Hey guys, me again. This is just a little something I thought of a while back and thought it might be an interesting story. By the way, thanks to those who reviewed Phoenix Rising. This is not connected to it I may post sequels if I get more reviews.

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Belongs to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Gargoyles belong to Disney.

Please review. I crave reviews. Creative criticism would be good as well.

"Are you sure that is what she said?" Goliath asked. He had arrived at Elisa's apartment to tell her about the hacker when she had told him about Buffy's call.

"Guess we know who Lex's hacker was, and why they were after my number." Elisa said. Goliath nodded and looked out the window.

"Did she leave a phone number?" Elisa nodded. "Then I guess I had better talk to her, then."

"You sure you want to do this now?" She asked. "How do we know if we can trust her, or him, for that matter? Remember what happened last time?"

"I do, but he may wish to apologise. We must give him that chance. It is not his fault he is the way he is." Elisa sighed and got the phone.

"Guess your right." She said as she dialled the number Buffy had given her. She then handed the big gargoyle the phone. "Hope you know what your doing, big guy."

"As do I." Goliath said, holding the phone to his ear. "As do I."

Sunnydale.

"Well, gotta go." Buffy said. "Get some beauty sleep." She looked over at Cordelia. Thailog and Xander had already returned to the manor. Cordelia hadn't moved since they left. "You alright?" Cordelia didn't look at her. She just stared out into space.

"I'm fine." She said tonelessly.

"Yeah right." Buffy snorted. "Come on. I'll walk you home." She looked around as she hauled Cordelia to her feet. "Anyone coming with?"

"Why not?" Faith said. "I could use the company."

"Hey, wait for us." Willow said as she and Oz headed for the door.

"'Bye, Giles." Buffy said. The phone rang as they were about to exit. Who could that be, Giles thought.

"Hello?"

"Is Buffy Summers there?" The voice at the other end was deep, and also familiar. Giles motioned Buffy over.

"Um, yes, she is. May I ask who is calling?"

"My name is Goliath. A friend of mine gave me a message from her." Giles stared at Buffy.

"Oh dear God." He breathed. "Just one moment." Buffy looked at her Watcher. "It's Goliath." Buffy's jaw dropped as Giles handed her the phone.

"H-hello?" Okay, she was nervous. Truth to tell, she hadn't expected a call back so soon.

"Buffy Summers?" It sounded so much like Thailog. Surprisingly, that thought calmed her down a bit.

"Yeah. Goliath, right?" She tried to sound confident. She hoped it worked.

"Indeed." The gargoyle sounded…cautious. No surprise there, Buffy thought. Probably thinking of what happened the last time he and Thailog met. "You said Thailog wished to talk to me. Why?"

"He…wants to apologise." Buffy noticed that Goliath's breath had caught at that.

"He does, does he?" He expected it, Buffy thought, or at least, he was willing to give him a chance.

"He wants to apologise for what he did. He's been watching over the town and…well, he feels he can't move on until he's made up for what he did." Buffy took a breath. This was going smoother than she thought it would. She noticed that the others were waiting for her. Willow and Oz both gave her a thumbs up each. Giles just nodded approvingly. Even Cordelia seemed to snap out of her shock a little, smiling at the Slayer. Faith was most vocal.

"Keep it up, B." She whispered.

"Are you sure?" Goliath said. He had to be sure. "I have found that Thailog's word cannot…"

"What?" Buffy couldn't believe it. She had been so sure. "All he wants to do is put this behind him so that he can move on, and your telling me that he can't be trusted? Without even talking with him?" In New York, Goliath flinched slightly. This girl had a more poisonous tongue then even Demona had. "You have had one run in with him, just after he escaped. He was still confused; the only thing he had to run on is what this Xanatos guy stuffed into his skull. He's not that gargoyle anymore, but your not even giving him a chance." Buffy was fuming. The others stared at her. Faith, especially, couldn't believe it. This was a side of the other Slayer she had never seen before, and she suddenly realized why Buffy had survived this long. She never gave up on a friend. That realization made her wonder; would Buffy stick up for her that way? She didn't know. But she wondered.

Goliath to wondered; what had Thailog done to earn this girls loyalty? Why was she defending him so vehemently? Was she right, had his clone changed? "That is not what I meant. To do what you ask, would place my clan in danger. I must be sure it is not a trick, that he is not a threat." Buffy took a breath.

"You're right, I'm sorry. It's just…" She looked over at Giles. How much could she tell him? The Watcher nodded. "Things in Sunnydale aren't exactly…normal. It's…complicated, but the bottom line is, Thailog has been risking his life against things that no one should have to face."

"What kind of things?" Goliath asked. What kind of town was this Sunnydale?

"Oh, you know," Buffy said smoothly. "vampires, demons, stuff like that." The others looked at Giles, who simply nodded.

"Well, it's, uh, not like he can tell anyone." He said with a shrug. Faith grinned and clapped the Librarian on the shoulder.

In New York, Goliath's eyes went wide. Vampires? In this day and age. He had hoped they would have been wiped out by now. Elisa looked at him inquisitively.

"Vampires?" Elisa's eyes went wide at this.

"Yeah, vampires." Buffy said. "And demons, and probably half a dozen other things I don't know about yet. If you don't believe me, come down and see for yourself." Goliath grinned. This girl was stubborn to say the least.

"I believe you, I have run into vampires before myself." He briefly thought of the scar on his back shoulder, a souvenir of his first run in with the undead. "I have much to think about. I will call you back."

"Hold on, we need some kind of answer." Buffy was exasperated. He knew about vampires? Had he met a Slayer in the past?

"We will talk again tomorrow." Goliath held the phone for a second, and then hung up.

"No wait…damn it!" Buffy threw the phone down in disgust. She turned to Giles. "Could you still get information from the Council?" Giles thought for a moment.

"I'm not sure. They have made sure I can't get to the Slayer Diaries or the Watcher's Chronicle's since firing me, but I can see what I can find."

"Good." Buffy nodded. "See what you can find on any run ins Goliath's had with vamps. Faith," She turned to the other Slayer. Buffy still didn't entirely trust her, but right now… "Head over to the manor. Tell Thailog what happened. The rest of us had better get some rest. I've got a feeling we're going to need it."

New York.

"Vampires?" Elisa looked at Goliath. They were just myths, stuff people used in movies, it was impossible. Wasn't it?

"Yes, they do exist." He uncaped his wings, showing the scar on the bock of his shoulder. Elisa gasped. "I first faced a vampire in my teen years, still a hatchling in the eyes of my elders. A caravan on its way to the castle had been attacked, and a small group of gargoyles had been sent out. I had been sent along with several of my rookery brothers and sisters. It was routine, and gave us a chance to burn off some of the energy the young have." He bowed his head. "At least, we thought it was routine. We knew it was something more when we realized that that the bodies had been completely drained of their blood. There were bites of some sort on each body. Then one of my rookery brothers saw something moving in the bushes. He went to investigate, despite the others warning him against it. Worried for his safety, I followed. When I found him, I wished I hadn't." Goliath clenched his fists against the memory. "The demon had him in a dark embrace, one he could not break. His blood…Jalepenja, it was everywhere. I was so engrossed in what I saw before me, I never even saw the one behind me, only heard a female voice." Goliath stopped as the memory stole over him.

"Relax, young one. I have never fed from a gargoyle before." The voice was like a bell, clear and smooth, but it didn't fool him. She had him in a grip of iron, one even his strength could not break.

"I will not submit to you, monster." He proclaimed .He felt a something prick him in the shoulder.

"You're a bit to young for me at the moment, but I will return." She began to stroke his cheek. He felt himself flush. "Remember that, my sweet. When next we meet, I will make you mine. Mine for all eternity." And with that, she was gone, leaving him alone with the body of his rookery brother, and the memory of her sweet voice.

"I have not seen her since. When I awoke, I had hoped that the vampires had been destroyed. I should have known better." He looked over at Elisa, who had taken a seat during his story. "Now, there is every chance that she will come to fulfil her promise. And there may be nothing anyone can do to stop it."

"Like hell!" Elisa stated. "Look, I don't care if it was Dracula himself, we can find a way to beat this."

"Perhaps." Goliath wasn't convinced.

"Look, we've got other things to worry about than some vampire that may already be dead." Goliath sighed.

"You are right, of course. There is Thailog." He turned to the window. "I will return to the clock tower. There is much I have to think on." Besides that, he could use Hudson's advice on this, and other things.

Sunnydale, next night.

Buffy sat in the room, thinking over her conversation with Goliath. That he had faced vampires before was, she supposed, not a big surprise, once you thought about it. Protecting a castle in the dark ages, there would have been one or two that got in. She looked out onto the balcony, as the sun sunk behind the two stone figures. "Show time." She rose from her seat as cracks started to appear.

"A gargoyle? Your sure?" Richard Wilkins, Mayor of Sunnydale and demon to be (if the Ascension worked) stared at the vampire that had brought the news. This was just what he needed.

"That's what I saw. He flew over the park towards the cemetery." Wilkins fumed. A gargoyle was all he needed. He was having enough problems with the two Slayers.

"You can go now." The vampire moved out the door. A gargoyle. He thought they were extinct. "Not a good time for them to come back."

"Things do not bode well, sisters." She said, her snow-white hair, glistening in the moonlight. Her sisters nodded in agreement.

         "Something must be done, else our plans be ruined." Her raven-haired sister agreed.

         "But what can we do?" The blonde asked. "The Slayer will not be able to beat the vampress who has claimed Goliath without Angelus to protect her."

         "Then perhaps another is needed." The first sister suggested. She pointed to the image before them, as the Slayer in question, greeting Goliaths dark purple clone, and the once human Xander as they woke from their stone sleep. Her sisters nodded. "Then we are agreed."

         "It will not be easy." The second said. "Both hearts are hardened by difficult pasts."

         "It must be done." Said the third. "Let us begin."

         "Hey guys." Buffy looked on as the two gargoyles shook the remainder of their stone skin off. "Sleep well?" Xander grinned.

         "Like a rock." He said. "What's the goss at school?" It was strange. One day and he already missed school. Go figure.

         "Well, Sneider's heinous, again. Someone's trying to sue the school, and Harmony's a bitch." She said that last one a bit to hurried.

         "What do you mean? What did she do?" Buffy shook her head. "Buff?"

         "She was teasing Cordelia." Buffy's fists were clenched at her side. "She saw that you weren't at school and started saying things like you weren't good enough, that you realised it, then said that maybe she should forget about cheerleading, and try something where she'd fit in a bit better, like chess class. She…" Xander's eyes lit up like lanterns. Buffy stopped. If she said anything else, he might do something drastic.

         "What else, Buffy? What else did she say?" Buffy hesitated. "What else?" He roared. Buffy winced. Thailog placed a hand on his shoulder.

         "Calm down, Xander. It is not Buffy's fault, and there is nothing you could do." Xander sighed.

         "You're right. I'm sorry, Buff." Buffy shrugged.

         "No big. You just…lost your temper. Lashed out a bit. Don't worry, I can handle it." She thought for a moment. "There is someone who does need you." She grinned. "She's said she's staying at home tonight." Xander nodded and launched himself into the air, lurching a bit as he did so. "He's a good friend." She whispered. "He doesn't deserve this."

         "No one does." Thailog said. "But, I think he will get along fine. He is a strong willed young man. He will be fine." Buffy nodded. "Now, what news from your phone call last night?"

         "Good news, Goliath called back not long after you left the Library. He said he'd call back tonight." Thailog stared at her.

         "What is the bad news?" He asked. A reply? So soon? Did Goliath believe he deserved a second chance? Did he still hold hope he would join the clan? He didn't know.

         "I don't know yet, but I have one interesting little tid bit." Buffy looked over Sunnydale. Her town. "Seems like Goliath's had at least one run-in with vamps before."

         "What?" Thailog couldn't believe. Perhaps that is why Goliath seemed so hard at times.

         "Yeah. Giles' doing some research, but since he was fired from the Council, his resources are limited at times." Thailog grimaced. This Watchers Council was becoming a right royal pain in the ass.

         "We had best head to the Library." He said, lifting her gently. He felt her stiffen in his arms. "Relax. I will not hurt you." Never her.

         "I know." Buffy whispered. "But I might hurt you." Thailog looked down at her. Something was wrong. He launched from the balcony.

         "Buffy, is something wrong?"

         "My entire life." The Slayer said. "Everything sucks, everyone I know gets hurt somehow, and I can't stop it." She looked at the ground moving beneath her. It would be so easy to just throw herself out of his arms, fall to the ground below. It would end the pain she caused. She might even be reunited with Angel. That thought made it even more tempting. "I'm poison. Everyone I touch, dies. The world would be better off without me." She felt Thailog pull her closer, like he could tell what she was thinking.

         "That is a lie." He said. "You are more important than most. Look at that town." Buffy did so. "Those people down there sleep peacefully, safe, because of you. Because of the work you do. They sleep, ignorant of the dangers in the night. They never have to worry about vampires, or demons. Because of you. Because you fight. You protect those who cannot protect themselves." Thailog thought for a moment. He had talked, briefly, to Xanatos, about why Goliath fought like he did. Xanatos had given him a wry grin.

         "I overheard Hudson tell the detective once that gargoyles cannot stop protecting the castle anymore than they can stop breathing. Perhaps he sees Manhattan as his castle."

         "In a way," Thailog continued. "you represent the gargoyle way, more than anyone else I have met, even Goliath himself." Buffy looked up at him. "You protect, like you breathe. It's why you exist. Sunnydale needs you, the world needs you." I need you, his heart whispered. He pushed the thought away. It would never work.

         "But how do you know? If I hadn't been around, the Council would have sent someone else, someone who followed their rules, their orders. The others wouldn't get placed in danger all the time. They'd be safe." Thailog grimaced.

"Perhaps, perhaps not." Thailog was worried. "Why have you started thinking like this?"

"It's…what happened to Xander." And other events, she thought to herself. "If he hadn't come out looking for Faith and me, he would never have become a gargoyle. No offence, but he shouldn't be like that, and it's my fault. Be cause I drew him into this world." So that was the problem.

"Buffy…" Suddenly, the world around them started to swirl. "What the hell?" Thailog positioned his wings, trying to gain control as wind swept around them. He gripped Buffy's form tightly in his arms. A voice sounded around them.

"So you wish to see what might have been." It said.

"We will grant you this insight." A second voice said.

"But be warned." A third. "Neither of you will survive this unchanged." With that, the storm subsided. The two of them looked below. Sunnydale was still there.

But it was surrounded by a wall.

"W-what is this?" Buffy asked. "What's going on? Where'd the wall come from?" She was shaking.

"I do not know." Thailog said. "But I think we should find out." With that, he dived towards the ground, landing in front of the school. Or at least, it used to be a school. "What on earth?"

The school was in ruins, a burnt out husk of what it used to be.

"Oh…my…" Buffy stood there, trying to take it in. "How did this happen? When did this happen?"

"It blew up. Real good." Buffy turned at the sound of a familiar voice. "Got bored with it."

"Willow?"

         Ahh! Cliffhanger! What do you think? Review, please!!!!!

         Also, if anyone knows the names for the Weird Sisters, could you either tell me in a review, or email me at gpgailer@telstra.com. Thanks, guys. Later.

Doc