T'U'GS 4:1 Old Souls

by The Big Lazy Dragon

Hudson brings a measure of comfort and reconcilliation to a dying old woman and her daughter.

Old Souls

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. The character of Don Michael Taylor is my creation. 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.

January 15, 2000

The Eyrie Building

Manhattan

Hudson looked out across the city as he sat on the battlements, his feet dangling over the edge of the wall. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of Brooklyn and Sata's children sparring with each other as their mother watched over their training session, while down in the courtyard, he had seen Angela and Broadway enjoy a quiet moment alone, before Delilah arrived at the castle and walked up to the pair. She whispered something into her sister's ear, and Angela had giggled and then gave her mate a kiss before heading into the castle with the hybrid clone. And a little while ago, he had watched as Elisa kissed Goliath, as was her usual good-bye when she stopped by the castle before heading to the precinct house with her partner. And soon, there will be another hatchling in the castle, he thought as Goliath's hand had lingered on Elisa's belly, covering the developing child inside. Though it may not be the child they had hoped for, he thought. 'Tis enough that they'll be raisin' it as if it were.

"Penny for your thoughts, Hudson," a woman's voice said. He turned and found himself looking at the tattooed face of Fox Xanatos, who was holding her son Alex.

"With the money ye and yuir mate have, is that all ye can spare, lass?" Hudson said, trying to crack wise with her.

Fox smiled at the joke. "I'll have to remember that one," she said. She set the toddler down and watched as he headed across the battlements straight for the castle watchdog, Bronx. Bronx cast a quick eye at the child before laying his massive head back down and allowed Alex to begin playing with his ears. Satisfied that her son was sufficiently occupied with the gar-beast, she turned her attention back to Hudson. "Now, you want to tell me what's wrong?"

"What makes ye think there be anything wrong, lass?" he said.

"Well, you've seemed a little bit withdrawn all winter," she said. "And somehow I doubt it has to do with the weather." The winter had been unusually mild up to that point, as if Mother Nature had decided to give the world a break after the unnaturally long and severe Fimbulwinter of the past year. There was still a chill in the air, but there hadn't been any real snow on the ground since the first of the year. She sat on the battlement next to the aged gargoyle. "So..."

"Ach, 'tis nothing, Fox," he said."Can't a body have a little peace and quiet every now and again?"

"Well, that all depends," Fox said.

"On what, lass?"

"On whether or not that's what you really want," Fox said.

"And why shouldn't it be?" Hudson challenged. He turned and looked out across the city. "I've earned a chance for a little peace now, haven't I?"

"Yes," Fox said. "But..."

"Ach, this is pointless," he growled. "If I canna get some peace here, then I'll find it someplace else." With that, he turned and spread his wings, then launched himself off the parapet.

"Where is Hudson going?" Goliath asked as he saw the aged gargoyle leave.

"I don't know," Fox said. "He didn't tell me." She watched as Hudson disappeared from sight. "He certainly has been moody lately."

"That he has," Goliath said. "And it concerns me."

"You want me to call Elisa and have her keep an eye out for him?" Fox asked.

"I do not want to trouble Elisa with this," he said. "She has enough to worry about as it is, especially with her now carrying a child." He sighed heavily. "Whatever it is, I am certain Hudson will tell us what it is in his own time."

"You think you should wait that long?" Fox asked.

"Meaning..."

"Whatever's eating him up inside," she said. "It's not going to do him or the clan any good, Goliath. If you ask me, you should ask him what's bugging him while you still have the chance." After that, she turned and collected her son from Bronx's back and headed back into the castle, leaving Goliath to wonder about her words.

Jeffrey Robbins' home

Long Island

Jeffrey sat in the chair in his study, his mind alive with images as he dictated his thoughts into the microcassette recorder he held in his hand. "...And so it was that the Vikings were driven from Prince Malcolm's castle, and the..."

He stopped as he heard his dog Gilley whine, then get up from the floor. Jeffrey quickly took hold of the German Shepherd's harness and allowed the dog to lead him towards the door.

"What is it, Gilley?" he asked. "Is someone..."

He heard a hard knocking on the door. Gilley started barking at the rapping, a particular sounding bark that meant only one thing.

"Just a minute, Hudson," he called out. "I'll be right there." He smiled as he approached the door and opened it.

"Hello, Jeffrey," Hudson said. "May I come in?"

"Of course, of course," Jeffrey said. "Come right in. I'll go make some tea."

"That isna' necessary," Hudson said.

"Perhaps not," Jeffrey said. "But it is a little chilly outside, and I for one could use a cup." He let Hudson lead him back to the study, then waited until he heard the aged gargoyle sit down before heading for the kitchen. After a few minutes, Jeffrey came back, a tea tray in his hands. Hudson quickly got up and took it from his friend's hands.

"Thank you, Hudson," Jeffrey said as he sat down.

"Of course," Hudson said. He went back to his chair while Jeffrey poured himself a cup a tea. After taking a brief sip, the blind writer turned his head in the direction of his guest.

"So tell me, Hudson," he said. "What's been troubling you?"

"What?" the gargoyle asked. "How did you... Did Fox call you?"

"No," he said. "But I can tell by the sound of your voice that something's wrong. Plus the fact that you've never turned down a cup of tea before." He set down his cup. "So?"

Hudson sighed. "It seems I'll not be able to hide it much longer," he said.

"Hide what?" Jeffrey asked.

"I'm getting old, Jeffrey," he said, leaning forward in the chair and clasping his hands together. "There be no denying that."

"We all get old, Hudson," Jeffrey said. "There's nothing wrong with that. It's just a fact of life."

"I know that, Jeffrey," he said. "It's just that..."

"There are no other gargoyles around who are your age," he said.

"Aye," Hudson sighed, sagging back in the chair.

"I know how you feel, Hudson," Jeffrey said.

"How can ye?" Hudson snapped. "There are plenty of humans your age around..."

"True," he admitted. "But I didn't get very many visitors before you and your friends arrived in New York. I was lonely, too. Especially after I lost Xian."

"Who?" Hudson asked.

"She was...someone...I met in Vietnam," Jeffrey said. "We fell in love while I was over there, and I wanted to marry her..." He paused for a moment. "But then this happened to me," he continued, tapping his glasses with his fingers.

"What happened to her?" Hudson asked.

"After I got out of the hospital, I tried to arrange to have her and her...our...son brought over to the States," Jeffrey said. "But she was killed during the fall of Saigon." He sighed heavily.

"The two of ye had a child together?" Hudson asked.

"Yes," Jeffrey admitted heavily. "I never even got a chance to see him before I lost my sight." He thought for a moment. "He would have turned thirty last September."

"Have ye tried to find him?" Hudson asked.

"Oh, hundreds of times," Jeffrey said. "But each time I felt I was starting to make progress, I hit another roadblock. I got so discouraged at one point, I actually quit writing." He turned his attention back to Hudson. "But of course, that was before I met you and your friends." He sat back, and for a moment, it was as if he was looking long and hard at the gargoyle. "Well, this is a switch," he said.

"What?" Hudson asked.

"For a moment there," he said. "I thought we were going to talk about what's troubling you, not bring up a part of my past."

"I'm sorry, Jeffrey," Hudson said. "'Twas not intentional..."

"That's all right," Jeffrey said. "Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who's gone through the same kind of loss."

Hudson looked up in surprise. "I dinna'..."

"No," Jeffrey said. "But I can hear it in your voice." He paused. "You still miss her, don't you?"

"Aye," Hudson said. His mouth drew into a frown as he remembered the last words he and Deborah shared together, just before she died.

"Ye canna die! Ye promised me!" he had whispered to her savagely. "Ye can hang on until the sunrise, and all will be fine. Ye have ta hang on!"

"Beloved, I have always...loved ye," she had said then. "I will...always...love ye." She reached out and cupped his face as a tear ran down her cheek. "Ye are forever...in...my...heart."

"Hudson," are you all right?" he heard a voice ask. He looked up and saw Jeffrey leaning forward in his chair.

"Aye, I'm all right, Jeffrey," he said, although his voice wavered just a bit. "It's just...it hurts sometimes, knowing that she'll never be at my side ever again." He hung his head. "I think she would have liked this time," he said.

"I'm sure she would have," Jeffrey said, but he could tell that there was something more to Hudson's troubles. He could hear the sadness in the aged gargoyle's voice, but he could swear that there was something else. Guilt perhaps, he wondered. Or maybe...shame? "Hudson, is there something else bothering you?" he asked.

"What makes ye think..." Hudson started.

"I have good ears, remember?" he said. "Besides," he continued as he reached down and touched his guide dog. "Even Gilley can tell that there's something wrong."

Hudson looked down at Jeffrey's guide dog. The dog was looking back at him forlornly. As perceptive as Bronx, aren't ye, boy? he thought. "There...is something else," he said.

"What is it?" Jeffrey asked.

"I feel..." he started. "I feel as if I'm...betraying...her memory."

"Why?" Jeffrey asked. "Hudson, are you...falling in love with someone else?"

"Aye," Hudson said shamefully.

"Hudson, there's nothing wrong with that," Jeffrey said. "You should be happy..."

"How can I?" Hudson snapped. "I told my mate on her deathbed that I would love her always. And now..."

"Now you're finding yourself drawn to someone else," Jeffrey said. "Hudson, there's no shame in that. I'm sure that Deborah...your mate...would understand that."

"She'd think me a ridiculous old fool," Hudson said sourly.

"I don't think so," Jeffrey said. "I think if anything, she would want you to try to start anew."

"'Tis not the gargoyle way," Hudson said.

"Isn't it?" he asked.

"Nay," Hudson said. "A gargoyle mates for life. And when a mate dies..."

Jeffrey noted his hesitation. "What?" he asked. "Didn't gargoyles ever take a new mate after they lost one?"

Hudson looked at him. "Aye," he admitted. "But usually, it was just the younger generations. Elders rarely took a new mate. There really wasn't much sense in it..."

"Perhaps," Jeffrey said. "But that was a long time ago. Things change. People change." He stood up and walked over to the aged gargoyle. "Hudson," he said.

Hudson turned to look at his friend. "Aye?"

"If there's someone you're feeling an attraction to," he said. "You should tell her. You might be surprised by the response."

"I...I can't," Hudson said.

"Why not?" Jeffrey said. "If it's because you feel you'll be betraying Deborah's memory..."

"'Tis not only that," Hudson said. He stepped away from Jeffrey. "'Tis wrong to..."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to find a new mate."

"It is when she already belongs to another," Hudson said.

Jeffrey stepped back. "I...I didn't know..."

"Now ye see my problem," Hudson said.

"Who is it?" Jeffrey asked.

"What does it matter?" Hudson asked. "She is another's mate, and I canna ask her to betray him."

"Hudson," Jeffrey said. "I understand why you don't want to say anything, but you can't go on like this. Eventually, you're going to have to tell her, whoever it is, for your own peace of mind."

"But I canna do that to her," Hudson said. "She be happy with the mate she has."

"Who is it?" Jeffrey asked. "Sata?"

"Nay," Hudson said. "Sata is a fine lass, and a worthy mate to Brooklyn, but 'tis not her I have feelings for."

"Then who..." Jeffrey asked. "It's not Delilah, is it?"

Hudson shoulders slumped. "Aye," he said.

Jeffrey sighed. "Then you do have a problem."

"I know," Hudson admitted.

"I'm curious, though," Jeffrey said. "When did you start..."

"I dinna rightly know," Hudson said. "I mean, I have always felt a closeness to her, as I do with the rest of the clan, but somewhere I started to feel something more for her." He sighed and moved back to the chair. "I dinna know what to do, Jeffrey," he said as he sat down. "I care for her, but Delilah has her heart set on another. I canna come between them."

Jeffrey moved to sit down opposite his friend. "You could limit your visits to the Labyrinth..." he started.

"'Twould not work," Hudson said. "Delilah has been spending a great deal of time at the castle of late, talking with her sister Angela." He sighed. "That is, when she's not spending her time with Don."

"You have gotten yourself into a bit of a fix, haven't you," Jeffrey said.

"Aye, that I have," Hudson said.

Jeffrey sighed heavily, sympathetic to his friend's plight. "I don't know what to tell you, Hudson," he said. He sat back. "You could always try to avoid her, but that would raise too many questions, and eventually something would slip. And I doubt if Don and Delilah would be willing to break up if you asked them to."

"And I wouldna' do that to them," Hudson said. "'Twould na be proper anyway. She be far too young for the likes of me." He sighed heavily, and Jeffrey heard Gilley whine softly in response. "At any rate, I be too old to begin courting another female," he said. "My clan would think me daft."

"Maybe not," Jeffrey said. "They might find it a little odd, but I shouldn't think they'd believe you were crazy." He leaned forward. "Hudson, I know how lonely you've been over the past few years, but that's no reason to give up. There are other gargoyles out there, right?"

"Aye," Hudson said.

"So, maybe you should try one of them," Jeffrey said. "Maybe you'll find someone who'll help you get your mind off of Delilah."

"I'll...think about it," Hudson said. He looked towards the window. "'Tis getting late, Jeffrey," he said. "I'd best be off."

"Are you sure?" Jeffrey asked. "You just got here."

"Aye," Hudson said. "I've already wasted too much of yuir time, forcin' ye to listen to the ramblings of an old fool."

"Hudson..." Jeffrey started, but he heard the ancient gargoyle get up and head for the door.

"I will see you later, Jeffrey," Hudson said. "I need time to think."

"If you say so, Hudson," he said. He waited until he heard the front door close before sighing. "I only hope you make the right choice, my friend," he said.

Hudson glided aimlessly through the night, trying to come to a decision. I canna tell her how I feel for her, he thought. 'Twould make things worse than they already are. He sighed heavily as he adjusted his course back towards Manhattan. I should just...

The sound of breaking glass shattered his thought. He looked down and caught sight of a stealthy figure entering through the back window of a two-story home. He grimaced. "Bad enough I have my own problems to deal with. Now I've got another one to deal with." He drew his sword and descended towards the house.

"Come on, lady," the burglar said as he stood over an old woman in a wheelchair while he pointed a gun at a young woman in a nurse's uniform. "Where's the goods?"

"I'm not telling you anything," the old woman said. "Get out!" She picked up a cane and took a swing at him.

"You're a feisty old broad," the tough said as he grabbed the end of the cane and snatched it from her. "I'll give you that much." He broke the cane over his knee and shoved the jagged end towards her face. "Now tell me where you keep the cash, or I'll do this to you."

"Now is that any way to treat yuir elders, laddie?" he heard a gravelly voice say. He turned and saw a hunched figure by the broken window.

"What is it with you freaks?" he snarled. "Can't you stay in New York like you're supposed to?"

"We go where we be needed, laddie," Hudson said. "Now I suggest ye leave, before..."

The thug threw the broken cane at Hudson, and the gargoyle ducked out of the way of the improvised weapon. The thug used the momentary distraction to make a break for the back of the house, but the old lady in the wheelchair turned into him, causing him to trip and fall, and to lose his gun in the process. He snarled at the old woman. "You miserable old bat..." he said viciously as he kicked at the chair, knocking it over. He started to get up, searching for his weapon, but then he felt a meaty hand land on his shoulder.

"That was uncalled for," Hudson snarled as he jerked the crook around and lifted him in the air. "I gave ye a chance to walk out of here, lad. But if ye insist on doing things the hard way..." He turned and tossed the tough across the room. He hit the solid oak front door and slid bonelessly to the floor.

Hudson stalked over to the fallen robber and nudged him with his tail. When the human didn't move, he smiled to himself. "That will hold ye for a while," he said as he turned his attention back to the old woman and the nurse.

The younger woman was trying to help the old woman back into her wheelchair. But when Hudson took a step towards them, she panicked and almost let her go.

"What...what do you want?" she asked.

Hudson sighed. "I only want to help, lass," he said. He moved closer. "That is what we gargoyles do."

The young woman's eyes fixed on the sword in Hudson's hand. Hudson realized the exposed steel was making her nervous and placed it in its usual spot under his belt. Then he stepped forward and bent down, lifting the old woman in his arms.

"I don't need any help," she protested.

"I'm sure ye don't," Hudson said. He waited until the nurse righted the wheelchair, then set the old woman down. As soon as he did, the nurse started backing both herself and her elderly charge away from the gargoyle. The old woman quickly set the brakes on the wheelchair, bringing it to a stop.

"Anna..." the nurse started to protest.

"If he was going to hurt us, he would have done it by now," the woman snapped. She turned her attention back to Hudson. "Besides, he just saved our lives. That in itself proves he doesn't mean us any harm."

"Ye are not afraid of me?" Hudson asked.

"When you get to be my age," she said. "You tend to lose your fear of most things." She looked over the aged gargoyle. "But I suppose you already know that."

"Aye," he said. He turned as he heard the burglar begin to stir. "I think it might be a good idea if I were to take care of yuir 'uninvited' guest," he said. "And ye may want to call the police and tell them to expect a package."

"I will do that," she said. "Marybeth, get me the phone."

As the nurse hurried to get the phone, Hudson strode over to the burglar. "I think it's time for you to leave," he said. He lifted the semi-conscious felon and headed for the door.

January 17, 2000

The Eyrie Building

Hudson awoke with a roar. He was immediately aware of a presence nearby. He turned and found Elisa smiling at him as the rest of the clan said their good-bye's and left.

"What is it, lass?" he asked.

"Heard you stopped a break-in out on Long Island the other night," she said.

"Ach, 'twas nothing, lass," he said. "Just a young punk who didn't know any better." He looked at the raven-haired detective. "How did ye find out about it?"

"I've got a few friends on the Long Island PD," she said. "One of them called the precinct wanting to talk to Matt about a 'gargoyle-related-incident'. It took me an hour to talk him out of having the Task Force mobilized to deal with a possible gargoyle infestation."

"Your efforts are greatly appreciated, lass," Hudson said.

"I agree," Goliath said as he came over. He rested his hands on her shoulders and drew her close. "It is one of your more endearing qualities, my love," he added.

Elisa smiled as she felt him wrap his wings around her shoulders. "Thanks, Big Guy," she said. "You know, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to head for the precinct. I just stopped by to say hi." She tried to disentangle herself from Goliath's embrace, but he was reluctant to let her leave. "C'mon, Goliath. Turn loose."

"I worry about you, my Elisa," he said. "Especially now that..."

"I'll be okay, Goliath," she said, then she placed her hand over her belly. "We'll both be okay."

"Are you certain?" Goliath asked.

Elisa couldn't help but smile up at him. "Goliath, I'm not even halfway through my first trimester yet. Don't worry. I'll be just fine. Hell, even Captain Chavez was still busting crooks during her first three months."

"Have ye told her, lass?" Hudson asked.

Elisa was slightly taken aback by Hudson's question. "Not yet," she admitted. "I'm hoping to put it off for a few more weeks."

Goliath frowned in clear disapproval at her statement. "Elisa..." he started.

"I know, I know," she said. "I have to tell her. But Goliath, you have to understand. I can't tell her how or why this happened..."

"Ye don't have to, lass," Hudson said. "Ye could stretch the truth a might."

"I've done that way too much already," she said. "Eventually, she's going to catch me in a lie, and then I'll be in major trouble."

"Then just tell her what truly happened," Goliath said. When Elisa looked up at him in surprise, he quickly continued. "Tell her that this is the result of your last night spent together with Don. You do not have to tell her that you planned on becoming pregnant, merely that you wish to carry the child to term and that your family is in full support of your decision. Surely, she will not question that."

"I guess not," she said, seeing the logic. "But she is going to wonder. I mean, Don and I took every precaution we could think of to prevent an unplanned pregnancy before he left for Saudi. If I tell her that for just one night, we forgot..." She sighed. "She wouldn't believe it. She'd always have questions about what happened. Hell, I'm not sure she still believes my explanation that my 'accidental shooting' was simply that, an accident."

"Perhaps it's time you told her the truth, detective," they heard another voice say. They turned and found David Xanatos walking towards them. "Bring her to the castle and introduce her."

"Oh, I'm sure that'll go over real good," Elisa said. "I can just see me walking into her office and saying, 'Hey Captain, wanna meet the new guy in my life? Mind you, he's a little unusual, and he can bench press a truck...'" She sighed. "I can just imagine her reaction."

"You might be selling Captain Chavez short," Goliath said. "You said yourself that she has already met Delilah, and she seemed to accept her, even when you informed her about Delilah's origins."

"I gave her a seriously edited version about where Delilah came from," Elisa said. "And the fact is that she was really ticked off about my keeping Delilah a secret for so long in the first place. How am I going to tell her about you guys, not to mention the fact that you and I are planning to get married in a few months?"

"You need not tell her of our plans to become mates just yet, Elisa," Goliath said. "After all, we have yet to set a date for the ceremony." He set his hands on his future mate's shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. "You know that eventually you will have to inform Captain Chavez of your relationship with us, just as you ultimately told Bluestone about our existence. And with all that has happened in the past few years, this is one secret you will be unable to keep."

Elisa sighed. "I know," she said heavily. She looked up into her love's dark eyes. "I'll try and find a way to get her up here to meet you guys. I just hope things don't turn out the way they did with Matt the first time."

"That is my hope as well," Goliath said. "The last thing I wish to do is make another visit to the Hotel Cabal."

His quip lightened her spirits, and Elisa grinned as she jumped up and planted a quick kiss on his lips. "I'll stop by at the end of my shift," she said. "I'll think of something to tell her by then." She then dropped to the flagstones and headed across the battlement.

Goliath turned his attention to Xanatos, who was watching Elisa leave somewhat intently. "Is there something you wish, Xanatos? Or do you intend to stare at my intended's backside until I feel obligated to help you stop by removing your head from your shoulders?"

Xanatos looked at Goliath in shock as the last of the lavender gargoyle's words finally sunk in. "I'm sorry, Goliath," he said. "What were you saying?"

"You were staring at Elisa, Xanatos," Goliath said. "I am not too certain I care for the attention you were giving her just then." He grumbled loudly. "And I might remind you that you are a married man. Fox may also object, rather strongly I might add."

"I wasn't undressing Elisa with my eyes," Xanatos said. "If that's what you were worried about." He looked towards the door Elisa had departed through. "I just noticed that she seemed to have a healthy glow just then." He looked at Goliath. "Her pregnancy seems to agree with her."

Goliath seemed to relax. He had noticed that Elisa seemed to have a certain glow about her nowadays, though he wasn't sure until just then whether or not it was related to her pregnancy. "Did Fox have the same look while she was with child?" he asked.

"I think so," Xanatos said. "Of course, I was a little wrapped up in other things to give it much notice. You know, trying to do you in, among other things. You could ask Elisa's father. See if Diane had that glow when she was expecting."

"I might just do that," Goliath said. "Thank you, Xanatos."

"Happy to help any way I can," Xanatos said with a smile. He quickly turned and headed back into the castle.

"I think I'll be heading out now," Hudson said.

"Where are you going, old friend?" Goliath asked.

"I'm thinkin' of heading back out to Long Island," the aged gargoyle said. "Just to check on a few things."

"Of course," Goliath said. "Give my regards to Robbins when you see him."

"I will," Hudson said. "I'll be seeing ye later, lad," he added as he leapt from the battlements and headed off across the sky.

Long Island

Hudson landed gently by the tree in front of the house. He could tell that someone was home by the fact that the lights were on. Looking up and down the street to make sure no one else was around, he crept carefully towards the front porch and moved slowly up the stairs. He grimaced when he heard the wood creak.

"Who's out there?" he heard a voice challenge from within. He saw the curtain by the door being pulled aside and a familiar face appeared briefly before backing away. The nurse, he realized. The one that had been at the house the last time, and who was obviously afraid of him.

"It is only I, lass," he said reassuringly. "I came to see how the pair of ye are doing."

"We're doing just fine," the young woman said. "Now please..."

"Who is it?" he heard the older woman ask. The nurse turned her head to speak to her charge for a few moments, then he saw her sigh.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Ms. Ramirez," she said. "He might..."

"If you're that afraid of him," he heard the older woman say as the door was opened. "Then you can leave and I'll find myself another nurse." She turned her attention towards Hudson. "Are you coming in?" she asked.

"Aye," Hudson said. He entered the house, pausing for a moment to look at the older woman. There was a small tube running from an oxygen bottle to her nose that either hadn't been there before, or he simply hadn't noticed it. It worried him somewhat.

"I dinna think..." he started, but the older woman waved him off.

"It's nothing," she said. "I just need a little help breathing every now and then. It's nothing to worry about."

"Are ye sure?" Hudson asked. "If ye are in pain..."

"I said it's nothing," the old woman snapped, which caused Hudson to smile inwardly. She may be frail on the outside, he thought. But ye wouldn't know it by her spirit.

"Of course," he said. "I should have realized." He stepped inside the home, taking a moment to consider his surroundings, then followed after the old woman as her nurse pushed her wheelchair into the next room.

The house had the feeling of having been lived in for a very long time, and Hudson had the distinct impression that the old woman had lived there most of her life. The walls were covered with pictures, many of them decades old, and every shelf he passed had something on it, something he guessed was part of the old woman's past. But in the living room the mantle above the fireplace was oddly bare. There was one picture, a human male in a police officer's uniform, and Hudson noted the small picture box of decorations that sat on the mantle next to it as he sat down.

"Would you like some tea, Mr..." he heard the old woman ask.

"Anna..."

"Hudson," he said. "'Tis only Hudson. My kind do not have last names." He looked at the nurse, who was still clearly uncertain about him, and had the look of deep concern on her face. "I probably shouldn't..."

"Nonsense," the old woman said. "You saved our lives a few nights ago, and the least I can do is offer you something in return." She looked at him. "Unless of course, your kind can't drink..."

"Nay," he said. "There are very few things that we gargoyles cannot tolerate, but tea isna' one of them. 'Tis just that I dinna wish to impose."

"It's no trouble," she said. She turned to her nurse. "Go and put some water on for tea," she said. "And be sure that you don't let the water boil this time."

"Anna..." the nurse started, but the old woman quickly cut her off.

"I will be perfectly safe," she said. "Now go. You're wasting time."

The nurse took another hesitant look at Hudson, then headed for the kitchen. Hudson watched her leave before turning his attention towards the old woman.

"It appears that yuir daughter doesna' trust me all that much, Ms..." he said.

"Marybeth isn't my daughter," she said. "And please, call me Anna."

"Anna then," Hudson said. He looked towards the kitchen. "My apologies for thinking that she was your daughter. I merely thought from the way the two of ye talked..."

"She calls me Anna because she's been my nurse for several years," Anna said. "We passed the point of calling each other by our last names a long time ago. I simply got tired of her calling me 'Ms. Ramirez' every day and began insisting that she start calling me Anna."

Hudson smiled at that. "I guess it would become tedious after a time," he said. "Especially if ye've known the lass for that long." He looked towards the picture on the mantle. "Have ye and yuir mate..."

"My...mate?" she asked. "You mean my husband?"

"Aye," Hudson said. "Have ye any children of yuir..."

"My...husband...died some years ago, Hudson," she said. "We never had...children...of our own."

"I'm sorry," Hudson said. "I shouldna' have asked..."

"No, it's all right," Anna said. "I don't even know why I keep his picture on the mantle. He left me just before he died, and my daughter always blamed me for his leaving."

"I dinna' understand," Hudson said. "I thought ye said..."

"I was pregnant when I married him," Anna said. "He knew it of course, but he never let Maria know for as long as he was alive. He loved her, always calling her 'his little captain'."

"Why did he leave?" Hudson asked. "If ye don't mind my asking?"

"I didn't approve of his choice of joining the police department," she said. "Richard had potential for so much more. I hated seeing him throwing it away by becoming a cop."

"But if it was his decision..." Hudson started, but then he caught the warning glint in Anna's eyes.

"What would you know about it?" she snapped. "What would your wife think if you decided to become a cop?"

"I...think...she would have been proud," Hudson said. "If she were still alive."

That caused Anna to gasp slightly. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't think..."

"I lost her many years ago," he said. "We were defending the castle against a band of marauders, and she was struck down." He looked at Anna. "She died in my arms saying she loved me."

"At least you had that," Anna said softly. "Richard died in the line of duty. I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to him." She looked at him closely. "Is that how you received that scar?"

Hudson's hand went automatically to his left eye, touching the scar. "Nay," he said. "That happened years later, during a quest to save Prince Malcolm's life."

"I've never heard of this Prince..." Anna started, but then Hudson shook his head.

"He's been dead and buried for many centuries now," he said. When he caught the look of confusion on Anna's face, he quickly continued. "I and the rest of my clan were placed under an enchantment over a thousand years ago," he said. "We were trapped in stone sleep until our castle was raised above the clouds a number of years ago."

"Your castle?" she asked. "Is that the same castle..."

"I shouldna' be telling ye this," he said. "'Tis supposed to be a secret, meant to keep us safe so that those who wish us harm canna find us during the day." He looked at her. "But aye, it be the castle atop the Eyrie Building. Ye willna' tell anyone..."

"It will be our secret," she said. She turned her head as she heard a whistling from the kitchen. The water for the tea was done. A few moments later, Marybeth came back into the living room, pushing a tea cart. She stopped by Anna's side and poured her a cup, then looked at Hudson with uncertainty.

"'Tis okay, lass," he said. "I can do for myself." He stood up and walked over to the cart, sighing inwardly as Marybeth backed away from him, and poured a cup of tea for himself. He took his cup and moved back to where he'd been sitting. Anna turned a disapproving eye towards the nurse.

"Could you give us some time alone?" she asked. When she saw the look of worry in the nurse's eyes, she raised her hand, silencing her before she had a chance to voice her objections. "I will be okay," she said.

Marybeth gave the gargoyle one more nervous glance, then excused herself from the room. Anna watched her go, then let out a heavy sigh.

"She worries about ye," Hudson quickly said. "Ye said that she has cared for you for several years. 'Tis understandable that she should feel protective towards you."

"I don't need to be protected," Anna said. "I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

"Of course ye are," Hudson said, even as he took in her frail frame. "I knew an Elder in my clan who was capable of fighting with the fierceness of a wildcat, even though she was nearly two centuries old."

"Two...centuries?" Anna gasped. "Are gargoyles...immortal?"

"Nay," Hudson said. "We gargoyles age at nearly half the rate humans do." He set his cup aside. "I dinna know why that is," he said. "It is just something that we have long since accepted."

"How old are you?" Anna asked.

"I have been alive for eleven hundred years," he said, which caused Anna to do a double take of the aged gargoyle. "But one thousand of those years was spent in an enchanted sleep," he quickly added.

"You certainly have aged well," Anna said.

"I have been told that more than once," he said.

Anna took a sip of her tea. "You said your clan lives in the castle," she said. "How many are there?"

Hudson sighed. "Very few of my clan remain," he admitted. "Only seven survived a massacre a thousand years ago, and six of us were trapped by the Magus' spell of stone sleep." He looked at her. "We dinna know what happened to the seventh until a few days after we were awakened, nor did we learn the fate of our eggs until much later."

"Eggs?" Anna asked.

"Aye," Hudson said, surprised that he was revealing so much to someone who was still very much a stranger. "Gargoyles are not like humans. Our females breed once every 20 years after they become adults, and it takes 10 years for the eggs to hatch." He sighed. "We had believed that we were the last of our kind, that there were no more gargoyles left, until our clan leader Goliath vanished several years ago. When he returned, we learned that there were others of our kind in the world, and that our clan's children were hatched and alive on the island of Avalon."

"That...that's just so...hard to believe," Anna said. When Hudson looked at her, she continued. "I never really believed in magic before," she said. "I'm still not sure..."

"Aye," he said. "Magic existed. I can say that with all certainty, for I have seen its use firsthand."

"I guess magic was a part of life in the world you came from," Anna said.

"Aye," Hudson said.

"Could you tell me about it?" she asked. "About the world you come from?"

Hudson smiled. "Of course," he said.

They talked through most of the night, Hudson telling Anna about the early days at Castle Wyvern. At one point, Anna mentioned that his stories seemed oddly familiar, as if she had heard them before, and Hudson told her that he had told these stories to his friend Jeffrey Robbins. Anna immediately recognized the name, and realized just where she had heard the tales before.

Anna seemed intent on keeping most of her past to herself for the moment, and Hudson was inclined not to pry. He did ask her about her daughter, but from the expression on her face, he could tell that it was a subject she didn't care to talk about just yet.

She did tell him about her daughter's father, a young high school senior named Sam, who she went to school with. Her own parents openly disapproved of her friendship with Sam, feeling that he should stick to his 'own kind', and to get back at them, Anna lured Sam into her bed, and ended up becoming pregnant. Her parents were livid and forbade her from ever seeing him again. It didn't help matters when Sam's girlfriend became pregnant at roughly the same time. Sam ended up marrying his girlfriend, and Anna ended marrying someone her parents marginally 'approved' of.

"I never saw Sam after that," she said. "I know he went to Vietnam, but I never heard another word from him. And his 'wife' was less than forthcoming with anything she got from him." Anna sighed. "I tried hard to make my marriage to Richard work, but after he became a police officer, I knew it was hopeless." She looked squarely at Hudson. "I didn't want to be a cop's wife. I didn't want to sit up nights waiting for someone to call and tell me that some hoodlum had shot him. It caused a strain on our marriage, and then one day, he just left. I never saw him alive again after he left. Maria has barely even spoken to me since that day."

"I'm sorry…" Hudson started to say, but then Marybeth chose that moment to return and told Anna that it was time for her to rest.

"I don't need to rest," she said. "I'll have enough time..."

"I should be going," Hudson quickly said, which drew a frown from the older woman.

"You don't have to..." she started.

"Aye, I'd better," Hudson said. "'Twill be dawn shortly, and I need to return to my home before the sun rises."

Anna looked at the window. She could see that the sun would be up soon. "You could always spend the day here," she offered.

"I had better not," he said. He set the empty cup aside and stood up. "I have enjoyed our talk," he said.

"So have I," Anna said. "And you're always welcome to come back and tell me more about your clan." She turned her wheelchair around and considered Marybeth. "I suppose you'll be wanting to put me to bed now," she said.

"I think it would be a good idea," she said.

Anna snorted. "At least let me get myself ready this time." She began moving her wheelchair towards the back of the house. "I don't need any help getting into bed."

Hudson watched as Anna left the room, then turned his attention to the nurse. She had a disapproving look in her eyes.

"I mean no harm, lass," he said. "I can see that ye care a great deal about her, but I would never do anything to harm her."

"Then maybe you should stay away from now on," she said. "Anna is sick, and she doesn't need anyone wearing her out like this."

"All we did was talk," Hudson said. "Nothing more. There be no harm..."

"She's dying," the nurse said pointedly. When Hudson looked at her in alarm, she quickly continued. "She has a condition called motor neuron disease," she said. "It's terminal." She saw the distress in Hudson's eyes. "She's lived with it for a few years, but she's been getting progressively worse over the last the last few months."

"I dinna' know..."

"Of course not," Marybeth said. "I doubt your kind would even know or care about something like this."

Hudson frowned at her. "Ye don't know much about gargoyles, do ye, lass?"

"No, I don't," she said. "And I don't care to. All I care about is Anna, and the last thing I want is for her to suffer anymore than she already is."

"I only wish to help," Hudson said.

"If you want to help," she said. "Then please, just stay away. Let her die in peace. It's the least you can do for her." Without waiting for a reply, Marybeth turned and headed after Anna. Hudson waited until she left the room before leaving the home, heading back for the castle.

But he wasn't inclined to simply stand by and wait for Anna to die. He had to do something. And he vowed that he would.

January 18, 2000

The Eyrie Building

Hudson stole carefully into the library, his ears alert for any indication that there was someone else in the room. More often than not, it was usually Elisa who was present, spending her off-hours with Goliath, but on occasion he did stumble upon Angela and Broadway curled together on the large couch in the middle of the library.

He sighed with a hint of relief when he heard no one moving about the room, so he quickly headed for the shelves, looking for one thing in particular.

His quest took him towards the reference section, and he stepped back as he took in the sheer number of medical journals before him.

"Where to begin?" he mused. He fingered one volume, pulling it from the shelf slightly before shoving it back into place and moving on to another. "Ach, I'd be better off going through Elisa's collection of books." During one of his infrequent visits to Elisa's apartment while the clan was still using the clock tower as their home, Hudson had taken a peek at the small collection of books Elisa owned. Among the books was a small medical reference set she said was a gift when she subscribed to a magazine. Hudson had noted that the three small paperbacks had obviously seen some recent use, and Elisa had admitted that she'd been consulting the volumes more often since she met Goliath and the rest of the clan...

"Trouble, Hudson?" he heard a familiar voice ask. He started as he turned towards the source and found Delilah looking at him with a questioning look on her face.

"Nay, lass," he said, trying to master his surprise. "I was just...looking for something...to read"

Delilah looked at the book he held in his hand. "A medical journal?" she asked.

Hudson glared at her. "What of it?" he almost snapped.

Delilah backed away slightly, surprised by his tone, and almost dropped the books she was carrying. "I...I didn't...mean..."

Hudson sighed. "I'm sorry, lass," he said. "I shouldna' have snapped at ye like that." He set the book back on the shelf. "I was just...I'm looking for something to help out a friend."

Delilah put her hand on the book Hudson had just placed back on the shelf. "Your friend is sick?" she asked.

"What makes ye think..." he started.

"I know what it's like to want to help a sick friend, remember?" she said. "When Kate told me about Danny, I went through every book Dr. Goldblum brought down to the Sanctuary to try to find a way to help him. Reading about Danny's condition helped me to understand what he is going through, even though I learned there is no cure for his illness." She took the book off the shelf. "If you like, I can help you search..."

"Nay," he said, looking at the books she held in her other hand. "I can see that ye have other things to occupy yuir time."

Delilah looked down at the books she held, then blushed as she tried to hide them behind her back, losing the top one in the process. "I was just..."

"Middle Eastern Dance?" Hudson said as he picked up the book. "Are ye thinking of going back to..."

"No," Delilah quickly said. "I just...thought..."

Hudson crossed his arms and gave her an amused look. "Out with it, lass," he said. "What are ye up to?"

Delilah sighed. "Promise you won't tell anyone?" she asked.

"That all depends on what ye are being so secretive about," Hudson said as he offered the book back to her.

Delilah took the book. "I have been teaching this to Angela," she said. "Teaching her how to...dance...the way I did."

"Why?" Hudson asked. "Angela isna' thinking of..."

Delilah smiled at the shocked look on his face. "No," she said. "And I do not think Goliath would allow her to even if she wanted to." She looked around, making sure that they were alone. "It is a surprise for Broadway. Please promise you won't say anything to him."

Hudson smiled at the hybrid clone. "I willna' say a word," he said. "It will be our secret."

"Thank you," Delilah said. Smiling, she reached up and gave the aged gargoyle a quick peck on the cheek before turning to leave.

Hudson almost called her back, taken aback by the display of affection. Nay, he thought. Best not to tempt Fate. He watched her leave the library before turning his attention back to the book in his hand. Sighing, he headed for the couch in the center of the room.

Xanatos' office

Xanatos looked up as he heard the door to his office open. He smiled slightly as he saw the weathered face of the castle's oldest guardian enter. "What can I do for you, Hudson?" he asked.

"I be needin' a favor, Xanatos," Hudson said. He crossed the office and laid the medical reference book on the desk.

"What kind of favor?" Xanatos asked.

"I need yuir help findin' a cure," Hudson said. He opened the book and pointed to the text he had found. "For this."

"Lou Gehrig's Disease?" Xanatos asked.

Hudson looked at him in confusion. "Why..."

"Motor neuron disease," Xanatos said. "I know the name of the disease, but it's more commonly referred to by one of its most famous victims." Xanatos looked over the text. "I didn't know that Mr. Robbins..."

"It is not Jeffrey who has become afflicted with this malady," Hudson said. "It is...someone else."

"I see," Xanatos said. This might explain where he's been going recently, he thought. He continued reading, then sighed as he closed the book. "I wish I could help you, Hudson," he said. "I really do. But at the moment, there is no cure for it."

"But surely, with all of yuir resources..." Hudson started.

"Hudson, I know how much you want to help your friend," Xanatos said. "I was the one who tried to use you as a way to make myself and Fox immortal, remember? And we all know how that went."

"Aye," Hudson sighed, remembering.

Xanatos sat back. "I'll tell you what," he said. "I'll give it a go, see if I can find a way to at least give your 'friend' some help any way I can. How long has your friend had this condition, anyway?"

"I was told she was diagnosed a few years ago," Hudson said.

Xanatos let out a subdued whistle. "Then your friend is lucky," he said. "A lot of people rarely make it that far. She must be special."

"Stubborn is more likely," Hudson said. "Anna doesna' like to admit to any sign of weakness. And I respect her for that."

"I can see that," Xanatos said. He stood up and moved around the desk. "I'll see what I can do about helping her, Hudson," he said as he led the gargoyle towards the door. "You have my word."

"Thank ye, Xanatos," Hudson said as he left. After he was gone, Xanatos returned to the desk and opened the book again. After a few minutes, he fingered the intercom.

"Owen," he said. "Can I see you in my office for a few minutes?"

"Of course, Mr. Xanatos," his assistant said.

Hudson stood on the battlement, looking out over the city. Xanatos canna help her, he realized. Even if he were to begin tonight, there may not be enough time to save her. If only there were another way... He turned as he caught sight of Angela returning from her mother's home, a scroll clutched tightly in her hand. Another spell, he realized. The lass has certainly... He stopped as a realization dawned on him. Science may not be able to help her, but maybe sorcery can. He turned and leapt into the sky, a newfound hope in his heart.

Anna Ramirez's home

Hudson landed carefully outside the home, trying not to alert anyone to his presence. He moved carefully to the porch and gently rapped on the door.

"Yes," he heard Anna's voice say.

"'Tis me, Anna," he said. "Hudson."

There was a long pause, and then he heard the door unlock. "Come in," he heard the woman say.

Hudson opened the door and stepped inside. What he saw made his heart tremble.

Anna seemed to have worsened overnight. She looked even more frail than before, and it looked as though she was ready to give up.

"Anna..." Hudson said, clearly concerned, but Anna shook her head.

"No," she said tiredly. "It's all right. I always knew this day would come." She looked up at the gargoyle. "I guess you've seen this before."

"Aye," he said. "But 'tis never easy..."

"It never is," Anna said. "You must have buried a lot of friends in the past."

"Aye, that I have," Hudson said. "Friends, loved one, my mate..."

"You miss her," Anna said.

Hudson knelt down in front of her. "Aye," he said. "Every night I miss her more and more. More now than before." He looked around, surprised that Marybeth wasn't by her side. "Where..."

"I sent her off on an errand," Anna said. "She won't be back for a while."

That surprised him, knowing that the younger woman would not just abandon her charge. He suspected that there was another reason that Anna sent her away. He stood up. "Anna, I might be able to help ye, if ye will let me."

"How?" Anna asked.

"I told ye before that magic exists," he said. "I think I know of someone who might be able to cure this affliction."

"You mean with magic?"

"Aye," he said. "But only if ye are willing. I would not force this on ye." He sighed. "The truth is I have little use for magic, and I have never truly trusted it. But I have seen magic used to bring more than one friend of our clan back from the brink of oblivion. If you will let me, I think I can help. Will ye let me?"

Anna thought about that for a moment. "Yes," she said.

Hudson carefully lifted her from the wheelchair, then gently bundled her up in the quilt she covered herself with before he carried her off into the night.

Destine Manor

Demona was going over her financial records when she heard a thump on the balcony. She got up from the desk and headed for the doors.

"Back already?" she asked with a smile, thinking it was Angela. "Did you forget…"

The doors swung open, and Demona stepped back as Hudson stepped into the room, carrying a human woman in his arms.

"I be needin' yuir help, lass," he said.

Demona looked at the frail old woman in Hudson's arms. "What's wrong with her?" she asked. "Where…"

"'Tis not important," he said. He swept past Demona and headed for the couch, setting Anna down carefully. "I just need ye to help her."

Demona stepped forward and bent to examine the woman, taking note of the oxygen bottle Hudson set on the couch by Anna's side. "I can't very well help her if you don't tell me what's wrong," she snapped.

Hudson opened his mouth to reply, but Anna cut him off. "I have motor neuron disease," she said flatly.

"And you brought her here?" Demona said in disbelief. "Hudson, what were you thinking?"

"I wanted to help her," Hudson said. "I thought that maybe you knew of something…"

Demona sighed. "Hudson, you have a good heart," she said, pausing to look at Anna. The old woman looked back at her expectantly. "And I can understand you wanting to help someone in distress." She turned her attention back to the aged gargoyle. "But I can't help her. This disease…"

"Ye have magic, Demona," he said. "Ye have a thousand years of experience in the Arts. Surely, there must be something ye have learned in all that time…" He paused for a moment. "Ye saved Elisa's life once…"

"I used the Bloodstone to save the detective's life, Hudson," she said. "And I no longer have that talisman. Thailog took it with him when he disappeared. I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for another."

"Hudson," Anna said. When the two gargoyles looked at her, she continued. "She said that there is nothing she can do. Can't you just leave it at that?"

"Nay," he said. "Ye should not be forced to endure this…"

"I'm an old woman," she said. "I've lived a full life." She looked at Demona. "She said she can't do anything to help me. The only thing you can do now is take me back so that I can spend what little time I have at home."

"Yes," Demona said in agreement. "Her family can…"

"She has no one at home to look after her," Hudson said quickly. When Demona looked at him, he sighed. "She has a daughter, but she hasn't talked to her own mother in years." He looked to Anna. "No one should be alone in their final days. Ye of anyone should know what it feels like to be alone."

Demona felt a lump form in her throat. Yes, I do, she thought bitterly. She'd been alone for nearly a thousand years following the fall of Wyvern and Moray. It was a fate she wouldn't have wished on anyone.

"I'll do what I can, Hudson," she said. "But I can make you no promises. Given the nature of her affliction, the best we can hope for is to make her as comfortable as we can until the end."

Hudson sighed. "That will have to do then I suppose," he said gravely.

Demona looked at the old woman. "Bring her," she said.

23rd Precinct

Captain Chavez's office

Maria Chavez looked over the report Morgan had turned in a few hours earlier. Another crook caught up a tree, she noted. Must've been looking for golden apples, she mused, even though it was the middle of winter in New York, and the crook had been pulled from a maple tree, not an apple tree. Had to be gargoyles again, she thought.

Ever since her first encounter with Delilah back in October, Maria had been taking a closer look at every report that crossed her desk, looking for evidence of gargoyle involvement in the cases. She paid special attention to the reports of one detective in particular.

Elisa all but admitted that she had ties to the gargoyles when she told me about her 'sister', Maria thought, remembering her conversation with the detective shortly after her encounter with the white-haired hybrid. There was definitely more going on with the usually open detective than what she was telling.

Her musings were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She quickly picked it up. "Chavez, 23rd," she answered. She listened carefully to the frantic voice on the end of the line.

"All right, calm down," she said. "She couldn't have gone very far." Then her eyes went wide as she was told what was going on. "Are you sure?" she asked. "All right, I'll be right there." She quickly hung up the phone and headed out of her office. She paused for a moment as she looked at Elisa's desk, unattended as was Matt Bluestone's, with both detectives out on the street.

You and I are going to have a long talk after I get back, she thought as she left the station.

Destine Manor

Hudson looked around Demona's lab as the azure gargoyle busied herself, doing what she could to help Anna. The aged gargoyle picked up a beaker and looked at the contents.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you, Hudson," Demona said, her back turned towards him. "You won't like what will happen if you should happen to spill it."

Hudson quickly set the beaker down and looked at her. "Perhaps I should wait outside," he said quickly.

"I think that would be best," Demona said. "Remember what happened the last time you decided to see what our clever little sister was up to in her lab."

"Aye," Hudson said. "I thought I'd never get rid of the smell." He turned quickly and left the lab.

"What was that all about?" Anna asked, curious.

Demona smiled at the old woman. "Just one of many interesting things that happened at…" She paused as she looked at her. "Our old home."

"You mean Castle Wyvern," Anna said. When Demona looked at her in surprise, she continued. "I'm a lonely old woman," she said. "I don't have too many days left. Who am I going to tell?"

Demona looked at Anna. "Your daughter for one," she felt inclined to remind her.

Anna snorted at that. "My daughter and I haven't spoken in years," she said. "She's too wrapped up in her career to even care about me."

"I find that hard to believe," Demona said. "You humans may have your faults, but you do have a sense of family that endures even the gravest of hardships."

"I wish that were true in my case," Anna said. "After the divorce, she constantly blamed me for my husband's leaving us, but after he died, she quit speaking to me altogether."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Demona said. "The bond between mother and child should be the most enduring bond of all."

"It's hard when your daughter won't listen to you," Anna said. "I tried so hard to do what was best for her, but she would never listen to me."

Demona looked at the old woman, a little surprised by her words, and immediately recognized a bit of herself in the old woman. "I had to make you understand," she heard herself saying, remembering the unfortunate incident with Angela years earlier. "Sometimes…the best thing a mother can do," she said hesitantly. "Is to do nothing at all."

"How would you know?" Anna asked. "Do you have any children?"

"Yes, I do in fact," Demona said. "I have one…no, two. Two daughters."

Anna looked at her with a hint of confusion. "You don't seem too sure about that," she said.

"I have one natural-borne daughter," Demona said. "Angela, whom I love very much. Her…sister…had a rather unique birth." She paused for a moment. "But I have grown close to her in recent months. I have seen her grow from an unsure, timid creature who feared me to a well-developed young adult whom I would be proud to call 'daughter'."

"You and Angela must have had a wonderful life together," the old woman said.

"No, we didn't," Demona sighed. She looked to see the confused look on Anna's face. "I've lived alone for a great many years," she said. "Ever since our home was sacked by the Vikings. I didn't even know the clan's eggs had survived until a few years ago, and by that time, Angela had grown to adulthood. We didn't exactly get off on the right foot either."

"Why not?" Anna asked. "What happened?"

Demona hesitated for a moment. "I've done some things," she said after a minute. "A few things that weren't what you would consider nice. It got to the point where she actually said she hated me."

"Does she still hate you?" Anna asked.

"No," Demona said. "But it was a long time before she looked at me with anything other than suspicion, and I thought I would never be able to gain her trust. I did though, and now we are closer than we would have been had things gone differently."

"At least you have that," Anna said. "I doubt I have time enough to set things right with my own daughter, even if she was willing to."

"You could at least try," Demona said. "At the very least, she should be by your side in your final hours. She owes you that much for giving her life."

"I wish it were that simple," Anna said.

Demona turned back to her work. She frowned to herself, realizing just how lucky she was that Angela had been willing to put Demona's past behind her and embrace her mother. I can't do anything for her, she thought. Her condition is terminal, and she hasn't much longer left to her. But I could do something. She began mixing some herbs together in a pestle, grinding the leaves together before mixing in a clear liquid.

"Hudson," she called out.

"Aye, lass," the aged gargoyle said as he reentered the lab.

"I can do nothing to alleviate her condition," she said. "But I can give her something to strengthen her until you can get her home." She looked at Anna. "Which is where she should have been in the first place," she said, looking at Hudson.

Hudson grimaced, realizing that Demona was right. "Very well," he said. He moved over to Anna and gently picked her up.

Demona finished preparing the potion and stepped over to them. She handed the herb tea to Anna. "Drink this slowly," she said. "It will help fortify your blood." Anna sipped the tea, then handed the cup back to Demona. "Now take her straight home, Hudson. "Don't dawdle, either."

Hudson 'harumphed' at the immortal gargoyle, but then turned and headed for the balcony. He needed to get Anna home, and if necessary, he would stay with her until the end.

Anna Ramirez's home

Maria Chavez pulled up to the house, worry etching her features. I should have insisted that she go to the nursing home, she thought anxiously. At least then, something like this could have been avoided. She got out of the car and raced towards the porch.

"I'm sorry," Marybeth said as Maria approached the open door. "I should have been here…"

"It's not your fault," Maria said. "It's mine. After everything that's been going on, I should have insisted…"

"She wouldn't have wanted to go to the home," Marybeth said.

"I could have made her go," Maria said. "I could have…" She stopped. "But it wouldn't have made things any easier between us, would it?" she said.

"I don't think so," Marybeth said. She waited for an awkward moment. "What should I do…"

"Go home," Maria said. "I'll let you know if I hear anything, or if…" She paused as she looked at the nurse. "I'll let you know." She waited until the nurse left the house, then slowly closed the door.

I should have been here, she thought as she wandered through the empty house. When I heard about her condition, I should have made the attempt… She fought back a tear that threatened to spill over. And now it might be too late…

Her ears picked up the sound of the door opening. Did Marybeth forget something? she wondered. She quickly headed back towards the living room, where she caught sight of a gargoyle setting Anna into her wheelchair. Her revolver was in her hand in an instant.

"Step away from her," she commanded.

Hudson's head snapped up as he heard the command, his hand going automatically to the hilt of his sword when he saw the barrel of the gun pointed in his direction. It took a conscious effort not to draw it on the woman he instantly recognized as Elisa's captain.

"Maria Ramona Chavez," Anna barked. "Put that ridiculous weapon down this instant!"

"Anna…" Maria started.

"What gives you the right to come into my home and wave a gun around, threatening my friends?" the old woman snapped.

"I was worried, Anna," Maria started. "When Marybeth called the station and told me you were gone…"

"You were worried, eh?" Anna said. "Well, that's a something new. You never worried about me before in your life."

"Momma…" Maria started, but then Anna cut her off. "You couldn't even muster the nerve to tell me when Carlos left with my grandchildren. I had to find out from them, and that wasn't until they'd been gone for six months."

Hudson looked at Maria with a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Who…" he started to ask.

"My…ex," Maria stammered before turning her attention back to her mother. "He left because he couldn't stand being caught in the middle of our constant fighting. You were the one who kept on saying he would never amount to anything, and he got sick and tired of you constantly looking down at him."

Anna stuck her chin out defiantly. "I only wanted what was best…" she started, but then she remembered what Demona had told her. "The best thing a mother can do is to do nothing at all," she had said. "What I thought was best..." she stammered.

"Now listen…" Maria started, but then Hudson stepped between the two. "That will be quite enough," he said angrily. He looked at Maria, then Anna. "The two of ye should be ashamed of yuirselves." He focused his attention on Maria. "This is yuir mother. Ye shouldna have spent so much time apart from her."

"If she had been willing to let me live my own life," Maria snapped. "Instead of trying to force me to chose between what I wanted and what she wanted…" She looked over at her mother, who had a sad look in her eyes. "And always doing anything to force her will on me…" She sighed. "It's not going to work this time." She turned towards the door. "I don't have time for this," she snapped as she headed for the door. "I'll call Marybeth and let her know you came back. She can watch over you…"

"Maria, please…" Anna started, but Maria cut her off.

"Don't," she said shakily. "Just…don't." She raced for the door.

Hudson watched as the younger woman left, then turned towards Anna. "Anna…"

"I know what you're going to say," she said. "And you're right. I should have tried to put things right between us a long time ago." She sighed. "Demona was right. I should have let Maria live her own life. But now…it's too late…"

"Perhaps not," Hudson said. He turned and headed for the door. He caught sight of Maria as she was fumbling with the keys to her car. "Maria," he called out.

Maria turned to look at the aged gargoyle. She frowned and turned her attention back to the keys. Where… She jumped as she heard the gargoyle land next to her, and she dropped her keys. "Dammit," she swore. She bent and picked up the keys. "Listen…uh…"

"Hudson," he said.

"Hudson," Maria said. "Whatever you're going to say, I've heard it all before. 'She's my mother, I should try to forgive her for what she's done in the past'." She sighed heavily. "And I tried, I really did. But there comes a point when you realize that nothing you do is going to change the way a person is."

"I dinna believe that," Hudson said. "If that were true, then my clan wouldna have been able to make our peace with Xanatos."

Maria looked at him in surprise. "Then the reports about the gargoyles at the castle are true?"

Hudson grimaced. "Aye," he said reluctantly. "I know that things could have gone differently between yuirself and yuir mother, but that is no reason to simply walk away from her now, not when she hasn't much longer left to her."

Maria looked back at the house, feeling a slight heaviness in her heart. She had wanted to try to put things right between herself and Anna for so long, but her mother had always been difficult, never wanting to hear her side of things. And her condition didn't make things any easier… She looked at the gargoyle. "I won't make any promises," she said as she found the right key and placed it in the lock. "But she has to be the one to make the first move. I won't…"

Hudson quickly drew his sword and shoved the point through the tire.

"Hey!" Maria cried out in protest as the tire went flat.

"Now," Hudson said as he tucked the sword back under his belt. "If ye be wantin' me to change that for ye, I would suggest that ye go back inside and talk to yuir mother. It is the least ye can do for her."

Maria looked at the flattened tire, then at Hudson. "That was a dirty trick," she said.

"Aye, that it was, lass," he said. "But ye didn't give me much of a choice. Will ye…"

"Yeah," she said, sighing heavily. "I'll talk to her." She looked down at the keys in her hand, then looked back up at Hudson. "But what I said still stands. I'm not making any promises. She has to be the one to make the first move."

Hudson sighed. "Then I guess that's the best we can hope for." He took the keys from her hand and turned towards the house. Maria realized he was waiting for her and followed after him as he headed for the porch.

Anna looked up as she heard Hudson come back in, followed by Maria. Hudson stepped aside as Maria came in, then looked at Anna.

"Maria…" the older woman started. She paused for a minute, then sighed. "I know that things could have been…better between us…" She looked up at her daughter. "I want to try to make things…right between us…" She paused. "If you'll let me."

Maria took a cautious step towards Anna. "I don't…know…" She looked towards Hudson.

"Please, Maria," Anna said. "We've let too much time go by without trying to set things right. I don't want any more time to pass without…without at least trying."

Maria looked at her mother's haggard face as Anna's head drooped down. She stepped forward and knelt in front of her mother. "Okay," she said.

Hudson smiled as mother and daughter finally smiled at each other. He turned and headed out the door to give them some privacy, hoping he could figure out just how he was going to change the tire on Maria's car.

January 21, 2000

The Eyrie Building

Lower Level

Elisa pulled her car into her usual parking space in the Eyrie Building's lower level, then turned off the ignition, hesitating for a moment as she checked her watch. Still a little while until sunset, she thought. I guess I could head up and wait a little while until Goliath wakes up, then tell him. She'd reached a decision, and she was a little nervous about it. She was going to take the leap and introduce Captain Chavez to the clan, but she wanted to do it a little bit at a time, so that Maria wouldn't be overwhelmed. It wasn't going to be like when I introduced them to Matt, she reminded herself. Back then, the clan only numbered six members; now their numbers had nearly doubled with the addition of Brooklyn's family and Angela. If we take it slow, she thought. I think we can lessen the shock. Sighing to herself, she got out of the car and headed for the elevator.

"Elisa?" she heard a voice call out. She turned and caught sight of Andrea Calhoun racing across the parking level towards her, carrying a briefcase in one hand, and her artist's easel in the other while trying to maintain a grip on the artist's canvas she held under her arm. "I was wondering if that was you," the young artist said.

Elisa looked at her car. "You mean the Fairlane wasn't a dead giveaway?" she quipped.

Andrea smiled back at the detective. "I guess it should have been," she said. "Of course, anytime I see a classic car like yours, I tend to focus on the car itself and not the driver."

Elisa smiled at that. "I never would have pictured you for a car nut," she said.

"With what I have to drive," Andrea said. "It's nice to dream every once in a while about getting something better."

"I know the feeling," Elisa said, recalling fondly how she ended up with the Fairlane in the first place. She turned as she heard the elevator doors open. "Are you heading up to the castle?" she asked.

Andrea adjusted her hold on her supplies, and Elisa reached out and caught the canvas as it began to slip. "Thanks," she said. "Yeah, I'm heading up. Ari's shown an interest in painting, and I promised her I'd give her some lessons."

"I can't think of a better teacher," Elisa said as she carried the canvas into the elevator and waited for Andrea to step inside.

"Thanks," Andrea said a second time as she set her stuff down, then began to step out of the elevator. "Can you hold the doors a minute? I'll be right back."

"Sure thing," Elisa said. She moved to the door and placed her foot against it, keeping it from closing. She waited until she heard a car door close, then stepped back inside as Andrea rushed to the elevator.

"I almost forgot about this," she said, holding up a manila envelope. "I know Xanatos has got some top-notch security in the building, but I really don't want to risk anyone getting their hands on these."

"What are they?" Elisa asked as the doors closed.

"Ah, pictures, that's all," Andrea said, a bit sheepishly. She started to put the envelope in her briefcase, but then the flap opened, spilling the pictures on the elevator floor. Elisa bent to help Andrea gather them up, and her eyes went wide as she picked one up.

It was a picture of Demona, lying nude on her bed, obviously posing for the picture.

"What in the world..." she started to ask as Andrea quickly took the picture from her.

"Don gave these to me," Andrea said. "He said he took them while he and Domi were still seeing each other."

"I guess he didn't want Delilah finding them," Elisa said, even as her mind latched onto Andrea's little nickname for Demona. "But why would he give them to you?"

"I've been trying to get Domi to pose for me ever since I found out about her little secret," Andrea said. "I mean, she looks great in her natural form, but she's resisted me at every turn, saying she doesn't feel it would be appropriate."

"So you're hoping to blackmail her, huh?" Elisa asked with a smirk.

"I don't want to use the word 'blackmail'," she said quickly. "But yeah, kind of. If Don could get her to pose for him, why not do the same for me?"

"I don't know." Elisa said. "Maybe it had to do with the fact that because they were lovers at the time, she was used to Don seeing her like that, and posing for the camera was just another natural step in their relationship."

"Now there's an idea," Andrea quipped. "Maybe if..."

"I don't think you should go there, Andrea," Elisa said quickly, the warning clear in her voice, even though it was touched with a bit of amusement as she recalled her very first meeting with Andrea nearly eighteen months earlier. At Destine Manor. I can only imagine what must have been going through her mind when she saw the handcuffs, Elisa thought. "You might not get the response you hope for."

"I guess you're right," Andrea said as she closed the envelope and placed it into her briefcase, this time taking the opportunity to secure the flap with the metal clip to make sure it stayed closed. "But it couldn't hurt to try," she added. She looked up at the numbers as the elevator rose, then turned to consider the detective. "By the way," she said.

"What?" Elisa asked.

"Just how did you end up meeting the gargoyles in the first place?" Andrea asked.

Elisa smiled. "That is a long story," she said. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"You bet," Andrea said.

"Well, it all started with a report of explosions at the castle..." Elisa said as the elevator continued its ascent to the castle, unaware that someone else was taking a far different route than the one she and Andrea were taking.

Castle Wyvern

Xanatos stood in the courtyard, watching as the police helicopter descended towards the castle. Curious, he thought. Detective Maza hardly ever comes by this route, if at all. I wonder... He watched as the blue and white Bell 412 paused above the castle, then landed lightly in the courtyard. He took a step forward as the right-hand door opened, then stopped when he saw that the person getting out wasn't Elisa Maza.

"Hello," he said, extending his hand to his 'unannounced' guest. "To what do I owe the pleasure, miss..."

"Captain," she said. "Captain Maria Chavez. 23rd Precinct, NYPD."

Xanatos hid a smile. He had seen her several times before; the first time had been following his initial arrest following the gargoyles 'Awakening' six years ago, and then his second arrest during the 'Phoenix Rising' incident. But he wasn't going to let on that he recognized her; as far as he knew, Elisa hadn't revealed her connection to the gargoyles just yet, and as much as he wanted to goad her just a little, he didn't want to just yet. At least, not until the baby's born, he mused.

"What can I do for you, Captain Chavez?" he asked.

"I came to talk to one of the gargoyles," she said bluntly as the helicopter started to rise into the air again, almost drowning out her voice.

"Really," Xanatos replied. Curiouser and curiouser, he thought. "May I ask why?"

"Not particularly, no," Maria said, and Xanatos caught the hint of something in her voice that told him not to press the issue.

"Is there a particular gargoyle you want to talk to?" he asked. "Or would you like to pick one out at random?"

"No," she said flatly. "I know which one I want to talk to. The one called Hudson."

Xanatos hid his surprise well. "I didn't know people had given the gargoyles pet names," he said.

Maria gave him a dark look. "If you're not going to help me..." she started.

Xanatos hid a smile. "I'll give you all the help I can," he said. He looked briefly at the position of the sun. Still a little while until sunset, he thought. Enough time to let her have her say, then get her out of the castle before Detective Maza shows up. He extended his hand. "If you'll come with me," he said. Maria followed him across the courtyard.

It didn't take him long to lead Maria to where the gargoyles were roosting. He stood back as he watched Maria look at the gargoyles, then turned to look at him.

"If you're worried about me damaging them…" she started.

"The thought never even crossed my mind," he said. "I'm just a little concerned for your safety." When Maria looked at him in surprise, he quickly continued. "It's a long drop to the street."

"I'll be okay," she said. "I won't get too close to the edge."

Xanatos smiled slightly, then turned to leave, pausing for a moment to make sure the camera that he had positioned by the gargoyles was operating. He saw the red LED indicating that the camera was active, then looked back towards the captain. Maria was standing by the gargoyles, looking them over.

This is going to be interesting, he thought to himself. I can't wait to see the detective's reaction when she finds her captain here. He headed for his office, a hint of a smile on his face.

Maria looked at the gargoyles, studying each one. She counted eleven, which surprised her slightly. Anna said there were seven, she thought. That's how many Hudson told her there were. She looked over the gargoyles a second time, then saw a slight resemblance between two that looked as though they were twins and one of the others. The three could have been related to each other, possibly family. She looked at the female that stood by them. Their mother? she wondered. She moved to look over the others.

She was slightly surprised to find that one gargoyle in particular was not with the others. She mentally kicked herself. Elisa said that Delilah lived down in the Labyrinth, she reminded herself. Wherever that is. I'm definitely going to have to ask her about that. She took a step towards the largest of the gargoyles when she heard voices coming from the doorway Xanatos had disappeared through.

"You're kidding, right?" the first, a female's voice said.

"It's the God's honest truth," the second voice said, a voice she knew all too well. Elisa. Why am I not surprised? "I'm falling towards the pavement, and the one thing that flashes through my mind is that stupid joke." She heard a laugh. "'It wasn't the fall that killed him, so much as the sudden stop at the end when he hit the ground.'"

"Gawd, that's awful," the other voice laughed.

"Tell me about it," she heard Elisa say. Another few seconds and they'll be coming through that door.

"And that's when Goliath saved your life?"

"Yeah," Elisa said. "And I'm telling you right now, I was scared out of my wits." Maria stepped back slightly as Elisa and a younger woman with blond hair stepped out onto the battlements. "I mean, I just saw him crush my gun in his bare hands and…"

"So that's what's been happening to your sidearms," Maria said.

Elisa gasped as she caught sight of Maria standing a few feet in front of her with her arms crossed across her chest. "C…captain!" she gasped.

Maria had a hard time suppressing a smile, amused by Elisa's look of surprise. "I should have figured I'd end up finding you here one of these days." She turned her attention towards the blonde standing by Elisa's side. "And this is?"

"Andrea Calhoun," Andrea said quickly.

"The artist?" Maria asked.

"Yeah," Andrea said. "I've got permission from the owners to do some portraits of the gargoyles statues and…" Then she caught the look on Maria's face. "I don't think she's buying it," she said to Elisa.

"Captain, what are you doing here?" Elisa asked.

Maria turned to look at the gargoyles, then looked back at Elisa. "I could ask you the same thing," she said. "But I get the feeling you'd probably try to snow me, just like all the other times."

"Captain…" Elisa started, but then Maria raised her hand, stopping her.

"Save it, detective," she said. "For the time being that you still are a detective."

Ouch! Elisa thought, wincing inwardly.

"I just came here to deliver a message," Maria continued, this time with a hint of sadness in her voice. "Then I'll leave."

Elisa looked at the gargoyles. "And the message is for…"

Maria turned to look at the gargoyles, one in particular. "Hudson," she said.

"How…" Elisa started, then looked at Andrea, who had an equally surprised look on her face.

"Let's just say that your 'sister' isn't the only gargoyle I've met in recent days," Maria said.

"My sister?" Elisa started, confused, until she remembered what she had told the captain concerning her relationship with Delilah. I told her I thought of Delilah as a sister, didn't I? she reminded herself. She looked at Maria. "Captain…" she started again.

"Elisa," she said. "I always thought that you trusted me enough to come to me with anything. I was the one who helped you get that detective's badge, remember?"

Elisa sighed. "I remember," she said. "But you have to understand, captain. With everything that's been going on the past few years…"

"Does your partner know?" Maria asked.

Elisa sighed. "Yeah," she said. "Matt knows."

"You told your partner," Maria said. "But not your captain." She sighed heavily. "That really hurts, Elisa."

"I had to tell Matt," she said. "You know how obsessed he can get when he gets wind of a conspiracy. My…keeping a secret…was too big a bone for him to pass up. I had to tell him."

"And later?" Maria asked.

Elisa looked at Andrea. "I guess I should have told you before now, captain," she said.

"Yes, you should have," Maria said. She turned and looked at the gargoyles. "At least then, some things could have turned out differently."

"What…" Andrea started, but then she saw that the sun was steadily creeping towards the horizon. In a few moments, it would be sunset, and the clan would be awake. How were they going to react to a stranger being in the castle? she wondered. "Elisa," she started.

Elisa looked towards the setting sun. "Captain, I think you might want to step back a bit," she said as she saw that Maria was standing a little closer than she would have liked.

"Why…" Maria started, but then the sun set, and her ears picked up the sound of cracking stone. She turned and saw cracks begin forming on the surface of the gargoyles. She jumped back in alarm. "Elisa…" she started.

"It's okay, captain," she said. "I was kinda surprised by it the first time I saw it myself."

Maria turned and watched as the gargoyles broke through their stone skins, shaking off the outer shell and sending stone fragments flying. The largest of them turned, a smile forming on his face.

"Elisa, I…" he started, but then he caught sight of Maria. "What is this?" he asked.

Hudson stepped forward as he became aware of Maria's presence. "Maria," he said.

"Hi, Hudson," Maria said.

Goliath looked from Hudson to Maria and then to Elisa before turning his attention back to Hudson. "I do not understand, old friend," he said. "How…"

"Maria's mother was the woman I helped earlier this week," Hudson admitted. He looked at Elisa. "I dinna know until a few nights ago that she was Maria's mother."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Hudson," Maria said. "It's about my mother."

"What is it, lass?" Hudson asked.

Maria took a deep breath and looked at the gargoyle. "She's dead."

The red LED on the camera above them blinked out.

Xanatos watched as the screen went blank. He knew Maria had some news for Hudson, but he hadn't expected the captain to drop such a heavy bombshell on the clan.

"Owen," he said, turning his attention to his majordomo.

"Yes, sir?" Owen asked.

"The next time I feel inclined to pull a stunt like this on Detective Maza and the clan, I want you to do me a favor," he said.

"What sort of favor?" he asked.

"I want you to find a baseball bat and beat the living daylights out of me," Xanatos said.

"Understood, sir," Owen said. "Will there be anything else?"

Xanatos turned his attention towards the blank screen. I should probably offer my condolences, he thought. But that can probably wait until later. "No, that will be all for now," he said. Then he turned to look at Owen. "But I think it would be advisable to make some arrangements. You know what I mean."

"Of course," Owen said. The majordomo turned and left the office. After he was gone, Xanatos turned his chair around and looked out the large window of his office.

"Oh God, captain," Elisa gasped. "How…" She looked at Hudson. "I didn't even know that Anna…"

"She died this morning," Maria said. "It was complications from her illness." She looked at Elisa. "My mother had motor neuron disease," she said. "She was diagnosed a few years ago, but her nurse said that her condition began deteriorating a few months ago. It was a miracle she survived for as long as she did." She looked at Hudson. "You gave me a chance to finally put things right with my mother," she said. "I want to thank you for that."

"No thanks are needed, lass," Hudson said. "I was only doing what I thought was right. It's a shame that ye didn't have as much time to spend with yiur mother as ye should have. I only wish I could have done more."

"What you did was give my mother back to me," Maria said. "It was more than I could have hoped for." She took a hesitant step forward and looked at the aged gargoyle. "Thank you," she said as she carefully put her arms around him and gave him a brief hug.

The rest of the clan looked on as Hudson blushed at the display of affection. He carefully put his arms around her and gave her a gentle squeeze until he felt Maria begin to pull away. He looked at her and saw the briefest hint of tears in her eyes.

"I guess I should be going," she said, wiping the tears away. She turned towards Elisa. "I probably won't be in for a few days," she said. "At least, not until after the funeral. But we will be having a little talk after I get back."

"Of course, captain," she said.

Maria smiled slightly before turning and heading across the battlements.

"Captain Chavez," Goliath called out. Maria turned and watched as the lavender gargoyle approached.

"Yes?" she asked.

Goliath looked at Elisa for a second before turning his attention back to Maria. "If I might have a moment?" he said.

"I guess," she said. "What do you want?" She looked at Elisa.

Elisa already knew what Goliath was going to ask her. It'll help to ease her loss, she thought.

"There is a tradition among our kind," Goliath said. He looked at Elisa a second time. "When a member of the clan has passed on, it is customary to hold a Remembrance ceremony."

"I don't understand," she said, looking at Elisa.

"It's almost like a wake," Elisa said. "The clan gathers and shares their memories of the deceased."

"But…my mother wasn't a member of your clan," Maria said to Goliath.

"I know," Goliath said. "But in a way, you have become a member of our clan through your association with Elisa." He placed his hand on Elisa's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Maria noted the contact, but didn't say anything about it. There's still something you're not telling me, isn't there, she thought. "We would be honored if you would allow us to do this. In memory of your mother."

Andrea stepped forward at that moment. "They held a ceremony for my sister a few months ago," she said. "It was very lovely."

Maria looked at the assembled gargoyles, and then at Elisa. "I think I would like that very much," she said.

Sunday, January 23, 2000

Castle Wyvern

Maria stepped out of the elevator into the main hall of the castle, where the ceremony was to take place. At the far end of the hall, a small urn sat on a pedestal, holding the ashes of her mother and her father. It was one of Anna's final requests; that her ashes be mixed with those of her husband, and then scattered to the winds. She walked over to the pedestal and picked up the urn.

"Captain Chavez?" she heard an unfamiliar voice say. She turned and found a tattooed redhead standing behind her.

"You're…" she started as she set down the urn.

"Fox Xanatos," the redhead said. She extended a hand towards the police captain. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for your loss. And that I understand what you must be going through right now."

"How's that?" Maria asked.

"My father was Halcyon Renard," Fox said. "He died a few years ago."

"I heard about that," Maria said. "But I didn't know…"

"Very few people knew that Halcyon was my father," Fox said. "I liked the idea, but I began having second thoughts about it a few years before he died." She sighed. "My father and I never did get along real well, and he wasn't too happy when I married David. But things started to get better between us after Alexander was born. I just wish I'd had more time with him."

"It always seems that way, doesn't it," Maria said.

"Yeah," Fox said. "I just wanted to let you know that if you need anything, like a sympathetic ear or a shoulder to cry on, I'll be around."

"Thanks, Mrs. Xanatos," Maria said, which drew a bit of a chuckle from the redhead. "What?" she asked.

"Please, call me Fox," she said. "No one ever calls me 'Mrs. Xanatos', not even Elisa."

"Okay," Maria said, then watched as the redhead left the room.

The doors at the far end of the hall opened, and the clan entered the Great Hall. Maria noted that the female members of the clan wore simple black dresses, aside from the one she recognized as Sata, who wore a traditional Japanese mourning kimono. The males wore their usual garb. She did notice that there seemed to be a few additions, and she approached the new arrivals carefully.

"Hello, captain," one of the new arrivals said in a voice that was vaguely familiar. She looked at the panther-like creature carefully.

"Do I know you?" she asked. "You sound…familiar."

Talon looked over at Goliath, then back at Maria. "Elisa hasn't told you yet?"

"Told me what?" Maria asked, but then the voice clicked in her head. "Derek? My God, Derek. Is that you?"

"I'm afraid so," Talon said, pausing for a moment to look at Maggie, who stood by his side.

"What happened to you?" Maria asked.

"It's a long story," Talon said. His head turned as he heard the elevator doors open and caught sight of his sister and their parents step out of the elevator, followed by Don. Elisa and Diane wore simple black dresses, while Peter and Don wore their dress uniforms as a show of respect, Peter in his NYPD dress uniform, Don in his Army Class-A's. Talon went over to talk to his parents, while Elisa made a straight line for Goliath. Don seemed to hang back a bit, as if he were waiting for someone. Maria headed in his direction.

"Hey, captain," Don said as he saw Maria approaching. "Long time, no see."

"Eight years," Maria said. "You're looking well."

"Looking well, feeling great," he said.

"Are you sure?" Maria said. She looked over to where Elisa and Goliath were talking. "I seem to recall that the two of you were planning on getting married at one time," she said rather pointedly.

"Things change," Don said. "So do people. Elisa and I went our separate ways a while ago." He looked towards the pair. "But we still care a lot about each other, enough to know that our destinies lie elsewhere." He turned his attention back to Maria. "I'm kinda surprised she didn't tell you about the gargoyles sooner."

"She's been keeping a lot of secrets lately," Maria said. "I can accept the fact that she was doing it to try to protect them, but eventually she's going to have to come clean about the other secrets she's been keeping. Otherwise, she's going to get herself into a whole lotta trouble." She looked at Don. "And not just from me."

Don opened his mouth, then quickly closed it. Best not to tell her about Elisa's pregnancy just yet, he realized. It's not my secret to tell. "I know," he said. "She wasn't this way when she and I were still together. I guess when you get involved with a gargoyle, it's not a good idea to yell it to the rest of the world."

"What do you mean 'get involved'?" Maria asked.

Ooops, Don thought. "Well, I thought you would've figured it out by now," he said. He looked at Goliath and Elisa. "Elisa and Goliath are…well,…'involved'." He paused. "With each other. Kinda."

Maria looked at the pair. "You mean they're…dating?"

"Kinda, yeah," Don said. "Although, I think they've gotten well past the dating stage."

"Is that even possible?" Maria asked.

"From what I've been able to find out, yeah," Don said. "Although, they needed a little help with having a kid…"

Maria quickly turned to stare at him. "What do you mean 'having a kid'?" she gasped. "Elisa's not…she's not pregnant, is she?"

Nice going, Don, he thought, mentally berating himself. You weren't going to tell her. You were going to let Elisa do that. "Actually, she is," Don said quietly. "Don't tell her I told you."

Maria looked back to Goliath and Elisa, then looked back at Don. "But…that can't be possible. The two of them couldn't possibly…"

"Goliath isn't the father," Don said. "I am."

"But I thought you said…"

"I did," he said. "Elisa asked for my help in conceiving a child when she learned she couldn't safely carry one that would be half-gargoyle."

"When did this happen?" Maria asked.

"Last month," Don said. "Right now, I think Elisa's in her sixth week, so she's still got a ways to go before she starts to show."

"And Goliath?" Maria asked. "How does he feel about your being the father?"

"He accepts it," Don said. "He knows that Elisa and I aren't likely to ever get back together again, not even with a child involved. He says he's willing to accept the child, no matter who the father is." He turned his head, catching sight of someone entering the room. "If you'll excuse me, captain."

"Sure," Maria said as Don headed across the room, focusing in on one person in particular. Maria instantly recognized the snowy-haired gargoyle. Delilah, she realized. She watched as Don gave the hybrid clone a gentle hug and a quick kiss on the cheek before sighing. Is there anyone here who isn't 'involved' with a gargoyle? she wondered.

"Lass," she heard a familiar voice say. She turned and found Hudson standing at her side, the castle's enormous watchdog looking up at her expectantly.

"Hi, Hudson," she said. "It's time, isn't it?"

"Aye," the aged gargoyle said. "Ye'll be expected to say a few words."

"I know," she said. "I've gone through enough funerals and memorial services to know what's expected." She took a deep breath and gave Hudson a gentle squeeze on the forearm before heading for the pedestal.

Elisa finished straightening Don's tie, having commented that he never could tie one properly and undertaking the job herself, when Goliath drew her attention to Maria, who was approaching the urn. The hall quieted down as the clan and their friends quickly sat down for the service.

Maria turned and looked at the assembly. She hadn't expected a turnout like this. Anna had been the only family she had left, and she had planned on a simple ceremony. She really hadn't prepared herself for a gathering like this. And certainly not in a castle sitting on top of the tallest building in the world. She took a deep breath and began.

"I want to thank you all for coming," she said. "I know my mother would have expected a small gathering, since she didn't have a lot of friends, but I think she would have been pleased by the fact that there are those who thought enough about her to do this for her, so she wouldn't be forgotten." She paused. "I never really got along with my mother. I blamed her for a lot of things; my dad, Carlos, the twins…" She paused again, sighing. "I was mad at her for a very long time, and I almost missed the chance to tell her what I felt deep down inside. Deep down, I really did love her, and I was given the chance to tell her by someone very special." She paused, and smiled at Hudson.

Hudson stepped forward and moved towards Maria. "I dinna get the chance to know Anna the way I would have liked. She was stubborn, aye, and opinionated, but all that was a cover to hide her true feelings. I could see that she cared a great deal for her daughter, but that her desire to try to do what was best for her got in the way of what really mattered." He looked at Maria. "I think in the end, she realized the mistakes she had made, and that is what it easier for her to tell those she cared about how she truly felt about them."

Maria stepped forward again, resting her hands on the urn. "My mother's final wish was that her ashes be mixed with those of my father and then scattered on the winds." She looked at Hudson. "As a final gesture of your friendship, could you do this for me?"

Hudson smiled. "I would be honored to do this, lass," he said. "But I think it only be proper if we carried out this task together."

"I…don't…" she stammered, then looked at Elisa. Elisa smiled at her and nodded her head. Maria then turned her attention back to Hudson. "I think my mother would have agreed with you," she said. She carefully lifted the urn and turned towards the doors. Hudson followed after her as they led a procession of gargoyles and humans towards the topmost tower of the castle to pay their final respects to the memory of Anna Ramirez Chavez.

The End