The Doctor Arrives
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Disney or any of the Gargoyle characters. I only own my characters. This is a work of fan fiction. I make no money from it. Life Sucks!
Chapter 2
Back at the castle Owen was assisting Lydia in helping her friend. A very intoxicated young woman to one of the castles' spare bedrooms. Luckily the Gargoyles were engrossed with the new teleilink with Ishamora.
Xanatos was explaining that he was working with Griff and King Arthur on doing the same for the London clan. Avalon was a very different problem Owen overheard Xanatos as he was speaking to Angela.
They managed to get Celery as Lydia called her, on to a bed and there she slept. Lydia thanked Owen. Then she removed her friends shoes. Owen waited outside for Lydia to bring the very expansive clothing the young woman was wearing out for him to have cleaned for her before morning. Lydia was just giving the clothes to Owen as Goliath came by headed for the conference room when he stopped mid stride and stared at them. Lydia looked a little tired.
"I apologize Goliath for my rushing off. This little problem which Owen has been assisting me with took some time." Goliath gave a small smile.
"There is no need for an apology Doctor Gordon. You are there for a friend who needs your help and maybe requires more then just your help." He nodded to Owen and Lydia before walking off towards the conference room. Owen looked at Lydia.
"I think perhaps Goliath maybe right about your friend needing more then just your help." Lydia looked down at her feet.
"I know. I know. When she wakes up tomorrow I'll have a long talk with her. Celery needs to see a professional about this problem." Owen spoke softly as he noted Lydia seemed worn out from having to go though this so many times before.
"I know that Mr. Xanatos can call upon some help that will be very discreet in dealing will this and I can speak to him if you wouldn't mind?" Lydia looked up smiling.
"Owen you really are a lifesaver." She got up on her tippy toes and gave him a peck on his cheek. Then said a shy goodnight.
Owen just stood there stunned. Almost as if he were not thinking he touched his cheek. Then he remembered the driver of Ms. St. Nicholas' car was still in the lower floor of the Castle away from the Gargoyles. He hastily buzzed the housekeeper to let her know he was bringing her some clothing which had to be done by morning and rushed to see about the driver.
Sitting in the big cushy chair that the tall guy and the friend of her now passed out employer had left her; Joy Jackson just waited fighting off the sleep that threatened to take her. Just as her eyes were closing for good, the tall guy, one Owen Burnett came quickly thought the door.
"I apologize. For the delay." He stated.
"If you can take the car back to Ms. St. Nicholas' home I will ring you in the morning."
"One problem." Joy began.
"My employer walked out of her home this morning and her bags are all tightly packed in the truck of the car. Ms. St. Nicholas was on her way to the airport. She was not returning to her mother's home and neither was I. We were to leave for Prague this morning before she became sidetracked." Joy stood with her chauffeur's cap tucked under her arm. It was than she noticed his stone hand.
"I see." Owen replied.
"Well we will have to make accommodations for you tonight. But don't you have an apartment in the city?" He asked.
"No sir I worked for Ms. St. Nicholas and resided in her mother's mansion in an assigned room. All of my belonging are now sitting at the airport waiting to be packed with hers for her move to Prague."
"Why Prague?" Owen asked.
"I believe my employer has a relation there that she has been in contact with for some time. Things are a bit strained between young Ms. St. Nicholas and old Mrs. St. Nicholas."
Owen just nodded and pushed a button as an older man came into the room. Joy knew this was David Xanatos just by the way he seemed to own every square inch of the place as he entered.
"Owen I see we have another guest."
"Yes Mr. Xanatos." Owen began.
"This is Ms. St. Nicholas' chauffeur, Ms…" He had forgotten to get her name. Joy piped up. "Ms. Joy Jackson." She did a slight bow to Xanatos who seemed pleased by the gesture.
"Ms. Jackson you seem very loyal to your employer, just how long have you worked with her?"
"Three years now Mr. Xanatos." Xanatos looked to Owen. Then spoke.
"Well Ms. Jackson the hour is late and you must be tired please allow us to offer you a room to stay in as long as your employer is here as well."
"Thank you sir I am very tired." Joy replied still standing as straight as her worn out limbs would allow. As if on clue a tall man entered and Owen spoke
"McCann please escort Ms. Jackson to one of our guest suites." The man nodded as, Joy did as she left the room behind him. As soon as the door was closed Xanatos spoke.
"I see she has a driver that can keep her mouth shut. Three years and not one word of this drinking problem ever hit a scram sheet." Owen nodded.
"No doubt Ms. St. Nicholas must treat her employee with great respect." Xanatos merely nodded as he stroked his beard and looked out into the city scene, in the windows before him.
Elisa awoke to the sound of her alarm ringing loudly in her ears. She had set the timer a little earlier then her normal hour. She had today off but wanted to get to the 23rd like Bluestone and get a leg up on their paper work. Cagney walked in and stared at her.
"I know cat I'm not usually up at this time." She got up and headed for the kitchen. She put out his bowel of milk turned on her coffee maker and headed for the shower. Across town Matt Bluestone was reading the paper as the TV. was on and he sat in his skivvies reading the latest bad news on his beloved Knicks. He took a swig of his coffee and stretched as he went to iron out a pair of dark blue pants. Day off or not he was tired and had to pick up his partner so that they could get a head start on those reports before Chavez got on them.
Lydia Gordon was in her new lab and liked what she saw. Everything was state of the art and like the Flat screen was not even known to the general public. Sandy was up and banging out the rest of her assignments on her laptop. Ebbie was with Fox, Alexander and Lanie playing in the huge arboretum that the castle had. Xanatos was working with Owen.
They had several meetings this morning and had asked Lydia if she could see to it that the driver Ms. Jackson had gotten all of her things from the airport. Xanatos had pulled strings and had all the luggage and belongings of both Celery and her driver delivered during the wee hours of the morning as everyone slept in the castle.
The driver would stay for now in the lower part of the castle away from the gargoyles until they could determine if she was for gargoyles or against them. Since so many people in the city were divided as to how they felt about them. Lydia had already scheduled Fox for an afternoon appointment. It was still a good four hours away. She took the elevator down to Joy Jackson's suite.
Joy was up and surprised to see all of her things in the living room area of her suite. She had showered and dressed only to emerge to find a great breakfast of pancakes, turkey bacon and strong tea waiting for her in the dining area. She was shocked, because this kind of treatment was reserved for the rich people she worked for. She wondered as she ate how they knew she liked tea and turkey links instead of bacon and coffee. Then she heard the door chime and assumed it was Mr. Burnett. Glad that she was dressed in a clean pair of driving pants and white shirt. She threw on her jacket as she opened the door.
"Good morning Dr. Gordon." She said as Lydia smiled.
"Just Lydia will do Joy. I'm not on duty yet. I just wanted to make sure you're alright and to talk to you."
"Please come in." Joy moved aside allowing Lydia in as she gestured to a chair.
"Oh… I'm interrupting your breakfast." Lydia said as Joy brushed it away.
"No you're not I've finished. Please sit down and do tell me what it is you want to speak about." The one thing Lydia had always noted about Joy Jackson was her politeness, which she seemed to have at all times.
She knew that Joy was an army brat who'd gone around the world with her father. A driver for a big time army general when her mother had died shortly after her birth. Joy had mostly lived in England with him in his later years after retirement mostly because he liked his quiet little collage just outside London. He enjoyed the people of Britain.
Joy had driven there too as a chauffeur for a wealthy family before accepting the job with Celery.
"Well Joy it's to do with Celery. It seems she may be here a while and I just wanted to know if you would be okay with staying here."
"Certainly." Joy replied. "Mr. Xanatos and his man seem to be extremely accommodating. I've never had a suite as nice as this and I'm certain that Ms. St. Nicholas' relative in Prague will understand." Lydia's eyebrows furrowed.
"What relative?" Joy excused herself and got up to look into her bag in which she had the address of the home in Prague.
"Here Dr… Lydia this is the address and name of this cousin I believe that Ms. St. Nicholas was going to stay with." Lydia took the paper and thanked Joy. Letting her know that she had the day off and should do what ever she wanted.
As she left she looked closely at the name on the paper and on the ride up to her lab in the Castle's family quarters she was staring at the paper so closely that she bumped right into Owen as they both turned a corner. Lydia stood rubbing her nose.
"I'm so sorry Owen." He just smiled something that struck Lydia as cute as he composed himself.
"No problem it was no doubt my fault for being in such a hurry."
"No mine." Lydia replied. "I was so caught up in looking at this name I didn't bother to look where I was going."
"Name?" Owen asked.
"Yes this one." She held up the paper to him. "I've never heard Celery mention any relatives in Prague and I've known her since I was six." Owen looked at the name.
"I've heard this name before." He had but as the Puck.
It was several years before he'd come to work for Xanatos and he knew this name through the whispers of Heyaclon Reynard. Who never wanted the name mentioned when ever Owen or anyone besides his Man servant Preston Vogel was near. There had been talk that this was a true witch, a powerful practitioner of magic. He knew she was not a Fae or a Halfling.
He had snuck into Vogel's office to steal a look at some book on physics Reynard had brought from her. He sensed some magic which was strong on the traces of this book. She had sent the book to Reynard from her home in Europe. Mr. Xanatos would be very interested if Ms. St. Nicholas was a relative of hers.
"I believe I recognize this name." Owen stated.
"You do." Lydia looked at first surprised then pleased.
"Good then Owen you can help me after I speak to Celery to see if we can get this relative to assist us in getting Celery her much needed aid." Owen gave a side smile.
"Not a problem Lydia." Lydia smiled and then went on to her lab. As Owen headed on towards Xanatos' office. Where the man himself held sway over his investors on some new technology from his New Jersey labs.
Matt sat across from Elisa as they both just hammered away at one report after another on their adjoining desks. Finally as the last two reports were thrown into the done basket they gave each other a high five as Morgan came strolling by.
"Say aren't you two off today?"
"Yep." Matt replied. "We came in early and knocked out all fourteen reports that were due." Matt put his feet up on the desk as Morgan spoke.
"Well I hope you included how you two pulled that Houdini trick last night loading all those cases so fast." Elisa piped up.
"Just pay a couple of homeless guys and there's your trick." She was grabbing her jacket as she spoke and knocked Matt's feet off his desk.
"Hey Matt remember I've got some errands to run and you needed a drop off." Matt looked puzzled but caught on to Elisa's train of thought.
"Right. See ya around Morgan."
"Bye detectives." He waved. Elisa was hot footing it out the doors. Matt caught up to her.
"Hey partner he doesn't know." Elisa just eyed him.
"Get in the car I need to pick up some things before I see the clan tonight." As Matt got in he stated.
"Well at least the days are getting shorter."
'Thank God.' Elisa though. 'More time to spend with Goliath.'
When the last of Xanatos' business was taken care of Owen brought up the subject of Ms. St. Nicholas.
"Well her mother sent her associate to the meeting this morning I do believe she may be looking for her daughter and is not aware she's here."
"That maybe a good thing Mr. Xanatos because Ms. St Nicholas was going to stay with a relative in Prague that I have heard of named Octavia Raymond Pruedinski."
"A very odd name but I'm used to that." Xanatos smiled.
"Not just a name I'm afraid Mr. Xanatos but the lady herself. I never met her but I was able to touch a possession of hers once, when I worked for Reynard and found it had been touched by someone with great magic and not Fae magic either." Xanatos looked up from his reports.
"Really. This could get very interesting. Owen. Make sure we get Doctor Stevens here as soon as possible. He's the top man in his field in psychoanalysis and I know he can be trusted to never speak or leak any thing he finds out with a hefty fee of course." Owen was heading for his office.
"At once sir." He left. Just as Fox entered though another door with Alex, Ebbie and Lanie in tow.
"Hello David. I need Owen to watch the kids. Sandy is finishing up her reports and I have my appointment with Lydia now."
"No Problem My dear I'll watch them until Owen is done and then join you in the lab."
"Great." Fox handed over Lanie as Alex crawled along the floor and Ebbie sat in one of the big cushioned swivel chairs and started to twirl around.
'I'm going to need Owen' Xanatos thought as Lanie started to twist to get down on the ground with Alex. They both started to giggle and play. Just then a knock came from the door that Fox had just left through. Xanatos yelled for them to enter. In walked Joy Jackson who smiled happily staring at the children.
"Well Mr. Xanatos I see you have your hands full. I just came to say that Ms. St. Nicholas is up and very confused with a blistering headache." Joy bent down and Alex flew into her arms with Lanie right behind him. Owen entered to see this as Xanatos turned and gave him a crooked smile.
"Thank you Ms. Jackson, You seem to have a way with children."
"No doubt for my not having any siblings of my own. I just love kids." Owen smiled as did Xanatos.
"Then perhaps while you and Ms. St. Nicholas are here…" Began Xanatos. "You could act as a temporary nanny for the children. Ebbie doesn't start school for another week and Sandy will soon be attending college. With my wife in her second pregnancy things will be very busy around here." Joy looked content as Lanie hugged her and Alex leaned on her side. Ebbie came over to stroke Joy's long curly brownish blonde hair.
"I like your hair." Ebbie stated as she twirled some of it cocking her head to one side and staring into Joy's eyes Ebbie began.
"Your eyes are almost violet but it looks like you got blue and green in them along with brown like mine." Owen walked up to her.
"Ebbie it isn't polite to glare at a person. Shouldn't we help Ms. Jackson get Alex and Lanie into the play room so that Mr. Xanatos can join his wife at her doctor's appointment?" Xanatos jumped up from his chair.
"Thank you Owen." He turned to Ebbie. "Please help Joy get her bearings around here and I'll inform Lydia that Ms. St. Nicholas is up. Owen send her some tomato juice and aspirin."
"All ready done sir. Mr. McCann heard her shrieks when he was retooling the intercom system. I had one of the day kitchen staff bring her the juice and aspirin as soon as he called me."
"Ahhh Owen I couldn't run this place without you." Xanatos grinned as they all went through the door to the family's side of the castle. Ebbie took Joy into the playroom with Alex and Lanie. Owen turned to Xanatos.
"What of the Gargoyles?" Xanatos grinned.
"I think a trial by fire for Ms. Jackson that way we'll see if she's for or against them."
"What if she's against?"
"Then plan C Owen. After all this castle has dungeons and we now can contact a witch who maybe owing us a favor soon." Owen grinned.
"Dr. Stevens will be here in less then twenty minutes. "
"Good." Xanatos smiled as he entered the private elevator to Dr. Gordon's lab.
"I'll be sure to have Lydia in my office to greet Dr. Stevens in twenty minutes."
"Very good sir." Owen bowed as the elevator doors closed. He glanced at the great hall's clock the sun would be down before five tonight. The days were getting shorter.
Elisa Maza was lying down on her sofa having had a wonderful nap. She flicked on her TV. with her remote and just stared at the newsman not even listening to what he was saying. Her sister Beth would be here tomorrow. Her parents had wanted a big family dinner but Derek stomped on that idea and instead wanted to have Beth and the folks come to the labyrinth instead. Elisa had just lied saying she would be bogged down in paper work.
She really just wanted to spend some quiet time with Goliath.
She'd seen her father's face when she'd said she had too many reports to do. He knew she just didn't like that under ground tunnel that Derek now called home. If Peter Maza had been upset he didn't show it. Instead he had told his daughter to get her reports done. Then squeezed her hand as he whispered for her to say hi to the clan for him.
Elisa looked over at the bags near her door just where she'd left them. She had bought a new dress plus shoes and some jewelry. Tonight the trio and Matt wanted to take them all out to this new bar that the P.I.T. people had opened. Brooklyn swore by it. Goliath hadn't looked to thrilled but he'd read the need in Lex and Brooklyn's faces and even Broadway.
He and Angela just were not clicking and finally Angela had stated that they should just be friends. She had made it plain though that she was not interested in any of the trio. She even told Elisa that looking at her father and Elisa made her know she did not want Broadway for her mate. She felt that the enchantment from Cold stone and Coldfire was what made them believe they were in love in the first place. Broadway seemed okay with it but Elisa knew he was heartbroken.
'Thank God I'm a woman in my late twenties.' Elisa did not miss her teens. Then the phone rang.
"Hello."
"Hey Elisa you all ready for tonight?"
"Bluestone My number one priory tonight is to find you a girl friend."
"Hey the doc's not bad looking from what little I saw of her."
"No seriously Matt. You need a girl friend because you're driving me crazy."
"Say Elisa you've got a sister right Beth…"
"Don't you ever say my sister's name again or I'll tell Talon. See you tonight at the club." She hung up the phone. 'What a nut.' Elisa giggled as she noted the time on her wall and got up to head for her bath. A soothing bath and then hair, some make-up and new clothes.
Dr. Stevens sat in the chair nearest the bed that Cecilia St. Nicholas sat up in as she leered at him and shakily tried to swallow some water from the glass that shook in her hand. He noted Dr. Gordon as she stood back a ways watching. Ms. St. Nicholas had finally agreed to see him so long as Lidie was near. That clearly meant in the room. Xanatos and that creepy major domo of his had retreated out of the room as this nervous but beautiful young woman sat up in her day coat and firmly put the glass down.
Dr. Stevens noted how much she did not favor her mother the 'Dragon lady of wall street'. Where her mother was woman of medium height with dyed jet black hair and hardened features. Her daughter was tall, lean but not thin and had a tannish hue to her skin with her brownish blonde hair and light hued hazel eyes.
She looked like a model and she had a figure that could pull it off. Her legs were long and shapely and the hair was cut in the new fashion worn now-a-days just at the shoulders. The shine on it was amazing he thought. Now the young had a host of products to use on their hair and it showed.
He thought of his own thinning hair and began the session to get to the root of why this lovely young woman drink too much. She was slowly poisoning her system with alcohol. Lydia pulled over the computer chair and sat down. This she knew was going to be a long session.
Fox was cooing over Alex and Lanie listening to Ebbie tell her all about what had happened on some afternoon kids show she liked. Sandy came in and asked Fox about her first exam with Lydia. Xanatos looked at Owen as the two of them exited the playroom and headed for his office. Just then the clock struck five as the sounds of cracking stone could be heard. Owen hit a button hidden on the sidewall and the sounds were muffled out.
"I think we should go greet the Gargoyles and let them know we have some new house guests plus a visitor."
"I think that would be a good idea sir I shall join you soon. Detective Bluestone appears to be on his way up to the castle."
Xanatos glared.
"Owen you're no where near your computer or a monitor and you're not the puck at this moment. How do you know Bluestone's on his way up?" Owen smirked.
"Because he still carries traces of Alex's spell on him sir and one Fae can always feel another's magic when it's near."
Xanatos grinned.
"Good to know Owen." He then walked off towards the parapets as Owen stood by the elevator to escort Bluestone to the gargoyles.
Goliath roared so strongly that even Xanatos stood back against the wall as the stone flew off him. The rest of the clan awoke and climbed down off their perch's.
"Good evening Xanatos." Of course it was Angela she was always the polite one.
"Good evening Lady Angela. I've come to inform you that we have two new house guests and a visitor who should be leaving in another hour or so." Goliath had already flown down from his tower when he saw Xanatos speaking to Angela.
"Two more house guests?" Hudson stood with the trio and Bronx.
"Well Lad it seems you'll be having a full house much like this castle had over a thousand years ago." Xanatos laughed.
"Hopefully not that full. I'm rich but not the richest man in the world." The gargoyles were quickly told about the new guests and that Dr. Stevens who would be coming on a daily basis. Brooklyn smirked.
"Well tonight we have plans. So the home tonight is gonna be Gargoyle free at least for a few hours."
"Yes." Goliath spoke. "But first we do quick patrols and then we head for this Club?"
"Yes father that's what it's called and Deanna from P.I.T. owns it. It's very nice with friendly humans and such." Xanatos ears perked up on that part but Bluestone took that moment to stroll in. Brooklyn waved hi.
"Hey Matt we got patrols first."
"Ohhh really? Did someone forget Elisa who's probably all dolled up and waiting?" Goliath stopped mid stride for his tower stairs as everyone including Xanatos covered their laughs with fake coughs. Angela went to her father.
"Father go to Elisa. Hudson, Bronx and I can cover the park tonight. We will all met you at the club. Elisa has the address." Goliath smiled at his daughter.
"Thank you my daughter. I do not wish to anger my future mate." He took one big leap off the castle as the currents carried his noble figure away.
'He always looks like superman when he does that.' Xanatos though as he led the detective inside for a drink. The rest of the gargoyles went on patrol with their communicators which were now being manned by Matt. He now sported the ear and mouth piece to talk with them all as he sat at the computer watching them as red blinks on the screen. Xanatos just took a seat and watched.
Elisa stood in her bedroom with the new black dress she had just brought and the matching black-heeled pumps. Her hair was in a tumble of curls and she sported her silver cuff earrings. She had gotten them as a gift from her mom. Goliath came on to the baloney and entered her apartment softly calling her name.
"Hey Big Guy I'm in here." He walked into the bedroom as Cagney came to him purring for him to pick him up. Goliath was polite to Cagney.
"Not tonight my friend I have promised to take My Lady out." Elisa came to the bedroom doorway.
"Lady, Huh. I like that title." Goliath gave her a long look up and down. Elisa looked beautiful and she knew this by the way the smile broke out on Goliath's face. He gathered her into his arms and kissed her.
"Oh… So you like the new look." She was grinning as Goliath pulled her closer to him.
"Yes my love you will have all the other women at this club very envious of you." Elisa was giggling.
"I love flattery, especially from you." They kissed again as Elisa broke free and grabbed her jacket. A black linen one she'd brought just for tonight.
"Hey I want to see this club even if I'd rather stay here alone with you." Goliath grinned.
"Then let us go my love." He scooped her up into his arms.
"I am still curious about what Kai's mate spoke to you about the other night." Elisa kissed Goliath on his cheek as they went out thought the windows as he glided off of her baloney.
"Oh I think if we get a quiet seat alone in this club. I'll tell you then." Elisa wrapped her arms tighter around Goliath and wiggled her body closer to his. Goliath took a deep breath. Suddenly he was finding it harder to breath.
Back at the castle Brooklyn, Lex and Broadway had called in to say they had broken up a gang fight. Bluestone had gotten to tip the nearest police units. Who showed up to find 12 young hoods all tied up in park fencing materials screaming about monsters telling them fighting was stupid.
Angela, Hudson and Bronx had stopped two muggings. Park police were now cuffing two would be crooks both dazed and confused by the winged creatures that had frightened them.
"Well guys those were quick patrols lets head to the club." The only sound heard was yells of. "All right." Xanatos laughed.
"Do you need a ride Detective?"
"What? Owen wants to drive me?"
"No, not Owen." Xanatos pushed the intercom. "We have a young woman here who is a guest and also a wonderful chauffer." Owen came on the line.
"Ms. Jackson is on her way up." Matt smiled.
"Ms. Jackson." Xanatos smirked.
"I'm not trying to fix you up detective but Ms. Jackson I feel needs a night off too. She is also going to be a temporary nanny here while the smallest members of the castle get sorted out." On clue Joy came in the doorway in full uniform.
"Oh Ms. Jackson I should have told Owen to tell you this is not a formal outing tonight. I just wanted you to go out with some of the castle's other inhabitants." Matt stared at Xanatos. Joy smiled.
"You mean the Gargoyles." Both men had their jaws drop. Xanatos recovered faster then Matt.
"You know about them?" Joy grinned.
"I did reside in England Mr. Xanatos. On my vacations I always go back to see my father. Who's become quite the regular at a bookstore in London run by Una." Matt laughed out loud.
"Say have you seen the statue of Goliath and Griff?"
"That was the first thing Griff showed me and they do have Telly in England and the Manhattan Gargoyles are all over the news. You two did know that didn't you?" Xanatos and Matt both put on fake grins and mouthed
"Of course." Joy had to stifle a laugh.
"Good. Well then Sir, where too?" Matt grinned.
"Just Matt and I'm riding up front with you." Xanatos shook his head as Matt followed Joy out the door. Owen came in.
"No shock for Ms. Jackson then sir." Xanatos waved his hands.
"Mass media is everywhere." Owen nodded.
"And with the computer I fear it's going to get worse." Xanatos stroked his beard.
"I believe you're right there Owen." Xanatos stared at the now sleeping computer.
"Come lets go join the rest of our expanded clan."