A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

by The Big Lazy Dragon

In her dreams, she had done things differently...' A follow-up to 'A Long Forgotten Secret' for Demonaphiles.

'A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes…'

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: All Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vista Studios and are being used without their consent or permission. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff and also are being used without their permission. I am receiving no reward for this story other than the satisfaction of being able to share it with others as it is intended solely for my own entertainment and the entertainment of Gargoyle fandom everywhere.

Note: This is the long awaited follow-up to 'A Long Forgotten Secret'.

Destine Manor

Manhattan

In her dreams, things had gone differently.

Demona tossed and turned in her bed, her tired mind filled with images of things she could have done differently throughout the thousand-plus years of her existence. Her betrayal of the clan. Her alliance with Xanatos. Her attempts to destroy humanity… In her mind, she knew that she could have done things differently, and if she had half the chance, she would go back and change things. But she knew from experience that that was impossible. She had tried once before to change the way things went, but only succeeded in causing events to play out as they originally had. No, she couldn't change things in the real world, no matter how much she tried.

But in her dreams, she had done things differently.

Demona's hand brushed against the plastic-laminated sheets on the table by her bed, accidentally knocking them to the floor. Sleeping, she didn't even notice the incident. Her sleeping mind was already well involved with something else.

In her dreams, things were going differently…

1057 AD

Castle Moray

Scotland

Demona stood on the battlements, looking east towards the horizon. The sun would be up in a few hours, she thought. I should warn the clan, let them know what was going to happen. Macbeth was going to betray her, she was certain of that. She had listened in on his discussion with his son Luach and his friend Bodhe, and her mouth turned downward in disgust at the older human's suggestion that Macbeth forsake her and her clan in an overture of peace to the English. Luach had defended her and her clan valiantly to his father, which caused her heart to swell, but it was quickly overshadowed by what Macbeth said next. He was actually considering it, she thought angrily, but she was not about to allow him to succeed. She would take her clan, her gargoyles, and forge an alliance with the hated Hunter, an alliance she hoped would ensure her clan's survival. She put one three-toed foot on the wall and readied herself for flight.

"Lady Demona," she heard someone call. She turned and saw one of the castle guards approaching her.

"What is it?" she asked heatedly.

The young guard hesitated for a moment before approaching the gargess. "The prince wishes to see you," he said nervously.

Demona frowned, then turned her attention back to the horizon. She needed to leave, she thought. If she were to reach the Hunter's camp and approach him with her proposal, then she needed to leave at this moment. But Luach's had been the lone voice that called for support of Demona and her clan, not betrayal. Of all the humans in the castle, Luach was the one she could trust never to betray her. She stepped down from the wall.

"Very well," she said. "Take me to him."

The guard escorted Demona through the castle, heading for Luach's chambers. Within moments, they arrived at their destination and the guard knocked on the door. "Your lordship," he said when the prince opened the door. "I have brought her."

"Good," Luach said. "Inform my father that I shall be leaving shortly."

"Yes, sire," the guard said before turning to leave.

"You wished to see me," Demona said.

"Yes," Luach returned. "Please, come in." He stepped aside as Demona entered the room and turned as she heard him close the door behind her. "There is a matter I wish to discuss with you."

"And what, pray tell, is it?" she asked, although she already suspected what he wanted to tell her. He's going to tell me that his father is going to forsake my clan, she thought. "It will be dawn soon, Luach, and I have business that needs to be taken care of before then."

"This will not take that long," he said, and Demona could already sense a hint of nervousness in his voice. "I only wish to ask your advice on an important matter." He took a deep breath. "There is...someone," he said. "Someone I have become very...fond of."

Demona was surprised, and she found herself smiling at him. "I had assumed you asked me here to discuss something else," she said. "Not matters of the heart." She paused for a moment. "And at any rate, I have little experience when it comes to advising young men on human mating practices. Isn't this something you should be discussing with your father?"

"Would that I could," Luach said, and Demona could already tell that the object of his affections was undoubtedly someone his mother and father might not approve of. "But unfortunately, I cannot tell them of her, because of who she is."

"I see the problem," Demona said. "You cannot openly declare your love for this person because she is not of noble birth." She thought for a moment. "Is it Meg, the young girl that tends the cook fires in the kitchen? I have seen her looking your way on more than one occasion."

"Nay, it is not she," Luach said. "Though she is indeed attractive, it is not her that my heart yearns for."

"Then who is it?" Demona asked. She began to think of all of the young women that served at the castle. There were only a few girls in the castle that were young enough to be a suitable mate for Luach, and might be attractive enough to catch his eye, but the list was very short indeed, and if Luach had already struck Meg off the list, even though she was by far the prettiest, then she couldn't for the life of her figure out who...

"It is you," he said.

Demona's eyes went wide in surprise, and she felt her jaw drop. "You...you cannot be serious!"

"I am," Luach said. He stepped up to her and carefully took her hands in his. "I have felt this way for a long time, Demona. I longed to tell you before, before the Hunter returned, but now I find I must confess my feelings for you before it is too late."

Demona pulled back, pulling her hands loose from his. "If this is some sort of joke, Luach," she said dangerously. "I am not amused."

"It is a joke," Luach said. "A supreme jest of the highest caliber. I have lost my heart to you, and yet, I know that we can never be together, because of who and what we are. I am a prince, high born and fated to rule Scotland after my father. You are a gargoyle. My father's primary advisor, yes, and the leader of your own clan, but a gargoyle nonetheless. And yet..." He paused as he turned away from her. "Every time I look at you, I see not the fearsome creature that others claim you to be." He turned to look at her again. "I see a beautiful and noble woman, one that has fought long and hard to defend what is rightfully hers, and I find myself wanting to share in that struggle. Demona," he added as he walked back to her. "So long as my heart beats, it will beat only for you. So long as I draw breath, it will be your scent that sweetens each breath I take. When I fight, it will be your praises that I sing, and should I fall, it will be the memory of your sweet face that I take with me into the hereafter."

Demona gulped soundly at the confession of Luach's love for her, and she quickly backed away from him. "I...I cannot..." she stammered. "Luach, this is madness."

"There are those who would agree with you," he said. "In fact, I suspect that several already think me mad, and I find that I cannot doubt that they are right." He brought his hand up gently touched her cheek. "And yet, what is love but a divine madness? If it is madness that causes me to love you, then I can do nothing but allow myself to give in to it entirely."

Demona quickly reached up and caught his hand, reluctantly pulling it away from her cheek. "Luach, I cannot give you what you will ask of me," she said. "We have been friends for many years. I watched you grow from a small lad clutching at his mother's waist to a handsome adult that any woman would yearn for, but..." She turned away from her. "As you have said, we are of two different worlds, and I cannot be a part of your world, as much as I would..."

Luach caught her hesitation. He walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I remember what you said a few days ago," he said. "That if you could, you would transform me into a gargoyle and take me as your mate."

"That was a harmless jest," Demona protested openly as she pulled away. "And even if it weren't, I do not have the means to carry it out, or the desire to do so. I can't and won't do that to you."

"It would be my choice," he said. "If it meant losing my crown to be with you, that is a sacrifice I would gladly make."

"Luach..." she started to protest again, but Luach placed a finger against her lips.

"Please," he said. "Just allow me this one moment of insanity. I love you, Demona. And there is nothing no one, not even you, can say to sway me." He reached down and caught her hands, squeezing them earnestly. "Just promise me that you will be here, safe and sound, when I return, so that we can discuss this further."

"I...I can't," she said, suddenly unsure of what she had planned. "Luach..."

Luach ended her protest with a kiss.

Demona's eyes went wide in surprise. She had seen humans kissing before, but never gave it much thought. Until now. The sensation of Luach's lips against hers took her completely by surprise, and she almost pulled back from him, but she found that the sensation wasn't unpleasant. It was...nice, and she found herself starting to relax as she felt him deepen the kiss. Seemingly of their own volition, her arms began to wrap themselves around his broad neck as she felt his arms go around her, and her tail began to twine itself around his leg, drawing him deeper into the embrace.

A knock on the door spoiled the moment, and Demona felt Luach pull back from her. She almost moaned in disappointment as he went to the door. "Yes?" Luach asked as he opened the door.

Demona saw that the guard had returned, and for a moment she wondered if he had been listening in. "Your horse is ready, sire," he said.

"Good," Luach said. "I shall be down shortly." He closed the door and paused for a moment, waiting to make sure the guard left. Satisfied that he had, he turned his attention back to Demona. "I must go," he said as he reached up and caressed her cheek again. "Please, say that you will be here when I return."

Demona's skin had taken on a ruddy tint, a clear indication of her embarrassment. Luach's kiss had thrown her senses in disarray, and she was now trying to decide what to do. She looked at Luach and summoned up her courage.

"Luach," she said. "I cannot make any promises." She paused for a moment that seemed to stretch forever. "But I will try."

"That is all I ask," Luach said. For a long moment, he gazed into Demona's eyes, as if to trap the moment in his memory, then he turned and left, leaving Demona alone in his room. After what seemed to be an eternity, Demona sank to the floor and wept.

I can't, she thought miserably. I can't do it.

Morning froze her as her tears fell to the floor.

Destine Manor

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as Demona turned over on the bed. Already, they threatened to soak the silk pillowcase, but her unconscious mind refused to let her awaken from the dream that had her enthralled.

In her dreams, things continued to go differently…

Castle Moray

Demona soared above the battlefield, watching as Macbeth's forces continued to fall back. The Hunter and his allies had Macbeth at a disadvantage, and they were using every opportunity to press the attack.

"Demona!" she heard a voice above her call out. She looked and saw her second and several other gargoyles approaching. "We are losing ground," he said. "Very soon, the Hunter will..."

"I know, I know," Demona snapped. "I have eyes." She grumbled at the thought of losing the battle, but at least her earlier fears had proved to be unfounded. Macbeth hadn't betrayed her, had never intended to betray her, and now she was mentally slapped herself for even suspecting that he had. "Return to the castle! We will fight the Hunter and his English dogs one on one if need be, but we will not let him win this fight!"

"Is that wise?" one of the other gargoyles asked. "If Macbeth is to lose..."

"I will not allow the Hunter to win!" Demona snapped. Angry, she adjusted her course, searching for one person in the chaos below her.

Where are you? she wondered.

As if in response, an arrow flew passed her. She growled and spotted an archer stringing another arrow.

"That will be the last arrow you draw, human," she snarled as she dove towards the archer.

The English archer panicked as he heard a high-pitched screech, and he looked up to see an azure-blue blur descending towards him. In his panic, he let loose the arrow, and by some stroke of luck, it found a target. The arrow struck Demona in the top of her shoulder, burying itself deeply in her body. She let out a startled cry of pain and tried to pull herself out of her dive, but she hit the ground before she could change her course. Her vision clouded with pain, she could still see the archer as he got up and looked at her.

"You're the one his lord Canmore has told us about, aren't you," he said as he began to pull his dagger. "Bringing him your head will no doubt fetch me..."

He never got a chance to finish the thought, because at that moment, an arrow suddenly appeared in his chest. He looked down, a look of surprise in his eyes as he focused on the arrow that protruded from his chest, and then he staggered forward for a moment before falling over backwards, dead.

Demona turned her head, searching for the source of the arrow. Her eyes found the source in instant before a distressed cry reached her ears.

"Demona!" Luach shouted as he spotted her lying on the ground, an English arrow protruding from her shoulder.

"Luach!" she gasped through the pain. Within the space of only a few seconds, he was by her side, helping her to her feet. "I see you have returned with the reinforcements you promised."

"Yes," Luach said as he watched his men begin to engage the English soldiers. "We now outnumber the English, and very soon the day will be ours." His eyes focused on the arrow. "Let us tend to your injury."

"It is nothing," Demona said as she reached up to grab the arrow shaft. "All I need...is a moment..."

"Demona, don't!" Luach said, but before he could stop her, she started to pull the arrow from her body. She screamed as she felt it move a fraction of an inch, and then she sagged in Luach's arms. "That was unwise," he said.

"I need to get it out," she said. "I cannot fight with this damned thing..."

"Your fight is over, beloved," Luach said lowly. "We can defeat the English with the men that we have, and your clan can follow your second until you have fully healed."

"No," Demona said, even as her mind registered what he had called her. "I will not stand by like a hatchling and let others fight my battles." She tried a second time to pull the arrow free, but she couldn't get a good enough grip on it.

Luach frowned at her, then grimaced as he pushed her hand away. "This will hurt," he said as he closed his fingers on the arrow.

Demona screamed as she felt Luach yank the arrow out of her body, and then she collapsed, sobbing in pain, into his arms. She didn't even pull away when she felt him wrap his arms around her.

"Now you must rest," Luach said urgently. "We can handle the battle from here on out."

"No," Demona said with a grimace. "I will not sit idly by while others fight my battles for me." Grabbing a sword from a fallen soldier, she pushed herself to her feet. "And if this is to be the last battle I fight, I will fight it alongside the one human who means as much to me as life itself." She then reached up and grabbed Luach, pulling him into a very brief, but passionate kiss. The kiss caught Luach by surprise, but he was smiling when she released him.

"Then I will fight by your side," he said as he drew his own sword. "And let the English dare try to separate us." Together, they turned their attention towards their foes.

Destine Manor

Demona turned over in the bed again, a sleepy smile crossing her face as her mind continued to dream...

Castle Moray

Two days later...

Demona let out a roar, her stone skin flying in all directions as she and her clan awoke for another night. As soon as she finished throwing off the remnants of her stone skin, she turned her attention to the human who she knew would be waiting for her.

"What news, Macbeth?" she asked as she stepped down from the parapet.

"The English have been routed," Macbeth said. "When you felled the Hunter, his allies lost heart and fled. With any luck, they will not be troubling us any further."

"And Luach?" she asked.

"His wound was serious," Macbeth said. "But luckily, he will survive. It is a good thing you were there to aid him, Demona."

"I had a favor to repay," Demona said. "I was brought down by an English arrow, and Luach kept the dog who fired it from finishing the job." Even as she said it, she couldn't help but note how feeble the words sounded. "Do you think it would be possible for me to see him?" she asked.

"Of course, Demona," he said. "In fact, he has been asking for you. I thought that you should be told. I will take you to him."

Demona couldn't help but smile. She followed Macbeth through the castle until they arrived at Luach's bedchamber. As soon as they arrived, Macbeth turned to her. "If you would give us a moment, my lady," he said.

"Of course," Demona said. She felt her heart begin to race as Macbeth entered the room.

"Good cheer," he said to his wife Gruoch and his son. "Are ye feeling up to receiving visitors?" he asked.

"It depends on who they are," Luach said.

"I think this is someone you would want to see," Macbeth said. He went back to the door and opened it. "You may enter," he said.

Demona took a hesitant step inside, suddenly unsure. Her heart continued to race as she saw Gruoch watching her, sitting protectively by her son. Finally screwing up her courage, she walked across the room. "Are you well?" she asked.

"I have been better," he said, touching the dressings that covered the injury inflicted by the Hunter. "But I would not even be breathing if not for you." He reached up and caught Demona's hand. "I thank you for that."

"I would have done the same for any..." she started, but her voice faltered. "I was not about to let that wretch deprive me of a valuable student," she forced herself to say. "There is still much I have to teach you, such as how to keep your guard up like you are supposed to."

Luach smiled weakly. "I hope you will at least allow me to fully heal from my injuries before resuming the training," he said.

Demona tried unsuccessfully to swallow a lump in her throat. "Of course," she managed. "Otherwise, you will end up hurting yourself worse that the Hunter did." She tried to pull her hand free, but Luach managed to keep a firm grip on it.

"If you can give us a moment," Luach said.

"Of course," Macbeth said with a smile. He went over to his wife and drew her to her feet. "My love, I believe that Demona can watch over our son for a while. She has certainly earned the right."

Gruoch looked at Demona with a hint of uncertainty, but she nodded anyway. As Macbeth led his wife out the door, he cast an unseen smile towards Demona, but somehow she sensed it. She turned and watched as Macbeth closed the door.

Does he know? she wondered.

Luach pulled on Demona's hand, drawing her close and making her sit down in the chair his mother had occupied only a few moments earlier. "They do not know how I feel about you," he said.

"Your mother does not perhaps," she said. "But your father..." She turned to look at him. "When I saw the Hunter stab you, and I saw you fall, I thought that I was going to lose you. Not merely as a friend, but..." She stopped, but her bottom lip continued to tremble.

"I know," Luach said. "We have a decision to make. Do we tell them, or..."

"I doubt we can tell them," she said urgently. "Your grandfather will most definitely disapprove, and I do not see your mother accepting the idea either. If we do decide to pursue this, we will have to do it in secret, lest the English hear of it and use it as an excuse to attack in the future."

"We should not be forced to keep our love a secret," Luach said.

"I know," Demona said. "I would like nothing better than to stand on the top of the tallest tower of Moray and shout out my love for you, but we both know that it is something that neither of us can do. They would think us both mad." She looked at her hand, still held tightly in his own. "But I am willing to stay by your side, Luach," she said. "From now and forever, my love will be yours." She leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips.

Outside, in the corridor, Macbeth smiled.

Castle Moray

Ten years later...

Prince Luach smiled as he approached the castle, his hand clasping firmly the hand of his beloved, his future bride. Above, on the parapets, the stone figures of Clan Moray's protectors, the gargoyles, watched in silence.

It had been a prosperous ten years since the death of the Hunter. The English had not returned, and Scotland had enjoyed a decade of peace under Macbeth's rule. And when Luach ascended the throne after his father stepped down, Scotland would continue to prosper well into the next century.

Macbeth stood out on the battlements, looking down as his son and his bride-to-be approached the castle. He smiled knowingly as the gates were opened, allowing Luach and his guest entrance to the castle. He quickly made his way down to the courtyard to greet them as they dismounted from their horses.

"Ah, I see you have finally returned," he said. He then looked at the young woman standing by Luach's side. "And who might this be?"

"Father, I would like to introduce the Lady Dominique Destine," he said.

"A pleasure, sire," she said, bowing elegantly before him.

"Ah, this is the lady you had written about before, is it not?" Macbeth said.

"Yes, it is," Luach said. "And with your permission, I would like to take her as my bride."

"Ah, Luach," Macbeth said. "Ye do not need my permission on matters such as this. If your mother were still alive, I am certain that the Lady Dominique would meet her every approval."

"Most kind, sire," Dominique said.

"But before ye take her as your own," Macbeth said. "You will allow me the pleasure of giving this lovely young lady the grand tour of the castle."

"Of course, father," Luach said.

Macbeth extended his arm, and Dominique daintily placed her hand on top of it. "Luach has told me so much about Moray that I already feel at home here, sire," she said.

"I'm certain that he has," Macbeth said. "And from the letters he has written, I feel that I already know you as well, lass."

"Most kind, sire," Dominique said as Macbeth led her on a tour of the castle.

Dominique looked out of the window of her chambers, watching as the sun began to set in the west. She had been waiting for this moment, as she had for the past several months. She set her hands against the window ledge and braced herself as the sun touched the horizon.

Her body turned blue, and the last two fingers on each hand merged into one. She moaned in obvious discomfort as her body began to reshape itself, sprouting wings and a tail, until her true form revealed itself. For another night, Dominique Destine was gone and Demona stood in her place.

Demona looked down at herself, making certain that the change was finally complete. As much as she hated the changes, she was willing to undergo them for the sake of her beloved Luach.

The last ten years of her life had been the happiest she could remember. With the threat of destruction no longer hanging over her head, she began to allow herself to relax, and to fall in love again. And the years with Luach had been the best of all...

They had grown closer than either had thought possible over the past few years, and they both realized that there would be no way they could keep their love a secret for too much longer. They also knew that eventually Luach would have to take a bride, and that that bride would have to be human, but the very thought of giving up Luach caused a pain in her heart so severe that she thought that she would die from it. So Demona had searched, searched long and hard for a way that the two of them could stay together. She couldn't ask Luach to give up his throne, since doing so would cause problems later on, but she thought that she could find a suitable substitute if she searched hard enough.

She found her substitute.

It was not without its price. The bargain she had struck with the Fae trickster Puck two years ago guaranteed that she would be able to walk around as a human during the day, but only during the day. At night, she was forced to retreat from prying eyes, save for those of her beloved Luach, and undergo a transformation from human to gargoyle at sunset, and then again at sunrise. But she thought it to be a necessary price to pay. While she could not be on Luach's arm at night, she could during the day, and ensure the safety of her clan at the same time. And after nightfall, she could watch over and protect her beloved Luach while they slept in each other's arms.

Demona looked out the window and smiled as she listened to the roars of her clan as they awoke for another night...

Destine Manor

Something awoke Demona from her sleep, breaking the spell the dream had cast over her. She tossed aside the covers and got out of bed, going over to the window and looking out at the night sky.

She sighed as she looked up at the moon, hanging low in the night sky. For a moment, she imagined that she could see Luach's face outlined by the craters on its surface. But she knew that it was only her imagination. She would never see Luach's face again, save in the sanctity of her dreams.

She knew that she had been crying again. She had been for several nights now, unable to escape the dreams of what could have been. In her dreams, she hadn't betrayed Macbeth. In her dreams, she had found happiness again. In her dreams, she had fallen in love... She felt a fresh tear begin to roll down her cheek, and she let it continue down her face. She wasn't about to try to wipe it away, since she knew that it would ultimately be futile. One tear was always followed by dozens more...

"I wish I hadn't betrayed your father, Luach," she whispered silently. "I wish there was some way I could go back and change what happened. I wish..." She paused as her memories of what had happened that day centuries ago came back to haunt her. She had left rather than speak to Luach, knowing that if she had, she would not have had time to reach the Hunter's camp. She had abandoned Macbeth to the mercy of the English, and it ended up costing her everything she held dear. Her clan, her home. Her love...

Something unseen caused her to shiver, and she turned as she felt a presence in the room. "Who's there?" she challenged. "Show yourself, so that I can make your death quick!"

"I am no stranger to death, Demona," she heard a dark voice say, a voice that caused every hair on her body to stand up. She turned and focused on a darkened corner of her bedroom. Her eyes glowing blood red, she took a step towards the corner.

"Whoever you are," she challenged. "You've made a big mistake coming here."

"My presence here was no mistake," the voice said. The darkness parted, and Demona gasped as she found herself looking at the jackal-faced visage of the god of the underworld, Anubis. "I came because I was needed."

"Really," Demona said. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not ready to shuffle off the mortal coil just yet."

"It is not for you that I come this night, Demona," he said. "But I will someday. I have come for a different matter entirely. Your dreams have created a disturbance, and I am here to set things right once again."

Demona snarled openly. "What gives you the right to invade my dreams?" she snapped.

"I did not invade your dreams," he said. "Your dreams have caused a disturbance in the spirit realm, and now a soul that should know rest has been released." He stepped aside, and Demona gasped as she saw which soul had been disturbed.

"Luach?" she gasped.

"Yes," Anubis said. "Luach of Clan Moray. A soul you condemned to death when you betrayed Macbeth. A soul that is now restless because of your guilt."

"I'm sorry," Demona said, feeling fresh tears begin to well up. "I didn't know. If I had known..."

The spirit of Luach looked at her. "I know," he said. "I was the one that should have said something earlier." He paused as Demona took a step towards him. "I've been listening to what you said. How sorry you are, and how you wish you could go back and change everything that happened."

"Can you ever forgive me?" Demona asked.

"I did," the spirit said. "A long time ago. And every day since then."

Demona looked at Anubis, tears glistening in her eyes. "Can you take him back?" she asked. "His soul deserves to rest in peace."

"That may not be possible," Anubis said. "It was your dreams that pulled his spirit from his eternal rest. And they will continue to disturb his rest until the day you take your last breath." He paused for a moment. "But there may be an alternative..." he said.

Demona looked at Luach's spirit. "What is it?" she asked. "Whatever it is, it would probably be preferable to the existence he is enduring now."

"Are you certain?" Anubis asked. "Make no mistake, Demona. The alternatives may ease his rest, but not your own. You must weigh the options carefully before you decide what his fate may be."

"What are they?" she asked.

"You have a choice, Demona," Anubis said. "One would be to forget the guilt you feel for causing his death. But in order to do that, you would be required to forget about the love you had for him."

Demona gulped soundly at Anubis' pronouncement. She looked at Luach, and already she could feel fresh tears begin to well up in his eyes. What would it cost her? she wondered. Finding out about Luach's love for her had been the reason the dreams started in the first place, but it had also marked the beginning of her reconciliation with Macbeth. If she were to forget that... "You mentioned another option," she said.

It was hard to tell, but she thought that Anubis actually smiled at her. "There is," he said. "I will show it to you."

In an instant, a dark cloud enveloped them, and Demona trembled as she wondered just what the second option was going to cost her.

Castle Wyvern

Brooklyn murmured for a moment, tightening his grip on the female that lay in the bed with him. Normally, gargoyles mate on the wing, but that was many years ago, and Goliath had insisted that the clan follow some measure of discretion nowadays. Inwardly, he smiled. While mating on the wings had its advantages, so did making love on a nice firm mattress. Especially since his mate had a tendency to wear him out...

It was the time of the Breeder's Moon, the time in the gargoyles' lives when the females began to breed, and for the gargoyles of Clan Wyvern, this was an especially important one. When Goliath and his clan were awakened in 1994, they believed that they were the last of their kind, and Goliath himself feared that his race was doomed to extinction. Fortunately, that had not been the case. Despite all odds, they had located other clans, other gargoyles, around the world, including the eggs that had lain in the castle's rookery, now hatched and grown to young adults. Two of these were Goliath's own daughter Angela, who was elsewhere in the castle with her mate Broadway, and Lexington's mate Ruth, who had decided to follow her rookery sister several years after Goliath first set foot on the mystical island of Avalon, where Princess Katherine had taken the eggs. Brooklyn also had luck securing a mate of his own, a lovely young female that some might consider a freak of nature, but he only thought of her as a miracle of modern science...

They materialized in Brooklyn's room, and Demona instantly frowned when she saw the brick-red gargoyle lying in bed with the snowy-haired female that was a copy of both herself and Detective Elisa Maza.

"What are you playing at, Anubis?" she snapped, not caring if Brooklyn heard her.

"Nothing," he said. "This is the other option. You now have a choice, Demona. You can give up the memory of Luach, or you can allow him to reborn in a new form. A form, I think, he would gladly accept."

Demona turned her attention back to the sleeping pair of gargoyles. She knew what was going on. This was the Breeder's Moon, and Anubis was giving Demona the chance to have Luach again. As a newly borne gargoyle. But she frowned at Anubis choice of a mother. "Why can't it be Angela?" she asked. "I would much rather prefer..."

"Your daughter already has life growing within her," Anubis said. "Two will be born to her, and they will live long and prosperous lives. But these two are destined never to experience that joy. Already an egg grows with the womb of this female, but it is empty and lifeless." He turned his attention back to Demona. "You can change that destiny," he said. "If you agree, Luach's spirit will merge with the egg, and life will begin. But time is short, and you must make the decision."

Demona looked at Luach, then back to the pair on the bed. "If I agree to this," she said. "Will Luach...remember...anything of his past life?"

"That I cannot guarantee," Anubis said. "Only a small handful of spirits that pass beyond the veil are ever reborn, and very few of those remember anything of their past lives. If he were to remember any of the love he once held for you, it would have to be you who awakens that love within him."

Demona hesitated for a long moment. Then she turned her attention to the spirit of Luach. "I do not think I can make this choice alone,' she said. "In my dreams, I told you that this was not something I could ask of you, that I could not ask you to give up your humanity to be with me. But..." She paused. "That was only a dream. This is something entirely different. If I agree to this, you would be reborn as a gargoyle, and we could be together once again, just as we might have in the past."

"But..." the spirit of Luach said.

"But it is a choice I do not know if I can make," she said. She reached out and tried to take Luach's hands in her own, but her hands passed through them. She frowned in disappointment. Luach smiled and brought his hands up, opening them, and Demona brought her own hands up. She couldn't feel Luach's ghostly fingers close on hers, but she could see them, and that seemed sufficient. "I truly do love you, Luach," she said. "I was a fool to leave that night without speaking to you, and it is a mistake I will pay for for the rest of my days. I would give anything to be held in your arms, but it would be selfish of me to force that on you without your consent."

The ghostly form of Luach's right hand released hers and gently brushed the side of her face. "If it meant being with you again," he said. "It is a decision I would gladly make over and over again. Even though it may mean losing the memory of the love I had for you, I would chose this, because I know that you would be there to help me remember again."

Demona smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. She turned her attention back to Anubis.

"I have made my choice," she said.

Brooklyn frowned as Delilah quickly sat up in the bed, her eyes quickly scanning the room. "What is it?" he asked as he sat up with her.

"I...I don't know," she said as she started to tremble. "I...I felt something..."

Brooklyn quickly reached over and turned on the light. It wasn't really necessary, since he had exceptional night vision, but the added light might startle any unseen intruders long enough for him to sound an alarm. He quickly looked around the room. Nothing seemed to be out of place, and there was no sign of any uninvited 'guests'.

"Are you sure?" he asked. He wasn't about to doubt his mate's intuition, especially since this was a particularly crucial time for them, but he couldn't see anything that might have set her off.

Delilah looked at him, and he could see the uneasiness in her eyes. "I...I don't know," she said. "For a moment, it felt like something...touched me, and then it was gone."

Brooklyn smiled. "Are you sure it wasn't me?" he asked.

"No, I would know if it was you," she said. "This felt...cold. Very cold." She began to tremble again.

Brooklyn looked under the covers, just to make certain that there was nothing in the bed with them. "Well, whatever it was, it's gone now." For a second, he kept looking under the covers, his eyes focused on his mate's shapely form. "You know, we still have some time before..."

Delilah caught the unspoken hint. She smiled as she set aside her apparently unfounded fears and let him draw her into his winged embrace.

Outside, clinging to the wall, Demona watched them for a moment before taking wing and heading back home.

Castle Wyvern

Six months later...

She walked through the castle corridors, moving as stealthily as she could, avoiding the security cameras when she could, and thankful that Xanatos and his wife had left today to visit his father Petros. She had one destination in mind, and she wanted to get there as soon as possible, with as little interference as possible.

For six months, Demona had been waiting for this day, and she wanted to be there for one particular moment. She didn't care if the rest of the clan still viewed her as an enemy, she wanted to be there.

She had to be there.

For six months, her nights had been spent keeping a close eye on one member of the clan. Delilah. She had followed the snowy-haired hybrid and her mate as closely and as discretely as she could without be spotted, making certain that no harm came to her or the egg that was growing within her, and praying that she was able to carry the egg to term. Several times, Demona had toyed with the idea of grabbing Delilah during the clone's nightly patrols, but she quickly tossed the idea aside. She didn't want to put any undue stress on Delilah and cause her to miscarry, and despite her feelings about the clan, she didn't want them to view her as a threat anymore. If she was going to have a chance of being with Luach again, she needed to earn the clan's trust again, and that meant keeping away from them as much as she could.

She continued to move through the castle, her memory of the corridors still being of use to her after a thousand years. When Xanatos moved the castle from Scotland to Manhattan, he had made sure to have the entire castle restored to the way it was before the massacre. That way, every little detail that she had memorized over the years was exactly where it had been before, with one small exception. Xanatos hadn't moved the cave that served as the clan's rookery chamber from Scotland because he hadn't seen the need, since the eggs had long since been removed. But he had taken the massive doors that separated the castle from the rookery chamber, and after the clan returned to the castle, he had undertaken the task of having the rookery chamber rebuilt. It wouldn't be a perfect match, but it would suffice for three females carrying four eggs.

Demona clutched the package she had brought with her closer to her chest. She was almost there, she could feel it, and the sight of Hudson and Bronx standing by the rookery door with Goliath and his human mate, Elisa Maza, confirmed that the moment she had been waiting six months for had finally arrived. She ducked back around the corner to keep from being seen.

Brooklyn wrapped his arms and wings around his mate as she lay dawn in the straw, exhausted from the exertion of bringing her egg into the world. She had been the last of the three to deliver her egg, and right now, all she wanted to do was rest.

"It will be a male," the cyborg Coldfire announced to the rest of the clan. When she and her mate Coldstone had heard about the coming eggs, they had foregone their pursuit of their brother Coldsteel in order to attend the event. And as the only female in attendance that had already given birth to a hatchling, she took it upon herself to aid in the delivery of these eggs.

"That's great," Angela said, still resting from the delivery of her own two eggs, one of which would be Delilah's egg's only rookery brother. Ruth, Lexington's mate and Angela's rookery sister, had given birth to an egg that promised to hatch a female.

"Two boys and two girls," Elisa said with a smile. She looked up at her mate. "Sounds like a great start, Goliath."

"Yes," Goliath said as he placed his arm around her shoulder. "And when these eggs hatch..." He paused when Bronx turned, growling. He looked up the corridor. "What is it, Bronx?" he asked.

Demona backed up when she heard Bronx's growl, and for a moment, she considered bolting, going back the way she had come and leaving the castle until she felt it was safe for her to return. She had learned what she wanted; Delilah had given birth to a healthy egg that promised to produce a male, and that satisfied her. But she had wanted to do more. She had wanted to leave her gifts; it was a tradition with the clan for the eldest females to leave items in the rookery for the hatchlings when they were born, and as the eldest female, she had prepared a few things to leave after the laying of the eggs. She took a hesitant step forward, but Bronx's renewed growl stopped her.

Goliath realized that Bronx wouldn't be growling for no reason, and so did Elisa. She drew her automatic as she followed Goliath and Bronx down the corridor. Demona heard their approach and did something she had thought she would never do. She placed her hands on the top of her head and stepped out into the corridor.

"Demona!" Goliath growled as he caught sight of his former mate. Bronx stopped and bared his teeth, growling as the azure female approached slowly. Very quickly, the rest of the clan that had been standing by the door raced over, Coldstone extending the blaster on his wrist as Elisa leveled her gun at the gargess' chest.

"Hold it right there, Demona," Elisa snapped. "Don't take another step!"

Demona stopped as she looked at the weapons leveled at her. "I am not here to cause trouble," she said.

"That's hard to believe," Brooklyn said as he came running out of the rookery, followed closely by Broadway and Lexington. Coldfire remained at the door to protect the females and their eggs.

"It...it is true," Demona said. "I only came to leave gifts."

"What gifts?" Elisa asked, her voice edged with steel.

Demona raised the cylinder she held in her right hand and carefully extended it towards Goliath. He took a step back, expecting it to be a weapon, but when nothing happened, he stepped forward and took it from her outstretched hand. As soon as she released her grip on the package, Demona placed her hand on her head again.

Goliath hesitated before opening the top of the cylinder, suspicious about what might be inside. For all he knew, there was some sort of poisonous gas inside that would fill the corridor and kill them all. He frowned at Demona. "How can I be certain..."

"Wait, brother," Coldstone said. "Allow me." He took the cylinder from Goliath and looked at it. His cybernetic eye changed settings so that he was able to scan the contents of the cylinder without opening it and putting the rest of the clan in danger. He finished his scan and handed it back to Goliath. "It is safe, brother," he said before turning his attention back to Demona.

Goliath nodded to his brother before opening the cylinder. He then looked inside for a brief moment before emptying the contents into the palm of his hand.

"I don't understand," Elisa started.

"There is a tradition among the clan," Demona said. "It is the responsibility of the clan's eldest females to leave gifts for the newly laid eggs, so that the hatchlings would always have something to call their own."

"You're not part of this clan anymore, Demona!" Brooklyn snapped. "So why should we accept..."

"Hold, Brooklyn," Goliath said, raising his hand. He then turned his full attention back to Demona. There was something in her eyes, something he hadn't seen in a long time. He carefully placed the gifts back in the cylinder and replaced the lid. "Brooklyn is correct, Demona," he said. "Why should we accept these gifts?"

"Because I am tired, Goliath," she said. "Tired of fighting, tired of being alone. And just this once, I want to do something for the clan, instead of trying to destroy it. If you wish, I will go away and never trouble the clan again. But please, allow me this one thing. Allow me to leave my gifts, and I will go away, if that is what you want."

Goliath looked at the cylinder in his hand. The gifts that Demona had brought with her were harmless, small trinkets that undoubtedly cost a great deal, but were traditional rookery gifts from when the castle was still in Scotland. He handed the cylinder back to Demona. "You may leave your gifts, Demona," he said.

"Goliath!" Elisa exclaimed in disbelief.

"Lad, are ye certain..." Hudson said.

"I am not letting her anywhere near..." Brooklyn snapped.

Goliath turned and flared his wings. "Enough!" he said, his voice reverberating off the corridor walls. "This is my decision! If Demona wishes to honor our traditions, she will be allowed to do so." He turned and looked at Demona. "But you will be supervised. And if you do anything to harm the eggs..."

"I understand," she said, her eyes automatically going to Elisa and Coldstone. She held the cylinder close to her chest as she took a hesitant step towards the rookery. She stopped when she saw Brooklyn glaring at her. "I have no intention of harming either Delilah or her egg, Brooklyn," she said.

"Yeah, right," he snapped at her. "And I've got oceanfront property in Arizona going real cheap, too."

"Let her pass, Brooklyn," Goliath said."

Brooklyn grumbled, but stepped aside in order to let Demona continue down the corridor. She reached the doors to the rookery and stepped inside. Coldfire was there waiting for her, and she followed Demona as she approached the eggs.

Broadway was by Angela's side as soon as he realized that Demona was heading for her nest first. For a brief moment, he considered blocking Demona's path, but he remembered that Angela was Demona's own daughter, and he realized that Demona would never do anything to deliberately hurt Angela. Together, they watched as Demona took two small bracelets out of the cylinder, one made of gold, the other of silver, and both encrusted with gemstones. She laid the gold one by the egg that would give Angela a daughter, and the silver went by the other egg.

"Your children are very lucky to have the two of you as parents," she said.

Broadway and Angela looked at each other, a hint of confusion on their faces. "Th...thank you, mother," Angela said.

"Yeah, thanks," Broadway added.

Demona nodded before standing up to move to the next egg, which belonged to Ruth and Lexington's. Both stood by nervously as Demona placed a crystal pendant next to the egg, but relaxed when she stood up and moved on to the final egg.

As soon as he realized that Demona was marking Delilah as her last stop, Brooklyn quickly dashed across the rookery and placed himself firmly in front of his mate and their egg. "You are not going anywhere near them!" he snapped.

"Brooklyn!" Goliath shouted.

Brooklyn turned an angry glance at the clan's leader. "No way, Goliath!" he snapped. "There is no way in hell I'm letting her anywhere near Delilah or the egg!" He focused his attention back to Demona. "I know how much you hate her," he said. "So if you think..."

"I have no desire to hurt either one of them, Brooklyn," she said. "Please. I know that you hate me. You have every right to..."

"You're damned right I do!" he said as he took a step towards her. "After the way you used me, I've got every right to beat the living crap out of you!" Demona quickly began to back away as he advanced on her.

"There will be no fighting here!" Coldfire snapped as she grabbed Brooklyn's arm. Brooklyn glared at the cyborg as she tightened her grip on his arm and began pulling him back. "She has promised no harm to the eggs, but if you insist on trying to tear her apart, you yourself will risk damaging them, and that I will not allow!"

"Thank you, sister," Demona said, which earned her a sharp look from Brooklyn.

"Do not thank me just yet, Demona," Coldfire said. "Goliath is allowing you to leave your gifts for the eggs, but if any come to harm because of you, I will make certain that Brooklyn will be the least of your worries."

Demona couldn't tell if the hard edge in the Coldfire's voice was due to her cybernetic nature, or something else entirely. "I would never do anything to cause them harm," she said. "I can promise you that." She took a step towards Delilah's egg.

Delilah watched as Demona knelt in front of her. She had curled up in the nest, her arms and wings wrapped protectively around the egg in order to protect it. If Demona intended her harm, she knew that she would never stand a chance against the immortal gargess, but she would die before letting her harm the egg. She whimpered as Demona reached out to her.

"Please, Delilah," she said. "I'm not going to hurt you." Carefully, she pulled on Delilah's wing to expose the egg she clutched so protectively.

"You're scaring her!" Brooklyn snapped.

Angela quickly went to Delilah's side, resting her hand on the clone's shoulder. "She won't hurt you, Delilah," Angela said calmly. "Please, let mother see your egg."

Delilah frowned, but she eventually relaxed her hold and let the egg settle back into the straw before sitting up, staying close to the egg. Demona carefully laid her hand on the egg, eliciting an angry growl from Brooklyn, before pulling a rolled up scroll out of the cylinder and placing it in the straw.

"What is this?" Delilah asked as she picked up the scroll. She turned it over and saw that it had a wax seal on it. She put a finger to the seal, but Demona quickly stopped her.

"It is for your son's eyes," she said. "For when he is older."

"What is it?" Angela asked.

"It...it is a story," she said. She looked at Delilah. "A story of an unrequited love." When Delilah and Angela looked at each other in confusion, she continued. "He will understand," she said.

She ignored Brooklyn's snort of disbelief. "Right," he said. He finally pulled his arm free of Coldfire's grip and stalked over to her. "You've dropped off your presents," he said. "Now it's time you leave before I throw you out."

"That will be enough, Brooklyn!" Goliath said.

"No, he is right," Demona said. "I'll go." She stood up and started to leave. "But...I do have...a favor to ask...before I go."

"What?" Brooklyn said.

"When it comes time to name your child," she said. She turned and looked at Delilah. "Would you give some thought to the name Luach?"

"Why?" Goliath asked.

"It was the name of someone very...special...to me," she said. "Someone that, had things gone differently, could have kept me from making the mistakes I made in the past. I would be grateful if you would consider it for the name of your child."

"We...we'll think about it," Delilah said. "Thank you, Demona."

"You are welcome," she said.

She then turned and slowly walked across the rookery, heading for the doors. She smiled as she felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, and she tried to sniff them back. Goliath watched as she left, confused by the tears that ran down her face, and the smile on her face, but for the first time in years, he sensed that she meant no real harm to the clan, and he was thankful for that.

I will return someday, Luach, she thought as she walked down the corridor. I'll help you to remember what we could have had in the past. And we will be together forever. Just as we should have been. Just as we were meant to be. She paused as she reached the courtyard and looked up into the night sky, and she imagined she could see Luach's face outlined in the craters on its surface.

And smiling down at her.

She smiled as she launched herself into the night.

The End