They discussed much of their history in David's office. Luna sat on the desk and recounted the adventures that the Senshi had been through for Goliath and David Xanatos. After Goliath's initial shock at Luna's ability to speak he proved to be quite the attentive listener. He stood in complete silence for almost an hour as Luna told their tale.

"It is clear to me that Avalon did bring you here to fight a familiar foe," said Goliath after Luna had finished. He squeezed Angela's shoulder. "Good work. I knew that your idea of returning to Avalon would come through in the end."

"Can we go down to dinner now," whined Rini from her seat next to Raye. She had been swinging her legs impatiently for this discussion to end.

"I'm sorry Small Lady," said Raye. "I know this had to be very boring for you."

"I am not sure that bringing a child with you was a wise decision," said Goliath. "There may be dangers here that she may not be able to face."

Rini leapt from her seat and stood in front of Goliath. She scowled straight up at the tall gargoyle and planted her hands on her hips. "I have faced my own challenges and I've beaten them all!" she said defiantly. "I can handle myself."

Goliath looked absolutely shocked. Elisa chuckled at the sight of a little pink-haired girl reprimanding a towering warrior who's mere presence had been able to cause enemies to retreat in fear. "I've got my shift to start," said Elisa. "I'll keep you posted when we get our next sighting of the Harvesters"

Goliath knelt down and gently took Rini's hand. "Forgive my rash judgment Small Lady," he said. "I should not judge your skills as a warrior until I have seen them for myself." Goliath stood and lifted Rini onto his massive shoulders. "Perhaps we should get you some dinner," he said smiling. "Proper nourishment is essential for a warrior after all."

-:-:-

Lita and Broadway had outdone themselves for the evening meal. Having discovered a shared love of cooking they had been swapping recipes and tips for almost an hour after sunset. They sat next to each other now joking and laughing as they ate. Brooklyn and Raye were also deep in conversation as well. In fact the only person who didn't seem to be interested in talking was Serena as she gladly helped herself to whatever was in reach. Goliath stared at her in amazement.

"Where is Serena putting it all?" he asked Mina, who was seated between Goliath and Fox. "I've only ever seen Broadway eat like that."

David, on the other hand, was eagerly engaging Darien and Rini in conversation. "There were quite a few things Luna left out of her story about Rini," he said. "For one thing, she mentioned the thirtieth century, but that makes no sense."

"It does. Rini is over nine-hundred years old," said Serena around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Come again?" said David.

Serena swallowed her potatoes. "Rini is actually the future daughter of Darien and I from the thirtieth century. She was, or I should say will be born shortly after Darien and I get married."

"But how can she be so old?" asked David. A peculiar glint was in his eye and he was staring at Serena with an almost predatory intensity.

Serena looked around nervously. Everyone was staring at her now. She prodded some roast turkey with her fork. "In the future, I don't know how long from now though, the Sailor Senshi and I will stave off an ice age from Tokyo using an ancient form of magic produced by a holy relic called the Imperium Silver Crystal. The side effect of the formation of 'Crystal Tokyo' as it will come to be called is that everyone living there will become functionally immortal."

David's fork clattered onto his plate. He had a look on his face that made the hair on the back of Serena's neck stand up on end. "You don't say," he said softly. "Everyone affected by the magic of this crystal will become immortal."

Serena looked around the table. Her friends from Japan, except for Darien, looked as confused as she did. It was the look of distress on Goliath's face that frightened her the most. Serena set her fork down and stood up from the table. "If everyone will excuse me," she said quietly, "I think I've lost my appetite." Serena turned and walked out of the dining hall into the cold night.

"Dumpling-head losing her appetite?" said Raye slowly. "That would be a first." Raye could not help but notice that Goliath had left the table as well…

-:-:-

Serena stood looking over the battlements at the lights of the city below. She was not sure why what she had said during dinner was wrong, but she was sure that it had been a mistake to say it. Feeling very confused and wrong footed, she just stood and watched the lights. She had forgotten her coat and she shivered in the cold.

Serena felt someone slide her winter coat over her shoulders. She looked up expecting to see Darien, but was surprised to see Goliath looking at her with a mixture of pity and concern. Serena bowed her head and could not bring herself to look Goliath in the face. She was not sure why she felt guilty, but she knew she would find out momentarily. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

Goliath gently lifted her chin so that Serena was looking him in the face. "You have done nothing wrong," he said. He smiled at Serena who had tears forming in her eyes. "I think perhaps you and I should have a little talk away from the others."

Serena looked around and nodded. "Where should we go?" she asked.

"That rooftop over there," Goliath said, pointing at a roof almost three blocks away.

"How are we going to get over there?" asked Serena.

Without warning Goliath lifted Serena into his massive arms and stepped onto the lip of the wall. Knowing what he was about to do, Serena wrapped her arms about his thick neck and hung on for dear life. Goliath leapt from the battlements and fell for several seconds to gain momentum. When he had gained enough speed, he snapped his wings open and soared in the direction of the rooftop. Serena closed her eyes and prayed that the gargoyle would not drop her.

It only took a minute for Goliath to arrive at the rooftop. He gently set Serena down and motioned for her to sit down on an empty crate. She sat and watched the gargoyle expectantly as he knelt down so they were at eye level.

"Now," said Goliath, "you are probably wondering exactly why your comments caused such a stir at dinner."

"It was because I mentioned Rini's immortality," said Serena matter-of-factly. "I figured that part out easy. I would like to know why it was wrong to say it"

"It was not wrong to mention it," said Goliath. "But yes, it was a mistake. One that you could not have been aware that you were making. David Xanatos has been obsessed with immortality for as long as I have known him. He desires it more than anything else in this world and will stop at nothing to try to achieve it. It was probably only a matter of time before he found out this information about you and the possibilities you hold. Tonight, he most likely saw the end of his goals in you."

Serena's eyes widened in fear. The look if raw animalistic desire on David's face was unforgettable. "What will he do to me?" asked Serena. "Am I safe staying in his castle?"

"Xanatos does not try to force people to do his bidding," said Goliath. "His preferred methods are trickery and manipulation. But be assured, he will try to find some way to influence the outcome of Crystal Tokyo's creation so that he can directly benefit from the event.

"There is no need to be afraid," said Goliath. He could plainly see the fear in Serena's eyes. "As I live and breathe, I will not let you come to any harm while you are here. If Xanatos does try anything to make you do his bidding he will have me to answer to!"

Serena looked into Goliath's stern face and saw there both love and concern. With a broad smile she stood up and embraced the huge gargoyle. "Thank you, Goliath." She murmured.

Goliath gently patted Serena's head. "I know just the thing to cheer you up," he said. "You have seen the city during the day, but it is so much more spectacular at night."

-:-:-

Goliath and Serena returned a few hours later. Waiting for him has he landed were David Xanatos and Elisa Maza. Elisa looked happy to see him but David's expression was rigidly blank. Goliath knew this look and it did not bode well. Goliath set Serena down the moment he landed. "I think you had best rejoin you party," he said. Serena nodded and rushed into the castle.

"Been 'educating' our guest about some of my personal ambitions Goliath?" asked Xanatos flatly. "I was under the impression that after I invited you back to live here that we would be trusting one-another again."

"And I hope that we still can as well," said Goliath icily. "That is why I am going to ask this instead of demand it, Xanatos. Please, leave Serena alone."

Goliath offered his arm to Elisa and they started to walk away. Xanatos watched them for a moment. "You're not that girl's father, Goliath!" he called to the gargoyle.

Goliath stopped in mid stride. He slowly turned and faced David. "While she is under my protection," he said menacingly, "I as good as am."

-:-:-

The next morning Serena felt extremely nervous as she made her way into the great hall for breakfast. To her surprise, David was not there. Fox however, was chatting amiably with Raye and Amy as she fed her son Alex who seemed determined that more of his breakfast was going to end up the floor rather than in his mouth. Darien was there also, reading the newspaper as he sipped on a cup of coffee and Luna was happily lapping up a saucer of cream while Rini stroked her fur.

"Hey where are Mina and Lita?" asked Serena as she pulled up a chair. The smell of the fresh pancakes and sausage was making her mouth water and she hurried to grab a plate.

"Alex, will you just eat this instead of smearing it all over yourself?" said Fox looking highly exasperated as her toddler son resisted eating his strained carrots. "Lita is still cooking in the kitchens. Nothing I've said or done has convinced her to come join us. Mina took off with Detective Maza early this morning with that white cat of hers. Alex, you're making an absolute mess of yourself!"

Alex Xanatos burbled happily as his chubby little fist knocked the spoon out of Fox's hand. He laughed as he waved his hands at the spoon and with a flash of green light it sprouted a tiny pair of legs and took off running across the hall. Serena shrieked and jumped onto her chair while Raye and Amy looked absolutely dumbstruck at this occurrence. Luna watched the little running spoon intently as her tail twitched back and forth and Darien swatted at it with his newspaper as the spoon scampered between his feet.

"Wow, how did he do that?!" said Rini.

Fox smiled as she watched the spoon scamper about the hall while Luna took to chasing it. "Alex and I are not entirely human," said Fox. "Within hours of Alex's birth I found out that my mother was the estranged wife of Oberon, king of the Fair-folk. I am a half-fey and my son quarter-fey."

"How can you be a fairy?" asked Amy. "I thought such things are just make-believe and children's stories."

"I'm half-fairy," said Fox. "And they're just as real as the gargoyles."

"I don't understand," said Serena. "Who is this 'Oberon' guy anyways?"

"Oberon is the king of the fairies from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Dumpling Head," said Darien.

-:-:-

Breakfast continued for a little while longer until Owen entered the Great Hall and made a beeline for Serena. "Excuse me, Miss Tsukino, but Mister Xanatos would like a private word with you."

Serena licked her lips nervously. Bracing herself for the worst, she got up and nodded.

"Follow me please," Owen said flatly.

Serena followed Owen up to Xanatos's office. Owen stood to one side as the door slid open. As expected, Xanatos was behind his desk, staring intently at a computer screen. He looked up when Serena entered and smiled indulgently.

"Ah, Serena, please sit down." He gestured to a chair on the other side of his desk. Serena slowly sat as Owen exited the office and shut the door behind him. With the desk between her and David, the situation felt uncomfortably formal for Serena, like the scolding she had often received from her teachers after school.

"I daresay you know why I called you here?" asked David. "I just wish to clear up that little incident last night. Would I be correct in guessing that Goliath informed you of my quest for immortality?" Serena nodded "Would I also be correct in guessing that he expressed that I am not one-hundred-percent trustworthy?"

"It was more along the lines of what and who you would be willing to sacrifice in order to live forever," said Serena. "I don't see how wanting to live forever is a big problem, I'm just a little concerned that perhaps it was a mistake for me to stay here."

"I give you my word, Serena Tsukino, that I have no ill intentions towards you or your friends." David looked lost in though for a moment as he considered his next words carefully. "I do admit that you could probably help me achieve my ultimate goal. If fact I would guess that you are the only person on this Earth that could make me immortal. But," he said, cutting off the protest that Serena was about to make, "I also understand that you are an integral part of history and that tampering with the time-stream tends to have some rather ill side effects.

"I am fully aware that Goliath does not trust me. Given our past relationship I really can't blame him. But I assure you that I am no longer the man that Goliath thinks I am. I want to help you Serena, in any way that I can."

"And in return you gain immortality when Crystal Tokyo is formed and I become Neo Queen Serenity," said Serena. "It all seems pretty convenient for you."

"It is an arrangement we both benefit from," said David. "But, I would not have it said that I am incapable of altruism. My offer for aid in the future stands firm Serena, as does my hospitality now. No strings attached."

"Do you promise that?" asked Serena. "No strings attached?"

"No strings attached," David repeated. "Your gratitude is yours to offer as you will. I would sincerely hope that we could become friends, Serena."

David stood up and walked around his desk. He held his hand out to Serena who regarded him suspiciously for a moment before she shook hands with him.

"Excellent!" exclaimed David. "Now, how would you and your friends like a private helicopter ride? My afternoon is free and I doubt you'll get to see New York again in the near future. I'll take you on a full tour of the city."

Serena grinned and leapt to her feet. "That sounds fantastic!" she exclaimed. "Let me go ask the others. I bet they'll be more than happy to go!"…

-:-:-

"Wow, this is a nice apartment!" exclaimed Mina as she entered Elisa's home. "You have all this room to yourself?"

"Yeah, well mostly," said Elisa. "Broadway can pretty much be counted on to drop by unannounced at all hours of the night to either raid the fridge or watch TV. I've never had to worry about burglars though?"

Elisa busied herself with cleaning her sidearm. Mina had never seen a police issue handgun up close and moved closer for a better look. Elisa noticed this and gave her a stern look. "I'm going to have to ask you to not touch my piece," said Elisa. "The last time someone decided to get a closer look at my pistol I was almost killed." Elisa lifted up her shirt to show Mina an ugly circular scar showing very clearly where she had been shot.

Mina gasped at the sight of the wound. "What happened?" she asked breathlessly.

Elisa returned her handgun to its case, locked it carefully, and placed it inside a drawer.

"Broadway came over for a snack," said Elisa. "He had been watching a western movie before he came over and was fascinated by guns. I had left my pistol in my holster hanging on the hat-rack over by the door. Broadway saw it and, like a kid who's just found a pistol, he had no idea that it is a serious weapon and not a toy. He was waving it around and it went off as he was pointing it at me. The result was broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a ruptured spleen, twelve hours of surgery and three months of physical therapy."

Mina looked at Elisa in amazement. "You still feel safe around Broadway after that?"

Elisa gave her a scathing look. "We all make mistakes," she said. "Broadway made the mistake of being too fascinated with guns and I made the mistake of leaving it where anyone could get to it. If someone had broken into my apartment and found my gun by the door, I wouldn't have just been shot once and they would have made sure I was dead. We've both learned from our mistakes before they could escalate into something worse.

"Broadway and I have actually become closer in spite of, or perhaps because of that incident. I trust the big lug more than I trust a lot of people."

Elisa went into the bedroom to change out of her work clothes. Mina set Artemis down on the couch as she wandered around, looking at the plants and pictures. She noticed a family photo that included Elisa's father, mother, brother and sister.

"Wow, Elisa, your brother sure is a hunk!" said Mina as Elisa returned to the living room. Instead of beaming at her, Elisa hung her head. Mina could instantly tell she had struck a rather personal nerve. "What is it? What's wrong Elisa?"

"It's nothing," said Elisa. She forced a smile onto her face. "Hey, my shift doesn't start until half-an-hour after sunset. Want to go grab a slice of genuine New York pizza?"

Mina could tell Elisa was being evasive but decided not to press the issue. "Sure, pizza sounds like a blast!"

A loud scream came from across the room followed by a crash. Artemis was fighting on the floor with another large gray cat.

"Cagney no, stop it!" yelled Elisa. Quickly she and Mina pulled the two cats apart.

"I'm real sorry about that," said Elisa. "I completely forgot about Cagney. He's never had another cat in the apartment and I should have expected trouble."

"You should take that monster to jail for attempted murder!" cried Artemis. He was shaking like a leaf while Cagney growled in Elisa's arms.

Mina simply shook her head in disgust. "Artemis, you wiener!" she said. "You have to be the biggest wimp in the cat world! If you're not complaining about the weather you're getting beat up like a sissy!"

Artemis refused to speak to Mina the rest of the day. Elisa spent most of the day showing Mina some of the lesser but more personal sights of New York City. They also spent the better part of the day searching for clues concerning their enemy…

"Ooohoo that was so much fun!" squealed Serena as she hopped down from the helicopter onto the stones of the castle courtyard.

Lita tumbled out of the helicopter and dropped to he knees. Her parents had been killed in a plane crash years ago and she had developed a phobia of airplanes ever since. Apparently that phobia extended to helicopters as well. Fox climbed out of the aircraft, knelt down next to Makoto and rubbed her back. "Are you going to be Ok, Lita?" she asked.

"I – I think so," said Lita. "I just need to catch my…bloargh!" Lita was suddenly violently ill all over the landing pad. She spat out the last traces of vomit from her mouth and trembled like a very queasy jell-o mold.

David, his face full of concern, took pity on Lita and helped her to her feet. He slung one of Lita's arms over his shoulders and carried her off to her bedroom. He returned a few minutes later. "I gave Lita some ginger tea for her motion sickness. She should be ok once she's had a nap. I would suggest the rest of you do the same. If I know Goliath, he will want to go out and find where the Harvesters nest without further delay.

The Senshi all murmured their agreement. One by one they filed off into the castle. Mina arrived several hours later and decided to get at least a reasonable dinner ready for the Senshi and gargoyles before they left to go out on patrol.