very nervous as she rode up the elevator to her first day at work.  Her mother had her remove several of her earring piercings, leaving just one on each ear.  It was unbelievable that Ms. Destine would just hire her.  No one wanted to hire her.  This was so great, but the stories her mother used to tell during dinner about how angry Ms. Destine would get when her employees screwed up haunted her now.  Brenna was terrified that she'd misfile something important and get both her and her mother in trouble.

She worked carefully and a bit more slowly than she could just to make sure that she made no mistakes.  It was almost lunchtime before anyone else came into the back room that held the files and Brenna was so involved in hunting down the right file that she didn't notice the redheaded C.E.O. standing there watching her until she spoke.

"I want you to go pick up my lunch."  Ms. Destine said in a commanding voice. 

"I don't drive."  Brenna answered as she closed the file drawer.  She nibbled on her lip a bit nervously.

"Luigi's is just down the block.  They won't deliver, so you need to go get it."  Ms. Destine handed Brenna a twenty dollar bill.  "I expect you back by noon."  Brenna turned to the clock and her eyes widened.  It was almost noon now.  If she ran both ways she might, might make it.

********

Demona went back to her secret office after locking her main office door and pulled up the security camera's for the building on the screens.  An amused smiled came to her face as she watched the wide eyed young girl dodging mail carts on her way to the elevator.  She had decent reflexes and could run pretty fast.  It wouldn't matter how fast Brenna ran, she'd never get back before noon.  She broke in all her new employees this way.  This girls age wasn't going to get her any breaks.  Once she failed in her task Brenna would get a yelling at that would ensure Brenna feared Ms. Destine properly.

********

Brenna almost growled when it felt like people were purposely moving in her way as she tried to make it down the sidewalk as fast as she could.  She couldn't even run, because of all the people on their way to lunch.  It was like a sidewalk traffic jam.  She used her smaller size to her best advantage and dodged between people as quickly as she could.

Once she got into Luigi's her heart sank as she noticed the long lines.  "Oh God, Ms. Destine's gonna kill me."  She muttered to herself with a bit of panic as she got in line.  She would have had time if she didn't need to wait.

"Ms. Destine?"  The man next to her turned to look at her.  "You're getting Ms. Destine's lunch?"

"Yes."  Brenna barely glanced at him.

"Tom.  This girl is getting Ms. Destine's lunch."  He turned to the man next to him, before turning back to her again.  "She give you a time limit?"

"Yeah."  She gave him a pleading look, not sure if he could help her or not, but he seemed to understand.

"Dammit, can't believe she's doing this to a kid."  Brenna would have objected to being called a kid but Tom's voice rose louder.  "This girl has to get Ms. Destine's lunch to her fast."

The crowd all turned to look at her and suddenly Brenna noticed how many NightStone name tags were there.  The woman at the front of the line stepped back and no one objected, some even encouraged her to take that space.

"I'm here for Ms. Destine's lunch."  Her voice sounded much younger than normal.  The strange behavior and whispers of the people waiting to pick up their own orders made her a bit nervous.

"It's right here."  The cashier pulled a bag forward and started to ring it up.  Once that was done Brenna turned to leave.

"Run and take the third elevator back up.  It's Ms. Destine's and fewer people use it.  It'll move faster."  Tom called out to her as she reached the doors.

She was panting as she raced into the elevator with someone else.  She hit the top floor and the woman in the elevator with her took one look at her and the large tag on the lunch with Ms. Destine's name on it and stepped back without hitting a button.  "I can take the time to take a ride up.  Wouldn't want to slow you down."

She knocked on Ms. Destine's office door at 11:57 am.  The look on Ms. Destine's face when she opened it to find Brenna with her lunch was almost enough to make Brenna smile.  She'd surprised her.

"Get back to work."  Ms. Destine grumbled at her before closing the door again.  When Brenna turned to do that she noticed her mother's slight smile.

"Good job."  Candace whispered.

********

It was a little after three when Demona decided to get more coffee.  Candace was busy making copies of a memo and Demona wanted to sneak a peek at what the young human was doing.  Brenna couldn't work full time so she was in the conference room working on homework.  Demona entered quietly and moved to get her coffee while glancing at the girl obviously very involved in taking notes out of a history book.  Demona crept closer to take a peek at those notes and had to grin at the girls flowery handwritten notes about the humans tendency to kill first and ask questions later, like they did with the Native Americans.  She was drawing parallels between the propaganda during that time and what the Quarrymen were spreading about the gargoyles.  Oh, this girl was clever.  She'd never be allowed back into her school with this paper.  She'd heard it was supposed to be a paper about the gargoyle threat and that wasn't at all what Brenna was working on. 

"Boy, this crap sure makes you ashamed to be human."  Brenna muttered to herself.  She couldn't hear anything over her headphones so Demona was sure that the girl was talking to herself.  Well, at least the little human was learning something valuable.  Demona grimaced and turned to leave.  She still had a lot of reports to go over before tomorrow.

Things with Angela were going more slowly than she'd prefer, but she wasn't going to rush it.  This had to be done carefully.  Still that game of tag last night had been more fun than Demona remembered having in a long time.

********

Brenna was on lunch run again and was surprised at how quickly the mail clerks were getting out of her way as she dashed towards the elevators to go back to Luigi's.  Ms. Destine had given her short notice again and sent her off with a time limit.  Once she got to the restaurant she didn't even need to speak.  The crowd parted for her and let her go first.  Brenna noticed Tom nod at her and then pull out his cell phone.

Once she got back to the NightStone lobby she noticed the woman that had been in the elevator with her the day before.  "I'm Alice."  The woman smiled.  She'd been in the elevator holding the button to keep the door opened when she got there and hit the top floor for Brenna once she was in.  "I feel like another ride to the top floor."  Alice smiled at her conspiratorially. 

Once she was on the top floor she heard a guy calling out down the hall.  "Get those carts out of the way."  She noticed him smile at her and she glanced at Patrick's nametag.  It was like the entire building was working with her to foil Ms. Destine's plans. 

Brenna made it to Ms. Destine's office by 11:55am with a huge grin on her face.  Once she was rudely dismissed again she turned to whisper to her mother.  "Ms. Destine zero, Brenna two."

********

"This is a little advanced for your age isn't it?"  Demona asked while looking over Brenna's shoulder at her homework.  The girl was still working hard on the paper that was bound to be several pages long.  The girl gasped in shock once she realized she wasn't alone.  The connections that Brenna was making about history and the current situation seemed like something that a college student might be challenged to make.  It was almost a shame that all of Brenna's hard work would only result in more punishment and ridicule for her, but the girl had to know that was what she was setting herself up for.  Why was she working so hard on a paper that would probably get her expelled?

The girl blushed as she looked up at her.  "Um… I'm a bit of a nerd."

"What does that mean?"  Demona asked with a touch of her impatience. 

"I score really high on tests.  They say I'm gifted."

"So you're a genius?"

"No, if I were a genius I'd be better at math and science."  Brenna grimaced.  She didn't seem to like being called that.  "I have a really hard time with those."  Brenna sighed.  She seemed honestly embarrassed, as if having intelligence was a burden.  "They wanted me to go to a special school, but mom couldn't afford it."

"What kind of school."  Demona wasn't sure why she was even asking, but this girl was a real puzzle, and Demona hadn't had any real contact with young humans in a very long time.

"A school for gifted kids.  They had harder classes and would have looked good on my college applications."  Brenna's nervous fiddling with her pencil was annoying.  Demona glared at the hand doing that until it stopped.  "But I'm doing okay in these classes.  I get A's really easy… well except for science.  I'm gonna fail that because I'm missing too many labs."

"So the only reason your failing is because of this unfair suspension?"  Demona glanced at the research Brenna was doing on the witch trials.  This was a perfect example of humans inability to watch out for their own young.  This girl obviously was much more intelligent than the other kids, and they tossed her out of school.

"Yeah, and now I'll probably have to go to summer school to make it up."  Brenna grumbled.  "You have to pay for summer school."

"This paper isn't what you were supposed to do."  Demona waved her hand at the books that Brenna was studying.  "They aren't going to take it well."

"Well, I'm not gonna sell out."  Brenna rose her chin defiantly.  "They are wrong."

"You could end up losing more time at school.  You could fail more classes."

Brenna's chin fell at that.  "I owe her."  She sounded suddenly as young as she truly was.  "A gargoyle saved me… and I can't let people talk about her like this."  Demona nodded as if she understood, but she didn't.  "I'm gonna give this paper to the P.I.T. people.  They can distribute it or something.  If more people realized how nice they were, maybe this mess would stop."

"Do you really believe that?"  Demona snapped at the girl.  She'd seemed intelligent, but this foolish dream was irritating.

Brenna sighed.  "Not really."  She whispered.  "Maybe some people will change, but those Quarrymen… nothing short of jail will stop them."

"So you are putting your neck out there to write this, plan to distribute it, and you don't think it will help much."  Demona spoke quickly.  "You are spending hours every day working on this.  Why not just write the paper that your Principal wants?"

"That's what mom said."  Brenna's hand clenched around her pencil.  "but this is important.  If people had fought back during the witch hunts or when the settlers were attacking the Native Americans maybe fewer people would have died.  Wrong is just wrong and I can't pretend it's okay to hurt them just so that I can go back to school."

"You're a strange little human."  Demona muttered to herself but it wasn't quiet enough.  Brenna grinned at her.  Brenna was starting to remind Demona of Angela with her impassioned arguments.

********

Brenna was surprised when Ms. Destine didn't send her out for lunch the next day.  She'd been looking forward to the contest, which was how she'd started to see that.  She even brought her tennis shoes and changed into them at 11:30 to prepare.

Today Ms. Destine had marched past everyone without saying a word and locked herself in her office claiming she didn't want to be disturbed.  The air of angry menace around her was scary and the woman hadn't even looked at Brenna that morning.  Still Brenna was surprised that Ms. Destine wasn't feeling up to tormenting her for lunch.

When one o'clock came and there was still no call for lunch Brenna stared at the door.  She only worked until one and then did homework.  Her mother was busy working on something.

Brenna decided to go out to get something to eat and used her allowance money to do it.  She found herself outside of Luigi's as the lunch crowd was dying down.

"Well, what can we get you."  The cashier that usually rang up her orders for Ms. Destine was there.

"I'll have a number 7."  Brenna glanced at the menu and bit her lip in indecision.  "What does Ms. Destine normally order?"  She'd never actually seen it since the bosses lunch was normally wrapped up when she came to get it.  The woman hadn't eaten yet.

"She got the number 9 yesterday."  He sounded a bit confused.

"I'll get one of those too."  Brenna made the decision and nodded.  If the woman wasn't hungry Brenna could reheat it for tomorrow.  There was just something off about Ms. Destine today, she seemed a bit depressed when she ventured out to get coffee early today.

She was able to walk and not run back to the office today.  It was actually a nice walk that way.  She walked past her mother and was relieved that she was moving to the copy room.  Brenna was sure to be told not to bother Ms. Destine if her mother had caught her.  Brenna reached up and knocked with a grimace on her face.  She'd seen Ms. Destine yell at other people.

"What?!"  Ms. Destine opened the door and actually looked surprised to see Brenna standing there with a bag.

"I… uh…"  Brenna held up the bag to help explain herself.  The cashier had packed her lunch and Ms. Destine's separately so that Brenna could just drop this off and run.  "You haven't eaten yet."  She spoke meekly, hoping to avoid any anger being sent in her direction.  She reached out to give Ms. Destine the bag.

"I suppose you want your money."  Ms. Destine sounded a bit cool, but there was no obvious anger.  She opened the office door wider and walked to her desk, making Brenna think she was supposed to follow her in, so she did.

The office was large and had a good view of the city.  Brenna stood still and tried not to fidget as Ms. Destine pulled out her wallet to get some money.  Brenna just nodded a thank you when she took the cash and put it in her pocket.

"Brenna?"  Ms. Destine stared into her eyes and it made Brenna a bit nervous.  "You still working on your paper?"

"Yeah."

"Look up the Holocaust.  That was another example of humans intolerance and the monstrosities they are capable of doing against their own people."

"I was thinking of doing that, but there is so much in the library about it that I didn't know where to start."  Brenna felt a little calmer.  Ms. Destine actually had an interest in her research.  Brenna's own mother merely tolerated her doing the paper.  It was kinda nice that such an important woman noticed what she was doing.  She left to have her lunch and do more homework.

********

Angela had found out about her plans last night and everything fell apart.  She should have expected that human to betray her, but she really thought she'd paid him enough to keep that from happening.  That was foolish of her.

She was surprised at how much Angela's words hurt.  Her daughter really didn't understand that Demona was doing it all for them.  Goliath was blinded by his hope, and it really would get them all killed.  All her effort, all her caring, and she was still alone.

With a heavy sigh Demona unpacked the lunch that Brenna had brought her.  She hadn't even realized she was hungry until the girl brought it.  She hadn't eaten since last night.

********

Brenna was surprised to feel a little disappointed that it was Friday.  Normally she'd be in school and feeling very grateful that she didn't have to go for a few days, but working here was almost fun in comparison.  Between that and the research she was doing she felt like she was actually doing something with her days, rather than just putting in her hours at school and trying to not stick out too much.

"Your incompetence is outstanding!"  Ms. Destine's voice carried easily into the file room and Brenna felt like hiding in case the woman walked this way after she was done with whoever was getting yelled at now.  Ms. Destine seemed to be on the warpath today and it took very little for anyone to set her off.  "Perhaps I should replace you with another teenager.  They seem to work ten times as hard as you do."  Brenna swallowed her shock and froze in place.  The woman's voice got a little quieter, so that Brenna knew the lecture was still in action, but couldn't make out any of the words.

Brenna got back to work, paying even more attention to what she was doing.  It was a shock to hear Ms. Destine thought she worked hard and she didn't want to lose that.

A half hour later Brenna looked up to see the NightStone C.E.O staring at her from the doorway.  Something in the woman's eyes was a bit unsettling.  "I've decided to have a sandwich today.  The deli is two blocks away.  You better get going, you only have until noon."  The redheads voice clearly carried her challenge.  Brenna took the money being held out to her and went to grab her coat.  She wasn't going to be able to make it this time and she knew it.  The deli was further away and Ms. Destine didn't give her any more time than normal.

********

Demona went to her office and watched the monitors with little expression on her face.  Brenna wasn't going to be able to pull a miracle today but she watched the girl try desperately to do just that.  The teen ran like the hounds of hell were on her tail as she darted down the hallway to the elevators and Demona watched as Alice from accounting just stared after the girl with a bit of pity on her face.

She changed the monitor to the elevator car and watched as Brenna impatiently pushed the button for the lobby.  Just before the door closed the man Demona had just yelled at leapt in the car and pushed a floor.  Brenna was nibbling on her lip and Demona watched as Denis insincerely said something that she couldn't make out and hit the button for another floor.  He was purposely slowing Brenna down, it was clear in his smug grin when the girl looked away.  Demona's fist clenched as she watched him stand still while the car stopped at one floor waiting for the doors to close again before going down the next floor for him to get out.

Brenna's face became very determined as the car continued down the lobby and Demona watched the girl dodge all the other people in the lobby with almost a warriors intent as she headed for the front doors.  Demona moved to the windows of her office and glanced down at the crowds on the sidewalk.  She couldn't see much detail but the smaller figure dodging through the crowds as fast as she could was hard to miss.  Demona almost wished she had cameras on the streets so she could see if Brenna's determination lasted all the way to the deli.  She also wished she could see the look on the girls face when she realized that Demona hadn't called in the order early enough for it to be ready when she got there.  It really wouldn't matter how fast the girl ran, she wasn't going to get back before noon.

********

Brenna was sweating a bit when she finally got to the deli and the long pick up line made her heart sink.  There was no Tom to help her today.  She'd seen him at Luigi's as she ran past.  Ms. Destine was already in a bad mood, it was really a bad day to be late.  Brenna bounced on her feet impatiently as the line slowly moved.  Her eyes kept moving to the clock over the register as she watched the seconds tick by.  Even if she left right now, without the food she couldn't make it.  She'd lost.  Ms. Destine knew that she would when she sent Brenna out.  That was what that look was about.

What should she do?  Brenna bounced her fist against her lips lightly as she tried to think.  She took a few deep breaths, as her progression to the front of the line seemed to be happening in slow motion.

********

Demona looked up again when she saw the blue of the girl's jacket enter the lobby and frowned.  Brenna was late, but then that had been the plan.  Demona left her secret office to return to the public one so that she was ready to do this.  Her eyebrows drew together as she realized she wasn't really looking forward to putting this human in her place like she normally would.  She couldn't help but remember Denis slowing Brenna down on purpose.  He'd known what would happen if Brenna were late and he'd done that to a child. 

The tentative knock on her opened office door had Demona sitting up straighter in her chair.  "Come in."  She watched the girl, pale from the cold and obviously tired from her run slowly creep into her office with the bag.  Brenna moved forward and put it on the desk, almost as if she expected to be bit when she got close enough but had to do it.

"I got you a cheesecake."  The girl spoke softly and Demona watched Brenna seem to try and prepare herself for the yelling that Demona had been planning to give Brenna all week, just as soon as the girl missed a deadline or screwed up.  The child was trying to bribe her way out of this confrontation.  One of Demona's eyebrows rose as she regarded the nervous looking girl.  Brenna had been sent on an impossible task and the girl was bright enough to realize that.  She wasn't making excuses, or explaining how the deli didn't have the sandwich ready when she got there.  Brenna was just standing there quietly looking so much like a frightened puppy.

"Cheesecake?"

"Um.. yeah, New York Cheesecake."  Brenna spoke quickly while nibbling on her lip.

Demona sighed and glanced over at her clock that clearly read ten after the hour.  Brenna fidgeted when she did that but didn't say anything.  "Get back to work."  Demona spoke quietly as she reached out for the bag.  Brenna just nodded a bit nervously and left.  Right before the girl left Demona spoke again.  "Thank you."  Brenna gave her a shy smile and left.

Once the girl closed the door behind her Demona pulled out the cheesecake and just stared at it.  Bribery.  She'd had employees, usually her hired thugs, try to appease her with that sort of thing before.  Usually it was guns or more interesting items.  This was the first time someone tried to influence her temper with cheesecake.  She hated cheesecake.

********

Brenna tried to ignore her growling stomach as she studied.  She'd spent the last of her money on the cheesecake.  It was pretty expensive at that deli.  Once her mother came in to get her so they could leave Brenna realized that she hadn't seen Ms. Destine again that day.  She glanced at the woman's closed door as she put on her jacket.  There was something about Ms. Destine's eyes today when Brenna was in her office.  Brenna just shook her head and followed her mother out the office so that they could lock it up. 

On the way down the elevator Brenna noticed her mother giving her a strange smile.  "You've been really amazing this week.  I'm proud of you."

Brenna smiled back at her.  "I wish I didn't have to quit."

Brenna noticed that surprised her mother but the woman just covered that up quickly.  "Well, you need to get back in school."  The tone changed to a slight lecture and Brenna sighed at the end of their brief normal conversation.  That wasn't at all what she'd meant by saying she wished she could stay, but arguing wouldn't help.

"I know."  It wasn't like she learned anything at that school anyhow, but she had to go.  Too bad she couldn't make enough money working here to pay for the other school.  She'd taken a tour of it once, and it was everything a school should be.  She would have been happy there, instead of being treated like a freak if anyone noticed her at all.  The other kids resented how easy it was for her.  It didn't take Brenna long to learn just how much work to put in so that she didn't show anyone up too badly.  If the teachers gushed about her work it only got worse with the cold shoulders and glares.

********

Demona tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she rode the elevator up to the top floor Monday morning.  The weekend at home was long and very irritating.  She was glad to be back at work.  The empty house seemed to mock her.  She'd expected to have at least her daughter for company this weekend, but that hadn't happened.  Her fists clenched as she replayed the last words she'd heard Angela say before leaving the building.  It would take a lot to repair the damage done and for once Demona regretted that she'd even come up with the plan.  If she hadn't… if that human hadn't spilled her entire plan Demona would still have at least the possibility of her daughter, but now… she had no one.  She'd had no one for almost a thousand years, but knowing she had a daughter and couldn't…  Demona sighed and stood taller.  It wouldn't do any good to go over the past like this.  She needed to make plans for the future.

She was at work a bit earlier than normal and when Candace wasn't at her desk Demona went straight for the coffee.  Brenna was sitting at the meeting table with a newspaper spread out before her and scissors in her hands.

"That better not be my paper."  Demona spoke as soon as she saw the girls scissors start to move.  Brenna stopped what she was doing and turned to look at her.

"Ah.. no I got this one on the way into work."

"Why are you cutting it up?"

"I have to find articles for my current world issues class."  Demona just stepped closer to see what Brenna had chosen and felt a grin start, which she quickly suppressed.

"Castaway's arrest?  Interesting choice."

Brenna grinned.  "I hope that maniac has to do lots of time."

"Yes, well… make sure you start work on time."  Demona turned with her coffee in hand and headed out the door.  The girl still had a little while before her shift started.

Demona had a meeting scheduled for that afternoon, so she went to prepare.  But first she wanted to find her newspaper and read that article.  Castaway wasn't fooling her, he was the hunter.  Surprisingly this hunter had traded in his obsession with hunting Demona to go after Goliath and the clan.  He knew where she was and hadn't made a move against her yet, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't.  Perhaps an accident could be arranged to deal with Jon Castaway.

********

Brenna finished work and then didn't know what to do with herself.  The place she normally hung out was occupied and she could hear Ms. Destine's voice rising behind the door.  She wouldn't want to be in there right now anyhow.  Unfortunately her mother was in there taking notes.

Brenna sighed as she sat in her mother's seat and stared out the window.  She thought about Ms. Destine's comment about the Holocaust and decided that she would go to the library.  It wasn't too far from work.  She quickly scribbled out a note and taped it to her mother's monitor.  She could return the books she'd already used and get more information.  Castaway was almost like a Hitler in her opinion, so a little compare and contrast with that would be fitting.  She finally knew where to start on that topic.

********

Candace sat while all the department heads left and busied herself with organizing the notes she'd taken during the meeting.  Ms. Destine hadn't dismissed her yet and she knew better than to move to leave until she had.  Sometimes the volatile redhead wanted to dictate more notes after the meeting of things she wanted to do, like surprise inspections for any department that she wasn't pleased with during the meeting.  Candace assumed that must be the case when Ms. Destine just continued to study the reports she'd been given and didn't say anything.

"I want to do an inspection of the Project 347 research facility."  Ms. Destine stated without even looking up.  Candace covered her surprise easily.  That project was high security and hadn't been in this meeting to draw attention to itself.  "That's all.  You're dismissed."

Once Candace was out of the meeting room she glanced around for Brenna and didn't see her.  The note taped to the middle of her monitor was hard to miss.  The girl had gone to the library again.  Candace sighed.  Brenna really spent too much time there.  She should make friends and do something more normal, like go to the mall or have slumber parties.

********

Demona glanced around the main office and it took her a moment to realize what she was looking for.  Where was that child?  She grimaced at that thought and she marched into her office.  It was none of her concern if Candace couldn't keep track of her offspring.

Her office door was open so it wasn't hard to hear the sounds of books falling to the ground.  "Well, at least I made it here first."  Brenna grumbled.

"Brenna, I'm not sure you should be reading things like this."  Candace's voice sounded a bit stern.  Demona got up to wander to the doorway and see what it was that Brenna had gotten into now.  It was just curiosity.  "They'll give you nightmares."

No one noticed the Nightstone C.E.O. watching the family drama being enacted in her main office through the cracked open door.  If she didn't want to see how this played out she would have interrupted it right then.  This was a place of work after all.  Brenna's paper bag full of books had broken spilling history books all over the middle of the floor.  Dark eyes of concentration camp inmates stared from the cover of some books.  There were also books about the KKK that had hooded figures on the cover.  Candace was looking down at the pile with a little bit of concern while Brenna worked to quickly pick up the mess.

"Mom, I need these for my paper."

"Don't talk to me like that young lady."  Candace's response was just a little heated and Demona didn't really understand why.  Sure the girl sounded just a little exasperated, but not anything truly disrespectful.  "That paper you spend all this time on is just going to cause you trouble.  You should at least do another paper the way Principal Smyth wanted.  Turn that one in."

Brenna set a pile of books on the table and Demona could easily see the tension in the girls back.  "I told you why I have to do this."

"Well, I'm sure that Angela wouldn't think your disobeying your Principal would do any good.  If that is what that creature taught you…"

Demona's teeth clenched at the derision in her secretary's voice.  That was HER daughter they were talking about!

"She's not a creature."  Brenna hissed out quietly.  "and I'm not gonna write that paper."

"Well she's hardly human."  Candace spoke just as angrily, but kept it down, probably thinking that Demona wouldn't hear the argument that way. 

"Like that's a bad thing."  Brenna grumbled quietly and Demona smirked.  Brenna's mother hadn't caught that little comment.  The girl's voice got a bit louder so that her mother would hear the next words.  "Well, they did try that clan leader in a court.  So that means that legally he was recognized as a sentient entity if he could be tried for a crime."  Demona's eyes widened a little at the girls perceptiveness and clever response.  She doubted the legal system that was so eager to get the case would have done so if they realized the precedent they'd set.  She doubted if many of the lawyers involved in the case even realized what they'd done when they agreed to try Goliath like a human.

"Don't get smart with me Brenna."

"No, I can't get smart with anyone."  Brenna slammed the second pile of books down on the table.  The phone on Candace's desk rang, effectively ending that conversation.  Demona watched how her secretary still managed to sound professional while glaring at her daughter.  Brenna just ignored Candace and worked to try and carry the books to the now vacant meeting room.  The girl's pile of books looked heavy for her, but she did it all in one trip.

Demona went back to her seat to try and work.  There were no further sounds of arguments from her office just the rapid and angry typing of her secretary. 

********

Brenna worked to put as many of the books as she could in her bookbag.  They weren't all going to fit, but knowing her mother seeing them out would just restart the argument.  It seemed like nothing she did lately was good enough.  She gritted her teeth as she tried to zip up the bag.  It wasn't fair.  She was working hard to make a difference.  She was standing up for what she believed in and was working harder on her schoolwork than she ever had to before and her mother just kept telling her to write that stupid paper.  Why couldn't she understand?!  If her Principal had given her a bunch of Ku Klux Klan handouts and told her she had to write a paper like those people were right her mother would never say she should just do what she'd been told so she could go to school.  This wasn't any different.

She took a shuddering breath and sat down heavily in the chair.  The flyer for the Holocaust exhibit sat on the table.  It wasn't going to be in town much longer and Brenna wanted to go.  It would be good research.  She sighed.  Her mother would never let her go alone and the woman had no interest in seeing something she considered so unpleasant.

"If your heavy flopping in my chair damages it I will take that out of your pay."  Ms. Destine's voice startled Brenna and she looked up to see the woman in the doorway.  The threat lacked the normal aggression that would make Brenna think it was real.  She nodded at her boss, but continued to sit in the woman's chair.

Ms. Destine wandered over to the table and looked at the covers of the few books that Brenna couldn't make fit in her bookbag.  "I see you took my advice about the Holocaust."

"Yeah."  Brenna glanced at the cover with Hitler on it.  "You ever notice that Castaway has a mustache just like Hitler?"  When she looked back up at her stern boss she could have sworn the woman was covering up a grin.

"You carried all those books on the subway?"  Ms. Destine wasn't making any motion towards the coffee maker.  She was just standing there talking with Brenna. 

"Yeah.  They got pretty heavy."  There was an awkward silence as the C.E.O. seemed to just stare at Brenna as if she didn't know what to say now.  "Did you study history?"  Brenna finally asked.  Ms. Destine seemed to know about it and had suggestions. 

"I've picked up some of it here and there." The slight smirk on the redhead's lips didn't make much sense.  The question wasn't funny.  She then reached out and took the flyer out of Brenna's hand.  "So what's this?"

"An exhibit I wanted to go to."

"Wanted?"

"Mom isn't gonna want to go."  Brenna took the paper back from Ms. Destine and folded it up small enough to put in her pocket.  "My paper is due on Thursday anyway." 

"I heard your mother wanted to get off early to go to your school.  I assume you need that time off as well?"

Brenna's eyes widened.  "Oh, I'm sorry.  I forgot I'd need to ask."

"I noticed."  Ms. Destine just stared at her and Brenna started to squirm.  She'd gotten out of the yelling yesterday, but this was another screw up.  "Your mother already mentioned it, but as MY employee I expect you to deal with your own requests and such from now on."

"Okay."  Brenna nodded quickly, eager to not anger the woman.  After debating about it for a moment she spoke more quietly.  "Would you be willing to look at my paper?"

"I don't have time to read children's homework assignments."  Ms. Destine's snapping that out made Brenna cringe.  She looked down and didn't see the woman studying her.  "However, if you give it to me I might have time to read it over the weekend."

Brenna felt instantly better.  She smiled shyly.  "If you see anything that could use more work you could tell me?"

"I thought it was due on Thursday."

"But I still want to get a copy to the P.I.T."  Brenna nibbled on her lip nervously.  "I doubt I could find Angela again.  It's so dangerous out that she shouldn't be patrolling.  I wish I could give her a copy."

Ms. Destine sighed.  "I'm sure if enough of these get distributed someone will make sure she sees it."

********

Demona watched the girl follow her mother out the door.  She was staying late at work today, but her employees all knew better than to stay if they worked on this floor.  She'd finally get to see Brenna's story about Angela.  She'd been working on a way to get the girl to show her that part.  She hadn't expected Brenna to ask her to do it as if it were a favor.  It would also be interesting to see what the strange little human did for the rest of the paper.  Brenna had a unique way of thinking.

Brenna was right about one thing.  Angela shouldn't be patrolling with all the armed Quarrymen out there.  Even this child understood that and Goliath didn't. 

********

Demona noticed the girl glancing up from her work every few seconds like she was looking for someone.  The minute Brenna's eyes landed on her it was clear to the Nightstone C.E.O. that Brenna had been waiting for her to get into work.  Demona had come in a little later today because she started her day doing a surprise visit to Denis' project.  She'd found several things to complain about and warned the man that if he didn't straighten things up in a week he'd be fired. 

"Ms. Destine?"  Brenna's voice was a little low and Demona suspected it was so that the people in the lobby, like her mother, wouldn't hear her.  She walked over to the girl and watched as Brenna opened up a file drawer and pulled out a thick report.  "I made a copy for you."  Demona stared down at the cover page with "The Human Problem" in large print. 

"Thank you."  Demona managed to not chuckle.  In all the time that she'd considered humans a problem she never once felt the need to write an essay about it.  "Aren't you supposed to go to your school today?"

Brenna looked a bit pale.  Her brave face about turning in a paper like this was fading a bit.  "We're leaving in fifteen minutes."

"And you're going to give him a copy of this paper?"  Demona had to know if the girl had done like her mother asked and wrote another paper.

"Yeah."  Brenna sighed.

"If he doesn't let you back in school over an issue like this you have grounds to sue."  Demona wasn't sure why she felt the need to reassure the girl like that.  "Well, get back to work while I'm paying for your time."  She grumbled and turned to leave.

She had departmental reports sitting on her desk that she needed to read, but Demona found herself opening up Brenna's report instead.  She'd planned to wait until the weekend, but she was curious as to what a young human had to say about humans.  She could hear her secretary and the girl leaving the office shortly after she sat down.

The report was brilliant.  Demona stared at it again as it sat on her desk.  She wasn't familiar with how well High School aged humans wrote, but this had to be better.  Much better.  And this girl was fighting for the right to go back to the public schools?  She obviously could do better than that.  It was another example of the human's inability to nurture their own.

"Ms. Destine?"  The hesitant voice at the doorway drew Demona's eyes up.  Tom from Human Resources.  She had a meeting with him, so this man must be the recently promoted HR Manager.

"Tom, come in."  Demona waved to a seat in front of her desk. 

********

"Look!"  Candace snapped and interrupted the little weasel man finally.  "You may not agree with my daughter's beliefs.  I know I'm not so sure about them, but Brenna worked damned hard on that report for you and I'm betting no teacher in this school has seen a better essay in their whole careers."  She glared at the pompous man that had the nerve to try and brow beat her daughter about her essay daring to make any connections between the way the Quarrymen behaved and the Third Reich or any of the many other colorful connections Brenna had made.  Candace was really wishing that she'd been able to talk Brenna into just doing what she was supposed to.

That female gargoyle had protected her.  Candace hadn't been pleased to hear that Brenna had been out that late without permission, but the girl had been at the library.  Candace didn't doubt Brenna when she said that at all.  Her daughter wasn't a troublemaker, and this man insinuating that her little girl was pissed her off.  He'd become reddened as he started to spout out hatred towards the gargoyles, make accusations about the girl being out so late, and making rude comments about Candace's parenting abilities if her daughter was out at night talking to beasts.

"Now, is my daughter back in school on Monday or do I have to take legal action?"  Candace glared at him.  She couldn't afford legal action, but hopefully the threat would be enough.  If Candace had enough money to sue this school, she'd just use that money to send Brenna to that other school.  She knew that her daughter was too smart for this school and it burned her that she couldn't give her more.  She wanted to be able to give Brenna the best she possibly could, but unfortunately with the bills she had and the cost of living in New York there wasn't enough money left to pay for high school.  She hoped Brenna could get a scholarship for college, because the college fund wasn't very healthy looking either.

Principal Smyth seemed to be reining in his temper and he finally spoke in a more normal tone of voice.  "I expect you to refrain from hitting any more students or I'll be forced to expel you."  He addressed Brenna, and the girl nodded.  "I mean it."  He growled.  "One more incident and I'll toss you out of here so fast you won't know what hit you."

"Too bad you don't apply that rule to the drug dealers and gang members you have going to this school."  Candace said coolly.  "Come on Brenna.  We're leaving."

********

Brenna was quiet as she walked to her mother's car.  Her mother took quick purposeful strides and didn't look back. 

When she got in the car Brenna quickly fastened her seatbelt and waited.  "I know you feel strongly about the gargoyles Brenna."  Brenna's mother's voice was much softer and calmer than Brenna expected it to be.  "But please don't start any more fights."

"I won't."  Brenna stared at the dash and tried to fight the tears in her eyes.  It had been scary just sitting there being yelled at like that.  She'd been so shocked and grateful when her mother stopped it.  That he could blame her mother for her being out like that upset her.  He'd even suggested that child protective services should look into their home.  That was crap.  Brenna was fifteen now, she'd been fourteen then but that was still old enough to be left home alone.

"I know I didn't read that essay, but from what he quoted I'd say it was pretty good."  Brenna glanced over to see her mother's weak smile.  "Maybe you could print me out a copy when we get home?"

"yeah.  I can do that."  Brenna felt the tears on her cheeks.  Her mother just reached out and wiped them away.

"Lets go out to dinner tonight for a change."  Candace smiled at her.  "You just finished a huge project.  We should celebrate."

********

Demona walked into the meeting room to get some coffee to start off the day and noticed Brenna once again cutting up a perfectly good newspaper.  "So are you back in school or did you join the ranks of the high school dropouts?"

"I start again Monday."  Brenna didn't look thrilled with that. 

"How did your paper get received?"  Demona had been wondering that ever since she knew for sure that Brenna would turn it in.

The girl's eyes met her own.  "Not too well.  He's a bigger dick.."  Demona's eyebrow rose and the girl blushed.  "Uh.. jerk, than I thought.  He was very offended, but mom yelled at him and he had to let me go back." 

"Well, good."  Demona paused as she thought of something.  "So I expect at least two weeks notice if you plan to quit."

"What?"  Brenna looked a bit stunned.  "But school starts Monday."

"Well, there is no reason you couldn't work after school.  You told me you don't have to try very hard to pass your classes so it isn't like you need that time to study."

"I'd only be able to work maybe two hours a day."  Brenna looked pretty confused.

"Well, then you would need to work faster, wouldn't you.  I still demand that my employees give me two weeks notice."

"So you'll let me work just a couple hours?"  Brenna's eyebrows drew together as she studied Demona.

"I am not letting you do anything.  You have a job here and I expect you to act like a professional.  If you plan to continue to work for me, then it is expected that any employee planning to quit gives two weeks notice."  Demona watched the young girl's grin start before turning to leave the room.  Brenna did a better job than the temps that they hired once a month to do catch up filing.  She'd keep the file room in order.  It just worked out better for the company this way. 

********

Candace was going to walk back to the meeting room and see if Brenna wanted a Pepsi since she was going to get herself one out of the machine.  She stopped when she realized that Ms. Destine was in the room and stood out of sight with wide eyes while she watched her ill tempered boss sitting at the meeting table with Brenna.  They had several sheets of paper in front of them and Candace didn't see any sign of the legendary temper or any hint of fear from her daughter.

"You need to watch out for typos, they detract from your message."  Ms. Destine started to talk and Candace realized that the paper in front of them both was Brenna's report.  The girl actually bothered Ms. Destine with that?  That was either very brave or very foolish.  From the serious expression on Ms. Destine's face Brenna had gotten lucky.  The woman could have been a card carrying Quarrymen.  No one knew much about their bosses private life.  "Your comments were well thought out, but I don't think the contrasting of Jon Canmore to Hitler should also include his appearance.  He does enough else, which you clearly prove.  You don't need to criticize his mustache.  It does nothing for your essay."

"Okay."  Brenna had a soft smile on her lips as she listen to the praise.  She really should.  Candace had worked for Ms. Destine since the company moved to New York and she'd never heard her talking so civilly and giving out encouragement like this.

"Also your ending, which I do like very much, is probably a bit heavy handed.  You could just end it here and you wouldn't lose anything."  Ms. Destine pulled a sheet of paper closer to both of them.  "Yes humans do a lousy job of sharing the planet, but this could be an essay all on it's own and doesn't quite fit with the historical analysis you have going on."

Candace slowly backed away while they both continued to talk about Brenna's paper.  She felt a bit stunned that her daughter had managed to somehow reach Ms. Destine in a way that no one had thought possible.  "Who would have figured that woman had a maternal side."  She whispered to herself as she went out into the hall to get her drink.  "The Devil of Nightstone tutors high school freshman.  No one would believe me." 

********

Brenna held the copy of her report in her arms, hugged tight to her body as she walked up to the P.I.T. meeting for the first time.  She'd seen the flyer for it and there was no phone number, just the meeting time.  She'd had to use some of her work money for cab fare because her mother was on a date with some new guy called Dylan.  Candace hadn't introduced her daughter to him yet.  Brenna still hated when her mother went out with men she hadn't seen.  They could be axe murderers and Brenna wouldn't even be able to give the police a description.

"Hi, I'm Ellen.  Are you here for the P.I.T. meeting?"  A woman had noticed Brenna slowly walking down the halls.  Brenna was feeling a little embarrassed about her contribution now.  What if someone had already done a report, or if they thought a report this size was too big?  She'd worked pretty hard on this it would suck if no one could use it.

"Yeah."  Brenna gave Ellen a shy smile and went in the direction the woman pointed her to. 

"Christine, are you feeling better?"  She could hear a man talking with clear concern in his voice with a woman already in the room.

"Oh, I'm fine.  It was just some bruises, nothing got broken."  Christine smiled at him.  "And the female gargoyle Angela actually visited us in the hospital!  They know what we are trying to do for them and they appreciate it!"  The woman's voice got louder as she got more excited and Brenna just leaned up against a wall to quietly eavesdrop.  There weren't a lot of other people there yet and she didn't feel brave enough to just go join the conversation.  "It's horrible that our last meeting was attacked like that, but now we know… they are all that we thought they were."  The note of worship in the woman's voice was a little disturbing.  Sure, the one time Brenna had met Angela she'd thought she was great, but she wasn't a god or anything.

A few more people started coming in and Christine moved about to mingle.  Brenna felt the woman was like a shark circling, because as soon as she noticed Brenna in the corner she headed straight for her.  These social things had never been Brenna's strong suit. 

"Hi, you're new here."  Christine smiled widely at her.

Brenna smiled back nervously.  "Yeah, it's my first time."

"So what made you decide to join us?"

Brenna pulled the paper away from her chest a little.  "I met a gargoyle a few months ago…"

********

One of Demona's eyebrows rose at the energy that Brenna exhibited.  All she'd asked was if Brenna had a nice weekend.  The girl had been working there for four weeks and normally that question got a two word response from the girl, which was why Demona continued to ask it on a regular basis.  This weekend was apparently different.

"They loved my essay and asked if they could reproduce parts of it for their newsletter.  One of the guys even said that it looked better than the work his Freshmen College students turned in."  Brenna was beaming.  "Thank you for helping me edit it."

Demona just nodded in response to the obviously heartfelt thank you. 

P.I.T.  what a foolish organization, but Brenna seemed thrilled that the group wanted her to come back.  It was standard procedure for groups like this to be overly welcoming to new members.  It was a way to pull them in.  Demona found she didn't feel very comfortable with the girl joining a group that got Quarrymen attention so much.  She'd already told Demona about how Christine, one of the group leaders, had been attacked at a meeting, along with all those that had attended that time.

Well, if the young human wanted to take foolish risks it wasn't Demona's job to protect her.  Demona grimaced as she left the girl to continue filing.  The urge to forbid Brenna from going back surprised her.

********

Candace was having a great time with Dylan.  She smiled while taking a sip of her wine.  The man was polite, interesting, intelligent.  Maybe it was time to introduce him to Brenna.  They had been dating for almost two months now.  He knew Candace had a teenage daughter and actually had expressed an interest in meeting her tonight. 

While she considered inviting him up to the apartment once they got there, Candace couldn't help but remember the signs that littered their dining room.  Brenna had created several once they realized that Angela was imprisoned on what Brenna was convinced were trumped up charges.  For a horrible day the world thought that Angela was the only gargoyle to survive the explosion and between Brenna's tears and her resolve the girl had helped to organize a protest at the District Attorney's office.  Candace almost forbid her daughter to go, since she knew the Quarrymen would be there as well, but one look at the girl told her that this was more important to her daughter than anything.  She'd driven Brenna to the building and left her with some older P.I.T. members while she went to work.  She'd spent that day in the office, alone and worried about her daughter and the gargoyle that she'd become so attached to after only meeting her once.  She didn't even have Ms. Destine to distract her from her concerns since their boss had taken the day off.

"What are you thinking about?"  Dylan smiled at her when he returned.  She hadn't even noticed him sit back down.

"I was thinking that maybe next time we should take Brenna out to dinner with us.  I think she might like you."  Candace smiled at him.  If he was the one he'd find out about Brenna's activism streak soon enough.  She'd been dating a bit since Brenna became old enough to leave home alone, and Dylan seemed like the closest to the one she'd seen yet.  It was time to see if he passed the daughter test.

"Well, I guess we should start back."  Dylan gave her his bedroom eyes.  "Unless you wanted to come by my place for drinks?"

She held up her wine glass.  "But I'm having drinks right now.  Why would I need to go have… drinks… at your place?"  She grinned at him.

"You know what I mean."  He shook his head in mock disgust and Candace laughed.

"Sure.  Let me just call Brenna and tell her I'll be home later so she doesn't worry."

Candace almost slipped on the sidewalk as they moved to get into his car.  Winter weather was a pain.

********

Brenna groaned at the knocking on the front door.  Did her mother forget her keys again?  She rolled out of bed and glanced at the alarm clock.  God, why couldn't she just stay the entire night at his place if she was going to be coming home this late?

She trudged to the front door just as another volley of knocks hit it.  At this hour it had to be her mother, but years of habit had her checking the peephole.  She felt instantly more awake when she noticed the blue uniform and police hat fill her vision.

The chains were still attached when she opened the door.  Even if he was a policeman he was a stranger and he must have the wrong apartment.  The neighbors sometimes got called on for disturbing the peace, but Brenna had been sleeping.  "Hello?"

"Hi, I'm Officer Morgan."  The man spoke gently when he saw her.  Brenna started to get a bad feeling about this.  "Do you know a Candace McCullen?"

"That's my mom."  Brenna's voice got just a little higher as her concern bloomed into full out worry and when she noticed the look in his eyes, it grew to outright panic.

"Can you let me in sweetheart?"  Officer Morgan was still speaking in that soothing tone.  Something bad had happened.

"What happened?"  Brenna spoke loudly.

"Just open the door and I'll tell you."  Officer Morgan held out his badge as if to verify he really was a cop, but Brenna didn't know how to tell if it was real.

Once she'd opened the door he walked with her into the living room.  "There is no easy way to say this."  Brenna felt her blood drain from her face.  "She was killed in a car accident tonight."  A dull hum seemed to drown out his words as Brenna fell back onto the couch and started to shake.  "If it's any comfort it was fast.  She probably didn't even know it was coming."

"Oh God…"  Brenna's felt like her heart was shattering.  "God, no… Mommy."  Her voice got louder.  "No, No, it has to be a mistake!  She went to spend the night with her new boyfriend.  She's at his place…"  She took a shuddering breath.  It had to just be a mistake.  "She called me to tell me not to worry.  She was just going to his place."

"Oh God, sweetheart.  I'm so sorry."  Officer Morgan squatted down in front of her.  "I'm so sorry sweetheart."

"No… No…"  Brenna pulled her legs up to her chest.  "No…"

"Is there someone I can call for you?"

Brenna try to calm her breathing enough to speak.  "No… there isn't anyone.  She's my only family."  That started the tears up again. "This can't be happening." 

"Is there a friend I can call for you?"

Friend.  She didn't have anyone she'd consider a friend.  No one… but he obviously wanted to call someone.  "I don't know her number."  The only person she could think of right now, and she had no idea where she was.

"We can find anyone.  Just give us a name and I'll make sure she's called."

********

Demona was just getting ready for bed when the phone rang.  She stared at it almost disbelieving that it had rang until it did that again.

"Hello."  Her voice held a note of her irritation.  One thing she didn't care for was phone solicitors and if the slimy bastards were calling her this early to sell something she'd make them want to be disemboweled.

"Is this Dominique Destine?"  A hesitant male voice asked.

"Yes."  She drew out her answer while waiting for the early morning caller to get to the point.

"Ma'am, I'm Officer Dexter with the 23rd precinct.  I'm sorry to inform you that Candace McCullen died tonight in a car accident."  Demona had barely enough time to register what she'd heard when he continued.  "Her daughter, Brenna asked for you."

"Is Brenna okay?"  Demona knew that was the right response to this, but the genuine concern she felt was a surprise.  She actually wanted an answer.  The loss of Candace at the office would be an inconvenience, but before she'd met Brenna, she would have just spent a few minutes grumbling and then called Human Resources to fill the new vacancy.  There were millions of humans on the planet that could do Candace's job, but Brenna only had one parent.  Demona remembered asking about that once.

"She wasn't in the car.  The girl is in her apartment.  Since she is a minor our officer can't leave her alone right now."  Officer Dexter's voice softened.  "I doubt she's doing very well.   She could use a familiar face."

An hour later she was pulling up behind the police car outside the apartment building.  It didn't look like much.  Demona was surprised that her secretary hadn't been able to afford a nicer place.  It wasn't like she didn't pay a competitive salary. 

Once she'd gotten to the second floor she saw the officer standing outside the apartment she was walking towards.  The man turned to her and took a step in her direction.  His voice was soft, he was obviously trying to be quiet.  "Are you Dominique?"

"It's Ms. Destine to you."  She glared at him.  He seemed to be startled by that, but quickly covered it up.

"I have Officer Jackson in with her right now.  I wanted to talk to you before…"  He glanced at the apartment door and his regret was clearly etched on his face.  "Brenna tells me that she doesn't have any other family."  Demona's eyes widened just a little at that.  Things were worse for her file clerk than she realized.  "The next couple of days are going to be hard enough on her, without her having to deal with living in a group home or finding a foster family.  There are too many orphans in this city.  It may take a while to find a suitable placement for her.  I didn't want to discuss this with her right now, but…"

"I can't take a child in."  Demona's voice rose just a little.  She couldn't, it just wasn't possible.  And why should she shelter a human?  There was no way a bright girl like Brenna wouldn't notice the way Demona shape changed during the night, or just disappeared.  She couldn't let that get out.

"Oh… Well, okay."  Officer Morgan sighed.  "Well, she's in here."  He moved to slowly open the apartment door.

"What's your cat's name."  A female voice that Demona didn't recognize carried out into the hallway.

"Lacey."  Brenna's voice was rough and the girl sounded like her entire world had fallen apart.  It had.  Demona stepped into the room and found herself in a small apartment next to a cluttered dining room table.  The other officer was a young female and she was sitting next to a huddled mass on the couch that had to be Brenna.  The girl had a blanket wrapped around her and Demona got the sense that she would prefer to pull that blanket up over her head than talk to the woman petting a gray cat next to her.

"Why'd you name him that?"

"Her.  She was named when we got her."  Brenna's voice caught on the we.  Demona took another step into the room.  The feeling of pain seemed to emanate from Brenna.  The girl noticed the movement in the dining room and her eyes drifted to Demona's.  Brenna's eyes were red and puffy.  Her face was pale and her hair was messy.  The most striking thing about her was the way she looked at Demona with gratitude and hope.  Demona froze in her steps to stare back for a moment.

The ever observant female cop didn't even notice this exchange.  She just continued with the conversation.  "I like cats but I'm more of a dog person.  I have a dog called Canis."

Brenna's eyes turned to the cop.  "Should have just named him Dog."  The hint of irritation was clear even to that cop and she stopped talking to finally look around and notice her partner and Demona in the dining room. 

"I'll just go check in with the station."  Officer Jackson said quietly while getting up to leave.  Demona and Brenna paid her no attention.

"Thanks for coming Ms. Destine.  I'm sorry to bother you so early."  Tears started to fall down Brenna's face as she spoke.  Her voice showing she was just a moment away from sobbing.

Demona walked into the living room of the apartment she'd never seen before as if she owned it.  She, however, didn't really know what to say.  She glanced around for a moment and then decided to sit beside the girl.  Brenna was wiping her tears off with the blanket and trying to sit taller.  She was trying to be brave, but with her shattered appearance and wearing shorts and the t-shirt she'd slept in Brenna looked like a little girl.  "I'm sorry to hear what happened."  Demona finally decided on what to say.  Apparently it wasn't the right thing though, because Brenna started to shake as she tried to hold in more tears.  Demona looked at her with a helpless expression that the girl didn't notice.  Demona had to look away from the painful sight of Brenna trying to control her pain.  She looked up to see Officer Morgan watching them and glared at him again.  He just nodded and mouthed quietly that he'd step outside for a moment. 

Demona felt completely out of her element.  Her eyes felt suspiciously misty when she noticed what the clutter on the dining room table was for the first time since she'd come in.  There were several markers and paints out and many signs.  This human girl had several protest signs and had obviously tried to help get Angela released when the police had arrested her.

"Get dressed."  Demona spoke firmly.  Just a few days.  Just until the funeral, and then the city could find Brenna some human family to take her in.  She could make the arrangements to deal with Brenna's mother's body and some of the other things that the child couldn't do.  This little human had tried to help Demona's daughter after all.  She'd do this and they'd be even.  "You're going to stay at my house for a couple of days."  Demona waited until Brenna pulled back and looked at her with obvious shock.  Demona's voice grew demanding.  "There are rules to staying at my house and no matter how strange you think they are you will follow them.  Do you understand?"

"Yes Ms. Destine."  Brenna whispered.

"This is just going to be for a couple of days."  Demona felt the need to make that clear, and the girl didn't even seem to notice it.  She was too busy slowly trudging to what must be her bedroom. 

While Brenna packed Demona moved to the apartment's front door and opened it to see Officer Morgan leaning against the opposite wall.  "I'll take her for a few days.  Arrange the funeral and all, but you need to find a permanent place for her."  She glared at the slight smile he gave her. 

"Of course Ms. Destine."  Officer Morgan quickly agreed.  "I'll have someone contact you."  She watched as he left, leaving her to deal with a distraught teenager.  Dammit, if Candace hadn't died, Demona would fire her for putting her in this position.

*******

Brenna held Lacey to her body as Ms. Destine pulled away from her apartment building.  The redhead hadn't been thrilled about taking the cat as well, but Brenna wasn't going to leave her mother's cat alone in the apartment for days and there wasn't anyone else to care for her.  Brenna swallowed hard.  Just like she didn't have anyone else.  Ms. Destine didn't seem like the kind of person to take in strays. 

Brenna tried to study the woman subtly.  Ms. Destine was sitting very rigidly while staring out the windshield.  Her fingers were wrapped tightly around the steering wheel.  Brenna finally noticed Ms. Destine was actually wearing pants and a casual shirt.  She'd been too distracted to notice that before, but it made the woman look more like a regular person.

"Thank you."  Brenna whispered out.  It was pretty clear that Ms. Destine wasn't at all comfortable with taking her in, but she was doing it for now.

The redhead glanced at her for a moment.  "I should probably go over the rules.  They aren't negotiable."  Right then Brenna would have agreed to be Ms. Destine's personal slave if it meant she didn't have to be alone.  "That cat better not ruin any of my furniture."  Ms. Destine grumbled quietly and Brenna made a decision to keep very close eye on Lacey.  The cat wasn't destructive, but Brenna wouldn't take any chances.

"I'll make sure she behaves."  Brenna started to lightly pet the cat in her lap.

Ms. Destine went quiet for a moment.  "I have some odd rules, but you have to respect them or I can't keep you even one night."  Brenna just nodded, but Ms. Destine probably didn't see that since she was busy driving.  "I have a spare bedroom that has it's own bathroom.  I can move a T.V. in there, but you have to stay in there after dark.  I don't want you wandering around the house."  Brenna studied the woman, and could see Ms. Destine actually meant that.  "If you don't think you can follow that simple rule tell me now."

It was winter.  It got dark earlier now.  "I can do that."  Brenna couldn't imagine a reason to have a rule like that, but she wasn't really feeling up to exploring the woman's house anyhow. 

"I have a very good security system at the mansion.  You can't sneak out the window at night, or you could get hurt."  Ms. Destine seemed just a little more relaxed after Brenna agreed to the first rule.  "You can't make a mess and leave it around."  Brenna didn't think that would be a problem.  She was going to walk on eggshells the entire time she was there.  Living with Ms. Destine was a scary thought all on it's own.  She didn't want the woman angry with her.

"I'll be good."  Brenna spoke quietly.

"See to it that you are."  Ms. Destine spoke softly. 

*******

Demona sighed in the silence of the car.  The girl was just staring out the side window and Demona didn't think she was seeing anything.  Brenna sounded broken, her voice was quiet, timid, and sad.  Candace had been the girl's whole clan, and thinking of it that way was more disturbing.

The girl had agreed to the rules easily, and Demona seriously hoped that Brenna would follow through.  Still Demona would have to be careful as she walked around her own home at night in case the girl did leave her room.  Demona could order a small refrigerator for the guest room, which could help make sure the girl didn't feel the need to leave the room for food.  A computer would also help to keep Brenna interested in staying put.  Demona would call her driver, he could pick up a few items for her while she got Brenna situated. 

While she waited at a stop light her eyes fell to the cat.  That cat looked like Maza's.  At least this one didn't hiss at her, or there would be no way Brenna would be bringing it with them.

Demona kept glancing at the girl as she pulled up to her mansion.  The girl seemed to have regained her interest in the outside world.  Demona knew that her mansion was impressive, and even through her grief Brenna seemed to notice that.

"Nice home."  Brenna gave Demona a weak smile.

"It does the job."  Demona stopped the car in front of the mansion rather than putting it in the garage.  They had a few bags to unpack.

********

Brenna watched as Ms. Destine's driver set the box for the computer in the corner of the large bedroom.  The T.V. was already on one wall.  Brenna just looked around the room again, and wondered if her entire apartment could have fit inside it.  Not entirely, but easily the living room and dining room would have.  Ms. Destine had even had Gregory, the driver stop at the grocery store and get some things that Brenna said she liked for snacks and those now sat in a new mini fridge in one of the corners of the room.

Mom would be shocked at how Ms. Destine had taken her in like this.  Brenna felt tears fill her eyes again and looked away from Gregory's sympathetic look as he left the room.  This mansion was a lot like her mother had thought it must be like.  Brenna remembered her mother saying that Ms. Destine must be richer than God, and probably had a mansion on a lot of land.  Her mother had also assumed the woman would have several servants, but aside from Gregory there weren't any in the house.  Perhaps Ms. Destine didn't have any.

"I hope this is suitable."  Ms. Destine spoke and Brenna turned to see the woman leaning in the doorway.  "It will be dark soon, so I wanted to remind you…"

"I won't wander around."  Brenna looked around the large room.  It was so perfect and neat that it didn't feel like anyone's home.  She wasn't feeling comfortable here at all, and knowing that she was trapped in the room at night was a bit upsetting but Ms. Destine was being so nice about helping her that she wasn't going to complain.

"I have work to do, so you'll be on your own tonight."

"Okay."  Brenna looked around for Lacey and relaxed a bit when she saw her cat laying comfortably on the bed.

"Do you need anything before nightfall?"  The softness in Ms. Destine's voice was a bit of a surprise every time that Brenna heard it.  The woman was always such a commanding woman at work, but she'd been kind of nice today.

"I'm fine."  Brenna sighed.  She'd probably try to sleep early.  She'd woken up so early today.  God… it hadn't even been a day yet.  How the hell was she going to survive?

********

Demona glanced one more time around the room.  There should be enough here to keep the girl entertained.  Brenna's arms were wrapped around herself, making her look smaller.  It made Demona remember the pain of loss herself and she didn't like it. 

She closed the door behind her leaving Brenna to do whatever she wanted as long as she stayed where she was at.  It was going to be a long night.  Demona couldn't leave the girl alone tonight to go for the glide that she felt she could really use to clear her head, but she couldn't let the girl see her either.  Demona sighed.  Just a few days of this and her life could return to normal.

********

The funeral was pretty.  Brenna sighed heavily and tried to not cry.  People from work came, and Ms. Destine had bought several flowers for the ceremony.  Putting the handful of dirt on her mother's grave was the hardest thing Brenna had ever had to do, and her hand shook violently when she did that.

She didn't want to be around all these people.  They looked at her with pity, and she couldn't cry here.  Not with everyone she worked with around. 

"Let's get out of here."  Ms. Destine spoke quietly near Brenna's ear.  Brenna just nodded, grateful the woman wasn't going to make her be the last one there.  Her mother was gone, she didn't need to stand around in the cemetery.  Brenna took one last look at the grave and followed Ms. Destine to the limo. 

********

Demona watched the girl curl up on the couch.  She'd forgone the usual after funeral gathering that humans did.  Brenna hadn't wanted it.  She didn't want to stand around with a bunch of people giving her pitying looks.  The girl didn't have to say that, Demona could tell.

She moved to stand behind the couch and looked down at Brenna.  The redhead's hand reached out and caressed the girl's hair.  Brenna barely seemed to notice the touch.  She was doing worse today than she had been yesterday.

"The funeral makes it so real."  Brenna whispered.  "I keep hoping that she'll come back, like Angela's clan all came back.  That it was just a mistake and she's really still alive."  Demona continued to pet Brenna's hair softly.  It seemed to give the girl strength to talk.  "But she's really in there isn't she?"

It had been a closed casket because the accident hadn't been kind, but Demona had been able to identify the body.  Brenna didn't need to see her mother like that.  "Yes.  She's gone."

"I don't want her to be gone."  Demona stood quietly behind the couch resting her hands on the back of it while Brenna stared off into space.  There was no magic words to make this better, and Demona knew that better than most.  Even time doesn't heal all wounds.

She hadn't realized when she'd started staring at the screen of the T.V., even though it wasn't on, but the touch on her hand drew her attention back down to the girl in front of her.  Brenna was staring up at her with a real intensity.  The girl's warm hand covered her own.  "I… thank you for helping me.  I don't know what I would have done without…"

Demona cleared her throat a bit nervously.  The girl had been depressed and in pain for the few days that she'd been in Demona's home, but still she'd been good company for a female used to spending so much time alone.  Brenna hadn't even tried to disobey any of the rules, and stayed in her room without complaint at night.  "Mom would have liked the flowers."  Brenna sighed.  "I'm gonna go take a shower and change."

"Okay."  Demona watched the girl walk out of the living room slowly.  The phone ringing startled Demona out of her painful memories and her strange feelings of helplessness.  She didn't like seeing Brenna hurting like this.  The girl used to have such energy and a real warrior's spirit.  Her mother's death seemed to have killed that as well.

"Ms. Destine?  This is Rachel from child protective services.  I've talked to you before."  The woman started to talk and Demona leaned up against the kitchen cabinet.  "I know you wanted us to place Brenna McCullen as soon as possible.  We have a group home outside of the city that has a new opening.  If we want her to have it we need to put in for it quickly.  It's one of the nicer institutions."

"An orphanage?  Is that what it is?"  Visions of bad movies with orphans having to do menial labor in order to get slop for meals came to Demona's mind.  Brenna was still too fragile to deal with a bunch of kids even if the place was better than that.  The girl didn't really get along with young humans and forcing her to deal with that now.  "No, no group homes.  Brenna doesn't do well with other kids."

"Well, we don't have a lot of options at this point."  Rachel sounded a bit impatient.  "Sadly there aren't a lot of people willing to adopt teenagers, and the foster care system is overloaded at this point."

Demona's eyes narrowed at this humans attitude.  "Well, you work harder to find a suitable placement.  I'll keep her until you managed to do your job."  Demona slammed the phone down angrily.  She didn't want to deal with this now.  Demona sat down at the kitchen island and pretended to read the newspaper.  Only one article managed to draw her real attention.  A slight smile came to her as she read about the violent altercation in the jail that resulted in three deaths, one of which was a Jon Castaway.  At least that one problem had been easy to deal with.

"Dominique?"  Brenna called out to her, obviously wondering where she was.  It was still strange to hear her chosen first name being called out, since she'd just recently given the girl permission to use it.

"In the kitchen."  Demona called out.  The girl was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt when she came into the room.  "It looks like you might be staying with me a while longer."  Demona spoke in a professional tone, but the look of gratefulness in Brenna's eyes when she looked up at her made Demona smile just a little.  She'd just reinforce the rules every so often to make sure there were no accidents.  Demona had been hiding among humans for over a thousand years, she should be able to keep one teenager, no matter how smart she was, from figuring out her secret.

TBC…