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 3

Crystal slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a white room, in a bed, with a bright light shining in her eyes. "Ugh, there should be a law against shining a light in someone's face."

"Hey, you're awake!" she looked over and saw Lex sitting beside her bed.

"If you can call it that." She squinted and blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the lights. "What happened? Why am I here?"

Lex turned off the overhead lamp. "Don't you remember?" She shook her head. "Angela found you in your room. You were bleeding profusely from the cuts on your wrists."

"My wrists?" She tried lifting her arms, but she found them strapped down to the bed. "What the hell?"

Lex looked away from her face. "They were worried that you might try to do it again." he looked back at her and saw the questioning look in her eyes. "They think you tried to kill yourself."

"Kill myself?! That's insane! I'm not suicidal!"

"Then why'd you do it?" He lightly touched her arm. "And these?"

Now the clan knew what she had done. And there was no lying out of this one. The proof was right there on her arms. "It just... felt good. It helped relieve the emotional pain." Suddenly the events of that night came flooding back. "When I cut my wrists, I just... I didn't mean for it to go as far as it did." She looked at her arms. "I don't expect you or the clan to understand."

"No, I think I do." He knew he shouldn't have, but he didn't care. To her surprise, he started undoing the straps on her arms.

"Lex, what are you doing?"

"I don't think you're suicidal. I just hope you won't cut yourself anymore."

"I promise Lex. That's the last time I intentionally hurt myself."

"Good. But there's something you should know." He knew she wasn't going to like this, but it was better him telling her than letting her suddenly find out. "The clan knows about your past."

She instantly sat up. "You don't... you can't... they know I was human? How did they find out?"

"After the doctor stitched you up, he came back to inform us that you would be needing a blood transfusion if you were going to have any chance of making it to sunrise. You should know that over the years, the medical staff Xanatos hired for us have been building a database on gargoyle biology, for circumstances like this." Lex was finding it more and more difficult to meet Crystal's eyes as he spoke. "Goliath reminded the doctor that any one of us would be more than willing to donate if there wasn't enough in reserve. The doctor said there was no need, as none of us were a match, but that we should contact Talon and let him know that Delilah may need to be called upon." He looked up at Crystal as she lay back down, and could tell she was putting two and two together. "The doctor explained she was a match because of her half-human genetics. When Goliath questioned Brooklyn and me about it... we're sorry. We're just not very good liars, and Goliath's our leader, and –"

Crystal raised her hand to silence him. "It's okay, Lex." She held his hand and squeezed it to reassure him. "It's my fault for not saying something sooner. I just hope they're not mad at me for not telling them."

"No, just disappointed." Both gargoyles looked up to see Goliath standing in the doorway. "Lexington, will you please excuse us?"

"No problem, Goliath." He gave Crystal's hand a squeeze before leaving.

"Look, Goliath, what happened -"

He raised his hand to silence her. "I do not want to hear any excuses. I came to check if you had awakened, and to see how you were feeling."

Something was up. She could sense it. "Under the circumstances, I'm feeling quite well Goliath, thank you."

"I am happy to hear that. But I also came to tell you about your new living conditions."

Slowly, she sat up again. "New... living conditions?"

"Until you are deemed to be mentally healthy, you will be living in the Labyrinth. For the safety of the clan, and yourself, you will only be allowed back here once you are again sound of mind."

The Labyrinth. She had gone there a few times to help the mutates take care of the homeless and the clones. But she never thought she'd be sent to live there. "Goliath, I'm not insane, and I'm not suicidal. What happened was an accident, pure and simple. It wasn't supposed to go as far as it did."

"This is not up for discussion. As soon as you are physically able, you will move there, until Talon feels you are able to return." Before she could get out another word, he turned and left the room.

It was a good thing he left when he did, because within seconds, Crystal began to silently cry.

Two nights later, and Crystal was in her room, packing her things, and getting ready for her new life in the Labyrinth. She wasn't completely upset about having to leave, in fact, she considered herself lucky that Goliath hadn't sent her back to Canada. What bothered her was that he thought she was mentally unstable, when she clearly wasn't.

Brooklyn was standing outside her bedroom, watching her pack. She hadn't said why she had done it, but he knew he was responsible, or at least partly. He knew he had overreacted that night, making a big deal out of nothing. He didn't even stop to think that she wouldn't have known about a gargoyle's sensitive spots, and because of his stupidity, Crystal had nearly lost her life.

"Are you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna come in?"

He took a few steps into her room. "I didn't think you noticed I was there."

She smiled at him. "Who couldn't notice a body like that?"

Now he was confused. "You're not mad at me?"

"For the end result? No. The actions that were done to get to the end? Again, no. The only reason I have to be mad at you would be all those times you avoided me and wouldn't listen to me." She stopped packing to look at him. "But otherwise, I have no reason to be mad at you. Especially not for something that would have happened anyway, given time."

"Crystal, that's not true. If I hadn't acted the way I did, there's no way you would have -"

She placed her hand on his beak to silence him. "It would have happened eventually." She rolled up her sleeve, and showed him the deep scar on her arm. "I did this one a month after my parents were killed. My problem is that I have a tendency to become depressed, and when I do, I cut myself to feel better. Believe me, if it wasn't this, then it would have been something else." She showed him the scars on her wrists. "And what doesn't kill you, can only make you stronger."

He lightly ran a talon over her scars. "I'm really sorry."

She stroked the side of his beak. "It's not your fault. Besides, now I have a lifelong reminder of what happens when I let my emotions take control. It's a lesson learned, and never to be forgotten."

For some reason, he couldn't stop himself from what he wanted to do. Before Crystal knew it, she was leaning against his chest, wrapped in his arms. "Next time I act like an idiot, just, hit me or something. I don't want to come so close to losing you again."

She returned the hug. "Don't worry. Next time I become that emotional, I'll let you know before it gets out of control."

Two weeks later...

"Give me one good reason not to smash your head in!"

"Crystal! Put him down!" Talon and Claw had just caught up to her to find her holding up a homeless man by his throat, and pinning him up against the wall.

"Why should I?! You saw what he did to that woman!" Earlier that night, a resident homeless woman had come running to her and Maggie, her clothes torn, saying that she had nearly been raped. They had asked who had done it, and after describing the man, Crystal instantly knew who it was. The man had been causing trouble long before she had arrived there, and he had always been able to get off the hook. But now, he had gone too far.

"And so we'll deal with him! This isn't the way to do it!"

While she was distracted with Talon and the homeless man, Claw had quietly snuck around to the other side of her. Before she could notice he was there, he hit her arm where it bent at the elbow, causing her to drop the man and lose her grip on his neck. Talon pulled the man away from Crystal, while Claw wrapped his arms around her from behind, pinned her arms down, and lifted her off the ground.

She struggled against him. "Damn it put me down!" But it was useless. Claw was nearly twice her size, and much stronger.

"Take her to her room. I'll deal with this." Claw nodded and did as he was told.

He had to keep readjusting his hold on her, due to her constant struggling. He walked into her room, let her go, and blocked the doorway.

Her eyes were still slightly aglow. "Claw, let me pass."

Crossing his arms, he shook his head and stood his ground. He had seen her upset like this before, when dealing with another homeless person who was abusing the children who lived there. That was a time where he himself was barely able to hold her back.

'You're too angry right now.' He signed with his hands. 'You need to calm down.'

"Damn it Claw, I am calm!" She took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm calm, okay? Really, I am."

'If you were, your eyes wouldn't still be glowing.'

She punched the wall, leaving a dent, and collapsed on the bed. Her shoulders slumped, and she held her head in her hands. "Maybe Goliath was right. Maybe I am mentally unstable."

Claw picked up the pad of paper and pen from the small night table. No you're not. He wrote. You're not the first to act like that when it comes to someone's safety. It just shows you care for their well-being.

Slowly, she dropped her hands, and turned her head to look up at him. "You're just saying that to justify what I did."

He shook his head. No, I'm not. You just had a stronger reaction, that's all. He took a moment to study her, before writing again. There's something else bothering you, isn't there?

Her eye ridges furrowed. "What makes you say that?"

Well, you always seem to have something, or someone, on your mind. Am I right?

She sighed. "Yeah, you are. When Goliath sent me to live here, I was, no offence, pissed. The clan's been my first real family in years, and being sent away from the castle just felt like I was being abandoned again. And that whole emotional thing that happened with Brooklyn," the thought of him brought a small smile to her face. "I'm worried that I may actually lose them." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders to hug her, and she was quick to lean onto his chest. "I can't lose him Claw. I just can't."

He removed his arm and began writing again. Him? Sure you're not denying some feelings for someone?

Crystal quickly pulled away. "Did I say him? I meant them."

A small smile graced the tiger mutate's face. Whatever you say. But if you need someone to talk to, just come and find me.

She smirked. "I'm warning you now, I'm gonna hold you to that." She ripped the sheet from the pad. "I've got it written on paper. You can't go back on it now." He ruffled her hair before leaving to help out Maggie and Talon. She smoothed her hair back down, and pondered what she had said. "There's... I can't possibly have feelings for him. Not in that way. Could I?"

Another two months had passed, and Crystal was sitting down and playing a game of checkers with Claw. In that time, she had made improvement in handling her emotions. She was still quick to become emotional, especially when she got angry, but she was now able to keep it under control. At least, much better than she had before.

Crystal was able to see her oncoming victory halfway through the game. But there was no way she was going to let Claw know about it. Grinning, she jumped his last three pieces, and shot her hand out, palm up, in front of him. "C'mon, hand it over."

Growling, he reached over and placed the winnings in her hand. 'I can't believe you beat me six times in a row!' He signed.

'I warned you.' She signed back. Over the weeks, she decided to learn how, in case she needed to have an extremely quiet conversation.

'You completely cleaned me out!'

'I was motivated by what we were betting. I can't help it if I wanted it more than you did.'

'I just wanted to eat my brownies in peace! You were the one who made the bet.'

'If you want, you can try to win some back.' She took a bite out of one of the brownies, just to taunt him.

'I have nothing else left to bet. What would I give you if I lost again?'

She put the rest of the brownie in her mouth, and thought for a moment. She decided to have a little fun. 'If I lose, you get your brownies back. If you lose, you have to give me a kiss.' She signed.

If he could talk, he would have stuttered. 'Kiss you?'

'You decide where, what kind, and how long. So you in?'

He took his time in answering. The chance of getting his brownies back was tempting, but he had a great friendship with Crystal, and he didn't want to risk it because he might lose... again. 'You're on.'

The amount of shock that she was feeling was just so much, that her expression remained passive. She didn't actually think that he would agree to it, but no way was she going to back out of it now. They started a new game, and Crystal tried her hardest to lose, even though she hated the thought of giving up her hard won brownies. By the near end, Crystal had three pieces left, compared to Claw's one. It was almost like he had tried to lose. Not having another option, she jumped his last piece, and won the game.

She sighed. "Looks like you lost, kitty." She noticed his hesitation. "If you want, we can just pretend the bet was never made, and I'll still give you half your brownies back."

Claw picked up the paper and pen he had beside him. I agreed to the bet. I have to pay my dues. He moved to sit beside her, cupped her chin, and gently pressed his muzzle against her lips.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

If you wanted to argue whether it was good or bad, you couldn't deny that his timing was perfect. Goliath had received the call last night from Talon, saying that Crystal was ready to go back to the castle. Wanting to keep it a surprise, the clan decided to wait until tonight to tell her. Brooklyn had volunteered to go to the Labyrinth to bring her back. So there he was, standing in the doorway, watching her and Claw kiss. Holding back a growl, he took a few steps forward, putting all his weight into each one so that he would be heard.

Crystal pulled back and whipped her head around. "Brooklyn!" She ran to him and hugged him. "It's so good to see you!"

He glared at Claw and wrapped his arms around her. "It's good to see you too. You know, the clan can't wait for you to come back."

Her wings drooped. "Who knows when that'll be."

Reluctantly, he pulled back. "That's why I'm here. Talon gave the okay. You're allowed to come back home."

"I am? Really?!" He was barely able to nod once before she started squealing. "I'm gonna go start packing!" Giving Claw one last glare, Brooklyn followed her out.

The night after her return to the castle, the clan and the Xanatos' decided to throw Crystal a surprise welcome party. To add to it, Goliath had announced the completion of her training. Not being able to contain her excitement, she jumped on Goliath to hug him, and also gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

She and the others had gotten so caught up in the fun and excitement that Brooklyn decided to make his way out to the battlements. It wasn't that he wasn't enjoying himself; he just needed some time alone to think. He leaned onto the wall, and stared out over the city. He had barely begun to think, when he heard the sound of wings behind him. He turned around to see the person he least expected.

"Claw, what are you doing here?"

The tiger mutate handed him a folded sheet of paper, and began scribbling on the pad of paper he had brought. Crystal left this behind. I thought she might still want it.

Brooklyn considered tearing it to shreds right in front of his face and telling him to never come near Crystal again, but he knew better. It would ruin what he had with her. "I'll make sure she gets it."

Claw nodded his thanks and flew back to the Labyrinth. He didn't want to stay too long, knowing Brooklyn was mad at him, for reasons he could point out from a mile away.

Brooklyn looked at the paper in his hands, and considered looking to see what was written. He had no right to, but he was also extremely jealous. Claw had gone after his girl. But she's not your girl. You're just clan mates. Nothing more, he reminded himself.

"So this is where you've been hiding."

He looked up to see Crystal walking towards him. "I... yeah. Didn't think anyone realized I was missing."

"Now why would you think that?" She noticed the paper in his hand. "What's that you got there?"

"What, this?" Oh how he wanted to say it was nothing and just toss it. "Claw came by, said you forgot this and thought you might still want it."

She took the paper and unfolded it. A smile graced her face. "I thought I lost this. That was so nice of him to bring it back to me."

"What is it?"

"It's kind of a little contract between me and him. He was trying to comfort me, and it ended up with this."

If there was one thing Brooklyn had to learn, it was to know when to keep his beak shut. "Since when do mates need to make contracts?"

"Mates?" Crystal had to quickly think of what the human equivalent of a mate was. Sometimes it felt like she was speaking another language. "Claw and I aren't mates. Where did you get that idea?"

Just thinking about what he saw hurt. "When I saw the two of you kissing the other night."

"Kissing?" The memory of the checkers game came back to her. "That happened because of a bet. There was no emotion behind it."

He turned away from her. "That's now how it looked from where I was standing."

Being fed up with his stubbornness, she turned his head towards herself and placed her lips on the tip of his beak. She figured that would be the best place in order to kiss someone with a beak. To both their surprises, neither one was willing to pull away.

A few moments had passed before Crystal pulled away. "There," she said, slightly in shock at what had just happened. "Would I have done that if Claw was my mate?"

Brooklyn was almost too dazed for words. "No, I... I guess not."

"Brooklyn, if I've done something to upset you, tell me. I'd rather get it solved right away than let it escalate to something that neither one of us could handle." She stroked the side of his beak. "Now, what's the big deal of me having a mate?"

He paled slightly. He had hoped that either Hudson or Goliath would have explained it to her. Even Angela would have been a better choice than him. "Well, uh, Breeder's Moon is in a few years, and well, you've seen how small the clan is."

She stepped away from him. "You mean, you're all expecting me to mate with someone? Is that the only reason why I was accepted into the clan?"

"What? No! Of course not! Crys, we're not expecting anything like that. It's just that -"

He was cut off by her laughter. "I'm sorry, but you should have seen the look on your face!" She took a moment to compose herself. "Not to worry, Hudson already explained the whole thing to me, and I know that none of you are going to force me to do anything. I'm actually kind of flattered to know that you would get so upset about me having a mate."

Awkwardly, he cleared his throat. "Yeah, well, just want to make sure no one hurts you."

"That's really sweet." She kissed the top of his beak. "Now c'mon, there's a party going on inside, and you owe me a dance."

"But Crys, I don't know how to dance," he argued as she pulled him back into the castle.

"You have nothing to worry about. Besides, it's barely even dancing. Heck, look at Goliath." She pointed out the gargoyle leader, doing a slow dance with Elisa. "And if he can do it, so can you." She went over to Lex, who was playing DJ, and requested a song. Walking back, she chuckled at Brooklyn's nervous expression. "Don't worry, it's not anything difficult." He gulped as she placed his hands on her waist, and wrapped her arms around his neck. At that moment, Savage Garden's 'Truly Madly Deeply' started playing. "Just follow my lead, and you'll pick it up within seconds." Of course, she was right.

In no time, the two had become completely engrossed in the song and dance, and Crystal was now leaning her head on him. Brooklyn was enjoying the moment to the fullest, when he felt something wet where her head was.

"Crystal?" He whispered, trying not to draw any attention to themselves. "You okay?"

She lifted her head, and he could see the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry Brooklyn. I haven't done this in years, and... I guess I didn't realize how much I missed it." She wiped her eyes. "But thank you."

"Hey, anytime." She laid her head back against him, and he began running his talons through her hair, thinking she didn't know what it meant.

In actual fact, Hudson had told her the ways in which gargoyles showed their affection. She was just a little surprised to know that he had feelings for her. Especially since she wasn't even sure what her feelings were for him.

The next night, Crystal wasted no time in running to her room to change into her new outfit. It was her first night back on patrol, and she was ready for it in every way. When she came out, she was dressed in a dark blue halter top, with a strap that tied around her neck, and a very short skirt with slits up both sides that was being held up with a stylish belt.

She giggled at the sight of the trio's gawking. "So does the drool mean it looks good?"

Lex was the first to gain his voice back. "Wow Crys, you look great."

She couldn't stop herself from blushing. "Thanks Lex. Now how about we start patrols?"

Goliath had paired Crystal up with Lexington, and had sent them to patrol the east side. She was just so excited about her first night back on patrol, that she was able to convince him to play a short game of tag.

After a while, she had decided to give up. The smaller gargoyle was just too fast for her. "Seems to be a pretty quiet night tonight, huh?"

"Well, it's still pretty early. Don't write it off just yet."

He didn't know how right he was. At that moment, a laser pulse came out of nowhere, and hit him square in the chest. It caught him completely off guard, and he began plummeting towards the earth.

"Lex!" She dove down, and caught him only 20 feet from the ground. Slowly, she gained some altitude, landed on a rooftop, and carefully laid him on his back. Looking him over, she saw that he had also been knocked unconscious, but luckily was still breathing. "Well this was a great way to start my patrols." She didn't have the strength to carry him all the way back to the castle. Sighing, she reached for her communicator. "I just hope whoever hit you was just testing out their aim."

"Oh, if only it was that simple."

Crystal's head snapped up to see a red-haired, blue gargoyle standing before her, holding a laser. "Who are you?"

"The clan hasn't told you about me? Well I must say I'm shocked, but not at all insulted." She aimed the laser and fired, hitting the younger gargoyle in the stomach. Demona walked up to the two unconscious gargoyles, and nudged them both with her tail. "Two for the price of one. This night's turning out better than I hoped."

"Crys! Crystal, wake up!"

Crystal groaned as she slowly sat up. "Lex? Is that you?"

"Yeah it's me. You okay?"

She looked at her surroundings, and desperately hoped she was dreaming. She was locked in a jail-like cell, with chains on her wrists and ankles, which in turn, were bolted to the floor. Lex was in the cell next to her, but instead of having chains on his wrists, he had one around his neck. "I guess I am. Where are we?"

He shrugged. "Not a clue. When I woke up, we were already here. Did you get a look at who shot me?"

"Yes, it was the same one who shot me afterwards. A gargoyle with blue skin and red hair. Ring any bells?"

"More like an alarm. That's Demona. We told you about her back when we found you, remember?"

Her eyes widened. "She's the immortal gargoyle from Scotland?"

"It seems word gets around." Both gargoyles looked up to see the immortal gargoyle walk into the room. "I hope you two are enjoying yourselves."

Lexington growled. "What do you want with us, Demona?"

"You'll find out soon enough." She looked at Crystal. "What are you staring at?"

"I... I just can't believe it's actually you."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Crystal rose to her feet. "It was during World War Two, at the time when Italy rejoined the fight with the Allies. My grandfather had been on the front lines at the time. He would have been killed by a grenade he didn't notice had landed beside him, 'if it weren't for the blue guardian angel that had come to protect the Italian troops', as he put it. You became the greatest ally to his battalion, and one of the greatest friends he ever had. He spoke very highly of you," she paused and looked her captor over. "Although I can't see why."

Demona racked her brain for the events of that war. "You're lying. There were no other gargoyles in that war. If there were, I would have known." She looked the young gargoyle over. "What are you trying to pull?"

Crystal smirked. She had always wanted to meet the gargoyle her grandfather had befriended, and now that she had... well, she wasn't sure what to think. "I'm just telling you the facts. You can believe what you want." She walked right up to the bars, pulling against the chains. "Now what do you want with me and Lex?"

The blue gargoyle copied her move. "Don't worry. You'll find out soon enough." she turned around and walked out of the room.

"Demona had human friends?"

Crystal cloaked her wings and sat down. "You'd be surprised."

The next night when the clan awoke, there were still two empty spots. Elisa had stopped by for a few minutes, and told them that she hadn't been able to learn anything about the two gargoyles' whereabouts. Not having a clue as to where they could be, and not having any leads, the clan was reduced to doing a blind search of the city.

While everyone had paired up for the search, Brooklyn had decided to go off on his own, despite Goliath's protests. The red gargoyle had eventually agreed to take Bronx with him. Lex and Crystal's disappearance was affecting him more than anyone else. Not only was his rookery brother missing, but also the female that he had feelings for. And this time, he knew his feelings for her were more than just because she was female. At first they were, but the more time they spent together, the more he fell for who she was. It was nowhere near like the times when he thought he loved Angela or Maggie.

He caught a thermal and landed atop the Empire State Building. Leaning on the railing, he looked over the city, making it seem as if he could see everything that was happening. Bronx looked up at him and whined. Brooklyn looked down at the beast and patted his head. "I feel the same way, boy." He looked back out at the city and sighed. "Wherever you two are, I hope you're okay."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Don't hurt him!" Crystal was pulling against her chains as hard as she could, but it was no use, she couldn't break free.

Demona was inside Lex's cell, holding a .357 magnum to his head. "His life depends on your decision."

She stopped struggling and slumped her shoulders. "I... I'll do whatever you want."

"Crystal, no! You can't do this! Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."

"Lex, you can barely move three feet in either direction, and I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you. This... this is the only way."

"I knew you'd see things my way." Demona grabbed the barrel of the gun and butt-ended the smaller gargoyle at the base of his head.

"You said you wouldn't hurt him!"

"I said I wouldn't kill him." Demona stepped outside the cell and locked it. "Enjoy his company while you can, because this may be the last time you see him."

She wasn't going to hold her anger back any longer. Her eyes began to glow a hellish red. "You'll pay for this Demona. I swear, once the clan comes to get us out of here, you'll pay."

Demona turned around and grinned evilly. "Let me guess, you're expecting Brooklyn to come in here charging, right?" the expression on Crystal's face told her everything. "I'll let you in on a little secret." she stepped closer to the bars. "He'll go for any female with a tail. Since my daughter has a mate, you became the next in line." she turned and left, leaving the young gargoyle to think about what she had said.

The glow in Crystal's eyes vanished as Demona's words repeated themselves in her mind. He'll go for any female with a tail. She couldn't possibly be right, could she? Suddenly, any feelings she thought she might have had for the crimson gargoyle were called into question.

A few minutes later Demona returned, holding an amulet. She stuck her hand through the bars of Crystal's cell. "Wear this."

She reached out and took the chain. "What is it?"

"It's the Seal of Merbeulis, but with a few minor adjustments. This is to make sure you do exactly as I tell you." She waited patiently as Crystal hesitantly put the chain around her neck. "And I'd advise you to keep your distance from the clan." she said as she walked towards the door.

The amulet glowed dimly for a few seconds. "What... What happens if I don't?"

Demona stopped at the door, turned, and smirked. "They may not survive the encounter."