Gargoyles- The Heart of Everything

by Sunmoonlight

Brooklyn has been living in a very lonely world and yearns to find love of his own. However, his life gets turned upside down when he meets the beautiful, young Human woman named Rose. Rose lives in a very similar world; one full of darkness, loneliness, and is haunted by one dark secret. Will they find the love and strength in each other to rise above the darkness?

28. Chapter 28- Change of Plans

** Hey ALL! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and/or the Happiest of Holidays. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Here's an extra long chapter, with a lot of change happening! Please review and let me know what you think, thus far. Enjoy! Shine on! **

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~Chapter Twenty-Eight~

Change of Plans

In the bathroom, Rose and Brooklyn continued to kiss passionately for what felt like hours. They never gave into their mating instincts, but were happily touching and kissing each other, until both were exhausted. Brooklyn kept kissing her, as Rose slowly detached herself from his lips, and sighed; leaning in to his heated and excited body; feeling every beautiful inch of him. Brooklyn smiled, and then slowly kissed her forehead, before he too gave up. With her arms wrapped around his waist, he held onto her firmly and rocked her back and forth. Rose raised her face up from his chest, and grinned brightly at him.

Brooklyn smiled happily back at her, while she gazed lovingly up into his face, inviting a kiss, in which he immediately obliged once again, already wanting more. His lips moved against hers with a slow, but deep motion. His left claw gently held onto her waist; as he brought his other claw up to her soft face; lightly holding her face to his; while caressing his thumb up and down her jawline. Rose opened her mouth to allow his tongue to sensually slide in, allowing him to fully claim her mouth. The moment she did that, he started to moan slightly; as she smiled against his lips. She lightly touched his beak and held it lovingly in her hands, running her hands up and down it gently.

Brooklyn opened his eyes and reluctantly pulled away from her lips; still holding onto her face gently.

He smirked at her as he teased, "Behave, Rose."

Rose broke out into a quiet laugh, as Brooklyn flashed her a devilish grin, once again as she sighed and pulled away from him.

"I guess I better get back out there before the nurse comes back, and get you to the window before you're seen." She said, opening the bathroom door, taking Brooklyn's claw in her hand, and peeked her head around the door frame. "I don't know how I'm going to explain my miraculous recovery to the nurse, nor how I'm going to leave the hospital, for that matter."

Looking around, she didn't see anyone in her room; and almost stepped out, but Brooklyn peeked his head around as well, and then took charge. He snuck across the room; pulling on Rose's hand as he went, and they moved towards the window. He jumped up on the window seat, opened the window and then gently pulled Rose up to the window seat, standing against his body. Rose's eyes widened as she realized what he wanted her to do.

"No, babe. I can't just leave." Rose said, pulling on his arm and stopping him. "I have to check out, or else they will call the Police… and…"

Brooklyn smiled at her, pressed his talon against her lips to shush her, and then said, "Good thing we have an 'in' with the Police; and with Dr. Sato. I'm sure they will vouch for us."

"Yeah, but…" Rose started to say, looking around and down at her clothes suddenly. "I… have nothing to wear, other than this gown."

He looked her up and down, obviously checking her out, and laughed at her while she blushed slightly.

"My love, you look great. Let's get you home. If changing into more comfortable clothes will make you happy; then let's go. You're completely healed, you don't need to be taken care of by them anymore. I'll take care of you."

Rose smiled up at him and then said, "I better just ask for Dr. Sato to come in and clear me. Trust me. It will get really messy if we don't; and I don't know about you, but I'm tired of getting caught in messy situations."

He sighed slightly exasperatedly and then said, "Yeah, you're right. I'll be waiting for you out here."

She squeezed his claw and then stepped down from the window seat, as he slid his body through the window frame. When he was out of sight, she walked over to her bed, grabbed the nurse's remote, and clicked the button to call the nurses into her room.

Rose waited a few minutes until one of the nurses answered her remote call.

"Yes?" The female voice asked her, from the remote.

"Can I please see Dr. Sato? It's important." Rose spoke into the remote, and then waited a few seconds for the nurse to respond.

"One moment, please." The nurse responded back; and then the remote shut off.

Rose sat down on a chair next to her bed, in which Brooklyn had been sitting in moments ago; and waited quietly for Dr. Sato to come in and see her. Rose waited close to five minutes in silence before her door opened; and in walked Dr. Sato. He shut the door behind him and then turned to face Rose. The instant his eyes glanced down upon her, his mouth opened widely and he gasped loudly.

"Miss Connelly… what?!"

"Please, don't freak out!" Rose exclaimed, standing up and holding her hands out to him.

Silence passed between them for a few moments, before he finally closed his mouth, and continued to stare at Rose with confusion and shock. He stepped closer to her, adjusted his glasses, and then walked around her, like a vulture; examining her.

"Rose you're… you're all… healed!" He gasped at her, blinking a few times. "How is this even possible?"

Rose took a deep breath and explained the whole, strange situation to him. As she explained it to him; his eyes got wider and wider; his mouth opened slightly. To prove herself; she showed him that her wounds were gone; every bruise, cut, and broken bone had healed itself. When Rose was done telling him everything; she stood in silence, waiting for his response and reaction. Dr. Sato blew out the breath in which he had been holding in, and weakly found himself sitting down in the chair at the foot of her hospital bed. Dr. Sato took off his large glasses and held his head in his hands, leaning over.

Rose approached him with caution and said, quietly; "Dr. Sato… ?"

Instantly; he looked up at her, with weary eyes and whispered, "I don't know what to think about all of this. First, Mr. Xanatos hired me as his personal doctor, whenever I'm not working here, to tend after you and his family, but then he introduced me to the Gargoyles. Now, I told myself that I wouldn't freak out and would accept them, since Mr. Xanatos was paying me a great sum of money to tend to anyone who'd been hurt and to keep them all a secret. I can see that they are good creatures- slightly terrifying to look at- but all the same; good."

He paused and then stood up slowly.

"Now, you are telling me that there is such a thing as… magic? I'm a doctor; Rose. Science is what I believe in, and I don't know if I can take anymore of this nonsense."

"But it's not nonsense!" Rose explained to him; stepping closer to him. "I know it sounds crazy! Trust me, I do. When this first started to happen to Brooklyn and myself; I was afraid. I didn't know what to think or say… but now I'm no longer afraid. I just needed you to see that I'm completely healed, and am going to leave now. Brooklyn is waiting outside for me and we are going home. I didn't want to leave the hospital without consulting someone first."

Another few minutes of silence passed between them once again, as Dr. Sato stood in front of her, not saying anything. Rose blinked a few times, wondering what was wrong with him; and why he suddenly looked hot and bothered. He was looking down at his feet and was shuffling his hands, nervously in his white coat.

"Doctor Sato…?" Rose asked him, wanting to know what he was nervous about and if she could leave the hospital.

He looked up suddenly, took a deep breath and then said slowly, "Look… Rose. I know that this isn't any of my business… but I must tell you how worried I am for you and the decisions you are making in your life right now."

Now it was Rose's turn to look at the doctor with great confusion, as she stood in silence for a few seconds, before speaking again.

"What... ?" She asked him quietly, thoroughly confused. "What are you talking about?"

"It's one thing to… befriend these Gargoyle creatures, Rose." Dr. Sato suddenly explained to her in a louder voice; his eyes focused sternly and seriously. "However; it's a completely different thing to be… romantically involved with one. I don't know if I can bare to know about you and him. I mean… they aren't even Human, Rose! We don't know anything about their species. Do they have diseases in which we don't know about? If you become romantically involved with one… who knows what can happen to you; not to mention pregnancy! I mean… we just don't know."

Rose's eyes widened with her eyebrows raising more and more up into her hairline, and couldn't believe what she was hearing right now, or how blunt Dr. Sato was speaking with her. At the end of the day, he was her doctor and was nothing more. He wasn't personally involved with her life and nor was he her father- nowhere close.

She clenched her fists and suddenly felt a pure rage flow through her; sending out immediate sparks of electricity from her fingertips. If she were a Gargoyle; her eyes could easily have started glowing at him. She never recalled telling the doctor about her relationship with Brooklyn; only the connections in which they felt with each other and how it healed her, but regardless of this, he had no right to speak to her in such a way.

"You're right, doc." Rose answered him darkly; shaking with anger. "This isn't any of your business nor your concern. What Brooklyn and I do together is between him and myself. How dare you even…?"

Dr. Sato held his hands up in surrender, but didn't back down.

"I wouldn't be a responsible adult if I didn't say something to you." He argued back, still holding his ground. "Think about the consequences of your decisions here… if you two decide to… um… have sex, their could be serious issues which could arise from it. Since they are not Human, mating with one could seriously injure you… or even kill you. And if he doesn't kill you during the act, then you could get pregnant; regardless of any birth control in which you may or may not be on. What then, Rose? What will you do if that happens? I don't know a lot about them; but I know that they aren't mammals. Though they have attributes to mammals and Humans, even, you won't be able to sustain any form of life."

Rose was fully enraged now; and wanted more than anything to run away from this man, before she either maimed him or did something much worse. Tears filled her eyes, in full rage, and didn't know why this conversation was bothering her so badly. Was it, perhaps, that this man was approaching this conversation from a 'fatherly' perspective, as he was looking out for her well-being? Or the fact that she had been controlled her entire married life with Kevin? Or… perhaps that she knew this deep down inside her and he was feeding into her deep fears, in which she kept stowed away. She had no idea what hers and Brooklyn's future held; and didn't know the answer to any of these questions.

Yes, she was young still; and yes, horrible things have happened to her thanks to her decision-making skills in choosing Kevin as her first husband- but so had the best thing occurred by those choices- meeting and falling in love with Brooklyn. She glared at the doctor, while tears filled her eyes but remained un-shed.

"You have no right to tell me what to do!" Rose snarled at him; pointing her finger at him. "You're not my father, nor anyone even personally related to me… I appreciate your medical and scientific knowledge; but I don't need it. Yes, I know he's not Human; and yes, I have thought about the challenges in which we may face together; but it is not your business to stand here and lecture me about my life."

"You're acting like a child, Rose." Dr. Sato said, glaring at her. "Why can't you just listen to me!?"

"Because, Dr. Sato! You are my doctor! Nothing more!" She yelled. "You don't know anything about me… nor the hell in which I have endured with my ex-husband… who, in fact, is still out there trying to kill me. Brooklyn is the best thing I have ever had in my entire life. You don't have to approve of us; nor do I care if you approve or not. It's my life to live!"

She turned furiously away from him as Brooklyn suddenly opened the window and entered the hospital room. He both felt Rose's anger in his own body, and heard hers and Doctor Sato's yelling. He walked towards both of them, and saw that they were both in a very heated argument., and his eyes widened as he approached them both with caution.

He placed his claws on Rose's shoulders and asked the pair, "What's going on here?"

Before Rose could answer, Dr. Sato shook his head and said; angrily, "Nothing to concern you creatures. I'm discussing some business with my patient here… you know, Human stuff. You wouldn't understand."

Brooklyn was shocked by the doctor's sudden hostility towards him; but was instantly more shocked when Rose suddenly came undone. She turned away from his grasp towards the doctor, shot forward, and lifted a finger finger up to Dr. Sato's face; who stood still as Rose screamed in his face.

"Do NOT talk to him like that! This isn't any of your damn business to begin with!"

Brooklyn suddenly leapt forward, grabbed Rose and pulled her away from the doctor; protecting both of them as he could feel the situation slowly begin to unravel. He didn't know what was going on, but he had never seen Rose as worked up as she was now, not even with Kevin.

"Hey, hey!… Rose… " Brooklyn started to warn; holding her in his arms, preventing her from pouncing on the doctor, as she tried to fight him off her.

However; he was cut off when Dr. Sato suddenly spokein a furious tone.

"Fine, fine, Miss. Connelly. Have it your way, I can choose who I help at the end of the day; so if you don't want to take my advice; then you're on your own. I have given you my opinion on this…" He paused and then looked over at Brooklyn with great anger and slight disgust. "... situation. I truly wish you the best; but I'm done." He suddenly turned to leave them alone, but paused with his hand on the door handle, stopped and faced them once again. "If it blows up in your face, Miss Connelly; then I hope you know that I told you so, and was only trying to prevent you from further injury and pain."

"Oh, don't get all descent on me, doc." Rose snarled back at him, trying to force Brooklyn's arms off her. "At the end of the day, you're just like every other disgusting Human who stinks of prejudice, hatred and ignorance! I'd much rather be a Gargoyle, than a part of a race who hates and spits on other's different than them!"

"But you're NOT one of them!" He yelled back at her suddenly and raised his finger in her face. "It's unnatural and downright wrong what you two are doing!"

Brooklyn gasped at his words and suddenly realized what this argument was all about; Rose was defending their right to love each other and be together, from this man, who he thought, was their friend and ally.

"It's NOT YOUR BUSINESS!" Rose screamed back at him, on the verge of tears now. "How dare you lecture me! You are not my father…"

"Yeah." Dr. Sato snapped back at her, interrupting her. "And I think that's a lot of the problem. You haven't had a responsible adult to raise you correctly; and to help you make wise-decisions."

Rose gasped at his words, as Brooklyn suddenly felt himself becoming protective of his love. He still didn't know exactly what the doctor said to enrage Rose so, but he had already had enough of it.

"Enough!" Brooklyn suddenly yelled out, holding onto Rose's arms; speaking to both of them. "I don't know what's going on here, but I don't like it… Rose…" he paused and looked down at her distraught face. "We are leaving, let's go."

Brooklyn forced her towards the window, and almost made it there, when the doctor followed after them and quietly said, "Miss Connelly… I am sorry to have upset you. I just am truly worried for you; and just want you to make the right decision here…"

Rose stopped, against Brooklyn's claws moving her forward; and stood frozen for a few seconds before finally turning back to face the doctor, while Brooklyn was watching her face with concern.

"Thank you for your concern, but it's still none of your business." Rose said quietly, with emotions pressing thick against her voice. "You don't know who I am… and who I was raised by. My Grandfather raised me by himself and did an amazing job. Please, do not stand there and pretend to the 'great and wise one.' You have no say about me, my life, nor who I choose to love. That's my decision and not yours."

Brooklyn kept his claws on her shoulders and was now eyeing the doctor with great disdain, and wanted to take Rose away from her sudden pain and memories in which this man seemed to be digging up; all of which he had no right to do so.

Dr. Sato closed his eyes and exhaled deeply; shaking his head. When he looked back up at the pair of them, his eyes were full of disappointment and sadness.

"You have my leave to go… I wish you two the best of luck, I suppose."

He turned away from them, walked towards the door, and paused before opening the door, sighing once again.

"Look, Rose… I will still be your doctor; if you ever need me to help you, I will be here. However; my last warning to you, is this…" he paused and was eyeing Rose with great concern. "I fear if you continue down this path, with this Gargoyle, then your life will end. One way or the other… there can be no good that can come from this."

Brooklyn glared at him and started to growl slightly; when Rose suddenly spoke up, quietly and whispered, "Amazing… every word you just said is wrong, Dr. Sato. You don't know a thing about mine and Brooklyn's love for each other, and even if I showed you everything, I still fear that you still wouldn't believe me. So, you can choose to believe what you want; but so can I. There is so much happiness, light and love from this relationship, that it cannot be and isn't wrong. All the same, I appreciate your concern, but we're leaving now. I have nothing more to say to you, we can agree to disagree on this issue."

With that, Rose turned away from the doctor, grabbed onto Brooklyn's claw, opened the window and went to climb out of the frame when Dr. Sato suddenly asked, quietly; "Do you really do love her?"

Brooklyn held onto Rose, as she was halfway out the window and was the one to look back at him, cutting off Rose before she could speak, however; the doctor was not talking to Rose, but Brooklyn.

"With all my heart and soul." Brooklyn answered him immediately.

"Then, please take heed to what I am saying to both of you." Doctor Sato urged, stepping closer to them.

"Even though we are a different species, that does not mean that Gargoyles don't have the same emotions and feelings in which you Humans feel." Brooklyn said quietly to him. " I don't know what all was said here, between you two; but I know enough that you have hurt and offended the woman I love, in every possible way, and I ask that you please stop."

Rose was holding onto the window frame, listening to Brooklyn speak to the doctor, and was impressed with his ability to speak to the doctor with great patience, tolerance, and kindness; though there was a hint of warning in his voice.

Dr. Sato sighed once again and spoke, this time, to Brooklyn.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause such contention… I just… I have been concerned for Rose since I met her. From her abusive husband, to living with you Gargoyles. I apologize for sticking my nose in a place, in which it does not belong; but I have noticed that you two are very close to each other; and I pieced together that you're possibly in a romantic relationship. I just… as a doctor… there's a lot of risk with you two being physically together. I was just voicing my concern, was all. I'm sorry if I came off forceful or rude; I'm just concerned for her well-being. There are too many risks… too many bad things that could happen."

Rose closed her eyes, and silently let her tears fall down her face as she listened to the doctor speak to Brooklyn now. She didn't want to listen to his opinion anymore; and wanted to go home and sleep. Though she had been healed; she didn't know if she could take anymore drama in such a short span of time.

Brooklyn however; raised his eyes at the doctor and asked him, slowly; "What risks?"

Rose scoffed suddenly turned back to Brooklyn and said, fiercely, through her tears.

"Oh please, Brooklyn. Don't listen to him! He doesn't know anything about what could happen with us…"

"And neither do you." The doctor argued, who then turned his attention back to Brooklyn, desperately trying to reach him.

"Look. I am a doctor." He said urgently. "True, I only know Human anatomy, diseases and risks and I do not know hardly anything about your kind. But, I know that you aren't fully mammal, like Humans are. I am concerned greatly about what'll happen when you two decide to mate."

Brooklyn's eyes widened in shock, and immediately understood why Rose had been so thoroughly bothered. It truly wasn't any of this man's business, as making love was a very sensitive and sacred topic with Gargoyles. He opened his mouth in a snarl, but was cut off as the doctor continued saying forcefully; "Have you concerned the dangers of being with Rose in that way? What damage you could do to her body during the act of having sex? You could kill her! Don't you understand that?! From where I stand, Rose has been through enough pain. Wouldn't you agree? I thought your kind protects…?"

"We do!" Brooklyn suddenly exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.

"You would not be protecting her; but doing more damage..." Dr. Sato explained quietly, as he stood still, peering at Brooklyn with concerned eyes, while Brooklyn stood in shock before him, and didn't say anything. There were many things running through Brooklyn's mind; anger, shock, and confusion. Though he was angry at how blunt he was being; the doctor spoke a large degree of the truth.

Brooklyn suddenly looked down at the ground, and was seeming to absorb every word he was saying to him. He now knew why Rose had been enraged; but what Dr. Sato didn't know was the things they'd been through together, especially during their connections, and how compatible they did feel. More so, if Elisa and Goliath were compatible with each other; even though they couldn't produce children, then so could himself and Rose. They deserved to be happy; and he knew that Rose was the only thing that could bring him true happiness.

Brooklyn blinked a few times, stood up taller, and set his strong jaw shut; glancing down at the doctor.

"I understand what you are saying… and I appreciate your concerns as well, but you don't know us and what her and myself have experienced. Never would I injure the woman I love, but you have given me some information to consider. Thank you. If you'll excuse us, we'll be leaving now."

With that, he turned away from the doctor; forced Rose out of the window, scooped her up in the bridal carry, spread his wings and immediately took off into the night sky. He didn't want to give the doctor one more minute of their time; as they've endured too much negativity fighting against his and Rose's love for each other. He held onto Rose tightly as she cried silently in his arms, and hated seeing her upset. He tightened his grip around her and pressed his face into the side of her face.

"Please, my love; don't cry." He said, holding onto her tightly. " Ever since our powerful connection with each other tonight, and physically seeing you heal by our love… I am not afraid to be your mate, if you're not afraid to be mine."

"Of course, I'm not afraid to be your mate." She said, resting her head upon his shoulder. "And as for the sex thing… true, I don't know what it'll be like with us being different species, but all I know is how I feel when I'm around you. I feel safe, loved, cherished, and I know and trust that you'll never hurt me."

"Thank you, my love. I would never hurt you; so I agree." He reassured her. "Though the doctor had some decent points; he doesn't know what you and I have gone through together. We mustn't let his opinions and half-truths darken our positive outlook on our very bright future together. More than that, Goliath and Elisa have been together for a year and a half, and haven't had any issues, and if they do; they are able to work through them. As long as we are very careful; I think we will be just will most likely deal with opposition, like Dr. Sato's opinions, for the rest of our lives together. But, I don't care about them. I'm willing to fight the good fight, because you are worth it. Our love is worth it all."

As Brooklyn said these words to her, she blinked a few of her tears away, and glanced up into his face with great love and appreciation. She gently took his face in her hands and smiled at him.

"You're right, my love." Rose whispered, holding onto his neck, and keeping her secured against him as they were flying high in the clouds, miles above the City. "I'm sorry, there's been a lot going on in such a short time-frame; and I'm tired. I shouldn't have reacted to him like I did, but I was just so upset with someone telling me that I couldn't or shouldn't be with you. Being with you is like breathing air for the first time, and without you, I feel that I will die."

She paused and then looked up into his face, a bit sheepishly, and then smiled. "Wow… sorry for being so melodramatic… I just… love you so much; and am tired of people trying to tear us away from each other."

Brooklyn smiled back at her, and sighed slightly.

"Yeah, I feel the same. And don't worry about it. Your reactions had just enough 'drama'." Brooklyn teased, grinning at her. Rose chuckled at him, stuck her tongue out at him while he laughed harder. "Babe, we've endured a lot of hardships together, but those hardships have been worth it. You're worth everything to me."

Rose smiled up at him and gently placed a kiss on his cheek, and lovingly resting her head against his chest.

"I feel the same way." She said quietly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He whispered back at her, kissing her forehead. They continued through the icy-cold air, making Rose shiver slightly in Brooklyn's arms. Naturally, he wrapped his arms around her tighter, and tried to over her body with as much of his arms as he could.

"This may be kind of random." Rose said thoughtfully, after a few minutes. "But, I'm very impressed with you, Brooklyn."

He smiled at her and chuckled.

"Yeah? Why?"

"You handled Dr. Sato's nosiness in our personal business with great maturity and fairness. I wish I could say the same… I pretty much wanted to tear his head off." She said. "And now that I'm away from the situation, I do feel kind of bad for yelling at him like I did."

"You had every right to feel upset, my love. He overstepped your boundaries, and you were only defending our love and right to be together. I am quite impressed by you, actually. You're a force to be reckoned with when you're angry. It was downright hot and sexy seeing you fight for me." Brooklyn said gently, grinning down at her.

Rose smiled cheekily up at him and then chuckled, "Thank you… I think?"

"It is a compliment, my love." He said. "Female Gargoyles are warriors, just as much as the males are. And you're no different. You're a warrior; and have a fierce desire to protect those you love. I feel quite honored that you reacted so strongly, as it tells me that you truly do love and care for me."

"Was that ever a question?" Rose asked him quietly.

"No." He replied softly. "Not at all. But it was nice to see for a moment, before I put my foot down. But, thank you for your sweet compliments, Rose. Ever since Goliath made me his Second-in-Command, I have not taken that oath and responsibility lightly. It means a great deal to me to be a leader that would make Goliath and the Clan proud. Besides, my Clan and myself have fought so hard to be accepted by Humans, despite what they feel about us and our appearance. If I went over to Dr. Sato and threatened him, then that wouldn't have helped our image."

"True," she said softly, holding onto his neck, as they continued to glide high above the City. "Well, I think you handled it very well. I'm proud of you, Brooklyn. I hoped it showed Dr. Sato just how amazing Gargoyles truly are."

"Thank you, sweetheart. But, to be quite honest with you, the thought to tear his head off did come to my mind, because I wanted to protect you." Brooklyn admitted. "But I wanted to give you the chance to fight on your own; and when I saw that he wasn't trying to be vicious to you, it helped me to take a step back and look at the situation with a level-head. Yes, he overstepped your boundaries, and I'm protective of that, but he meant well and so I didn't want to come off as brash or unreasonable. I can't blame him for wanting to share some medical advice to us both, since we are different species. He had valid points to consider as well, even if he doesn't know us like we know each other."

"Points to consider?" She asked him, looking up into his face. "What is there to consider?"

"Your safety, my love." Brooklyn answered, not looking at her. "Since we have chosen to be each other's mates, that title will eventually come with love-making used for creation. I have often thought about it and my future with you, and while there is great beauty, I'm not going to lie to you… there has been a fear in the back of my mind. I do not want to harm you, and there's a very good chance that I could… and I couldn't handle that. Doctor Sato said that I could kill you during sex… and I would never forgive myself if that happened."

Rose sighed heavily and scoffed slightly, making him look down upon her face, and saw she looked irritated.

"Rose?" He asked her.

"Oh… please! Don't listen to him. You won't hurt me, and you know it.." Rose answered, looking back up into his eyes. "I trust and love you, Brooklyn; so much so, that I haven't even had that fear. You need to trust yourself, and whenever we make it to that beautiful moment, I want it to be just that. Beautiful; not fear based."

"Thank you and I agree, Rose." He said softly, but still looked concerned. "Which is why this… is something we do need to discuss further, before we actually become mates. More than a simple casual conversation like we are right now…"

"We will, I promise. I just… don't want to discuss it right now, okay?" Rose suddenly snapped, but instantly regretted her tone, and sighed. When he glanced warily down at her, and could see she looked visibly upset, he held her closer to him.

"I will respect that. I'm sorry, Rose… I didn't mean to upset you…"

"No, you didn't upset me, Brooklyn." Rose whispered, with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just that… Dr. Sato triggered me slightly more than I realized."

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

Rose closed her eyes and she took a deep breath.

"Last night… when I was fighting Kevin in Central Park, before we ran towards the bridge- he was trying to… place that same fear into my head; and told me that you'll be an unfeeling animal when we make love. And he kept saying that he didn't know why I would choose you over him, as he would happily do the same thing to me… which he thinks you essentially rape me. And… it just… placed some fear into my heart, or the unknown."

"Rose!" Brooklyn gasped, his face truly shocked and in pain. "I would never…!"

"Yes, I know you would never" Rose said, touching his face. "That's not what I meant. I meant that I hated that he was able to take the most beautiful thing in my life and twist it into his evil darkness; mocking me that you were capable of doing such an evil thing to me."

Brooklyn's eyes suddenly lit up with anger, and he snarled, "I would never be capable of such an evil act… I just… I hate him. Every time you mention his name, I feel like I could come undone. Not only did he injure you to the point of your near death! But, he spoke unspeakably evil things to you about our relationship and the sanctity of it! When I get my claws on him..."

"Brooklyn," Rose said, taking his beak in her hands, and rubbing it gently. "Don't spiral out, honey. I'm sorry that I even told you… I know it's a trigger for you as well…"

"No," Brooklyn said, taking a deep breath and calming down, his eyes fading back to normal. "It's okay, love. I overreact… and I'm sorry. You just complimented me by saying how level-headed, I am, but here I am, losing control by the mere mention of his name." He paused and then took another deep breath, before speaking softly.

I want you to be able to open up to me Rose, especially about the things that are heavy upon your heart, and to be there for you as your best friend, mate, and protector. And… as much as it pains me to admit this… I know Kevin was or, er, I guess still is legally your husband and, as such, makes him a part of your life. I just…it just enrages me that he brings you so much pain, suffering and even place some fear in your heart… about me."

"No amounts of fear he tries to place upon my heart will ever stop me from being your mate, nor change how I feel about you, Brooklyn." Rose told him gently. "And as for Kevin. Yes, legally, he still is my husband. I can't change that right now; but once this is all over, you have my word that appearing before a judge is the first thing that I'll do to fix it. But, until then; just so you know, I don't see him as my husband anymore; and I do not love him anymore. Rose paused, looked up into his eyes and smiled. "You are the one I love, and thus, it is you who already feels like my husband. I know we aren't official yet, but I just want to let you know that my heart is yours forever, and now that our minds and souls are one; I will forever be committed and faithful to you."

Brooklyn gazed down into her eyes and gently smiled back, as she caressed his beak in her hands.

"That sounded a lot like a vow to me." He teased her softly, as his eyes burned with intensity for her. She grinned up at him, as they still flew through the still and icy atmosphere, lifted her lips up to his and kissed him gently briefly before breaking apart, and whispering, "That's because it was. I love you."

Brooklyn stared down at her, with his eyes still wide and intense; and brought his lips down to hers once again, more powerfully this time, kissing her passionately. She giggled against his lips and broke away.

"Eyes on the road, babe." She teased him, still holding onto his face, smiling lovingly up at him.

"There are no roads up here, silly." He answered her, holding her close to him. "Nothing but open air; but I've got you, I promise."

"I know you do." She replied kindly.

He closed his eyes, sighed and placed another kiss upon her lips.

"I love you so much, Rose." He said passionately. "We need to get married and mated already."

"I'm ready when you are…" She teased him, which made him look down upon her face with one raised eye-bone.

"Oh, you are?" He asked lightly. "Has it been me that we've been waiting on this entire time?"

"And a few other minor things…" She replied, smiling teasingly up at him. "Just… you know… getting rid of a serial killer ex-husband from my life."

"Yeah," Brooklyn replied sarcastically. "Just the basic everyday stuff…"

"Exactly." She said, smiling sadly up at him, paused and then continued to speak, softly. "I'm so sorry, Brooklyn. I'm sorry that we have to deal with all this; and I'm sorry for what I told you just a few minutes ago. As Kevin was putting those… awful things into my head, I knew they weren't true. But… because we've never made love, and we are a different species, I didn't know how to defend it. To be honest, there is a part of me that really doesn't know what to expect when we… you know…"

She paused, and began to blush fiercely as he slowly looked down upon her face, reading every detail and every emotion going through her soul. Shyness, self-consciousness, and overall desire for him.

She took a deep breath and continued to speak, "And well, he prayed upon that weakness. I'm sorry. I know that you aren't some unfeeling animal; and never have thought that awful lie. You are very much the opposite, and feel so strongly and passionately with your feelings; and I am in love with you and your sweet soul for that aspect. Yes, we are different species, but I accept that about us. Sex is a very normal and natural part of a relationship; and I understand that our relationship and circumstances are anything, but normal. But, I'm not worried about it, because whenever I'm with you I feel safe. And tonight, while in the bathroom as we kissed, touched and were wanting to make love, you made me feel so… powerful, and beautiful, for once in my life. I was your treasure and equal partner; instead of a submissive object like I was with Kevin. I have no doubt in my mind that when we actually make love- that we will make some serious sparks fly and the Heaven's sing. That's how I truly feel about it. I'm not afraid to give myself to you in that way. I love and trust you with my whole heart, mind, soul and body."

Brooklyn looked down upon her, deliberating what she was saying, and then visibly relaxed.

"You really feel that way?" He asked her quietly.

"With all my heart." She said, smiling up at him. "I love you, Brooklyn."

He grinned joyfully down at her and then raised her face to kiss his lips, holding her tightly. When he broke away from her he whispered, "I love you too, my sweet love. Thank you."

"For what?" She giggled softly.

"For not seeing me as a monster or animal." He said, with sadness and anger in his eyes. "Everything about Kevin makes me want to murder him violently, but the very fact he placed the fear into your head that I would even treat you like an object for sex, makes me physically sick. I would never do that to you. When we are mates, your needs will come first, always. Far, far above my own. Please, always remember that."

"I don't have to remember anything." Rose reassured him kindly. "That was Kevin's worthless opinion and idea of you, not mine. For him, everything is revolved around control and power; and with sex, that's all it is to him. Self pleasure, power and control over a 'lesser gender'. No amounts of love, commitment, or respect were ever present. He's the animal and monster… not you. Never you."

Brooklyn stayed silent for a few seconds, thinking deeply, before he smiled gently down upon her face; his loving eyes piercing hers.

"You're so amazing to me, Rose." He said. "For being so strong through everything. I am in awe of you."

"Thank you." She replied quietly. "It's nice to be reminded of that, especially when it doesn't feel true."

"But, it is true." He said softly, kissing her on the forehead, and then glanced back up to guide them through the air. "We are almost to the castle, and we can continue to discuss this topic another night, okay?"

"Sounds good to me." She told him, kissing him on his cheek, and beginning to shiver. "It's not that I don't want to talk about it, but I prefer to be in a warm, private place with you, and to first figure out more about Kevin and what our next steps will be."

"I agree." He said softly. "I'm sorry if you're cold. We are almost home."

"After swimming in the icy East River, nothing feels cold anymore to me." She said sarcastically, as he smiled sadly at her, knowing exactly what she meant. They flew in silence for a few minutes, allowing them both the time to think things through, before they endured a long and, most likely, difficult discussion with the Clan. They continued to fly through the City; until the Eyrie Building came into view.

Once it did; Brooklyn cleared his throat and echoed her own thoughts.

"I have no idea what the Clan and Xanatos have decided to do, but tonight might be difficult for us as we discuss with the Clan what to do about Kevin and the Quarrymen now. So, after we discuss things; I propose we take the time for us; and forget the outside influences for a bit and continue our discussion about our future, as well as a much-needed date."

Rose raised her eyebrows at him, smiled endearingly, but then thought of something, and slowly her smile faded.

"That sounds really nice; and you know that I would really love too… but… with Kevin out there and the Quarrymen, whom of which, are seeking all of our deaths now, I don't know if it's a good idea to let him slide away from our radar again. Shouldn't we be spending the time hunting them all down?"

Brooklyn stared down at her, blinking a few times, and sighed, a bit defeatedly, "Yeah, you're right. I would hate for another night, like last night, to happen. Sorry… I'm just…"

"Wanting this to be over?" Rose guessed for him.

He sighed heavily again, and then said, "Yes. More than anything."

She gazed at him sadly, all the sudden, and felt very ashamed.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, resting her head back down on his chest.

He looked down at her with an interested look, and then asked her; "Why are you apologizing? There isn't anything to be sorry for."

"Oh, yes there is." She grumbled, bringing her hands up to examine them and start to pick at her nails. "I just want to be rid of Kevin. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't be hunting all of us; and wouldn't have found the Quarrymen."

"Oh… this again?" He groaned slightly. "Babe, you need to stop blaming yourself for this. It's not your fault."

"But, it is! You all wouldn't have had to deal with Kevin in the first place, if it weren't for me!" She argued back, feeling more and more horrible, hating that her love and Clan had to even deal with Kevin. They had arrived at the Castle, where they descended gently, and Brooklyn touched down gracefully, but didn't let her down from her arms, and looked angry all the sudden as he glanced down into her face.
"You're right… we wouldn't have had to deal with him if I didn't know him." He snapped slightly. "However; if I didn't know him, then I would never have known about you. You would still be in an abusive and harmful marriage, and would still be living that hellish life. If you stayed with him… he would have eventually killed you. And if he didn't, and you were still alive, that beautiful light that I love so much about you would have burned out."

He released her from the bridal carry, but then kept her close to him for warmth. His eyes were burning deeply into hers with intensity as he said, in a fierce, but low voice, "I don't know what I would have done without you in my life, Rose. I understand that this is a hard time for you; and that you are a kind-hearted person, which I admire it greatly; but it's okay to also take time to worry about and take care of yourself. Or… better yet; let me take care of you."

He stopped talking and then lowered his claws slightly, so that he was no longer holding onto her arms, but gently holding her hands. He brought her small and soft hands up to his lips and lightly pressed a kiss on each of them.

"As you were arguing with Doctor Sato; it occurred to me that you haven't told me much about your childhood, or your Grandfather, other than what you told us on the first night when we first met you. He seems like a wonderful man and example to you, and I would love to hear more about him, if you'll be willing to tell me. I also didn't realize that you had been on your own for so many years and have had to essentially take care of yourself for so long. I just…I hope that I can take some of that burden off your heart; and replace it with my love for you. I want to take care of you, Rose. As my soon-to-be mate, you also have my love now and forever; and my protection. I will always strive to keep that light burning bright within you."

Rose offered him a soft smile; lightly took her hands out of his claws and took hold of either side of his face.

"You're amazing, Brooklyn. Thank you for taking care of me and my broken heart…" she paused and then smiled a teasingly smile up at him and said, "Sorry that you have a fixer upper to deal with."

He stared at her with a blank stare before busting out laughing, shaking his head. He wrapped his claws around her waist and held her tenderly against his body.

"Rose, you are my life now. You're not a fixer-upper; if anything, I am. You're constantly shaping me into a better Gargoyle. I don't know how you do it; but every moment I'm with you, I feel like I'm a better Gargoyle, a better brother and friend… a better leader."

Rose smiled up at him and lovingly wrapped her arms around his waist; holding onto him, in a delicate hug, in which he happily returned.

She kept holding onto him, closing her eyes and whispered, "That's what couples do for each other; they give each other, one hundred percent of their time, efforts and love; and keep giving. I will always give my all for you, willingly and happily. I love you, Brooklyn."

He lightly pulled away from her, and kissed her deeply for a few seconds, before he pulled away, and responded, "I love you too. We can continue to discuss this later. For now, let's go inside, out of this cold, and talk to the Clan about Kevin and the Quarrymen and how we were able to heal you, as I'm sure they will be very interested to see you completely healed."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Rose said, smiling at him, taking his claw in her hand.

"After our discussions, I… also want to tell them that we are ready to get married." He said quietly, holding her hands. " Even if we only get one night of bliss before more drama unfolds; then it's worth it. I don't want to wait anymore for the terrible to happen; I'm ready to be with you now." He paused and then looked down into her face, almost uncertainty. "Of course… if you're feeling ready and willing to marry me still, regardless of everything?"

Rose smiled lovingly up at him, raised her hands up around his neck and brought her body to his, with her long red-hair whipping across her face. She closed her eyes and pressed a meaningful kiss on his lips; holding him there for a minute, before letting him go. He held onto her tightly, so that her soft chest was pressed tightly against his.

"Of course I'm ready." She responded, caressing his beak lovingly. "You're right. It's time to think of us; and of no one else. Let's get married."

Brooklyn's face lit up with pure joy as he suddenly held onto her, whipped her around in the air, whooping out.

"WAHOO!"

Rose laughed and held onto his neck tightly; until he placed her feet back down on the ground. When he did so, he tenderly pressed his lips against hers, holding onto her tightly. His claws moved up and down her back, as he did so. He pulled away from her after a few moments and pressed his forehead against hers.

"It's December 25th, " He answered her. "Almost the 26th, here in an hour. Do you still wish to get married at midnight on the 1st? Ring in the new year?"

"That's five nights away…" She said lightly. "Don't you think that's a little too fast?"

He shrugged and kept holding her against him.

"What's time to a timeless love? Hm?" He asked her softly. "I mean, think about it. We're both ready to be married, and with our connections as strong as they are, it makes sense to just make our mating title official. I say we take advantage of our time together now, and not waste another moment being separate beings. You said it yourself tonight. We are stronger together."

Rose raised her face up from resting upon his chest, smiled at him and chuckled. "You're right, of course… all right. Let's do it! I think we can make that work. That is, if everyone else is okay with it."

"They will." Brooklyn said, holding onto her tightly and resting his head upon hers. "And if not, well, that's okay too. The only person I need to be there, being mated with me, is you. ."

"True again. Well, I will need a little bit of time still. I promised that Emily would be able to be there as my Maiden of Honor; and I gotta get myself a dress. Everything else can be paper flowers and ice-cream, for all I care."

Brooklyn chuckled, kissed her happily on her forehead.

"Hmmm… paper flowers and ice-cream? Sounds like a good idea to me!"

She pulled back, from resting her head on his chest, and gazed lovingly up into his eyes. "We can plan more of this later, love… It's time to talk to the Clan."

He smiled softly at her, before pressing his lips tenderly against her forehead once again. "You're right. Let's get this over with; so that we can finally move on and start our new life together."

He gently took her hand in his claw and began to lead her towards the inside of the Castle. They made it past a few walls, not quite inside, when she stopped walking, forcing Brooklyn to stop, and pulled herself to him. His eyes were wide as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and tenderly pressed her lips against his. He snickered against her lips; but willingly moved his lips against hers, holding her passionately against him, and kissed her deeply for many long minutes.

Rose was the first to pull away, and smiled humorously up at him. His eyes were still closed as he was reminiscing their passionate kiss, and looked as though he didn't want to stop. She closed her eyes, lovingly caressed her lips against his and sighed, "I love you more than anything in this world."

Brooklyn opened his eyes, just then, and grinned devilishly down at her. She had finally walked into a word trap; one that she usually took, but now it was his turn.

"Not as much as I love you."

Rose shook her head, laughing; and then teased, "It's not a competition, my love."

Brooklyn gently held onto her chin and growled, in a low and sexy voice, suddenly; "You're right, it's not… because I've already won."

Rose laughed out loud; and couldn't believe that she had stepped into that trap. She kept hold of him and opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped as Broadway suddenly came out and interrupted them.

"Hey, Brook." He called out, from the door frame. "We need to have a Clan meeting… we… oh!"

He stopped talking and saw that Rose was standing there, in a hospital gown, completely healed, and didn't have a single scratch upon her body. When he saw her standing there, unscathed, he ran forward and gasped, "Rose!? You're here!?"

Rose smiled at him and said, "Yes. I'm finally home."

Broadway continued to stare at her and Brooklyn for a moment, before he rushed forward and gathered Rose up in a big bear hug, and spun her around in the air. Brooklyn smiled, stepped back and allowed his brother to greet her, as Rose laughed. Broadway spun her around, but then quickly set her down.

"Holy…!" He exclaimed, touching his forehead. "I can't believe you're completely healed! From what Goliath and Brooklyn were telling us, you were critically injured and nearly died… but… you ..."

"I'm healed." She announced, smiling gently as Brooklyn came back over and placed his arm around her waist. "Brooklyn healed me."

"Well, I can't take all the credit." He said smoothly. "You're magic fueled our connections. So, it was both of us, my love."

Broadway looked in great confusion over at Brooklyn and Rose.

"What in the world are you two talking about?" He asked.

Rose giggled, stepped forward and grabbed onto his claws.

"I'll explain everything to everyone." She said kindly. "It's kind of complicated, but it's time you all knew what's going on with me."

"What's going on?" He asked.

"I'll tell you inside." She repeated again, grinning.

"Oh," he replied, shrugging, and looked over at Brooklyn now. "Okay. Well… I don't think any of us realized that Rose would be released from the hospital… but now that she is here, it's best if she hears what we all need to discuss."

Rose and Brooklyn looked from Broadway, to each other, and silently nodded.

"Wait." She said, stopping and then looked down at her thin hospital gown. "I want to quickly get changed before we meet."

"Okay…" Brooklyn said, holding onto her hand to take her to her room.

"Um… no." Broadway said, holding his claws out to them, stopping them. "Rose… it's best if you don't go into your room. Xanatos' robots are still working to clean it all up from when… you know…?"

As Rose listened to Broadway, and his nervous rambling all the sudden, she remembered Kevin's attack upon her bedroom, and knew what he was talking about.

"Oh." She said softly, looking down. "Yeah… right. That."

Brooklyn froze and then exhaled deeply, cursing under his breath.

"That's right," He snarled. " Kevin came and tore your room apart, and left you nasty messages… I completely forgot."

"Hey, It's okay." Rose reassured him by turning back to him and placed her hands on his chest. "I don't need to get dressed just yet. I mean… I'll just deal with it. No big deal."

"It is a big deal." Brooklyn said to her firmly, before turning back to Broadway."When will the robots have her personal items cleared out?"

"I'm not sure." Broadway replied. "It's been kind of chaotic around here. All I know is that you probably shouldn't go in until it's been cleared out."

"Why can't he go in?" Rose asked. "Hasn't he seen it yet?"

"No, I haven't." Brooklyn mumbled angrily, crossing his arms across his chest. Rose stared at him for a moment and then offered him a weak smile and placed her hands upon his arms.

"And that's probably for the best, love." She whispered, understanding now what Broadway was saying. "It doesn't matter what he said to me, and if it makes you feel better, I don't remember what he said to me, either. Honest."

Brooklyn exhaled heavily, released his arms and took her in his hold, hugging her.

"That's relieving to me." He said quietly, as she pulled away smiling. Together, they took each other's hands and then followed Broadway inside.

As Rose held onto Brooklyn's claw, and allowed him to lead her into the Castle. As they walked into the Castle she felt something dreadful in the air around them, and instantly held onto Brooklyn's claw a bit tighter. Anxiety rolled through her suddenly, as she thought about all the inner demons and memories they would have to discuss, when it came to Kevin's attacks.

Rose took a deep breath and internally told herself to breathe. Though she was safe, in the Castle with Brooklyn and her Clan, she couldn't help but feel that they were in some sort of calm, before a bigger storm hit them.

---

Kevin chugged down the rest of his vodka bottle and was sitting in another stolen vehicle, this time with some of the Quarrymen members that had helped him escape the large- Gargoyle, Goliath, and the female detective, Elisa at the Queensboro Bridge. During their exhausting chase through Central Park, he had successfully shot Rose, twice, on he cornered her at the bridge. Once in the arm, and the other in her chest. He didn't see where it hit exactly; but there was a large explosion of blood when the bullet hit into her body, and she fell off the bridge towards the icy waters below, to his triumphant delight.

He put down his bottle, and looked around the small car. The Quarrymen weren't dressed up in their usual armor, but were dressed like him; wearing hats, and large black hoodies. As Kevin recalled last night, he couldn't help but laugh to himself. The look on Rose's face was priceless when she realized that all of her efforts to run away from him, were for naught, when he still managed to corner her. With her right where he wanted her; he had shot her twice, and loved seeing the shock and pain on her face as he hurt her. It was addicting to him.

He then remembered seeing the Gargoyle that was romantically involved with her, immediately collided into him and sent him flying across the bridge, only to swoop down after her. Not finishing him off, was the monster's biggest mistake. Kevin was now after that Gargoyle; since he wasn't too hard to notice. His red skin, white hair and long beak-like mouth were obvious physical traits.

This, Brooklyn, was going to be Kevin's next target for getting involved and thinking he could get away with taking his wife away from him. However, with how exhilarating as last night was, he still lost, and Rose still managed to survive. Thanks to her Gargoyle lover catching her, and keeping her alive from the icy water, she lived from what would have been her icy grave; and then twice after that, he was able to try to gun both of them down from the bridge, but never was successful, or so he thought. Between fighting Goliath, he had enough to worry about.

As he thought about his wife, he knew she was a fighter and a survivor; and wasn't as weak as he'd give her credit for, though he would never tell her that. Her spirit and fight was what kept this cat- and-mouse game exhilarating and extremely satisfying to him.

The two Quarrymen, who were sitting next to and in the back seat of the car, were looking at each other with eyebrows raised, as their new 'partner' was laughing at himself and thought he was insane. Their leader, Castaway, had placed them in charge of helping Kevin find his wife and then their next plan of attack was the Eyrie Building, where he said he saw the Gargoyles in the flesh. They had checked that Castle, uptop, many times before; but had never seen any, and were now in charge of making sure that Kevin wasn't completely off his rocker.

Now that they were working with Kevin; they already didn't like him. He was far off his rocker for their personal taste. However; he had a clever and cunning mind about him, and seemed to crave vengeance against the Gargoyles as well as his estranged wife. They planned on keeping him around just to get to the Gargoyles, and not too much longer after that.

"Whatchu laughin' at?" One of the Quarrymen, nicknamed Bones, asked Kevin.

They were sitting just outside of the main Manhattan General Hospital; watching for any sign of the Gargoyles or Rose since Kevin guessed that's where they took his wounded wife. Kevin ignored Bones completely as he saw something fly out of one of the hospital windows. With wide eyes, he grabbed the binoculars and quickly looked at the figures leaving, and felt his heart pound fiercely.

While he silently did that, the other man with them, named Terry, looked over at Bones and muttered, "This one is a bad apple… something ain't right in his head. Maybe we shoulda let the big-lavender Gargoyle leader take him down. I'm unsure why Castaway has insisted that we keep him in our company. I wasn't aware that we were glorified babysitters now."

Kevin smirked at himself having heard what he said, lowered the binoculars, whipped around suddenly and grabbed Terry by the base of his neck, holding him tightly, making him cry out in surprise.

"Because…" He hissed dangerously in his face. "I'm a hell lot smarter than the both of you, and your leader knows that. Look out the windshield right now, up in the night sky; and tell me what I just saw; while you two were gossiping back here."

Kevin released Terry's neck, throwing him to the side of the car, who rubbed his neck, glaring at Kevin, but did what he told them to, and looked out their window up to the sky. They both gasped when they saw the shape of a Gargoyle flying away from one of the Hospital windows. Kevin quickly grabbed a large pair of binoculars and focused in on the flying shape.

"I… I don't believe it!" Bones cried out. "Crazy-man here, is right! A Gargoyle was here all along!"

"Yes." Kevin drawled slowly, smiling evilly, turning to them and handed them the binoculars to see for themselves. "It's the red Gargoyle that I've been wanting to see, and of course he's with my darling wife, Rose. She has somehow survived my gunshots; and now she's leaving the Hospital with that… thing."

Both Terry and Bones looked through the binoculars and saw for their own eyes before looking at each other with an evil smile. Bones turned to Kevin, smiling, and said; "So… boss. What do you propose we do now?"

"Simple." Kevin answered smoothly, as though he were speaking to children. "We follow them back, to verify that they are still living at the Castle uptop Eyrie Building; and then we hatch out a plan from there."

With that, he instantly turned their stolen car on, put it into gear and sped out into the night, following the shape of the Gargoyle from high above. He grasped the steering wheel tightly and felt his emotions churning dangerously with anger. He couldn't believe that he was so close to killing Rose the other night; but had gotten unfocused and sloppy with his gunshots. He would have to try even harder to get to her; because now, if she truly went back to the Castle; Xanatos surely would have upped his security measures, making it near impossible to reach her now.

They drove and followed the shapes until the Gargoyle landed uptop the Castle, just like he predicted. When Kevin saw that, he instantly turned down a different street and sped away from the Eyrie Building.

"Hey!" Terry cried out. "What the hell are ya doin'? I thought we was going to attack them!?"

"No, there's been a change of plans." Kevin replied dangerously. "We came, we saw, and now we must wait to attack again. That red Gargoyle and my Rose landed uptop the Castle; which means they still live there. However; unfortunately because of my attacks earlier, Mr. Xanatos will have increased his security. We cannot just hang around the building, especially since I blew up that Police Detective's car. Many people are looking for me, and for you guys. We must take our successes with small bites."

"So, what are you thinking we do now?" Bones asked Kevin sarcastically, crossing his arms across his chest. "Blow up the castle from our helicopter?"

Kevin laughed out loud and then said, "No, of course not. Where's the fun in that? If you blow them all up, you can't physically be a part of the action. Don't you want to see your Gargoyle enemies writhe in pain? Don't you want to have full control of them as you kill them?"

Terry and Bones looked at each other as Kevin was speaking and both looked unnerved, slightly, but smiled. This psycho man had a great point, and seemed to have more blood lust for the Gargoyles than Castaway did. Castaway was right; Kevin was downright insane, but extremely useful and cunning. He seemed to have a plan for everything; even when things went wrong.

"How do you expect us to get up there to be able to do that?" Bones asked Kevin lightly, starting to like him more.

"Yeah, like yous said before, Mr. Xanatos has increased his security, making it near impossible to just waltz into the Eyrie Building and attack them." Terry added, thinking deeply. "We've got lots of men and weapons, but not enough to conquer the entire building, especially with Xanatos' high-tech security and weaponry."

"And not to mention a Castle full of strong Gargoyles. I'm beginning to not see how this is a success…" Bones cut back in, adding more to the conversation.

Kevin found one of their nearby storage units, in which Castaway owned; pulled into it, slammed on his breaks, and turned the vehicle off. He turned to Terry and spoke with a low and dangerous voice.

"Simple, my two con-padres…" He said smoothly. "We need to send a message to my dear Rose, and the Gargoyles; and then cut off their head of operation."

Terry and Bones looked at each other and then over to Kevin with confusion.

"Uh… we ain't followin'." Bones answered, looking at him with stupid expressions. Kevin smirked dangerously, without humor and looked over at the two men, his glittering black eyes boring into theirs.

"Do the two of you read?" He asked them quietly; the air full of danger.

"Yes, we read." Terry snapped at him. "We ain't stupid."

Kevin smiled darkly at them, instantly reached under the seat and threw a newspaper at them. Bones grabbed it irritatingly from Kevin, with a glare, and then looked it over, noticing he threw the New York Times at him.

"The New York Times? What about it?"

Kevin sighed and growled, "I want you to read it… Page three."

He watched in agonizing silence as the two men slowly flipped to the page he told them. But, from their confused looks, he knew that he would need to instruct them further.

"On the left side of the page; middle to bottom." He told them in a bored voice.

He watched as they still didn't see what he wanted them to see, so he exhaled sharply, snatched the paper from their hands and instantly began reading the small article in a loud and irritated voice.

"December 31st- The Four-Seasons Hotel will be hosting a night of luxury for celebrities and businessmen and women, everywhere, for a 'Ringing in the New Year Charity Ball.' 9:00PM, black-tie attire. One of our very own Manhattan businessmen, billionaire and industrialist, David Xanatos, has offered his words and recommendations for visitors and businessmen everywhere. "I attend every year, I wouldn't miss a chance to give back to my community, and ring in the New Year with hopes of another successful year."

As Kevin read the small article, the two men looked at each other as comprehension dawned on their faces. Kevin, however, stopped reading and tossed the newspaper aside, still spelling it out to the men.

"Now," he said smoothly. "Who does the Eyrie Building and Castle belong to?"

"Mr. Xanatos." Terry answered slowly, starting to smile once again.

"Yes," Kevin answered back, his eyes glaring at him slightly. "So… who then, my intuitive friends, would the head of the operation be?"

There was silence for a moment before Bones gasped and exclaimed, "Mr. Xanatos!"

"Very good." Kevin dramatically said, placing his hands together, thinking deeply. "So… my thoughts were that we need to attack the head of the operation in a different location. One that isn't so heavily guarded, and one where they certainly won't be expecting it. Xanatos will be attending that gala, on New Year's Eve, and will most likely have his wife, Fox, there with him. So, if we attack them, at the Gala, instead of up at the Castle, who can stop all of our manpower and weaponry? They certainly won't have their guns and weapons on them in black-tie attire, and if the Gargoyles come to protect them… then we have everything we've ever wanted to destroy; in one place."

He paused, as his eyes flashed dangerously at the two Quarrymen and continued, " So, my suggestion is this. We also ring in the New Year by getting rid of Xanatos. With him out of the way, it'll be a lot easier to attack the Castle after he's out of the picture. I'll most likely leave that attack up to you Quarrymen. And at the same time, I will be sending a message to my darling wife; by attacking her best friend's house, burning it to the ground."

"Why attack her friend?" Bones asked him, rubbing his chin. "What'll that do?"

Kevin smiled dangerously and then hissed, "If you attack Xanatos; and I attack her friend, then it'll eliminate all outside defenses to Rose and the Gargoyles, that's why. Once we get rid of the outside defenses; then we strike in the offense. You guys can then blow up the Castle for all I care- all I want is Rose. I have my own special plans for her…"

"And Castaway is on board with all of this?" Terry asked him.

"Of course." Kevin smiled over at them, shrugging. "He's like me, and sees the bigger picture. As long as the Gargoyles get eliminated; he doesn't care what I do, nor how I do it."

Terry and Bones stayed quiet, for a few minutes, thinking deeply before Bones smiled and said, "Alright, crazy. We're in. As long as we can get rid of those filthy Gargoyles; then we're down for anything."

Kevin grinned an evil smile and then hissed, "Excellent. Let's return back to Castaway, tell him our plans. We'll need to recruit as much manpower and weapons as possible. I will stay close to the Eyrie Building and keep track of Rose's whereabouts. This next line of attacks are going to be delicious."

Terry glanced over at him and laughed; "Dude… has anyone told you that you're a downright scary bastard?"

Kevin side glanced over at Terry, as though he had given him the greatest honor he'd ever received, and said with great pride; "Yes, and it feels so damn good to finally let that inner bastard and beast run wild and free. It's been too long since I've had to keep myself in check and control; and now, with no one to hold me back, I can finally begin to live."

---

When Rose and Brooklyn walked claw in hand into the large gathering hall of the Castle; they could see that all of the Clan, Elisa, plus Xanatos, and Owen were all sitting either on the couches, or standing; talking quietly amongst themselves. When they arrived into the room, together with Broadway, the full Clan looked over at them, and when they saw that Rose was there and fully healed; she received looks of shock and amazement, as well as screams in relief from Akira and Angela.

"Rose! Thank Goodness… !" Akira squealed, jumping up from the couch, as she ran towards her, with Angela shortly behind her. Rose smiled and held her arms out and gathered Akira up in her arms, as she collided with her with her running start; who exhaled in relief, wrapped Rose tightly in her arms and hugged her tightly.

"My sister!" Angela cried out, and hugged Rose as well, who opened her other arm and took her in. The three of them held each other tightly for a few seconds, before Angela and Akira, pulled away with tears in their eyes and exploded out into questions.

"Are you all right?!" Akira cried out.

"What has happened to you?" Angela asked urgently. "Goliath told us you had been critically injured, and almost died! But… you… look… "

Hudson stepped forward, after seeing her, and exclaimed, joining the questions; "Aye lass! Goliath and Brooklyn said that you were in the Hospital and had just received surgery! They said you had bruises, cuts, and injuries everywhere… but you look… unscathed."

Goliath suddenly stepped forward, as Hudson was speaking, and was also in equal shock as he only saw her close to an hour ago, critically injured, but now she was completely healed. Rose felt small, as he glanced over her; seeing for himself that she was now uninjured.

"How is this even possible?" He growled in a low voice.

Rose opened her mouth to explain, but didn't know where to begin. To her relief, Brooklyn stepped forward and said, "We are still reeling over it ourselves; but I'll do the best I can to explain what happened."

However, before he could just into the story, Rose held her hand out to him, stopping him and looked into everyone's worried eyes.

"No, love." She said softly. "I need to do this."

Then she looked over to Xanatos, who had his arms crossed and was patiently waiting for her explanation, as well as his own turn for conversation. Rose closed her eyes briefly, before she said to everyone. "I don't know where to start, but I first owe you a sincere apology. I did not know that Kevin had been so close in finding me… nor did I realize that he would have been capable at playing so many different hands, attacking us with chaos and destruction, everywhere we turned. You are my family, all of you… and I feel horrible… that you all are dealing with the mess that has come from me leaving him."

"No one faults you for leaving that evil piece of scum." Hudson said seriously, touching her shoulder. "We deal with evil criminals like him on a nightly basis. He just caught us all off guard, which can't happen again. And it won't."

"I agree." Rose said quietly. "Thank you all for your efforts in protecting me, and for choosing to tread through hell with me."

Akira smiled down at her and then grinned, taking her hand in her claws.

"That is what a Clan does." She said kindly. "We are family. And family does not leave each other behind."

Rose smiled at her, but then Goliath stepped forward and said, "That's all well and good, Rose. However, we have a lot to discuss tonight. But, first, you must tell us what is going on with you. Not even an hour ago, you had just returned from surgery and were black and blue from bruises, cuts, and could barely move; and now you are healed! How is this possible? What happened?!"

Rose looked from him to the Clan and opened her mouth to speak, but then saw that Bronx, the large Gargoyle beast, was lying next to the fireplace, on top of a blanket and had a large bandage around his waist. He was looking up at her with large, hurt eyes, and was whining quietly, his stump of a tail going weakly as he saw her and greeted her.

Her eyes widened and Goliath's question went past her mind.

"What happened to Bronx?!" She suddenly cried out, looking at the Clan, and they suddenly looked very upset.

"He's been injured." Angela answered quietly, looking as if she was suddenly going to burst into tears. "Kevin ran him over with his car, when the males were hunting him down, before they lost him and he got his hands upon you in Central Park"

Rose's eyes widened in horror, and then quickly ran over to Bronx, slowly knelt down next to his giant body, and placed her hand upon his shoulder, rubbing his head gently.

"But…" Rose stuttered, trying to digest everything all the sudden. "It's been one night since then… and one sunrise! Why hasn't he healed yet?"

"He has." Lexington said, coming over to rest next to Bronx, with a shaking voice.

"What?" Rose gasped out. "But… he should be healed then! If he's turned to stone…"

"Breaking bones will heal in our stone sleep, but I fear that there's been too much damage." Goliath explained, stepping forward. "Just like Hudson hasn't healed from his eye damage, Bronx hasn't fully healed from his muscular-skeletal damage. He will most likely have a permanent limp, and I don't think it'll heal more than this."

Rose stared at Goliath in horror and then slowly glanced down, with tears in her eyes, and gently held onto Bronx's head, feeling like she was going to vomit at any second. This whole time, she didn't know what truly happened, and as far as she was aware, no on in the Clan had been injured. But not that one has, everything seemed to fall apart around her. Rose gently petted his head, and the large beast closed his eyes in comfort to her touch, breathing deeply, still in obvious distress and pain.

"Oh, you sweet boy." Rose whispered, leaning her head down upon his and began crying earnestly. "What has he done to you!?" She then paused and whipped her head around to Brooklyn and exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me that he had been hurt!? This whole time… and you didn't mention that someone had been hurt by Kevin!"

"There is nothing you and I can do for him." He responded quietly, coming closer to her. "And, I was going to tell you before you healed, but you were still critically injured, and I didn't want to upset you further… "

"You didn't want to upset me!?" Rose shrieked out, looking up at him with wide eyes. "A member of our Clan has been permanently injured by Kevin and this whole time you didn't think to mention it to me?!"

Brooklyn stayed silent and stared down at her with a sorrowful expression, but took her words and silently processed them.

"You were still in the hospital, Rose." Elisa said gently, stepping forward, and sitting behind her. "Brooklyn was only looking out for you first, plus, Bronx is not dead. He will have a battle scar to live with for the rest of his life, true, and it's not ideal, but it's not the latter, and we'll take him just as he is now. Love him and accept what he can do for the Clan still."

Rose bit her lips, as tears fell down her face and leaned her head against Bronx, as he whimpered against her and nuzzled; giving her comfort back.

"I'm sorry." She whispered against Bronx's soft fur, petting him softly. "I'm so sorry."

She closed her eyes as silent tears fell down her face, and then Brooklyn slowly lowered himself down behind her and placed his claws upon her shoulders.

"Rose… sweetheart," He said quietly. "He'll be alright. True, the sun didn't heal him completely, but Elisa is right. He isn't dead, and will have a battle scar. And an honorable one at that."

"Aye." Hudson said, folding his arms across his chest, and looked down at her with his golden blind eye. "There be nothin' wrong with those. He should be proud, as we are all very proud of him… I just… wish he wasn't still in pain."

He then looked sadly down at his furry companion, as the rest of the Clan stared down at him with tears in their eyes. Rose couldn't help but feel completely responsible for his injury, and wished she could do something to help him.

Then, she had a thought. As that wish went through her mind, her magic suddenly awakened in side her and rested into the palms of her hands, heating them with excitement, and then her eyes widened in comprehension.

Brooklyn was able to heal her while using her magic; and while she let him heal her; she never thought about trying to heal herself, or someone else for that matter. She had never actually tried to use her magic for specific things, but now, she wanted to try it. And that way, whether it worked or not, Rose could show the Clan what she was trying to tell them.

Sitting up, she suddenly placed both her hands upon his body and closed her eyes, relaxing herself; breathing deeply, willing her magic to take away his pain and heal his injury. She didn't know if it would work, or really how to control her magic, but inside her mind she willed the magic to awaken and to heal Bronx.

Just as she thought it, breathing deeply, the red power suddenly heated her hands and arms, and slowly flowed out of her, into Bronx's body. Everyone's eyes widened, and the entire Clan made explosive noises in shock; and even Xanatos, from across the room, uncrossed his arms and stared down at her with wide eyes, and turned to face Owen, who's eyes were also wide staring at Rose.

"Owen… are you seeing this?!" He asked his associate in a rushed whisper. Owen stared down at Rose and then slowly a smile of comprehension spread upon his face.

"Yes, Mr. Xanatos…" He said quietly, in his monotone voice. "I think I am seeing everything quite clearly now."

"And?" Xanatos asked him in a hushed tone, but as Owen watched Rose's powers flow out her body, encompassing hers and Bronx entire being, and then his smile faded; suddenly looking terrified.

"Oh… that's not what I expected."

"What do you mean?" Xanatos asked him, but Owen never answered him, and suddenly whipped around and quickly walked out of the room.

" I have to go, sir." Owen said in a rush. "I'll uh… be right back."

"Wha-?" Xanatos said, as Owen walked away quickly. "Owen?!"

But he was gone.

Looking around in even more confusion, Xanatos turned back and watched as Rose suddenly wielded this strange and amazing magic. Back around Bronx, the Clan was all terrified and amazed all at the same time, having no good past with magic or sorcery. They all backed away from her, as Goliath's eyes widened in horror, grabbed Elisa away from the red magic, and then leapt forward to pull Rose away from Bronx.

"ROSE! STOP!" Goliath cried out stepping towards her to stop her, but Brooklyn quickly stood, forced his wings open and shielded Rose from him by holding his claws out to stop him.

"No, Goliath! Watch… she's trying to heal him using her magic." He urged Goliath.

Goliath's eyes remained huge, staring from Brooklyn's protecting Rose, and Rose's red magic, and sputtered, "Her… magic?!"

Lexington, Broadway, Akira and Angela all stepped closer to her after the initial shock , with eyes wide and mouth gaped open, and seemed curiously cautious of her. Hudson, however, took a step backwards and gasped our in horror, "Sorcery…!"

Rose ignored everything around her, as she focused upon Bronx's injuries and willed the new, but familiar hot-liquid sensation to flow down her own arms and body and into his. As it came out, she smiled to herself, and knew that it was working. Red-electrified smoke encompassed her and Bronx's body, and had never felt more relaxed or in a natural element as the magic flowed from her hands.

Just like her connection to Brooklyn, at that moment, she couldn't believe she had lived her entire life without knowing she had lost such an important part of who she was. With Brooklyn next to her, and her magic flowing out of her willingly, she felt like she was home and had found a best friend within her soul. A best friend that she had been internally searching her whole life, without realizing it.

A few minutes went by before her red magic faded, and once gone; she opened her eyes and looked down to see what she truly did. Bronx was lying down on the ground in front of her, but after a few seconds of gathering his bearings, he slowly stood on all fours, looked around at her, and the Clan, shook out his fur, and began to walk around, without any limp or injury; booming in happiness and was lapping his tongue happily.

"Jalenpena!" Lexington gasped. "He- he's healed!"

Rose turned around at the Clan and smiled at everyone's looks of pure amazement, as Bronx suddenly boomed out happily and bounded up to her, licking her over and over again on her face, having realized that he wasn't in any more pain. Rose giggled at him, and held onto his neck, hugging him back. Over Bronx's massive shoulder, she looked over at Brooklyn, who was smiling proudly at her and touched her shoulders once again. He leaned his face forward and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"I'm so proud of you, Rose." He said quietly.
"I can heal people, Brooklyn!" She exclaimed excitedly. "And, I don't know if I can heal myself, but I'll let you have that gift, because our connection was so special back at the Hospital."

Brooklyn smiled at her and held her in his arms and then rubbed Bronx's ears, who was still nuzzling into both Rose and Brooklyn. Everyone else still stayed silent for a moment, before Goliath finally spoke up.

"How- how is this possible?" He asked quietly. "You're a Human!"

Akira suddenly walked up to her and knelt down, and placed her claws upon Rose's arm, looking very thoughtful and shocked. Rose and Brooklyn looked over at her, smiling, as she slowly smiled back and had tears in her eyes.

"No…" she whispered, staring deeply into Rose's eyes. "You aren't just a Human. I… I can't place it, but I can just feel that something is very different about you all the sudden. There is great magic and power inside you. A power that you've always had, but have never known until now."

Rose stared at her, very interested in how Akira knew that; but Lexington stepped forward and spoke up asking the question that was going through her head.

"How do you know that, 'Kira love?"

"I have always been interested in legends, long forgotten, and have a basic knowledge of Avalon and her magic." Akira explained. "The Ishimura Clan not only studies Bushido, but we try to study as much about the world around us. I've always been curious about the Third Race, particularly because I've always been sensitive to that magic, and can feel it's aura around its members."

Brooklyn looked up in shock, and looked at Akira in great interest, as Lexington looked equally as shocked, while Rose grinned at her and exclaimed, "Really?"

Akira smiled back and nodded.

"Yes, that's how I knew this 'connection' you and Brooklyn spoke of had to be legit; something of great power and destiny." She explained, smiling kindly. "And though I do not know the full story or details; I have always known that Rose was special. Much more than just a normal, flesh and blood, Human." She paused and smiled even brighter now. "And it has been a joy to watch you grow, as well as yours and Brooklyn's love and connection. Somehow, you have awakened the forgotten part of your soul, and are now on the journey of finding out who you really are."

Rose stared at her, thinking deeply about what Akira was telling her. But, now that Rose's magic had been awakened, she could feel Akira's aura as well; and it was able to sense hers.

"Who I really am?" Rose asked her softly.

"Yes," Akira said. "Since you did not know your biological parents, I have a feeling they are of Avalon blood and magic. Hence why I'm sensitive to your magic all the sudden." Akira paused for a moment, continued to stared into her eyes, and then asked her, "How did you awaken your magic?"

"It was Brooklyn who actually awakened it." Rose explained to her. "The night he was injured when saving myself and Emily from that gang. He had just been stabbed, and I knew it was up to me to do something, to protect those I loved and it just… burst out of me. But, long before then, I had been feeling much different, little by little, from the moment Brooklyn and I touched hands. Our souls are connected, and always have been, so when we touched; it seemed to have awakened much more than we thought."

"So interesting!" Akira exclaimed, looking to Brooklyn now. "Is this how you healed tonight? Did you heal yourself?!"
"Actually no." Rose said, smiling and turned to face Brooklyn and leaned into his chest. "My betrothed love and mate, did."

"Brooklyn!?" Broadway asked, amazed. "You healed Rose?"

Brooklyn chuckled slightly and then said proudly, "Yeah. I did."

"You have magic now?" Hudson asked him warily, looking from him to Rose with uncertainty. But as Bronx, in full healing approached him and nuzzled against his leg, he began to feel better.

"No, I don't think so." Brooklyn laughed. "Not any more than all of us have deep within our souls and Gargoyle bloodline. But, I've always known that Rose and I are different- and our connections are still a bit of a mystery. But,from what I've been able to gather from it… she and I are one, as she mentioned. And if we are one, and I can heal in my stone sleep, then so can she; with the use of her magic and my will for it to happen. Seeing what I've seen just now, Rose can heal others with her magic, but was unable to access it for herself. I had to be the one to will it for her, and heal her. During that time in the hospital, I could think of nothing else except that I needed to take her in my arms and heal her.

Once I did, our connections allowed us to literally feel each other's souls, and we could even read one another's minds. I couldn't stand to see her in so much pain, so I took her in my arms and, and as our minds, souls, and bodies connected, we both worked together in healing each other. I willed it all, but she essentially gave me a boost and fueled it with her magic." He paused, rested his head against Rose's forehead, held her stomach with his arm, and pulled her closer to him. "Just like I can heal in our stone sleep; I willed Rose to heal from her wounds, so she can live a long and healthy life with me."

Everyone stayed silent for a few minutes, before Akira finally spoke out, and whispered, "Just like Hisashi and Suki…"

Rose blinked a few times and then stepped forward, towards her, remembering the night, a few months ago, when she told her and the rest of the couples the Japanese Legends of the only known Gargoyle and Human mated-pair.

"The legend?" Rose asked her. "Is that how Hisashi and Suki were connected?"

"Yes. That is how Suki managed to stay the same age as Hisashi. Together, they aged at the same time; and Suki passed away when Hisashi passed; at almost two-hundred and ten years old."

Rose smiled brightly over at Brooklyn, with tears in her eyes, and both of them knew that this legend that Akira had told them about, had somehow chosen them as another mated pair of Gargoyle and Human. Though the history of the legend is still unknown to them, they knew it to be true, since they were living it. Brooklyn's eyes filled with tears and tightly grasped Rose in his arms.

"I thought they were just legends and stories?" Lexington stepped forward and held his claws out, as though explaining himself.

"Yes, they are." Akira said, grinning brightly at him. "But then again, so are we, my love. So, they can't be too crazy, right? I mean, between Goliath and Elisa being a mated pair, and soon Brooklyn and Rose- I would say it's not crazy at all."

Lexington stared down at his mate, who was smiling endearingly at him, and Rose looked around at the others from the loving embrace of Brooklyn. Hudson was smiling now; ahd sat down and was rubbing Bronx's head, Goliath and Elisa were looking lovingly at each other, while Broadway was standing, still processing it all, and Angela had taken a seat and was looking exhausted all the sudden. Rose blinked slightly and focused a bit more on her, who had turned from her and closed her eyes, resting her arm upon her stomach. Rose opened her mouth to make sure Angela was feeling alright, when Broadway spoke up, loudly.

"Man... I'm not keeping up with things tonight. From Rose having powers, to all these changes. It's been too much." He said, sitting next to Angela. "What's next?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked," Brooklyn suddenly said, standing up and pulling Rose up with him, keeping her by his side. Akira stood as well, and stepped back to stand next to Lexington, and was smiling happily at both of them. Brooklyn looked down into Rose's face, and together, they stared into each other's eyes. "Now that we know a bit more about what these connections are, they are impossible to ignore. Rose and I are meant to be together, and that is exactly what we plan on doing, from this moment forward."

"What do you mean?" Broadway asked, standing near the couch, as Goliath frowned at his Second-in-Command slightly, looking a bit nervous as if he knew what he was going to request.

"We have decided to go ahead with a mating ceremony and marriage, despite everything we've dealt with tonight." Brooklyn announced, keeping Rose close to him for moral support. "We wish to be together, for the rest of our lives, and hope for everyone's support and blessing, as we take this next step in our relationship."

The moment those words left Brooklyn's mouth, there was a very long and tense silence, one of which Rose didn't like, all the sudden. It made her feel very uncomfortable; and she realized that perhaps this wasn't the time to make the announcement. Rose looked around at each of their faces and felt relieved when Lexington, Broadway, Akira, Elisa and Hudson gave them both a small smile; however; her relief was short-lived as Goliath and Angela did not look happy with their news at all, even Xanatos was starting to look uncomfortable. Rose's eyes met Xanatos' for a moment, and she felt unsettled suddenly. His arms were crossed over his chest, and seemed to have a shadow over his face; but she couldn't mistake his expression. It was between interest and him plotting something, like she sometimes felt he was.

She frowned at him, not caring that she was throwing him a dirty look, but it was those looks that he had given her in the past, made her feel like a lab rat, or something to be studied. He smirked at her, and more warning shot through her. She blinked and forced herself to look away from him, and towards Goliath who's final say it was up to when it came to hers and Brooklyn's mating ceremony, ignoring her magic which was flaring up in warning.

Goliath crossed his large and muscular arms across his chest; and glanced down at the pair of them. After a few minutes of deliberating, he finally sighed and said, "I've already given you both my blessing to be mated, however; I'm sorry to tell you this, but I don't feel that right now is the best time. I promise the both of you, that we will put together a nice ceremony for you in time; but we must deal with the current threat to our Clan's and this Castle's safety. I feel that we need to focus on finding Kevin and the Quarrymen now… before another attack happens."

Rose could feel and sense Brooklyn's immediate disappointment; but it was short-lived. One amazing thing about Brooklyn, to Rose, was that he had a very strong sense of duty. He was focused on what he needed to do at the time; and while being Rose's mate was something he greatly desired, he also knew that hers and the Clan's safety was the top priority.

Brooklyn took a deep breath, stood up taller as he held Rose to his side and said, "Okay. I agree with you, as well. We will wait until Kevin's and the Quarrymen's threats are over. Still, I had to ask."

Goliath smiled at the pair of them and then nodded his head, pleased with Brooklyn's mature response. He knew how hard it was to stay unpaired from one's mate; and felt for him. However; he also knew that until the threat of Kevin and the Quarrymen was over, then they would not be able to fully enjoy their new life and partnership with each other. He turned away from them, with his wings draped across his shoulders like a giant cloak, and continued to speak to the entire clan now.

"Rose's magic is now a new thing for all of us, as well as their connections… thank you for sharing with us the truth." He stated, looking warily at her still.

"Aye," Hudson said stepping forward. "You must forgive this old Gargoyle… but in my life, I have seen sorcery, and have not grown to care for nor trust it. Ye must take very special care to keep in control of it. Or we find someone who knows magic and can help ya… though I still do not know how a Human has magic."

"Yes." Xanatos suddenly said, stepping forward now. "This new development has us all very, very intrigued, Rose. Who knew that you were capable of such… power?"

Rose slowly turned back to face Xanatos, and grabbed onto Brooklyn's claw tightly, and forced her connection to flow into his, so he could feel her wariness and warning. Both of their hands tingle, and in surprise, Brooklyn looked down at her as he felt her connect with him. But then, he felt what she was feeling. Rose briefly looked into his eyes, before looking over at Xanatos, and Brooklyn could feel her magical defenses arising suddenly in warning.

He kept her safely against his chest, with his arm around her waist and looked over his shoulder at Xanatos, who was approaching them from the side of the room. Brooklyn had always been wary of him, ever since all his scheming against the Clan, but in recent years, he had seemed to calm down, became trustworthy, and quit scheming. However, as he saw the familiar look of cunningness on his face, he held Rose more protectively against him, having now been made aware of her discomfort.

"What's it to you?" Brooklyn asked him a bit rudely. Goliath looked over at him with furrowed eyebrows at his tone, but Xanatos just simply smiled at him and shrugged.

"What's wrong with being interested in it?" He asked Brooklyn innocently. "The only other half-Human, half-Third Race member is my wife, Fox. But, of course, Owen my hidden Third Race, associate has felt Rose's growing powers and have notified me of it's growth. Just like everyone else here, I am very intrigued about where she is really from and whose child she really belongs to, biologically, of course."

"Wait?" Rose spoke up, resting her hand upon Brooklyn's chest. "Owen knows about my magic?"

"Of course." He grinned. "Owen is really Puck, a Third Race member, and has been assigned to protect my family and teach my son how to wield his magic. Owen has known about your magic, the night Brooklyn was injured, when it was awakened."

"And you didn't say anything to me?" Rose asked him.

"I didn't want to pry." Xanatos replied simply.

"If you both have known, then why hasn't Owen or Puck come to talk to me about it? Had I known he was a Third Race member, maybe he could teach me-?"

"No, Rose." Brooklyn interjected quietly. "You don't want Puck to teach you how to control your magic. He's a trickster, and most of our mishaps from magic have been caused by his doing."

"Oh, come now Brooklyn." Xanatos said, holding his arms out. "No need to dish out an insult when the poor man isn't here to defend himself, plus he's doing a fine job with my son."

"Would he help me?" Rose asked Xanatos quietly. "I… I still don't know what all I am capable of. Nor, how to control it, other than staying calm. If I get myself worked up, then I notice that I can easily lose control of myself."

Xanatos shrugged and grinned cheekily at her.

"Sounds like you've got a good start all by yourself. But I'll mention it to Owen when he decides to come back."

"Where is he anyway?" Brooklyn asked, raising one eye bone at Xanatos; still feeling Rose's slight discomfort.

"Uh, that's a very good question." Xanatos replied, looking around. "However, I can't say I know. But, if I had a guess, he's going to do something or find something about Rose's powers."

Rose gasped and then narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why?"

"I have no idea." Xanatos said, shrugging. "He took one look at you and your powers, turned a whiter shade than he normally is, and ran out of the room."

Rose blinked a few times, and slowly raised her face to Brooklyn's and looked into his face with concern. Brooklyn glanced down upon her face, and though he looked worried, he offered her a small smile; reassuring her as best he could. Xanatos watched their exchange, turned to Goliath, who had been watching the exchange, and nodded at him; signaling him over while continuing to speak.

"However, Owen will have to wait, as will your new, strange powers." Xanatos said in a more serious, business tone, turning back to Rose and Brooklyn. "Now that you're out of the hospital, it's time we discuss what we need to do from this moment forward about Kevin."

Rose took a deep breath and automatically leaned in closer to Brooklyn, who naturally held her tighter against him. She could feel something coming; and her anxiety was beginning to rise uncomfortably. She stayed silent as Xanatos cleared his throat and then continued to speak, speaking solely to her now.
"Rose," he started cautiously, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "It has truly been a pleasure to get to know you, these few months that you've been here, but I cannot lie to you. This attack upon my business and home, endangering my wife and son; has got me making some pretty tough decisions here. Kevin is a lot more dangerous, cunning, and powerful than I thought possible. He snuck past my guard; and even worse, past my high-tech security, and the Gargoyles like a ghost. I have upped my security measures, fired Adam the guard, and have doubled the amount of security teams to patrol the building, on all levels. But, I am still worried that it won't be enough."

Xanatos then turned to Goliath, who nodded at him, stepped forward and began to speak, not just to Rose, but the whole Clan now.

"Last night's attacks on this Castle, Elisa's Police Vehicle, and Rose herself; is extremely worrisome to me, as well. With Xanatos' security measures doubling, it still has me worried. However, between our numbers and strength; to his high-tech weaponry, we should be able to keep any air attacks away from us, as well. That's the only good news I have, unfortunately." Goliath explained, walking slowly around the room, speaking to each Gargoyle and Human.

"Now, onto the not-so-good news." He continued to speak. "We followed the car, in which Kevin was picked up from the bridge, and it dead-ended in an old and abandoned warehouse. It looks to be property of John Castaway himself; validating that the Quarrymen are truly in cahoots with Kevin, which is not good news for any of us. However, nobody was there, as we searched the warehouse inside and out. Meaning that for now, we are unfortunately at a stand-still until they make another move towards us. Until then, we will stay here in this Castle; and all try to lie low for a while."

Xanatos finally stepped forward, with hands behind his back, and looked over at Goliath with a weary expression. Goliath glanced over at him, blinked a few times, and then sighed.

"Xanatos and I have… also discussed an… option for you, Rose." Goliath said quietly; not looking at Brooklyn.

Rose blinked a few times, looked between Goliath and Xanatos, and then asked; feeling more and more anxious, "What do you mean?"

No one said anything for a few moments, before Xanatos stepped forward and said, in a smooth voice.

"Goliath and I have spoken about the events from last night… and we both strongly agree that until the threats start to slow down; it would be safer for you to stay down in the Labyrinth…in the old Cyberbiotics underground lab with the Mutated Clan… until it is safe for you to return here. I have spoken to Talon; the leader down in the Labyrinth- Elisa's brother- and they have offered to take you in."

Rose's eyes went wide, as she listened to Xanatos say this, and felt her heart drop down in to her stomach. She couldn't believe what she was hearing and felt as though she was thoroughly being thrown away.

"What?!" Brooklyn suddenly cried out, his eyes wide as well, and it appeared to be news for him as well.

"It would just be for a short amount of time." Xanatos explained further, this time to Brooklyn. "She is always welcome to stay here… however; I just had the thought that since Kevin has found her so easily, it might be safer for her to remain in a more hidden safe haven, just in case Kevin makes another move to attack her and this Castle."

Rose's heart dropped as she slowly took in what Xanatos was telling her, and though part of her understood where he was coming from, she couldn't help but also feel that they were getting rid of her because it was the easiest thing to do, not necessarily the right thing.

Brooklyn and Rose had just realized that they were better and stronger together; and that they needed to stay near to each other. Their connection was something they knew was important for each other; and it was also something that the others wouldn't necessarily understand.

"You're getting rid of me?" Rose asked Xanatos quietly; staring into his eyes with great hurt. Brooklyn was silent as he held her against his side; but he looked over at her now, and looked to be frozen in a state of shock and horror. He seemed to be just as upset as her; if not a little more.

"No, Rose." Xanatos comforted gently, stepping forward and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Just… rehousing you for a short time. You'll be safe down in the Labyrinth. Talon and the other mutates said that they would watch over and protect you during the day, and I'm sure Brooklyn or the other Gargoyles will accompany you during the night."

Brooklyn turned his horrified gaze over to Goliath and suddenly stepped over towards him, leaving Rose standing frozen where she was at.

"Tell me this is joke?!" He exclaimed, holding his claws out to Goliath, pleading. "You can't take her from me...!"

Goliath sighed and exhaled deeply, "Brooklyn... please... try to understand-"

"NO!" Brooklyn yelled out. "Tell me this isn't what you two have planned for her?!"

Goliath crossed his large arms over each other and explained, as smoothly as he could, knowing that his Second-in-command wasn't going to like any of this.

"Brooklyn… I know how much she means to you, and I understand your guys' connection to each other, but you cannot let your guard down. Not even for a second; especially with Kevin conspiring against us with the Quarrymen. He has proven himself to be a great and terrible enemy, and is down right dangerous. Rose will be safe in the Labyrinth, until we find Kevin and are able to stop his terrorism. As Second-in-Command, you must try to seek to see the bigger picture. This option is temporary, and is the only way that I can think to keep the Clan, this Castle, and her safe." He paused and then placed a large claw on Brooklyn's shoulders, who was obviously downcast and offered in a soft voice, "It's the best of all worlds, and though it's a difficult choice, it's the right one. Do you agree?"

Brooklyn stayed silent for a few minutes; looking from his leader, to the Clan, and then finally over to Rose, with a distraught face. They stared into each other's eyes and she could tell that he was having an internal battle with ; he had a duty as Second-in-Command of the Clan and to Goliath, and the other was his duty to her, both of which were clashing horribly in this moment. A tense moment passed between him and her; before Brooklyn exhaled in defeat, no longer looking at her .

Yes, Goliath. I agree." He finally relented in a miserable voice, and Rose's heart shattered. Feeling her immediate betrayal and distress, he raised his eyes to Rose's silently begging for her understanding through his hurt and continued in a rushed voice. "It's not going to be easy, but yes, I can see that it's the right thing to do."

When he uttered those words; Rose felt as though she had been gut punched by Kevin once again; but this time it was from Brooklyn. Though they didn't appear to have an option, and he had no choice other than the right one, it still hurt her greatly. Her hands started to tingle as her thoughts and emotions connected with Brooklyn's, and his eyes were instantly full of hurt and worry, as he could feel her great hurt and betrayal. He knew what betrayal felt like; but couldn't believe that she was comparing him to Kevin, and instantly he started to reach out to her.

"Rose…" He begged, but she stepped away from him, and kept her hands clenched in fists, refusing to look at him. Brooklyn stopped walking towards her, but still held his claws out and his eyes filled with tears, feeling more miserable and depressed than he ever thought was possible. It felt like every moment together, they had very little time to rest and enjoy their life and love, before going through the ringer and getting beaten to the ground again.

Goliath stepped forward now towards Rose, and spoke to her gently.

"Rose… it is not an easy choice for any of us. I can see that you are hurt greatly, but know that we all love you and just want what's best for you. We still value your opinion on this, and want to know if you also agree with this plan?"

Rose kept her gaze down at her feet, was shaking slightly, clenched her jaw and then muttered, in a dead voice, "It doesn't matter what I think, it appears that I have no choice."

"Yes, you do." Goliath admonished, stepping forward towards her, going to place a claw on her shoulder. "You always have a choice with us, however…" he stopped talking and froze, as Rose suddenly shot away from him and his claw.

"There's nothing more to discuss, Goliath. I'll go pack." She interrupted in a dead voice.

With that, not bothering to look at the Clan anymore, she turned and walked away from everyone, making sure to stand tall.

"Rose… wait!" Brooklyn cried out, holding his claw out to her, but she ignored him. She walked quickly down the hallway, towards her old bedroom, pushed the door open, walked inside and blinked in shock as she remembered Kevin's attacks from last night in her bedroom.

Elisa and the rest of the Police had come in, and had gathered all evidence from her bedroom, while Xanatos' robots had the bed frame pulled apart. The wood, with all of Rose's messages, were lying down on the ground, in a pile. The room was no longer warm and inviting as it once was. She looked over at the pile and saw two words, sticking out; mocking her.

"I'm coming for you..."

Rose immediately felt her loneliness and empty heart start to break down the weak wall she instantly put up just now. She blinked a few times, ignoring Kevin's messages to her, and then made her way into the bathroom. Once again, as she looked around, another realization came flooding over her. None of the stuff in the bedroom or the bathroom, other than her shoe box, belonged to her. Thanks to Kevin, she belonged nowhere; and truly had no real home of her own. He had stripped her of her safety and now her security.

At this point, Brooklyn had come running after her, and found her staring at the floor in the bathroom, with her back to him. When he came in the bathroom, he walked towards her and gently fastened his arms around her chest, holding onto her shoulders, from behind her. He stepped forward, pressing his body against her back, and rested his face into the crook her neck. He was breathing heavily, as he held onto her, and she could feel his tears falling from his eyes, onto her upper chest.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled into her skin, holding onto her tightly. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

As he was apologizing over and over again, Rose could feel her own dam of emotions about to break, as tears entered her eyes. Brooklyn was holding onto her, so tightly, that it made her breathing difficult. However; he wasn't about to let her go. He breathed heavily as he kissed the skin of her neck, holding onto her even tighter.

Rose closed her eyes, as a sob built in her own throat. She leaned her head back against his, brought one hand up to hold onto the side of his face, while her other hand, and grasped his arm. She took a deep breath finally; allowing her hysteria to burst forth. Rose closed her eyes and immediately started to cry; sobbing hysterically. Her breathing was shallow, and Brooklyn's grasp on her seemed to be the only thing to physically holding her together.

She raised her hand to her mouth, to try to stifle the noise she was making, but as she tried, all her emotions wanted to burst forth. Anger and hatred for Kevin, hatred for herself, sorrow and grief greater than any loss she'd ever had, and loneliness. Rose collapsed in Brooklyn's arms, going dead weight; and with little effort, he held onto her and eased her to the ground.

Once there, she turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck to secure her body against his, and cried into his shoulder. He held onto the back of her head and pressed his lips against her neck, kissing her lovingly for a few moments; allowing her to scream and cry onto his shoulder as long as she needed to.

"Why is this happening to us, Brooklyn?" Rose cried out, sitting in his lap. "I don't understand. It feels like we get one good thing before a series of beatings come upon us. I mean... D-don't w-we deserve to b-be happy too? I-is this our f-future? Something we can o-only dream of, b-but never p-physically have?"

Tears streamed down Brooklyn's face, as he held Rose in his arms and shook his head.

"I don't know." He replied, feeling dead inside. "I wish I had an answer to that, but I don't right now. I'm just… I'm just so sorry, Rose. I nearly lost you last night, and now… I… I'm losing you again."

At that, Brooklyn clenched his jaw and held her so tightly, her lungs began to be constricted and air was difficult to breathe in. However, she allowed him to squeeze her, as his own dam of emotions and grief poured through. He cried earnestly into her hair, trying to hide his face. Exhausted, she just rested her wet face against his chest and didn't know what to say. Normally, she would have consoled him by telling him that he wasn't going to lose her, but now, their separation was being forced; her time was up. She was being evicted.

Rose didn't say anything as both her and Brooklyn cried, and after what felt like a good ten minutes, she was finally able to breathe more normally; and her sobs calmed down, leaving her breathing staggered and her entire body sore and exhausted. Brooklyn had calmed down as well; and leaned his back against a wall, holding her in his lap. Rose clenched her fists up, against his back and pressed her forehead against his shoulder, closing her eyes.

They stayed in silence for a few minutes, and suddenly Brooklyn softly ran his claws up and down her back and through her long hair; trying his best to support and calm her down. He then raised his lips up to her ear and whispered, "If I could change this, I would. Please don't be upset with me, my love. I'm so sorry. From us not being able to be mated… to being forced to live separately… I feel like I could die right here and right now."

Rose inhaled deeply, allowing fresh air to clear out her foggy brain, and bring life into her lungs once again. She finally gazed up into his eyes, and saw that he had stopped crying, but looked miserable. She placed her hands on either side of his face, as an intense sensation shot through their bodies, connecting them once again. She could feel everything in which he was feeling and thinking; and he could feel her emotions and thoughts, which, to his shock and surprise, felt completely helpless and empty, as though she didn't any anything more to give.

She pressed her forehead against his, closing his eyes, as he held onto her.

After a minute, he pulled away from her, cupped her face in his claws and said, his voice full of concern, "Please Rose, talk to me. I… I can't stand not knowing if you're going to be all right."

Rose sighed heavily and said, in a stronger voice than she thought she'd have in this moment. "From Kevin's terrorism, to what happened last night, to you guys giving me away to the Labyrinth. I have survived this far from Kevin's abuse, I guess I will continue to survive, I suppose."

He was staring at her with great concern,as he responded quietly.

"Oh my love." He whispered, taking her face in his claws. " I hate this... I do. I never want to be parted from you, and only want you to be able live a happy life. But..." He paused, took a deep breath and then said, in a low and serious voice. "I see now the only way for that to happen is to find Kevin, once again, and make sure he dies. Goliath was right I have been distracted from my other duties as his Second-in-Command, and I need to make sure that I keep my focus on not just you, but the whole Clan, and our Castle. We can and will be together… once this is all over. I promise you that. Once I get to Kevin; you can finally be free to live happily. That is what matters to me."

Rose lowered her hands to his bare chest and gently leaned her cheek against the side of his beak. He held on to her back, while using his other claw to gently raise her face to meet his gaze once again, all while keeping her close to his face.

"I know," Rose whispered. "I understand, truly I do. I don't fault you at all. I know that this is the right thing to do; it's just hard."

"Yeah," Brooklyn mumbled, gently caressing the skin on her face. "Tell me about it. However; Talon and other mutates will take good care of you during the day, and I will be there with you every night…"

Rose smiled sadly and then said, "No, you can't be there every night."

His face fell slightly, so she took his face in her hands, and comforted him softly.

"I know that you want to be there, but like you just said, you have a duty to the Clan and Goliath… not just to me. I know that you'll always be there for me, and I don't hold it against you. I will cherish the nights in which we can see each other; but I also understand that you have to do what is required of you. If Goliath and the Clan need you to search for Kevin or help protect our Clan and others, then so be it. I'll be alright."

"But, when we connected, right as I agreed with Goliath; I felt you feel as though I betrayed and hurt you, just as Kevin had… and I couldn't bare…" He urged her, his voice becoming more emotional and broken as he remembered this.

"Brooklyn," Rose breathed, shaking her head, and gently touching his face. She sighed and then looked deeply into his eyes, damning their connection sometimes. Her thoughts were no longer hers, and sometimes that hurt each other.

"You know how I feel about you, my love. It's just going to take some time to get used to sharing my thoughts with you. I'm only Human, and I do feel betrayed… but not by you; at least not anymore. You are not anything like Kevin… not even close. I'm sorry that you heard my thoughts, I just felt… so hurt, and I didn't realize that you could do that to me, but I'll be alright. I promise."

"Never would I intentionally hurt you, Rose." He whispered, inches away from her lips.

"I know," she breathed back, wanting to get lost in a passionate kiss. She hoped that if they did so, then it would bring the power to heal her broken heart, as it physically healed her, two hours earlier. Rose leaned her face towards his lips, and his to hers, to kiss. However; inches before their lips touched, Xanatos knocked on her bathroom door and walked in. Rose staying in Brooklyn's arms, but turned her attention over to him.

"May I please come in?" He asked, as he walked over to them.

Rose blinked a few times as Brooklyn grumbled, in an irritated voice, "If you must."

Xanatos ignored his snarky remark and turned his attention to Rose. His face looked apologetic as he said, "I feel terrible about this whole ordeal, Rose. You've already lost so much and to now gain a family and then feel like you lose them again… I'm so sorry."

Rose felt a bit of irritation with him, but it quickly faded into humble gratitude, as she saw how sincere he was being with her. He had housed her for many months, but now that his family and home was being threatened, he had no choice but to send her away for his family's and her safety. For that, she could understand; though it greatly hurt.

He smiled sadly at her, looked around the bathroom towards the door to the bedroom and then said, "I… also hoped to stop you before you entered this room again. You don't need to be reminded of Kevin's words to you." He said softly.

"I'm fine." Rose whispered numbly, leaning into Brooklyn's hold. "There's nothing Kevin can say to injury me further. I've heard it all before, and his words do not hold anymore power. Whatever he says to mock, offend, or hurt me, doesn't matter. I now have a new love in my life who remind me how much worth I have, and constantly raises me up, instead of tear me down."

She stopped talking and looked into Brooklyn's with a smile. He searched her eyes and could feel her love, sincerity and gratitude, which made him smile warmly down at her. They would have easily kissed each other once again; but didn't with Xanatos in the room.

Xanatos smiled and then said, "I'm so happy that you two have found each other, I'm sure it will make this separation much harder than it already is."

As Xanatos said those words; Rose and Brooklyn slowly looked over at Xanatos; with equal irritation as that was a rub in the wound. Brooklyn threw Xanatos a nasty look, glaring at him as Rose exhaled sharply.

"Gee… Thanks for your words of encouragement." She said sarcastically.

Xanatos held his hands up in surrender and then said, "I meant no harm, here. I also wanted to tell you, that we can get you packed up tonight. While the Gargoyles are asleep, myself and Owen can escort you down to the Labyrinth."

"Wait…" Rose gasped, more dread falling into her heart. "I'm leaving… tonight?"

"As soon as you're all packed. Yes." Xanatos answered quietly. "We can't waste anymore time, I'm afraid."

Brooklyn was frozen against Rose, and his mouth opened slightly in shock. However, the shock turned quickly into anger.

"Why so soon?!" Brooklyn demanded, his teeth snarling slightly.

"Because the longer Rose stays here, the more in danger all of us are." Xanatos explained. "Once she is packed, myself and Owen are going to escort her to the Labyrinth in our cars, while you and the Clan travels in different directions."

Dread now trinkled down from her chest and into her stomach, making her sick slightly, and she turned to look helplessly into Brooklyn's face. Her fear about Xanatos was starting to poke at her, and Brooklyn's protection over her didn't skip a beat.

"Are you sure that's the wisest thing to do?" Brooklyn snapped at him, still holding onto Rose tenderly.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Xanatos answered smoothly. "I have a suspicion that Kevin and/or the Quarrymen are watching this building still. They will expect to see her leaving here in the arms of you, or one of the other Gargoyles. If we take her in one of my personal vehicles, from out back, we should be just fine."

"And what if it isn't just fine?" Brooklyn growled, baring a few of his sharp teeth at Xanatos. "What if you guys are followed and possibly attacked?"

"It's a risk we must take, I'm afraid." Xanatos said. "With you guys up in the air, connected to our comms, then we might have a chance."

Brooklyn growled at Xanatos and snarled, "Forget it! It's far too dangerous and risky, I won't allow it."

Xanatos was holding his goatee, listening to Brooklyn, and didn't seem phased by his anger; as he said, "It's the only way. But don't worry, we'll do it as strategically as possible. But it's best if we separate you from Rose. I think Kevin knows about your relationship and will plan on you protecting her at any cost, which'll mean he'll be watching for you. We'll send you Gargoyles out, one or two cars of mine and split up. That way the risk of being followed, with her alone, will be greatly minimized."

Rose thought for a moment about this plan and then numbly agreed.

"That might be best. Kevin will be watching us, no matter what. If we can get me out of the Castle; without them following us, then I'll feel better about going to the Labyrinth."

Xanatos touched his goatee thoughtfully, and then said, "Alright. We'll plan on escorting you to the Labyrinth. I'll call up Talon, and let him know to expect you. Let's get you all packed up and then…"

"No." Rose interrupted him. "Nothing in this room belongs to me. I'll just collect my shoe box of my personal items and be on my way."

Silence passed between all of them, for a few moments, before Xanatos started to chuckle and was shaking his head. "Oh Rose, Rose, Rose…"

Brooklyn's eyes widened slightly as he held her against him a lot closer and growled ferociously, "I'm having a hard time seeing what's so funny about this situation, Xanatos."

"I'm just humored at Rose thinking that I'm going to let her leave my home, to live with the Mutate Clan and the homeless… and actually let her be homeless." Xanatos explaining, smiling gently at Brooklyn. "There is nothing funny about this situation. I am actually quite sad to see her leave…"

Rose narrowed her eyes at him and asked, "What are you talking about? None of this stuff is mine, so I'm not going to…"

"It is yours, Rose." He admonished gently. " Everything in this room was given to you, by myself and Fox. Please take as many clothes, hygiene products in which you'll need, shoes, jackets… you name it. You are a member of this family and Clan; and I won't let you leave here, even temporarily, without knowing you're going to be properly taken care of."

She was stunned at his words and couldn't believe that he was willing to still take care of her, even though she wouldn't be living under his roof for some time. She stayed quiet for a few minutes before saying, in a quiet voice.

"I… I don't know what to say… "

"There is nothing to say," Xanatos smiled at her and Brooklyn, offering a silent apology to them both. "I know it seems as though we are abandoning you; but it's far from the truth. Take as many clothes as you can fit into the suitcases that I'll find for you, hygiene products, and anything else you may want. Books, movies… you name it. Whatever you need, I'll provide for you. The Labyrinth isn't as luxurious as my home, so I want you to feel as comfortable as you can while you're there."

"That's very kind of you, Xanatos." Rose said, forcing a small smile at him. "I'll just stick with the necessities… but thank you again, all the same."

"You're very welcome." He smiled at her. "I'll have Owen bring in some suitcases; feel free to use as many as you need to pack up what you need. We'll plan on escorted you out, in a half hour. Is that an okay amount of time, or will you need longer?"

"Um…" Rose thought for a moment, and noticed that she was still in her hospital gown, and she realized that she wanted to take a shower. Brooklyn was holding onto her tightly; and she just now realized that she was essentially wearing nothing under her thin hospital gown. She started to blush slightly, at her appearance; and it made sense why Brooklyn had kept his arms around her. He was helping to keep her covered from everyone else. Rose exhaled out a breath and asked,"Can we say closer to one hour? I would like to rinse last night and the hospital stench off me, and get into more… modest clothing."

Xanatos smiled back at her, nodded.

"One hour it is." He said, and then turned to walk away; leaving Brooklyn and Rose alone once again.

Once alone; she turned her face around to gaze into his eyes; and saw that he still had a sad expression on his face. She wanted, more than anything, to take his pain away, as he desperately wanted to do the same thing for her. However; unfortunately for her, it wasn't feasible right now.

She gently pressed her soft lips against his and kissed him tenderly and deeply to offer her love to him. He instantly responded to her lips with his own, wrapped his claws around her and lightly explored her lower back and waist, finding the break in her gown, lightly touching her skin on her back. Though it felt amazing to her; she didn't need them to get out of hand with their intimacy; not tonight.

"I'm… ah… I'm sorry to do this, but I need to shower and get dressed in something different, before I leave." She said softly, pulling away from him.

"As you wish, my love." He said softly, kissing her lightly again for a moment, before reluctantly pulling his lips from hers. He stood up, bringing her with him and slowly stepped away from her, still holding onto her hand with his claw, and looked as though he longed to stay with her; never to be parted from her again. She offered him a small smile, and then wanted more than anything to let him stay.

"I wish you could stay." She whispered, and Brooklyn froze in the doorway. Rose bit her lip and looked down, away from his gaze, but swiftly he took one giant step back to her and gathered her up in his arms; cupping her face in his claw and forcing her to look into his eyes.

His brown eyes were burning with intensity, and were filled with tears again.

"More than anything, I wish I could too…" He whispered fiercely, his lips inches from hers. "To feel your beautiful body against mine; to be one with you. Gods, I wish we didn't have to say goodbye."

Tears filled her eyes and longed for him to touch her as he had said.

"I don't know if we can do this." Rose breathed shakily. "To be apart… Brooklyn we are stronger together. What's going to happen when we go our separate ways?"

"What do you mean?" Brooklyn breathed, his claws naturally finding the break in her gown and lightly caressing her skin, making her groan slightly.

"You won't forget about me, will you?" She whimpered, unable to help herself.

"Forget you?" He gasped in disbelief. "How could I ever forget you, Rose? You and I are one… that'll never change."

"But if we are apart, Kevin could seek me out still!" Rose cried, grasping onto his face. "I don't know what'll happen… I'll be alone…"

She didn't know what else to say at that point, as her emotions got the best of her. Brooklyn grit his teeth, kept his gaze upon hers and slammed her bathroom door shut with his other claw. as he let go and disappeared from her bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

He backed her into the nearest wall, crushing his body against hers and fiercely whispered, "You're not alone, Rose."

With that, he crushed his lips against hers; instantly finding her tongue with his. Their kiss was so intense, that after a few seconds, she had to break free of the movement of their lips and breathe in fresh air, all while clasping onto his neck. He raised her gown up slightly, revealing her panties, so she could better straddle his waist. With tears streaming down her face, he kissed and tasted her neck, all while running his claws up her gown and caressed her skin and breasts, but the feelings he was bringing to her was far too much pleasurable to handle. Not with her having to say good-bye for a time.

Rose held onto him, hating herself, and finally cried out, "Stop!"

Brooklyn's lips stopped exploring and kissing her skin, and he raised his face to look into hers; and with a small connection he knew what she was feeling, and it hurt. All of it; though none of it her fault.

"I can't-" she sobbed, resting her face against his. "I'm so sorry, but I can't do this-"

Tears came to his eyes, and he slowly let her down to the ground, taking his claws from her skin, nodding.

"I understand." He whispered. "I'm sorry-"

"No, I am." She mumbled fiercely as she grabbed onto his face once again and kissed him passionately, but briefly, before stopping.

"I want to… but I can't." She whispered against his lips. "I love you, Brooklyn. This just… hurts…"

"I know." He breathed, nodding. "I do, I understand."

He kissed her modestly on the lips, ran his talons down her face and then took a deep breath, clearing his throat, while pulling away.

"I'll uh… be back when you're done." He said, backing away. "If that's okay with you."

"Of course, it's okay." She whispered, tears still running down her face.

"Good." He said with a smile, stepped forward and kissed her again. "I love you."

"I love you more." She breathed back, offering him a small smile in which he returned.

"We'll see about that-" he breathed, before kissing her briefly again, and then without another word, turned and left her bathroom, shutting the door behind him, leaving her all alone.

Rose stared at the closed bathroom door for a few minutes, breathing deeply. Though she wanted nothing more than to be with Brooklyn right now, she also was thankful for a moment's peace. She turned around, flipped on the bathtub faucet which began to fill up the deep bowl. She closed her eyes, and thought about everything that she had endured over the past twenty-four hours; and felt thoroughly exhausted. She then willed herself to think back on when Brooklyn and her's mating instincts were activated, as they fully connected their minds and emotions together, and he was able to heal her through his loving touch. She couldn't and wouldn't forget how amazing it felt to connect with him in that way.

She stood, walked over to the mirror and slowly, and bit unsure, stripped out of her hospital gown, letting the thin fabric fall to the ground. As she stood naked; she checked out her body and was amazed at how smooth her skin looked. There didn't seem to be a single blemish on it. Though she was always skinny and in shape; her muscles were a lot more defined, like Brooklyn's, and her breasts seemed to grow by at least one size. Her eyebrows raised in interest at this; and was amazed how much better she looked and felt, physically. As she checked herself out in interest, she then thought of Brooklyn.

She was thoroughly interested in their connections; but also didn't know how far they could extend. It seemed as though any intimate or personal moment she had with herself, would also be seen and felt by him? As she stood there, naked in front of the mirror to prepare for her bath, she suddenly felt worried and anxious that he could somehow connect to her right now. It didn't frighten her, by any means, if he actually saw her naked, at least not anymore- but it just unnerved her thinking about the power of the connections and what they were capable of accomplishing.

Though she looked beautiful; she couldn't help but shake her insecurities that Kevin had instilled in her soul; and suddenly couldn't imagine Brooklyn seeing her in such an intimate setting. She shook her head, exhaled deeply; and didn't want to think about it anymore. They would cross that bridge when they came to it, and she had enough to think and worry about. She turned away from the mirror and quickly settled herself into the warm water, closed her eyes as her tense muscles enjoyed the warmth and relaxation of the warm water.

As she was lying down on her back, in the giant bowl-like tub; she suddenly wasn't sure what amenities the Labyrinth had. Xanatos had just told her that they didn't have as nice of things as he did, which didn't bother her. However; he mentioned that the homeless would live there; which meant that she could possibly have a hard time enjoying a nice and relaxing bath. The most the Labyrinth would have, most likely, were stand up public showers… which she hoped they even had those.

After close to fifteen minutes, and Rose was able to bathe herself, she climbed out of the tub, dried off and got dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans, a loose-fitted blouse, and flat-casual shoes. She brushed her hair, dried it, and let it settle into a long and thick side-braid. She quickly brushed her teeth, and didn't bother with any make-up, since she was planning and hoping to go to bed soon. She checked her wrist watch and read that it was nearing close to 12 AM; and she could definitely feel that. Usually by midnight; she was slowly losing all will to stay awake.

When she opened her bathroom door, she noticed that a bunch of suitcases were waiting inside her room. She opened her mouth in slight shock, as Xanatos had given her what looked like to be close to ten large cases. She doubted that she would need more than one; so she grabbed the biggest one she could handle by herself, rolled it into her closet and got to work packing things away.

---

Kevin and the other Quarrymen drove quickly to the main headquarters to tell Castaway about their plans for the Gargoyles, Xanatos, and Rose. The headquarters weren't anything too special-looking from the outside; but Castaway had worked hard to stock the warehouse below the Offices with heavy weaponry, artillery, and heavily armored vehicles. Kevin parked their car in the garage; got out and walked inside, amongst a sea of black-uniformed Quarrymen and women.

Kevin had not yet been made an official member of the Quarrymen, and didn't really care to be an official part of their group. He only wanted his vengeance upon Rose and her red-skinned Gargoyle monster, and needed more manpower to take out Rose's Gargoyle protection. Looking around, many Quarrymen had their hoods off and were glaring at Kevin with looks of great disdain and distrust; which Kevin simply ignored their looks of hatred and smiled smugly at their expressions. He didn't care what others thought of him; he had their leader's loyalty just by giving him the information, and that he's always desired.

Kevin, Bones and Terry made their way up towards the main offices to speak with Castaway. Kevin quickly walked up the hallways, with Bones and Terry barely able to keep up with him. He couldn't wait to get to Rose and give her the ending she's always wished for; with her monster-lover.

Kevin swiftly made his way to Castaway's office door and knocked on the heavy oak.

"Come in." Castaway's voice called out from inside the office, in which, Kevin pushed the heavy door open and swept into the office, with Bones and Terry on his heels.

"Boss," Terry started to say. "Crazy-here was right! The red-Gargoyle just left the Hospital with Kevin's wife."

Castaway turned around his office chair, had his hands clasped, and was glaring slightly at the trio, and their rude interruptions, but he slowly met gazes with Kevin who grinned at him. From Kevin's point of view, John Castaway looked like a nice guy; one you'd meet at a neighborhood block party. But so did he once. Castaway had slicked back blonde hair, baby blue eyes, and a thin blonde mustache across his lips. He was dressed in a business suit and raised an eyebrow at him.

"So… your little wifey did indeed survive your attacks?" He asked quietly, in his British accent.

Kevin smirked coldly, "Unfortunate, but true."

Castaway raised his blond eyebrows at him, as though he was still unsure about him and his mental state of mind. Before he could say anything more, Bones stepped forward and said, "He has hatched up a pretty good plan, to catch and kill the Gargoyles- one of which will allow him to still have his revenge against his wife."

Castaways eyebrows rose higher and higher into his hairline, as he looked from Bones, to Terry, and finally settled on Kevin.

"Really?" He drawled in his British accent, his eye now boring into Kevin's.

"Yes," Terry interrupted Bones and said; excitedly, "Kevin found out that Mr. Xanatos will be attending a New Year's Eve Gala at the Four Seasons Hotel… he suggested that we take our heavy weaponry and manpower to him, and attack him where he won't have his defenses. Once we take Mr. Xanatos out, then we should be able to attack the Castle- as well as the filthy Gargoyles. With Mr. Xanatos out of the way, or as Kevin said, once we take out the head of the operations- the rest of them won't be able to fight back."

Silence passed between them all for a few seconds as Castaway took in this plan with great interest. Finally, after he was able to think he mused to himself.

"Hmm… that is a good plan, for sure. However; I'm hesitant to take out Mr. Xanatos at the Four Seasons Hotel- I feel that it would be a waste of time, weaponry and energy. We have enough weaponry now as well as manpower; that I truly think we can attack his Castle with him there."

Kevin stepped forward now and said, "What are you saying?"

Castaway stood now, walked around his large desk and said softly, "I do not think we should have to attack the Hotel… our focus is on the Gargoyles- and on your wife, Rose. Both of which are at that Castle. True, Mr. Xanatos does have high-tech weaponry and powerful defenses, but I do too. I haven't waited all these long months, working my tush off to secure these trades for the weapons, just to take the sneaky way in. I say, if we attack them, then we hit them hard. No more going soft… no more defensive strikes."

He paused as he walked around his office; and gazed upon the many televisions in which he had, to keep track of his workers and the work being done. He smirked at the different aircrafts, equipped with guns, in which he was able to secure, and was proud of himself- and the cult in which he successfully created and sustained.

"If we take them out, then we must go on the offense. Let's take everything we have to them- split up with different strategies. Xanatos can't deflect all of us…"

Kevin stepped forward and snarled, "And what about those Gargoyles? They can fly! Do you not think that they won't try to stop your flying machines?"

Castaway laughed an evil laugh, turned to Kevin and sneered, "That is why we attack them during the day- when they are helpless."

Kevin stared at Castaway for a few seconds and then asked, "What do you mean they are helpless during the day?"

"Gargoyles turn to stone, during the day- but the ones in which we are fighting turn to flesh warriors during the night. If we attack them when they aren't able to defend themselves- then it will be all too easy." Castaway answered him, grinning evilly. "Now… doesn't that plan sound much more realistic and appealing than attacking a stupid Hotel full of rich, pompous people? They aren't our true enemies… however; I agree in taking Xanatos out. If we can capture him, take control of his Castle- all while the Gargoyles are asleep, then we have full control of the whole operation. I can have the Gargoyles destroyed- and you can take your Rose… we both can get what we wish for."

Castaway grinned evilly as Kevin was looking at him thoughtfully and was smiling. The Gargoyles were a disgusting and evil force in this world; and it was his responsibility to take them all out. When Kevin had told him that his Human wife was romantically involved with one- he felt like vomiting.

He knew that the Police Detective was somehow affiliated with Goliath, the Gargoyle leader, and also abandoned Humanity for their kind- but Kevin's story was something that he couldn't believe. It made him physically ill to think of a Human having sex with one of those monsters. It made his blood-boil; and his hatred for them, and Kevin's wife- a reason to go forward in destroying their disgusting kind.

Kevin's hatred for his own wife's betrayal- no matter how abusive he knew Kevin to be; was not anything he cared about. As long as he could destroy the Gargoyles, once and for all, he would do everything he could to assist Kevin in having his revenge. It was the least he could do for him, calling him up to tell him about his knowledge of the Gargoyles and their whereabouts. Kevin, and himself, had two things in common. One; they hated the Gargoyles and wished for their destruction, and two; they were evil geniuses.

"All right," Kevin agreed, stepping forward towards him. "I'm on board with this plan. When can we execute this?"

Castaway grinned once again and said, "I have one last shipment of heavy weaponry coming into Manhattan in two weeks. Once we get those in our hands, then we will gather our troops and will attack the Castle. Until then, I say let's tighten our battle strategies, so everyone knows what their roles will be, and practice their shooting and fighting skills." He paused and then continued, slowly stepping towards Kevin.

"What about you?" He asked in a low voice. "What are your plans for your wife?"

Kevin smiled evilly and sneered, "If your troops secure the Castle, then I will find her and keep her captive… I want her red-monster lover to see what happens when he crosses me."

Castaway's eyebrows rose up into his hairline, looking surprised.

"Oh? And who said that I was going to wait for the Gargoyles to awaken from their slumber? I was planning on destroying them while they were stone and helpless."

"... And where is the fun in that?" Kevin asked him, his black eyes flashed dangerously. "We can still attack the Castle, but do it at sunset- while the Gargoyles are still stone… chain them up, so that they cannot fight off you once you have their Castle infiltrated. Then, once you have them in your grasp; they will be at your mercy. They get to watch their home be destroyed; as well as their Clan. You can slowly take out each Gargoyle, one by one. Rose will get to watch, and that wretched Police woman will have to watch, and there won't be anything that they can do to stop us all. Once there, I plan on torturing Rose, slowly and painfully… to make her monster-lover watch in horror as she dies by my hand."

Castaway stood frozen watching Kevin with an impressive expression. He liked Kevin's plan a lot better- and didn't know why he didn't think of it any sooner. He hated Goliath with all his energy, and liked the idea of the leader of his Clan, watching helplessly as his home, and Clan being destroyed. He couldn't wait for this new order of weaponry to be delivered to him, so they could finally have their revenge against the savage beasts.

Castaway grinned evilly at Kevin, placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "You, my friend, are certainly an evil genius. I like your plan a lot more… what's the point of having all this weaponry, if I can't watch Goliath's Clan perish from his eyes? His rage and hurt is something that I hunger to see."

"My point exactly." Kevin said lightly, crossing his arms across his chest. "If you're going to offensively attack them, and give it your 'all', or so you've said." He paused and stepped towards Castaway and growled through clenched teeth, "Then give it your all. Extend no mercy… do not let up. The joy of killing is seeing the light leaving their horror filled eyes- to see them fear you. Nothing is more powerful than that. "

Castaway grinned and then said, "Normally, I don't like changing plans up- but… " he paused and then said, "sometimes it's for the better. You're absolutely right; oh, this is going to be absolutely delicious."

"Yes, it is." Kevin answered him, grinning maliciously. "My darling Rose and her monsters won't know what's coming for them. Our rage and vengeance against them is more powerful than anything they could possibly have to stop us."

Castaway turned suddenly to Terry and Bones, who immediately stood at attention.

"You two, ready our troops up for a meeting!" Castaway ordered. "Let's get these plans into motion, and start this new year the right way. With a Gargoyle- free year!"