I do not own Gargoyles. Disney owns them. Gargoyles is a show that I love, and write stories about. I own Crystal, and any other characters that did not appear on the show.

New Life, New Beginnings: Chapter 2

Crystal awoke to find herself in a cold, cramped room. She didn't want to open her eyes, in fear of what she might see. But her efforts were futile. Her eyes opened, and she found herself in a cage. She didn't have enough room to stretch her legs, and she was betting she wouldn't have enough room to stand up straight either. Her head felt like it had an anvil dropped on it, and her arm and wing were still aching from the bullet wounds. What she found odd was that her arm had been bandaged. "Ugh, terrific. Shot and kidnapped in the same night. This has to be a world record or something."

"Well, look who decided to finally wake up. I thought you monsters were tougher than that."

Her head shot up, causing her to wince in pain. She took a look at the man who was sitting in the room. To her disappointment, he was still wearing his mask, but she did recognize his voice as being the one who had shot her. "Who the hell are you and what do you want with me?"

"Temper, temper. You should really control it. Could get you into bigger trouble."

She felt the heat in her eyes, and she knew they were glowing. "Maybe you didn't hear me; who are you and what do you want with me?"

The man remained calm. He had obviously done this before. "Nice trick there. I hate to inform you, but I cannot answer your questions. You will just have to wait and find out."

Her eyes dimmed. She knew intimidating the man wasn't going to work, especially since she was the one in the cage. "If what you want is a gargoyle, you've made a mistake."

"Oh really? Please explain as to how a mistake has been made."

She laughed. "Because I'm human. Why do you think there have been gargoyle sightings only in the past two years? Think about it."

"If you're human, then I'm Prince William," he chuckled as he left the room.

"I'm human, damn it!" She screamed after him. "Human!" Her shoulders slumped and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm human," she whispered.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The two gargoyles wasted no time in thinking of a plan and winging their way to the warehouse. It was quite a simple one: get in, get Crystal, and get out. They didn't have the forces to do anything else. They landed on the rooftop, and looked through the skylight. The storage room was pretty small, with offices lining one side of the building.

"Quarrymen," Lex muttered. "I can't believe they have Quarrymen here." He looked over at his rookery brother. "Can you remember the last time you saw a group of them?"

Brooklyn growled. "Probably a good seven years, by now." The Quarrymen in Manhattan had only been able to last a few years after their first attack on the clan. Jon Canmore, or Castaway as he had called himself then, was already slightly mad after paralyzing his brother. But as time went on, he fell deeper and deeper into that madness. He had gone from only attacking gargoyles, to anyone who was a gargoyle sympathizer. That was all the police needed in order to start arresting group members for more than just vandalism charges. There were still the few oddballs out there, still those who wore those damned masks, but at least those hammers were no longer a threat to them, or anyone else. "Never thought they'd be here, what with the lack of gargoyles."

"Brooklyn, there she is!" Lexington pointed to a cage in the middle of the room, where a wing and tail were poking through the bars, but were erratically moving around. They could even hear muffled screaming.

"I'm going in. Remember, you stay here unless I need help." Brooklyn opened the latch on the window, and a line of curse words came flowing out. "She's got quite a mouth on her." He jumped down and opened his wings, slowing his decent, and landed quietly behind some crates.

"Bastardi! You're gonna pay for this!"

I didn't know she spoke another language, he thought. He was about to make his move, when the door opened and a Quarryman walked in. He ducked lower into the crates, so that he wouldn't be seen.

"You monsters don't shut up, do you?"

"Dio mio, how many times do I have to bloody tell you?! I'm not a gargoyle, and I'm definitely not a monster! I'm a human! Get that through your thick skull! Human! H-u-m-a-n!"

"Quiet beast! Or you won't see another night again!" He spun on his heel and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Crystal slammed her fist into the bars. "Pedazo de carne con patas."(i)

Brooklyn figured this to be as good a time as any, and quietly ran to the cage. "Psst, Crystal."

She spun around and a smile graced her face. "Brooklyn! You came!" She whispered.

"Of course I did. No way was I going to leave you with these animals." He sized up the width and length of the bars. "Have you tried bending these to get out."

She pointed to the bandage on her arm. "I've only got one arm to work with. I tried to bend them, but the pain was just too much."

"Let's see if I can get you out of this." He grasped a bar in each hand, and using all of his strength, pulled the bars apart wide enough for her to get through. She jumped out and hugged him.

"Thank you Brooklyn. Thank you for rescuing me."

The hug surprised him, but he returned it nonetheless. "I'm just happy to see you safe. Now c'mon, let's get out of here."

They had just started scaling the wall, when they heard the door opening. "She's escaping!" It was the same man who kept checking on her the entire night. Crystal decided she was going to keep her promise. She pushed herself off the wall and back onto the ground, and stalked towards him.

"I said you were going to pay, and now you're going to!" Her eyes went aglow, and she snarled.

"Crystal! Get back here!" Brooklyn ordered.

The Quarryman reached behind the wall and pulled out a tranquilizer gun. Just as he pulled the trigger, Crystal pounced on him, banging the man's head on the ground, and knocking him unconscious.

"Crystal, c'mon! Before the others get here!" She growled one last time before running back to the wall. The two scaled the wall as fast as they could, and climbed out one of the side windows. They met up with Lex on the roof, and glided away before they could be tracked.

Slowly, Crystal began dropping in altitude. "Crystal?" Without warning, her wings snapped back, and she dropped like a rock. "Crystal!" Brooklyn swooped down and caught her, and landed on the closest rooftop. "Crys! Crys c'mon, talk to me."

Lex landed soon after and looked her over. "She won't be talking for a while. Look," he reached over and pulled a dart from her waist. "She's been drugged."

Brooklyn sighed. "C'mon, let's get her home."

The flight back, Brooklyn was deep in thought. He kept thinking about what he heard Crystal screaming at the Quarrymen. "I'm not a gargoyle, and I'm definitely not a monster! I'm a human! Get that through your thick skull! Human! H-u-m-a-n!" It couldn't be true, could it? There's no way... His thoughts were cut off by the quickly approaching house. He would ask her about it when she woke up. He walked into the house and made his way down the hallway, when he realized he didn't know which room was hers. "Lex, got any idea which one is her room?"

"Not a clue. Just take a look inside them and try and guess."

Brooklyn went to the room directly in front of him, and instantly knew it was hers. With the walls covered in posters and framed autographs of hockey players, there was no way it could be anyone else's. He pulled the covers back with his tail, laid her down on the bed, and pulled the blankets up to cover her. He brushed back some hair away from her face, and a frown found its way to his beak. He no longer knew what to think, and he found it so hard to believe that she had once been human. Leaving her room, he closed the door behind him, and went in search of company with either Bronx or Lexington.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Crystal awoke and found herself on something comfortable, and something was covering her. She opened her eyes, and was happy to see herself in her room. Most of the night was foggy; she couldn't really remember anything from the time of her capture. Her rescue was somewhat there, but not much was coming to her. She sat up and rubbed her aching head. "Gods, I'm gonna have to raid the Tylenol factory later." Pulling the covers off and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she very carefully got up on shaky legs. She didn't know what kind of long term affects those tranquilizer darts could have on her, and she hoped she would never have to find out. Opening the door, and using the wall for support, she walked down the hallway. "Lexington? Brooklyn? Bronx?" She walked into the kitchen, and found all three sitting - well, Bronx was laying down - at the table. Whatever they had been talking about had stopped the instant she had walked in. "Hey guys. What'd I miss?"

Lexington looked at Brooklyn, then at Crystal, and back at Brooklyn. The two had become so close so fast. He would hate to see something like this drive a wedge between them. He knew Brooklyn was too hurt to say anything, so he decided to get the ball rolling. "Uh, Crystal? Mind telling us about you having been a human?"

She nearly collapsed. She was going to tell them, eventually... maybe. But she didn't want them to find out like this. They knew what she had been. "Wha- How... how did you find out about that?"

"You were screaming it at the Quarrymen when we came to save you." mumbled Brooklyn.

"I... I was going to. I was gathering the courage to do so, but then I got captured." She tried to crack a joke to lighten the mood, but even she knew it was pointless. "Look, guys, if I hurt you by keeping this secret, I'm sorry. I just didn't know how you would react if you knew."

She was beginning to show signs of fatigue, so Lex got up and helped her walk to the table to have a seat. "So how did it happen?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I was human one minute, and the next, I was this." she shook her head. "It completely flipped my life upside-down. I had to drop out of school, I withdrew from my friends, my family disowned me..."

Brooklyn's head shot up. "They what?!"

She looked down at the table and nodded. "Yeah, they did. Only my cousin stuck by me." Her head slowly went up, and her cheeks were wet with tears. "Do you know how it feels to be betrayed by the ones you love?"

Lexington and Brooklyn shared a knowing glance, and Brooklyn nodded. "Well, yeah, we do," Lex answered.

The two Manhattan gargoyles went on to tell Crystal about the betrayal they had faced by the Captain of the Guard and Demona. They didn't go into too much detail – that could have taken all night. They told her enough so that she would be informed, but not so much that they would scare her off.

Crystal stared wide-eyed at the two. "Wow," she said. "Just, wow."

It was at that moment the phone decided to interrupt their conversation. She swore under her breath, wiped her eyes, and got up to answer the phone. "Hello?" her face brightened. "Nicole! Yes, of course you can! All right, see ya in a few." she hung up the phone and turned to her guests. "My cousin's coming over!"

The two males looked worried. "You sure that's a good idea? With us being here and all?" asked Lex.

"Are you kidding? She's the reason I found out about your clan. Ever since my transformation, she's been trying to find others like me. She'll be so happy to know that her efforts weren't in vain."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Crystal!"

"Cole!" The cousins hugged, happy to finally see each other after two months of separation. "Oh it's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too! I missed you so much!" She pulled out of the hug. The newcomer stood at 5'5", had reddish-brown hair, and brown eyes. "So anything exciting happen since I last saw you?"

"You mean not including tonight?" Crystal laughed at her cousin's confused expression. "I'll tell you about that later. But otherwise..." She led her cousin into the kitchen, where her guests were waiting.

"So I was right! You are a gargoyle! So, what are you waiting for? Do the introductions!"

"Oh right, right. Cole, meet Lexington, Brooklyn, and," she knelt down to rub Bronx's head. "This guy is Bronx. Guys, this is my cousin Nicole."

Nicole took her time in looking each one over. "Girl, I know you had a knack for finding hot guys, but I didn't think you could do it as a gargoyle too!"

"Coooooooooooollllllllle!" Crystal blushed.

"What? I just wish I was a gargoyle." Her mouth twisted into a devilish grin. "So which one do you have dibs on?"

"Cole!"

"Okay, okay, I'm done." She leaned over to whisper in Crystal's ear. "Red's yours, isn't he?"

Crystal threw her hands up in defeat. "Someone else deal with her before I decide to ring her neck!"

The two males looked at each other, and Brooklyn took a step back. "She's all yours bro."

"Oh, come on. I'm not that horrible. Either one of you like computers and video games?"

Brooklyn pushed his smaller brother forward. "Yeah, I do."

"Bet I could kick your ass at 'Star Wars: Battlefront'."

"You have it?"

Nicole pulled a flat box out of her purse. "Never go anywhere without it. Crys, you still got your PS2 hooked up?"

"It always is. You two go knock yourselves out." The two ran into the den, and Bronx followed the newcomer.

The crimson gargoyle cloaked his wings. "So... you feeling better from those darts?"

"My body's a little sore, but I should be fine after a day's sleep." She tightened her wings around herself. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

He shrugged. "You had your reasons to keep it a secret."

"That may be true, but I should have told you the moment I knew I could trust you." She moved to stand in front of him. "I... I'm sorry if I hurt you." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Her eyes went downcast as she walked away, when Brooklyn grabbed her wrist.

She looked up at him with a questioning look in her eyes. "You didn't hurt me. I just didn't handle the news very well."

Small smile found its way to her lips and she took hold of his hand. "I have something that will make you happy." She led him to where Nicole and Lex were already deeply engrossed in their game.

"Oh, you little jerk! You're gonna pay for that!" Nicole hissed.

Crystal stepped in front of the television, forcing them to pause the game, and groan in anger. "This'll only take a moment. Cole, are you still looking for a place to live?"

"Is the Pope Catholic?"

"Good, 'cause I found the perfect place for you."

Nicole dropped the controller and jumped to her feet. "You did?! Really? Where?"

"Here."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I'm giving you the house."

Nicole's eyes widened in shock. She wasn't quite sure she was hearing things right. "I'm sorry, you're doing what?"

Crystal chuckled. "I'm giving you the house."

"Why on earth are you doing that?!"

Crystal looked at Brooklyn, and back at her cousin. "I'm moving to Manhattan."

Three jaws dropped in unison. "You're what?!"

"Brooklyn asked me to, and it makes sense. I finally found others like me, and it'd be stupid to just let them leave. I... I need... a clan."

Nicole stepped forward and gave her cousin a hug. "I'm gonna miss you. Take care of yourself, okay?"

Crystal returned the hug. "You know I will."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next night, Crystal had all her clothes packed. She was leaving all her furniture, as she was told she wouldn't need them at the castle. Besides, it would make Nicole's moving in a lot easier. Leaving her city didn't sit too well with her, but she couldn't live on her own for the rest of her life. She zipped up the suitcase and pulled it off the bed. "All right, looks like that's everything." She looked around. "Has anyone seen Cujo?"

"Who's Cujo?" asked Brooklyn.

"My cat. Cujo! Where are you?" A black kitten crawled out from under the bed. "Cujo, there you are!" She picked up the cat. "Ready to go on a trip?" The kitten meowed in response, as if to say yes.

"I'm gonna miss you so much Crys." Cole reached over and gave her cousin a hug.

The female gargoyle returned the hug. "I'm gonna miss you too. I'll be sure to keep in touch."

"Hey, it was great playing with you. Hope we can do it again soon." Lex put out his hand for a handshake. Cole quickly accepted it, but what surprised him was when she pulled him for a hug.

"You take care of her for me, okay? And I promise we'll play again soon." She stepped in front of Brooklyn, and shook hands with him. "I'd give you a hug, but my cousin might get jealous."

"Cole!"

"See what I mean?"

Brooklyn leaned over and gave her a hug. "If she does get jealous, I'll hear about it later." He winked at Crystal as she blushed. "But we really have to get going, the helicopter's waiting."

A few hours later...

"Wow." Crystal was at a loss for words. Only minutes away from the Eyrie Building, and the knowledge that this place was now her home was finally starting to sink in. And bonus! She was going to be living in a castle! Sometimes little girls' dreams can come true.

The helicopter soon landed, and three gargoyles and their beast stepped out. Bronx barked and ran straight for the stairs, glad to be back home. Crystal reached back in for her cat's carrier and luggage, but the pilot waved her off and told her everything would be taken care of. She thanked the pilot, and turned away.

"Okay, I don't think I thought this through," she yelled over the sound of the helicopter as it shut down its engine.

Brooklyn wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, it'll be fine. You're very likable."

"Well, you see, not completely. You said there's a girl in your clan, right?"

"Yeah, Angela. So?"

"Yeah, well, ya see," she rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't get along well with girls. They usually hate me."

He moved a lock of her hair behind her horns. "Angela's different. They'll all like you, especially Angela. Trust me."

They walked down the stairs and made their way to the main hall to find everyone already there. Crystal hung back as Brooklyn, Lexington and Bronx were welcomed back home.

"It is good to have you all back," said the big purple one. "Was your trip successful?"

"Indeed it was Goliath." Brooklyn turned back, and saw Crystal hiding behind the door. He waved for her to come over, but when she shook her head, he walked over to her, and held out his hand. "Don't worry, it'll be fine." She tentatively took his hand, and allowed herself to be taken to the clan. "Everyone, this is Crystal. Crystal, I'd like you to meet Goliath, our leader, Hudson, the clan mentor, Broadway, my rookery brother, and his mate, Angela."

Crystal silently said hi to each of them, and suddenly felt quite small under Goliath's gaze. "So you are the gargoyle the newspapers in Canada were reporting."

"Well it was only a handful in Canada. Most were just the local papers. But wow, did the tabloids love me." She looked at the shocked faces of the clan. "Sorry, I guess I'm just nervous."

"There's no need tae be nervous, lass. Ye're among clan now."

"He's right." Brooklyn realized he was still holding her hand, so he gave it a reassuring squeeze. "C'mon, I'll give you a tour of the castle." she simply nodded and followed him out.

"That's a little odd." Angela commented.

Goliath looked at his daughter. "What is?"

"Well, when was the last time you saw a gargoyle afraid of other gargoyles?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A month had gone by, and Crystal had become quite comfortable in the clan. She was even surprised that she and Angela had become almost as close as sisters. The only thing that was bothering her was patrol. Not being used to having to deal with so much crime, Crystal had gotten herself into quite a few scrapes, and a few where she was lucky to escape with her life. Goliath decided that until she was trained as a warrior, she would no longer take part in patrols. Hudson had taken her spot, and she was assigned to guard the castle. Hudson had been told to train her, Brooklyn had instantly volunteered to help, and even Goliath was willing to help her in her training. Brooklyn also agreed to help her improve her gliding, as she only knew the very basics of how to use her wings. The only problem was, she was stuck alone at the castle with Bronx until they returned from their patrols. Her clothing had also become a problem, as she didn't have good mobility with them. Fox, Xanatos' wife as she had learned, was more than willing to help when she asked for a yard of cloth so that she could make herself a new outfit. And so here she was, sitting in her room on her bed, with Bronx on the floor and her cat Cujo sleeping beside her, working on her new outfit.

"Another boring night, eh Bronx?" The beast whined in response. Crystal didn't mind spending time by herself; now and then she even preferred to be alone. Problem was, she was spending too much time by herself, and she knew what happened then. She absent mindedly touched the scar on her left arm. It was such a deep cut, that it had even left an indent. Having talons made it easier, and it was so tempting... "No. I promised myself I wouldn't do it anymore." She got up to put on a CD so that her mind could have something else to think about, and went back to her sewing, so as to keep her hands busy. She couldn't let herself go back to her old ways. "Non posso credere che ho quasi pensato di fare che."(ii)

"You know, we'd have a better time understanding you if you'd stick to English."

Her head snapped up to see Brooklyn standing in her doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. She quickly hid the cloth behind her. "When did you get back?"

"Just a few minutes ago. I heard your CD player, and figured you could spare some time for training."

"Oh, sure." Lucky for her she was already dressed for it, in her short black shorts and sports bra. They made their way to the gym, and immediately started with sparring. They first started out easy, but Crystal had her mind on other things, and therefore continued to be knocked down easily.

After knocking her down for the tenth time, Brooklyn had to stop. "Crystal, what's wrong?"

She propped herself up with her hand behind her. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

"I haven't been able to knock you down this easily or this many times in weeks. Something's bothering you."

"I just got some things on my mind. Nothing to be concerned about."

Brooklyn offered his hand to help her up. "You sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"In due time. Tonight just isn't the night." She brushed herself off. "Do you mind if we cut it short today? I'm a little hungry and I feel like eating out tonight."

"Yeah, no - eat out?"

"Of course." She rubbed her chin. "You know, you might come in handy. Meet me out on the battlements in fifteen minutes."

15 minutes later...

"You have got to be kidding me."

"What? It's worked before." Crystal had dressed herself in pants that were long enough to cover her feet, and wide enough to conceal the fact she had her tail wrapped around her leg. She had on a baggy hoody that hid her wings, with sleeves that covered her hands, a baseball hat to cover her horns and the pointed tip of her ears, and used her hair to cover her ears. "C'mon, you're my ride tonight."

He scooped her up into his arms, and she wrapped an arm around his neck. "Last time I carried you like this, you were unconscious."

She smiled. "Luckily I'm awake for the ride this time."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Demona pulled her fist out of the wall and growled in frustration. She had run out of things to throw, which just fueled her anger and caused her to punch the wall. She brushed the drywall dust off her arm and glared at the damage she had caused. Now she would have to hire someone to fix it. The thought of having a human in her home just fueled her anger, but thought twice about putting her fist through the wall again. The less time a human needed to be in her home, the better.

She looked at the hole again and growled. "Wretched humans." She needed to clear her head, and a glide would do just that. She stepped out on the balcony and onto the rail, unfurled her wings, and leaped off. Her wings caught a thermal, and lifted her high above the rooftops. There was no set destination; she simply wanted to enjoy the moment.

These moments were needed more and more often, ever since she promised her daughter that she would no longer try to exterminate the human race. If it hadn't been for the groups that had protested against the Quarrymen while they were still around, and the others that had physically fought the Quarrymen, and saved her daughter's life...

Fine, she wouldn't kill all the humans, but that wouldn't stop her from getting rid of the ones that threatened her daughter. Which is still most of them, she thought.

Demona was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost didn't see the gargoyle pass below her. Normally she would have just shrugged it off, happy that he didn't see her, but she noticed that he had someone in his arms. With her curiosity peaked, she changed directions and followed the red gargoyle. It wasn't like she had anything else to do.

Within minutes, she had followed the gargoyle to a Chinese restaurant. She landed on a building across the street, while Brooklyn landed in the alley. Watching from within the shadows, she saw him let his passenger down on their feet. So he's gone and copied his leader and found himself a human, she thought. She continued to watch as the human went inside the restaurant, and he climbed onto the roof. Not long after, the human emerged from the restaurant with a bag of food, walked into the alley and - How is it possible for her to climb a wall?! Now this human had peaked her curiosity. Brooklyn helped her onto the roof, and took her hat, revealing her horns. "What on earth has he found himself?" She whispered. What really surprised her was when the human removed her sweater. A gargoyle! Where on earth did they find her?! She had seen enough. She ran to the other side of the roof and glided back home. What she needed was a plan. There was no way she was going to let this new blood be corrupted by Goliath and his clan.

"Gods it feels good to be able to move my wings." Said Crystal as she stretched her wings and readjusted her tank top.

Brooklyn sat on the roof and began rummaging though the bag. "It's a small sacrifice to make to enjoy take-out."

She took her hat and put it on his head. "Then maybe next time I should send you."

"Right, because it's so easy for me to just stroll in somewhere with red skin and a beak."

"Bet you ten bucks I could find a day when you could."

He took out a box of noodles and started fiddling with the chopsticks. "You're on."

She took out a box and started eating. "Halloween."

He quirked an eye ridge at her. "Well I walked into that one, didn't I?"

"Mm-hm. But don't beat yourself up about it. I don't want you to feel like you got outsmarted by your newest clan member."

"Oh thank you so much for considering my feelings."

They spent the next two hours just eating and chatting on the rooftop, as if they had been friends for years. Yes, she had been living with the clan for a month, but there were still times where she felt more human than gargoyle. She was thankful she had the excuse of being raised by humans, otherwise surely by now her secret would have come out.

But right now, at this moment, she couldn't really see any differences between herself and Brooklyn. Yes, there were the obvious physical differences, but then again, it wasn't like she looked completely human either. Sitting there, across from Brooklyn, the two of them talking about everything and nothing, made her think that maybe this species difference was all in her head. After all, physically there was no difference. Besides, he was kind of cute, even with a beak.

It was their flight back to the castle when Brooklyn started complaining. "Stupid muggers, always sneaking up from behind."

"Problem, Brooklyn?"

"Yeah, on patrol earlier I got smashed in the back with a two by four. Hurts to glide."

"And you let me... Brooklyn!" She slapped and rubbed her forehead. "Why didn't you tell me before we left?"

"I, uh, forgot about it?"

She sneezed. "Oh, sorry, I'm allergic to bullshit." they soon landed on the battlements. "Now march yourself in there and sit yourself on the couch. I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

Brooklyn had no idea what she had planned, he was even a little worried, but decided to do what she said. "Why do I suddenly feel like a hatchling," he mumbled. He didn't have to wait long before she came back wearing track pants and a different coloured tank top.

She sat down beside him. "Now turn around so your back faces me." He did as he was told. "Now this may hurt a bit, but you'll feel better in the end." She cracked her knuckles, and proceeded to give him a massage.

He cringed. "Jeez Crys! What'd I do to piss you off?"

"I'm sorry, but your muscles are so tense." She slowly worked her way down from his shoulders, massaging out every knot she could find. She eventually reached the base of his wings.

Brooklyn held back a moan and abruptly stood up. "Uh, thanks Crys. It feels a lot better."

Her eye ridges furrowed in confusion. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, I just remembered I had to do something." Before she could say anything else, he ran out of the room.

She looked down at her hands, and back at the door. "What did I do?"

She soon found herself looking for Lex. He was the only clan member she trusted with personal stuff, and that was because he was the only other one who knew she had been human. She kept having the urge to tell the rest of the clan, she just couldn't bring herself to ever say the words.

She walked into the kitchen and found the green gargoyle making himself a sandwich. "Hey Lex." He looked up to acknowledge her presence. "Mind if I ask you something?"

He opened a jar of peanut butter. "Ask away."

"Well, uh, say I was giving you a back massage. Is there a spot on your back that I would need to avoid?"

"On me? No. You'd just have to avoid where my wing membrane meets my sides."

She bit her lip. "Why's that?"

"In simple terms, it turns us on. For someone with wings like yours, you'd need to avoid the shoulder blades."

"Oh shit." She let her head drop and hit the table. "Why am I not told these things in advance?"

Lexington chuckled. "What happened?"

"I gave Brooklyn a massage." She mumbled into the table.

He dropped the knife. "You mean you -" she nodded. "I can only imagine the look on his face. How did he react?"

Crystal lifted her head and rested her chin on the table. "He was extremely flustered and quickly left saying he had to do something."

He snickered. "Well don't worry about it. He'll act a little weird for a bit, but he'll be back to normal in no time."

She propped her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. "I hope you're right Lex. I really hope you're right."

Sadly, Lexington was wrong. Two weeks had gone by, and Brooklyn was still acting weird, at least around her. He avoided being in the same room alone with her, and had even stopped his training with her. She had tried confronting him a few times, but he always managed to find an excuse to leave. Slowly, she had begun to think that she had lost a friend, and in turn, she had gone back to her old ways. She had even spent fewer days roosting with the clan. Nearly every night was spent in her room, except for when she had her training, which was now only done with Hudson and Goliath.

Her cuts were getting harder and harder to hide. Mostly because she had been making the cuts bigger and bigger. She always made the excuse that it had been her cat, but that was easily being seen for what it was: a lie. Tonight she had been able to get out of training, thanks to her near-begging to Goliath. So there she was, sitting on her bed, bracing herself for the coming pain. But the pain felt good, and it always made her feel better. Not thinking about it for another second, she used her index talon and ran it across her upper left arm. She found slight joy in seeing it was quite deep, and that it may leave another deep scar. She pulled out the first aid kit from under her bed and began cleaning the cut. There was no way she was going to let it get infected, even though stone sleep would take care of it anyway.

For some reason, she didn't feel satisfied with just the one cut. She looked at her wrists, and there was no hesitation in her decision. Within seconds, the blood was quickly flowing. She watched as the blood flowed down her arms and onto the floor. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit her, and fear made itself known. She realized the seriousness of what she had done, but it was already too late. Shaking, she got up from her bed to try and reach the door, but another wave of dizziness hit her, and everything went dark.

Angela had become worried about her clan sister. From being outgoing, funny, caring, and extremely loving, she had become introverted, shy, nervous, and basically completely out of character. She had gone to Crystal's room to check on her, when she heard a thud from inside.

"Crystal?" She slowly opened the door, and was horrified at the sight. There was Crystal, lying on the floor, in a pool of her own blood. Not knowing what to do, she ran to the library on all fours, where Elisa and Goliath were spending their evening before Elisa started her shift. She burst through the doors, shouting, "Father! Elisa! You need to come quickly! Crystal needs help!"

Goliath got up from the couch and walked over to his daughter. "Calm down Angela. What is the problem?"

"Crystal's dying! She's bleeding to death!"

Elisa raced over to the young gargoyle. "Where is she?"

"In her room."

Elisa pushed past the young female and ran down the hall, with the two gargoyles close behind. Once she reached the bedroom, she quickly surveyed the situation, and jumped into action.

She knelt down beside her to check her pulse. "She's got a pulse, but it's weak." she noticed the first-aid kit on the bed, quickly grabbed it, and began bandaging the gargoyle's wrists. "This will only stop the bleeding temporarily. We need to get her down to the infirmary to be stitched up." Goliath carefully picked Crystal up, and ran down to the infirmary as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Do you think she'll make it?"

Elisa placed a reassuring hand on Angela's shoulder. "We did what we could. All we can do now is wait and hope for the best."

(i) Spanish: Piece of meat with legs.
(ii) Italian: I can't believe I almost thought about doing that.