Misconception

Disclaimer: The Gargoyles Universe doesn't belong to me… sadly…

Summary: Denice muses on Puck on his and Kristi's wedding day.

Author Note: Once again, I apologise to my readers for the delay in anything at all from me (no, I haven't forgotten my other Gargoyle stories) but I've been without access to a computer, to my extreme annoyance... plus, someone went and crashed my computer (again) so I've been trying to get that problem fixed… however, this tidbit was in my mind, so I just had to get it out.

A/N 2: Told from Denice's point of view… this story occurs in June 2000.

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I was wrong.

I watch the nervous smile on my best friend's face as she gets ready to walk down the aisle toward him.

Him. Owen Burnett.

Puck.

The King of Tricksters.

She's happy… God knows, she's happy… she's been waiting on this for the longest while. He's the man of her dreams.

From the moment she first met him 3 years ago they've had this connection that few people could understand. She thought he was interesting. She cared about what happened to him.

I distrusted him on sight.

No, it had nothing to do with what the clan had told me of him before we actually met; nothing like that.

Kristi was in my care, I followed her here, to protect her from the Third Race, no matter that she herself is part fey. In my eyes, her eyes, and in the eyes of everyone here, her gargoyle heritage comes first.

And she was a gargoyle who left her clan to protect them. She had no choice.

She arrived here and then we discovered this exiled elf who seemed fascinated with my friend from the moment he saw her. I never once thought that his offer to help her… to help us… was genuine.

A member of the Third Race could not be trusted. The fey killed Kristi's first boyfriend; they were willing to take away members of her family and they were responsible for transforming me, at 16 years old, into a gargoyle for the rest of my life.

I did not trust them, I would not trust them… especially this one, who, in my eyes, wasted no time in seducing my best friend as soon as the Crisis was over. Kristi herself had told me "The fey very seldom do something for you without expecting something in exchange. Their gifts come with a price."

We never did get along, Puck and I, much to Kristi's consternation. I thought he was too dangerous and not good enough for her. I threatened him from time to time, usual, best friend stuff, of course. But my threats to him were always deadly serious. As far as I know, he always treated them as such.

Things started to change the moment Puck brought baby Victoria into this universe. I listened with the rest of the clan as he told them of a universe which was a dark mirror of our own; where the Unseelies had won the War; where humans were slaves and gargoyles were all but extinct.

He told us of his counterpart and his forbidden lover, and the trials they faced. They had laid a choice before him. Leave and doom their universe to eventual oblivion (which, incidentally, might have been best for our universe as well) or take the child, whom they knew might be the only hope for their universe and raise her as his own.

Puck chose the latter.

And it was that choice that made me pause. "The life of a trickster is filled with fun and games." These words Kristi had said several times in explanation when I would complain about Puck's antics.

Granted, he had a measure of responsibility now that he was charged with training Alexander. I'd simply dismissed that responsibility as something that he had to do, and so, it held no indication that his core personality- the personality of a trickster- had changed.

But this decision… to accept this responsibility… one that he was under no compulsion to accept…

That changed everything.

And so I watched him. I watched his devotion to his daughter.

Of course, Kristi was devoted to her as well, protected the baby with her own life as soon as Puck brought her here. After all, this was her counterpart's daughter as well. Her daughter. Her clan.

However, that's who Kristi is. She's that sort of person.

Puck on the other hand… he had nothing to gain here; raising a child- especially a mostly fey child- takes so much sacrifice and effort… even Alexander is a complete handful. I'd even heard Owen remark to Mr. Xanatos about a month before Tori came into his life that he was glad he wasn't the boy's parents.

His utter devotion to this his daughter though, was- is- undeniable. It's been nearly two years since Tori's been here… and her attachment to her parents- especially her father- is inexpressible.

"Den?"

Kristi's concerned voice shakes me out of my reverie. It feels like I've been standing here musing forever, but it's only been a few seconds, apparently.

I smile reassuringly.

"You look perfect."

Her emerald eyes sparkle and she looks away shyly. I sigh.

"Kristi… it's okay."

And in that instant, she looks at me with such relief that I know she understands what I mean. She throws her arms around me and squeezes, and I can tell she's crying. Gently, I move her away from me, and wipe the tears of happiness away. I know how much this means to her.

And as the wedding procession begins and I follow her out, my steps feel lighter. My eyes hold Owen's for a brief moment, and suddenly, they are not the eyes of the icy majordomo, but the laughing eyes of a trickster.

I am not sure what he sees in my eyes, but he gives me a brief nod before turning his full attention back to his bride; holding her gaze lovingly, with determination.

I was wrong, and it fills me with joy.