~Chapter Twenty-Five~
Shot in the Dark
Sunlight slowly faded and trickled down Brooklyn's stone skin, darkening the bathroom all around him and casting shadows everywhere. Slower and slower it faded until the light disappeared completely, leaving nothing but a pink hue in the dark midnight blue sky. Instantly, Brooklyn's stone skin began to crack and break apart, his eyes lighting up brightly. Then, with a deafening roar he burst free from his stone form, sending shards of stone everywhere.
When he finally came to, Brooklyn was still screaming; his roars of despair filled the peaceful echoing room all around him.
Falling to the tile on his knees, he grasped his stomach and sobbed on the floor, gasping ragged breaths in and out, trying not to vomit. Another day of stone sleep was completely spent with nightmares of Rose's death and his sleep was anything but restful and rejuvenating. The same haunting images filled his mind every time the sun came up; holding him hostage, tormenting his mind and soul to the point of madness.
Those images…
Her empty, fixed hazel eyes staring up at him, her pale skin shining in the night even though there was no moonlight, her limp body un-moving and ice-cold in his arms, the castle platform drenched with her blood as it slowly oozed in every crack of stone, and Kevin's triumphant high-pitched laughter in the icy cold dark air all around him. His grief bursting to be set free of the pain, his mind begging to be night so he could finally wake up.
The same damn memory, over and over again.
He could barely breathe, couldn't think of anything except for his sweet mate and those empty, fixed and un-moving eyes… those eyes that'll forever haunt him. Looking around for location awareness, and gasping in great gulps of fresh air, he suddenly remembered that he was in their bathroom. There was no sign of Rose anywhere except for her red-wispy magic which was all around him, shielding him in the room, keeping him protected while he slept, but where was she? Why was a shield up to protect him…? Unless...
"R-Rose!" He called out in a broken voice, scrambling to get up to hold her in his arms. He needed to make sure that his nightmare wasn't true, to make sure that it wasn't real. "Rose!"
He crawled across the floor like the pathetic Gargoyle he felt like he was and still wasn't in his right mind. Fear was eating at every cell in his body as it shook violently. Why wasn't she answering him? Did something happen? Then he remembered the night before. The feel of her body against his, their incredible sex filled night- then him. Kevin's return… his stench of death and decay all over the apartment, the note promising a violent end, the dead wilted rose…
"Rose!" He called out again in desperation, but again, there was no answer. He didn't feel her connection. Didn't sense, or hear her. His heart sunk, and he swore he wouldn't live another second if she was gone.
Please no… he thought. Kevin… couldn't have… no…!
"ROSE!" He roared, his voice shaking the walls. He scrambled off his feet, stabbing his sharp claws into the tile, but was still unable to move. Why couldn't he get up? His mind moved faster than his body was able to. "ROSE, ANSWER ME! BABE!? MY LOVE!?"
Thankfully before he could really freak out, the bathroom door suddenly whipped open and there, standing in front of him, staring with wide- shocked eyes was his wife and mate. Her long auburn hair was wavy, she was wearing a pink shirt and a pair of jeans and looked like she had just woken up herself. Before he could apologize for waking her, he came undone. Crying out in relief, he fell to the ground at her feet and sobbed in despair, choking out her name over and over again. Rose was stunned and hadn't seen him like this in a very long time and instantly flung herself onto the floor in front of him, sitting knee to knee and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
"Brooklyn!" Rose cried out, running her hands through his long hair. "Babe… I'm here. What's wrong?"
Her red-shield of magic slowly faded from the room and with her in his arms, he seemed to finally wake up out of his terrifying slumber. He blinked a few times, and his senses caught up with his sight. There, in his arms, was Rose, his mate. Alive, beautiful, sweet, warm and breathing.
Her sweet scent filled his nostrils, her soft, warm body was real and breathing in his arms, her heart beating against his chest. Their connection burst to life upon their bodies touching and he instantly was filled with her light, like a blanket was being wrapped around him which warmed and gave him the comfort he was yearning for.
"Rose?" He asked in a whisper, needing to hear her voice again.
She pulled away from his arms slightly and looked into his eyes, her bright hazel ones met his black-brown eyes, and they were not the fixed or haunted ones that plagued his nightmares, but were as bright as her soul.
Alive.
He grasped onto her face with his claws, tears streaming down and choked out her name again. Her eyes were wide with worry at his state, and opened her mouth to respond to him. But after seeing her beautiful pink lips so near to his, he had to feel those again. Holding onto the back of her head with one claw, he wrapped his other arm around her waist, and then lowered her body to the ground; kissing her madly. If she was against him lying on top of her in their bathroom she didn't say anything and seemed to want him as much as he wanted her. Their lips and tongues danced swiftly in each other's mouths, and his tears spilled down upon her face. His hot breath was ragged against her lips and couldn't seem to find a balance between breathing and kissing her.
"Thank the Gods that you're okay!" He gasped out, kissing her neck now and pulling her body back to his and sat her on his lap, straddling his waist. Rose blinked in surprise as he sobbed in her shoulder, and knew that he needed comfort immediately.
"Of course I'm okay." She whispered. "What's…?"
"I love you." He sobbed quietly, pulling her body closer to his. "I love you with all of my heart and soul, Rose… I can't lose you. Please, don't ever leave me."
Utterly confused at his mumbled words, she sensed his great distress and it was like a bullet to her heart. She placed her hands gently on the sides of his face near his forehead, and let their minds connect.
"I would never." She breathed in his face. "I love you too Brooklyn, talk to me. What's wrong?"
"Please… take the images away." He breathed, almost not hearing her words as he took her hand in his and pressed it to his forehead, begging her for relief, for mercy. "Please… please, my love."
Stunned, Rose closed her eyes and together they both willed their minds to connect. Magic flowed from her hand and she instantly saw the horrible images that he saw, and again, she felt like vomiting. Inside of his mind and soul, she could feel his great fear and panic, as well as how exhausted he still was. His sleep was filled with nightmares, the same nightmare he shared with her yesterday, and for twelve hours he had to endure her death, over and over again.
In his mind, the image of her fixed eyes and bleeding, mangled body was still fresh; breaking her heart.
"Oh… Brooklyn…" She breathed out, tears welling up in her eyes, but he kissed her lips again, holding her body tightly against his. His claws ventured up her tee shirt and clung to her skin as his lips and tongue trailed over hers. He kissed her with so much passion that she could barely breathe, but then he slid them along her jawline, stopping to nibble her ears gently, sending a pleasurable shock down her body with a gasp.
"When… when you didn't answer me…" He whispered in them, kissing her still and pulling her pelvis closer to his by cupping her backside. "I… I thought…"
"I'm sorry for worrying you Brooklyn." She whispered back, kissing him back gently. She pulled back and held onto his beak and gazed deeply into his tear-filled, pained eyes. "I was napping on the couch when your roars woke me up. I instantly could feel that something was wrong, so I came running. When you kept screaming, I couldn't seem to breathe as I felt your panic. I'm sorry it took me a few seconds to get to you. But, I'm here, I'm safe and am okay. It was just another nightmare, you're okay now. You're safe in my arms."
Brooklyn kept taking gulps of air as he pulled his head to rest on top of her breasts, his claws holding her body on either side of her rib cage, breathing his hot breath on her skin. He closed his eyes, dug his face further into her chest to feel every beautiful curvature of her breasts and relished in the steady beating of her heart. He was still shaking as she held him to her, kissing his face every once in a while and running her hands through his hair.
She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the heat that his light touch on her skin was bringing her body. The whispered touch of his claws over her skin, the feel of his groin hardening against hers, it was getting obvious that he was wanting to replace the images he saw in his mind with fresh ones.
"I need to… to feel you. Please… Rose, I need you." He growled in a deep voice, one that she barely recognized as his. Before she could respond, he suddenly scooped her up into his arms, ripped open the bathroom door and carried her over to their bed. He gently set her down on the center of the mattress and with a deep rumble in his chest he slowly slid himself over her body, running his lips at the base of her jeans, pulling her tee shirt up to her bra line and letting his lips and tongue follow.
Rose closed her eyes and gasped out in pleasure this time, arching her body to his; despite how unsure she was of doing this right then. As much as she always wanted to make love to him, she could tell that this was a distraction on his part, one that she didn't want him to use sex for. They had much to discuss and talk about. As he ran a claw down her exposed stomach to the small bump to undo her jeans, a bump that he still wouldn't notice, she had to tell him first.
"Brooklyn, wait, please." She gasped, stopping his claw with her hand, and he instantly froze at her words. He slowly gazed down into her eyes and looked amazed that she was stopping him. "Please, sweetheart. Not… not right now. W-we can't keep covering up our issues with sex. I know you want to feel something good right now, but please, let's talk to this through first, then we can make love later when you are in a better state of mind."
"Please…" He begged, and her heart broke some more.
"Brooklyn… later…" it took everything for her voice not to shake as she was carefully trying to control the situation. She had never seen him so… animal-like and dominate over her. She was seeing a glimpse of the Gargoyle he was. He was incredible, but still was not Human like she sometimes thought him to be. Normally he was very verbal about what he was wanting, there usually was much thought behind his motives- but this moment felt primal and territorial. One she wasn't sure where she stood as his mate, not wife, but mate to tell him no.
He stared down at her and she froze under his strength as he was straddled on top of her. Would he somehow lose himself in his instincts and forget her consent, like Kevin would do, or would he respect her wishes? At this moment she didn't know and wasn't sure…
As if he could hear her thoughts, his eyes widened in complete shock and hurt flew across his face as if she had slapped him. She quickly shut her own eyes, hating herself for thinking that, and listened as his breathing came in staggered again. When she looked up at him again, tears were falling down his face again, and he began to get off her, but again, her heart shattered.
"No, I didn't mean that!" Rose whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't do this, don't listen to my stupid thoughts. Just… let me comfort you without leading to sex right now. Okay? Please, lie next to me and let's talk through this."
Brooklyn wasn't acting like himself and it was scaring her. The great, strong, warrior before her instantly melted into her arms and fell to the bed without another word. He didn't bother to wrap his wings in and so more of him was sprawled on the bed than normal. Being gentle and careful not to squish his wings, she snuggled against his body, took his face in her arms and let him rest against her breasts again. Without another word, he moaned, pulled her body to his and rested himself on her, breathing in her scent, and crying earnestly.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." he murmured and she was getting the feeling that he wasn't just apologizing for the moment of him trying to dominate her, but many moments before. Months of anger and guilt he felt responsible for, feelings he's held in without telling her.
"Shhhh." She whispered in his hair. "It's okay, Brooklyn. I love you, and I'm here. It was just a nightmare…" No matter how many times she shushed him, like a mother to a child, he wasn't feeling better. Her beating heart was a reminder of the danger that she was in again, now that Kevin was back.
Those empty eyes…
"No, Rose." Brooklyn choked out, grasping his claws tightly on her back and gathering her shirt fabric in his fists. "It wasn't just a nightmare… it was real and it happened." He raised his face from her breasts and looked down at her. "You died in my arms all those months ago and I was unable to stop it. I… I can't let that happen again… I won't."
"Y-yes, but you brought me back to life again." She said softly, comforting him still. "My heart is beating because of you."
"It stopped beating because of him… because I wasn't strong enough to stop him."
Rose closed her eyes. "Sweetheart, please don't…"
He suddenly growled, stood up off the bed and pulled her to her feet with him. His muscles bulged out, his eyes lit up and she could feel the extreme rage that was pulsing through him. She gasped in shock as he took her in his arms once again.
"I'm going to put a stop to this once and for all." He whispered in an icy voice, one that sent shivers down her spine. "I won't let him get to you again."
"Brook…" she tried to say, but he held her face in his claws and gazed intently down into hers, a mixture of pain, grief and complete rage.
"I am sorry that I haven't been there for you when you've woken up screaming from your nightmares, when you've experienced your own misery and had to deal with it all alone. I'm sorry that Kevin is still an issue in our life… that me… killing and snapping his neck in half wasn't enough to keep him away… but I will make it enough, I swear to you, I'll make sure of it. I will rip his body to shreds, then burn him into ash so he can't come back to hurt you anymore. I will not fail you again, Rose."
Rose opened her mouth to argue back, but he took her hand in his claw and suddenly pulled her from the bedroom. She gasped at his actions, and even though he wasn't hurting her or being rough, there was a firmness that she didn't dare fight against, not without back up from the Clan or cooling him down first.
"Where are we going?" She asked him, trying to remain calm. No answer. "Brooklyn?"
"To the Castle." He growled, pulling her along, but then suddenly stopped in the living room, sniffed, and went still; animal-like. He wasn't in his right mind yet, the protective Gargoyle male over his mate was in full force as he jumped from one situation to the next.
"Who was here?" He suddenly asked, whipping around to face her. "I smell… different people."
Rose tore her hand out of his and backed away from him a few steps, now suddenly weary of him. "Emily and Katie came by earlier. Is that alright? Am I allowed to have visitors?"
He sniffed again and turned to face the room as if he hadn't heard her. "There was one more… a male…" his voice was now an enraged growl at that thought, his sharp claws tightening into fists. "Who was here, Rose?"
His tone and lack of trust in her suddenly sent icy-hot rage through her. She crossed her arms across his chest and didn't care about crossing a line with him, he was acting ridiculous. It was not to lightly tease, but to slap him in the face without her actually doing so, to try to get him out of this state of mind.
"Oh yeah… that's uh actually my side- boyfriend that you're smelling…" She said coolly, sarcastically, and it worked. Brooklyn whipped around to face her, with his eyes brightly lit up, his sharp teeth bared.
"WHAT?!" He roared, the pain and rage in his eyes so fierce it took her breath away, but his reaction brought out her own rage and disbelief in him.
"Oh come on, Brooklyn! You know I could and would never do that to you!"
"Then why say that to me!?" He snarled back, getting closer to her. "You know what you mean to me and what that kind of betrayal would do to me…"
"I do know, and you mean everything to me too! But… God, Brooklyn, what's the matter with you right now!? Why are you acting like I'm your enemy? Like you don't trust anything or anyone… including me?" Rose begged him, taking his fists in her hands knowing that no matter how angry he appeared, she saw him, and knew he would never hurt her.
His brightly lit eyes widened as her hazel ones pleaded with him.
"Doctor Sato came by earlier to give me a physical check-up to help me figure out why I've been sick, that's whose male pheromones you're smelling. It wasn't Kevin, or anyone who would hurt or take you away from me. Then Emily and Katie bug came over to visit me…and…" she paused and shook her head at his frozen expression. His wide, brightly white eyes still staring at her, as if he wasn't believing her.
She sighed out in defeat and couldn't believe this was happening right now. Her day was filled with so many crazy ups and downs… and even with finding out the most joyous news, she couldn't tell him in this mind-set, she wouldn't. He was too on edge, too paranoid, too panicked and illogical; he would completely lose his mind over her news.
"And what?" He asked, his stance still frozen and tensed which made her feel even more irritated.
Fine, she would tell him later.
"And nothing." she exhaled sharply. "Since you're clearly out of your mind right now, I'll tell you later when you're not throwing a Gargoyle tantrum!"
"Why would you say that you had a boyfriend over?" That's all he seemed to care about right now, and Rose rolled her eyes, sighing heavily.
"To help you get your head out of your ass!" She threw her hands through her hair and had to take another breath to calm herself down. "Look… I'm sorry for saying that, I would never cheat on you and I can't believe that you would actually think that I would be capable of doing such a thing. Kevin did that to me with all of his sluts and whores… and I would NEVER do that kind of thing to you. You are my mate… my one and only love… my husband and soulmate. I'm sorry I teased you about it, but… you… you aren't yourself right now. Why are you acting like this right now? I don't know what I did to deserve this…?"
Brooklyn closed his eyes, eliminating the bright white excited stance and slowly exhaled a breath, stepping towards her now and taking her in his arms, hugging her tightly to him.
"I'm sorry." He breathed in her hair, kissing her gently. "I'm sorry babe, you're right. I… I am not in my right mind. I woke up in a panicked fight-mode and I haven't been able to quite get out of it yet. I'm having a really hard time with this. Now that I know that Kevin is back… and my nightmares plaguing my mind and soul over losing you again. I…I'm not strong enough to handle it right now. I'm trying to be… but I... I'm sorry…"
"You are strong, babe. You're doing a wonderful job at being my protector, so please, stop beating yourself up." Rose whispered, pulling away to gaze into his eyes. "There's nothing that you have to be sorry for. I know you blame yourself for what happened, but I need you to stop. You sacrificed so much and did everything you could to stop him… and you did. You killed him, and though you lost me for a moment, you brought me back… and I'm alive because of you."
Rose sighed as his eyes filled with tears and kept speaking in a very calm voice.
"Look, I know that you are worried Brooklyn, and that things are scary right now. I am too… but… driving yourself into madness isn't going to help things with Kevin. If you go into this battle without a clear mind, you'll get beaten twice as bad. So please, I need you to remain calm, my love. I know that your nightmares are haunting you… mine do the same thing… but I'm here, Brooklyn." She paused, raised one of his claws to her breasts and let him feel her heart again. "I'm alive, I'm breathing and I am so in love with you. Please, don't lose yourself in madness. I need you here with me… and I'll be here to help you through this. Remain calm and we'll get through this together."
With a sigh, he pulled her tightly into his arms again, hugging and holding her. His claws gently ran through her long hair and his lips placed gentle kisses on the side of her head a few times.
"You're right, my love. I'm sorry. Can we please just start over?" He said softly, skimming a talon down her face. "I'm sorry I was wrapped up in my nightmare… I just… I am scared Rose, and I'm embarrassed to admit that. It's uncomfortable feeling vulnerable and helpless, especially for a Gargoyle male. We are…"
"Prideful? Proud of the size of your 'wingspans?'" Rose teased, and he gently flicked her nose with a smirk.
"Yes and yes, you brat." He stopped teasing, shook his head and was back to looking solemn. "Rose… I know I told you this already, but I lost you once and while yes, I was able to bring you back, that pain and grief still haunts me. Every time I look down into your eyes, a part of me is reminding me of that night. My failures."
Rose blinked at his words and quickly looked down, biting her lip and trying not to cry. "I'm sorry for causing you so much pain, Brooklyn. I never want you to look at me and be triggered with negative thoughts. I only want you to be happy."
"Stop, that's not what I meant." He said suddenly, lifting her jaw up to look into his face again. "You don't cause me any pain. If anything, you are the only person that gives me life. You know this… so please…don't think that you are causing me pain because you're not." He paused, and sighed. "I was handling the nightmares okay, but now that we know that Kevin is back, I am really struggling. It also pisses me off, because I know that if Kevin knew that I was being tormented this way, he would be winning. He would be triumphant and smiling that cocky smile I hate so much."
Rose nodded and knew exactly which smile that was, it was the same one she hated as well.
"A Gargoyle protects, that is what we do." He continued. "We are warriors, and are most protective over our mates and Clans; including the hatchlings. We are prideful creatures only because we care about our Clans and loved ones so much. We do not take losses easily and do not bow down to surrender. It is either we win the battle or we die trying, no in-between. So, when I killed him… I knew I won, but had lost you… until I brought you back. I was living with it because of the life you gave me through your love. But he's back, and I feel like I have failed by not making sure he was destroyed."
"Brooklyn… you can't blame yourself for any of that." Rose said firmly. "He was dead. Buried six-feet deep in his casket for one full month until he was taken. If anything, we need to remember that Hela and Demona are behind his resurrection. He's just a distraction… one that is already doing a fine job at throwing us off guard." She paused, and held onto his claw tighter. "That's what I think Hela wants, for us to live in fear and be distracted while other things are going on. We both had no way of knowing that this would be where we would be at five months after Kevin's death. So, you need to stop focusing on the past, Brooklyn. I know that's harder said than done because trust me… I have wounds that Kevin inflicted upon me that are unspoken even to you, but I can't dwell on them. I have to focus on us… on our present and future. Nothing else."
"I know."
"So let's put the past behind us." Rose said. "We have to, or else we will lose."
Brooklyn stayed quiet for a moment, deliberating her advice and then nodded. "Okay. You're right, my love. Well said. I love you and I'm sorry again."
"There's nothing-"
"Yes there is. For earlier. For my dominant behavior over you… that was horribly uncalled for, something that is shameful of me. I shouldn't have forced you onto the bed…"
"Well for one thing, I am your wife so it's okay and consensual in my mind. Next, you didn't force me onto anything, I was happy and compliant to let you continue with what you were wanting to do with me. Anytime you want to take me to our bed to please each other, then let's go." She paused, smiled brighter, and gently touched his distraught face. "I just think that some moments to have sex for fun and or distraction are okay occasionally, but it's so much better when we are 'making love' with each other. When we are doing it to further our love, intimacy and feelings for each other; and not just for a cover up over deeper issues or do it casually, don't you agree?"
With this, he finally gave a small smile. "Yeah, I agree."
"Good." Rose stepped closer to him, went on her tip- toes and pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply for a few seconds before pulling away. "So… with that all behind us, are you doing better now?"
He held her tightly against him and rested his claws down upon her hips with a smile on his face, his dark eyes finally holding a spark of light in them. "I am now. Thanks to you… but… we do need to talk to the Clan and discuss Kevin. Unfortunately, that must be our number one priority tonight, but I'll have a level-head from now on, I promise."
Rose sighed. "I had a feeling that is where you were dragging me off to."
"I was, and I'm sorry for not saying anything to you."
"It's fine." Rose said quietly. "I understand, we can go."
"We will, but I want to first take a minute to talk about your day, please. To talk about how you are doing." He said, holding her close. "I apologize for jumping down your throat over who I smelled here, I was on edge and still kind of am. You said that Doctor Sato was here? How are you feeling? And Emily and Katie were here? How are they?"
"They are good. Emily and I talked for a few hours, and Katie mostly watched Sesame Street on the television." Rose explained softly with a smile, talking about the latter first before what Doctor Sato came for. "She actually snuck off and found your stone form in the bathroom…"
"She… what?" He gasped with wide eyes.
"Hang on... " She said with a smile. "Don't get nervous, it was actually the most… sweetest and beautiful moment, I wished so badly that you were awake to see it."
"It was?"
"Yes, Katie was just… staring at your face and admiring you. She wasn't afraid, nervous or terrified- but thought you were beautiful." Rose paused as tears welled up in her eyes thinking back on that moment, and Brooklyn still looked stunned. "She said that you are her friend… and… so with Emily's 'okay,' I told her a bit about you. I said that you are… my guardian angel and the love of my life. And… she wants to meet you so you can play 'princess' with her sometime." Rose stopped and couldn't help but watch as his face melted at her words. "Emily was so shocked at her reaction to you that I'm going to babysit her tomorrow night and is okay if you stop by for a bit."
"She really wasn't scared of me?" He breathed.
"Nope." She said with an even bigger smile. "A three-year-old child loves you, even having not met you, and doesn't care about your different exterior. She loves your wings and thinks you are an angel." Rose shrugged. "I didn't correct her, because she's not wrong."
Brooklyn's face completely melted now as he stared down at her, then he lowered his lips to hers and kissed them wholly; their lips danced together slowly, on and off for a few seconds, until he pulled away and cupped her face.
"Thank you for sharing that with me, my sweet angel." He whispered. "I would love to meet her tomorrow night. I might be going out with the Clan for patrol, but I can stay with you until Chris and Emily get back. What are they doing?"
"They want to go out on a date and have dinner. It'll be around Katie's bedtime, so you might or might not meet her, depending on if she's already down for the night." Rose explained. "Emily and Chris… well… they are talking about moving out of New York to Oregon for a job opportunity."
As she said those words, fresh hurt dug quickly back up and she suddenly couldn't look at him.
"Wow… really?" Brooklyn asked her, looking just as shocked. "When?"
"Pretty soon it sounds like." She said softly. "Chris' family is from there, so when Emily has her baby they'll have more family support. Housing payments are way less down there than here, and it'll be a pay raise. So, all in all, there's more benefit than negatives for them if they make the move."
Brooklyn was watching her carefully, obviously sensing her hurt churning painfully inside of her chest.
"What did you tell her?" He asked gently.
"I told her… that no decision should be made based on my opinions." She said quietly. "As much as I would miss them dearly… I think it's a smart choice for their family, but ultimately it's their decision." She paused. "Hence why they are going to dinner. Her and Chris want to discuss it more."
"Hmm." Was all he said, still holding her hands. Silence passed between them for a few seconds, when he finally said, "I can sense how sad this makes you, Rose. Would you really be alright with them leaving New York?" Leaving you? He almost said, but she heard it.
"It's their choice, their life, their decision." Rose said softly, and he squeezed her hand tightly in his.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart." His words and eyes were showing utmost sincerity, and it made tears fill her eyes even more. She sniffed, ran her hands over her face and wiped them away.
"It's not set in stone yet," she said stiffly. "No worries, I'm fine. But uh… anyway, so that was their visit today. I'm gonna babysit Katie Bug tomorrow night while they have dinner, and uh, I'll only be out for a few hours and then can join you on patrol as well, if you wanted."
"Let's see what the Clan wants to do." Brooklyn said, pulling her out of the living room towards the patio door. "With Kevin back, I worry about you being there by yourself, but I can probably stay until they return. It doesn't sound too late, and yes, I would love to finally meet Katie."
"Careful, babe." Rose teased him. "The minute you let her baby blue eyes peer into your soul, you will soon find yourself twisted around her little finger to her very will. You might find yourself wearing a princess dress, talons painted, and face full of makeup done." She paused and smiled at him. "It's good practice when you become a father one day to all of the hatchlings in the Clan."
A subtle hint that made her heart pound with excitement and joy, and with a raised eye brow he looked at her. Not sure if he caught her tone or not, he smiled happily and whispered, "Hmmm… sounds like my kinda night. And as for being a father figure to those little eggs..." He eased his face closer to hers, making her heart pound even more fiercely. "I look forward to it."
Doctor Samuel Miller came home from a very long day-shift from the hospital, shut the door behind him and exhaled out a long breath he felt like he'd been holding all day long. He tossed his white coat off, undid his tie, and immediately went straight for a beer in his fridge, kicking off his shoes as he went. Sighing out heavily, he popped the lid off of his beer bottle, collapsed on his tattered up couch and stared at the wall. He had been working so many shifts lately that when he came home to his small and empty apartment, that's all he could seem to do was sit and stare at nothing.
The couple of months that he had been in New York weren't the best, but they weren't the worst either. He still hadn't had much luck finding any friends, girlfriends or anyone to occupy his time when not at work. But then again, he never put out the effort for such things. Though he never admitted it, his heart remained back in Boston with his ex-girlfriend, Amy, who he almost proposed to, but chickened out. He admitted he made a lot of mistakes in his life, but letting her walk away from him, without fighting for her to stay, was the biggest mistake he could have ever made. And instead of fighting for her love again, he walked away and hid like the coward he was.
He sighed heavily and took a few large gulps of beer, trying to get her off his mind. Like he tried every night…
The only girl he ever really was attracted to since coming to Manhattan, that was a slight distraction from Amy, was his employee and neighbor, Rose Connelly. But, she was apparently married, even though he had never seen her out with another man. He still was unsure if that was her lying and an excuse to not go out with him, or if it was true and she was married. If she was lying, then he was impressed by her thorough job at deceiving him, and honestly didn't blame her. He wouldn't go out with himself either, he was a mess.
But, regardless of him being a commitment disaster, she was extremely beautiful and someone he still pined after. And it wasn't too hard to wonder why. She had a beautiful figure, her face and skin stunning and soft. Her smile could light up any room, and her long deep red hair reminded him of Amy's long brown hair. Both were similarly built, curvy and feminine but still in shape and active. Kind, sweet, smart…
Then, his fantasy over Rose turned back into his true love, Amy.
God, stop you idiot. He thought miserably. Stop thinking about them…
It hurt less if he did. But if he stopped thinking then he was stuck in lonely, empty silence, which tore him apart; so which two pains did he prefer? Snarling at himself, he took another swig and then sat up a bit on his couch, looking around his gloomy apartment. Needing anything to distract him, anything to take his mind off who had his heart back in Boston and his very attractive neighbor. He thought to go and knock on Rose's door, to check up on her and say hi. When he last saw her, a few days ago at work, she had not been feeling well, and perhaps he should be kind and ask if she was needing anything?
Shaking his head, he decided against it; her real or fake husband would take care of her.
Samuel finished off his beer, throwing the bottle across the floor towards the recycling bin, but missed and watched as it clanged to the floor. Heaving to his feet, he warily got up to pick it up when he suddenly saw a piece of paper sitting on his counter. One he didn't recall being there when he left for work earlier that morning. Picking it up he noticed that it was the same handwriting, and type of note, that he had been receiving from an anonymous author for a few weeks now. Samuel's heart picked up rapidly as he read it over, and somehow it was from someone who knew that his cousin, John, was a part of the Quarrymen group.
Samuel,
Suit up. Tonight is the night to show us that you are truly a relative of Castaway and has what it takes to be one of us. There will be a red male Gargoyle leaving your apartment building rooftop tonight. We've seen him come and go for many weeks him down, kill him and finish what your cousin, our great leader, started.
Use your laser blaster we shipped to your address last week and take the monster down. Do this- and you'll be a part of us. Reinforcements will assist you at the alleyway just directly East of your apartment, that is where you will shoot the monster down so as to not attract unwanted public attention. Be ready by 1900 hours and keep your eyes on the sky; don't forget to wear your mask.
Best of luck.
Samuel re-read over the note two or three times and couldn't believe it. His cousin, John Castaway was a huge example for him growing up. He was a part of a secret Gargoyle hunter group called the Quarrymen, and died in his service of trying to get rid of their evil kind. He never hated those creatures before until he found out that they killed him… then he secretly started to be recruited by the group ever since the Gargoyle attack on the Manhattan Bridge during a large summer storm close to a month ago. Where many innocent Humans were injured, a few people- including a young family- were killed.
He was a doctor and loved his job, as strenuous as it was, but when he found out that the evil creatures that killed his cousin, who was like a brother to him more than anything, was murdered. By them. He received all of his belongings and took it upon himself to pick up the work that he died for.
Perhaps this is why life brought him to Manhattan after he lost everything important to him, he had nothing left to lose.
Gritting his teeth, he pulled out a lighter and carefully lit the paper on fire over his sink as he was instructed to do. When it was ash, he strode over to his closet in his bedroom, pulled out the Quarryman uniform and quickly put it on, stripping out of his doctor's clothes. He sort of felt like a superhero of sorts… a normal Human during the day, but at night, he helped the greater good. The heavy black suit with a hammer patch on his left breast felt nice. The heavy utility belts they gave him a sense of security, John's old military boots… a memoir of who came before him and laid down his life. With a heavy sigh, he picked up John's old Quarryman mask and gazed down upon it with sadness and knew what he needed to do.
"This is for you John."
If he was going to be here in Manhattan, then he was going to make it count. This was his very first Quarrymen assignment, and he wasn't going to fail. Placing the hood over his face, he then pulled out a heavy laser gun that was shipped to him anonymously. He had played around with it a few times to get familiar with how it worked, and found that it was easy enough. Checking his watch, he saw it was almost nine o'clock, and would need to meet his reinforcements, the other men in black, to help take this monster down once and for all. He crossed over to his bedroom window, crawled out and used the side stairs to climb down the side of his building, and quickly disappeared into the night.
Brooklyn carried Rose in his arms as they walked across their rooftop patio to venture towards the Castle, up top the Eyrie Building. She had teased him that she could walk, but secretly loved being carried in his strong arms. He knew it and loved it as well. She closed her eyes and rested her face in the crook of his neck, smelling his deep scent that was very attractive to her. He tightened his arms around her, sensing her doing so.
He spread his long wings out as they came to the ledge and then placed one clawed foot up to get them ready for take off, but stopped, and looked down at her.
"You never told me what Doctor Sato said to you, my love."
"Oh…" Rose said, keeping her head tucked under his neck. "Um… well… honestly now is probably not the best time to discuss it."
He froze. "Why not? What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong." She sighed. "He came and gave me a physical, took a few samples of my urine and blood and is doing some tests on me. I should have definitive test results by tomorrow."
"Does he have any idea what's been making you ill?"
Rose didn't say anything as he spread his wings and took off gently into the night sky, then said, "He and I both know what's been making me ill, the tests tomorrow will just verify it."
"What is it then?"
"It's not anything that Hela or the Draugr has done, I promise. I'm not dying, nor will anything bad come from this... I... hope." Brooklyn's eyes widened at her, but she continued to speak before he freaked out. "He took notice that I'm losing too much weight and has given me some anti-nausea medication to help me keep food and water in my body. That should help me not keep losing weight. Everything else will take care of itself with time."
"What does that mean?" He asked warily, looking down at her as the wind softly blew through their faces and hair.
"Sweetheart…" Rose said softly, thinking about what she should say for now. It wasn't the time to tell him just yet, not while they were high above the ground and getting higher. They would free-fall with his shock if she did. So she sighed and took his face in her hands. "I promise to tell you what the tests revealed, but not right now, not while we are gliding, okay? Let's please take things one at a time. So, for now, let's go and discuss Kevin first with the Clan, come up with a game plan with his return, and then I'll tell you later when you've calmed down and we have privacy to discuss it in peace."
"Okay…" Brooklyn said, still unsure. "Well… give me one clue at least? Like I did for you last night on our date? One clue as to what's been ailing you."
Rose slowly smiled and rested herself tighter against his warm body, letting tears fill her eyes as she slowly rested her hand over her abdomen.
"Okay." She said softly. "It's… scary and unknown territory for both of us… but… something… incredibly amazing has happened, Brooklyn."
Sensations of love and overwhelming happiness flowed through her into him, and even though their minds weren't connected, he slowly looked down upon her face with wide eyes. Then they slowly went to the hand that was resting upon her flat abdomen, piecing it together ever so slowly. His heart gave a huge jolt at her clue, at the signs she had been giving off, but he never thought once about because he thought that it was impossible.
Is she really…? He thought to himself, but then shot it down. No, she couldn't be.
His eyes widened in true shock at what he suddenly felt within their connection. True love… and… something else. No, not something… someone else. Another soul.
"Rose…?" He choked out in a slow voice, as if approaching the question with great caution. "Are… are you…?"
BANG!
A bright light suddenly slammed into Brooklyn's stomach, making him roar and grunt out in pain. Rose screamed in surprise as his body did a few flips in the air, and then before she could think about what had just hit them, they were suddenly free-falling down towards the ground and buildings below.